Here are details on our next special Council meeting, coming up this Monday. Besides the consent calendar, it’s dedicated to public hearings, both general comments as well as comments on a couple pieces of legislation.

If you missed the planning & zoning presentation earlier this week on the Annapolis 2020 Comprehensive Plan progress, you can view it here.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 Rob

Next Special Council meeting – 11/23/20 (agenda)

This Council meeting is starting at 7pm and will be televised on local cable, Facebook, and the City website (www.annapolis.gov). Due to COVID-19, our meetings are now being held virtually. http://www.youtube.com/CityofAnnapolis http://www.facebook.com/CityofAnnapolis

Anyone needing reasonable accommodation to be able to participate in a public meeting held by the City of Annapolis should contact Regina Watkins-Eldridge at 410.263.7942, by MD Relay (711), or by email at [email protected] at least five days prior to the meeting date to request assistance.

If you would like to submit public testimony, we have included a link allowing written testimony to be submitted into the recorded minutes of the meeting. Submit written testimony: http://www.annapolis.gov/testimony.

 We now are allowing audio-only testimony by the public, via Zoom, at the beginning of our second (the Special Council Meeting) meeting each month. Those who wish to testify must submit the request through www.annapolis.gov/testimony at least four hours before the start of the meeting (3pm for Council meetings). All those offering public testimony must dial in at least 15 minutes before the start of the meeting. Per code, you will have 3 minutes to provide testimony.

Public hearings

• O-43-20 - Aldermanic Annual Allowance - For the purpose of specifying types of appropriate expenditures for use of the aldermanic annual allowance. This is legislation I have introduced. We currently receive $1,500 for training and my intention is to allow that money to also be spent for constituent services (such as for town hall materials). There is no fiscal impact.
• O-46-20 - Public Health and Safety - For the purpose of removing obsolete provisions; authorizing the Department of Public Works to establish regulations governing garbage and refuse; reassigning certain enforcement. This appears to strike an incredible amount of our regulations in this section of our code and gives the power to create such regulations to staff. While in some cases that is entirely appropriate, I have concerns about taking all of this out of the hands of the Council (and out of the public eye) and will keep an eye on this as it goes through our committee process.
• O-45-20 - Audit Committee - For the purpose of clarifying the responsibilities of the audit committee members; specifying reporting requirements; providing for external and internal reporting services; providing program metrics, measurements, and evaluation; and generally relating to the audit committee.
• O-44-20 - Employee organizations- For the purpose of removing the deadline for employee organizations to petition the City for recognition as an exclusive bargaining agent for eligible government personnel. Currently, City law only allows employees to petition to join a union in one month out of the entire year. I encountered this barrier when I worked for the City and our union drive had difficulty because of it. This legislation would allow such a petition to be filed at any time during the year. This is sponsored by Alderman Schandelmeier and I.

Legislation being introduced on First Reader

• R-61-20 - Short Term Rental Licenses - For the purpose of placing a moratorium on the issuance of new non-owner occupied short term rental licenses in certain conservation residence districts; placing a moratorium on the transfer of existing non-owner occupied short term rental licenses in certain conservation residence districts; providing for the application of the moratorium; and setting a date for termination of the moratorium.
• R-62-20 - Equity in Media - For the purpose of encouraging racial equity in all forms of media.
• R-63-20 - Drug-Loitering Free Zone - For the purpose of designating the area located within five hundred feet of 111 Clay Street, Annapolis, MD 21401 a drug-loitering free zone; setting a termination date; and generally related to designating a drug-loitering free zone. This designation has been requested by a resident, as is their right per code.
• R-64-20 - Animal Control - Canine Leash Laws - Fines - For the purpose of adding fines to the Fiscal Year 2021 Fines Schedule concerning violations of City Code Sections 8.04.050 and 8.04.060 that regulate dogs at large and dogs in public recreation areas.
• O-48-20 - Animal Control - Canine Leash Laws - For the purpose of prohibiting unrestrained dogs in public recreation areas, or at large; authorizing the Police Department to enforce the City's leash laws; and making technical and stylistic changes to the City's animal control laws.

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

• O-31-20 - Non-motorized wheeled vehicles - For the purpose of setting standards for the use of non-motorized wheeled vehicles on sidewalks; and establishing a definition. This simply clarifies the City Code to state that non-motorized vehicles can be used on public spaces as long as they are operating it safely. I’m inclined to support this legislation, pending any comments from you.

Updates

Grief Counseling available through County

Short Notice! Butt… It’s Plastic City-wide Cleanup

Saturday, November 21

If you were asked what the most common form of plastic pollution is, what would you say? Plastic bottles? Straws?

Good guess, but not correct. Cigarette butts are actually the most found form of plastic waste in the world,* with about 4.5 trillion individual butts polluting our global environment.

But wait! Aren’t cigarette butts made of cotton or paper? NO! Cigarette butts are primarily plastic. We are drowning in plastic and it’s hurting our environment and wildlife.

That is why Annapolis Green is organizing a City Wide Clean Up on Saturday, November 21, to target cigarette butts, in step with the Great American Smokeout.®

The one-hour neighborhood cleanup format remains ideal for our now COVID-conscious community. It’s flexible, small group oriented and designed to evoke pride of place and connect neighbor to neighbor for the greater good… or the Greener Good! We are asking folks to do their part only in their family group or your COVID bubble and to wear a mask and gloves.

The purpose of Butt … It’s Plastic is to stress and educate that cigarette filters ARE PLASTIC. They do not biodegrade. Let’s get them off the ground so they don’t end up in our waterways where they leach toxic chemicals and poison wildlife.

We’re looking for at least 10 Community and Business Team Leaders to get it going by initiating general cleanup on Saturday and:

Capturing the cigarette butts separately – in a bag.

Putting all the litter picked up in the appropriate container for regular curbside except for the butts.

Dropping off the butts at the Annapolis Green office Saturday between 3 & 4pm. We will have a leader board where we’ll note how many pounds each group brings in, and a fun backdrop for a celebratory selfie! Each group will be given a neighborhood goodie bag as a that will be full of coupons and other goodies.

The group with the most butts collected will be able to award a Smoker’s Outpost butt disposal bin to the business or public area of their choice.

Once we have everybody’s butts (ooh, the puns we can make) we’ll send them to TerraCycle for proper disposal.

The goal is not only to cleanup one block but to start a network of community-minded residents and business people who will continue the program in the spring, summer and beyond thus building pride of place, getting to know neighbors, and having fun.

Details: https://annapolisgreen.com/event/butt-its-plastic-a-city-wide-cleanup-targeting-nasty-cigarette-butts/