The Mayor’s Announcements
1. Thank you for the concern and support over the past several weeks. Special shutout out to City Staff, Mount Rainier’s Board of Election, Heather Ware, for the flowers and baskets. Thank you for the get-well cards that continue to come in. My health is improving, but I still have trouble with the left eye, and my speech sometimes gets a little slow. I also get tired rather quickly.
2. There are lots of things going on in, around and outside of the City
a) Meetings are being held monthly about the CSX Railroad and safety issues around the CSX – A bill – HB66 is being heard in Annapolis on February 7, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. to require that CSX have a two-person crew on freight/CSX trains. Residents of Mount Rainier, Brentwood, North Brentwood, Cottage City, and Colmar Manor are encouraged to attending the hearing in Annapolis in Room 251
b) It is confirmed that representatives from the US Postal Services will meet with us in Mount Rainier on February 12, 2019, at 9:30 a.m. in Mount Rainier City Hall (I only heard from 3 people so City Hall should be large enough to accommodate us).
c) The Allison Street Levee work will begin mid-March. A meeting to discuss the work including closing the 34th Street bridge; surveying homes closes to the levee that may be negatively impacted will be held on February 20, 2018, at 7:00 p.m. I encourage everyone on Arundel between 34th and 30th Street to attend this meeting. The project director for this project is Faisal Aldura.
d) The Senior Health Care Committee meets on the 4th Monday of each month at the IHOP on Bladensburg Road at 9:20 a.m. in the back room. Members of the Committee are circulating a survey to solicit support for the Health Center, desired services, and other information to help the University of Maryland Capital Region Health bring appropriate services to our area for our seniors. Copies of the survey will be emailed to those email addresses that we have and taken in person by members of the Committee. Surveys should be completed and returned no later than February 22, 2019!
e) The Mount Rainier Day Committee will be holding its first meeting on February 11, 2019, at 7:00 p.m. at Mount Rainier City Hall. The Committee is accepting new members, previous members, and ideas! MNCPPC has been invited to place a staff person on the Committee to help us obtain additional support for our activities and to bring in some new ones.
3) The Prince George’s County School Board is holding hearings tonight and Monday at High Point High School. A critical issue on the agenda is the need for a new High School in the 45th Legislative District. Your testimony and support are needed to help get the new school and to request appropriations for career programs. Let’s face it, every child will not go to college, but all will need skills to get into the job markets. There is a recommendation to better utilize our schools for evening programs to teach HVAC, mechanics, electrical, nursing, cosmetology, etc. If you can’t go, send Pamela Strothers Boozer an email; call her and send emails to the other School Board Members including Alvin Thornton.
4) Small Cells – This is a priority legislative initiative for the Maryland Municipal League (MML). You have not heard much about it, but you will in the not so distance future with the coming of 5G technology. Small cells are low power, short range wireless transmission systems (base stations) to cover a small geographical area or indoor/outdoor applications. However, small cells have all the basic characteristics of conventional base stations, and it is capable of handling high data rate for individual users. In LTE advanced and 5G deployments, small cells will play a significant role to efficiently deliver high-speed mobile broadband and other low latency applications. Why you should care?
a) The City’s right away could be used for those tall poles that you see in Kaywood;
b) Those poles could be in front of your house because they need to be close to transmit
c) The boxes on the poles could be an eyesore
d) The City could lose money on franchise fees; if the 5G companies do not have to pay a franchise fee, Comcast/Xfinity and Verizon could petition to also not have to pay those franchise fees
e) The City COULD lose its FREE CABLE CHANNELS – 20 and 71
f) There are other issues riding on the outcome of this legislation
g) The FCC recently adopted an Order that preempted local governments in several areas of the small cell field, primarily: placing a cap on application fees as well as right-of-way access and pole attachment charges; and shortening the time which a small cell application must be processed, aka “shot clocks.”
h) MML will continue to work with stakeholders to protect local authority in the siting of small cell facilities, including vehement opposition to preemption of zoning, right-of-way access, design standards, and permitting processes. These local government functions are critical to our residents and represent the duty of our officials to promote safety and community character.
Legislation on this is coming before the State delegations this session. The City does not wish to be deprived of this source of income (almost $66,000), AND we want the right to control how our right of ways are used.
5) Attended the MML Board Retreat in Rockville and participated in discussions and training that asked participants to reach across the isles – there are lots of residents in our City that are neither Democrats or Republicans, and all of us have more things in common than we have in differences. In our municipal government, as it is in most others, we are nonpartisan, and most simply wish to improve the quality of life for all.
6) Attended the Maryland Mayors Association MMA) meeting in Annapolis – primarily a legislative action to learn about bills being introduced that may impact municipalities; meet and talk with legislators about municipal issues (including the recent assessments), and aging in place.
7) Attended a meeting with staff from Senators Ben Cardin, Chris Van Hollen, Congressman Anthony Brown, Congressman Jamie Raskin, Congressman Steny Hoyer, and Congressman David Trone, Mayor Craig Moe, and representatives from the USPS. The meeting was prompted by the concerns and meeting raised by residents in Mount Rainier, Laurel, Silver Spring, and Forest Heights. There is a consideration for holding quarterly or semi-annual meetings in our region. More to come from this group.
8) Recently attended an opioid and Narcan training and received a Narcan kit. Opioids and Narcan training are recommended for the community. Most people will not admit to or acknowledge that they are addicted to prescription drugs, yet research shows that someone dies every 12 minutes from an opioid overdose.
There are many reasons for opioid overdose emergencies, but most often it happens accidentally and at home. Opioids are prescription medicines that can be used to treat pain.
Often, people taking opioids to manage their pain are unaware of the potential adverse reactions. Important to know is that opioid overdose emergencies can occur at any time even when opioids are used as directed, especially at higher doses and when taken with other sedating substances.
Narcan® Nasal Spray is not approved to treat opioid addiction or dependency but has the potential to save someone’s life. Narcan training is one way to be prepared to save someone’s life. Our police officers are trained and carry Narcan to help save a life should they encounter an opioid overdose.
These announcements may be found on my Mayor Malinda Miles Facebook Page.
As a long-time resident of Mount Rainier and a homeowner, it is important to me that municipal government be inclusive of all of its residents.
It is equally important that information be communicated through all possible channel so that residents can get involved.
It is also important for residents to volunteer and serve on committees, commissions, boards and task forces.
I truly believe that municipal government is the government closes to the people, and as such should be easily accessible.
This BLOG is another effort to reach out to the residents of Mount Rainier.
