From Suzanne Ludlow, City Manager of Takoma Park

Sunday, January 24, 2016 8:00 PM

Dear Residents,

Wow, what a lot of snow to shovel!

Our snowplowing crews are still working around the clock on 12-hour shifts. Today they were joined by other staff and contractors to clear smaller roads and begin clearing sidewalks along public property, crosswalks and sidewalk ramps. Those efforts will continue tomorrow and for several days.

People all across the city were out clearing sidewalks and driveways. I give a HUGE thanks to the Snow Angels and other volunteers who helped those who were not able to do their own shoveling. What a wonderful service to the community!

As our snowplows continue to work to clear the entire width of the streets, we will continue to block in driveways – a real sore point to people who are already sore from shoveling. However, with the amount of snow we received, and our narrow streets and densely built community, this will continue to occur. It’s the only way we will get the roads safe to travel on again. So, if your road is not yet cleared from curb to curb, expect more road clearing and more snow in front of driveways.

City Offices Closed Monday

 Like other area jurisdictions, our offices and facilities will remain closed on Monday because of the difficulty with regional transportation.

Trash & Recycling Collection

There will be no yard waste collection on Monday. On Tuesday, we may not have trash, recycling and food waste collection. Please check the City’s website late Monday if your normal collection day is Tuesday. The County’s transfer station is closed and we don’t know if it will be open on Tuesday.

Sidewalk Clearing Laws

The City’s laws requiring clearing of sidewalks remain suspended for several more days. I’ll give at least 48 hours notice via the website and social media before we begin enforcement. In the meantime, please try to do what you can to clear sidewalks in front of your property. It is obvious when snowplows have deposited snow on sidewalks and we will take that into consideration when we do finally begin enforcing the sidewalk clearing law.

I am hoping that only one more “Winter Storm Message from the City Manager” will be required, and I can return to the rest of my job. Thanks to the many messages you have been sending. Please feel free to contact me even when there isn’t a storm!

Best,

Suzanne Ludlow
City Manager
Email: SuzanneL@takomaparkmd.gov
Phone: 301-891-7229

From Suzanne Ludlow, City Manager of Takoma Park

January 24, 2016 9:00 AM

Dear Residents,

Today is a day to start digging out!

We have extra crews in today to help our Public Works staff clear roads, areas around public facilities, key crosswalks, etc.

The Snow Angels will be out in force clearing sidewalks of people who signed up with the program. If you see them out and are inclined to lend a hand, we encourage you to do so! And, if you know of someone close by who is unable to remove snow themselves, please consider being a good neighbor and offering assistance.

As you clear cars parked on streets, please try not to leave too much snow in the travel lane. And, if you move and re-park your car, please pull as close to the curb as possible to give room to snowplows passing by.

It’s still a good idea to keep from driving on the roads. They remain hazardous. And, roads across the region remain unplowed, so it’s hard to go anywhere. The biggest problem is that the more cars that are out on the road, the harder it is to get the clearing work done.

Our Police Department and Public Works staff have been doing a great job helping others during this storm. Some of the stories are:

• Officers regularly checked on a homeless woman who refused to go to a shelter. They brought her hot beverages and food.
• An airport shuttle driver whose vehicle was stuck on Piney Branch Avenue spent two days in the Police Lobby. He was provided with food during the time and, when asked if there was anything else he needed, he said “a shower!” Police staff found supplies for him and escorted him to the shower in the Police locker room. Public Works is helping get his vehicle freed so he can go home to Glen Burnie today.
• A couple called and told the Police Department that the woman’s water had broken and they needed to get to Shady Grove Hospital to have a baby. Public Works crews cleared their front porch for safety and a Police officer drove the couple to Shady Grove Hospital. (This was during the time that Governor Hogan closed I-270 to all but emergency vehicles.)
• While at Washington Adventist Hospital on another matter, officers assisted a man in the ER who needed to get home to Chillum, and provided some supplies to a family with an 18-month old.

For today, please give us a chance to get to your roads. Today is our first day to plow without blowing snow, so we hope to make real progress. As I mentioned yesterday, our plows will continue to leave snow blocking driveways and some sidewalks, due to the amount of snow we are clearing. It’s unfortunate, but it’s the only way to get the job done.

If you have snowplowing complaints or areas that need attention, please email them to:pwmailbox@takomaparkmd.gov. You can copy me on your emails if you wish (suzannel@takomaparkmd.gov). If it’s just that your street needs more snowplowing done, please wait. We will be continuing operations over the next few days until we do every street, curb to curb.

As you shovel, follow health precautions so that you don’t over-do. My husband and I will be shoveling, resting, resting, shoveling, resting and more resting. (Sure wish our son wasn’t away at college!) Please, please be careful.

Happy Sunny Sunday!

Suzanne Ludlow
City Manager
Email: SuzanneL@takomaparkmd.gov
Phone: 301-891-7229

From Suzanne Ludlow, City Manager of Takoma Park

January 23, 2016 8:30 PM

Dear Residents,

The snow storm is winding down and we’ll need to wait until the morning to see just how much digging out we will need to do.

Right now, the roads are VERY slippery, VERY hazardous. Please be careful if you are outside. All of our snow plowing equipment is still running and our crews will be working through the night to make the roads safer for travel.

Tomorrow, besides continuing to work on clearing the roads, we will be addressing the areas we weren’t able to get to yet. We will have some contractors in to help clear small roads and cul-de-sacs (areas where our snow plows are too big to work well), and we will have additional Public Works crews out to start clearing sidewalks around our public facilities and some crosswalks and curb ramps.

As you begin snow clearing as well, please shovel onto lawns, tree lawns or as close to the curb as possible. Please help clear out around fire hydrants, bus stops, and sidewalk ramps at intersections. Please help each other clear, and re-clear, driveways that get blocked by plowed snow.

I have started hearing complaints of snowplows leaving a ridge of snow along driveways, parked cars, and sidewalk ramps. I want you to be aware that this will continue through at least tomorrow. We had so much snow that we cannot do the precise snowplowing that would otherwise be desirable.

As we face this severe storm together, we will not be citing people for not clearing the sidewalks in front of their homes right away, especially when it is clear that plows deposited the snow there. On Monday, I will be consulting with our Code Enforcement staff to determine when and how enforcement of our snow clearing law will begin. I will share my decision publicly so that the community knows what to expect.

On my evening conference call with staff, I asked for some good news. I was told that there would be sunshine tomorrow! But then the follow up comment was that the melting will mean we will have ice tomorrow night. Darn – I’d rather just focus on the sunshine!

As I write this, there still are 335 households without power in Takoma Park, including the homes of our Mayor and our Public Works Director. I send warm thoughts to all those without heat and hope Pepco can restore power quickly.

Still focusing on the sunshine to come!

Suzanne Ludlow
City Manager
Email: SuzanneL@takomaparkmd.gov
Phone: 301-891-7229

From Suzanne Ludlow, City Manager of Takoma Park

Saturday, January 23, 2016, 2:00 PM

Dear Residents,

I just got an update from our public works and police staff.

A tree on Poplar Avenue fell and took out power lines and caused some of the power outages in the area. Both Public Works crews and Pepco responded and I understand the power is being restored.  Power outages affected about 1200 households, including the Victory Tower senior building on Carroll, as well as the traffic signals at Maple and Philadelphia and New Hampshire Avenue and Sligo Creek Parkway.

If you are affected by a power outage, please report it to Pepco by calling 1-877-737-2662, visiting their website or by using the Pepco app. If you see a hazardous situation, please contact the Police Department at 301-270-1100. Medical or fire emergencies should be reported to 911.

Another band of snow is on its way for the afternoon, so the storm is not over. It should finally dissipate this evening.

While it is still light, please check on any vulnerable neighbors, especially if there are power outages in your area.

The Police Department has reported no significant problems. Both our Police officers and Public Works crews are reported to be in good spirits.

Public Works has been working to clear one lane on most roads and was able to get to blacktop on many roads. The new snow band will take care of that, but we are making progress. Overnight, the crews will continue to do clearing and widening of the travel lanes. Please continue to stay off the roads while clearing efforts are underway.

As the roads continue to be cleared tomorrow, crews will work to clear the roads from curb to curb. This means many adjacent sidewalks and corner ramps will be covered with snow. It will take a lot of effort by our crews and residents together to clear the sidewalks, bus stops, fire hydrants, etc. I ask everyone to try not to get too frustrated, and, if you are able, to pitch in on the cleanup efforts, even if it’s just to give some cookies and hot beverages to your neighbors working outside.

Finally, thanks to some of you who have passed on nice words of encouragement to our City staff. We’re happy to serve, but it’s really great to hear from you!

We’ll get back to normal pretty soon!

Suzanne Ludlow
City Manager
Email: SuzanneL@takomaparkmd.gov
Phone: 301-891-7229

From Suzanne Ludlow, City Manager of Takoma Park

Saturday, January 23, 2016, 8:00 AM

Dear Residents,

This morning, I woke up to thunder (!) and 14 inches of snow on my front porch. I am so glad that our area made it through the night with no power outages.

The most important message I want to convey this morning is PLEASE STAY OFF THE ROADS! It is nearly impossible to drive anywhere and the snowplows need to do their work.

In my morning conference call with public works and police staff, I learned that our crews were able to plow all night long with six trucks. Unfortunately, as soon as they would plow, the wind drifted the snow across the road again. Our new shift reported in at 6:00 AM and will keep working at it until 6:00 PM tonight. Please help them move quickly by staying out of the roadway if you are out walking, and please don’t let your pets run loose in the streets. Our snowplows cannot stop easily.

Police calls last night were limited to stranded drivers. And, stranded cars mean the snowplows can’t clear that section of roadway.

Police officers regularly checked locations homeless persons often occupy. One homeless person was found who refused to go to a shelter, so the officers frequently checked on her through the night.

Emergency Manager Ron Hardy reported that he received a call from Montgomery County emergency officials this morning checking to see if we needed anything, but we are in good shape for now.

The heavier snow is projected to continue until about 1:00 PM, and then snow should taper off by about 7:00 PM. I’ll send out an update in early afternoon.

Stay warm and enjoy your snow day!

Suzanne Ludlow
City Manager
Email: SuzanneL@takomaparkmd.gov
Phone: 301-891-7229

From Suzanne Ludlow, City Manager of Takoma Park

Dear Residents,

So far, so good. Today’s first shifts of public works and police employees have been completed, and there were no major issues from the storm.

However, the weather predictions – which have been right so far – are that the strong winds and faster rate of snow are expected to begin around 1:00 AM and last to early Saturday afternoon. The predictions of snow totals remain in the 18-24” levels, with concern that the snow could become a little wetter, a little heavier.

Public Works crews are working tonight from 6:00 PM to 6:00 AM, using five to six trucks. Besides the road crews, we have a mechanic on each shift to fix problems with the plows as they occur, as they often do.

If the winds pick up so much that the drivers cannot see to drive, they will return to the Public Works yard or just pull over until they are able to proceed. Because we have so many narrow streets, speed humps, parked cars and other obstacles, the drivers must be extra cautious when visibility is low. We are fortunate to have drivers that are very familiar with the streets in the parts of the city to which they are assigned, so they can move right along most of the time.

Our Police Department reports that they have not had difficulty in driving around Takoma Park. No major problems have been reported by them.

Our Emergency Manager Ron Hardy has been monitoring regional operations and reports that Montgomery County has not yet opened any shelters, although they have facilities stocked with supplies if a shelter is needed. If power outages begin occurring, and shelters or warming centers are needed, we will be able to share information on options. Ron also reports that area hospitals are well-staffed.

If you have downed trees, wires, or other hazardous situations, call the Takoma Park Police Department at 301-270-1100. If you have a medical emergency or fire, call 911.

Staff will confer Saturday morning to learn how Takoma Park fared through the night. I’ll give an update at that time.

Stay safe and warm!

Suzanne Ludlow
City Manager
Email: SuzanneL@takomaparkmd.gov
Phone: 301-891-7229

Dear Takoma Park Residents,

The storm will be here soon. Please take these last few hours to move your cars off the road if possible, get any remaining medicines, food, and supplies you need, and prepare to stay inside until Sunday.

During the storm, if there is a medical or fire emergency, call 911. If there is a downed tree, wires down, or other hazardous situation, please call the Takoma Park Police Department at 301-270-1100. Calling or emailing the Public Works department, your Councilmembers or me will not get the best response to a hazardous situation.

If your power goes out, please report it to Pepco by calling 1-877-737-2662, visiting their website or using the Pepco app.

City offices and facilities are closing at noon. The Police Department remains open for emergency services and the Police lobby will remain open to the public. It is located at the front lower level entrance of the Community Center at 7500 Maple Avenue.

We will be housing our first shifts of essential employees nearby so that we have staff here throughout the storm. Our primary effort will be to try to keep main streets passable for emergency services through Saturday. Unless there is an emergency situation, do not go out onto the streets on Saturday.

Stay safe – we’re all in this together!

Suzanne Ludlow
City Manager
Email: SuzanneL@takomaparkmd.gov
Phone: 301-891-7229