Reminder: 4th District-wide community meeting & 43rd District candidates' forum

Just another reminder: my 4th District-wide community meeting is scheduled for next Thursday, July 29th at 6pm at Northwood Baptist Church – 1100 East Northern Parkway. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake will be meeting with us to discuss her vision and plans for Baltimore City as it relates to our neighborhoods and offer you the chance to ask questions.

Also, Jayne Miller from WBAL-TV has accepted our invitation to be the moderator of the 43rd District candidates’ forum, which is co-sponsored by the Northeast Community Organization (NECO). The forum will begin after the Mayor’s Q-and-A wraps up.

We’re going to start the forum a little earlier than originally scheduled; we’ll begin at 6:45pm with the candidates for state central committee, who will each get 2 minutes to introduce themselves and talk about why they think that they would be good members of the central committee.

Next, at 7:15pm we’ll move on to the candidates for state delegate, who will each get 2 minutes to introduce themselves before we move into a 45-minute Q-and-A period.

Then, at 8:15pm we’ll bring on the candidates for state senator, who will each get 2 minutes to introduce themselves before we move into a 25-minute Q-and-A period.

Finally, at 8:45pm we’ll wrap up with one or two final questions for any of the candidates.

Thursday, July 29th

6pm - 9pm (candidates' forum at 6:45pm)

Northside Baptist Church

1100 East Northern Parkway

As always, please call Leslie Wietscher at 410-396-4830 or email Leslie.Wietscher@BaltimoreCity.gov if you have any questions or to confirm your attendance. Thank you for your continued commitment to your community and the city of Baltimore and I look forward to seeing you on July 29th!

- Bill

Save the date - July 29th - Q&A with the Mayor and a Candidates' Forum !!!

Dear 4th District Stakeholder,

As most of you know, I have continued the efforts of my predecessor in bringing together the 4th District’s neighborhood stakeholders for district-wide community meetings. My intention is that these meetings serve not only to keep the lines of communication open between the community and City government, but also as opportunities for neighborhood leaders to talk amongst themselves, sharing information and experience in ways that will make each association stronger.

As such, I am pleased to invite you to the next of my quarterly 4th District Community Meetings. As our guest speaker, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has accepted my invitation to come meet with us, discuss her vision and plans for Baltimore City as it relates to our neighborhoods, and offer you the chance to ask questions.

Since Mayor Rawlings-Blake can only be with us for the first part of the meeting, the second portion of the evening will be given over to a Candidates' Forum for those running for state office here in the 43rd Legislative District, co-sponsored by the Northeast Community Organization (NECO). While we will not know for certain who all of the candidates will be until the filing deadline early in July, I do expect that multiple candidates running for State Senate, House of Delegates, and State Central Committee in our district will participate.

Thursday, July 29th

6pm - 9pm (candidates' forum at 7pm)

Northside Baptist Church

1100 East Northern Parkway

Please call Leslie Wietscher at 410-396-4830 or email Leslie.Wietscher@BaltimoreCity.gov to confirm your attendance. Thank you for your continued commitment to your community and the city of Baltimore and I look forward to seeing you on July 29th!

- Bill

Water and sewer rate increases coming

The Baltimore City Department of Public Works, at a public hearing yesterday, asked the Board of Estimates for increases in water and sewer rates and fees. The 9% increases for both water and sewer rates for Baltimore City customers were approved. These increases are required to meet State and Federal regulatory mandates, homeland security needs, and to address infrastructure replacement costs. These rate increases will raise the annual water and sewer bill for a family of four by approximately $81.

Bureau of Water and Wastewater Head, Kishia L. Powell, P.E., stated: “We have a looming CRISIS underfoot. The City’s water infrastructure, critical to basic sanitation, health, public safety and economic growth, is failing at an alarming rate. We not only have to choose HOW to spend our money, we have to choose TO spend money to replace our mains.” Ms. Powell cited numerous instances of major water main failures in 2009-2010: E. Madison St., Dundalk, W. Saratoga St., Halethorpe, Reisterstown, E. Lombard St., Argonne Dr., E. Monument St., etc. She also noted that for some periods during the past winter, there were 50 active water main breaks in a single day.

The reasons for the rate increase:

• Over 95% of the City’s water mains have been in service for 65 years without inspection; many are beyond 100 years of service.

• In FY2009 just 0.12% of the system’s water main was replaced; 0% in all of FY2010.

• In the past five years, DPW has responded to 5,762 water main breaks.

• Because of the aging system, the City looses enough water daily to fill the Baltimore’s World Trade Center; 20% of our finished water revenues.

• The continuing work mandated by a federal consent decree requiring $1 billion dollars in sewer system improvements.

• Homeland security improvements since 9/11 have increased costs for guard services, chemicals, water quality monitoring and facility security.

• Changes in Safe Drinking Water Act regulations requiring hundreds of millions of dollars in filtration and reservoir improvements.

• Improvements at wastewater treatment plants to meet federal mandates to reduce nutrients entering the Chesapeake Bay.

While seeking to address our infrastructure needs and unfunded mandates, Baltimore City has taken, and is taking, action to keep costs down:

• Made cuts to the operation to reduce overhead; since 2005 the Bureau of Water and Wastewater has reduced its workforce by 10%.

• Making operational and organizational changes to become a more efficient operation.

• Fielding additional crews to cut costs of overtime and water loss.

• Implementing water audit recommendations to achieve cost savings.

• Implementing cost-saving strategies such as the Back River Co-generation facility; investigating solar energy for reservoir projects.

• Continuing to seek out state and federal dollars to offset costs which would have otherwise been billed directly to rate-payers.

Baltimore City has an outstanding water system. In order to keep it that way we must continually invest in it. Delaying needed infrastructure improvements will only result in more damage and cost us much more in the long run. While these increases mean that we will all pay more for our water and sewer services, they are not out of line with what is happening elsewhere in the nation. Indeed, Baltimore City continues to have lower rates than most comparable east coast cities and we are striving to keep it that way.
 
For further information, contact Celeste Amato at 410-545-6541, Celeste.Amato@baltimorecity.gov or Robert Murrow at 410-545-6189, Robert.Murrow@baltimorecity.gov
 

FY 11 Budget Update, reprise

Dear 4th District Stakeholders:

On March 24th, the Mayor released her Preliminary Budget for Fiscal Year 2011. To close a $121 million budget gap, the plan eliminates over 900 positions, 606 of them filled with current workers. This "doomsday" plan would close most of our rec centers, eliminate the Police helicopters and marine units, close seven fire companies, stop bulk trash pickup, close school-based health clinics, reduce staffing at Animal Control and cancel street resurfacing projects, among other reductions and eliminations of City services.

On April 12th, as part of its Comprehensive Budget Plan, the Administration introduced nine pieces of legislation aimed at generating about $50 million in new revenue. These monies would be used to offset a portion of the $121 million deficit that the City is facing for FY2011, allowing for some restorations of some of the cuts - such as all of the ones listed above - specifying $41.4 million in “priority restorations”, which would save 355 City employees (mostly Fire and Police) from being laid off.

Even with this entire revenue package though - as well as other efforts such as continuing furloughs and having City employees pay a greater share of their prescription drug benefits - we have been told that we will still be laying off about 250 City employees, as part of the other $71 million in the Administration's budget-cutting measures.

Throughout the process, everything that the City is doing has been up for review. The Council's Budget & Appropriations committee has held countless hours of agency hearings, with members grilling department and bureau heads on all levels of spending and operational policy. Given the scope of the deficit however, waste-trimming here and there is not going to be sufficient to the task.

Here are the revenue increases that the Mayor has asked for:

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• Bill 10-0467 - Hotel Room Tax Rate - $3.9M new revenue - Would raise the tax on hotel charges from 7.5% to 10% of hotel guest charges. Along with the additional $3.9M to the general fund, an additional $2.6M is generated by this tax which would go to Visit Baltimore, which promotes tourism in the downtown area.
• Bill 10-0468 - Local Income Tax - $5.9M new revenue - For persons living in Baltimore City, the local income tax rate would increase from 3.05% to 3.20% of taxable income for 2011 and thereafter. For an individual making $36,900 a year, it would be an additional monthly charge of about $4; for a family of four making $73,800, the additional monthly charge would be about $7.
• Bill 10-0469 - Property Tax - Discount for Early Payment - $2.5M estimated “saved”* - Currently, property owners receive a 1% discount on property taxes paid before July 31 and a .50% discount before August 31. This legislation would eliminate all discounts after July 31 and reduces the July discount to .50%. *The $2.5M savings estimates are based on the termination of August discounts. No estimates yet of July savings.
• Bill 10-0470 - Energy Tax-Rates - $8.16M new revenue - To quote the Finance report, “This bill will increase the current Baltimore City Energy Tax by 15%. Additionally, taxes for nonprofit users of energy will be charged the same rate as commercial users.”
• Bill 10-0471 - Parking Tax Rate - $5.08M new revenue - Increases the Baltimore City parking tax from 16% to 20% in parking garages, both privately and publicly owned.
• Bill 10-0472 - Parking Violations-Fines - $1.68M new revenue - Increases City parking fines by 20% by violation category.
• Bill 10-0473 - Telecommunications Tax-Rate - $3.74M new revenue - Increases local tax on phone lines in Baltimore city from $3.50 to $4.00 per line and increases Centrix rates from 35 cents to 40 cents.
• Bill 10-0474 - Beverage Container Tax - $11.4M new revenue - Imposes a 4-cent surcharge on non-reusable beverage containers (bottles & cans) which are sold in Baltimore City. It would NOT include containers of dairy products, non-dairy milk substitutes, beverages containing at least 10% natural fruit juices, and any beverage of 2 liters or larger, but it WOULD include bottled water and alcoholic beverages. It would not include beverage containers for which deposits are paid by consumers and refunds are paid by dealers.
• Bill 10-0475 - Bed Capacity Fee - $3.94M new revenue - Imposes an annual fee of $350 per bed on every college/university dorm and hospital which is a private, tax-exempt institution.
• Board of Estimates - Parking Meter Rates - $3.1M new revenue - Raises the parking meter rates for on-street parking from $1/hour to $2/hour in parts of downtown, Midtown, Federal Hill, Harbor East, Fells Point, and Canton. (This did not involve City Council action and has already passed the Board of Estimates at their meeting this past Wednesday.)

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After attending the hearings on these bills and listening to constituents - in person, by phone and by email - I am leaning towards supporting all of the Mayor's requests, with some qualification and two exceptions. In terms of qualification, my hope is that we will be able to put together a "consolidated" revenue package which "spreads the pain" out among a broader base, allowing us perhaps to reduce some of the Mayor's proposed rates for her tax increases, offsetting these reductions with increases in other existing revenue measures. In terms of exception, I do not support the bottle tax, nor the bed fee…unless it is amended to charge more for hospital beds and less for college beds, acknowledging the significantly larger number of customers amongst which this fee would be spread.

I continue to be against a “bottle” tax for perhaps parochial, but legitimate reasons; businesses in our district are at a greater risk of losing sales to county competitors than many others in the City. While I have listened to all of the good points made by its proponents, there is no denying the simple fact that no matter how good they think such a tax might be, it would definitely be better if we were not the only ones doing it. If we don't need to do it right now - as many of the Council feels there are other alternatives - then we should wait until we can bring Baltimore and Anne Arundel counties to the table and do it as a regional initiative - which, by the way, is how it was done last time.

I am also against the bed capacity fee as it is currently designed. While I acknowledge that a fair chunk of the real property in the City is exempt from property tax and that this places a burden on the rest of us, I think the bed fee is designed inequitably. Any reasonable attempt to get non-profits throughout Baltimore to pay a fairer share of the costs of running this City would not be generating more than a quarter of its total proceeds from Loyola University alone. Plus, given the effort that the surrounding communities have put into getting Loyola to house more of its students on campus - and the cooperation that Loyola has provided – it seems unfair now to penalize them for having done what we asked them to do. I remain hopeful that the Administration and representatives of the larger non-profits will work out a arrangement that allows these institutions to make a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) that will provide the City with needed revenue, but more equitably generated.

A "Consolidated" Revenue Package

For what I've been told is the first time in recent history, the Council has stepped up to the plate during this budget season with a willingness to propose its own revenue generators. Over the last month and a half, the following measures have been brought up for consideration by the Council, as alternatives to some portion of the Mayor's revenue package:

• Bill 09-0290 - Simulated Slot Machines - $1.9M new revenue
• Bill 10-0489 - Miscellaneous Offenses - Citation and Penalty Amounts - $173K new revenue
• Bill 10-0503 - Outdoor Advertising Excise Tax - $1.6M new revenue
• Bill 10-0516 - Non-Owner-Occupied Dwellings and Vacant Structures - $1M new revenue
• Bill 10-0206R - Funding from Oversize and Overweight Trucking Permits - $1.1M new revenue (This would also not involve City Council action and could be done by the Board of Estimates at any time.)

The fact remains that the total revenue from a "consolidated" revenue package (without the container tax, but including this additional $5.7 million) is $43.7 million - enough to restore all 355 positions on the Mayor's $41.4 million “priority restorations” list, with $2.3 million to do additional restorations.

Between the $5.7 million available from these additional revenue proposals, and the additional funds available by adjusting some of the rates in the Mayor's own proposals, I feel confident in saying that the opportunity is there for the Mayor and City Council to come together with a final budget plan that maximizes the revenue available to maintain crucial City services, while minimizing the negative impact on any given part of the City's economy.

So, this is where I - and to some extent, we - are right now. If you haven't already shared your thoughts on all of this with me, I still want to know what you think. As I said before, while I may not be able to do everything that each of you suggest, I promise that I will carefully consider your thoughts and recommendations as we move forward through this difficult process. Thanks!

- Bill

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The Honorable Bill Henry
4th District - Baltimore City Council
(410) 396-4830 - voice
(410) 659-1792 - fax
http://friendsofbillhenry.blogspot.com/

City Hall Office:
100 North Holliday Street, Room 502
Baltimore, Maryland 21202

District Office:
5225 York Road, Suite D
Baltimore, MD 21212

Speed Cameras in the 4th District!

The Department of Transportation's "Speed Enforcement Units" are starting to pop up all across town - we're now seeing them in several of the places that communities have asked the City for traffic calming!

If you have additional locations that you would like to suggest, call 311, suggest the location to DoT, and then email our office with the tracking number and location, so that we can follow up on your request.

Fixed Camera Locations

• Charles Street SB @ Lake Avenue
• Cold Spring Lane WB @ Loch Raven Blvd
• Northern Parkway WB @ Springlake Way
• Northern Parkway WB @ Waverly Way

Portable Camera Locations (currently!)

• Bellona Avenue @ Broxton Road
• Hillen Road @ Waveworth Road
• Woodbourne Avenue @ Midwood Avenue

FY 2011 Budget Hearings update

A few of the Council's budget hearings have had their times shifted and evidently new agencies are still being added to the list, so please check the post of April 14th here below for updated hearing information as we get closer to budget hearings.  Rather than posting whole new schedules as whole new posts, I will simply edit the April 14th post as the schedule changes.

Also, for those who have never had the pleasure of attending City Council budget hearings, the times listed can best be described as approximate.  Or perhaps hopeful.  The first one usually starts on time, but if some agency goes longer than expected, don't expect that time to be made up...

RecycleMORE Community Tonnage Competition FINAL RESULTS!

The official winner of the RecycleMORE Community Competition was announced by Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake at the start of this year’s Spring Cleanup. In an exciting race to the finish, which DPW Director David E. Scott compared to the Preakness, the 4th District's very own Radnor Winston Improvement Association came from being tied for fourth place to winning the competition!

Association President Nick Sheridan received a Citation from the Mayor and an award letter for Radnor-Winston to put on a block party.  Radnor-Winston won with 2,500 lbs. of recycling pulling ahead of Hampden by 60 lbs. and outdistancing our leader of many weeks, Cheswolde by 80 lbs. Another 4th District neighborhood - Lake Walker - also broke the "Top 10" with 1,560 lbs.
1. Radnor Winston - 2,500 lbs.

2. Hampden - 2,440 lbs.

3. Cheswold - 2,420 lbs.

4. Abell Improvement Association - 2,220 lbs.

5. Locust Point - 2,160 lbs.

6. Riverside - 2,080 lbs.

7. Federal Hill - 1,980 lbs.

8. Butchers Hill - 1,620 lbs.

(tied for 8th) - Patterson Park Neighborhood Association 1,620 lbs.

(tied for 8th) - Upper Fells Point 1,620 lbs.

9. Glen Neighborhood Improvement Association - 1,580 lbs.

10. Lake Walker - 1,560 lbs.

Jointly sponsored by the Department of Public Works and the Initiative for a Cleaner Greener Baltimore, the contest tracked recycling tonnage from 39 participating communities.  In a way, we are all winners when we RecycleMORE, so...woo hoo!

Budget-related Public Hearings Schedule and Additional FY 2011 Budget Information

The City Council's Budget Hearings will start on Monday, May 10th with an Budget Overview presentation by the Finance Department at 4pm in the City Council Chambers, followed by the Council's Taxpayers' Night at 6pm across the street in the War Memorial Building - this is the public's opportunity to come downtown and tell the City Council what you think about the budget. [Ed. Note - all of the people in this picture were not here for Taxpayers' Night...]

The rest of that week and the following Tuesday, the Council will hold individual public hearings on most City agencies individually, from 3pm on, Tuesday through Friday.  The agency hearings are currently scheduled as follows:

Note: ** Asterisks below denote timeslots for televised hearings – Taxpayers’ Night beginning at 6:00 PM on May 10th will be televised, and the Department of Housing and Community Development hearing on May 12th beginning at 5:15 PM will be televised; no other scheduled hearings will be televised. Start times are all approximate.


Monday, May 10, 2010
4:00 PM – 4:45 PM Budget Overview – Held in Council Chambers
6:00 P.M. - Until      Taxpayers’ Night/Constant Yield Tax Rate ** (Location: War Memorial Building)

Tuesday, May 11, 2010
3:30 PM – 4:00PM Mayor’s Office of Cable and Communication
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM Department of Recreation and Parks
5:00 PM – 5:30 PM Baltimore Development Corporation
5:30 PM – 6:00 PM CitiStat

Wednesday, May 12, 2010
3:00 PM – 3:30 PM Department of Planning, to include the Capital Budget
3:30 PM – 4:00 PM Health Department
4:00 PM – 4:30 PM Fire Department
4:30 PM – 5:00 PM Visit Baltimore (Formerly known as: BACVA)
5:15 PM – 7:00 PM Department of Housing and Community Development**

Thursday, May 13, 2010
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM Department of Public Works
4:00 PM – 4:30 PM Department of General Services
4:30 PM – 5:00 PM Municipal and Zoning Appeals
5:00 PM – 5:30 PM Commission on Aging and Retirement Education
5:30 PM – 6:30 PM Police Department/Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice

Friday, May 14, 2010
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM Baltimore City Public School System
4:00 PM – 4:30 PM Department of Human Resources
4:30 PM – 5:00 PM Environmental Control Board
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM Department of Transportation/Parking Authority

Tuesday, May 18, 2010
3:00 PM – 3:30 PM Department of Finance
3:30 PM – 4:30 PM Mayor’s Office of Employment Development /Enoch Pratt Free Library
4:30 PM – 5:00 PM Inspector General’s Office


For those of you having trouble finding any of the various 2011 budget documents on-line, click below:

• FY 11 Preliminary Budget Plan (will take a minute - large file)
• FY 11 Comprehensive Budget Plan (includes additional detail on revenue enhancers)
• Outcome budgeting process
• City budget process flowchart

FY 2011 Budget Update

At Monday’s City Council meeting, the Administration introduced nine pieces of legislation aimed at generating about $50 million in new revenue. These monies would be used to offset a portion of the $121 million deficit that the City is facing for FY2011. These bills, coupled with the Mayor’s preliminary budget of March 24, 2010, are the proposals from which we will begin the work on the budget until its final adoption some time in June.

Throughout the process, everything that the City is doing should be up for review. The Mayor’s Transition Team did a good job at identifying existing inefficiencies as well as areas where the City should either cease its involvement or look toward privatization and/or self-sufficiency. Even with all of this - as well as budget-cutting measures such as continuing furloughs and having City employees pay a greater share of their prescription drug benefits - we will have to seek new sources of revenue.

I am sending all of this to you so that you may review it and share your thoughts and ideas. Our City is faced with serious financial problems that demand real solutions. Given the alternatives in terms of the Mayor’s willingness to close most of the rec centers, eliminate the Police helicopters, close seven fire companies, stop bulk trash pickup, and cancel street resurfacing projects, I have to say that simply saying “no more taxes or fees” is just not realistic. So, please take the time to think about each of the proposed revenue bills, why you may be for or against it and, if the latter, what alternatives you suggest.  (Don't bother suggesting a commuter tax - we'd love to, but the State legislature won't let us!)

Descriptions of these bills, including the new revenue estimated to be generated, are as follows:

Bill 10-0467 - Hotel Room Tax Rate - $3.9M new revenue
Would raise the tax on hotel charges from 7.5% to 10% of hotel guest charges. Along with the additional $3.9M to the general fund, an additional $2.6M would go to Visit Baltimore, which promotes tourism in the downtown area.

Bill 10-0468 - Local Income Tax - $5.9M new revenue
For persons living in Baltimore City, the local income tax rate would increase from 3.05% to 3.20% of taxable income for 2011 and thereafter.

Bill 10-0469 - Property Tax - Discount for Early Payment - $2.5M estimated “saved”*
Currently, property owners receive a 1% discount on property taxes paid before July 31 and a .50% discount before August 31. This legislation would eliminate all discounts after July 31 and reduces the July discount to .50%.
*The $2.5M savings estimates are based on the termination of August discounts. No estimates yet of July savings.

Bill 10-0470 - Energy Tax-Rates - $8.16M new revenue
To quote the Finance report, “This bill will increase the current Baltimore City Energy Tax by 15%. Additionally, taxes for nonprofit users of energy will be charged the same rate as commercial users.”

Bill 10-0471 - Parking Tax Rate - $5.08M new revenue
Increases the Baltimore City parking tax from 16% to 20% in parking garages, both privately and publicly owned.

Bill 10-0472 - Parking Violations-Fines - $1.68M new revenue
Increases City parking fines by 20% by violation category.

Bill 10-0473 - Telecommunications Tax-Rate - $3.74M new revenue
Increases local tax on phone lines in Baltimore city from $3.50 to $4.00 per line and increases Centrix rates from 35 cents to 40 cents.

Bill 10-0474 - Beverage Container Tax - $11.4M new revenue
Imposes a 4-cent surcharge on non-reusable beverage containers which are sold in Baltimore City. It would NOT include containers of dairy products, non-dairy milk substitutes, beverages containing at least 10% natural fruit juices, and any beverage of 2 liters or larger, but it WOULD include bottled water. It would not include beverage containers for which deposits are paid by consumers and refunds are paid by dealers.

Bill 10-0475 - Bed Capacity Fee - $3.94M new revenue
Imposes a bed capacity fee of $350 per year on every college/university dorm and hospital which is a private, tax-exempt institution.

These bills will all be heard by the Taxation, Finance and Economic Development Committee, of which I am the vice-chair; barring something unforeseen, I will be attending the hearings on all of them. Two hearings have already been scheduled – the Beverage Container Tax and the Bed Capacity Fee will be heard on Thursday, April 22, in the Council Chamber on the 4th floor of City Hall at 11am and 12noon, respectively.

At this point, I am leaning against a “bottle” tax; businesses in our district are at a greater risk of losing sales to county competitors than many others in the City. Also, given that the tax only applies to non-refundable bottles though, I agree with some of my colleagues that we should strongly reconsider mandatory deposits on bottles in Baltimore City instead.

I am also very uncomfortable with the bed capacity fee. While I acknowledge that about 1/3rd of the real property in the City is exempt from property tax and that this places a burden on the rest of us, I think the bed fee is designed inequitably. Any reasonable attempt to get non-profits throughout Baltimore to pay a fairer share of the costs of running this City would not be generating more than a quarter of its total proceeds from Loyola University alone. Plus, given the effort that the surrounding communities have put into getting Loyola to house more of its students on campus - and the cooperation that Loyola has provided – it seems unfair now to penalize them for having done what we asked them to do.

By the way, two other bills - already introduced and in committee - that the Mayor is considering making part of her revenue package are Councilman Curran’s “simulated slots” bill and my own paper and plastic bag surcharge. The simulated slots bill would raise about $1.26M by increasing the registration fees for video poker-style games in bars and stores, which I think makes sense. My bag surcharge bill, however, was not intended to be a “moneymaker” for the City; I promised impacted businesses early on that any funds raised by the surcharge would either stay with the businesses or underwrite “green” programs, like giving all households in the City free reusable bags.

Otherwise, I am currently undecided as to the rest of the Mayor’s revenue package – so I want you to let me know what you think. While I may not be able to do everything that each of you suggest, I promise that I will carefully consider your thoughts and recommendations as we move forward through this difficult process.

Thanks!

- Bill
-------------------------------------------------
The Honorable Bill Henry
4th District - Baltimore City Council
(410) 396-4830 - voice
(410) 659-1792 - fax
Bill.Henry@BaltimoreCity.gov
http://friendsofbillhenry.blogspot.com/

City Hall Office:
100 North Holliday Street, Room 502
Baltimore, Maryland 21202

District Office:
5225 York Road, Suite D
Baltimore, MD 2121

District-wide community meeting this Thursday !!!

Just a quick reminder:

My next district-wide community meeting is this Thursday evening, April 8th. Our featured speaker will be Mr. Andrew Klein, the City’s budget director.

Thursday, April 8th

7pm - 8:30 pm

Andrew White Student Center – 4th Floor

Loyola University Maryland

(A map of the campus, showing short-term parking in blue, is below - click on it to expand it)

Mr. Klein will be sharing with us the same current year budget background information that he has been presenting to the City Council, agency heads, and mayoral transition team members. My hope is that more broadly disseminating this information will better prepare all of us to face the challenges of the FY '11 budget.

Please call Leslie Wietscher at 410-396-4830 or email Leslie.Wietscher@BaltimoreCity.gov to confirm your attendance. Thank you for your continued commitment to our communities and I look forward to seeing you on Thursday!

- Bill

TONIGHT - York-Belvedere Plan Community Meeting

The Baltimore City Planning Department is in the middle of a planning process for the York-Belvedere commercial area, focusing on issues of traffic, parking and zoning. Please join us on March 22nd to share your ideas and help shape the process. Tell your neighbors and community association members, everyone is welcome.

York-Belvedere Small Area Master Plan meeting
Monday, March 22nd - 6:30pm to 8pm
Junior League, 5902 York Road (enter off of Rosebank)

The two maps below are part of a study of the development potential of the York-Belvedere area conducted by the Planning Department in last spring. The study looked at undeveloped parcels as well as parcels that could be consolidated and redeveloped. Only lots currently zoned commercial were included in the study and those with historically significant buildings like the Senator Theater were excluded.

The square footage shown is not the maximum allowed under zoning; rather it is in scale with existing York-Belvedere area development. The two maps show development options, with new commercial or mixed-use development in gray and potential parking garages in pink. (NOTE: These are NOT proposed developments! They are just places the Planning Department identified as being big enough for prospective development, conceptually...)

Floor Area Ratio (FAR) is the ratio of the floor area to the total site area or “how much building” can be built on a given property. Zoning determines FAR. Note that the property at York/Orkney is part of a Planned Unit Development (PUD) and therefore the allowable square footage is based on the area of the PUD, not only the lot itself. (If you click on the maps, they should expand to a readable size...)
 

For more information, contact Lisa Morris, Northern District Planner for the Baltimore City Dept of Planning at (410) 396-5937 or at Lisa.Morris@baltimorecity.gov

 

Rally to Get Baltimore Working

This coming Monday, March 22nd at the City Council's 5pm meeting, I will be introducing a new law aimed at bringing jobs back to Baltimore City and tackling our growing unemployment problem.

Just beforehand, many supporters throughout the community will be

in front of City Hall - 100 N. Holliday Street -

at 4:15pm on Monday, rallying in support of this legislation.

Together, we can “Get Baltimore Working” again.

I hope to see you there!