MEETING MINUTES

President Tori Simms called the meeting to order and announced the following:

• Streetscape Committee has two new co-chairs – Amy Finney and Betsy Wadsworth
• City will “tweet” on days when scheduled street will not be swept. Will be okay to park during those hours without receiving a ticket. How to notify members? Blast e-mail from Community Initatives or put on Listserve.

Councilman Jim Kraft spoke on Redistricting Plan: Every 10 years after census redistricting is required. City's 14 districts should be about 46,000 (based on population of 630 to 650,00), plus or minus %5. Normally census data is available in late March/early April but Mayor required to present a map of redrawing of districts to City Council by February 1 st. Council has 60 days to accept, amend, or develop own plan.

Mayor's plan is based on 2008 estimated census projected forward to 2010. Proposed plan would remove several streets (Baltimore and north) from District One. Councilman Kraft has spoken to the mayor about need to consolidate neighborhoods rather than taking them apart. Council will be briefed on February 9 th followed by hearings at City Hall at 5pm on 16 th and 23 rd (meeting of 23 rd will be televised on channel 25). This will be followed by public meetings in various locations from 5 to 8pm on March 2 nd, 3 rd, 9 th, and 16 th. Final vote will be taken on March 28 th.

William Vondrasek, Chief of Parks, presented preliminary plans for Patterson Park Dog Park: Possible to use bottom two tennis courts on Linwood to establish a dog park similar to Canton or Locust Point. This would be about 14,400 square feet. To offset “loss” of courts would put nets in top two courts.

Would be no surface change but could put in log, mounds, and possibly a water channel. This will be done without a formal budget. (Locust Point cost $230,000 and neighborhood raised $30,000 of cost). Considerable discussion on:

• Separate into large and small dog areas? Will not be sufficient space for dogs to run.
• Surface area bad for dogs.
• What is wrong with non-fenced off lead hours as proposed for Riverside Park?
• If this park is established as a half-way measure may never have response for a real park.

Suggested that there be a walk through the park with Councilman Kraft, Park representatives, Friends of Patterson Park, and representatives of dog groups. This was agreed to. E-mail address is william.vondrasek@baltimorecity.gov .

Parking Authority Representatives, Vincent Thomas and Tiffany James:

Mr. Thomas is newly appointed as Assitant Director; Ms. James is the Assistant to the Director. The Parking Authority (PA) is non-profit. Residental Parking Permit (RPP) fees from 41 RPPs in city do not cover costs. Following questions were raised:

• Commodore John Rogers School: Are 50 to 60 staff but only parking on playground for 35 cars. Can they be given permits to park from 7am to 5pm? Up to Community organization to allow “X” permits and how they handle payment for permit.
• True that if have a garage, would not get a permit? Yes, if have one car and a garage would not need a permit although could have permit for 2 nd car and obtain visitor permits. Not necessary to have a car to get a permit.
• How long is Visitor's Permit good for? 3 days. If a problem, BHA could challenge the regulations.
• What guarantee that annual cost of a permit wouldn't be raised in future? No guarantees although have not raised it in 25 years.
• While RPP might solve the day problem for those near Johns Hopkins, it does not solve the evening problem for all BH residents – simply not enough spaces.
• If live on Alley street can't sign petition? Can only sign petition if live on street where sign will be posted but can have a permit.
• Must parking survey be redone? Yes, have to do it again.
• What constitutes a block? Each side of street is a block. Can specify which blocks to be included.
• What about Churches? RPP signs will not be posted near churches since must have access.
• Will Patterson Park east be included?
• Can a church or business be included in survey? No, only residents.

In summary, process will be as follows:

• Back to BHA Executive Council
• Formal Proposal
• Vote by BHA Members yea or nay.
• If yea, must resurvey all residential units – need 70% at least to ensure meet 60% response rate required. One signature per unit.
• 60% of all units must vote yes.
• Then to Parking Authority for new survey and approval.