Category Archives: Uncategorized

News, Uncategorized

POSTPONED: Spring Outdoor Movie – Saturday, April 6

 

Due to the cold temperatures this weekend the outdoor movie has been postponed until June 8. We hope to see you then!

 

 

Details

Date:    Saturday,  April 6

Time:    Movie starts at 7:30 PM

Location: Ed Wilhelm Field (behind Piney Branch Elementary School)

Ages:    Families welcome

Cost:    Free

Movie:  The Lorax (PG, 2012)

Due to the cold temperatures this weekend the outdoor movie has been postponed until June 8. We hope to see you then!

What to Bring

  • Blanket or lawn chairs
  • Blanket for stay warm
  • Flashlight for aid when the movie is over
  • Extra snacks for you and your family

Important Info

  •  If there is inclement weather we will move indoors to the Community Center and post on social media and here.
  • The Recreation Department will hand out popcorn and cups of water (feel free to bring your own snacks as well).
  • Voting will be open prior to the event date, check this page or our social media pages afterwards for the results.
  • Reminder – there is very limited parking at the Community Center due to construction, please allow additional time to get to the Outdoor Movie location.

News, Public Notices, Uncategorized

How does Thrive Montgomery 2050 fit with the Minor Master Plan process?

 

Source: Montgomery County Planning and the City of Takoma Park 

The Takoma Park Minor Master Plan Amendment is not a stand-alone planning effort. It, and all other county master plans, sector plans, and minor master plans, are required to align with and advance the goals of the county’s own General Plan: Thrive Montgomery 2050.

Thrive Montgomery 2050 is a wide-ranging update to the county’s General Plan—the policy document that envisions what the future of Montgomery County could look like, with considerations for housing, transportation, economic development, natural resource preservation and conservation, climate impacts, cultural resources, and social justice. 

As the first update to the General Plan in nearly 60 years, Thrive Montgomery 2050 gives the county (and the city) a clear path forward: to create places where we can increase accessible housing, improve transit, and strengthen businesses together in equitable, sustainable ways. The plan was approved by the Planning Board on April 8, 2021, and approved by the Montgomery County Council on October 25, 2022.

 

Key recommendations from Thrive Montgomery 2050:

  • Focus on growth in downtowns, activity centers, and along key corridors—with amenities serving existing and new residents while preserving our open spaces;
  • Prioritize racial equity and economic competitiveness—throughout the county and especially in East County;
  • Emphasize walking, biking, and transit—to reduce car traffic, minimize emissions, and keep everyone safe in their travels;
  • Embed social connections and public health into our land use planning—because thriving depends on more than just new development;
  • Enhance public and private spaces alike with arts and culture—because quality of place is integral to quality of life, as well as shared economic health;
  • Target place-based environmental sustainability and resilience—so growth happens in already-dense places and the Agricultural Reserve and parkland remain protected for future generations.

 

Thrive Montgomery 2050 Outcomes

Racial equity and social justice:

Advancing racial equity through just planning policies and public investments in underserved communities, promoting the racial and economic integration of neighborhoods, and focusing on the potential for the design of communities to help build social trust and inclusion while encouraging civic participation are among the most significant elements of Thrive Montgomery 2050. Thrive Montgomery 2050 strives to create racially integrated and just communities.

Environmental resilience:

Thrive Montgomery’s focus on a compact form of development with a mix of uses supported by transportation systems that make alternatives to driving practical and attractive are essential pieces of any comprehensive strategy to fight climate change. A stronger focus on walking, biking, and transit infrastructure will be crucial, but the significance of mixed uses and compact development in reducing driving is equally important. The environmental benefits of dense, walkable neighborhoods dovetail with the increasing preference across age groups to live in walkable places served by a mix of uses and amenities.

Economic competitiveness:

We want to strengthen our economic competitiveness by creating the kind of places where people with diverse choices want to live and work. Its recommendations for land use, transportation, parks, and other public and private infrastructure lay the groundwork for economic development initiatives undertaken by other entities. Different skill and education levels and linguistic, racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds infuse the local economy with the varied pool of skills, experiences, and perspectives necessary to solve problems and innovate. The Plan’s compact land use pattern and walkable communities supported by an efficient transit network will connect the county’s diverse population to economic opportunities.

 

Implementation

Thrive Montgomery 2050 establishes a framework for responding to economic, demographic, social, and environmental change in ways that are rooted in enduring lessons about what has made places successful in the past, while remaining adaptable to unforeseen circumstances. Implementing the vision laid out in this plan is important to achieving the plan’s key outcomes.

The Takoma Park Minor Master Plan Amendment is required to robustly address the goals of Thrive Montgomery 2050. County planning staff have used its framework to guide the analysis and recommendations within the Minor Master Plan, and the County Planning Board will use the same framework to evaluate different facets of the plan during their upcoming work sessions. 

To learn more about what’s included in Thrive Montgomery 2050, check it out online: https://montgomeryplanning.org/planning/master-plan-list/general-plans/thrive-montgomery-2050/.

News, Takoma Park Newsletter, Uncategorized

ChatGPT for You

 

 

One interesting use of ChatGPT is for English language learners. ChatGPT can help you write a business letter if you tell it the aim (goal) of the letter. For example, a parent of a school-aged child might ask ChatGPT, “Write a letter to a school principal asking how I can find help for my child struggling with math.” A parent could also ask ChatGPT, “List 15 ways for me to get involved in my school’s PTA.”

Naturally, it pays to read carefully what ChatGPT writes. Some of it may not be true, but my experience so far is that ChatGPT can be a useful tool for writing assistance—and for learning English writing skills. For those who might be interested, my own ChatGPT explorations, involving creative writing, are collected together on a website at philshapirochatgptexplorations.blogspot.com.

I am also concerned about the dangers of artificial intelligence and am happy to speak about that topic with community members who visit our library. I work at the library Mondays through Fridays. For our community to succeed, we need to have frequent conversations about the promise and perils of new technologies. Collectively, we can reach some wisdom on this. Be cautious and skeptical, but also keep an open mind. We can learn much from each other.

Read more in the Takoma Park Newsletter.

Public Notices, Takoma Park Newsletter, Uncategorized

STEM Star

The Takoma Park Recreation Department was fortunate to have a STEM Spring Break Camp this year. We wanted to highlight STEM camp instructor, Tosin Adetoro. Tosin taught the teens various STEM subjects, such as circuitry, robotics, and coding. Over Spring Break she kept the teen participants engaged and excited to learn about STEM.

Tosin has a bachelor’s in physics from Frostburg State University and a master’s in technology education from Virginia Tech. She also received her Educational Leadership and Administration Certificate from George Washington University.

“I believe that teaching STEM and STEAM in schools encourages creativity and problem-solving in students, while also teaching them how fun the world around them can be,” says Tosin. “The Spring Break camp with the City of Takoma Park challenged the campers to
use the engineering design process and the 4Cs (collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking) to solve design challenges. I am looking forward to building upon these activities in the upcoming summer STEM camp in June.”

Another fun week of STEM camp is lined up for teens, June 26-June 30. Register now for a fun and educational week.

This article was featured in the May 2023 Newsletter. Visit the Takoma Park Newsletter webpage to see the full list of past newsletters.

Uncategorized

The City Council is Accepting Applications for City Board and Committee Volunteers

 

Please apply if you would like to take an active role in the community and help make Takoma Park a more livable, environmentally sustainable, equitable community.

For more information and to apply, visit: City Boards and Committees

 

Listen to Keli Cochran, Grants Review Committee Member as she says why joining the Grants Review Committee was the best decision she ever made!

Committees

Arts & Humanities Committee focuses on matters relating to the arts and encourages the appreciation and participation of City residents in the arts and humanities.

Emergency Preparedness Committee assists in City planning and preparations for emergency operations and engages residents in how to plan, prepare and recover from emergencies.

Grants Review Committee reviews and recommends grant applications for the Community “Quality of Life” Grants awarded annually to nonprofits and business associations that serve City residents by providing greater access and opportunities for participation in the arts and sciences.

Sustainable Maryland Committee (Green Team) supports City efforts to achieve Sustainable Maryland certification, which in turn helps the City Council to meet its environmental goals and priorities.

Recreation and Community Engagement Committee concentrates on serving the varied recreation needs of our residents, emphasizing youth, seniors and diverse resident backgrounds, on uses of City facilities, and on a wider range of related community needs such as health, leisure, education, enrichment programs. 

City Boards

City Boards and Commissions have specific regulatory or quasi-judicial responsibilities in an area of City law.

Board of Elections plans and conducts all our City elections in coordination with the City Clerk. The Board also does voter education and outreach in our community, and reviews City election laws and procedures after an election to recommend changes as needed.

Commission on Landlord-Tenant Affairs (COLTA) represents the interest of tenants and landlords and hears cases in matters affecting rental housing in Takoma Park.

Ethics Commission certifies compliance with state and city ethics requirements, hears complaints on potential City ethics violations, and advises on how the City ethics law applies to covered individuals.

Tree Commission hears appeals of City tree permit decisions in keeping with the City’s goal to preserve, protect and promote our community’s urban forest.

 

Boards and committees are important because they:

  •  Provide the Council with tangible recommendations in key priority areas or fulfill the City’s regulatory functions and
    requirements
  • Leverage residents’ technical expertise and lived experiences to inform City policies and programs
  • Ensure that the Council has regular and timely information to use when considering its priorities or important issues
  • Provide an opportunity to engage residents on issues that are important to them as well as enable residents to assist in community education and engagement activities in priority areas.

Please visit the City Boards and Committees webpage for more information.

Uncategorized

FY22 Tax Rate and Budget Public Hearings – Wednesday, April 28, 2021

The City Council will hold two public hearings on Wednesday, April 28, beginning at 7:30 PM.

The first public hearing will be on the Proposed FY22 Tax Rate. The second hearing will be on the Proposed FY22 Budget.

View the Proposed FY22 Budget.

CITY OF TAKOMA PARK, MARYLAND NOTICE OF A PROPOSED REAL PROPERTY TAX INCREASE

The City Council of the City of Takoma Park proposes to increase real property taxes.
1. For the tax year beginning July 1, 2021, the estimated real property assessable base will increase by 1.9%, from $2,530,093,068 to $2,578,704,873.
2. If the City of Takoma Park maintains the current tax rate of $0.5397 per $100 of assessment, real property tax revenues will increase by 1.9% resulting in $262,358 of new real property tax revenues.
3. In order to fully offset the effect of increasing assessments, the real property tax rate should be reduced to $0.5295, the constant yield tax rate.
4. The city is considering not reducing its real property tax rate enough to fully offset increasing assessments. The city proposes to adopt a real property tax rate of
$0.55 per $100 of assessment. This tax rate is 3.9% higher than the constant yield tax rate and will generate $528,635 in additional property tax revenues.

A public hearing on the proposed real property tax rate increase will be held at 7:30 PM on Wednesday, April 28, 2021. Due to the public health crisis, the meeting will take place remotely.  Comments may also be sent to clerk@takomaparkmd.gov.

The hearing is open to the public, and public testimony is encouraged. Sign up to testify at the hearing on Zoom. Persons with questions regarding this hearing may call 240-723-0437 or email clerk@takomaparkmd.gov for further information.

News, Uncategorized

Time to Renew! The Takoma Park Recreation Department Scholarship Program

 

The Takoma Park Recreation Department scholarship program is designed to assist individuals and families accessing our programs, by providing an opportunity to apply for a lesser fee than the published amounts. Scholarships give Takoma Park residents an opportunity to learn, grow and have fun. Scholarship applications are valid for the calendar year in which you apply and all applications will need to be resubmitted every year, three weeks before registration. Take a moment to review the FAQ section as it may answer some questions you have.

Available Programs

Most programs offered by the Takoma Park Recreation Department are eligible including child care, day camps, and many other programs covering all ages. However, there are important exceptions please click here to view the list.

Eligibility

The Recreation Department’s scholarship opportunity is available to families who reside within Takoma Park City limits who are in need.  Please note that some may have a Takoma Park mailing address but not live within City limits. To verify which Ward you live in visit our interactive map.

How To Apply

  • Applications are valid for the calendar year in which you apply (Dec applications rollover).
  • Completed applications, income chart, and accompanying documentation should be emailed to  recreation@takomaparkmd.gov
  • All applications will need to be resubmitted every year, three weeks before registration.
  • Applications are available in Amharic, English, French and  Spanish.
  •  Click here to find the applications in Amharic, English, French and Spanish.

 

The Recreation Dept. is feverishly working behind the scenes on reopening procedures for Childcare and Summer Camp. While you wait, if you are a Takoma Park resident in need review the new scholarship page and submit the application if interested. We know COVID has effected many families and we want to remove all the barriers for participation in our recreation programs.

Please Note: This scholarship application is only valid for City of Takoma Park Recreation Department programs.
News, News Alert, Uncategorized

Join Us for Martin Luther King, Jr. Week of Service and Kindness January 16-24

 

 

News from the MLK Committee.

Due to the pandemic, we regret to report that we aren’t holding our annual celebration with food and music this year nor are we organizing formal service activities.  But we hope you still honor Martin Luther King Jr.’s holiday on Monday, January 18th.

You can help:

  • Local groups that are distributing food (see list below)
  • You can venture to Sligo Creek or any public area and do your own cleanup (use gloves and take trash and recyclables home)
  • You can offer assistance to the elderly or infirm neighbors.
  • You can perform any act of kindness.
  • And you can shine a light into the darkness, symbolically and literally.
  • Please go outdoors onto your front stoop or balcony 7:00-7:15 pm on MLK Jr. Day and lift a flashlight or a candle or your phone into the evening sky.

To quote Dr. King, “Even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow I still have a dream.”

MLK Committee members Jackie Frazier, Cherwanda Oliver, Cindy Dyballa, Jay Keller, Annie Mozer, Howard Kohn

Acts of Kindness or Service
  • Adventist Community Services distributes food and addresses other basic needs. On MLK Jr. Day (Jan. 18th) they will be sorting food and clothing outdoors at 501 Sligo Ave, Silver Spring. (In case of rain or snow, they will cancel.) Contact Terry or Joyce Seamens at 240-793-5108 to schedule a time to volunteer — 3 one-hour shifts each with 15 volunteers (at least 3 must be adults). Shifts will start at 10 am, 11 am and Noon.
  • Small Things Matter distributes fresh food and staples, with assistance from the TPSS Coop, Takoma Park Presbyterian church and the 9:30 Club. Currently they are looking for teens to earn SSL hours by making casseroles, baking, and bagging bulk items, and they ask that donations of canned foods and other nonperishable items be deposited in a grocery cart near the Coop service desk.  Volunteers can sign up at  https://montgomerycountymd.galaxydigital.com/need/?agency_id=81036
  • We Belong Here: Takoma Park Equity Walk is designed to challenge family and friends to explore equity by examining who we are and what makes us feel valued and included. Each station engages you in a fun, physical activity, then prompts discussion. Additional resources enhance understanding about ourselves and others.
News Alert, Uncategorized

Virtual Winter Classes Starting Soon with Takoma Park Recreation Department

 

 

Visit the Takoma Park Recreation Department
Virtual Community Center

Ring in the New Year with the Takoma Park Recreation Department as we invite you to visit the Virtual Community Center!  More than 20 FREE classes each week for Takoma Park residents and most will be starting in the next few days. Most classes do not require advanced registration, simply click on the title of the class at the start time and you will be directed to the virtual waiting room.  Staff monitor all classes and we ask that students turn on their camera to identify themselves at the beginning of class. There are a few teen classes that do require advanced registration and may fill due to limited space.

We look forward to seeing you in one of our many virtual classes.  And if you are interested in teaching a virtual class with the Recreation Department, simply complete the Suggest A Class Form.

The Virtual Community Center also has a running list of the R.A.R.s (Rec Approved Resources) that we have been posting on social media since April.  It includes easy craft projects, virtual tours, fitness routines, outdoor games and more.

 

 

City Manager & Staff Blog, News, Uncategorized

RFP issued for “Facilitation Services” for the Reimagining Public Safety Task Force | Deadline: Nov 13 by 4:30pm

 

A Request for Proposal is now issued for Facilitation Services for the Reimagining Public Safety Task Force that has been established by the Takoma Park City Council.

Services desired include:

  • Preparing for Task Force meetings,
  • Configuring settings to create a meeting environment that is supportive of participants with different views, particularly those who are Black and Brown,
  • Ensuring the Task Force has recommendations for the City Council by June 2021.

Read the Request for Proposal

Proposals are due November 13, 2020, by 4:30 p.m. (est). Please help share this Request for Proposals with qualified facilitators!