Good Evening Ward 1,
I want to take a minute to highlight two organizations in our community that are currently seeking volunteers; Takoma Park Folk Festival and the Takoma Foundation. Both have expressed a need for help planning events, which are always my favorite volunteer activities. For me, volunteering for events has been key to my sense of belonging in our community. When you volunteer, you’re spending a couple of hours or all day working with dedicated people to host a special time for an even larger group. You end up feeling like extended family with your companions and an extended feeling of home in the space you’re working in. Below are links to an article about mental health benefits to volunteering and the two organizations I’ve mentioned.
This week at City Council:
PUBLIC COMMENTS ON VOTING ITEMS
Comment in person or via Zoom.*
VOTING SESSION
I’ve been working on a budget and finance subcommittee with Councilmembers Gibson and Seamens for the last few months. I appreciate all of the staff help that we have had, especially from Acting Deputy Director Bolduc. The recommended Budget Calendar starts the budgeting process earlier in the year to allow more time for input and changes to the budget.
WORK SESSION
2. Update on City Manager Search
Some residents have asked about our recent closed meetings. One topic we have discussed is our City Manager Search. There will be a public update this week about our job listing for this position and the timeline on which we hope to complete our search.
3. Public Space Management Plan (PDF) item revised 10/17
Our HCD Department is presenting their recommendations for a quantitative method to evaluate possible public space projects. I have been witness to some of the hard work that they have put into the Project Evaluation Scorecard. They held meetings with each councilmember in order to get our feedback on the scoring methods. Also in this work session item, you can read the feedback that HCD received from the public. I appreciate that they are sharing all the feedback that they received and explaining why they have or haven’t incorporated that feedback into the Public Space Management Plan rather than simply editing the document.
This presentation highlights the 2023 accomplishments of our Housing Division and what they are planning for 2024.
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