FREE RIDE TO THE POLLS IN BALTIMORE CITY

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This ELECTION DAY, Tuesday, November 2nd, vans and drivers will be available throughout the day. Housing communities are asked to organize residents and schedule a pickup.

Please call 443-525-7399 to schedule rides.

REMINDER - Next District-Wide Community Meeting - THIS WEDNESDAY

This Wednesday, at the request of the York Road Partnership (YRP), several City agencies will update us on their progress towards meeting the goals in the York Road Community's Strategic Neighborhood Action Plan (SNAP), originally published in 2006. The update will take the form of a series of brief presentations as to what each department has accomplished regarding their respective goals in the seven sections of the SNAP.

These presentations will be made at my upcoming district-wide community meeting, which is being combined with YRP's regular monthly meeting:

Wednesday, November 3rd

Walter P. Carter Recreation Center

820 E. 43rd St. (@ St. Georges Ave.)

6:30pm to 8:30pm

The meeting will begin at 6:30pm, with City Council President Bernard C. "Jack" Young leading off as our guest speaker, followed by a brief SNAP "background" presentation by the YRP, and then the agency reports beginning around 7pm. Pizza and beverages will be available starting at 6:15pm.

As always, please call Leslie Wietscher at 410-396-4830 or email Leslie.Wietscher@BaltimoreCity.gov if you have any questions about the event or to confirm your attendance. If you have questions regarding the SNAP, please contact Zach Chissell at ZChissell@greaterhomewood.org. Thank you for your continued commitment to your community and the city of Baltimore and I look forward to seeing you on November 3rd!

- Bill

P.S. If you would like to download your own .pdf copy of the SNAP, follow this link...but be prepared to wait for all 4.26 MB to download from Planning's server: http://www.baltimorecity.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=aR3X_Cd--P8%3d&tabid=272&mid=636

HEARING SCHEDULED FOR COUNCIL PRESIDENT’S TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY BILL

On Monday, November 1, 2010, at 5 p.m., the City Council's Judiciary and Legislative Investigations Committee will hold a hearing to explore the possibility of broadcasting proceedings from the Liquor Board, Board of Municipal Zoning Appeals and Board of Estimates, which represent three of the city’s most influential decision-making bodies.

Most citizens are kept in the dark about decisions made by these powerful boards – which rule on everything from zoning changes to the awarding of multi-million dollar construction contracts – because they are not currently televised, and the meetings often take place during the day when people are at work.

“My bill will continue to strengthen Baltimore’s communities and ensure that our citizens are able to follow government proceedings,” Council President Young said. “The Transparency and Accountability Bill is critically important and will help us build a stronger Baltimore.”

The hearing is open to the public and will be broadcast on TV25.

Monday, Nov. 1 - 5pm

Du Burns Council Chamber, 4th Floor

City Hall - 100 N. Holliday Street

Trash and Recycling Collection CANCELLED next Tuesday

Director Alfred H. Foxx announced today that Department of Public Works’ offices will be closed Election Day, Tuesday, November 2nd.

Trash and recycling WILL NOT BE COLLECTED.  There WILL BE NO BULK TRASH collection scheduled.  Citizen drop-off centers WILL BE CLOSED (all yards including Quarantine Road Landfill, the Northwest Transfer Station and the Eastern, Western and Northwestern Sanitation Yards).

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 6TH will be the make up collection day for trash and recycling in those areas that are regularly scheduled for collection on Tuesday.

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

Northeast Truck Study Public Meeting

The Baltimore City Department of Transportation has concluded a truck study intended to better manage truck traffic in the Northeast corridor of the City. 

Please come out tomorrow night to learn about truck traffic changes in our area.

Thursday, October 28

6:30pm- 8:30pm

Dewees Park RecreationCenter

5501 Ivanhoe Ave.

Welcome Back to the Senator Theatre!

If you haven't already heard, Buzz and Kathleen Cusack are re-opening The Senator Theatre on Friday, October 15th, starting with the film "RED," an action-comedy-spy-thriller starring Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren and John Malkovich as ex-CIA agents who are now Retired, but still Extremely Dangerous.

Showtimes, per the new website for the Senator, are 2:15pm, 4:30pm, 7:10pm, and 9:45pm.  You can also now buy tickets for the Senator in advance, by credit card here.
(Baltimore Sun photo by Lloyd Fox, poorly edited in-house...)

Coming Soon: the 2010 Fall Clean Up - Saturday, October 23rd!

The 2010 Fall Clean Up will take place on Saturday, October 23rd, the theme for this year’s clean up being  “Streets Are Streams - Clean Water Starts In Your Own Yard.”  For the first time, the Department of Recreation and Parks and the Baltimore Water Alliance will hold their annual community cleaning events in coordination with the Department of Public Works.

“The Department of Recreation and Parks is proud to partner with the Bureau of Solid Waste and the Baltimore Water Alliance for the mayor’s city-wide Fall Clean Up,” said Recreation and Parks Director Gregory Bayor. “Promoting the importance of the land-water connection in trash and debris management is an important part of our department’s mission.”

“We are pleased to partner with the Mayor’s office and the Departments of Public Works and Recreation and Parks on this important day of service,” Halle Van der Gaag, Deputy Director of the Baltimore Water Alliance. “Together we will mobilize hundreds of volunteers to help clean up trash, haul tires and other debris out of the Middle Branch, an important natural resource right here in the City. This partnership highlights our collective commitment to cleaner water in Baltimore, not only by cleaning up trash but by also addressing pollution sources that negatively impact our waterways and communities.”

“We look to establish partnerships, because by joining forces we accomplish great things,” added Department of Public Works Director Al Foxx. “I look forward to working on more projects with the Baltimore Water Alliance and to joining the Department of Recreation and Parks again when we start planning the spring clean up. Our goal is to make Baltimore the cleanest city in the country.”

Volunteers are urged to sign up today. Community Associations and volunteers who want to participate in the parks clean up should call 311 to register.

Baltimore Sun photos by Kim Hairston and Monica Lopossay

Next District-Wide Community Meeting - Council President Young and SNAP updates!

The York Road Partnership (YRP) has requested an update by the various involved City agencies on the progress towards meeting the stated goals in the Strategic Neighborhood Action Plan (SNAP) published in 2006. The update will take the form of brief presentations by the respective agency heads as to what each respective department has accomplished regarding each stated goal in the seven sections of the SNAP, while also sharing whether any new goals have been developed during the implementation process.

These presentations will be made at my upcoming district-wide community meeting, which is being combined with YRP's regular monthly meeting:

Wednesday, November 3rd

Walter P. Carter Recreation Center

820 E. 43rd St. (@ St. Georges Ave.)

6:30pm to 8:30pm

The meeting will begin at 6:30pm, with City Council President Bernard C. "Jack" Young leading off as our guest speaker, followed by a brief SNAP "background" presentation by the YRP, and then the agency reports beginning around 7pm.  Pizza and beverages will be available starting at 6:15pm.

The YRP will be collecting specific concerns from community members through their SNAP update committee focus groups; these concerns will be circulated to the agencies in advance, so that relevant concerns may be addressed by the appropriate department representatives. This will take the place of a more conventional "Q&A" session after the presentations.

As always, please call Leslie Wietscher at 410-396-4830 or email Leslie.Wietscher@BaltimoreCity.gov if you have any questions about the event or to confirm your attendance. If you would like to submit concerns or questions regarding the SNAP, please contact Zach Chissell at ZChissell@greaterhomewood.org. Thank you for your continued commitment to your community and the city of Baltimore and I look forward to seeing you on November 3rd!

- Bill

P.S.  If you would like to download your own .pdf copy of the SNAP, follow this link...but be prepared to wait for all 4.26 MB to download from Planning's server: http://www.baltimorecity.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=aR3X_Cd--P8%3d&tabid=272&mid=636

York Road Streetscape Meeting - Wednesday, October 20th

The Baltimore Department of Transportation will hold our next official public meeting for Phase I of the York Road Corridor Improvement Project. The meeting will be held at:

Govans Boundary U.M. Church

5210 York Road

Wednesday, October 20th

6pm to 8pm

Phase I of the York Road Corridor Improvement project is a $5 million capital improvement effort which extends from Glenwood Aveune on the north to 43rd Street on the south. Components of the project include:

• Major sidewalk/ADA ramp repairs
• New pedestrian lighting
• Expanded tree pits and additional street trees
• New traffic signals, including pedestrian countdown timers
• Bike lanes
• Bus stop upgrades and possible bus stop location changes
• Street repaving/remarking/improved crosswalks
• Possible minor traffic changes on peripheral local roads

We will discuss these items in more detail at the meeting, as well as respond to questions and concerns from the public. Feel free to contact Mark Brown at DoT by phone at 443-984-4094 or by email at Mark.brown@baltimorecity.gov if you’d like additional information about the project before the public meeting.

Please check for updates on this and other projects which are underway in the Planning Division of BCDOT on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DOTPlan

GRANTS AVAILABLE FOR YOUTH-LED COMMUNITY ORGANIZING PROJECTS!

Youth As Resources, Baltimore’s youth-led grant making organization has funds available!

Youth (up to age 21) in Baltimore City and County who want to put their community improvement ideas into action are invited to apply for funding. Grants range from $500 - $3,500 and are available for community organizing projects that are created and carried out by young people.

Youth As Resources is offering grant seeker workshops on:

Saturday, October 2 at 10:30 a.m.

and

Monday, October 4 at 5:30 p.m.

Applicants are required to attend one of the two workshops and must be represented by one or two youth and no more than one optional adult. Application deadline is on Monday, November 8 by 5:00 p.m. Registration is required. To sign up for a workshop and/or for more information, please call Julie Reeder at (410) 576-9551 or email her at jreeder@bcf.org.

Youth As Resources
2 East Read Street, 8th floor
Baltimore, MD 21202
410-576-9551 (direct line)
410-837-4701 (fax)
http://www.youthasresources.org/

Mayor Reminds Residents to Prepare for Severe Weather Emergencies

With the National Weather Service predicting that Hurricane Earl may bring heavy amounts of rain and tropical storm winds this weekend, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake reminded residents today to prepare their families and their homes for possible severe weather.

“As we have learned from previous hurricanes, just because we are not in the eye of the storm does not mean we are free from danger. High winds, rain, and a storm surge can cause flooding and the downed power lines. It is absolutely vital that our residents are prepared for whatever Mother Nature throws our way.”

The Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) has been tracking Hurricane Earl since late last week, and will continue to monitor it and Tropical Storm Fiona, which is currently active in the Atlantic Ocean. The storms are predicted to come dangerously close to the eastern shores of our state and any small shift could bring severe weather to our area.  City agencies have begun preparations in case the storms hit the Baltimore region. OEM has developed robust emergency plans, which detail each agency’s role in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from severe weather.

The Mayor reminded residents what they should do to prepare for a severe weather emergency:

• Have an emergency kit, including a flashlight (with extra batteries), a 3 day supply of water, and an AM/FM battery operated Radio.
• Stay tuned to your local TV and Radio Stations for instructions.
• Identify a personal and/or family plan to shelter-in-place, or for the remote possibility of an evacuation.
• Check on family members and friends who may be vulnerable or have special needs.

 

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE NEW DRAFT ZONING CODE?

BALTIMORE CITY'S DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING WOULD LIKE TO HEAR WHAT YOU THINK OF THE NEW DRAFT ZONING CODE!

This exciting achievement is the result of a two-year process aimed at maximizing public input, simplifying the zoning process, creating new tools to support and guide City investments, and preserving the unique character of Baltimore.

The Baltimore City Zoning Code was last comprehensively updated over 40 years ago, and since then, the economic realities and design goals of the City have evolved, and so the 1971 Code no longer meets these needs.

Please join us for a presentation with time for comments and questions on the new DRAFT Zoning Code:

MONDAY, AUGUST 16TH, 2010

5:30-7pm

Department of Planning Open House

417 East Fayette Street, 8th floor

Please forward this invitation to others. No RSVP needed. To review the draft code and to comment on the zoning text, visit http://www.rewritebaltimore.org/