Community Liaison Council Meeting Minutes — Thursday, April 18, 2024

Opening Remarks

Amy Blackburn, Office of Communications & Public Liaison (OCPL), Office of the Director (OD), NIH

Ms. Blackburn opened the meeting at 3:02 p.m. ET. She acknowledged that the meeting is not at its usually scheduled time because of the urgency of the first topic of discussion.

Maggie Dittemore said that her husband had shared an invitation to the meeting with the Huntington Terrace Citizens Association listserv, after having received permission from Sharon Robinson of the Office of Community Liaison.

Minutes Review

Ms. Blackburn said the minutes from the March 6 meeting will be recirculated to CLC members.

South Campus Woods and Grounds Update

Sergeant Matthew Mehlhaff, Division of Police, Office of Research Services (ORS), NIH

NIH Landscape Architect Connor Price, Office of Research Facilities (ORF)

Sgt. Mehlhaff said that community members notified NIH Police that people without homes were living in tents on a publicly accessible portion of NIH property.

• The encampment was located in the south campus woods near the area where the Bethesda Trolley Trail runs through the NIH campus.
• Community members also reported witnessing drug use, needles left in the park, and abandoned property.

Sgt. Mehlhaff shared photographs of the encampment in the south campus woods before it was cleared out.

• The NIH Police notified encampment residents that they had two weeks to clear the area.
• The NIH Police removed two dumpsters of material from the encampment.
• The NIH Police had a warrant for the arrest of one encampment resident, who had a dog. The encampment resident was arrested and separated from his dog. Sgt. Mehlhaff confirmed that the man later got his dog back.

Sgt. Mehlhaff said that the NIH Police also contacted the Montgomery County Crisis Center to provide the encampment residents with information about food, housing, and referral assistance. NIH Police are now working to prevent another tent encampment from forming in the wooded area.

Mr. Price said that ORF is working with NIH Police to reduce the presence of weeds and invasive plants such as English ivy in wooded areas. These plants provide cover for people living in encampments. NIH’s grounds contractor manages and controls plant growth in natural areas around campus. The invasive species and weeds will be cleared from the south woods within a few weeks.

Discussion

• Beth Volz asked for clarification about the locations of the encampment.
  • Sgt. Mehlhaff said the encampment was in the wooded area between Woodmont Avenue, the Bethesda Trolley Trail entrance, and a group of apartment buildings.
• Ms. Dittemore asked whether wooded areas alongside Old Georgetown Road were occupied.
  • Sgt. Mehlhaff said that in his three years with the NIH Police, there has been one other encampment in the same wooded area that was similar to the one currently under discussion. In that time, NIH Police have sometimes received reports of people sleeping in the open, but they will not interfere with someone who is asleep. Rather, they will act when they encounter drug use and trespassing on federal property (the NIH encampments are considered trespassing in this context).
• Karen Hendricks, representative for U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), asked whether ORF and the NIH Police are proactively clearing the other wooded areas on NIH property to prevent another encampment.
  • Sgt. Mehlhaff said that NIH has public-use property on all sides of its campus, and NIH Police will now proactively clear and monitor those areas.
  • Sgt. Mehlhaff noted that NIH Police remain in contact with the Montgomery County Crisis Center so they can offer resources to help address the root causes of homelessness and encampments. He assured community members that contacting NIH Police would not instigate an escalation or heavy-handed response toward any individuals involved.
• Ms. Blackburn asked a question submitted via chat: Does NIH use cameras to monitor the secluded areas?
  • Sgt. Mehlhaff said that the cameras on the NIH fence line monitor the fence itself and do not look out into the wooded areas. This allows NIH to monitor whether, for example, anyone attempts to scale the fence. One camera that is beyond the fence line is located in a maintenance area.
• Ms. Blackburn thanked community members for bringing the encampment to the attention of the NIH Police and the CLC.
  • NIH will share contact information with CLC members to use if similar situations arise in the future.
  • NIH will plan an event with the NIH Police Force for the local community.
• Sgt. Mehlhaff noted that only NIH Police can respond on NIH property; community members should not contact the Montgomery County Police Department. Community members can call the NIH Police dispatch in emergency situations or email NIH Police to ask questions or notify them of a nonemergency concern.

Central Utility Plant Electrical Expansion

Susan Roberts, ORF, OD, NIH

Ms. Roberts presented a design plan for the central utility plant’s electrical expansion.

• This project is in the middle of the NIH campus and is not likely to affect neighboring residences.
• The project—which represents an addition to the central utility plant—will provide an electrical upgrade.
• One NIH Police garage and work area will be demolished to create space for the addition.

Ms. Roberts shared images of the central utility plant and renderings of the addition. She then shared the schedule for the project:

• Design submission is scheduled for July 2024.
• Construction mobilization is scheduled to begin in March 2025.
• Construction is scheduled to be completed by October 2026.

Adjournment

Ms. Blackburn adjourned the meeting at 3:45 p.m. ET.

Next Meeting: June 2024

Participants

CLC Members

Jennette Wade, Whitehall Condominium Association
Maggie Dittemore, Bradley Hills Village
Ginny Miller, Wyngate Citizens Association
Beth Volz, Locust Hill Civic Association

NIH

Amy Blackburn, OCPL
Brad Moss, ORF/ORS/OD
Susan Roberts, ORF/OD|Sharon Robinson, Office of Community Liaison
Connor Price, Campus Landscape Architect, ORF/OD
Matthew Mehlhaff, Sergeant, Division of Police, ORS

Guests

Karen Hendricks, Representative for U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
Ana Best
Stuart Borman
Stephen Brown
Martin Cohen
Andrew Gold
Brian Kim
Catherine Knapper
David Kosterlitz
Karen Kraly
Gideon Lachman
Lorraine Lynch Nagy
Massoud Maalouf
Ryan Marshall
Grace Mishkin
Mark Mocarski
Marissa Morabito
Anne M.
Robert Newton
Amy Trenkle
Amy Waychoff
Andrew White
Phuong Vo
Carl