Jimmy's Ward Report - Sunday, December 18, 2011

Vacant Building Forum: On Tuesday December 13th the Council held a very informative forum on the problem of vacant buildings in our community. City staff explained the steps they go through when they realize there is a vacant property. We were told that there were 40 vacant properties in the city (25 residential, 10 lots and 5 commercial). They don’t always know if a property is vacant, so if you know of a recently vacated property you should notify City Hall. Owners of vacant properties have to submit a vacant building plan and pay a vacant building fee. Where there are code violations (high grass, broken windows, etc.) the City sends out a notice of violation and then a citation. If the situation is not fixed the City will often remedy the problem and bill the owner the cost. If the owner does not pay the fines and the bills, the City will seek to get a lien put on the house.
Some of the problems that were discussed but not resolved were how long it takes to actually raze properties that are not only an eyesore but a public safety problem in our community. A couple of houses have been condemned for years and the Council wondered why these properties had not been taken down. The other question which was raised was what can be done to owners who just don’t pay the fines and ignore the lien on their house. We were told that in Washington some of these houses go up for tax sale. I think it is something that we should look at either on the City or County level.
The Council will follow up this discussion and invite representatives from the County and State to see how they can help the City with getting rid of these eyesores in a more expeditious manner.
Barriers on Perry Street: The Council voted to make permanent the barriers on Perry Street which residents believe have been a major benefit to stopping heavy drive-through traffic. People have seen a decrease in drug trafficking as a result of the stopping of this traffic. The City is seeking the advice of the Neighborhood Design Center to have something that is not only permanent but aesthetically pleasing.
City Finances in Good Shape: The City received its 2011 Financial Audit from the firm of Bridgett Mock and Associates, PA and it reported the City in good financial shape. In fact the City’s unrestricted funds (not including property and equipment owned by the City) increased from $1.9 million to $2.9 million. Close to $700,000 came from revenue generated from the speed camera on Rhode Island Avenue. It is important to note that this money can only be used for needed public safety improvements. The revenue will not continue at nearly that rate because the Christian Montessori School has moved from St. James Church and the speed camera at that location was taken down. A lot of the $300,000 making up the remaining increase is a result of an underestimation of revenue that was predicted to come in from real estate and shared state income tax.
While this has built up the City’s reserve funds, it is important to remember that these are basically one-shot revenue increases and are not expected to continue in the future. Because of the interest on the property the City purchased over the last few years, we are still spending more than we are taking in. But we have a little more cushion than we believed before and we will not be forced to sell the properties on Rhode Island Avenue prematurely.
Council Appropriates Money for Needed Improvements: At its December 6th meeting the Council approved $50,000 to repair the roofs at the Mount Rainier Library, the Public Works Facility and the Police Station. All these repairs were deemed absolutely necessary to protect the buildings. The library had reported serious leaks that were damaging its book collection, and the public works department has had to live with buckets to collect rain coming from roof leaks. The City appropriated $20,000 to fix the large hole in the 4000 block of 34th Street (right in front of Glut). It is a public safety issue for vehicles driving up and down 34th Street. The Council also appropriated $34,000 for its share of the paving of the parking lot at the 3500 block of Perry Street. The overwhelming majority of the funds for the purchase and repaving of the lot comes from Federal and State grants, but there is a City share in almost all grant proposals like this. The repaving is going on right now, and the lot should be available for parking by the end of this month. The City also appropriated $3,000 for a shed behind the Bike Co-op/Tool Shed Facility (3611 Bunker Hill Road). The shed is necessary for the storage of bikes and bike parts. The Bike Co-op is very popular and they need more storage space. The City also approved $185,000 for a back-up generator for the Police Station. This appropriation comes out of the money raised from speed camera revenue. The back-up generator is absolutely necessary for emergency preparedness and has not been in operation for a number of years.
City Moves Ahead with Plans for Civic Center: The Council voted to appropriate $211,000 to move ahead with the construction drawings for the proposed new Civic Center. We have gotten over $225,000 in grants from the State and we are in jeopardy of losing the money if we do not move ahead with the construction plans. In addition our ability to obtain additional funding for the construction of the Civic Center will be strengthened by our willingness to put some of our own resources into the project. The Civic Center includes the current library, the Star-Potts Hall, and the current City Hall. The City has already had initial design drawings which were reviewed by the public and approved by the Council. We still have a long way to go with this project but we will be in a better position to obtain funds when we can show we have a finished set of construction drawings.
Trash Collection Totals: Public works reported that over the last year they collected 1,116 tons of trash, 321 tons of yard waste, and 265 tons of recyclable material. In addition they collected 621 items in bulk trash collection and 5500 pounds of metal.
Snow Removal Collaboration with North Brentwood: After some lengthy negotiations we have come to an agreement with North Brentwood for our public works department to help with snow removal in their town for a negotiated fee. The City of North Brentwood only has about 1 mile of streets compared to the 16 miles in Mount Rainier.
Bill Holton: Bill Holton, the owner of Odds n Even thrift store on the Circle and a resident of Taylor Street, recently passed away. Bill was a long-time resident of Mt. Rainier. He moved here in 1971 and was one of the first African-Americans to move to Mt. Rainier. I loved going into the store and chatting with him about what was going on in the City. He was a very gentle man and fun to talk to. He always kept abreast of events local and nationally and I remember lots of long conversations with him at the store. He was not a great fan of the traffic circle! I will miss him.


Rhode Island Development Update: Two different developers have expressed interest in developing the 3200 block of Rhode Island Avenue (former funeral home and Bass Liquor and possibly Thrifty Rental Car properties). The Council discussed efforts to make sure that any decision on a developer be made in a fair manner. The Council voted to accept sealed proposals from both developers and to evaluate the proposals based on the criteria outlined in the RFP (Request for Proposals) that was developed last year. The criteria are 40% - Design; 40% -Ability to implement; 10% -Land Price; and 10% Use of Sustainable and/or Environmentally Responsible Construction Standards and Products. Levels of home ownership was also added as an important criterion for basis proposals. The deadline for submitting proposals was set for January 13th.
Bunker Hill and Eastern Avenue: The Council wrote letters to DC Mayor Gray and Prince George’s County Executive Baker asking for a meeting of the two leaders to discuss the difficulties crossing the street. While the street is actually in DC, it is residents in Prince George’s that are risking their lives by trying to cross the street during rush hour. We are hoping that the two jurisdictions will jointly fund a stop light or some other way to stop traffic so people can cross Eastern Avenue.
February Council Meeting at Rainier Manor: In an effort to involve more people from the Northern side of the City, the Council voted to have its February Council meeting at the newly refurbished Rainier Manor on Queens Chapel Road (across from the Giant). I have been going there regularly over the past few years. The managers of the senior citizen residence received a good deal of County money to totally refurbish the facility, which was in great disrepair. The renovations are now 100% completed and it has become one of the best senior citizen facilities in the area. The residents (for now) are very pleased.
I hope everybody has a safe end enjoyable holiday season!!

Upcoming Activities and A Short Ward Report - Sunday, November 6, 2011

Open House at Joe's for Give to the Max Day, Wednesday, Nov 9, 6-9:30 PM

G2MD is a community-wide celebration of the nonprofit community where we tell our stories and compete for prizes through an online fund drive.
Free and fun activities this Wednesday include…
Yoga w/Brooke (6:30-7:30)
Hoop Jam w/Noelle (7-8:30)
Fabulous Prizes - Schnacks!
RSVP online at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=271189879591718
Joe's Movement Emporium - 3309 Bunker Hill Rd, Mt Rainier, MD 20712



emma's revolution CD Release Concert @ Busboys Hyattsville, Friday, Nov 11 at 7pm Come help Mount Rainier’s own musicians, emma's revolution (Pat Humphries and Sandy Opatow), celebrate the release of their third cd, "Revolutions Per Minute"!

The New Busboys & Poets 5331 Baltimore Avenue, Hyattsville
With guest musicians Gary Johnson (keyboards) & Ken Quam (drums)
$15 in advance/$18 at the door - Advance tickets at http://www.emmasrevolution.com/live/

Community Jam Talent Show – Sat., Nov 12, 2-6 PM at Urban Eats Café -

3311 Rhode Island Ave. – sponsored by Mount Rainier’s Youth and Recreation Committee - with Special Guest Silver Hammer

The City’s Youth and Recreation Committee has recently been re-formed and reinvigorated. They are sponsoring a family-friendly event to display local talent and assess the needs that can be filled by the Youth and Recreation Committee.

As part of the Youth and Recreations Committee’s vow to address the needs of the community, Saturday November 12, 2011 we are going to host a Community Jam. Working in partnership with our friends at Urban Eats we would like to display local talent (musical selections, spoken word, art, books, whatever it is YOU DO). Our Goal is to unite the community in a forum where we can show off the abundance of talent here in, Mount Rainier. At the Community Jam we also invite the community to fill out and return a community questionnaire to assess our needs and vision or our community. So we want to hear from you, and your children!



If you OR YOUR CHILDREN have a talent, skill, passion that you would like to show off, please contact Annette from Urban Eats at 202-421-8813 or Tyrese the Chair of Youth and Recreation Committee at tjrkrobinson@yahoo.com.

Open Studio Tours: Red Dirt Studio and Others – Sunday, November 13, 1 – 5 PM – 3706 Otis Street: Art to look at and art for Holiday Presents. It’s a great community gathering. Also open will be the Gateway Arts Center and the studios at E-Z Storage in Brentwood.

Grand Opening of Frame Savvy - Saturday, November 19. Local resident Cheryl Fountain has moved her gallery. While we’re sorry she has moved away, I want to help her celebrate her new shop right next to the Busboys and Poets in Hyattsville.

List of services provided by Frame Savvy:

Custom Framing, Ready-made Frames (Very FAST turnaround)

Digital Photo Restoration, Canvas Printing, Art That Fits - Custom art for all!

Hours: Monday-Saturday 10AM-8PM; Sunday 10AM-5PM Phone: 301.887.0080

email: info@myframesavvy.com - website: http://www.myframesavvy.com



Local Photographer Exhibits U Street Portrait Project: Mount Rainier resident Tom Wolff has an exhibit of a series of photographs at the Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery, 1632 U St. NW. (Hours W-F: 1–5 PM and Sat 11 AM to 3 PM). I went to the exhibit and the photographs are really great.

Solo Wall Show in Hyattsville by Mount Rainier Resident SallyAnn Rogers - Reception November 19, 1 - 3 PM The show, which opened October 25, continues to November 20, at the Prince George’s Plaza Community Center, 6600 Adelphi Road Hyattsville, Maryland across from the Hyattsville Library 301-864-1611 sponsored by the Hyattsville Community Arts Alliance



17th Annual Mt. Rainier Community Craft sale is coming up on December 3 from 10am – 4pm at Joe’s Movement Emporium.



New Bakery in the Area – Shortcake Bakery recently opened at 4700 Rhode Island Ave (where Rhode Island Reds used to be). It describes itself this way:

Shortcake Bakery is a premiere multi-ethnic bakery featuring international breads and specialty cakes, made from scratch with 100% all natural ingredients.



Forum on Vacant Properties – Tuesday, December 13, 7 PM at City Hall.



Council Meets with Developer – Last month the Mayor and Council met with Streetsense to discuss the development of the 3200 Block of Rhode Island Avenue. It was a good meeting and it was encouraging that a developer was interested in investing in our City. Streetsense is the same people who are developing the retail space on the East side of Baltimore Ave in Hyattsville (Busboys and Poets, TaraThai, etc.) The discussion was quite general, and we are now waiting for a more detailed proposal from them before we decide whether we should work with them or not. You can see the special meeting with the developer by going to the City’s cable television website: http://mrtv.pegcentral.com/player.php?video=69e9ee4e63ab644a9794a531bab67ff7 .


We are also waiting for another developer to give us a proposal.



Crime in Our City - We had a tragic homicide in our city last month. A young person, Alonzo James Guyton, was shot on the 4200 block of Kaywood Drive. They have arrested the people alleged to be involved in the shooting. It is the first homicide we have had in our City since May 2008. One killing is one too many. Our crime rate has gone down in the 8 years since I moved here. In 2003 there were 648 reported crimes and this year there will be 350 or so crimes, but this still means a reported crime almost every day of the year. It is really important for our residents to work with each other in trying to identifying possible trouble spots and just keeping an eye out for each other. We now have neighborhood watch groups in at least three areas of the City. If you’re interested in helping or joining a neighborhood watch group, send me an e-mail.

City Shifts to Wind Energy – The City signed a two-year agreement with Clean Currents Energy Services to purchase wind energy. This is not only a good environmental move but should save the City a good deal of money.

Successful 2011 Homes Tour - We had a great 2011 Mount Rainier Homes Tour. It didn't hurt that we had beautiful weather. We had over 150 people who participated in the event. While a majority were Mount Rainier residents, many came from elsewhere (Hyattsville, College Park, Silver Spring, DC, Alexandria, and even Lynchburg, VA). Some of the people who came are interested in moving to our City. I think we made a good impression on everybody who came to Mount Rainier.

It was also a good day for our residents to meet each other and to see how their own neighbors had fixed up their homes. I want to thank our House Tour Committee of Rhonda Dent, Sara Lilly (who also opened up her house this year), Michelle Lee, and Sandy Smiroldo. Thanks to Graciela and Bob for driving the shuttle bus around and videoing the event. A thank you to the 15 volunteers who helped facilitate the visits at people's houses, and most of all, to the owners of the seven homes who worked hard to get their properties in shape for the tour and then spent four non-stop hours talking about their homes, gardens, and renovations and answering questions. It was a lot of work but it was worth it. We're looking for volunteers for next year. You've had a chance to enjoy visiting homes on the 2010 and 2011 tours; now it's your turn to show off your house! Please write me off line if you're interested.

Urban Eats Café (3311 Rhode Island) has an exhibit up of historical Mount Rainier photos. Their hours are Wed to Fri: 4PM to 10PM, and Sat & Sun: 10 AM to 4 PM.

Jimmy's Ward Report - Monday, October 10, 2011

New Art Gallery Opens – Mon Cheri Gallery opened its doors on Friday October 7th. It is at 3301 Rhode Island Avenue (between the Police Office and Party Times) and features Haitian paintings and sculptures. You can find out their hours by e-mailing moncherigallery@aol.com

Mount Rainier Homes Tour Is Set for Sunday October 23, 1pm to 5 pm - I’m excited. We have seven homes on the tour. It is a great way to meet your neighbors and see what they have done to renovate their homes. The tour includes a house by Italian masons on 35th Street, a Sears, Roebuck catalog house built in the 1920s and a house on 34th Street built in 1908. The tour starts at Joe’s Movement Emporium (3311 Bunker Hill Road).

Mount Rainier Tool Shed Is Open for Business – Saturday mornings at 3609 Bunker Hill Road. Be sure to reserve what you need ahead of time by going to the website: www.neighborgoods.net/groups/toolshed

Art Works Studio - Do you know about Art Works? It is above the Mount Rainier Post Office. They have classes oriented to young adults. They do a great job and are having a fund raiser on Saturday October 22 at 7 PM hosted by Carla Hall, Top Chef Fan Favorite and Co-Host of ABC’s “The Chew”. It’ll include music by Brian Settles and the Brian Settles Trio, Beer tasting and charcuterie provided by Pizzeria Parades. Tickets are $30 per guest available on line (www.artworksstudio.org) through Friday October 21. Tickets $40 per guest available at the door.

Gateway CDC Monster Ball - Saturday Oct 29th at 8 PM - Halloween Arts Party at the Gateway Arts Center – 3901 Rhode Island Avenue. Ticket prices: $10: 1 Free drink, food, COSTUME MANDATORY; $45: Free drinks, food, costume optional; $75: Free drinks, food, costume optional, plus $20 in raffle tickets for fabulous prizes

Neighborhood Watch – A couple of new Neighborhood Watch groups have organized in the last few months. One group is centered on the South side of Rhode Island Avenue. It started on 35th Street and is now expanding to other streets in the area. If you’re interested in participating, please e-mail Tyrese Robinson (tjkrobinson@yahoo.com).

Another group has monthly neighborhood walks throughout the city. The next walk is scheduled for this Sunday (October 16th) at 5:30 PM. It will be starting at the corner of 32nd and Upshur. For more information contact Rick Ruggles (rick@rickruggles.com).

It’s great that these groups are popping up throughout the city. We now have 3 or 4 groups in the area. When people are involved and watchful of each other, it makes our City a safer and more enjoyable place to live.

Money Raised for Families on Otis Street – Last month there was a fire on the 3300 block of Otis Street that destroyed one house and damaged the two adjoining houses. A couple of families were displaced. Councilwoman Ivy Thompson led a drive to raise money for the families. Over $1,000 was raised. Thanks to everybody who made a contribution.

Urban Eats Café Obtains Liquor License – The new café at 3311 Rhode Island Avenue (at the circle) received a liquor license from the Prince George’s Liquor Board on Wednesday October 5th. The City Council had a long discussion about whether to support the license or not. We were concerned that we not have another Bass Liquor that has a license for food and beverages and degenerates into a bar. We also want to help new business thrive in our community, and having wine and beer with dinner makes the business more attractive for some. At first the City only supported a wine and beer license, but we found out that the only license available was a wine, beer and liquor license and we had to either be for or against it. We did not want to stop them from getting the license so we supported the full license. The owners have said they only plan to serve beer and wine and have complied with a bunch of other city suggested restrictions (limited hours, no bringing liquor in or out of the premises, no loud music late in the evening, etc.). Let’s hope the café succeeds. People should come by - they have great music. Their hours are 4 PM to 10 PM Tues – Friday and 10 AM to 4 PM Saturday and Sunday.

New Parking Lot on Perry Street to be paved and ready for Parking: The city bought the ‘Blue Bird” parking lot across from City Hall. The purchase was funded by a grant from the federal government. We have just received the final money to pay for paving the lot. It will have a pervious (permeable) surface that will help reduce storm water run-off. It should be ready in 30 days.

Rain Garden ‘Dig and Plant’ Day – Saturday Oct 29 – 10 AM to 12 PM: Come out to the Mt. Rainier Nature Center (4701 31st Place). This is being led by students from the Watershed Stewards Academy. This rain garden will be designed to capture storm water runoff, which is a main source of pollution entering the Northwest Branch of the Anacostia River.

Bring Back Unwanted Prescription Drugs October 29th at the Mount Rainier Police Department and Rainier Manor Retirement Center

On October 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Mount Rainier Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public another opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Bring your medications for disposal to the Mount Rainier Police Department located at 3249 Rhode Island Avenue and Rainier Manor Retirement Center at 3001 QueensChapel Road. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.

Challenges Ahead – After its customary short summer recess, the City Council in Mount Rainier started regular meetings again in September. We have a very busy agenda, as there are many challenges for us. The first item on my agenda is development in the downtown Rhode Island Avenue. The City a few years ago bought two properties on the 3200 block of Rhode Island Avenue (the Bass Liquor property and the former Funeral Home). They are still vacant and we are paying interest on the bonds that were used to finance the purchase. We have meetings with developers in the upcoming weeks and hope that we can either partner with someone to develop the properties or sell it to them out right. If the developers are not interested I, for one, will be interested in getting a broker who will attempt to sell the properties. We cannot sit on those properties indefinitely. We need the money for other projects.

The next big item on the agenda is the development of the Municipal Center (City Hall, the library, and the Star Potts property between the two buildings). We have had an architect develop some good designs for the project but the expected cost for the renovation is over $5 million, and I do not believe the City will have the resources to finance the project until we sell the properties on the 3200 block of Rhode Island Avenue. I don’t believe we have the resources to do both projects at the same time.

We also have the problem of the Singer Building on the 3300 block of Rhode Island Avenue. This is one of many properties in our city that are eye sores. The owner doesn’t keep up the property, and simply pays the fines that are levied on him. The original owner lives in Thailand and the person he sold it to seems to be behind in payments so it is not even clear who has control of the property. A couple of people have come up with a plan to turn the property into rental units with retail on the first floor, but nothing has come of the discussion. I think we need a full discussion with County, State and Federal officials on what we can do about the vacant properties in our City. Everybody sees them and complains about them, but what can be done about them is not clear. You will be hearing more about the forum when we get it organized.

Meanwhile the new retail development in Hyattsville (Busboys and Poets, Tara Thai, Chipotle, Elevation Burger, YES Organic Market) seems to be flourishing. While I would definitely like to see our downtown area be more prosperous, I think the Hyattsville development is great for our community. The fact that we have all these food options within minutes of where we live only makes our community a better place to live.