The Mayor's Report

January 26, 2008

Attached to this email and pasted below my report on issues and items I believe to be important to Mount Rainier. This Report can also be found on my blog: http://themayorsspot.blogspot.com. (You may need to copy the link and paste it in the URL Address line.)

Hot in off the press:

1) Just got word that the Livable Communities Grant was approved for $70,000. As you may recall, Mount Rainier partnered with Brentwood to provide community policing coverage almost two years ago. This policing coverage was funded by a $90,000 grant from the Livable Communities Grant. This $70,000 will be used to continue to protect our borders and develop our working relationship with Brentwood. NOTE: Currently we do not have a community policing officer serving in this capacity. This money will allow us to put this officer back in place. Through another agreement with Brentwood, we provide 40 hour a week of police (Corporal Victor Kenworthy) coverage to Brentwood. This agreement is paid for by the Town of Brentwood and is roughly $90,000 per year. Will follow up and keep you posted on the new grant.

2) Notice was recently issued to be on the look out for Joshua Darnell Wallace, B/M, 5-08, 210, DOB: 11/11/1988. Joshua Darnell Wallace is in possession of a white Ford Crown Victoria equipped with a spotlight and antennas. Wallace apparently purchased this vehicle two weeks ago. Reportedly, Wallace has bragged about driving on the Capital Beltway I-495 and slowing down in front of other motorists in attempts to conduct traffic stops. Wallace is alleged to have numerous police-style hand held two way radios. Reportedly, Wallace has a handgun style holster and numerous amounts of bullets and shotgun shells. Reportedly, he has police picture identification cards with his photo; fictitious badges, and billy clubs. Reportedly, Wallace has claimed to be a member of the Prince Georges County Police Department; along with other unknown police departments. Reportedly, Wallace has also claimed to be a member of the US Military serving with Special Operations Division. (Full notice sent to email list earlier. Can also be found on my blog: http://themayorsspot.blogspot.com.

3) Also keep a watch on our downtown area. The City has renewed its contract with Hyattsville Nursery to keep our downtown area in flowers and shrubbery. This should make the downtown more attractive over the next few months. I would like to receive your feedback on this especially, if you do NOT see the difference. We are the Gateway to Prince George’s County and the District of Columbia!

4) The County has created three new commissions (For more information on these, please contact me and I will email you the full text of the legislation that includes qualifications, duties and responsibilities etc.):

A) Sec. 24-147. Recognition of Development Review District Commission.

A Development Review District Commission shall be given an opportunity to review and comment on all applications for subdivision of land located in the District and shall be made a party of record in all zoning and subdivision matters for which parties of record are identified, which involve property within the District before the Zoning Hearing Examiner, the Planning Board, or the District Council. (CB-109-1986)

B) Sec. 21-125.01. The Prince George’s County Solid Waste Advisory Commission; established.

The Prince George’s County Solid Waste Advisory Commission is established to provide community input, guidance and advice to the County Executive and County Council on matters relating to solid waste management within the County.
(CB-84-2004)

C) DIVISION 39. COMMISSION FOR VETERANS. Sec. 2-489. Commission for Veterans; composition; terms; vacancies.
(a) There is established a Commission for Veterans. The Commission shall consist of thirteen (13) voting members. Five (5) of the members shall be members of the general public. The Commission shall also include a representative submitted from each of the following organizations: the Veteran’s of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, the Amvets, the Military Order of the Purple Heart, the Disabled American Veterans, the Vietnam Veterans of America, the Marine Corps League, and the Women’s Army Air Corps Association. The representative from each organization listed above shall be a resident of the County and a veteran whose final separation from active service with a uniformed service of the United States was under honorable conditions. The appointment of the members of the Commission shall be by the County Executive, subject to confirmation by the County Council. The County Executive shall designate one (1) public member to serve as Chairman.

From the Desk of the Mayor
January 26, 2008

Already this has been a year to remember and we are only on the 26th day of the New Year!

Filling the Senate Vacancy in the 47th Legislative District

The late Senator Gwendolyn Britt was funeralized on Friday, January 15. Her passing no only left deep sorrow and pain, but a vacancy in 47th District Legislative team. On January 30, 2008, the Democratic Central Committee will meet to select the next Senator to represent our District. You may not wish to run, but you might wish to contact our representative on the Central Committee to share your concerns or even make a recommendation for your next senator.

Public Hearing Coming Up

On February 12, 2008, Mayor and Council will host a hearing to discuss proposed legislation introduced by Councilmember Pedro Briones. The legislation as presented seeks to make the City of Mount Rainier a sanctuary for immigrants whether legal or not. The legislation proposes a don’t ask don’t tell policy for all immigrants, and purports that this will improve police relations in the City with our immigrant population.

Needless to say, this has generated a lot of debate on the internet and in the newspapers. As a way of getting an anonymous census on this issue, I have created a very brief survey on my blog (http://themayorsspot.blogspot.com). I also posted the full text of the legislation there for you to read and consider. Please take a minute to read the legislation and cast your vote. If you do not have internet, take time and send me a brief letter with your opinion and vote either in support of the legislation or vote to oppose. Please, do not be derogatory. You have a right to your opinion and a right to be heard, and you can do this without being offensive. I want to hear from you.

Translating the Message

There is just no getting around it. Many of our neighbors are Spanish-speaking. I believe that is good for the City, and that there is a need to reach out and invite them to become a part of our community. Translating our laws into Spanish is a good way to begin this process. I also believe that this should be a two-way street. I invite our Spanish-speaking neighbors to learn our language, to come out to meetings, to volunteer for committees, and to get involved in the community. I know there are barriers. I have faced barriers in Mount Rainier for more than forty (40) years. At every level, I was required to come up to the standard. Never was the standard lowered to make it easier for me or my family. I adapted. I adjusted. I got involved. I went to meetings and on at least one occasion was derogatorily referred to as a monkey.

Times have changed, and we are forced to make some very hard choices. We can choose to include, and work with our Spanish speaking neighbors or we can continue to spend money and resources fighting the gangs, the overcrowding in some of our houses, the growing lack of parking space in our neighborhoods, and the list goes on.

I do NOT encourage the City becoming a refuge for illegal immigrants. I believe that residents should be legal. I believe that they should abide by the law. I also know that immigration is a federal issue and should be addressed at that level. I am also painfully aware of how slow our Federal government is in fixing this problem, and the cost it has on our economy. I am aware of the overcrowding in the schools and the health care issue, but I am also aware of the lack of health care for our seniors who have worked all of their lives and are now faced with the choice of paying for health care or paying the rent.

These are not easy times. Times have never been easy for people of color in America, but we can make a difference in Mount Rainier by providing our laws in English and Spanish to improve our relationships. To this end, I support the Message being translated into Spanish for our Spanish-speaking neighbors within budgetary restraints.

Mount Rainier Library to Receive NEW Computers

The Mount Rainier Library will be receiving eight (8) new computers from the County. The Prince George’s County Library System will be sprucing up our library and giving it a new look. As one of the branches of the County’s Library System, Mount Rainier residents use our computers almost 80% of the time. This high use was noted and the decision was made to give us the new computers. Keep on use those computers. Speaking of the Library, an RFP (request for proposals) was issued late last year, and we have gotten really great response to the RFP. Mayor and Council are hoping that we will soon be hosting hearings on the proposals and issuing a contract for moving forward with the building of our multi-purpose building that will house our new library. Stay tuned.

Basketball is COMING to Mount Rainier!

Thanks to Prince George’s County’s Public Schools’ CEO John Deasey and School Board member Amber Waller afternoon basketball is coming to Mount Rainier. The City of Mount Rainier and the Town of Brentwood are working together to host a youth basketball developmental program. The youth program is aimed at providing recreational activities for youth ages 13 to 18 in the form of basketball. The program will also have a life skills component.

Program Details:

• Starting June 1, 2008 the youth basketball developmental program will kick off
• Doors will open at 6:00pm for registration and organizational meeting
• The City of Mount Rainier
• Thomas Stone Elementary School Gymnasium

This youth program will be year round and will focus on the fundamentals of the game of basketball and will educate youth on sportsmanship.

The City is partnering with Brentwood, Prince George’s County Public Schools, Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Greater Rock Creek Baptist Church, and local businesses in this endeavor. Local youth and high school coaches, basketball coaching staff and basketball student-athletes will also participate in this program throughout the year.

The clinic will be open to boys and girls free of charge. Participants must register to participate in this program, and must complete all phases of the registration.

Parents and other community adults are invited to attend the life skills sessions of the program which will be held a minimum of four times during the year.

Clinic participants and volunteer coaches who participate in the clinic will be invited to evaluate the program throughout the year. Evaluations will be used to improve the program and provide feedback to the sponsors. VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED – coaches, teachers, mentors, etc. Financial donations are also needed. For more information send me an email (mayormiles@malindamiles.com).

Coaches and wanna be coaches, and just plain volunteers who wish to work with our teen population, PLEASE contact me via email or a telephone call to City Hall.

TEENS, this is for you, so let me know if you are interested in participating. Flyers with information will be going to your schools.

Wondering about Crime in the City?

If you have always wanted to know how much crime is happening in your City, then you should check out Chief Michael Scott’s blog (http://mrpdchief.blogspot.com). Over the past few years, our crime statistics have gone down and continue to go down. Oftentimes, the news reporters report crime in our City that happened along or across our borders. You can get the real story directly from our own Chief of Police through his blog updates. Check it our today.

Legislative Reception in Annapolis

Never been to the State Capitol?

Well here is an opportunity to visit our State Capitol and witness a session of our legislators in action. On January 28, 2008 from 6:00pm until 8:00pm there will be a legislative reception in Annapolis in the Miller Senate Complex at 11 Bladen Street. The entrance is a half block west of the State House, across the street from the House of Delegates office building. The reception is being hosted by Prince George’s County Municipal Association (PGCMA) and the 47th Legislative District. ALL are invited. If you plan to attend, you MUST bring a valid ID (driver’s license or other State issued ID) with you.

It’s Scholarship Season, and pretty soon our youths will be graduating

Don’t forget to contact our State Delegates and PGCMA for scholarships! If you have or know a deserving students in the 47th Legislative District who plan to attend a two- or four-year college located in Maryland have them contact me for PGCMA and Delegates Doyle Niemann, Victor Ramirez and Jolene Ivy for the Delegates’ scholarships. The application deadline for the State Delegates is Friday, March 28. To get a copy of their application and rules, please visit their websites. You must apply for scholarships with each of your Delegates individually. You may get additional information on the application process and download the application from PGCMA’s website http://www.pgcma.com/pgcmascholarship.html.

The County is OPENING up its Section 8 Waiting List (Housing Authority)

The County's Dept of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has announced the opening of the waiting list for Public Housing and the Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8). Pre-applications will be available at multiple locations across the county during the dates of January 25, 2008 through January 31, 2008.

The Public Notice was announced on Thursday, January 17 through local newspapers and a County issued press release. The announcement is also on the Department of Housing’s website as well as the Prince George's County website. Pre-applications must be either submitted online or postmarked, on or between the dates of January 25, 2008 and January 31, 2008.

Please check the listed websites and/or public notices for more information and eligibility requirements, e.g., the income levels and other requirements. Contact Carla Carter, Deputy Director on (301)883-5531 for additional information or to discuss questions or concerns.

SmartBoot IS HERE!

If you've got old tickets you forgot to pay or just outright ignored, it might be time to settle up. Prince George's is looking to "encourage" payment of some 18,000 delinquent traffic, parking and red light tickets worth more then $10 million in fines.

To get folks to pay up, the county's enlisted the aid of SmartBoot. The gadget is described as an electronic self-releasing immobilizing device that will be installed on the roadsters, luxury sedans, compacts, SUVs and minivans of the most serious offenders with two or more outstanding tickets that are at least 90 days old.
Attempting to avoid payment is no longer an option. The Revenue Authority has teamed up with PayLock IPT LLC to provide on-street collection services complete with a 24-hour help center.

The new technology also comes with mobile license plate recognition capability, which enables officials to better identify cars with unpaid tickets. During the first day of operation, the Revenue Authority used the mobile license plate recognition system to locate a vehicle with $15,000 worth of fines, according to a county press release.

Payment options include American Express, Visa, MasterCard, Discover and electronic check-by-phone. Additionally, cash payments are accepted at the Revenue Authority located at 1300 Mercantile Lane, Suite 108, Largo MD, 20774, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. For information about the Revenue Authority and the SmartBoot program please call 301-925-9448.

Energy Assistance Program

The Prince George's County Department of Social Services will hold 3 (three) energy assistance programs at county libraries. The informational sessions will feature: A. Information about qualification for Energy Assistance Programs as well as receive application forms, B. Information on how to save on energy costs, and C. Free energy efficient light bulbs will be distributed.

Programs Locations are as follows:

Monday, January 28, 2008
Glenarden Library - 5:30 to 7:00 PM
8724 Glenarden Pkwy, Glenarden, MD 20706

Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Hillcrest Heights Library - 5:30 to 7:00 PM
2398 Iverson St., Temple Hills, MD 20748

Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Oxon Hill Library --6:00 to 7:30 PM
6200 Oxon Hill Rd.
Oxon Hill, MD 20745

Churches and non-profits are asked to please post this information in your bulletins and in your newsletters. Please help spread the word.

For more information contact Ginny Beauchamp and L'Tanya Brown, Co-Chairs Prince George's County Department of Social Services Faith Based Community Outreach Initiative VBeaucha@dhr.state.md.us or LBrown7@dhr.state.md.us. Or you may call 301-909-6320 or 301-909-6363

Maryland’s Presidential Primary

Make a difference! Actively participate in the February 12 primary! Your vote has always counted even when you did not show up at the polls to cast it! Parents all schools are closed February 12 for the primary election. This is a good opportunity for your child to get in some of his/her community service hours. You can bring them to the school with you when you come to vote. Polls are opened from 7:00am until 8:00pm. If you have never worked a poll during an election, here is your opportunity, and an opportunity to show your child how to exercise his/her right to vote. Also remember ONLY Democrats and Republicans are allowed to vote in the primary. Wish to verify that you are registered to vote? Go to this website: http://mdelections.umbc.edu/voter_registration/v2/vote_prod.php. POST on your calendar now: The last day to register for the General Election is 10/14/2008.