It appears the city is also still employing two people who retaliated against Ms. Cooper for reporting Thomas Black for sexual harassment: Richard Cipperly and Lt. Joseph Butler. Cipperly retired as a captain, but is now employed as a property and evidence clerk in the police department. Lt. Butler is part of the command staff in the police department.

Therese Gibson

On Apr 27, 2025, at 8:04?PM, Charlotte Schoeneman via <cs=[email protected]> wrote:

Dear Friends and Neighbors?

I’m not a leader of CVT but am sharing this because some folks were surprised about the sexual harassment event, and some wanted more info, and some wondered what could be done. CVT is great for both those things. Here’s their update. Spoiler alert: we’re still employing the offending officer ??

Best

Charlotte?

Charlotte Schoeneman
Mobile/WhatsApp 301.270.1801
GVoice 240.350.1482

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Community Vision for Takoma <tjcommunityvision@...>
Date: Sun, Apr 27, 2025 at 1:48?PM
Subject: Sexual Harassment Case, Piney Branch Pool Meeting THIS THURS, City Budget
To:

Dear Friends and Neighbors,?

Here's an update on the City Council this week, an important meeting this Thursday, and more.?

For details, see below. But in brief, ACTION ITEMS for this week:

1)?Read?the sexual harassment and retaliation?, if you have not already.

2)?Sign?CVT's??about this case, if you have not already.

3)?Turn out?on??to make a comment on this case. And?.

4)?Attend??on Piney Branch ES renovation, and the threat to the pool.?

5)?Weigh in?on the budget if you wish (although the negotiations are over).?

Sexual Harassment and Retaliation Case

On Wednesday, City Council held??to "consult with counsel" on the complaint (please do?) alleging sexual harassment and retaliation against a police dispatcher, and the $1 million settlement in that case. It would appear that we still employ the alleged perpetrator as a police officer, but the City's??about the case failed to mention that fact.??

We (CVT) delivered a letter to the Council on Wednesday signed by 117 residents, including a demand for an independent investigation of the events and how they were handled by the City.?

• ?with instructions on how to add your name.?With additional signatures, 164 residents have now signed. We will?continue to deliver the new names to Council.?

• Thank you to all who signed! If you want to add your name, it's not too late, just reply to this email with your full name and ward and/or address.?

• Please share on listservs and with friends who might want to sign.

Residents gave a series of powerful public comments on this case at Wednesday's Council meeting, which you can see??starting at time stamp 1:10:30.??in person at 7:30pm (or??by 5pm that day to comment via zoom)?to keep pressure on the City for more transparency and accountability around this case and the City's response. Also,??directly to let them know how you feel about this.?

Threat to Piney Branch Pool

Also on Wednesday night, MCPS gave??to City Council about the upcoming renovation (or rebuild) of Piney Branch Elementary (PBES), which is long overdue. You can watch at time stamp 40:55?.?

• Unfortunately, they mentioned options that?would remove the pool.?
• Outreach so far has been only to current school parents.
• They did not seem to understand the importance of the pool to our whole community.?
• TURN OUT this Thursday May 1st, 7-8pm, PBES cafeteria, to let them know we will not support any design that removes the pool.?
• Also, with the Mayor and City Council on the importance of defending the pool.?
  
  

City Budget Updates

The votes to adopt next year’s final budget and tax rates will be May 7 & 14. The Mayor and majority of Council indicated they plan to vote to keep this year’s property tax rate for next year. That amounts to an average tax?increase?of about 2.9%, because the average property value has risen by that amount. (Taxes owed equal the tax rate multiplied by a property’s assessed value.)

?

Council negotiations on what to add and what to cut from the budget (called “reconciliation”) are now over. You??last Wednesday’s budget negotiations starting at time stamp 2:58:00:

• Council did not go along with Councilmember Jessica Landman's motion to downgrade from certain, to possible, the $85,000 for a consultant study on our Rent Stabilization ordinance. (Our concern is that the study could recommend changes to appeal to developers and weaken protections for tenants.)?
• Council did not go along with Councilmember Roger Schlegel's proposal for a far less costly "Atrium project" (police department expansion). Watch his proposal at time stamp 2:04:40?. So, the budget allocation will be about $1,485,000.?
• After the City Manager strongly opposed it, Council rejected Councilmember Landman’s proposal to hold non-union senior managers to the same pay raise (3%) negotiated for union members. Senior managers will instead get 4.6%.

Good Cause Eviction

We are frustrated to report that once again,??eviction did not make it through the State legislature, despite support from CVT, Renters Alliance, CASA, and many other progressive groups that came together under Renters United Maryland (RUM). The power of the big landlords and developers as lobbyists and campaign funders remains evident. So the?.

Onward!?

Community Vision for Takoma

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