Mr. Williams noted that he had heard interest from a few residents in having an inaugural ball in Takoma Park. He asked those interested to contact him.
Mr. Robinson said he had gotten feedback on the leaf blower ban request. He said he was interested in a path to consider the ban and other items that might reduce the energy or pollution footprint in the City. He noted the noise and pollution from all two-cycle engines and wondered if there was willingness to consider banning them.
Mr. Williams asked Councilmembers to get information requests to staff soon so that staff could prepare for the agenda item which would be scheduled in the second half of January.
Mr. Barry commented on a photo of Sligo Creek that was published in the Metro section of the Washington Post on Saturday, November 8.
Mr. Wright commented that Pepco light outages continued to be a problem. He referenced the efforts on the part of the City to get Pepco to follow up and wondered if the City should contact the District 20 delegation and Attorney General Gansler to assist with getting cooperation from Pepco.
Regarding the proposed ban on gas powered leaf blowers, Mr. Wright suggested checking the Noise Ordinance to see if it is appropriately covering the issue. To protect the environment, a ban between May and September or requiring a phase in of improved technology might be a good solution. Mr. Wright noted the importance of education on options. He requested research on what other municipalities have done and what options are available to the City and noted special issues for large institutions and landscapers.
Ms. Clay said she was not opposed to a ban on gas powered leaf blowers but felt there were other things which should be addressed. She suggested the City look into establishing a program for young people to engage in leaf raking.
Ms. Clay requested a meeting with the City Manager and Public Works Department, along with a Planning Department staff member, to look at the Elm Circle issue. She also noted the ongoing invasive plant growth issue around Boyd Court.
Ms. Clay said she continued to have interest in establishing a youth council. She asked the City Manager to report on what it would cost to have a once a month youth council before the City Council meeting, with staff support but not to the extent that it would overwhelm staff.
Ms. Clay noted that Pepco had provided a bid for the cost to install street lights at Ethan Allen and Elm Avenues ($4,500).
Ms. Clay asked staff assistance in getting a crosswalk installed at Ethan Allen and Jackson Avenue.
Mr. Snipper asked for an update on the work being done by WSSC on Sligo Creek Parkway.
Mr. Seamens reported that the U.S. Postal Service had announced removal of a number of mailboxes, one of which is at the Franklin Apartments. He noted a petition which had been circulated to demonstrate the importance of the box for seniors and other residents of the building.
Mr. Seamens reported that the Takoma Park Community Action Group would be holding a youth forum in coordination with 30 other organizations. He said the forum could result in the formation of a youth council.
Ms. Ludlow was present to discuss the resolution.
Mr. Wright moved the resolution; seconded by Mr. Robinson.
Mr. Barry commented that the CDA felt that the whereas clauses encroached on areas that are still a matter of debate and concern. He asked that Mr. Mack present his concerns and have Ms. Ludlow respond.
Mr. Wright questioned the through right-right-right turn system that was proposed. He expressed concern about traffic in the neighborhoods, the possibility that vehicles could need to cross parking lots, and that it would create more pedestrian crossings.
Ms. Ludlow explained that the object was to not have two left turn lanes on the roadway.
Mr. Wright indicated that given the numbers provided by the Maryland Transit Administration, he felt the time difference between bus rapid transit and light rail travel was significant. He said he would support light rail because of this.
Mr. Seamens commented that he supported the Purple Line and was encouraged that the new federal administration planned to emphasize transit. He agreed with Mr. Barry that it may be premature to commit to specific designs that have not been vetted with the public.
Erwin Mack, Executive Director of the Crossroads Development Authority (CDA), read a statement into the record (attached). Mr. Mack also presented a letter from Larry Gordon of the Takoma Langley Shopping Center expressing concern about loss of parking. The letter opposed acquisition of additional right of way on the north side of University Boulevard.
Laurie Kelly, Grant Avenue, spoke to the need for the Purple Line light rail. She said the majority of working class people do use transit. The Purple Line light rail would not have to share bus lanes and would be environmentally cleaner.
Ms. Ludlow commented on the importance of the City making a recommendation as to what was best for the health of the community. She said that under the proposals, the amount of right of way is probably too narrow for comfortable sidewalks for pedestrian access. She said she did not want to see too much land taken from the shopping centers and was thinking about the smallest walkable right of way while still keeping the shopping center whole.
Mr. Barry suggested that it would be safer if the City articulated principles of pedestrian safety, enhancement of the commercial district, and making sure all parties were speaking to each other. He said by strongly supporting light rail, the City would accomplish the main goal. He said he would prefer to keep the resolution more general and work to bring all the parties together, recognizing that the views may diverge as the process moves forward.
Ms. Clay said she supported the Purple Line but believed that bus rapid transit would be more cost effective. She agreed with the concept of moving forward with general principles. She also agreed that the through right-right-right turn system at grade was a problem.
Ms. Ludlow agreed to redraft the resolution and send the revised version to the CDA for additional comments.
Motion to table Resolution 2008-86 regarding the Purple Line to November 17. Moved by Councilmember Barry, seconded by Councilmember Wright. (VOTING FOR: Mayor Williams, Councilmember Barry, Councilmember Clay, Councilmember Robinson, Councilmember Seamens, Councilmember Snipper, and Councilmember Wright)
Ms. Matthews noted that the amount appropriated for the recycling truck had been reduced because Ms. Braithwaite had found a lower cost truck. She confirmed that the City Attorney was comfortable with using the general contingency funds for this purpose.
Mr. Wright asked if the recycling truck would collect comingled or separate materials.
Ms. Braithwaite said the decision was not yet made. She said she had relied on Montgomery County for processing, which was dedicated to paper and comingled materials. She said that other jurisdictions were moving to single stream recycling and she was looking at the pros and cons and negotiating with the other jurisdictions.
Motion to adopt Second Reading Ordinance 2008-48 Authorizing FY09 Budget Amendment No. 2. Moved by Councilmember Seamens, seconded by Councilmember Robinson. (VOTING FOR: Mayor Williams, Councilmember Barry, Councilmember Clay, Councilmember Robinson, Councilmember Seamens, Councilmember Snipper, and Councilmember Wright)
Second Reading Ordinance 2008-48 (attached).
B. Single Reading Ordinance 2008-50 Rescinding Ordinance 2008-42 and Authorizing Execution of a Contract for Services to Develop a Ten-Year ADA Compliance Plan (attached)
C. Single Reading Ordinance 2008-51 Rescinding Ordinance 2008-43 and Authorizing Execution of a Contract for Services to Conduct a City-Wide Missing Sidewalk Study (attached)
Motion to adopt the consent agenda. Moved by Mayor Williams, seconded by Councilmember Barry. (VOTING FOR: Mayor Williams, Councilmember Barry, Councilmember Clay, Councilmember Robinson, Councilmember Seamens, Councilmember Snipper, and Councilmember Wright)
Mr. Seamens had requested that this item be pulled from the consent agenda. He asked about the environmental impact of the proposed system.
Ms. Braithwaite assured Mr. Seamens that she shared his concern about energy use. She explained that a significant section of the third floor of the building was not comfortable for staff during the summer. She said the mechanical engineers had advised that the problem was the piping system between the units. They recommended replacing the air handlers with roof top heat pumps, which would be generally efficient and meet Energy Star standards. A separate unit would be used to cool the cable office, which had special needs because of the computer equipment. The proposed system would add air conditioning to the areas in need, and would remove the portable units currently being used to supplement the system. She said the next step would be to look at the building infrastructure and determine what to do with the existing chillers. The existing chiller system is very efficient but would be reviewed. Ms. Braithwaite said the new system would be compatible with future changes which might be made to the existing systems.
Motion to adopt Single Reading Ordinance 2008-52 Awarding a Contract for HVAC Improvements to the Third Floor of the Municipal Building. Moved by Councilmember Seamens, seconded by Mayor Williams. (VOTING FOR: Mayor Williams, Councilmember Barry, Councilmember Clay, Councilmember Robinson, Councilmember Seamens, Councilmember Snipper, and Councilmember Wright)
Single Reading Ordinance 2008-52 (attached)
Seth Grimes, Faith Wheeler, Sara Greene, and Ronnie Miller were present to provide a progress report (attached).
Mr. Williams asked if Safe Takoma was happy with the ways it had engaged the community.
Ms. Wheeler said the group is always learning. She commented on opportunities with the schools.
Ms. Clay said she continued to have a fundamental objection to the program, given that if the initiative was a priority, why not do it for the entire city.
Mr. Seamens commented on the accomplishments of Safe Takoma. He noted that the organization was partnering with the Takoma Park Community Action Group on several projects. He said he looked forward to seeing the results of the model. He encouraged Safe Takoma to coordinate with Chief Ricucci on fundraising efforts so as not to compete with CSAFE.
Mr. Wright said he continued to be supportive of the project and looked forward to release of the remaining funds. He said that Ms. Clay’s concerns were justified. Each area of the City should be engaged in the best way for that community. Mr. Wright encouraged Safe Takoma to focus its efforts on community engagement to get more patrol participation, perform safety analyses, and do substantial one on one interactions. He said he would not be supportive of giving substantial future funding to the program and encouraged the program to seek other funding soon.
Mr. Barry expressed his support for the program. He noted that while $70,000 was not insignificant, it paled in comparison to expenditure for a single offender. Mr. Barry suggested strongly that Safe Takoma meet regularly with Mary Kendall of the CSAFE program. He said his support for release of the remaining funds would be contingent on meeting with her once a month to share information and knowledge. He encouraged the group to move toward future self sufficiency.
The Council authorized the City Manager to release the remaining funds to Safe Takoma.
Ms. Braithwaite commented on her proposal to amend the stormwater review and permit fee structure to encourage innovative thinking and encourage enhanced stormwater systems by providing incentives. The proposal would allow for a rebate of up to 50% of the permit fee for those applicants who exceed the requirements.
The Council was supportive of the proposal. Councilmembers commented that they appreciated the flexibility but also wanted to provide guidelines for the reduction.