Winter Storm Preparations

Public Works personnel are preparing for this weekend’s forecast winter storm. Although snowfall amounts are continuing to change, the event is forecast to bring snow over an extended period of time without heavy winds. This should reduce the impacts to trees and power lines. Nonetheless, our crews are applying a pre-treatment to roadways today and they will be on-hand to clear Village streets during the snow event itself.

Here are a few reminders as we head into this first snow event of 2019:

Parked Vehicles
Residents are asked to move vehicles off of Village roadways to provide ample space for our salt spreader trucks and to allow for the full width of the roadway to be treated. If you do not have a driveway that can accommodate your vehicles, please attempt to park as close as possible to the curb. In past storms, the Village Public Works Department has observed numerous vehicles that were parked a distance from the curb, which impedes the crew’s ability to clear streets and can result in vehicle damage.

In the Event of a Power Outage
If power is interrupted, the Village will maintain contact with PEPCO to ensure power is restored as promptly as possible; however, power restoration may be hampered as weather conditions dictate. If you lose power, please contact PEPCO directly at (877) 737-2662 and the Village Communications Center at (301) 654-7300. Residents should not assume that PEPCO knows you do not have power—every household that loses power should contact both PEPCO and the Village, which also allows us to monitor the scope of the outage. As always, the Village Hall is available for Village residents as a warming center and to charge electrical devices.

NEVER touch or drive over downed utility lines. All downed utility lines are to be treated as if they are live.

Sidewalk Clearing
Residents are responsible for clearing all snow and ice from the sidewalk in front of or abutting their property within the first forty-eight (48) hours after the cessation of falling snow. Residents who occupy corner lots are responsible for the sidewalk in front of and on the side of their property. Residents abutting Connecticut Avenue and Brookville Road are not required to clear the sections of sidewalk abutting these roadways.

If you must travel in during the snowfall, please exercise extreme caution.

Board of Managers Meeting:
Monday, January 14, 2019
at 7:30 p.m. in the Village Hall

The Board of Managers will hold its regular monthly meeting on January 14, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. in the Village Hall. Please click below to view the agenda.

Click here to view the agenda

Reminder to Ensure Collection of Household
Trash & Recycling

With the Village’s program of rear yard collection of trash and recycling, residents are reminded of the need to ensure that a clear and unobstructed path to allow our contractor to collect from your receptacles. Our crews are not authorized to attempt to collect trash and recycling from a property if doing so runs the risk of damage to personal vehicles or undue hardship to the crews. Please ensure that vehicles and other personal items are clear of the path to your receptacles to ensure collection. This includes keeping bushes, trees and other plants pruned back to allow a clear path.

Additionally, residents are reminded to use the appropriate receptacles for disposal of debris from your home. The Village does not provide trash receptacles, however, household trash must be placed in acceptable containers for collection and should NOT be placed in the recycling toter provided by the Village. Yard waste should never be placed in either trash or recycling containers. Yard waste must be placed curbside for collection by our in-house Public Works staff.

For more information, please visit the Public Works page on the Village website by clicking on the below link. Residents are welcome to contact the Communications Center for further clarification regarding the collection of household trash and recycling as well as yard waste. Thank you for your cooperation.

http://www.chevychasevillagemd.gov/149/Public-Works

Worker’s Stolen Car Recovered in Prince George’s County

Owner had left the key inside his unlocked car

On Thursday, January 03, 2019 at about 3:30 p.m., a contractor who was working at a home in the 100 block of E. Lenox Street called police to report that his car was stolen within the past hour. The man said that he had left the key inside his red 2008 Cadillac CTS, and when he returned to the driveway, he discovered that his car was gone.

Village officers placed the stolen vehicle information in the national crime database, and gave the information directly to the county police and DC police.

The car was located in Prince George’s County. After determining that the car had apparently been abandoned by unknown thieves, Montgomery County detectives impounded the car and will be processing it for evidence.

The investigation is continuing.

Remove Garage Door Openers from Your Cars

Thieves used garage door openers to enter garages in 2 recent events

On Sunday morning (January 6), Montgomery County officers responded to a call just north of the Village in Martin’s Additions. The victim reported that he found his car rummaged through and his overhead garage door was wide open. The victim had left his car parked in the driveway. Apparently, a thief entered the victim’s car, rooted around, and then used the victim’s garage door opener to access the interior of the garage. A total of 4 residents in the area (Martin’s Additions, Section 3) also reported that their vehicles had been entered; thieves smashed windows to steal visible items inside two of the cars. All told, several items were stolen including 3 bicycles. Security video from a resident in Section 3 showed two thieves entering the victim’s car at about 3:30 a.m. Click on the below link to see the video.

Link: https://ring.com/share/6643299634992445270

Shortly after 3:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 8, a resident in the 5500 block of Grove Street heard his garage door opening. When he looked out the window, he saw two men entering his garage and then fleeing toward Cedar Parkway—one riding the resident’s stolen bicycle, and the other on foot. The resident called the Village Communications Center, and Officers Ryan Patterson and Willie Hearn responded immediately and arrived in two minutes. The officers searched the area for the suspects without success.

Investigation revealed that the thieves entered one of the resident’s vehicles which was parked outside, found a garage door opener within the car, and used it to raise the garage door and enter the garage. Officers Patterson and Hearn found that three additional vehicles on that same block had been entered and rummaged through.

Village police are in regular contact with Montgomery County and DC Police; those agencies report that they are dealing with a high number of thefts from auto.

The Village Police Department strongly recommends that residents remove their garage door remote control openers from their cars overnight to prevent thieves from using the openers to enter their garage. Thankfully, the thieves have not yet entered the interior of the homes after entering the garages, but this is a possibility. Please bring your garage door openers inside your home, and lock the door from the garage into your home.

Investigation of Area-Wide (DC/MD) Daytime Thefts
from Work Trucks Progresses

Village Police Need Your Help to Spot the Suspects

Recently, several contractors in the Village experienced thefts from their work trucks during daytime hours. Some of those thefts involved broken truck windows. Investigation revealed that the County Police and Metropolitan (DC) Police were seeing the same pattern. All three police agencies have been working hard to share information to identify suspects and make some arrests.

A DC police officer was able to obtain an image of the suspects (see below) from a surveillance camera in the area of one of the crimes in DC. The photo, combined with other information from DC, provides valuable information. The suspects apparently posed as construction workers with yellow reflective jackets and a hard hat as they broke into work trucks.

Please keep a lookout for anyone wearing similar construction clothing/gear and call the Village Police immediately. Officers will respond immediately and investigate.

The Speaker Series Presents

Smithsonian Curator Karen Lemmey

Wednesday, January 30th
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Smithsonian Curator Karen Lemmey
Karen is the sculpture curator at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, which houses the largest collection of American sculpture in the world. She will discuss the research, acquisition, and exhibition process at this prominent museum.

Please contact Lance Patterson with any questions. MLPatterson2@verizon.net

The Environment and Energy Committee of Chevy Chase Village Presents
Clean Energy Choices

Tuesday, February 5th
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
CC Village Hall

Have you thought about ways to save energy, installing solar panels on your roof or switching to renewable energy to green your carbon footprint and your wallet? Please join us on Tuesday, February 5 from 7-9 p.m. in the Chevy Chase Village Hall, to learn more about Clean Energy policy in MD, Green Energy Choices and other cost saving options to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.

Larissa Johnson, Residential Energy Program Manager with the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection will speak to us about energy saving options and opportunities to switch to cleaner energy that MD residents can take advantage of. Mike Tidwell, Executive Director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, award winning documentary filmmaker and author, will talk to us about climate impacts in Maryland, pending Clean Energy legislation, and the benefits of Community Solar—a growing part of the green energy solution. Both Larissa and Mike with field questions afterwards in a Q&A with the audience.

Please mark your calendars and plan to come. Doors open at 7 pm for coffee and a chance to meet the speakers.

Montgomery County Executive to Hold FY2020 Budget Forums

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich is holding the first of five budget forums on Monday, Jan. 14, to seek input from residents about Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20) Operating Budget priorities. The forum will begin at 7 p.m. at the BlackRock Center for the Arts, at 12901 Town Commons Drive in Germantown.

“It is very important for me to hear from the public as we prepare the budget,” said Elrich. “I invite residents, our business community and nonprofit representatives to attend any of the upcoming budget forums to let me know your priorities.”

Additional FY20 Operating Budget forums are scheduled as follows:

Wednesday, Jan. 16 – 7 p.m. – Silver Spring Civic Building, One Veterans Place, Silver Spring.
Tuesday, Jan. 22 – 7 p.m. – Eastern Montgomery Regional Services Center, 3300 Briggs Chaney Road, Silver Spring.
Wednesday, Jan. 23 – 7 p.m. – Mid-County Recreation Center, 2004 Queensguard Road, Silver Spring.
Monday, Feb. 4 – 7 p.m. – Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, 4301 East West Hwy, Bethesda.

The County Executive will announce his Recommended FY20 Operating Budget on March 15.

The County Council approves the operating budget at the end of May. Sign language interpreter services will be provided only upon request with notice as far in advance as possible, but no less than 72 hours prior to the event. If these or other services or aids are needed to participate in this activity, call 240-777-6507, Maryland Relay 711 or email a request to Karen.falcon@montgomerycountymd.gov.

Join Montgomery County’s conversation about the FY20 Operating Budget on social media and help raise awareness by using #MoCoBudget20.

FRONT

BACK

Please be a Considerate Owner/Handler at the Brookville Road Dog Park

Police have received complaints of dogs barking continuously

Village police have received calls from residents living near the Brookville Dog Park of incessantly barking dogs. According to park rules (and Village Code), users of the dog park are required to attend to their dogs to prevent their dogs from continuously or uncontrollably barking. If a dog continues to bark, the owner/handler must remove the dog from the park. An occasional bark is expected, but constant barking is disturbing to other park users as well as the surrounding neighbors.

Police officers have been stopping by the park proactively to talk with visitors to make them aware of this rule. If you bring a dog to the park, please be considerate and calm your dog right away if it begins to bark.

To view the full listing of rules and regulations that apply in the park, click here: https://www.chevychasevillagemd.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2417/BRP-RulesandRegulations_adopted111317

Local Farmer's Market

Section 3 of the Village of Chevy Chase hosts a Farmers' Market every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. rain or shine. There is parking at LaFerme restaurant. The Market is just opposite Brookville Market at Taylor St. Bring your own bags for lots of delicious food--fresh organic products including lots of apples right now, apple cider, apple sauce, honey, fresh Spring Mill breads, Fire Hook crackers, fresh roasted coffee beans, baked goods and other wonderful produce.

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

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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