Tips to Prevent Thieves from Stealing Delivered Packages

Useful prevention measures will protect your purchases

 
 
It’s the season when delivered packages rain down on doorsteps throughout the Village.  Thieves know this, too, and they target neighborhoods like ours to steal packages soon after they’ve been delivered.
 
To reduce the chances that a package that you are expecting will be stolen, the Village Police Department advises you to consider the following:
 

• Have your shipper hold packages at their facility or store to be picked up later.  Even after a package has been shipped and is on the way to your house, you can redirect it to be held at the shipper’s distribution center using their online features. 
• Have shipments sent to your office or another address (family member; neighbor) if you won't be home when the package will be delivered. 
• Install a video doorbell.  They alert you and send live video to your smart phone or tablet whenever someone comes to your door.  Each video is saved to the cloud so that you can retrieve it later.  You can also talk to the visitor from anywhere using the intercom feature in the device. 
• At a minimum, sign up for text message updates; you will receive a message very soon after the item is dropped at your house.  With that information, you can promptly bring the package inside to reduce the likelihood of theft. 
• Call the Village Police Department (301-654-7300) immediately if you believe that a delivered package has been stolen.

Public Comments Sought:  

Proposed Security Cameras in Western Grove Park

 
The Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) has informed the Village of a plan to install four (4) security cameras onto existing light poles within the newly opened Western Grove Park.  This is part of a larger pilot program underway by the Parks Department to install security cameras in WiFi-enabled parks.  Western Grove Park is the newest park to feature WiFi technology and would be the second park in the county parks system to have security cameras (Kemp Mill Urban Park in Silver Spring is the first). 
 
In recognition of the ongoing partnership between M-NCPPC and the Village, the Parks Department has reached out to the Village through Captain George Coleman of the M-NCPPC Park Police to inform the Village and to determine whether the Village community objects to the proposal.  The matter was introduced at the Village Board’s November 13 regular meeting. 
 
The Village Board has scheduled a Public Hearing on the proposal to take place during its regular meeting on Monday, December 11.  The meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Village Hall and Captain Coleman will be in attendance to answer residents’ questions and provide additional information. 
 
To ensure a full understanding of the proposal and community members’ views, residents are encouraged to submit comments and specific questions to the Village office by email to ccv@montgomerycountymd.gov or by mail/walk-in to the Village office at 5906 Connecticut Avenue.  Village staff will compile the submitted questions and provide them in advance of the Public Hearing to Captain Coleman.  

Brookville Road Park Plan Proceeding to
Bid for Construction

 
During its meeting on November 13, the Village Board unanimously approved the proposed plans to redevelop the Brookville Road Park, including designation of a portion of the park as a fence-enclosed dog exercise area, otherwise referred to as a “dog park”.  The Board also approved the rules and regulations for access and use of the dog exercise area.
 
The Board directed Village staff to proceed in finalizing the documents needed to solicit construction bids for the project.  Construction is slated to begin in spring 2018. 
 
To view the approved plans, rules and regulations as well as images of the proposed finishes that will be used within the park, please visit the Village website and click on “Brookville Road Park” under Quick Links on the homepage.

Recommendations to the Master Plan of Highways & Transitways Goes to the Planning Board

 
The Montgomery Planning Department is continuing its comprehensive rewrite of the County’s Master Plan of Highways and Transitways.  In addition to road classification changes, the working draft will include the vision, goals, history and purpose of the plan, improved online tools and resources to improve the ease of use and clarity of the plan for the public, and enhancement of the plan to be more consistent and compliant with the Montgomery County Code. 
 
Initially, the Planning Staff proposed reclassification of roadways within and abutting the Village, namely, Brookville Road, Grafton Street and Western Avenue.  In mid-October, the Village submitted a letter to the Planning Board objecting to the proposed reclassifications of Brookville Road and Grafton Street.  The Planning Staff has confirmed that the originally proposed reclassifications of Brookville Road and Grafton Street have been removed from the staff’s list of recommendations that will be transmitted to the Planning Board.  This means that Brookville Road would remain in the MPOHT as a “primary residential” roadway and Grafton Street will not be referenced within the plan at all.
 
The Planning Staff will present its working draft recommendations to the Planning Board during a work session (public comment will not be permitted at this meeting) on Thursday, December 21 (note new date).  The staff’s final report will be posted to the Planning Department’s website one week prior to the work session.  Once an initial slate of proposed changes is approved by the Planning Board, a 30-day comment period will be advertised with a Public Hearing scheduled for February 2018 (specific date TBD).  The Planning Board intends to transmit its final recommendations to the County Executive and County Council by April 2018.
 
For more information regarding this project, visit:  http://montgomeryplanning.org/planning/transportation/highway-planning/master-plan-of-highways-and-transitways/

Pepco Offers Tips to Help Keep Your Holidays Bright

Helpful information to help Pepco customers
save money and energy and stay safe

     
WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 22, 2017) – The holidays are a time for cheer, fun gatherings and decking the halls. Pepco offers customers tips to help them save energy and money and stay safe during the holidays.
 
Save Money and Energy … Don’t Let the Grinch Steal Your Energy or Your Cash
The grumpy, anti-holiday spirit Grinch may have been successful at stealing stuff from the residents of Whooville, but he could not steal their joy. Energy efficiency lighting is one way to fend off Grinchy costs. Here are a few tips to keep your holidays shiny and bright!  

• Light up your home or business for the holidays by using energy-efficient ENERGY STAR certified decorative lights. They use up to 75 percent less energy than conventional incandescent lights and are also cool to the touch.
• Power down all decorative lights when going to bed or leaving the house.
• Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for the number of decorative light strands than can be safely connected.

• Be aware of all power lines when decorating outdoors. Never work near overhead power lines or anywhere there is a possibility of contacting an overhead power line – either directly or indirectly – with a ladder or other piece of equipment.
• Do not string lights on outdoor trees that are growing near or into power lines.
• Ensure decorative lights used outside are approved for outdoor use.
• Hang outdoor lights with insulated staples or hooks instead of nails or tacks.

 
At Pepco, we work hard to help our customers save energy and money. To learn more about saving energy in your home, generating your own power, or other programs to help you save energy, visit pepco.com/savings for a list of programs and incentives.
 
Pepco wishes its customers and their families a happy, safe and energy-efficient holiday season!
 
Readers are encouraged to visit The Source, Pepco’s online news room. Find additional information about Pepco by visiting pepco.com. Follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/pepcoconnect and on Twitter at twitter.com/pepcoconnect. Our mobile app is available at pepco.com/mobileapp.      

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.

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.