This is proving to be quite a busy spring. Tonight, we have the State of the City address by the Mayor. There is a reception at 6pm that you are welcome to attend at City Hall, in honor of this being our last State of the City together as this Council-Mayoral team. The FY26 City budget will also be presented to the City Council.

That said, this hopefully will NOT be my final State of the City Address. I am running for re-election, and my kick-off event will be on May 6^th at 6pm at the Annapolis Sailing School. Can’t beat the location! And you can’t beat the Bosa Nova music by the talented Jonathan Stone. I don’t have an RSVP link set up yet, but email me if you want to attend and I’ll get that to you when it’s ready. I would be honored to serve you again and have a lot planned to continue building a stronger Ward 7 and beyond. I hope I can count on your support.

Back to Council business, we have two items up for a public hearing: part two of my fence reform effort with O-30-24, and O-10-25 that seeks to expand child care options. We also have final votes on O-5-25 (authorizing installation of new speed cameras – I am a co-sponsor), O-10-24 (seasonal outdoor dining – I am a co-sponsor), and O-23-24 (Parking and towing regs).

Legislative action summary from last meeting

• R-38-25 – Condemnation and Possession of Real Property at 245 West Street – Postponed (I voted for postponement)
• R-53-24 – FY 2025 Changes to Executive Pay Ranges – Adopted (I voted Aye)
• R-54-25 – FY 2025 Changes in the Position Classifications and Pay Plan – Adopted (I voted Aye)
• R-8-25 – Mayor, Alderperson, and City Manager Compensation – Adopted (I voted Aye)
• R-9-25 – Annapolis City Council Support for Maryland House Bill 226/Senate Bill 569 (2025) – Adopted (I voted Aye)
• O-34-24 – FY 2025 Changes in Exempt Service Job Classifications – Adopted (I voted Aye)

Stay healthy and stay safe,

Rob

Next Council meeting – 4/14/25 (agenda)

This meeting starts 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-30-24 - Fence Permit Requirements Related to Use and Development Standards in the City Zoning Code Title 21 - For the purpose of creating additional standards related to home fencing along forests and open spaces; clarifying undue obstructions related to fencing; stating Council preference for extra consideration regarding fences on an up-slope; and generally related to fence regulation in Title 21. This is my legislation. As introduced, it seeks to clarify the section of code that currently states that fences “shall not…unduly obstruct light and air…”. There was some confusion at the Building Board of Appeals, and with staff, on how to implement this code. So I’m trying to clarify this by doing three things with the legislation as introduced: 1. Prevent privacy fences or fences without open spaces from being installed next to forests where there are no homes within 50’ (i.e. why would a privacy fence be needed for a forest?), 2. Clarify by providing examples of what “undue obstructions” could include, and 3. State that fences on an upslope (higher elevation) behind homes may be more obstructive and may need to be modified. This legislation did get a favorable recommendation from the Planning Commission, but they did recommend improvements. I’m still working on putting together these PC amendments, but they will further tweak the language around air flow and open space in fences, and adjusting the “up slope” language. If you are in support of these efforts, please come out and testify!
• O-10-25 - Expansion of Child Care Options in Annapolis - For the purpose of allowing large family child care homes pending zoning approval; removing City restrictions on hiring home-operated child care service employees who live outside the home; combining sections dealing with child care centers; updating the related City Code sections to align with state child care standards; and address the requirements of Title 21 concerning child care in Annapolis.

Legislation being introduced on first reader

• O-9-25 – Expanding Waterfront Uses in R4 General Residence (Zoning) Districts For the purpose of changing the residential table of uses to allow for limited commercial waterfront activities, such as boat rentals, charters, and charter services, in R4 General Residence Districts; and requiring a special exception use reviewed and approved by the city's Board of Appeals.
• O-10-25 - FY 2026 City of Annapolis Budget
• R-12-25 - Street-end Park on Annapolis Street For the purpose of designating certain City of Annapolis-owned property as a street-end park; naming the street-end park at the northwest end of Annapolis Street on Weems Creek the "Annapolis Street Park"; and generally relating to park amenities.
• R-13-25 - City Dock Holiday Market and Itinerant Merchant Sales in the Historic District - For the purpose of authorizing a City Dock event and hawker, peddler, and itinerant merchant sales in the Historic District in conjunction with the Annapolis City Dock Holiday Market event. I believe this will be withdrawn to be re-worked.
• R-17-25 - 2025 Transit Development Plan for the City of Annapolis For the purpose of approving the City of Annapolis Transit Development Plan that is updated every five years. This will be referred to our Transportation Committee for a public presentation of the plan.
• R-19-25 - Memorial Honoring the Life and Legacy of the Late U.S. Representative Parren J. Mitchell For the purpose of dedicating a memorial at the City of Annapolis Pip Moyer Recreation Center in honor of the late U.S. Representative Parren J. Mitchell (D-MD), the first African-American elected to Congress from Maryland. I am working on getting more information on this memorial, as well as further details on the late Rep. Mitchell’s connections to Annapolis.
• R-20-25 - FY 2026 City of Annapolis Fees Schedule
• R-21-25 - FY 2026 City of Annapolis Fines Schedule
• R-23-25 - Emergency Management & Public Safety During Flood Awareness Month For the purpose of recognizing April as Maryland Flood Awareness Month and the City of Annapolis public safety experts' efforts each year, both personally and professionally, to protect our residents from flooding and other natural emergencies.

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

• O-5-25 - Speed Monitoring Cameras - For the purpose of authorizing speed monitoring systems in the City of Annapolis to comply with changes in the State law changes; and generally related to traffic monitoring systems in the City. I am a co-sponsor of this legislation. It would authorize the City to start installing speed cameras outside of school zones. I have an amendment that would ensure the money raised goes towards efforts to improve pedestrian safety by placing it in the Sustainable Mobility Services Fund. The top two roads for me to install cameras on are Tyler Ave and Edgewood Rd. I’m inclined to support this, pending any comments from you.
• O-10-24 - Outdoor Dining Requirements in Annapolis - For the purpose of codifying and consolidating the City's outdoor dining programs; defining outdoor dining and its different types; requiring permits for outdoor dining; setting common standards for outdoor dining; creating a fund for outdoor dining permit fees to be used for alternative transportation options when restaurants use their parking lot for outdoor dining; making technical corrections to the various code sections to conform with the outdoor dining section; and generally dealing with restaurant standards for outdoor dining. I am a co-sponsor of this legislation. We have been authorizing outdoor dining through continuing Resolutions, which are essentially annual waivers. This has been necessary because our code doesn’t allow for repurposing of parking lots/spaces into other uses. This legislation would create a permanent regulatory regime to authorize seasonal outdoor dining in parking spaces. As the amendments indicate, this will likely be amended to allow for such use up to 9 months out of the year. I’m working on other legislation to allow for permanent repurposing of parking lots into productive community assets. I’m inclined to support this, pending any comments from you.
• O-23-24 - Parking and Towing Regulations - For the purpose of eliminating the requirement that towing companies be within one mile of the City; allowing City contractors to oversee towing; and generally updating parking and towing regulations in Titles 7 and 12. This legislation would expand our options for hiring towing companies, as we’ve had some issues with the restrictions currently in our code. I’m inclined to support this, pending any input from you.

Community & Political updates

Ranked Choice Voting film screening

Ranked Choice Voting Maryland and Veterans for all Voters is holding a film screening of   "Majority Rules", a documentary that dives into the transformative power of ranked-choice voting and election reform. It spotlights Alaska's groundbreaking shift to eliminate traditional party primaries and adopt ranked-choice voting, showcasing how these changes impacted campaigns, elections, and even political alliances. The film explores whether altering the way Americans vote could heal divisions and improve democracy. Directed by AJ Schnack, it features interviews with reform advocates and critics, offering a balanced look at the potential of these innovations.

Eastport-Annapolis Neck Library - 19 April, 2-4:45pm RSVP Here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/veteransforallvotersmaryland/1625428/r/rcvmd

Busch Annapolis Library - 3 May, 10am-1pm RSVP Here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/veteransforallvotersmaryland/1625430/r/rcvmd

Trailer: https://youtu.be/qtw05u5lw9I

City has received it’s first two electric busses

Ready for clean and quiet public transportation?

City has begun enforcement of the gas-powered leaf blower ban

Gas-powered leaf blowers are now fully prohibited in the City. Hopefully that will make our community a bit quieter, reduce air pollution, and improve worker health. If you see any violations, please take a picture, get contact information, and email it to [email protected].

AA County Safe Routes to Transit public meeting

The first public meeting for this effort will be on April 16^th from 6-7 at the American Legion (1707 Forest Dr)

Tyler Avenue Complete Community survey

The Comprehensive Planning team at City of Annapolis Planning & Zoning last month launched an exciting new neighborhood zoning initiative called Tyler Avenue Complete Community. The initiative is focusing on improvements to the Tyler Avenue corridor including a safer streetscape, new housing options, expanded tree canopy, and community spaces. We encourage you to look through previous presentations and to take our survey at the link below. We will be closing survey responses to our community survey by April 30, 2025. If you know anyone that lives near the corridor we encourage sharing the flyer or letting them know about the project.

You can also find more information about the initiative and fill out our community survey at https://www.annapolis.gov/2299/Tyler-Avenue-Complete-Community If you have any questions, please reach out to Casey Ortiz at [email protected]

Planning Commission Meeting on Tyler Avenue Overlay District

Anne Arundel County Announces Opening of Community Reinvestment and Repair Commission Grant Applications

County Executive Steuart Pittman today announced the opening of applications for Anne Arundel County’s Community Reinvestment and Repair Commission (CRRC) Grants. These grants, funded by the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund (CRRF), support community-based programs that benefit low- to moderate-income (LMI) households, particularly in communities most impacted by the criminalization of cannabis.