Updates RE: General Presidential Election

Volunteers Needed to Serve as
Election Workers

Last week, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announced that there will be in-person elections statewide on November 3. Village officials are coordinating with the Montgomery County Board of Elections (BOE) regarding the election and preparations for a safe and efficient Election Day.

Election Workers Desperately Needed
The BOE desperately needs volunteers if the “in person” election goes forward. Qualified voters are urged to consider volunteering as election workers. To become an election worker you must:

Be a registered voter in Maryland
I am not legally prohibited from entering onto the property of a school or being near children.
Clearly and fluently speak, read and legibly write the English language
Under Maryland law, an election worker may not hold or be a candidate for any elective public or political party office or any office created under the Constitution or Laws of the State and may not serve as a campaign manager for a candidate or as the treasurer for a campaign finance entity.
Be able to work the hours required for the position selected
Lift approximately 25 pounds with assistance
Successfully complete Stage One (online) and Stage Two (hands-on) training
Work courteously and patiently with the public and coworkers
Attend a mandatory meeting on the Monday evening prior to each election at the assigned polling location

Visit https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/Elections/ElectionJudge/Overview.html for more information and to sign-up. The deadline to apply to volunteer is (currently) October 13.

Voting Prior to Election Day
To reduce the number of voters on Election Day, voters are highly encouraged to vote by mail or visit one of the early voting sites in the week prior to Election Day.

To vote by mail, request an absentee ballot online at https://elections.maryland.gov/voting/absentee.html. Voters requesting an absentee ballot will not be required to state a reason for voting absentee and all absentee ballots will be counted.

Early Voting will be conducted Thursday, October 22 – Thursday, October 29, 2020. Visit https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/Elections/EarlyVoting/index.html for a list of early voting sites and for more information. Voters may go to any early voting site in the county to cast a ballot. Early voting results are tallied on Election Night, just like votes cast on Election Day. If you vote early, you may not vote by mail or on Election Day.

For more information regarding the 2020 General Presidential Election, visit: www.montgomerycountymd.gov/elections.

Cardboard Accumulation Due to Increased Home Deliveries

Among the many effects of the COVID-19 crisis is a dramatic increase in the amount of goods shipped to residents' homes. Associated with this is a dramatic increase in the amount of cardboard and packaging for our recycling contractor to collect. Here are some guidelines to assure that as much cardboard as possible gets recycled:

Most types of cardboard, from tubes to paperboard to corrugated cardboard can be recycled;
Remove non-recyclable materials such as Styrofoam, packing peanuts and plastic cushioning pillows from all boxes. These are contaminates to the recycling process and boxes containing them will be disposed of as refuse, not recycling;
You do NOT need to remove tape or labels;
Pizza boxes are not recyclable- the grease is a contaminate;
Break down boxes so that they lay flat. This ensures the trucks are able to collect a full load.

While markets for recycled paper have been volatile, over half of cardboard can be recycled into cardboard boxes, as well as cereal and shoe boxes. For more information, read here:
https://earth911.com/recycling-guide/how-to-recycle-cardboard/
Help us ensure that as much of this material gets recycled as possible. Please contact the Village Hall if you have questions.

Chemical Pesticide Use on Lawns

See the information at the below link regarding Montgomery County’s pesticide use law, submitted by the Village’s Environment & Energy Committee:

https://www.chevychasevillagemd.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3696/Pesticide-Law-Status

COVID-19 Testing Sites:

Montgomery County and Maryland

Montgomery County contracted with Rockville-based AdvaGenix to acquire thousands of COVID-19 tests which are self-administered and use an oral swab (mouth). These tests are available for free to Montgomery County residents who:

think they may have been exposed to COVID-19, or
need testing to meet work requirements.

Appointments are required, but a doctor's order is not. To make an appointment, call the Testing Helpline at 240-777-1755. The Helpline is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week. For more information visit https://montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19/testing.html

To further increase convenience and accessibility at COVID-19 testing sites, the Maryland Department of Health and local partners are now providing patients with the ability to schedule their own appointments online at more sites.

Patients can schedule their own appointments at the Columbia VEIP, Pimlico Race Course, and Baltimore Convention Center testing sites by visiting coronavirus.maryland.gov and clicking on the “Testing” tab.
Although an appointment is strongly encouraged, the Pimlico Race Course and Baltimore Convention Center testing sites continue to accommodate walk-up patients. No doctor’s order is required at these sites.
Both the Glen Burnie VEIP and Six Flags America theme park offer no-appointment, drive-thru testing. Both sites operate on Wednesdays and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

For more information about testing sites in Maryland, visit coronavirus.maryland.gov and click on the “Testing” tab.

Roadway Work Continues in Chevy Chase Circle

Milling operations were completed this week and repaving has begun. The District of Columbia’s Department of Transportation (DDOT) has released the following information regarding the work and related lane closures:

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is scheduled to temporarily close travel lanes on Chevy Chase Circle NW starting on or about Monday, July 6, 2020, weather permitting. At least one lane will be open to traffic.

The closures and restrictions are needed for roadway repairs. The contractor is authorized to work Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 pm. Construction is scheduled to be completed by Monday, July 27, 2020, weather permitting.

Traffic control devices will be in place. Motorists should anticipate moderate delays due to the lane closures. Drivers are advised to stay alert while traveling through these locations and to be observant of the work zone.

The project scope can be viewed HERE and a signage plan is forthcoming.

COVID-19 Operations Modification and Reminders

Below are reminders regarding the Village’s orders regarding access to the Village Hall and the status of non-essential staff, which remains in effect until further notice:

The Village Hall remains closed to public access. 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).
All non-essential administrative personnel remain in a telework status. Administrative staff are continuing to monitor and respond to emails and are returning calls left on their extension.
All classes, events and activities in the Hall are canceled. The spring class session has been canceled due to the extended closure of the Village Hall.
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 were scheduled to expire on or after March 14, 2020 are extended through the 30^th day after the date by which the Maryland state of emergency is terminated and the catastrophic health emergency is rescinded.
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.

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.

Click on the below link to view the local state of emergency order adopted by the Village Board of Managers on April 13, 2020:
https://www.chevychasevillagemd.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3580/Adopted-Resolution-04-01-20

Village officers and Public Works personnel who are continuing 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. Village staff are also wearing masks when interacting with the public.

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).

Farmer's Market Returns to Section 3

The Farmers Market in Section 3 is open! Located at Taylor St. and Brookville Rd. with ample parking at La Ferme restaurant, the market features only organic products sold in a COVID-compliant manner. Patrons must wear a mask and bring their own bag.

The market is open on Saturdays from 8-9 a.m. for seniors and other vulnerable individuals and opens for all patrons at 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (rain or shine).

New Morning Farm, a Pennsylvania organic farmer features organic citrus fruits, apples, farm fresh eggs, mushrooms, apple cider, sweet and spicy greens mix, some lovely lettuce, honey, maple syrup, cheeses and lots of other organic veggies.

The food truck, Crepes Parfait, will be present serving up delicious hot coffee and crepes of all types for breakfast or a lunch snack.

Bring your own bags to shop at the farmers market, have breakfast and stop by some of the local merchants along Brookville Rd. too.

It's Summer and Birds Are Chirping!

Please call your landscaper and ask for a summer leaf-blowing holiday! Your neighbors will thank you, and you will hear the birds chirping.

Here is information from the Village's Environment and Energy Committee about noise and particle pollution from gas-powered leaf blowers:

https://www.chevychasevillagemd.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3677/E--E-Committee-Article-for-7320-Blast

Census 2020; the Race to 100% Community Response:
Village Response Rate up to 84.8% as of July 15

Thank you to the OVER three quarters of the community that have responded to the census! We are in the home stretch. If you have not already responded and you are looking to kill some time during the stay at home order: spend a few minutes responding to the 2020 Census!

In March, homes across the country received invitations to complete the 2020 Decennial Census. One member of each household may respond in one of three ways: online, by phone, or by mail. As of July 15, the Village’s response rate was up to 84.8%, which is fantastic….if you have not already done so, take a few minutes to help the Village reach 100%!

The following is a link to a an official Census Bureau video with step-by-step instructions on how to complete the 2020 Decennial Census online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCM0XrSynFw&list=PLewV-zKXDZkiAT8Tp96NysEoq3dDEMi7L&index=1

To view a one-page Fact Sheet regarding the census, visit: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/census/Resources/Files/everyone-counts-in-mc/EVERYONE-COUNTS-In-MCMD-Flyer_English.pdf.

For more information, visit www.2020census.gov.

When The Power Goes Out

In addition to its telephone call-in number and website information, Pepco has introduced a mobile app which provides updates to keep customers informed during a storm. Users can report outages, view outage maps, pay bills and access other services.

Visit pepco.com/mobileapp to download the mobile app.

Pepco has also added a new feature that allows customers to report a live outage by text via their mobile device. Registered Pepco customers can text “Out” to “48710”. Customers must first text “ADD OUTAGE” to “48710” from a phone linked to their account to sign up for the text service.

If a severe storm hits, Pepco follows a strategic response plan to restore service to the greatest number of customers first and will work to restore all service as quickly and safely as possible. Customers are asked to immediately report a downed wire or service issue by calling 1-877-PEPCO-62 (877-737-2662), visiting pepco.com or through the new mobile app and text option.

Sign-Up for Montgomery County’s COVID-19 Updates

Montgomery County is continuously pushing out useful information and updates related to the COVID-19 health emergency. Please visit the below site to sign-up for the county’s COVID-19 updates:

https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MDMONTGOMERY/signup/14849

Volunteering and Being a Good Neighbor During COVID-19

Many 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.

Volunteer Now

Join the Village Listserv on Groups.io

Last 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.

Help Village Staff Keep the Community Safe and Beautiful

Report 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!

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!

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.

Emergency Contact Sheet

EMERGENCY - 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

or visit the website at Pepco.com/Outages/ReportanOutage
to report their outage and receive restoration information.

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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