Jimmy's Ward Report's Ward Report - December 6 2007 - Thursday, December 6, 2007
Overall Reported Crime Down in Mt. RainierChief Scott reported at the Council meeting that there has been a 15% decline in reported crimes in 2007. We still have too much crime but it is a good sign for our community.
Here are some of the statistics
2007 2006
Homicide 2 1
Rape 0 3
Robbery 60 99
Aggravated Assault 22 35
Burglary 64 56
Larceny 189 189
Auto theft 111 142
Arson 1 2
TOTAL 449 527
Mt. Rainier Library Gets New Computers
Mayor Miles reported that the Mount Rainier library will be receiving eight (8) new computers from the County. They will also be doing some painting and other sprucing up to make the library more attractive. The willingness to add the new computers was based on the high use that the computers are getting at the Mt Rainier branch.
Rhode Island Development Update
On Tuesday the Council approved the operating agreement between Landmark Atlantic and the City forming the Mount Rainier Gateway Town Center which the Council had authorized on October 2. I had some problems with how the operating agreement was written in that it makes it difficult for the City to unilaterally get out of the agreement, and so voted against it. The language which I didn’t like states: “...no Member may voluntarily withdraw from the Company except with the prior written consent of all of the Members, which consent shall not be unreasonably denied or delayed.” It does not make it impossible for the City to get out of the agreement but it means that we might have to go to court or arbitration to withdraw. Hopefully that won’t happen and either the agreement works out or both sides agree that it isn’t working.
What happens next? My understanding is that Landmark has offered to buy the properties in question (Thrifty Car Rental, the former Bass Liquour property, and the former funeral home) but none of the owners have agreed to sell the properties to Landmark. Meanwhile Bob Holland (the other developer who wants to build a mixed-residential/retail complex with a small boutique hotel) still seems to have agreements with the owners for him to purchase the properties. If Holland actually decides to move ahead he will have to come forward with some more detailed plans on what he actually plans to do with the property so the community and Council can decide whether they want to work with him or decide to try and block his development plan. The Council and many residents oppose a hotel at the site so if his plan includes a hotel, there will be a great deal of opposition to it. The best thing would be if Landmark and Holland worked together to develop the plot agreeable to the Council but I do no know whether that will happen.
I will continue to report on downtown developments and my perspective on it.
Community Development Block Grant
Each year the City requests funds for infrastructure improvements from the Community Development Block Grant program. This year work was done on curb and gutter improvements on the 3300 block of Bunker Hill Road, driveway aprons in the 3800-4600 blocks of 30th Street and driveway aprons in the 3400-3700 blocks of Shepherd Streets.
This year we are requesting $368,000 (we received $100,000 last year) in infrastructure improvements for the bridges in Mt. Rainier (29th St., Arundel Road, and Chillum Road), street light improvements at the Kaywood Apts, 29th and Arundel Rd, Cedar Lane Alley, new curbs at Buchanan St., 3300 block of Bunker Hill Rd., 4000 block of 31st St., 3800 block of 30th St., and the 35th St. Alley, and driveway aprons on Bunker Hill Rd and 32nd St.
If you think there is an infrastructure improvement that needs to be done by the city, drop me an e-mail if you have not already done so. It may not be done this year or next but if it does not get on the list then we’ll never request money to get it fixed.
More on recycling:
Joe Robbins, who is on the newly formed Environmental Protection Board, accompanied me on the trip to the recycling facility. He wrote up the following:
Plastics:
Here is a quick rundown on what those resin codes mean (usually found on
the bottom of plastic containers, i.e., a triangle with a number inside) BTW
they do NOT mean that the item can be recycled!:
1 - PET (Polyethylene terephthalate): fizzy drink bottles, oven-ready meal
trays and water bottles
2 - HDPE (High-density polyethylene): milk bottles, detergent bottles,
yogurt and margarine tubs, cereal box liners, and grocery, trash and retail
bags
3 - PVC (Polyvinyl chloride): cling film (plastic food wrap), vegetable oil
bottles, loose-leaf binders, and construction products such as plastic pipes
4 - LDPE (Low-density polyethylene): dry cleaning bags, produce bags, trash
can liners, bread and frozen food bags and squeezable bottles such as
mustard and honey
5 - PP (Polypropylene): ketchup bottles, medicine bottles, yogurt
containers, aerosol caps, and drinking straws
6 - PS (Polystyrene): compact disc jackets, grocery store meat trays, egg
cartons, aspirin bottles, packaging Styrofoam peanuts and plastic tableware
7 - Other: three- and five-gallon reusable water bottles, certain kinds of
food containers and Tupperware
The only plastics that can be recycled by the PG County facility are #'s 1
and 2. Unfortunately the County does NOT have plans in the near future to
recycle #'s 3-7. And this includes plastics used to wrap electronics, iPods,
Christmas lights, etc. Again the easiest way to recycle plastics is to look for # 1 and #2.
The rest are to be thrown away on Wednesdays.
Remember we are charged for trash disposed of at the landfill!
Seems that an economic win for our city (and planet) would be if we
increased our recyclables and decreased our "landfill-bound" trash...again
the adage, "reduce and reuse" can be helpful.
Another thing about plastics: those containers used for motor oil, drain
cleaner, antifreeze or other hazardous liquids cannot be recycled! They have
to be taken to the aforementioned landfill and disposed of properly (please
do NOT throw them away in your trash!)
-Plastic Shopping Bags (e.g., those used by Giant) are NOT placed curbside
but can be taken to Giant for recycling. BTW empty plastic bags carried on
the wind are popularly known as "urban tumbleweed." Let's reduce tumbleweed
in our city!
Lids: The easiest way to deal with any lid, whether a metal lid on a glass
bottle or a plastic lid on a plastic container, is to throw it away.
Paper & Cardboard: Recycle all of it. Newspaper, magazines, catalogs,
telephone books, glossy inserts, junk mail, colored paper, computer paper,
glossy printer paper, paper grocery bags, envelopes with glassine envelopes,
white office paper, wrapping paper, paper board, corrugated cardboard,
books, cereal boxes. And if the cardboard won't fit into the recycling
bin...use a cardboard box as another recycling bin and then place the rest
of your paper recyclables into this box and place it next to your
recycling bin.
Single-Stream recycling: They mean it...no more sorting on your part. Just
place all of it into the bin and place on the curb!
What to do with other hazardous items
The Brown Satiation Land Fill has separate areas for items that are considered hazardous. They accept items such as fire extinguishers, cleaning products, insecticides, photographic chemicals, computer monitors, televisions, fuels, household batteries, car batteries, pesticides, propane tanks, varnishes and paints, oil based paints, automotive fluids, acids, fertilizers with herbicides, driveway cleaners and pool chemical, to name a few. Residents can take these items up the land fill on Sundays between 7:30 am and 3:30 pm.
Gateway Arts District Annual Fine Arts & Crafts Holiday Show
Saturday, Dec. 8 - 11:00am-6:00pm
Mount Rainier Artists' Lofts
3311 Rhode Island Avenue
.
Over 25 vendors featuring fine art, jewelry, quilting, clothing, leather goods, soaps, candles and more!
DC Glassworks Studio Sale:
On December 8th 2007, DC Glass Works (5346 46th Ave., Hyattsville) will host an artists' Studio Sale where you will be able to purchase original glass art work. The event starts at 11:00 and ends at 5:00. Come out and get all of your holiday shopping done at one time. You can also sign up to make your own paperweights, bowls, ornaments and more. Come out and make a day of it! (For directions go to www.dcglassworks.com).