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April 2020 Issue of the Crier
The April 2020 issue of the Crier is now available online. Click here to view it.
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COVID-19: New Operations Impacts- 3/27/2020 -
In response to the continuing COVID-19 health crisis and due to state- and county-level developments this week, the Village is amending some of the previously issued operations impacts. Below is an updated summary of impacted Village operations and services, effective March 27, 2020.
- The Village Hall will remain closed to public access through Friday, April 24. Only essential personnel will continue to have access to the Hall. (The U.S. Postal Service will issue directives regarding access to the Post Office).
- Extending the telework status for all non-essential administrative office personnel through Friday, April 10. Administrative staff are continuing to monitor and respond to emails and are returning calls left on their extension. We will reevaluate resuming in-office operations as we approach April 10.
- All classes, events and activities in the Hall are canceled. The spring class session has been officially canceled due to the extended closure of the Village Hall.
- Public Works personnel are returning to work under a modified schedule. The department will resume operations effective March 30, however, in an effort to limit person-to-person contact, half of the department’s personnel will work Mondays and Wednesdays and the other half will work Tuesdays and Thursdays. The department will be closed on Fridays. This modified schedule will allow us to resume yard waste collection, special pick-ups and other department functions. This modified schedule will continue through April 10 and will be reassessed at that time.
- The Monday, April 13 regular monthly Board Meeting and the Monday, April 20 Annual Meeting will be held remotely, with members of the Board, staff, and residents participating via phone/video conference. Information regarding public access and participation will be posted to the Village website and included in the weekly blast email on the Friday preceding each meeting (April 10 and 17, respectively).
- Refuse and recycling collection continue normally; HOWEVER, should Montgomery County close its Transfer Station, refuse collection will be suspended. No closures are anticipated at this time.
- All previously-issued permits that are set to expire before April 24 are extended through Friday, May 1, 2020.
- All new applications for administrative permits (Building, Tree Removal, Dumpster, Sign) must be submitted online. These applications and permits will be reviewed remotely by staff and applicants will receive further follow-up by email/phone.
- All forms for new parking permits must be submitted online. Once processed, Communications Center personnel will maintain a log of approved permits that are pending issuance of the decal/permit for reference by Village patrol officers. Permits/decals will be provided to the applicant when the Village Hall reopens.
- Mail pick-ups—Village Police are continuing our house check program as usual, however, residents are encouraged to contact the U.S. Postal Service to have mail stopped while you are away. If our officers collect mail during a house check, residents will continue to receive a notice that mail has been collected.
If you receive a notice that mail has been collected during your absence, please call BEFORE coming to the Hall. In anticipation of your arrival, Communications personnel will bundle the mail in a bag. Upon your arrival at the Hall, press the doorbell at the main entrance to speak with the on-duty clerk, who will ask you to present your photo ID in front of the camera located on the porch. Once photo ID has been confirmed, the on-duty clerk will electronically open the door to allow you to retrieve your mail.
- Key Pick-Up/Drop-Off—where practical, residents are encouraged to call BEFORE coming to the Hall. Upon your arrival at the Hall, press the doorbell at the main entrance to speak with the on-duty clerk who will ask you to present your photo ID in front of the camera located on the porch. Once photo ID has been confirmed, the on-duty clerk will electronically open the door to allow you to retrieve/leave your house key.
- The April 2 deadline for candidates seeking election to the Board of Managers remains. Candidates who intend to submit their Certificate of Candidacy and Financial Disclosure Statement should call ahead (301-654-7300) and leave a message for the Village Manager, who will coordinate with the candidate regarding submission of the required documents.
Updates and changes to these service modifications, including any extension of these closures, will be circulated via blast email and posted to the homepage of the Village’s website.Additional impacts:- Primary Election Rescheduled—The Primary Election in Maryland has been postponed. The county’s Board of Elections has set June 2, 2020 as the new Primary Election date; however, we are awaiting confirmation as to whether the election will be held “in person”.
- IRS Filing, Payment Deadlines Extended—As of Friday, March 20, the Internal Revenue Service’s filing and payment deadlines for 2019 federal individual and corporate income taxes have been extended to July 15, 2020. The State of Maryland has also extended its filing and payment deadline to July 15 for individual and corporate income tax.
Village officers who will continue to interact with the public are adhering to prevention efforts, including politely avoiding handshakes, maintaining social distance, sanitizing vehicles and work spaces, and staying home when feeling ill.
Thank you for your understanding and support as we have taken steps to protect our staff, and the community and public we serve, by closing down the Village Hall and placing eligible employees in a telework status. A special thanks to our police and Communications Center personnel who have continued to report to work every day to ensure continued public safety operations.
As a member of the Montgomery County Emergency Management Group, Village staff is continuing to receive frequent updates from various county agencies, including the Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS), and federal agencies including the Centers for Disease Control.
Residents should stay informed. Below is a list of website resources (some of these sites provide redundant information): Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/
Maryland Department of Health
https://phpa.health.maryland.gov/Pages/Novel-coronavirus.aspx
Montgomery County Department of Health & Human Services
https://montgomerycountymd.gov/HHS/RightNav/Coronavirus.html
U.S. State Department Travel Advisories (specific to COVID-19)
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/ea/novel-coronavirus-hubei-province--china.html
U. S. State Department Travel Advisories (general) https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/
Should you or a member of your household believe that you have symptoms (fever and cough) or if you have been in close contact with a person who has been diagnosed with COVID-19, you should call your health care practitioner or the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services’ Disease Control Office to speak with a nurse at (240) 777-1755. If you are unable to get through, call the state’s Infectious Disease Bureau at (410) 767-6700 (daytime) or (410) 795-7365 (after-hours).
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Minor Alterations at The Collection Chevy Chase
The Chevy Chase Land Company has advised us of their application to the Montgomery Planning Board for “minor” alterations at The Collection Chevy Chase. Click on the below links to view the proposed plans along with the applicant’s Statement of Justification explaining the proposed amendments.
PLANS
STATEMENT OF JUSTIFICATION
The primary alteration is construction of a dedicated outdoor dining terrace for a new restaurant that will occupy the former Ralph Lauren space at the south end of the building along Wisconsin Avenue, on the north side of the driveway opposite the main entrance into Clyde’s.
The terrace is proposed to accommodate a new restaurant leaseholder who is looking to have dedicated outdoor dining space at the same level as the interior restaurant space. The Land Company also believes that the location of the new dining terrace will further activate the area and encourage passersby to come into the property. (Below photo is looking into the property from Wisconsin Avenue with Clyde’s to your right and the building that will be amended to your left.)
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The outdoor dining terrace will begin at the corner of the building closest to Wisconsin Avenue and will wrap around to the corner across from the tiered plaza inside the center. A five foot wide sidewalk will remain around the dining terrace.
Additionally, alterations in the underground parking garage are required in order to accommodate restaurant use, including mechanical equipment, grease traps and food deliveries. Typically, restaurants have a rear service entrance, however, this building was not designed for restaurant use and underground access is required to support this new use. The revisions within the underground space will require elimination of 61 parking spaces; 1,186 parking spaces would remain, which exceeds the 837 required by Code.
Rather than having to seek piece-meal approval for designation of private use space, the Planning Department has urged the Land Company to reduce the public use space to the minimum allowed in the Zone, even though there is no current plan to utilize these areas for private dining in support of the current and proposed restaurants (see the red hatched areas on the plans).
Lastly, three handicap parking spaces located in the lot above the tiered plaza will be shifted over (north) to accommodate occasional temporary parking of an ice cream truck.
The modifications have been classified by the Planning Staff as “minor” so while notices will be mailed to all abutting property owners, no signs will be posted at the site.
None of this work is related to the new grocery store space occupant. Work on that space is ongoing and the new store is still slated to open later this year. We await an announcement regarding the confirmed lessor.
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Montgomery County Compiles Useful Information and Updates RE: COVID-19Please see the below summary of information and updates for residents compiled and circulated by Montgomery County, including local hospital preparations, seniors-only shopping hours at local grocery stores and guidance for volunteers. |
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Stay updated on COVID-19 Cases on Montgomery County Websitehe Maryland Department of Health is the clearinghouse for all confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state. See the Montgomery County COVID-19 webpage for a statewide map with a county-by-county breakdown of confirmed cases. The map is updated daily at 10 a.m.
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With the number of COVID-19 cases growing in Montgomery County, local hospitals are installing triage tents for COVID-19 patients. Public health officials stress these triage tents are not for testing. Six hospitals have installed tents on their properties. County Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles said residents should not be alarmed when they see the tents, adding they are a sign that hospitals are getting prepared. Click here for more information on hospital tents.
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Grocery Stores Offering
“Seniors-Only” Shopping Hours
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich announced a new program to help protect seniors as they shop for groceries during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As of Thursday, March 19, four local grocery stores and two national store chains will reserve specific hours for seniors only, allowing them to shop among a smaller group of people to minimize the risk of COVID-19 infection.
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Volunteering and Being a Good Neighbor During COVID-19Many Montgomery County residents, seeing their neighbors and members of the community in distress, are looking to help and volunteer during these difficult times.
The Montgomery County Volunteer Center website continues to be a resource for connecting volunteers and nonprofits. There is now a “Volunteer Response to COVID-19” section where people can see any current requests for volunteers and donations posted by local organizations.
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COVID-19 Closures/Cancellations in Montgomery CountyWe are constantly updating the Montgomery County Government COVID-19 website with current information on closures and cancellations. More information is added each day, as public services may continue to change.
Cancellation updates will be made on the County’s website and Facebook and Twitter. @MontgomeryCoMD.
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Join the Village Listserv on Groups.ioLast year, CCVillage, the neighborhood mailing list for Chevy Chase Village, was transferred to CCVillage@Groups.io. During this period of social distancing, CCVillage is a resource to allow neighbors to stay connected with each other.
If you have not done so already, please join the mailing list by visiting https://groups.io/g/CCVillage and clicking on the blue "+ Join This Group" button. Once you are enrolled, the email address to submit messages to the mailing list is ccvillage@groups.io, and you can read the group messages online at http://groups.io/g/CCVillage/topics.
On the website, click on "Messages" in the left column menu to see the most recent CCVillage posts, and click "New Topic" to open an editor that will let you compose and send your message. You can search the database of old messages by clicking the "Search" button above the message list.
The CCVillage information website is at http://CCVillage.info. For assistance with joining or posting messages, please contact moderator and Village resident Tim Slagle at ccvillage+owner@groups.io.
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Residents Reminded to Work
with Landscapers to Operate Blowers Legally, this Spring and BeyondBan on Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers goes into effect January 1, 2022
A ban on the use of gas-powered leaf blowers will go into effect on January 1, 2022. The Village Board approved the ban last December citing the adverse environmental, human health (principally for the equipment operator) and quality of life impacts resulting from the use of gas-powered leaf blowers. These impacts were highlighted in a report from the Village Environment & Energy Committee, dated August 15, 2019, which can be viewed on the committee’s page on the Village website.
Village staff are finalizing a handout to communicate the effective date of this ban to yard maintenance contractors who work in the Village. If you would like your landscaper/yard maintenance contractor to be included in the distribution of these materials, please email your contractor’s information to ccv@montgomerycountymd.gov.
As you prepare for yard maintenance this spring, residents and landscapers are reminded that all blowers remain subject to Montgomery County’s Noise Ordinance, which applies within the Village. The county’s Noise Ordinance states that “a person must not sell, buy, offer for sale, or use a leaf blower at any time that has an average sound level exceeding 70 dBA at a distance of 50 feet.” Additionally, the simultaneous use of multiple leaf blowers that are compliant with the 70 bDA limit can create noise of a sufficient level to qualify as a violation and/or noise disturbance.
If a blower seems loud, it may be in violation. Contact the Village Communications Center to request a Village officer respond to confirm the unit(s) product information and to measure the decibel level using the Village’s calibrated meter. First time violators will receive a warning. Residents are encouraged to discuss this restriction with your yard maintenance crews before they begin working this spring.
To view the Montgomery County Noise Ordinance and the provisions pertaining to leaf blowers (Section 31B-9), visit: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/dep/resources/files/downloads/compliance/noise-control-ordinance.pdf
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2020 Board of Managers Election
Candidates who intend to submit their Certificate of Candidacy and Financial Disclosure Statement should call ahead (301-654-7300) and leave a message for the Village Manager, who will coordinate with the candidate regarding submission of the required documents.Three Board seats will be up for election this spring. The current Board members whose terms are expiring in June are Robert Goodwin, Jr., Elissa Leonard, and Nancy Watters.
Any Village resident may run for a seat on the Board provided he/she is a qualified voter in Montgomery County, has resided in Chevy Chase Village for at least one year prior to the election and files the required Certificate of Candidacy and Financial Disclosure Statement in proper form. Board members serve two-year, staggered terms. If the number of qualified candidates equals the number of available seats, the candidates will be declared elected at the Annual Meeting on Monday, April 20, 2020 (the meeting begins at 7:30 p.m.). If the number of candidates exceeds the number of available seats, a contested election will be held on Saturday, May 2, 2020.
The Village Election Supervisors oversee Village elections, including receiving nominations to serve on the Board of Managers. Residents interested in running for a seat should please contact Election Supervisors Chair Mary Sheehan by email at msheehan246@aol.com so that the Elections Supervisors can begin to plan for the election.
To qualify as a candidate, an individual, including sitting Board members, must submit to the Village office a completed Certificate of Candidacy along with a Financial Disclosure Statement, at any time after February 2 (90 days prior to Election Day), but no later than April 2 (30 days prior to Election Day). Upon receiving both completed forms, the Village Manager will submit the Financial Disclosure Statement to the Village Ethics Commission, which will review the form within 10 days of filing for compliance with the provisions of the Public Ethics Code. Please note, however, that candidates are not certified to appear on the ballot until the Certificate of Candidacy and Financial Disclosure Statement have been reviewed and determined to be filed in proper form.
Forms are available in the Village office or by email request to the Village Manager, Shana Davis-Cook, at shana.davis-cook@montgomerycountymd.gov. For more information regarding Board elections, please visit the dedicated page on the Village’s website by clicking on “Board of Managers Elections” under Quick Links on the homepage.
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Board of Managers: Financial Disclosure Q & ACandidates who intend to submit their Certificate of Candidacy and Financial Disclosure Statement should call ahead (301-654-7300) and leave a message for the Village Manager, who will coordinate with the candidate regarding submission of the required documents.
In 2012, the State’s financial disclosure requirements for elected officials were extended to include municipalities like the Village. If you are considering serving on the Board, you may have questions about those requirements. I’ll try to anticipate and answer some of them here, and we also encourage you to contact any Board member or the Village Manager for any additional questions or discussion. You can find the disclosure form on the Village web site by selecting Government / Board of Managers / Board of Managers Elections / Candidate Financial Disclosure Form. What do I have to disclose? The disclosures are annual and are due in April. All of the following disclosures are for the previous calendar year, like your tax return. You need to disclose the following: - Some details about any property you own, including your home.
- Ownership or interests in corporations or partnerships. This includes holdings of stock in public corporations.
- Purchases or sales of stock or other interests in corporations or partnerships.
- Sources of earned income
- Any involvement (ownership, employment, gifts, debt) with the Village or any entity doing business with the Village, for yourself or your immediate family.
How public is this information? It’s public but not published. Anyone may request a copy of your disclosure forms, but you may choose to be informed of any such requests. Your home address will be redacted when the disclosure form is provided. Am I revealing my net worth to the world? No. Some forms of wealth and income (see next question) are not reported. For ownership and transactions you do have to report, you can use ranges for percentage of ownership (less than 1%, 1-5%, 6-10% or over 10%) or number of shares (0-100, 101-250, 251-500, over 500). What about CDs, mutual funds, and exchange-traded funds? You are not required to report bank interest or certificates of deposit, publicly traded mutual funds, or exchange-traded funds. How hard is this? The annual report is due at roughly the same time as your income taxes, and the information you’ve gathered for your taxes covers almost all of what you need for the financial disclosure. Some Board members have their accountants complete the disclosure documents, and some fill them out themselves. If your finances aren’t too complicated it should only take an hour or two per year.
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Help Village Staff Keep the Community Safe and BeautifulReport Areas for Repair and Maintenance Village staff prides itself on being responsive and working hard to ensure that the Village remains a safe, beautiful and welcoming community—but we cannot do it alone. While we are constantly on the lookout for areas that need to be addressed, we need the support of residents serving as our eyes and ears throughout the community:
Sidewalk Repairs The Village maintains brick paver sidewalks throughout the community. The brick pavers are not mortared and are set on a bluestone base to allow the sidewalks to gradually move as adjacent tree roots grow. Compared to the former concrete sidewalks, the dry-laid brick pavers are much easier for Public Works staff to repair by removing and resetting sections that have shifted. This is ongoing maintenance that our crews perform throughout the year as trip hazards are identified by staff or are brought to our attention by residents.
Tree Maintenance There are well over 2,500 “public” trees located within Village parks, greenspaces and public right-of-way. The Village’s consulting Arborist and our Director of Public Works perform a quarterly assessment for tree maintenance needs including areas for pruning, removals or treatments to improve a tree’s health. These quarterly assessments supplement our ongoing response to observations made by staff and residents.
How to Report an Issue or Concern Residents can use the Village’s online form system to report any number of issues/concerns, by visiting: https://www.chevychasevillagemd.gov/RequestTracker.aspx. From this page, residents can report sidewalk trip hazards and streetlight outages, and request public tree maintenance and recycling toters.
As always, residents may also call the Village’s 24-hour Communications Center or email requests/concerns to the Village’s main email address at ccv@montgomerycountymd.gov (emails are then routed to the appropriate department).
Thank you for helping us to continue addressing the needs of the community!
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Join the Crew; The Compost Crew
Food-waste recycling--otherwise known as “composting” is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and greenhouse emissions while returning nutrients to our soil and food system.
The Village has partnered with The Compost Crew to provide low-cost household collection of food-waste. The Compost Crew provides each household with an airtight bin and compostable bags; all you have to do is separate your organic waste and leave the bin by your trash and recycling receptacles for collection on the designated day for weekly pick-up. The collected waste is processed at a composting facility in Maryland and, after six months of service, households can request that a portion of your contributed waste be returned in the form of rich, finished nutrient-rich soil.
For more information regarding the household composting collection service, including current rates, please visit the “Food Waste Recycling Program” page on the Village website under Quick Links on the homepage. The more households that sign-up,the cheaper the service is for all, so sign up today!
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Are You Prepared?
As we have experienced during various seasonal events, it is important to be prepared for local weather emergencies. In order the assist residents in their preparedness, the Village in partnership with the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEMHS) offer a number of helpful tools, plans and free alerts to assist and keep you informed. Village Website and Blast Email System – Have you signed up for the Village’s blast email system? This is the Village's primary method of communication with residents. The Village has 2 email lists you can sign-up for:
Urgent News Alert – include messages such as criminal activity, neighborhood disruptions such as water main breaks, power outages and road closures and major weather events.
General News Alerts – include messages about Board and committee meetings, community events, changes in public services such as refuse/recycling collection schedules and upcoming road closures.
To sign-up for the blast email system visit the Village website at www.chevychasevillagemd.gov and click on the tablet icon at the top of the Village’s homepage.
Alert Montgomery – Alert Montgomery is the official emergency communications service for Montgomery County, MD. During major crisis, emergency or severe weather events, Montgomery County will send event updates, warnings and instructions directly to you on any of your devices. To sign-up for Alert Montgomery please visit the OEMHS website www.montgomerycountymd.gov/oemhs and click on the “Alert Montgomery” link at the top of the page. Family and Community Preparedness Information – Emergencies can take many forms and occur with or without warning. By taking a few simple steps now, you can ensure that you, your family and your community are better prepared to handle emergencies. To assist in your family planning, please visit the Village’s emergency preparedness page, www.chevychasevillagemd.gov/emergencyprep for helpful tools and links. Another important tool the Village has created to assist you in your preparedness efforts is our House Check Program. Always request a House Check when you are leaving town and ensure that your emergency contacts are up to date with the Village office. For additional information please visit the Village’s website at www.chevychasevillagemd.gov and click on the “Are you prepared? – Emergency Preparedness Tips” link listed in the Quick Links on the homepage.
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Emergency Contact SheetEMERGENCY - 911
Chevy Chase Village Police
Non Emergency/24hrs - 301-654-7300
Montgomery County Police
Non Emergency/24hrs - 301-279-8000
Bethesda - Chevy Chase Rescue Squad - 301-652-0077
Chevy Chase Fire Dept
(Opposite Columbia Country Club) - 240-773-4707
Bethesda Fire Dept
(Wisconsin Ave and Bradley Blvd) - 240-773-4706
National Capital Poison Center
(George Washington University Hospital) - 800-222-1222
Utilities
Potomac Electric Power Company (PEPCO)
Emergency-Live wires down, power failure - 877-737-2662 Customer Service - 202-833-7500
Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission Emergency - 301-206-4002
Complaints, Leaks, Information - 301-206-4001
Washington Gas Emergency - 703-750-1400
Information & Customer Service - 703-750-1000
Comcast - 800-934-6489
Verizon - 800-837-4966
**A cut out sheet is also located on page two of the January 2019 Crier.
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You are receiving this email because you are subscribed to receive general news updates from Chevy Chase Village. Did you know the Village sends out urgent news updates as well, click here to sign-up. |
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