PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE:

Brookville Road Park

The Chevy Chase Village Board of Managers will convene a Public Hearing during its regular meeting on Monday, April 10, 2017.  The meeting begins at 7:30 p.m.
 
The Village’s landscape architect Ms. Lila Fendrick and Village staff presented draft plans for Brookville Road Park to the Village Board in March.  The proposed plan (which has been revised in response to feedback received during the November 14, 2016 Public Hearing) provides both an open space for the general public’s use as well as a fully-enclosed fenced area for unleashed dogs.  The proposed plans along with a memo from the Village Manager, and Village staff’s recommended policy, rules and recommendations for the proposed dog exercise area, are available on the Village website under the Brookville Road Park page (see the link under Quick Links on the homepage).  In advance of the hearing, the park will be staked to reflect the outline of the proposed dog exercise area so residents can better understand the size and location being proposed.
 
Residents who are unable to attend the Public Hearing on April 10 may submit written testimony for the record either by e-mail to ccv@montgomerycountymd.gov or directly to the Village office at 5906 Connecticut Avenue, Chevy Chase, MD 20815.

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE:

Speed Hump Policy Revisions

The Chevy Chase Village Board of Managers will hold a Public Hearing during its regular meeting on Monday, April 10, 2017 to consider proposed revisions to the Village’s Speed Hump Policy, which was originally adopted in 2011. The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m.
 
The proposed revisions to the policy have been proposed by a resident of Grafton Street and are available for review on the Village website or upon request to the Village office.  The Village’s Traffic Committee is scheduled to review the proposed changes in late March and will provide its comments and recommendations to the Village Board prior to the April 10 hearing.  A copy of the Traffic Committee’s report will be available on the Village website by Friday, April 7 and will also be available upon request to the Village office. 
 
Residents are invited to provide comments on the proposed changes by attending the Public Hearing on April 10 or in advance of the hearing by email to ccv@montgomerycountymd.gov, in person or by mail to the Village office at 5906 Connecticut Avenue, Chevy Chase, MD 20815.

ANNUAL MEETING - Monday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m.

The Annual Meeting is an excellent opportunity to get caught-up on issues affecting the Village. Residents who have moved into the Village during the past year are especially encouraged to attend to see their Village government in action, and to meet Village Committee/Commission members and elected officials. 

Committee/Commission Chairs and representatives will provide reports of their Committee/Commission’s activities over the past year. Also at the Annual Meeting, the Board will adopt the operating budget for FY 2018 (July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018) and will set the real estate and personal property tax rates for the same period. Candidates for the Board of Managers will be announced by the Election Supervisors.

All residents are invited to join the Board in recapping the past year’s events and accomplishments and to discuss the Village’s goals in the upcoming year. 

Nationwide: 2.4 Billion Robo-calls (read: scammers) per Month

Do not fall prey to these phone scammers

This week, the FCC announced that they have proposed new rules to give telecom companies authority to block calls made from illegitimate or unassigned phone numbers.  The Chevy Chase Village Police Department routinely receives reports from residents of repeated unsolicited calls from a variety of numbers.  You can read about it in the Washington Post article published yesterday (March 23) on the subject.
 
 
While the scams are different (grandchild needs bail money; assist a foreign national with depositing a large sum of money; you owe money to the IRS; your computer is at risk, so allow me to fix it for you; there is a warrant for your arrest; etc.), they all want the same thing:  your money—either directly or by stealing your identity.
 
Do not let your guard down.  The below tips will dramatically reduce the chance that you will become a victim of a phone scammer:

1. If you have caller ID, look at it before you pick up the phone; if you don’t recognize the caller, ignore the phone.
2. Never!!!  Repeat, never (as in never, ever) give any personal information to anyone who calls you.  Bad things will happen.  Don't do it.  Period.  Ignore the call.
3. If you happen to answer the phone and are faced with a recorded robo-call or a real person whom you suspect to be a scammer, hang up. Do not be courteous; just hang up.
4. If you receive repeated unwanted calls from the same number on a landline phone, contact your phone company and request that they block the number.  If you are receiving the calls on your cellular phone, you can block the number by adjusting the settings on your device.

New Latex Paint Disposal Policy

- Effective Immediately -

Latex paint cannot be disposed of within the regular trash, nor will the county accept it through the hazardous waste stream.  For years, we have instructed residents to place kitty litter or other commercially available drying agents into the wet cans, wait for the paint to dry and then enclose the cans within their regular trash.  This process requires some effort and time.  Unfortunately, many latex paint cans have not been successfully dried prior to placement in the household trash, and these cans have leaked onto Village roadways and in the back of the trash trucks causing a mess and damage. 
 
Both to assist our residents and to prevent paint cans from leaking, we are enacting a new policy to ensure latex paint cans are sufficiently dried prior to disposal:

1. When you are preparing to dispose of latex paint cans, proceed to add either kitty litter or another commercially-available drying agent (available at local hardware stores) to the can.
2. Once you feel that the paint can has sufficiently dried, contact the Village Communications Center or visit the Village website to complete a Public Works Order form to request a “paint can check”.  The can(s) must be placed in an easily accessible exterior location (in the vicinity of your refuse/recycling containers or on your driveway is best).
3. Once your request is received by the Village, a Public Works employee will be sent to your home, typically within two business days, to determine if the cans are sufficiently dry.
4. If the can is sufficiently dry, Public Works staff will place a green sticker on the top of the can approving it for safe disposal. 
   • If the can is not sufficiently dry, Public Works will affix a red sticker to the top of the can indicating that either additional time or application of more kitty litter or drying agents are necessary.
5. Once a can receives a green sticker, you may proceed to place the can in a bag along with your regular household trash.

 
We hope this new procedure will help our residents by ensuring that latex paint cans are safe for disposal.  Should you have any questions regarding this new policy, please contact the Village office.
 

Current Donation Drives brought to you by the Community Relations Committee

Collecting new or gently-used Children’s Books (for ages Kindergarten - 6th) for Chevy Chase Elementary School

The ESOL (english as a second language) program at CCES would love to send each of their students home over the summer with a couple of books to call their own.  Any extras will expand the library for the ESOL classroom. Please drop your book donations in the large collection bin just inside the entrance to the Village Hall.  
 
Collecting vital items for A Wider Circle

From one Village to another….we have a chance to provide direct support to families living in one of the most impoverished neighborhoods in our nation’s capital region.  The mission of A Wider Circle is to help one individual and one family after another rise out of poverty, and they have just opened a new center in Southeast, DC.  In this community, Highland Dwellings and Additions, they will provide basic need items as well as job skills training, long-term wraparound support, youth programming, and more.  Our neighbors in Highland Dwellings and Additions are living each day without the basic items every child and adult deserves and needs. Are you up for changing this? 
 
Chevy Chase Village’s week to deliver items will be June 5th - 10th.  Between now and then, we will be collecting the following items at the Village Hall. Please drop your items in the large collection bin just inside the entrance to the Village Hall.  
 

1. Healthy non-perishable food like whole grain pasta, low-sodium canned beans, brown rice, low-sodium canned fruits & vegetables, 100% fruit juice (e.g., juice boxes), peanut butter, whole grain cereals, and shelf-stable soy/rice/almond milks, etc.
2. Personal care items - soap bar, shower gel, hand soap, shampoo/conditioner, deodorant, lotion, toothbrushes/toothpaste, etc.
3. Laundry detergent
4. Toilet paper (individually wrapped), paper towels, tissues, all-purpose cleaners
5. Diapers and baby items

It’s easy - next time you’re at the grocery store, CVS, Costco etc.  and buying some of these items for yourself, please grab an extra one for our donation drive and drop it in the big bin just inside the door of the Village Hall.
 
Thank you for your support!
 
Karen Spangler
Community Relations Committee member

The Week Ahead: March 26 - April 1

• 9:00 a.m.: Chevy Chase @ Home Jewelry Making Class. -- To learn more about this organization you can visit their site: http://www.chevychaseathome.org/

For additional information on any of the meetings and events listed above, please contact the Village Community Liaison/Administrative Assistant via e-mail at ccv@montgomerycountymd.gov.

Budget and Tax Matters: Public Comments Welcomed on the Draft FY 2018 Budget

The Chevy Chase Village Board of Managers held a budget work session on February 27 to review the proposed operating and capital budgets for the fiscal year that will begin on July 1, 2017 and end on June 30, 2018, as prepared by the Village Manager and staff. The Board held the first of two Public Hearings on the draft budget during their meeting on March 13.  The Board will again  invite public comments on the draft budget and tax rate during its regular meeting on Monday, April 10. The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. Copies of the budget summary and details are available on the Village website and hard copies can be obtained at the Village office. Residents can submit written comments in advance (c/o the Village office) of the April 10 hearing.

A report from Board Treasurer Mr. Gary Crockett along with a summary of the proposed budget will be included in the April issue of the Crier. Adoption of the FY2018 budget and tax rates will take place during the Village’s Annual Meeting on Monday, April 17.

RSVP/AARP Tax-Aide Program Offers Free Tax Preparation 

 
The Montgomery County Volunteer Center's RSVP/AARP Tax-Aide Program is providing free tax preparation assistance. This service is available to low-to-moderate income taxpayers who live or work in Montgomery County.
Special attention is given to those age 60 and older.
 
The Tax-Aide program has more than 100 volunteers who are trained to prepare simple federal and Maryland state tax forms. Taxes are prepared at more than 20 different locations across Montgomery County, and an appointment is required. The program runs during tax season, the second week of February through Tuesday, April 18.
 
Individuals can learn more specifics and schedule an appointment on-line at http://www.montgomeryserves.org/tax-aide/overview or call 240-777-2577.

Tax Return Reminder (MD Form 502)

Revenues received through our residents’ paid income taxes remain the most significant source of Village revenues. We need our residents’ help to ensure that all income tax revenue due to the Village actually gets here. This money goes directly to services benefiting Village residents.  Village residents DO NOT pay any additional income taxes to live in Chevy Chase Village. By law, as a municipality, the Village receives a portion of the tax you pay to Montgomery County. It is very important, however, that the State of Maryland knows to return this revenue to the Village. Consequently, please take special care to mark your tax return as shown below (if filing electronically, there is a character limit, therefore, you may have to use the abbreviation 
“Ch Ch Village”). 

Please be aware that MD Form 502 has been updated this year with a separate political subdivision section located under your mailing address.  When you complete your Maryland income tax return, remember to put Chevy Chase Village under “Maryland Political Subdivision” and include 1613 the “4 digit Political Subdivision Code” to ensure the Village receives our share of the state income tax (see below).    

Are You Prepared?

As we saw last season during the record Blizzard of 2016 and as gear up for the upcoming winter season, the Village reminds residents that it is important to be prepared. 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 primary electronic method of communication with you. 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 office emergency communications service for Montgomery County, MD. During major crisis, emergency or severe weather events, Montgomery County officials 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 form 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 to assist you in your preparedness efforts is to always request a House Check when you are out 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

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 2017 Crier.

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