Due to today being the Juneteenth holiday, our Council meeting is scheduled for tomorrow evening  (not tonight) at the usual time (7pm).

Tragedy in our Ward

As you have likely seen, we had an absolutely tragic shooting in our Ward, killing three of our neighbors. My thoughts and sympathies go out to the victims’ families. I am appalled at the propensity of some to escalate disputes to the point where gun violence is perpetuated. We are still gathering information as to the exact causes of this event, as well as determining what we on the City Council may or may not be able to do to help prevent anything like this from happening again.

There are two Go Fund Me pages set up to help meet funeral costs for the families involved:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/funeral-arrangement-for-mario-nicolas-mireles

https://www.gofundme.com/f/rkx9f-for-my-nephew

Briefing by Annapolis Police Department

The Chief of the Annapolis Police Department will be giving us a briefing at our 7pm meeting tomorrow, speaking to this tragedy in our Ward, as well as to the other incidents we have had lately involving gun violence. I hope to emerge from this meeting with a better understanding of what the drivers are, as we figure out what we might be able to do locally to help. If there are any questions you would like me to ask, please let me know.

Edgewood Rd speeding

The Patrol squads have been given notice to increase traffic enforcement on Edgewood from a previous complaint, and the VMS sign has been requested again once the Juneteenth festival is over. The sign should be placed the Monday or Tuesday after the Festival.

Previous meeting summary

We passed the FY24 budget, as amended. We also passed O-55-22, which is my legislation that overhauls our sediment control inspections to help avoid contractor-driven pollution incidents like we had at Parkeside preserve.

Stay healthy and stay safe,

Rob

Next Council meeting – 6/20/23 (agenda)

This Council meeting is starting at 7pm and will be televised on local cable, YouTube, Facebook, and the City website.  You can submit public testimony at http://www.annapolis.gov/testimony. This will be an in-person meeting.

Public Hearings

No legislation is up for a public hearing.

Legislation being introduced on first reader

• R-37-23 - March on Washington 60th Anniversary Commemoration Waiver - For the purpose of waiving City Code restrictions on Major Events at City Dock two weeks in a row and authorize the March on Washington 60th Anniversary Commemoration march and rally on August 26, 2023

Legislation on second reader (i.e. final vote)

• R-50-22 - Rocky Gorge Development Emergency Action for the purpose of addressing the Rocky Gorge Development's "Aris T. Allen Boulevard" project, a 23-acre site platted for 48 single-family housing units; calling for an immediate stop work order on site development, and requiring a report on the project – I need to ask the sponsor what the importance is of this legislation at this point. The emergency action has long passed, but there may still be issues with this out-of-town developer.
• R-34-23 – Payments in Lieu of Taxes Agreement with Forest Drive LIHTC, LLC - For the purpose of approving a Payment in Lieu of Taxes Agreement between the City of Annapolis and Forest Drive LIHTC, LLC, for the construction of affordable housing units in Annapolis, Maryland. (for sake of not reinventing the wheel, I’m copying Alderman Arnett’s comments here) This resolution approves a payment in lieu of taxes fees (PILOT) for Forest Drive LIHTC, LLC for a 58-unit qualified low-income housing development located at 1701 Forest Drive, the Willows. The agreement will assist the project owner in financing the development and operations of this affordable housing. Impact of legislation on operations Completion of The Willows project will add traffic volume and service needs in that area. Those impacts were part of the earlier review cycle for this project. No additional operational impacts beyond those already identified are projected. No staffing impacts are identified. The analysis and data prepared by Arundel Community Development Services the City’s Economic Development staff supports the financial need for the agreement. In the first year, the PILOT will be $11,600, which is $15,900 less than the estimated $27,500 of property taxes that would otherwise be due. Each year the PILOT payment increases by 4%. Property tax assessments (as phased in over a three-year period) have not, on average, increased by more than 4% annually in recent years. This project was thoroughly evaluated by the Planning Staff and the Planning Commission. The project must operate within the constraints of the funding requirements of the federal rules and the economic realities of providing affordable housing. Unless I hear compelling arguments to change my vote, I plan to vote yes.

Community & Political updates

Annapolis Maritime Museum – Tides & Tunes concert series