Councilmember Clay (by phone)
Councilmember Robinson
Councilmember Schultz
Councilmember Seamens
Councilmember Snipper
Councilmember Wright
City Clerk Carpenter
The City Council convened at 7:30 p.m. in the Azalea Room of the Takoma Park Community Center -- Sam Abbott Citizens' Center, 7500 Maple Avenue, Takoma Park.
Mr. Robinson noted the upcoming Ward 3 Night (scheduled for January 19).
Mr. Seamens mentioned the Sligo Park Hills/Ritchie Community Traffic Access Restrictions public hearing. He encouraged residents to attend.
Mr. Schultz expressed appreciation to the Takoma Park Volunteer Fire Department for their response to a house fire on Wildwood Drive. He said although a good deal of damage was done by the fire, the family was doing fine. The Ward 6 listserv brought forth residents with offers of cash and clothing to assist the family.
Mr. Schultz also thanked the Public Works staff for its work on the December snow.
Mr. Wright commented on the snow. He seconded Mr. Schultz comments on the Public Works crews. Mr. Wright noted that these snow events happen infrequently. He said if the City wanted to have all the resources to deal with large snow storms so that everyone would be happy with the results, we would need to have a much larger budget. Mr. Wright said that although Public Works did an amazing job, not all the businesses and apartment buildings did.
Mr. Wright requested support for having Ride On obtain the smaller buses needed for the Maple Avenue bus route.
Mr. Wright commented on Ethan Allen Avenue. He pointed out that residents do not care whether the City or State owns the road, the pot holes need to be addressed.
Mr. Snipper said that the snow removal in the city had been extraordinary.
Mr. Snipper noted that the potholes on Flower Avenue between Carroll and Piney Branch Road were patched but new holes had opened up and the road needed to be patched again.
Mr. Snipper commented that foreclosures continue. He expressed concern about foreclosures of rental property, where renters who had been paying rent receive notice that they have to move because of foreclosure. He said he hoped the Housing Department can be creative about how to deal with the problem.
Mr. Williams commented that because those displaced renters would not be in the City for the census, the City would have fewer resources in the future to address problems.
Minutes of September 21, September 28, October 5, October 12 and October 19, 2009 were adopted by the Council upon motion by Mr. Snipper, seconded by Mr. Wright. (Mr. Schultz abstained from the vote.)
Pat Loveless, 7620 Maple Avenue, welcomed the City Council back from its recess. He spoke against violence, encouraged voter registration, and requested that the Maple Avenue Bridge be named for the young person who requested that the walkway be repaired.
Alice Sims, Carroll Avenue, and Julie Boddy, presented a mosaic created by the Nuclear Free Takoma Park Committee.
Amber Langston, Lockney Avenue, presented a petition to the Council. The petition read: In order to focus police resources on violent and property crimes, I support a local ordinance directing police to stop arresting people for possession of marijuana for personal use." Ms. Langston said she represented Takomans for Intelligent Marijuana Enforcement (TIME).
Mr. Seamens said that the Police Department had assured the City Council that they are not focusing on personal drug arrests.
Ms. Matthews said that was correct. Most drug arrests have been for amounts consistent with the distribution of drugs.
Mr. Wright asked if TIME had a position on public consumption.
Ms. Langston said she felt the decision should be made as a community.
Josh Russin, Intergovernmental Affairs and Zone Coordinator for the Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives, provided the update.
Councilmembers noted issues of concern for Takoma Park: the condition of Ethan Allen Avenue and settling the dispute over who is responsible for its maintenance; support for the Purple Line; cross-jurisdictional crime initiates and CSAFE; and the development of the New Hampshire Avenue corridor.
Mr. Williams commented that the ordinance provided the authority to bond for all or a portion of the renovation. It provided flexibility as to the amount and term of the bond.
Mr. Snipper said he strongly supported both the bond funding and the renovation of the facility. He said he was glad the bond ordinance was structured so that there was some flexibility in the amount. Having toured the facility and seen the staff in action, he said the renovation needed to be done. It would allow for more energy efficiency. Given that financing is cheap at this time, and construction costs are also cheap, the City should get favorable terms for the project.
Mr. Seamens supported the ordinance. He said he hoped the Council would think about how in the future we might do a better job of maintaining facilities and upgrading gradually so that we don’t end up with a facility in dismal condition. Mr. Seamens asked if the City Manager had explored other bond mechanisms.
Ms. Matthews said that the State bond program provided a cost effective means of financing because the overhead is spread out over a variety of jurisdictions.
Mr. Wright asked for clarification that if the Council voted yes, it would authorize the renovation project.
Ms. Matthews responded that the ordinance would authorize the City’s continued participation in the bond program. There would still be the opportunity to say no, but there was only a very small window to do so. She said she would be asked to sign a letter of intent and closing documents by the end of the month or early in February.
Mr. Wright said he supported bonding as a means to pay for the renovation, but he still had significant reservations on the scope of the work. He said he felt the Council needed to have some detailed financial analysis as to whether the County or the City should provide the Public Works services, particularly road maintenance and sanitation services.
Mr. Robinson said he supported the bonding. He said there were tactical decisions to be made regarding whether the City would save money by returning trash collection services to the County.
Mr. Schultz supported the bonding. He said it was his understanding that the ordinance would give the City the authority to bond for the financing. If the City did not enter into the program now, it would have to drop out of the cycle and would have to wait a year to re-enter.
Ms. Matthews said there may be a second round of the program in six months, but there was no guarantee.
Mr. Schultz commented that with the interest rates where they are, the longer the City waited, the more expensive it would be. He said there was still room for discussion as to whether certain portions of the renovation could be deferred or not done at all.
Ms. Matthews clarified that she had been fairly broad in describing that the bond was for up to $3 million for the Public Works facility renovation. Staff recommended bonding for a lesser amount and paying for some of the renovation out of reserves. If the Council wished to scale back the project, that would be a good reason to bond for a lesser amount.
Mr. Wright said he would vote for the ordinance knowing that he would be able to vote later on the scope of the work.
Ms. Matthews encouraged the Mayor to schedule that discussion soon so that the City could go out to bid on the project sooner rather than later.
Mr. Williams said he would vote in favor of the ordinance. If the City decided to transfer sanitation responsibilities to the County, it would save roughly 10% of the project cost.
Ms. Matthews noted that transfer of other services, such as road maintenance, would not impact the renovation cost.
Motion to adopt Second Reading Ordinance 2009-57 Authorizing the Sale and Issuance of State Infrastructure Bonds for Renovation of the Public Works Facility. Moved by Councilmember Snipper, seconded by Councilmember Seamens. (VOTING FOR: Mayor Williams, Councilmember Clay, Councilmember Robinson, Councilmember Schultz, Councilmember Seamens, Councilmember Snipper, and Councilmember Wright)
Second Reading Ordinance 2009-57 (attached).
Following the vote, Ms. Clay left the meeting.
Motion to adopt Resolution 2010-1 Authorizing the City Manager to Sign an Amendment to the Land License Agreement with TPSS Co-op. Moved by Councilmember Wright, seconded by Councilmember Robinson. (VOTING FOR: Mayor Williams, Councilmember Robinson, Councilmember Schultz, Councilmember Seamens, Councilmember Snipper, and Councilmember Wright; ABSENT: Councilmember Clay (by phone))
Resolution 2010-1 (attached)
http://www.takomaparkmd.gov/clerk/resolutions/2010/r201001.pdf
Carole Whittam, Director of the Takoma Park Singers, provided information on the Singers. There are 31 members, about one third are Takoma Park residents or have had a former association with the city. They perform eight to ten concerts per year; two of them are public concerts, the others are in retirement homes. The Singers do not charge for their concerts and do buy their own music. They currently rent space through the Montgomery County Schools where they pay $7 per hour for the music room. Because the Singers have 43 rehearsals per year, they felt they needed a guaranteed space. They would like to be able to arrange a few rehearsals in the new auditorium and would like to have a few performances there each year.
Gene Hermann and Joe Gaffney were present on behalf of the Takoma Park Community Band. Mr. Hermann said the band has been performing since the 70s; in 1980 it was proclaimed the official Takoma Park band. The Band is always looking for musicians. There are a number of Takoma Park residents who are members of the Band. The Band was at one time provided free space to rehearse in City facilities. The Band now uses Heffner for rehearsals, which is the right size for the group. Mr. Hermann said the Band would like to continue to use the space free of charge and be able to schedule it well in advance. He said the Band members pay for all their own music and expenses. Mr. Hermann said the Band would like to continue to store music at Heffner.
Mr. Gaffney commented on problems that have occurred when the lock on the door at Heffner doesn’t work. He said the Band would like to be able to schedule the room in advance and not have to call each week to see if it is available for rehearsals.
Dan Epps said his Swing Band had played at many Martin Luther King, Jr. Day events. He said it has been difficult to get the group together, but he is trying to rebuild and would like a more consistent rehearsal space. He said he was willing to perform for the City when he has the people in place. He said the group was open to young members and would like to explore joint musical presentations with the Community Band. He noted that he pays for the music. On occasion, the Band gets a small stipend for playing. He tries to arrange five or six performances a year. He would like to have rehearsal space available once a week.
Ms. Matthews noted that the policy to require the three organizations to call each week to see if space was available was set by the City Council in 2005. She said it was staff’s recommendation that if the rehearsal space was granted, it should not include use of the Auditorium.
Council discussed the grandfathered policy that had been set in 2005 for the three groups. There was consensus that the groups should be able to schedule rehearsal space at no charge if they wish. The Community Band was granted continued use of Heffner on Monday evenings and was authorized to continue to store its music at that location.
Mr. Williams commented that the City had wanted to ensure that as many groups as possible had use of the space, so there was a hesitancy in granting unlimited rehearsal space to a few groups. He said that, for him, it made a difference that the Community Band had been made the official City Band at one time. He felt that the issue was settled for the Band to store the music and use Heffner on Monday nights.
Mr. Wright asked the three groups if anyone who lives in Takoma Park could join. He said that, thinking about recreation broadly, that this was a free recreation activity that the City helps to occur. He agreed that the issue was settled for the Community Band, that it should have use of the space on Monday evenings and keep the file cabinets in Heffner.
Mr. Schultz asked Mr. Epps if it would help to keep the band together by having a reliable rehearsal space.
Mr. Epps said the Swing Band is open to people in Takoma Park who are able to perform the music. He said some members might be able to teach others to play, but would need some support from the City for materials. There would need to be a joint participation.
Mr. Robinson said he wanted to delegate the scheduling of musical activities. He said he was not comfortable saying who could rehearse and when.
Mr. Williams noted the tension of groups who have always been here, and when to open it up to other groups. He was supportive of giving the designation to the other two groups (Singers and Swing Band), but wondered what would happen if others also wanted the same designation.
Mr. Seamens said the real issue is the use of the recreation facility in the City and to which degree the facility is more community or commercially oriented. He said that the Council should give direction as to the mix of revenue generating and community activities.
Mr. Williams said all the groups should consider opening up more to young people in the city.
Mr. Wright said the Council needs to think carefully about what the designation means and what the groups are entitled to have. The Council should formalize how the groups get the designation.
Mr. Schultz suggested that the groups meet with the Recreation Committee and the Recreation Department to discuss ways to work together with the Recreation Department and in reaching out to the community and to youth in particular. He said the City needed a policy that provides consistency and reliability.
Mr. Williams summarized that the Council would extend the courtesy of rehearsal space to the other groups. He indicated that the Council would look for a way to formalize that arrangement.
Gene Hermann and Matt Corley were present to represent the Independence Day Committee to request that Jequie Park be renamed as Belle Ziegler Park. They provided information on Ms. Ziegler's long involvement in Takoma Park.
Diana Kohn of Historic Takoma, Inc. supported the request. She noted Ms. Ziegler's involvement with the Sister City Program. She said due to Ms. Ziegler's connection with the program and relationship with Jequie, Brazil that there would be little problem with the renaming of the park.
Doug Ziegler spoke in support of the name change. He said his mother would appreciate keeping the connection with Jequie.
There was Council consensus in proceeding with the name change. Staff was asked to work with Historic Takoma to provide language explaining the history and the transition from Jequie Park to Belle Ziegler Park. The name change was to be done in coordination with installation of the new signage.
Mr. Williams introduced the discussion. He said that banners are fine in some locations but he did not want to see them draped over the Community Center railing. He suggested that if the solution was an electronic sign at the building, he wanted to see a plan to get to that. In the meantime, he wanted the banners to look better.
Mr. Seamens commented on the value of using banners. He asked that the policy that they not be hung over the roads be revisited. He suggested setting standards for banners at the Community Center.
Mr. Wright said he would prefer to use a system of changeable wood signs similar to what he suggested in the past.
Mr. Snipper commented that he preferred using banners if they are done tastefully. They would be more visible than an electronic sign. He said he would not be opposed to some type of fixed sign.
Mr. Schultz said he was not in favor of an electronic sign and would prefer something more low tech.
There was general agreement on the Council to not move forward with an electronic sign, but Councilmembers agreed to continue the discussion.
The Council adjourned for the evening at 10:48 p.m.