Board of Managers Meeting: Monday April 10, 2017 at 7:30 p.m. in the Village Hall 

The Board of Managers will hold its regular monthly meeting on April 10, 2017 at 7:30 p.m. in the Village Hall. Please click below to view the agenda and the Board's briefing materials.

Click here to view the agenda.

Filing Window Closes for the Board of Managers’ Election

The candidate deadline for this year’s election to the Board of Managers has passed.  As of the 5:00 p.m. deadline on April 6, four residents declared their candidacy for the four seats up for election this year. 

The Chair of the Elections Supervisors will make a report regarding this year’s election during the Annual Meeting on Monday, April 17, 2017.  The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m., with light refreshments beginning at 7:00.

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE (First of Two):

Proposed Brookville Road Park Improvements

The Chevy Chase Village Board of Managers will convene the first of two Public Hearings during its regular meeting on Monday, April 10, 2017 regarding proposed plans for the Brookville Road Park. The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. (The second public hearing will be held during the Village Board's May 8, 2017 regular meeting)  
 
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 (First of Two):

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 second public hearing will be held during the Village Board's May 8, 2017 regular meeting) 
 
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.

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.

Weekly Police Beat for the week ending April 7, 2017

New Video Camera to Enforce 'Do Not Enter" Signs on Grafton at Wisconsin

Effective today (Friday, April 7, 2017), a video camera will begin capturing video footage of vehicles that ignore the two 'Do Not Enter' signs and illegally exit the Village from Grafton Street onto Wisconsin Avenue.

For many months now, the Village Police Department has received complaints from residents of cars violating the signs and nearly causing head-on collisions with vehicles legally entering Village at Grafton Street.  Village police officers have spent considerable time watching that intersection and writing tickets, but it is an expensive and inefficient way to resolve this safety problem.  The Village Police Department sought a technological solution that would more effectively reduce the number of violations.

In partnership with Conduent, the Village's speed camera contractor, the Police Department identified a video camera that will ignore cars that lawfully enter the Village, but will record video footage and take still photos of vehicles that violate the signs.  To warn motorists of the presence of the camera, large 'Photo Enforced' signs have been placed immediately below each "Do Not Enter' sign.

Initially, warning letters will be mailed to the registered owners of the vehicles that ignore the 'Do Not Enter' signs.  Each violating vehicle will be entered into the Police Department's records database.  Repeat offenders will qualify for special attention from the police to include the possibility of a face-to-face citation issued to drivers identified as the violators.

This camera will not generate any revenue for the Chevy Chase Village.  The cost of the project will be borne by the Police Department's operating budget.  The system's performance and the project's results will be evaluated in the coming months.

The Village Police Department is grateful for the cooperation of the residents of Grafton Street and the Board of Managers for their support of this important traffic safety project.

***

Three Unlocked Cars Entered on the East Side of Village

Cars on Nevada, E. Melrose and E. Kirke Entered

At about 6:20 a.m.  on Thursday, April 6, 2017, a resident on Nevada Avenue saw a late model 4-door sedan parked on the street near his house.  He saw a male with a thin build run into his driveway then run back to the sedan and drive off.  The resident went outside and discovered that his car had been entered, the glove box opened, and contents scattered on the front passenger seat.  The resident discovered that the thief stole a pocket knife valued at $20.  The resident called Village police and officers responded right away.

Village officers canvassed the neighborhood and discovered two additional unlocked cars that had been entered (in the 100 block of E. Melrose Street and the unit block of E. Kirke Street).

Upper northwest DC is experiencing a rash of thefts from unlocked cars.  Residents are urged to lock their cars every time they park.

Community Relations Committee - Speaker Series

Thursday, April 20 from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. 
Tamara Gould, Documentary Film Producer

Documentaries and the Future of
Public Television in America

“As public media’s leading incubator and presenter of independent film, Independent Television Service (ITVS) is driven by the conviction that bold storytelling builds a more just society.” ITVS is the creator of hundreds of PBS documentaries seen on Independent Lens, POV, FRONTLINE, American Masters and more.

Please join Tamara Gould, Senior Vice President, National Productions and Strategic Partnerships at ITVS, as the kick off speaker for the new Chevy Chase Village Speaker Series, brought to you by the Community Relations Committee on Thursday, April 20 from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. in the Village Hall. Wine and light hors d’oeuvres will be provided.

 - Michael Marsh, Chair and Lance Patterson, Vice Chair

Community Relations Committee

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. 

Art Shows by Somerset Elementary School Fifth Graders
By Councilmember Barbara Zeughauser (Trent Street)

Lynn Lewis, the art teacher at Somerset Elementary School, has been working with the fifth graders of Somerset Elementary School, on a project entitled: Mother Earth: Micro, Macro and Me, that will be on display at the Somerset Town Hall from March 31 – June 9, 2017.   The Town Hall is open Monday through Friday, from 9a.m. to 4:30p.m.  
 
The fifth graders explore different perspectives of life on Earth through mix media that connects art with environmental awareness.  Their work entails tooling metal discs for a microscopic view of plant or animal cellular structures.  In addition, they examine an interstellar view of the universe using watercolors to create their own visions, while referring to photographs from the Hubel telescope.   Finally, they superimpose a silhouette of themselves in a setting on Earth where they feel most at peace. 
 
This exhibit was created in conjunction with the Mother Earth Project, an Instagram movement, founded by Somerset resident and sculptor, Bart Rubenstein.
 
In order to accommodate all fifth graders, there will be three separate shows and three Opening Celebrations.  The first show will be from March 31 through April 25, with the Opening Celebration on Thursday, April 6, from 6-7p.m.  The second show will be from April 27-May 18, with the Opening Celebration on May 2, from 6-7p.m.  And the last show will be from May 19-June 9, with the Opening Celebration on May 23, from 6-7p.m. 
 
We hope many of you will take the time to stop by the Somerset Town Hall to see this truly extraordinary exhibit by the children of Somerset Elementary School.  And hopefully many of you will be able to attend one or all of the Opening Celebrations!

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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