* Warning: This is an unofficial, introductory copy of the bill.
The official copy considered by the City Council is the first reader copy.
Introductory*
City of Baltimore
Council Bill R
(Resolution)
Introduced by: Councilmembers Burnett, Cohen, and Dorsey
A Resolution Entitled
A Council Resolution concerning
title
Upkeep and Maintenance of Vacant Lots and Public Green Spaces
For the purpose of requesting the Director of the Department of Recreation and Parks, the Director of the Department of Planning, the Director of the Department of Transportation, the Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development, the Head of the Bureau of Solid Waste, the Sustainability Coordinator, a representative from the Office of the Comptroller, and the Chief of the Bureau of Budget and Management Research to report on the annual cumulative total of calls for service for the upkeep and maintenance of vacant lots and green spaces; and recommending to the Administration that a single City agency be charged with the responsibility for mowing all City-owned lots, parcels, parks, and green spaces.
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Recitals
According to data provided by the Department of Housing and Community Development and the Department of Planning, there are currently 9,297 vacant or abandoned properties owned by the City of Baltimore and 7,946, or over 85%, of these are vacant lots requiring mowing. With the total number of vacant City-owned lots hovering around 8,000, a single bureau would increase both the efficiency and effectiveness of this City service.
In 2010, 4,000 lots owned by the Mayor and City Council, which are managed by the Department of Housing and Community Development, averaged $760 per lot for 3 grass cutting seasons and $1,015 per lot for annual trash and debris removal, totaling a little over $7,000,000 for total average maintenance cost for all the lots.
Consolidating all mowing operations in a single agency will eliminate confusion in determining which City agency is responsible for mowing which City-owned parcel. It would also create opportunities for the City to provide better service with greater efficiency in both cost and response time.
Now, therefore, be it resolved by the City Council of Baltimore, That the City Council requests the Director of the Department of Recreation and Parks, the Director of the Department of Planning, the Director of the Department of Transportation, the Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development, the Head of the Bureau of Solid Waste, the Sustainability Coordinator, a representative from the Office of the Comptroller, and the Chief of the Bureau of Budget and Management Research to report on the annual cumulative total of calls for service for the upkeep and maintenance of vacant lots and green spaces; and recommends to the Administration that a single City agency be charged with the responsibility for mowing all City-owned lots, lots, parcels, parks, and green spaces.
And be it further resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be sent to the Mayor, the Director of the Department of Recreation and Parks, the Director of the Department of Planning, the Sustainability Coordinator, the Director of the Department of Transportation, the Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development, the Head of the Bureau of Solid Waste, the Office of the Comptroller, the Chief of the Bureau of Budget and Management Research, and the Mayor’s Legislative Liaison to the City Council.