Launch Postponed: New Website to Go Live Feb. 6, 2025
The transition to the CivicEngage® platform is expected to occur on February 6, 2025, at around 10 am. The City URL (www.takomaparkmd.gov) will remain the same after the transition. For more details on what to expect, click "More Information"
Public Notices are primarily generated by the City Clerk and are mostly compromised of messages notifying residents and other stakeholders of public hearings.
WHEREAS, the first enslaved Africans were brought as captives to what is now the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1619; and
WHEREAS, Black people were bought and sold as slave labor for 250 years and suffered unspeakable acts of violence; and
Juneteeth 2020 Proclamation – June 17, 2020
WHEREAS, President Abraham Lincoln first issued the Emancipation Proclamation effective January 1, 1863, freeing the enslaved people in the South. However, southern slave owners ignored that order. On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas and enforced the president’s order, freeing the enslaved two and a half years after it was first decreed. This day has since come to be known as Juneteenth; and
WHEREAS, other systems of oppression, such as sharecropping, Jim Crow, redlining, and mass incarceration, and the police violence against Black bodies continued throughout our Country’s history and perpetuated the racist legal and social systems that persist to this day; and
WHEREAS, the City Council recognizes the history of racism in our country and how it has led to many current-day disparities in education and job attainment, housing, and healthcare, as well as disproportionate incarceration rates for Black people.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, I, KATE STEWART, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF TAKOMA PARK, MARYLAND, on behalf of the City Council, staff, and residents do hereby recognize Friday, June 19, 2020, as Juneteenth to acknowledge the historical significance of the day and recommit the City to working toward the dismantling of institutionalized racism.
WHEREAS, World Refugee Day is an annual commemoration adopted by the United Nations in 2000 to honor and raise awareness of refugees; and
WHEREAS, the City of Takoma Park is a welcoming city that celebrates the growing diversity of its residents and acknowledges that refugees, immigrants, and all newcomers enhance the culture and the economy; and
WHEREAS, more than 70 million displaced people have been forced from their homes worldwide, more than any time in recorded history, including over 25 million refugees; and
WHEREAS, refugees are people who have fled their country because they have a well-founded fear of persecution because of their race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group; and
WHEREAS, resettlement provides safe haven when refugees cannot return home and cannot rebuild their lives in the country they fled due to lack of access to safety, shelter, health care, education, or protection; and
WHEREAS, the City of Takoma Park is home to a diverse population of refugees and immigrants, adding to the economic strength and cultural richness of our community; and
WHEREAS, residents of Takoma Park aspire to live up to our highest societal values of acceptance and equity, and treat newcomers with decency and respect, creating a vibrant community for all to live in.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, KATE STEWART, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF TAKOMA PARK, MARYLAND, on behalf of the Council, residents, and staff, proclaim June 20, 2020, as World Refugee Day.
On June 16th, Mayor Kate Stewart and the Takoma Park City Council welcomed the District 20 Delegation for an overview of state-level reform proposals regarding Maryland policing. State Senator Will Smith, and Delegates David Moon, Jheanelle Wilkins, and Lorig Charkoudian reviewed progress to date, specific reform goals for the 2020 session, and how Takoma Park residents and City officials can support these efforts.
Due to the pandemic, the Takoma Park Maryland Library’s SummerQuest reading program will be conducted online for the first time.
Join the SummerQuest Kick Off Program:
Wednesday, June 17 at 2 p.m. via Zoom: Meeting ID is 982-4674-0027 Meeting Password is 429279.
Creator Dave Burbank will introduce this year’s story and gameboard. Readers can track their 10 reading challenges with special codes through ReaderZone, which can be downloaded as a free app or accessed via the ReaderZone website.
Readers win a “badge” – an image of one of Dave’s many SummerQuest characters — when they complete each challenge.
There’s also a special set of challenges for parents to do with young children. The story, gameboard, SummerQuest directions, and instructions on using ReaderZone will be uploaded soon to the Friends of the Takoma Park Maryland Library website. Thanks to the Friends for sponsoring SummerQuest for more than two decades!
Everyone is Invited! The Community Patio and the Takoma Streetery on Laurel Avenue will be open tomorrow, Friday, June 12, with outside seating available. Please make note that all social distancing and mask requirements are in effect.
It’s supposed to be a beautiful day tomorrow, get outside and enjoy!
Here is some information on the Laurel Avenue Closure!
Laurel Avenue Lane Closure Begins June 12 In support of Takoma Park’s small businesses and needed steps toward re-opening, the City Council authorized the closure of the northbound side of Laurel Avenue for outdoor seating, sales, and customer pick-up. Beginning June 12, the side of Laurel Avenue where the businesses are located will be closed to allow for outdoor dining and enjoyment, curbside pickup and other public uses to assist Takoma Park’s businesses, employees, and residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Barriers and signage will be installed to announce the lane closure and detour around the church.
The handicap parking space will be relocated across Laurel, on the southbound side
The Takoma Park Post Office will not be impacted by the Laurel Avenue street closure. Hours and parking remain the same.
The businesses will begin using the outdoor space in order to re-open the restaurants, as permitted by the reduction of State and County restrictions, beginning on Friday, June 12, 2020.
The City has developed a new webpageto address the use of public space for these purposes, with the opportunity for the public to give feedback:
We are aware of the #8CANTWAIT recommendations for Law Enforcement agency use of force policies. We currently have in place policies that cover to some degree all of the eight of the #8CANTWAIT recommendations.
We are currently in the process of reviewing our use of force policies. Specifically, the ban of chokeholds except where deadly force is needed and the language used in the section “exhaust all other means before shooting.”
We look forward to working with members of the community and our City Council, as we review this and other policies in our efforts to increase community policing and building trust across the community. We are also compiling information to provide to the public about the training provided to officers.
Background on the #8CANTWAIT Use of Force Policy Recommendations
Below is an overview of the #8CANTWAIT recommendations and our related policies.
Duty to Intervene:
Each department member has the individual responsibility to intervene and attempt to stop any other member from committing an unlawful or improper act, including but not limited to, acts of brutality, abuses of process, abuses of authority, and any other criminal acts or major violations of department rules and procedures. Successful intervention does not negate a duty to report.
Require De-escalation:
Our current policies require all officers to use de-escalation techniques prior to using force.
Ban Shooting at Moving Vehicles:
Our current policy prohibits officers from shooting at or from moving vehicles unless circumstances would authorize deadly force.
Officers are prohibited from intentionally placing themselves in the path of a moving vehicle where an officer’s use of deadly force would be the probable outcome. When confronted by an oncoming vehicle, officers will move out of its path, if possible, rather than fire at the vehicle.
Ban Chokeholds & Strangleholds:
Our current policy bans the use of chokeholds except where deadly force is needed.
Require Comprehensive Reporting:
Our department requires comprehensive reporting and review of all use of force incidents. The list of reporting requirements is extensive. They can be found on our website under general orders, Use of Force, General Order 617.
Require Use of Force Continuum:
Our department has a use of force continuum that officers are trained in and must follow.
Exhaust All Other Means Before Shooting:
Our current policy requires officers to use only that amount of force, which is reasonable and necessary. Officers are required at all times to exhaust every other reasonable means of apprehension before resorting to the use of deadly force. Officers may use deadly force to defend themselves or another person from what they reasonably believe is an imminent threat of death or serious physical injury. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that any use of deadly force must be objectively reasonable. This standard will be applied to all uses of deadly force regardless of whether or not a suspect is fleeing when an officer employs deadly force.
Require Warning Before Shooting:
Our firearms training and policies require all officers to provide warnings before shooting.
The deaths of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Finan Berhe, and the ones before, force us to continuously come face-to-face with the persistent pandemic destroying our communities – racism.
It is important that the Takoma Park community continues to show up, as a united front, and take a public stance against racism. As perfectly stated by Angela Davis, “In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist.”
For real change to happen, accountability and action must take place. Every single one of us is responsible and we must all do our part.
YOU ARE INVITED to join Unity in the Community co-founder Meaghan Murphy, fellow neighbors, Takoma Park Radio, community activists, Takoma Park City Council members, Mayor, City Manager, and Chief of Police on Monday, June 1, 2020, at 6 pm for a moment of reflection. We will explore how we as individuals, and as a community, will help eradicate racism in this country and work toward just and equitable communities.
Tune in to Takoma Park Radio Station 94.3 from 6:00 – 7:00 pm to explore social justice through music. Hear messages from Chief of Police Antonio DeVaul, Denise Jones and the Essex House Girls Club, long-time TKPK community residents Cedric Boatman and Chris Barclay, community organizer Brandy Brooks, and City Council Member Talisha Searcy.
We encourage you to grab your markers, a piece of paper, and make a sign that reflects the message in your heart and a pledge to take one or all of the following actions:
support-on-the-ground activists
help when it is not an emergency
educate yourself
call lawmakers and vote
talk to your community about racism
With your sign in hand, step outside your front door and find a socially distanced place to sit and reflect, or open up your window and turn up your radio.
Consistent with the actions of other jurisdictions in the Washington, DC area, the Montgomery County Board of Health voted this afternoon to move Montgomery County into Phase 1 Reopeningon Monday, June 1 at 6 am. Phase 1 allows some outdoor seating around restaurants, some curbside service from retail stores, limited hair appointments, and some child care operations. Rulings and guidelines related to these private businesses are under the State of Maryland and the County health departments.
The City of Takoma Park continues to work with our business community to assist them in preparing for changes allowed under Phase 1. Unfortunately, there was not much advance notice from Montgomery County that Phase 1 Reopening would begin Monday, so we and the businesses are scrambling to get ready. Thankfully, we have been working closely with them since the health crisis began and we are here to support our businesses and protect public health.
City Manager Suzanne Ludlow
What does the County decision mean for Takoma Park? The biggest changes starting on Monday will be:
Restaurants will be able to continue take out service and begin outdoor seating following social distance protocols.
Retail stores will be allowed to have curbside pick up.
Hair salons and barbershops are allowed to reopen following specific guidelines.
There will be no significant change in the City of Takoma Park governmental operations due to Montgomery County’s Phase 1 Reopening.
City of Takoma Park governmental buildings will not be open to the public for many weeks and most of our services will continue to be handled remotely. Our Police Department is always open for emergency services and our Police and Public Works staff continue to work serving the community.
What have we been doing in this time before Phase 1 Reopening?
Our City staff has been putting in long, difficult hours working with families and small businesses in need. It is hard to adequately describe the heart-wrenching situations many of our residents face. We have families whose primary breadwinner is sick and suddenly the family is without income and health insurance. Applying for and access to services and stimulus payments are complicated by limited English or lack of documentation. We have been able to help a number of these families get testing, pay rent, obtain food and face masks and make key connections to ongoing services. We will continue to provide this assistance.
Our small businesses have also been pressed to the limit. When the federal stimulus program was issued to help small businesses, the program went through banks. Banks focused on the businesses they worked with most closely, which were often larger businesses. Most of our businesses in Takoma Park were not helped. However, the City of Takoma Park had already acted. Even before the federal government acted, we had started our Mini-Grant program with funds we were able to pull together. So far, we have helped about three dozen businesses with our Mini-Grant program with grants mostly in the $2,000 range. When we received their applications for help, the businesses were ranked by need. Those with employees and special needs ranked higher, and we have been working through the 93 approved applications as funds become available. Now that the Council has identified additional funds, we hope to be able to assist all or most of the eligible businesses that applied for assistance over the next two months. However, we estimate that the businesses that applied represent only about 15% of our business community, so much more work is needed. Staff has been having weekly calls with the Crossroads Development Authority and the Old Town Business Association and communicating directly with many small businesses. We will continue to provide assistance to our businesses and we have prepared recommendations for Council consideration of the use of public space to support our small businesses and protect public health.
City administrative work has been heavy: our staff has been working long hours on budget preparation, oversight of employee health measures and hazard pay, IT services to staff working remotely, and facilitating the City Council as they hold virtual meetings. We will continue to hold virtual meetings at this time.
Recreation, Library and Arts staff have been doing virtual programming, and it is wonderful! Please watch for the special summer programming the Recreation Department is putting into place. They have also been planning for direct services under new health protocols. Senior Recreation staff are studying the child care protocols, which are quite extensive, and preparing for a number of options depending on how Montgomery County Public Schools decides to proceed with its classes. The Library is looking to begin contactless book lending in June. (If you still have Library books from before the pandemic started, please return them so that we can get them ready for our new program!) Besides work for their own departments, some Recreation and Library staff have been helping other City efforts, from garden maintenance to assisting residents through the Emergency Assistance program.
Communications about the rapid changes that have occurred during the health emergency are key. We have been helping residents and businesses access funds and services, providing health information, and telling success stories. Our one Communications Specialist has had her hands full, but staff from other departments have stepped up. We have done mailings, social media, and website updates. It’s a huge lift and ever-changing, but we have focused on being accurate and targeting information to those who need it the most. We will continue to communicate with residents and keep them informed during the crisis. Be sure to check out our Covid-19 Information and Resourcepage.
Soon our Neighborhood Services Team staff will be returning to more active service. They provide educational information regarding our Safe Grow and other environmental laws, and they do parking enforcement and property code enforcement. While enforcement of serious safety issues has continued throughout the health emergency, most parking and code enforcement activities have been on hold. We will not start regular parking enforcement right away, but now that more businesses can do curbside sales, we know there may need to be increased parking enforcement.
Even as we look at how to address City service needs this summer and fall, we also have to keep our eyes forward to next year and the year after that. We will be watching how revenue changes may affect Takoma Park. The City Council and I will have frequent discussions on that topic as we learn more. And, we need to keep our eyes on the vision and priorities for Takoma Park post-pandemic. What will we be doing to make Takoma Park a more equitable and livable community?
“Takoma Park – Safe, Strong and Supportive of Each Other” is not just a nice sentiment; it is a necessity. The pandemic has brought that home. What each of us does affects our neighbors. Wearing your mask, keeping your social distance, washing your hands, and helping each other out when we can is a health and community necessity.
To assist residents with proper and safe disposal of hazardous waste, the Public Works Department holds an annual Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off day.
Date: Saturday, June 13, 2020 Time: 10:00 am to 2:00
On Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off Day, Takoma Park residents can drop off household hazardous waste for free (non-residents will be charged a $10 fee (CHECKS ONLY) at the yard at the Public Works Facility.
In light of the pandemic, participants will be asked to follow these steps:
All participants must wear a mask – no exceptions.
Enter from the Oswego Avenue entrance only.
Follow the guidance of the staff directing traffic, all vehicles will exit out the Ritchie Avenue driveway.
All hazardous materials for drop off must be in the trunk of the car or back of a pickup trunk only – no materials will be taken out of the interior of your car.
City staff will remove the hazardous materials from the trunk or pick up truck – participants must stay in their cars at all times.
What Can Be Accepted at the Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off Day in Takoma Park?
Aerosol cans containing hazardous products
Antifreeze and hydraulic fluids (5-gallon limit)
Batteries: lithium, lithium-ion, nickel-cadmium, car (lead acid)
The City Council will appoint 11 young people to serve as the 2020-2021 Takoma Park Youth Council.
Youth Council members are eligible to earn SSL hours.
Youth Council member qualifications:
Takoma Park residents in grades 7-12
Maintain at least a 2.5 grade point average for the current school year
The Takoma Park Youth Council provides opportunities for young people in Takoma Park:
Learn about Takoma Park government by active participation.
Help the City Council to address problems and accomplish the goals of this community by working directly with the representatives of youth.
Serve the youth of Takoma Park by:
informing the Takoma Park municipal government of the needs and wishes of youth;
planning and implementing social, educational, cultural and recreational activities for the youth;
working with the Mayor, City Council, City department heads, schools, civic clubs and service organizations to provide service and leadership opportunities for the youth of the City; and,
helping to instill a feeling of positive self-worth and esteem, teaching respect for the rights of others, and promoting community pride.
that refugees, immigrants, and all newcomers enhance the culture and the economy; and
northbound side of Laurel Avenue for outdoor seating, sales, and customer pick-up. Beginning June 12, the side of Laurel Avenue where the businesses are located will be closed to allow for outdoor dining and enjoyment, curbside pickup and other public uses to assist Takoma Park’s businesses, employees, and residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
