August 20, 2007—Chief Ronald Ricucci announced a new program today, where police officers will be leaving business cards with a message from the Chief at all businesses in the City of Takoma Park. The card lets you know your business was checked the prior night by a named officer and was safe and secure. It also reminds merchants to have an updated emergency notification list at the police station. Chief Ricucci states that this is a part of our community policing outreach efforts to partner with the
business community. We want our business owners to know we are checking their businesses at night.
— Catherine E. Plevy
Executive Assistant
Office of the Chief of Police
August 20, 2007—Chief Ronald A. Ricucci announced today that for the first six months of the year, overall crime in the City of Takoma Park has declined 9.15%. There were significant decreases in Robbery (-31%), Burglary (-17.1%), Larceny (-5%) and Auto Theft (-7%). In reviewing the statistics, it was noteworthy that residential burglaries were down 23.9.90% from last year. People feeling safe in their homes is one of our top priorities. The reduction in robberies is very significant.
]]> Chief Ricucci was pleased with the results, but cautioned the residents of Takoma Park to remain committed to being security conscious and reporting all crimes and suspicious activity to the police. Chief Ricucci attributed the decreases to the extensive effort put forth by the entire department on the robbery detail during the first three months of the year. The establishment of the plainclothes unit has led to a covert presence on the streets. This unit has already successfully made many significant arrests for robberies and burglaries. The most important part has been the Uniform Patrol Division partnering with our Criminal Investigations Division to be visible on patrol, while inChief Ricucci states that the next six months will be a test in our efforts to further reduce crimes. We must remain vigilant!
— Catherine E. Plevy
Executive Assistant
Office of the Chief of Police
Carlson appeared unprepared. For example, he brought up the Nuclear Free Zone designation to suggest that Takoma Park is a "parody" of a liberal town. But he didn't seem to know what the NFZ designation meant. At one point he said that the city of Takoma Park prohibits businesses in town from doing business with the nuclear industry. Not true. I think that there's room for discussion over the Nuclear Free Zone, but it should be informed.
Carlson seemed to just go with stream of conscious discussion points. For example: "Some years ago, when Takoma Park declared itself a nuclear free zone, there was some concern that Takoma Park was going to create an army or a militia or something and, kind of, strike out on its own. Is that—in the cards?" Kathy Porter's reply? "No."
At the end of the segment, Carlson questioned Porter on the "fairness" of the Speaker of the House taking the Presidency in the event of a successful impeachment. Mayor Porter: "Well, it's in the Constitution. I didn't make that decision."
]]>The obvious place to begin is with Monday night's unanimous vote in favor of impeaching President George W. Bush and Vice President Cheney.
The crowd that filled the council chambers for the resolution seems to be nearly—if not completely—in support of the city measure. Most people I talk to and e-mail to about this agree with the city council. Some feel that this will help embolden Chris Van Hollen to support the Kucinich impeachment bill (directed at Dick Cheney)
Yet, I do hear from those who find it frivolous or amusing. Others are angry that the city is wasting time on this. And then there are those who think that talk of impeachment itself is either fanciful or dangerous.
I realize that we do not yet have a lot of traffic here, but if you have found this new blog, I am interested in your views on the city council vote for impeaching Bush and Cheney. Just click the comment field below (Please be aware that you can post anonymously.)
Also: let me know about other threads you'd like to see here. For example, rent stabilization is a perennial hot topic, and is currently bubbling on the stove. If you have any thoughts on other topics or would like to submit a short blog entry for consideration, email me: eric@takoma.com
— Eric Bond, editor
]]>AGENDA
6:00 PROPOSED CLOSED SESSION: To receive legal advice related to the interplay between the City's Sanctuary City Law and the inclusion of federal immigration warrants on the National Crime Information Database (pursuant to Annotated Code of Maryland, State Government Article, § 10-508(a)(7)). The Council is scheduled to reconvene in open session at 7:30 p.m.
7:30 CALL TO ORDER, ROLL CALL, COUNCIL COMMENTS, ADDITIONAL AGENDA ITEMS
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD (Opportunity to comment on items that are not the subject of the Public Hearing)
CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS
7:50 PRESENTATION: Proposed Revisions to Rent Stabilization
8:10 PUBLIC HEARING: Proposed Revisions to Rent Stabilization
8:40 BREAK: Scheduled 10-minute recess. (NOTE: The time of the break will vary and may not be at the specified point in the order of the agenda if the Council's discussion is moving ahead of or behind schedule.)
8:50 WORKSESSION: Discussion of Proposed Revisions to Rent Stabilization
10:00 ADJOURN
Future meetings listed after the jump below
TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2007 - Meeting of the Safe Roadways Committee, 7:00 p.m. (Community Center Hydrangea Room)
MONDAY, JULY 23, 2007 - Administrative Function Session to Conduct the City Manager's Evaluation (6:00 p.m., 3rd Floor Council Conference Room).
MONDAY, JULY 23, 2007 - REGULAR MEETING AND WORKSESSION OF THE CITY COUNCIL, 7:30 p.m. (Community Center Auditorium)
Regular Meeting:
- (tentative) Resolution Petitioning for the Impeachment of President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard B. Cheney
Regular Meeting:
- (tentative) First Reading Ordinance Revising Rent Stabilization
- (tentative) Resolution Providing for Appointments to the Arts and Humanities Commission
- (tentative) Resolution Providing for Appointments to the Commission on Landlord-Tenant Affairs
- (tentative) Resolution Providing for Appointments to the Safe Roadways Committee
Presentation:
- (tentative) Discussion of Auditorium Renovation Proposals
Worksession:
- (tentative) Discussion of 2007 City Election
TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2007 - Meeting of the Arts and Humanities Commission, 7:30 p.m. (Community Center Hydrangea Room)
TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2007 - Commission on Landlord-Tenant Affairs Hearing (Southern Management Hardship Petition Appeal), 7:00 p.m. (Community Center Auditorium)
THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2007 - Meeting of the Emergency Preparedness Committee, 8:30 a.m. (Community Center Hydrangea Room)
MONDAY, JULY 30, 2007 - Administrative Function Session to Conduct the City Manager's Evaluation (6:00 p.m., 3rd Floor Council Conference Room)
MONDAY, JULY 30, 2007 - SPECIAL SESSION AND WORKSESSION OF THE CITY COUNCIL, 7:30 p.m. (Community Center Auditorium)
Special Session:
- (tentative) Single Reading Ordinance Authorizing the Lease / Purchase of Five Police Vehicles
- (tentative) Second Reading Ordinance Revising Rent Stabilization
- (tentative) Resolution Commenting on the Inter-County Connector (ICC)
- (tentative) Single Reading Ordinance Authorizing Purchase of a Replacement Boiler for the Municipal Building
- (tentative) Single Reading Ordinance Authorizing the Purchase of Automated External Defibrillators for City Facilities
- (tentative) Resolution Setting Forth the Council‚s Summer Recess
Worksession:
- (tentative) Continued Discussion of City Committees
- (tentative) City Manager's Quarterly Report
TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2007 - Meeting of the Board of Elections, 7:00 p.m. (Community Center Azalea Room)
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1, 2007 - Meeting of the Health Services Impact Committee, 7:00 p.m. (Community Center Hydrangea Room)
TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2007 - Meeting of the Tree Commission, 6:30 p.m. (Community Center Atrium Room)
TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2007 - Meeting of the Committee on the Environment, 7:30 p.m. (Community Center Forsythia Room)
Jessie Carpenter, City Clerk
City of Takoma Park
7500 Maple Avenue
Takoma Park, MD 20912
Phone: 301-891-7267
Fax: 301-270-8794
JessieC@takomagov.org
www.takomaparkmd.gov