We have a few things up for a public hearing at Monday’s Council meeting. Most important of those is a hearing on legislation that would adopt the 2024 Comprehensive Plan. For those that don’t know, this plan lays out overall development (and beyond) goals for the the City. There is now an executive summary that I’d encourage you to read over. I suspect we will have a few amendments to the plan, but we won’t get to work on those until after the public hearing. One thing I want to push for is to have a specific cycling infrastructure goal that collects together all of our action items on that matter, since that’s a high priority for me. Creating cycling infrastructure will improve traffic, make our roads safer, improve our health, make mobility more equitable, and improve our economy. It’s a win-win-win-win-win prospect. So expect to see a lot from me regarding this issue over the next few years.

Stay healthy and stay safe,

Rob

Next Council meeting – 2/26/24 (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

• O-3-23 - City Council Nominations to Boards, Commissions, and Committees - For the purpose of the members of the City Council to nominate members to boards, commissions, and committees if the position has been vacant, or expired and filled temporarily for more than six months; and generally related to City Council duties. This is legislation that Alderman Arnett and I are co-sponsoring together. It’s essentially a reform for good governance that ensures the continual functioning of our Boards and Commissions. I want to be clear; this administration has done a good job of filling our many Boards and Commissions, as that is a continual and ongoing effort. But we have noticed some instances where existing Board members with expired terms have not been renewed (or told to resign) in a timely manner. This causes unnecessary consternation for them. This also made me realize that we don’t have a backup process. For example, if we did get a Mayor that was not efficient at filling our Boards, there currently is no process for what happens in that scenario. This legislation would create such a process by saying that if there is a vacancy or expired term for more than 6 months, the Council can step in with a majority vote nomination of their own.  This is not meant to abrogate the Mayor’s power of nomination, but only to empower the Council to be a backup nominator, if needed.
• O-5-23 - For the purpose of updating Title 22 of the City Code regarding Adequate Public Facility certification of development and redevelopment; and generally related to Title 22. The Planning Commission ran out of time to review this, so it automatically came back to the Council. I’m likely going to make a motion to either send this back to the PC with more time, or take into consideration the staff report and possibly try to get this withdrawn.
• O-26-23 - Forest Conservation Plan Appeals - For the purpose of closing a loophole in the Forest Conservation Plan provisions of the City Code concerning forest clearing; changing the Forest Conservation Plan appeals body from the Building Board of Appeals to the Board of Appeals; and generally related to the Maryland Forest Conservation Act and Planned Unit Development regulations. This is legislaiton of mine. The Planning Commission also ran out of time to review this. I’m inclined to give them another few months to review and will make such a motion at the meeting.
• R-4-24 - 2024 City of Annapolis Comprehensive Plan - For the purpose of adopting a new comprehensive plan for the City of Annapolis.

Legislation being introduced on first reader

• O-2-24 - Hours for Tolson Street Park and Tucker Street Park - For the purpose of limiting public access to Tolson Street Park and Tucker Street Park at night; closing those parks to the public between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.; and generally related to public peace and order in City parks. I have some concerns about this and have reached out to the sponsor. II don’t think my concerns are enough to vote against this on First Reader. If the goal is to be proactive and keep these quiet parks, we already have noise regulations and drinking prohibitions, but by putting a 10pm cut off, or even a 7am start time, liveaboards would technically be breaking the law if they came back to their boat late or had to get to work early.
• R-10-24 - Temporary Moratorium on City Consideration of Applications by Businesses Related to the Cannabis Industry - For the purpose of adopting a temporary moratorium on the processing, review, and approval of applications, site plans, permits, and other authorizations for the location, construction, and selling of cannabis for nine months to allow the City sufficient time to enact reasonable, thoughtful, and lawful zoning requirements and other regulations pertaining thereto as deemed necessary to protect the public health, safety, and welfare. I don’t currently support this legislation. It’s written with the assumption that there is some need to create zoning for cannabis operations to “protect the public health, safety, and welfare”. I disagree entirely with that assumption. I don’t currently see what would be gained from adding zoning restrictions. We already have restrictions for businesses, which these would presumably fall under.

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

• O-30-23 - Updates and Corrections to Special Residential Parking Districts - For the purpose of moving Bloomsbury Square from Special Residential Parking District 1 and into District 4; updating the district descriptions and maps; and generally related to the City's special residential parking districts. I’m inclined to support this as amended by the Rules & Government Committee, pending any comments from you.
• O-31-23 - Certain Street Parking Updates and Corrections - For the purpose of eliminating outdated language and conflicts in the City of Annapolis code related to Chapter 12.20 - Stopping, Standing and Parking, and Chapter 12.32 - Special Residential Parking Districts; and generally related to parking in the City. I’m inclined to support this as amended by the Rules & Government Committee, pending any comments from you.
• R-7-24 - Itinerant Merchant Sales in the Historic District - 2024 - For the purpose of authorizing hawker, peddler, and itinerant merchant sales in the Historic District in conjunction with certain special events during calendar year 2024. I’m inclined to support this, pending any comments from you.
• R-8-24 - Non-Profit Vendors During Fall 2024 Boat Shows - For the purpose of authorizing sales by certain vendors in the City Dock area of the Historic District during the Fall 2024 U.S. Sailboat and Powerboat Shows. I’m inclined to support this, pending any comments from you.

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