Jimmy\'s Ward Report - Sunday, July 27, 2008

Jimmy’s Ward Report – July 28

Council Plans to Purchase Bass Property - The City is proposing to purchase the former Bass Liquor property for $953,000. There was a first reading on the resolution at a July 24th special session of the Council and there will be a public hearing on August 7th and a vote on whether to move ahead with the purchase.

As almost everybody knows, there has been a great deal of discussion for the last year about the development of the properties on Rhode Island Ave. between Eastern Ave and 33rd St. One developer, Bob Holland, wanted to build a hotel with retail stores but most people did not feel that was a good idea. Another developer, Landmark Atlantic, offered to buy the properties but their offer was rejected by all the owners.

A few months ago, the Bass owners came to a City Hall meeting and indicated they were willing to sell their property to the City. The Bass family wanted $1.15 million for the property. The City did not feel it was worth that much and the Bass family have agreed to the City’s offer of $953,000. (There will be additional costs to demolish the existing structure.)

There will be future discussions about how to finance the purchase but most of the Council feel that a combination of using the City’s reserves ($1.7 million) and borrowing will be the most prudent option.

While there will not be any increase in the tax rate (most people’s taxes are going up anyway because of increased evaluations), the purchase will cost the City somewhere between $50,000 and $70,000 a year in lost interest (by using some of our reserves which would be collecting interest) and borrowing.

There has not been any decision on what to do with the property once it is purchased. One option that is being discussed is to raze the building, level the lot and use it temporarily for parking. The city could sell it to a developer at a later time or figure out what it would like to do on that lot (and how to finance it!).

There will also be more discussion on how to take control of the former funeral home on the corner of Eastern and Rhode Island. It is in terrible shape and it is unacceptable for it to remain an eye sore in our community for an indefinite period.

While I am interested in hearing more from our residents at the public hearing (and by e-mail), I am in favor of our purchasing the Bass property. While it will cost the city at least $50,000 a year to own the property, something must be done to jump start the development on Rhode Island Avenue. Hopefully this will start to rejuvenate our downtown area.

National Night Out – Tuesday August 5th – National Night Out is designed to a) Heighten awareness of drug and crime prevention efforts; b) Generate support and participation in crime prevention efforts; c) Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police community relations; d) Send a message to criminals to let them know that neighborhoods are being organized.

Please come and join us at Thomas Stone Elementary School. There will be live entertainment, food and lots of fun things to do for the whole family.

Council Discusses 3409 Rhode Island Ave (Mt. Rainier Library) – At a July 15th meeting of the Council (which was not a formal meeting because there was no quorum) the Council members present heard reports from the Design Review Board and Friends of the Library on proposals to develop the building at 3409 Rhode Island Ave.

The city has received four proposals to turn the building into a modern four-story structure that would accommodate the library, public meeting rooms, and two floors devoted to private retail.

Representatives from the Design Review Board questioned whether it made sense to spend $5-6 million (the cost of tearing down and building a new structure) at that location because of the small foot print of the lot.
The report of the Design Review Board concluded that the space was too small, there was inadequate parking and the city might not be able to attract the private retailers that are expected to help pay for the project. They recommended that the library would be better located in a new location on a larger lot.
The Friends of the Library were not opposed to a new library being built in a larger location, but wanted to make sure that the library would stay in Mt. Rainier and that moneys that have been given to the City for the refurbishing the library would not be wasted.
City Manager Wallace said that if the city does not act soon, it could lose $210,000 in state money for the project, granted through the Maryland State Department and the state legislature.
Most people felt that because of the pending acquisition of the Bass property, any decision on the development of the 3409 Rhode Island Avenue property and the future of the lot should be made in conjunction with plans on what to do on the Bass property lot.

The Possum Hunter – (from Chief Scott) - In the early morning hours of July 3rd MPRD officers responded to a desperate call for help at a house in the 3700 block of 34th Street. It seemed that, unnoticed by the residents, a wily possum had sneaked into their quiet place of abode and took up residence in the bathroom. They were none too happy about the situation and needed someone to remove the trespassing beast from their happy home. They were in luck - MRPD's fearless Possum Hunter was on the job!

No stranger to critter removal, MRPD's fearless Possum Hunter, a.k.a. PFC Tuk Carpenter, donned his possum huntin' gloves and went straight to work. He thoroughly evaluated the situation and, after making sure that the residents (the human residents) were safely out of the way, began his approach. He tactically stalked Mr. Possum and maneuvered himself into a position to strike. Like a crafty snake charmer the Possum Hunter distracted the marsupial with one hand; and, with one lightening-quick motion snatched the beast up by the tail with his free hand. The possum, being seriously perturbed that he had been had by a mere human, attempted to ferociously spray urine at the Possum Hunter in retaliation. The Possum Hunter, wise to the ways of opossum assault tactics, had already anticipated this move and deftly evaded the noxious attack. With his prize in hand, the victorious Possum Hunter removed the hapless beast from the residence and returned it to its proper home in the wilds of the Great City.

Don’t you just love a happy ending?!

A photo of the victorious Possum Hunter and his catch can be seen on the Chief’s Blog at www.mrpdchief.blogspot.com.

Crime In Our Community – There have been a number of recent robberies in our City including the robbery of one of our mail delivery personnel in broad daylight (only personal items were taken). Some people have asked what the City Council is doing about crime prevention in our City. Councilman Knedler wrote a good summary of what we’ve been attempting to do:

“What can the police department/city officials do to encourage residents to call dispatch and report suspicious activity? Why do we (myself included) sometimes feel it is "bothering" the police to call on some intuition that a person is out of place or up to no good? My neighbor stopped a theft in progress at my house last year when she confronted some guys helping themselves to my downspouts and cast iron radiators which were on the ground as my house was under renovation. She called the police and they took off. She got the license plate number (turned out it was a fake plate). She called me at work (we have traded phone numbers amongst the neighbors on my block). They only got one downspout but they could have had all my radiators and the contractor's aluminum ladders if she had not acted. Neighborhood watch worked! On the other hand, a recent daytime housebreaking could have been averted if a neighbor had acted. A few days after the breaking and entering, a neighbor mentioned that he had seen a man looking over the fence at the victims' house and he had a bag. But the neighbor did not keep an eye on the guy, nor did he call the police to report a suspicious person.

”At last night's council work session, we reviewed the plan by Queenstown Apts. to erect 8 foot wrought-iron fences around the perimeter of the complex--leaving only one entrance into the complex off of Chillum Road. The management and our police department feel the complex is too easy to get into and out of. Pedestrians will be cut off along with cars. In effect it will become a gated community (without the security guard at a gate). It was said that Rainier Manor is considering the same idea. The impact on crime will be easily documented since we know the complex is a hotspot of crime by our statistics. As a side benefit, it may free up police officers to patrol other parts of the city instead of being tied up with arrests and calls at Queenstown.

”The city council supported the closure of Perry St. at 31st to prevent cut-through traffic, but it also had the effect of reducing loitering/drug activity in the 3200 and 3100 blocks of Perry. Are there other places in the city where we should consider this?

”We are considering increasing the wattage of a street light on Otis St. to help discourage crime. We upped the wattage on lights around Bunker Hill and 34th several years ago after several robberies near GLUT. It was too dark in the area at night.

”The Council has approved street cameras (although I personally don't think they do much).

”The Council has increased the number of officers (although we often have trouble recruiting new officers to be at full-strength).

”We purchased the segways and have a new license-plate scanner that helps identify stolen tags/cars.

”How many of you have exchanged phone numbers with your neighbors? How many of you let your neighbors know when you will be gone, or if you have guests staying with you (so they know who belongs at your house and who does not).?

”Do you hide your small valuables in your house rather than leaving them out in the open? Do you carry large amounts of cash with you when out on the street? Do you have the earphones in your ears as you walk (making you a better target and advertising you have an iPod).

”Anyway, some of my thoughts as a neighbor and elected official. Would love to hear more suggestions.”

Median Prices on Homes Sold in Mt. Rainier Fall - The Washington Post reported that the median purchase price for a house in Mt. Rainier fell from $359,000 (between Jan and March 2007) to $282,500 (between Jan and March 2008).

These numbers may be misleading. There were 21 houses purchased in the first three months of 2007 and only 10 purchased in the same period in 2008. So it could very possibly be that only the less expensive houses were being purchased in 2008 and the more expensive houses were still on the market and had not been purchased. It still does indicate (if everyone didn’t already realize it) the decline in housing prices in our community.

Jimmy\'s Ward Report - Friday, July 4, 2008

Recycling Pick-up – Public works has informed us that the next recycling pick-up won’t be until Friday July 11th. So don’t put your recycling bins out on Monday and expect them to be picked up.



Council Passes Budget – On June 17th the Council passed the budget and established the tax rate for Fiscal year 2008-2009. The total budget for the city is a little more than $4.5 million. Sixty per cent ($2.7 million) comes from the residential property tax and the rest comes from the income tax, licenses and fees, grants, and user fees.



Some of the highlights of the new budget are:



1 – Tax rate stays the same ($0.79 per $100 of assessed valuation). People will still see increases in taxes as evaluations in our city have continued to rise.



2 – Extended hours for police station: The police station will be open until 11 PM on weekdays. (Closed on weekends). We will announce when the new hours actually go in effect.



3 – Commitment to spend some of our reserves for the purchase of property downtown to help with redevelopment. The town has over $1.5 million in reserves and the Council made a commitment to spend some of this money over the next year to purchase one of the properties on Rhode Island Avenue to help spur the needed development in that area.



4 – New Trash Truck. This should mean that trash pick-ups will not be delayed because of truck failures.





Noise Problems: In the past few weeks there have been a number of complaints about loud noisy parties that have disturbed many residents. The Chief of Police has put out the following policy statement that is pretty comprehensive:




The Mt. Rainier City Code Section 10-121 defines noise, and basically boils down to this: If the noise emanating from your property is excessively or unusually loud, and annoys, disturbs, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of others, and that noise can be heard more than 50 feet from your property, you are in violation of City Code and are subject to a fine of $75. Residents, property owners and business owners may obtain a special permit to exceed the noise restrictions as established in 10-121. This permit, obtainable from City Hall, will allow noise to be heard up to 200 feet from its source. Applicants may be granted a special noise permit up to a maximum of four times in a year. If you were planning an outdoor event, party or celebration it would be prudent for you to obtain the special noise permit.

A police officer or Code Enforcement Officer who responds for a noise complaint will ask the property owner, or another responsible party present, to reduce the offending noise level to a point where it complies with the Code and any special permit. He or she will extend this courtesy only once. If we receive a second complaint, someone will eceive a City citation for $75.

Motor vehicles driven on City streets are also subject to excess noise rules. Maryland law provides that when a motor vehicle is operated on a highway or street, the driver may not permit the operation of a sound amplification system from the vehicle that can be heard outside the vehicle from 50 or more feet. The fine for violating this provision of Maryland vehicle law can be as high as $500.

On Saturday June 21st our officers responded to five complaints of loud noise at a residence in the 4100 block of 32nd Street. A special noise permit had been issued to the resident that allowed amplified music to be heard up to 200 feet from the residence until 10 p.m. Each time a complaint was received an MRPD officer(s) responded. From the e-mails, phone calls and reports I have received in the past two days, after the first complaint no officer properly enforced the noise ordinance and no officer properly complied with the department's policy on noise.

In an effort to avoid any further misunderstanding, misinterpretation or confusion about the department's policy I will reiterate it here:

A police officer who responds for a noise complaint will ask the property owner, or another responsible party present, to reduce the offending noise level to a point where it complies with the Code and any special permit. He or she will extend this courtesy only once. If we receive a second complaint, someone will receive a City citation for $75. The City Code also provides that each 15 minute period the excessive noise continues after a warning or citation is issued constitutes a separate offense. Therefore officers are expected to issue a citation for each subsequent complaint - no warnings.

There will be no exceptions to this policy. Let me be very clear - there will be no exceptions to this policy. Officers are to follow the policy to the letter and supervisors are responsible for their officers' compliance.



Trash Can Enforcement: With the summer heat we must be especially careful about how we put out the trash. Remember you must have watertight lids on your trashcans. You can have up to 5 cans for pickup. Do not put items on top of the can or beside the can. Everything must be inside the can with a lad.



When Crimes Occur In Our City: From January 2007 through today, statistically, the majority of our reported crime (those for which we write reports, issue citations or make arrests) is on Friday between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. The 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. time frame in general is when we have the most reported crime, with 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. coming in second. The days of the week are ranked as follows for the number of reported crimes: 1-Friday, 2-Tuesday, 3-Thursday, 4-Wednesday, 5-Monday, 6-Saturday, and 7-Sunday. The Chief believes that keeping the police station open until 11 p.m., Monday through Friday, will provide public access during the times of heaviest call volume and criminal activity.



Corn Bin Update - On March 29 the County Planning Board approved the permit application for the Corn Bin. A number of members of the Co-op and Mt. Rainier residents traveled to Upper Marlboro to speak in favor of the co-op. One resident expressed concerns about appearance of the bin. The Corn Co-op folks were asked to update the plan to incorporate a new location of the bin where it is more easily accessible from the Fire Station parking a lot. In addition trees will be planted to help shield the bin. The corn bin folks will be working with the neighbor who had raised objections and are doing so. Once the updated plan is ok with all those involved, the plan has to be reviewed by the County Council. Getting things done is a long and difficult process, but I applaud Jodi-Beth McCain and the leaders of the Corn Co-op for volunteering to put in place in our community a new low-cost alternative to oil and gas.



Skate Board Park Update - The County Park & Planning Department is now preparing an RFP (Request for Proposal) for a design of the skateboard park at Otis and Wells Avenues. Once the RFP is developed, a design-build consultant will be selected and then prepare detailed designs that will be reviewed by the Council. The County is planning on having the park finished by September 2009.


Library Discussion on July 15th: The Council will be meeting on Tuesday July 15th. The main order of business will be a discussion on plans for developing the building, which contains the Mt. Rainier library at 3409 Rhode Island Avenue. The City received four proposals to renovate the building and asked the Friends of the Library, the Environmental Protection Board, and the Design Review Board to review the different proposals. We have asked these committees to report their findings to the Council on the 15th. We will also have to discuss the issue of the financing of the projects. All the proposals came in at $3 to $ 4 million



[I hope everybody is enjoying this July 4th weekend. I am. – Jimmy]

Jimmy\'s Ward Report - Thursday, June 12, 2008

Final Budget Meeting – Tuesday June 17th



There will be a second and final reading of the budget and tax rate at next Tuesday’s Council meeting. The proposed budget keeps the tax rate the same (people will still see increases in their taxes because of higher evaluations), expands the hours the police station will be open (until 11 PM on weekdays – closed on weekends), and adds a public works employee to pick-up trash in the downtown area. The Council also wants to budget money for debt payment for the possible purchase by the City of property downtown. There is not enough money for that so the Council will have to make some decisions on what to cut out of the budget. Please come if you’re interested in letting the Council know how you feel on the issue of the City’s priorities.



City is In Good Financial Shape – I did a little research about how Mt. Rainier compared to other Cities on our cash reserves and debt levels.



Reserves: Our reserves are about $1.5 million (averaged over the year) which is 30% of our annual revenue. One Federal Government Committee recommends that reserves should be no less than 5-15% of revenues. Hyattsville’s reserves are between $2.8 and $3.5 million with an operating budget of about $12 million which is about 25%.



Debt Service: Our total debt payments each year are $180,000 which is about 4% of our annual expected revenue of $4.5 million. (Hyattsville debt service is between 10-15%.)



The Institute for Government Service suggests that a municipality’s level of debt should not exceed:



1) 10-15% of the assessed value of all real property (that would be $30-45 million for Mt. Rainier)

2) Debt service should not be more than 25% of total operating revenues ($1 million for Mt. Rainier)

3) Total debt should not exceed $1,000 per capita (which would be $9 million)



So according to the guidelines we should not have over $9 million in debt (we have $1.3 million in debt) and our debt payments should not be over $1 million according to these guidelines (out debt payments are $180,000).



The bottom line for me is that we have a good cushion in reserves and also have pretty low debt payments.





Crime Statistics Show A Decrease But Even One Killing is Too Much for Our Community – The Police Chief’s monthly report showed that incidents of crime in Mt. Rainier are down close to 15% from 2007. But those statistics do not mean much when we hear of another killing in our neighborhood. This shooting occurred on the 3700 block of 36th St. on Friday night June 6th.



This continued violence in our community is unacceptable. I do not have any answers but feel that we can’t ignore what is going on in our community and we have to make it our top priority to see how it can be maintained.



Crime Reports – The Police Department is now posting its crime data on the web. You can view up-to-date crime maps on a daily basis by going to www.crimereports.com.



New Lights on 34th St. - Check out the new street lights across the street from the Glut Food Co-op.



Two Great Concerts – Tinsmith the Band - The first concert is Sunday June 15, 2008 featuring the fantastic group Tinsmith. Bring your instruments, a chair, swimming apparel (there’s a pool) and your favorite dish. Jamming starts at 1:00pm. Concert starts at 4:00 pm. A $15.00 donation to attend the concert is requested. 100% of all donations will go to the Tinsmith band. This will be an outdoor event, location of in Glenn Dale Maryland (12200 Daisy Lane). Check out tinsmith.net for more info on the band.

Robin Bullock Multi-instrumentalist - The second concert will be here in Mt. Rainier (4009 36th St.) on Saturday June 28, 2008. Guitar wizard Robin Bullock will be playing for us. Bring your instruments, a chair and your favorite dish. Jamming starts at 1:00pm. Concert starts at 6:00 pm. Jamming will continue shortly after the concert and carry on until! A $15.00 donation to attend the concert is requested. 100% of all donations will go to Robin. This will be an indoor event, location in Mount Rainier Maryland. Please check out robinbullock.com for more info pertaining to Robin.



For reservations, information and directions contact Andy Bryson on 301-277-5258 or 301-351-8087. He can also be contacted via email on bryca137@aol.com or myspace.com/caderb. RSVP PLEASE - SEATING IS LIMITED