Summer 2009 Edition - City of Gaithersburg

SUMMER 2009
new Resource Center
Opens in Gaithersburg(page a4)
In thIS ISSUE:
— City eleCtions november 3, 2009 ............................................................................................ a2
— neighborhood serviCe Center .............................................................................................. a4
— Community serviCes & resourCes ......................................................................................... a5
— Jazmine yambo seleCted Junior mayor ............................................................................... a8
— wheeled reCyCling Carts available in July ........................................................................ a8

A 2
City Elections
november 3, 2009
The City of Gaithersburg is administered
by a Mayor/City Council – City
Manager style of government, with
elections being held on the first Tuesday
after the first Monday in November in
odd numbered years. The Mayor, who
holds a non-voting position,
is elected to a four-year
term and presides over the
City Council. The City
Council consists of five
elected members, each
serving staggered fouryear
terms. Council
Members elect a vice
president each year and
each Council Member has
a vote.
Gaithersburg residents will
cast their ballots for Mayor and two
City Council Members on Tuesday,
November 3, 2009. The terms of
CIty OffICIalS
GaIthERSbURG
Mayor
Sidney A. Katz
Council Vice President
Michael A. Sesma
Council Members
Jud Ashman
Cathy Drzyzgula
Henry F. Marraffa, Jr.
Ryan Spiegel
City Manager
Angel L. Jones
CIty ElECtIOnS
office for Mayor Sidney Katz and Council
Members Henry Marraffa and Michael
Sesma expire in November.
City residents who are registered to vote
in Montgomery County are automatically
registered to vote in the City election.
Candidates’ packets for residents
interested in running for office will be
available at City Hall as of July 1, 2009.
Candidates must file a
petition of nomination
with the City Board
of Supervisors of
Elections via the
City Attorney’s
O ffi c e . T h e
petition must
be signed by at
least 100 City
residents who are
qualified voters and
must be returned with
proper paperwork to the
City Attorney’s Office by 5 p.m. on
Monday, September 21, 2009.
learn More about the Candidates
Look for a City of Gaithersburg Voter’s Guide in your mailbox this October,
with candidate biographies and statements and detailed election information.
Candidate statements will also air on Gaithersburg’s Cable Channel 13 and
will be available for viewing online at www.gaithersburgmd.gov.
The Communiqué,
a news magazine for the
City of Gaithersburg,
is produced by the:
Public Information Office
Britta Monaco, Director
Gaithersburg City Hall
31 S. Summit Ave.
Gaithersburg, MD 20877
301-258-6310
www.gaithersburgmd.gov
www.gaithersburgmd.gov
When petitions of nomination have
been validated by Gaithersburg’s Board of
Supervisors of Elections, the candidates’
names will be placed on the ballot. Note
that residency and other restrictions apply.
Candidates’ packets contain full details.
For complete election information
please contact the City Attorney’s Office at
301-258-6310 or visit the City’s website at
www.gaithersburgmd.gov.
are you Registered
to Vote?
City residents who are registered to vote
in Montgomery County are automatically
registered to vote in the City of Gaithersburg
elections. The last day to register to
be eligible to vote in the November 3 City
elections is Monday, October 5, 2009.
To confirm your registration, contact
the Montgomery County Board of Elections
at 240-777-VOTE or visit www.
montgomerycountymd.gov.
Not yet registered? Do it now so you
can vote in Gaithersburg on November 3.
Communities,
Organizations
Encouraged to host
Candidate forums or
Debates
The City of Gaithersburg’s election
procedures allow for up to three televised
candidate forums or debates, which can
air live on the City’s cable TV channel
and then be archived on the City’s website
for on-demand viewing. These debates/
forums must be sponsored by independent,
non-partisan organizations that focus on
City-wide issues and do not endorse particular
candidates.
Any organization wishing to sponsor
a debate or forum should submit a written
proposal to the Board of Supervisors
of Elections at least 30 days prior to the
November 3, 2009 election. If more than

Summer 2009
n O V E M b E R 3 R D
three organizations are interested, the
Board of Supervisors of Elections
will randomly select from all
qualified applicants.
For technical reasons,
the debates/forums must
be held in the City Hall
Council Chambers. No
City staff can be involved
in hosting, moderating or
facilitating them; staff’s
only involvement will be
camera and control booth
operations.
For more information on the
elections please contact the City Attorney’s
Office at 301-258-6310 or online at www.
gaithersburgmd.gov.
Unable to Get to
a Polling Place on
november 3?
Use “no Excuse”
absentee Voting
Any registered voter within the City
limits is entitled to cast an absentee ballot
on Election Day, and you don’t need to give
a reason for requesting one. Prior to the last
election the Mayor and City Council adopted
an ordinance to allow qualified voters to cast
an absentee ballot without the requirement
that the voter be away from the City on
Election Day.
Beginning October 2, 2009 applications
for absentee ballots may be picked up in person
at City Hall during normal business hours
(8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday),
requested via telephone at 301-258-6310
or downloaded from the internet at www.
gaithersburgmd.gov.
Completed applications can then be
mailed or dropped off at City Hall, 31 South
Summit Avenue, Gaithersburg, Maryland
20877. Your application must contain your
signature, printed name, current legal residential
address within the City, any mailing
address different from your residential ad-
dress and, if applicable, your
authorized agent.
After approval
of the application,
an absentee
ballot will
be mailed to
you. Residents
who
are approved
for an absentee
ballot after
October 31 must
pick up their absentee
ballot at City
Hall during normal business
hours. Absentee ballots may be returned to
City Hall in person up to and including the
time of closing of the polls on Election Day.
All mailed absentee ballots must be received
by November 3, 2009.
For more information please call the
City Attorney’s Office at 301-258-6310.
Mayor and Council Meetings are held the first and third Monday and Work Sessions are
held the second and fourth Monday of each month, unless otherwise noted. They begin
at 7:30 p.m. in the Mayor and Council Chambers located at City Hall, 31 South Summit
Avenue, Gaithersburg. Call 301-258-6310 to confirm.
Upcoming Meetings
June 1 & 15
July 6 & 20
August 3 & 17
September 8 (Tuesday) & 21
Upcoming Meetings
June 3 & 17
July 1 & 15
August 5
September 2 & 16
2009 Election timeline
July 1 Candidate packages
available at City Hall
September 21 Filing deadline for
candidates
September 23 Candidates certified
by Board of
Supervisors of
Elections
October 2 Absentee ballot
applications available
October 2 Last day to submit
proposal to host
televised debate/
forum
October 5 Last day to register
to vote
Mid-October Voter Guide mailed
to Gaithersburg
households
October 31 Last day for City
to mail out absentee
ballots (must be
picked up at City
Hall after this date)
November 3 Election Day
All absentee ballots due
MayOR anD CIty COUnCIl
Upcoming Work Sessions
June 8 & 22
July 13 & 27
August 10, 24 & 31
September 14
PlannInG COMMISSIOn
Planning Commission Meetings are held in the City Council Chambers at
7:30 p.m. the first and third Wednesday of each month unless otherwise noted.
A complete list of Mayor and City Council and Planning Commission meetings is
available under Calendar of Events at www.gaithersburgmd.gov. Meetings can also be
viewed live on the City’s Comcast Cable Channel 13, and via streaming video on the
website. Minutes of past meetings are available on the website. For more information
call 301-258-6310.
MEEtInGS
MEEtInGS
A 3

A 4
all hands On Deck
by Jeanne North
The tradition on shipboard, in the
event of emergency, is for the crew to
snap to when the Skipper cries “All
Hands On Deck!” and to act quickly
in response.
Though strictly speaking the words
may not have been uttered, they might
well have been, given the sense of
emergency that has gripped the nation,
states and cities over the past months.
With rising unemployment, job losses,
housing foreclosures and loss of income
has come greater difficulty paying for
food, rent, heat, electricity, gasoline for
the car, housing necessities, and medical
bills.
The economic downturn has put
added pressure on families that are
barely scraping by. Despite their hardwork
and resourcefulness, many are just
one crisis away from facing household
instability.
Wendy, a recent immigrant, lives
with her husband, Joe, their three-year
old son, Daniel, and Joe’s mother, Mary.
Joe works in construction, traveling by
car to Shady Grove and then by Metro to
Reagan National, a round trip that makes
his workday 5:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wendy
would like to take classes at Montgomery
College to earn a child care certificate, but
first she needs to earn money for tuition
and improve her English skills (she’s
taking English language classes at Emory
Grove Center and Gaithersburg High
School). For now she cares for a family
member’s infant son. To ease strains on
the family budget, Wendy makes use of
food services offered by St. Martin of
Tours Church, where she goes once a
week to pick up food at no cost to the
family.
Rising to the aid of its citizens, the
City of Gaithersburg’s Community Services
Division offers resources and information
about emergency food, clothing,
shelter, physical and mental health
programs, housing and foreclosure
counseling, interim case management,
and homeless outreach. In partnership
with Montgomery County, the State of
Maryland and the Gaithersburg Coalition
of Providers, a City-created network of 80+
nonprofit providers, assistance is available
to help those in need.
And that need is increasing. In what
has been described as the worst recession
since the Great Depression, the foreclosure
crisis has brought about a huge increase in
applications for government social services.
A quick look at some recent requests for
support in Montgomery County shows:
• Manna Food Program: 40% increase in
the number of families seeking food
• Food Stamps: 21% increase in
caseload , 27% increase in approved
applications
• Homelessness: 50% increase in the
number of adults served in emergency
shelter in FY 09 compared to
FY08
One part of the mission of the Community
Services Division is community
partnership development, and the
new Neighborhood Service Center, which
opened at the corner of East Diamond
Avenue and Girard just this past March,
is an example of such collaboration, says
Crystal Carr, Director of the Division, and
Maureen Herndon, Program Manager.
“This is a partnership with Montgomery
County, Impact Silver Spring, the City of
Gaithersburg, and Family Services, Inc.,”
says Carr. “Basically, County resources
are being made much more accessible to
the community.” Gaithersburg’s 20877
www.gaithersburgmd.gov
zip code is one of the five neediest in the
county, according to data provided by the
Montgomery County Department of Health
and Human Services.
In the new Center are representatives
from County Health and Human Services
and from a number of nonprofits. There
the 100-year-old Family Services, Inc.
(FSI) provides an array of child and family
support programs, as well as behavioral
health services. FSI offers aid to any who
cross their threshold, helping with filling
out the intimidating forms often required
Lead Triage Worker Romulo Sanz trains “Community Connectors” at the
Neighborhood Service Center.
to substantiate need, and referring applicants
to the collaborating agencies that can help.
Just navigating the maze of agencies takes the
advice of experts. (See chart on page A5)
For the moment that may come to
any family, when the tidal wave of economic
distress overwhelms and threatens
to engulf them, knowing that there are
hands outstretched to help them to safety
brings comfort and relief. The goals of the
Neighborhood Service Center— to ensure
that emergency services are reaching those
who need them most—mirror the mission
of the Community Services Division of
the City of Gaithersburg, which is “to
strengthen lives and build the community
through support services, outreach, education
and grants, ensuring that the City of
Gaithersburg remains a great place to live,
work, learn and play.” The Division can be
reached at 301-258-6395 or online at www.
gaithersburgmd.gov.

Summer 2009
Where to Go for help
For Gaithersburg residents, help is readily available. Family Services, Inc. and other agencies are located at the Girard Business Park, a
complex of buildings at the corner of Girard and East Diamond Avenues. Numerous nonprofits throughout Gaithersburg also offer services and
are part of the Gaithersburg Coalition of Providers Service Network. These are noted below with an asterisk. Information about these nonprofits
and the services they provide is also available by calling the City of Gaithersburg Community Services Division at 301-258-6395.
help agency Good to Know
food Stamps
food Supplies
housing Information
Clothing
health Services
neighborhood Service Center (nSC)
602 E. Diamond Ave.
Gaithersburg, MD 20877
301-840-4080
Manna food Center
602 E. Diamond Ave.
301-840-3201
*Gaithersburg help
301-216-2510
homefree USa
640 E. Diamond Ave.
301-355-7641
fS housing Counseling Program
610 E. Diamond Ave.
301-840-3234
the Dwelling Place, Inc.
610 E. Diamond Ave., Ste. 300
301-948-1988
*UMan
301-926-4422
Interfaith Works
Upcounty Clothing Center
620 E. Diamond Ave.
301-977-1267
Community Clinic
200 E. Diamond Ave.
301-216-0880
teen and young adult health
Connection
602 E. Diamond Ave.
*Mobile Medical Care
202 S. Summit Ave.
Ascencion House
301-493-2400
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Provides application assistance
for County programs
ID, proof of income needed
Bilingual services available
Monday – Friday 2 – 5:30 p.m.
Food distribution Thursdays 5 – 7 p.m.
Pick-up once monthly
Referral required and available
through area nonprofits and Gaithersburg
Community Services.
Food and prescription assistance
No referral needed. Call to request.
Foreclosure counseling
Watch for the annual Mont. Co.
Housing Fair – October 3, 2009
Bohrer Park Activity Center
Household budgeting
Networking with landlords
Case management
Transitional housing for families
Eviction prevention and utility
disconnection assistance.
Phone intakes only
Referral, photo ID required
Call for hours
Medical help for the uninsured
(including WIC)
8 – 10 week wait for new patients
Sliding fee scale
Free pregnancy testing
Family planning counseling
Medical Help for uninsured adults
Walk-in Tuesdays 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
(Over)
A 5

A 6
(Continued from page A5)
help agency Good to Know
life Challenges
family and Children
Support Services
Utilities
City of Gaithersburg
Residents
Outpatient Mental health Center
610 E. Diamond Ave.
301-840-3203
Montgomery Station
640 E. Diamond Ave. (lower level)
301-840-3200
Guide Program, Inc.
620 E. Diamond Ave. Ste. H
240-683-6580
fS, Inc. family and Community
Partnership Programs
640 E. Diamond Ave.
301-840-3232
• Early Head Start
• Healthy Families Montgomery
• Parents As Teachers
• Substance Abuse Prevention
Education
Maryland Energy assistance
Program
1301 Piccard Drive, 4th Floor
Rockville, MD 20850
240-777-4450
or Visit Neighborhood Service Center
to complete application
City of Gaithersburg
Community Services Division
1 Wells Ave.
Gaithersburg, MD 20877
301-258-6395
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Group or family counseling
Depression, anxiety, medication
management, behavior issues with
children, teens
Call for info.
Behavioral health day program
Group residency
Call for info.
Youth support services and
counseling
Prenatal education and support
Childcare
Home visitation
Parent education
Case management
Promotion of school readiness
Call for info.
Proof of income needed
Call for info.
www.gaithersburgmd.gov
Interim case management and resources.
Information for:
• Emergency food
• Clothing
• Shelter
• Health and mental health programs
• Housing and foreclosure counseling
• Homeless outreach
• Wells Robertson House –
Transitional Housing Program
• Desellum House –
Permanent Housing Program
• Volunteer Opportunities
• CHARACTER COUNTS! Information
(HS Senior Scholarships,
Junior Mayor, Essay and Poster
contests, and more.)

Summer 2009
It’s Coming: the 2010 Census
Counting Everyone Once — and Only Once — In the Right Place
American democracy depends on fair
and equitable representation in Congress.
In order to achieve an accurate assessment
of the number and location of the people
living within our borders, the U.S. Constitution
mandates a census of the population
every 10 years.
Census population totals determine the
number of representatives each state has
in Congress. It also determines the amount
of state and federal funding communities
receive over the course of the decade.
2010 Census data will directly affect how
more than $3 trillion is allocated to local,
state and tribal governments over the next
10 years. In order for the allocation to be
done fairly and accurately, it is important
to count everybody, count them only once,
and count them in the right place. The facts
gathered in the census also help shape decisions
for the rest of the decade about public
health, neighborhood improvements,
transportation, education, senior services,
and much more.
Ways you Can help your City
by Maureen Herndon/Jeanne North
To learn more explore the City of Gaithersburg
online at www.gaithersburgmd.
gov/volunteer
• Join a Board or City Committee
• Volunteer with one of the City
programs
• Offer City youth a summer job
• Support a City business
• Shop Gaithersburg
• Be green at work and home
• Follow the six pillars of CHARAC-
TER COUNTS! in all you do
• Donate to the Edward Bohrer, Jr.
Memorial CHARACTER COUNTS!
Scholarship Fund or support National
CHARACTER COUNTS! Week
• Hold a food or clothing drive for
residents in need
• Volunteer and support the City’s
cultural celebrations, the annual
Montgomery County Housing Fair,
City parades and festivals
Early Efforts are Underway
The countdown to Census Day is underway.
Offices are already open in Frederick,
Largo, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C.
This fall more offices will be opening in
Montgomery, Charles, Baltimore, and
Talbot Counties.
Right now, locally-hired census employees
are walking every street in America
verifying 145 million addresses and updating
the 2010 Census address list. This will
ensure that the Census Bureau has an accurate
list to mail or hand-deliver the census
questionnaires in the spring of 2010.
Counting Everyone
The goal of the 2010 Census is to count
all residents living in the United States
on April 1, 2010. No questions about the
legal status of respondents are asked in any
surveys or census programs. To help ensure
that our increasingly diverse population can
answer the questionnaire accurately and
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Donate school supplies or books for
summer reading
Sponsor a clean-up day in your
neighborhood
Donate money, time or talent to a nonprofit
agency member of the Gaithersburg
Coalition of Providers AND the
City’s Wells Robertson House for the
Homeless
Sponsor a Fannie Mae “Help the
Homeless” Walk in your community
Offer a volunteer opportunity at your
school or nonprofit for a Montgomery
College student
Help at your neighborhood school
Hire a Liberty’s Promise high school
intern
Contribute to the City’s Department
of Parks, Recreation and Culture
Summer Camp Scholarship Fund
Attend local nonprofit fundraisers
sponsored in part by local businesses
completely, about 13 million bilingual
Spanish/English forms will be mailed
to housing units in neighborhoods
identified as requiring high levels of
Spanish assistance. Additionally, questionnaires
in Spanish, Chinese (simplified),
Korean, Vietnamese and Russian,
as well as guides in 59 languages, will
be available upon request.
Make sure you’re counted! To learn
more, visit www.census.gov.
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Report incidents of child abuse and
neglect and domestic violence
Enjoy the Bohrer Park Activity
Center water park, skate park and
mini-golf course this summer!!
Collect books for summer reading
A 7

A 8
Jazmine yambo – Gaithersburg’s Junior Mayor
by Jeanne North
Who knew? Who would have guessed
that this demure, shy little honor student
from Washington Grove Elementary
School would be an avid fan and
practitioner of Karate?
Yes, Jazmine Yambo, selected to be
Gaithersburg Junior Mayor, is also a
devotee of Karate, and attends sessions
three times a week at Kicks Karate on
Russell Avenue in Gaithersburg.
Demure and shy she may be, but
Jazmine is a school safety patrol,
charged with helping keep order on
the school bus. An honor student who
loves reading and math, Jazmine has
other layers to her personality. Two
years ago she wanted to be a veterinarian.
Now she aspires for a future as a
basketball player, or a tennis player, or
a singer like Jordan Sparks. Clearly,
this is a girl with ambition.
In the meantime, before those dreams
come to fruition, she has a bright
future in the here and now. Her
winning essay in the “If I
Were Mayor...” contest won
her the chance to represent
her generation in the City
Council Chambers and in
many other forums. For
the next year Jazmine will
be the Junior Mayor of the
City of Gaithersburg, with
the opportunity to participate in
a number of special events, first the
State of the City dinner at the Gaithersburg
Hilton, where she was introduced, and after
that, many other special occasions.
Jazmine was one of 142 fourth graders
throughout the City who submitted
a 275-word essay exploring the theme
“If you were Mayor, how would you
encourage your citizens to get on board
and GO Green?” The statewide
essay contest was sponsored
by the Maryland Municipal
League and the Maryland
Mayors’ Association.
The district winner in
that contest was not from
Gaithersburg. However,
taking the contest a step
further, the City of Gaithersburg
chose a winner
from its own resident applicants.
Essays were reviewed
by the City’s CHARACTER COUNTS!
Steering Committee and five finalists were
selected for subsequent video interviews.
From that pool of talented young people,
Jazmine Yambo was selected Junior Mayor.
View her winning essay online at www.
gaithersburgmd.gov.
65-Gallon Wheeled Recycling bins now an Option for
Gaithersburg Residents
Beginning July 1, 2009, the City of
Gaithersburg will modify its single stream
curbside residential recycling program
to make it even
more convenient
for residents to
help the environment.
In addition to
being able to comingle
recyclable
aluminum, plastic,
glass, newsprint
and paper, residents
will no longer
be required to break
down cardboard prior
to collection. Boxes can
simply be placed in or near
your recycling bin.
City offices will be closed in observance of the following holidays this summer:
Memorial Day
Monday, May 25
(recycling pick-up – Saturday, May 23)
Residential recyclers will also have
the option of using a 65-gallon wheeled
recycling cart with a lid. The cart
can hold about four times the
amount of the smaller green
bins, and have the added advantage
of keeping materials
from getting wet or blowing
away in inclement weather.
There is a limit of one wheeled
cart per household. The carts
will be assigned
to homes
using a serial
number.
If you move,
the cart should
be left behind
for the new homeowner
to use.
Independence Day
Saturday, July 4
(regular recycling pick-up schedule)
www.gaithersburgmd.gov
To order a wheeled recycling cart please
provide your name, address and phone number
via e-mail to recycle@gaithersburgmd.
gov or call 301-258-6377 x300. The City will
begin delivering carts in mid-July.
Pending the adoption of the City of
Gaithersburg’s FY10 budget on June 1,
2009 residents are advised that the annual
fee for recycling and bulk pick-up service
as of July 1, 2009 will increase by $2.31 to
$68.23. The increase is necessary to offset
a portion of the approximately $50,000 in
expenses incurred by the City to administer
this program. This fee is assessed on your
annual property tax bill.
For more information on the City’s recycling
program please contact the Department
of Public Works at 301-285-6370, or visit the
City’s website at www.gaithersburgmd.gov.
Labor Day
Monday, September 7
(recycling pick-up – Saturday, September 5)