May 2022 Community Meeting

Type of meeting: 
Community
Meeting date: 
Wednesday, May 4, 2022
Status: 
DRAFT

Officer Owens Report

  • 1 street robbery – robber was arrested
  • 1 larceny
  • 1 larceny auto

Officer Owens recommends everyone  be alert and aware of your surroundings when walking home, to your car, and when sitting at a red light. Don’t look at your phone at these times

Let BPD know about any events in the neighborhood coming up that we’d like them to attend.

A community member commented that sometimes teenagers have been congregating in the tot lot after dark and requested Officer Owens come through and patrol in the evenings once in a while.

Contact information:
Dominique.owens@baltimorepolice.org
443-908-0682

Paul asked if we could submit videos to BPD. Officer said that if you have videos of package thefts, email the video to Officer Owens directly because there is no online portal through BPD for videos, only photos. Also send the BPD report number from online submittal.

John Susman – RAISE Baltimore Transit 

Mr. Susman works for MDOT office of planning and community outreach. MTA is working on several projects in the east-west corridor of the city. Implementing quicklink 40 – express bus – to save time on east-west routes.

RAISE Bmore transit priority project – improvements to citylink blue and orange which are the busiest routes.

  • Blue – security square through edmondson village through downtown, north Patterson, ends at bayview
  • Orange – Marc transfer station in West Baltimore  – goes downtown through bayview and ends over in Essex

This project is adding at least 10 miles of designated bus lanes and transit signal priority, working on ADA improvements around the bus stops by looking at how people get to and from the bus stops and improving curbs and sidewalks on the way. Also other pedestrian and cyclist safety improvements – lighting btn downtown and west bmore marc station, etc.

RAISE Baltimore is doing lots of pop-ups at transit stops to talk to riders, has built relationships with high schools in that corridor, and is doing lots of community outreach overall. 

This outreach is trying to capture voices of people using the transit services. 

Project schedule – just begun planning phase, need public feedback through fall to incorporate into final plan. 2023- preliminary engineering, construction complete 2027.

For more information, email: info@raisebaltimore.com with questions, feedback, etc.

Project website: www.Raisebaltimore.com

How do people best provide feedback? Take survey on the website.

Approval of April meeting minutes – motion to approve passed

Finance committee update

Proposed budget – sent to zoom attendees via link. Highlights are listed below:

  • The committee and board reviewed proposed budget based on past spending
  • Board recommended printing the newsletter on a quarterly basis – best way to save $$ but also reach new neighbors that don’t know about the website. Monthly newsletters will still be available electronically.
  • Proposed total expenditures: $2,475 for 2022
  • Board committed to raise back 75% of this year's expenditures.

Comments from the community:

  • Asked to break out Zoom from web domain hosting line item – yes will do.
  • Asked about cost of email blasts, Bill uses a free account with MailChimp for that.
  • Clarified that advertising for RDA events is for hard copies for posters, flyers, etc.
  • Clarification – still monthly digital newsletters with 4 a year will be printed hard copies

Motion to approve budget. Budget approved.

Reviewed spend YTD - $100 for easter egg hunt, $36 community cleanup supplies, $50 for newsletter printing.

 ARC report 

It was a quiet month for ARC – haven’t gotten any information from the Pratt st development – not much activity but no notice of delays

Also noticed violation notices on the Fremont project, but ARC hasn’t been notified about anything.

ARC question – 337 south Fremont is vacant and has not been secured. Contact Deb or Bobby if you see it open and they will contact the owner. This property is on the market – hoping to sell

April recap

  • newsletter is now hybrid
  • first Friday happy hour – tailgate at Conway park
  • $8 tickets – buy tickets in section 328 to sit with your neighbors – after the tailgate
  • thanks to organizers of egg hunt
  • thanks to mayor’s cleanup participants
  • The board meeting at 7 pm on 5/11/22 – open to the community
  • CDC regs are still such that we will continue in-person meetings - outdoor meetings are preferred.

Next meeting is June 1 in the tot lot at 7 pm

New Business 

  1. Several neighbors are privately funding monthly cleanups by My Father’s Plan. There will be a NextDoor post with information if anyone wants to contribute. A community member requested to include that information in the monthly newsletter.

  2. Paul McCartney concert – June 12th – come with lawn chairs to listen with your neighbors in Cool Breeze Park.

Attendees:

Ab Bear
Bennilynne Fuller
Bill Reuter
Bobby Goodfellow
Christine Middleton
Deb O'Neil
Eileen Gladd
Gerri Salley
John Loggins
Jonathon Susman
Jordan Mayberry
Karin Lundquist
Kate Leitkowski
Leslie Parks
Lillie Hyman
Luciano Diaz
Maia Tatinclaux
Matthew Gladd
Molly Goodfellow
Nancy Mead
Nicole Dungee
Paul Kropowski
Paul Rubenson
Sharon Reuter
Sidas Saulynas