A primer on how we keep Takoma Park safe and tidy

It’s common to see Code Enforcement staff out and about in Takoma Park neighborhoods, looking for overgrown weeds, derelict cars, peeling paint, and unshoveled sidewalks. It’s also not unusual for neighbors to get upset about code violation notices – the process can be confusing and even alarming. Who wants a notice of a violation? What will the punishment be?

City staff assures residents that the system is not about punishment– it’s about keeping homes safe and in good repair. It’s also meant to take care of the eyesore properties that threaten to pull down property values across the board.

How It Works

The Property Maintenance Code applies to the exterior of all buildings, vacant land, and even sheds and carports. It establishes basic standards for repair only – it does not address aesthetic choices like paint color. You can paint with any color you like!

Among the most common violations: are grass over 12 inches high, an untagged vehicle, peeling paint, trash on the ground or left out on the curb, rotted wood, or broken fencing. If there is a code violation, residents get a Courtesy Notice hung on the door, with the violation(s) listed and a deadline of 15 days for correcting it. The name of the inspector and the phone number is on the notice in case you have questions or need more time. Staff issues notices so that there will be a weekend between the time the notice is posted and the deadline for correction.

If during the initial inspection, the violation noted is a significant item or a justified complaint from another person, a Notice of Violation (NOV) is issued. A major violation could be any life safety issue, extensive peeling paint, trash left out, structure damage, or graffiti. An NOV is also issued if the items noted on the Courtesy Notice are not corrected. It comes by certified mail, involves no fines, and allows seven to 20 days for compliance.

What if a resident can’t make the corrections? Staff urges residents to call to discuss the issue before the deadline for compliance. If there is more than one violation and one or more have been corrected, residents can request more time to take care of the rest. The decision to extend the deadline is made on a case-by-case basis.

Still no progress? The city issues a Uniform Civil Citation for each of the violations not abated and attaches fines to each. Residents have 25 days to correct the violation from the date it is issued and the option of requesting a trial. Even if you pay the fine, the case is brought to a hearing in District Court if the violation is not abated.

And, even if you’ve got a court date, you should continue to work on addressing the violation. Also, be sure to attend the hearing, as it is the District Court judge that makes the final decision on fines and abatement dates.

Courts typically issue an order requiring the owner to correct the violation, and the Judge may also assess a fine. Once the violations have been corrected, the case is closed, and the owner is notified.

Throughout this process, the owner is encouraged to contact the inspector. The city’s goal is to bring the property into compliance with the code, not to go to court.

Code Enforcement in Takoma Park

Information about the Division can be found in the Code Enforcement web section.

Contact Code Enforcement

Concerned about the condition of a property? Contact the Code Enforcement Manager at (301) 891-7113 or submit your concerns online.

Code Enforcement staff are happy to meet with individual citizens or neighborhood groups to provide information about the code enforcement process and answer any questions. Please reach out to us at 301-891-7113 or email Rick Baravechia, Code Enforcement manager.

Purpose

The City of Takoma Park (“City”) invites qualified firms (“Firms”) to submit responses (“Proposals”) to this Request for Proposals in order to develop two deliverables: 1) the implementation of a new software solution for the City’s Licensing and Rent Reporting Programs, and 2) ongoing maintenance and support. The selected firm will work with City staff to implement the chosen software solution and address ongoing issues as the solution is used by the City to administer its rental licensing and rent reporting programs.

Information Meeting

Date: Wednesday, March 22, 2023
Time: 1:00 pm
Zoom Registration

Publication Date

Request for Proposals (RFP) documents were made available on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. Bid packages may be obtained from the City’s website: Rental Licensing and Rent Reporting Software

Deadline

Proposals are due no later than 11:59 pm on Friday, April 14, 2023.

Contact

Devin McNally
Housing Manager
Email Devin

A Statement From Mayor Searcy

The Takoma Park City Council is happy to announce that it has appointed David Eubanks as Acting Deputy City Manager, effective Monday, March 6, 2023.

Mr. Eubanks joined the City of Takoma Park in 2021 as the Deputy Director of Public Works and is currently the Director of Housing and Community Development (HCD). As HCD Director, Mr. Eubanks has been instrumental in advancing key City initiatives such as the library construction project. Prior to joining the City, Mr. Eubanks had over a decade of experience in housing and community development. The Council looks forward to working with Mr. Eubanks in this new role.

The Council would also like to thank Acting Deputy City Managers Rosalind Grigsby and Gregory Clark for their service in the Deputy City Manager role. Both will be returning to their official positions, Rosalind Grigsby as Planning Manager and Gregory Clark as Director of the Recreation Department. The Council appreciates their support during this time of transition and looks forward to working with them in these roles.

Looking forward, the Council is working to identify an Interim City Manager to manage the City until a new permanent City Manager is selected. Additional details regarding the City Manager search are forthcoming. We appreciate your continued understanding as we move forward during this time of transition.

Sincerely,
Mayor Talisha Searcy

Effective February 13, 2023, City Manager Jamal Fox resigned from his position as the City Manager with the City of Takoma Park. Fox was hired in 2021 for a specific and critical time of transition for the City of Takoma Park. Fox stated, “it has been a privilege to work alongside the professional and dedicated staff, community members, Council, and Senior Leadership Team.”

The City Council thanks Mr. Fox for his service to the City and wishes him the best in his future endeavors. Acting Deputy City Managers Rosalind Grigsby and Greg Clark will continue to share the duties of Deputy City Manager until an Interim City Manager is announced.

We are very concerned about the increase in violent crime in Takoma Park. These violent incidents that have plagued our region are now impacting our City far too frequently.

We are doing everything we can to address the increase in crime in Takoma Park. This includes increased patrols, both uniform and plainclothes, as well as overtime details to put more officers in identified “hot spot” problem areas. We want to make sure criminals know that Takoma Park is not a “soft target.”

We ask that residents continue to act as our eyes and ears, “if you see something say something.” Community members can also leave anonymous tips on our 911 Tip Line,   Residents’ calls/tips have led to officers being able to make arrests for in-progress crimes and have also provided information that has helped us solve crimes.

We have made several arrests for crimes in Takoma Park, including the arrests of two individuals responsible for multiple burglaries in Takoma Park and the arrest of a juvenile in the recent carjacking on Westmoreland Ave. We will continue to investigate incidents to ensure offenders are identified and charged professionally.

We have held multiple Public Safety Ward meetings in Wards 1, 2, 3, and 6, as well as more focused neighborhood meetings to hear from residents, provide crime stats and crime prevention tips, and update residents on incidents in Takoma Park. Our next meeting, focused on Ward 5, will take place on Monday, March 13^th.

We also put out daily and weekly updates on crime incidents in Takoma Park. Residents can sign up for crime alerts and other public safety information on our website.

Long-term, we must take a holistic approach to addressing the causes of criminal activity. Until we address these underlying issues, lack of education, food security, jobs, etc., the cycle of crime and violence will continue. The police alone cannot solve the problem. We look forward to the City implementing some of the recommendations made by the Takoma Park Reimagining Public Safety Task Force that help address these issues and continuing to look for ways to address the root causes of criminal behavior.

We are doing everything we can to keep our residents safe and secure while still protecting the values and small-town identity of Takoma Park.

We are always open to ideas and input. Have suggestions? Please send them to me at Chief DeVaul.

I am deeply disturbed by the actions of the five Memphis police officers in the murder of Tyre Nichols. Watching the video of the beating death of Mr. Nichols at the hands of Memphis police officers was extremely difficult and brought me to tears.  The actions taken by the involved officers were merciless, heinous, and incredibly disturbing and went against the basic law enforcement principle of preserving life. The lack of compassion, abuse of power, and use of excessive force were inhumane and inexcusable. I am glad to see swift action was taken, and the five police officers involved in the murder of Tyre Nichols and the two firemen who failed to render proper medical care to Mr. Nichols have been fired. I am also glad to see the five police officers charged with murder and other criminal charges.

We can no longer sit back and allow these incidents to happen. Real change must happen. The fact that both Mr. Nichols and the five officers involved were African-American was not lost on me.  As your police chief, I am acknowledging the role traditional police culture plays in many of these horrific incidents. The fact that the officers who murdered Mr. Nichols were assigned to a unit called the “Scorpions” speaks volumes about the mission of the unit and the mentality of the officers in the unit.

Police culture, with an “us against them” mentality, must change. I am committed to changing this culture. This begins with hiring individuals who want to be police officers for the right reasons, providing ongoing training to officers, and holding officers accountable for their unjust actions. We must also train our officers to de-escalate situations with dialog, not force.

We regularly review our policies and procedures, but given this sobering moment, it requires our department to review and ensure our policies, practices, and oversight in our duty to protect our officers and the community from any circumstance even mildly akin to this type of tragedy. All Takoma Park officers have undergone Active Bystander for Law Enforcement Training (ABLE- https://www.law.georgetown.edu/cics/able/) and de-escalation training. We also have a duty to intervene policy requiring all officers to intervene when they observe misconduct by other officers.

I previously provided a message to the community overviewing our efforts to improve the police department in Takoma Park. A link to this message can be found here: https://takomaparkmd.gov/news/message-to-the-community-from-chief-devaul/.

We, as a community and a nation, must come together to address the issues facing the law enforcement profession.  I and all of the members of the Takoma Park Police Department are committed to being part of the solution, not the problem.  We are stronger together!

We are always open to ideas and input on providing equal and equitable service to all our community members. Have suggestions? Please send them to me at tonyd@takomaparkmd.gov.

On Thursday, January 26, 2023, the Police Department and Ward 3 City Councilmember Randy Gibson held a community meeting to discuss public safety issues in Ward 3.

Watch the Ward 3 Community Meeting to Discuss Public Safety on YouTube.

View the Ward 3 Community Meeting to Discuss Public Safety PowerPoint (PDF).

Questions:

If you had a question that didn’t get asked, or that you thought of after the meeting, please feel free to email them to Cathy Plevy and we will get you a response.

Contact:

Catherine Plevy
Public Information Officer
Takoma Park Police Department

Email: cathyp@takomaparkmd.gov
Phone: 301-891-7142
Cell: 240-338-2901