* 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: Councilmember Conaway
A RESOLUTION ENTITLED
A COUNCIL RESOLUTION concerning
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Investigative Hearing - Payment of Lead Poisoning Judgements
FOR the purpose of requesting the Commissioner of Housing to report to the City Council the scope of adjudicated, pending, and anticipated cases concerning the lead paint poisoning of former residents of the Housing Authority of Baltimore City (HABC); calling upon the City Solicitor to discuss the decision not to honor the judgements awarded to plaintiffs; and asking the Director of Finance to discuss possible funding sources to compensate those harmed while living in our public housing facilities.
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Recitals
As extensively reported by the media, HABC is reportedly facing 9 court judgements totaling nearly $12 million from lawsuits filed by Baltimore City residents who suffered lead paint poisoning from their tenancy in public housing. In addition, it is alleged that besides these judgements against it, HABC faces 175 more lead-paint cases with potential claims of more than $800 million.
The suits against the Authority, the 5th largest in the country with a $300,000 million annual budget, stem from damages inflicted more than a decade ago from exposure to lead-based paint, which was banned in Baltimore in 1950 – unfortunately, much of Baltimore’s housing stock predates the moratorium.
The Maryland Department of the Environment reports that lead...
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