* 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
Introduced by: Councilmember Costello
A Resolution Entitled
A Resolution of the Mayor and City Council concerning
title
Downtown Management District and Downtown Management Authority
For the purpose of renewing and continuing the Downtown Management District and Downtown Management Authority, subject to certain conditions, for an additional 5 years; generally relating to the activities and authority of the Downtown Management District and Downtown Management Authority; and providing for a special effective date.
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Recitals
City Code Article 14, Subtitle 1 (the “Enabling Statute”) authorizes the creation of the Downtown Management District (the “District”) and the Downtown Management Authority (the “Authority”), subject to certain terms, conditions, and limitations.
Art. 14, § 1-20, provides that, no sooner than 4 years and no later than 5 years from the passage of the Enabling Statute, and periodically after that, the City Council must hold a public hearing to evaluate the activities and undertakings of the Authority and the District.
Art. 14, § 1-20, further provides that, at the conclusion of the hearing, the City Council must use the procedures described in Art. 14, § 1-19 to determine whether opposition to continuation of the District exists in excess of certain levels.
By Resolution 96-005, Resolution 02-026, Resolution 07-022, Resolution 12-001, and Resolution 17-002, the District and Authority have been renewed and continued for successive 5-year terms, the most recent of these ending June 30, 2022.
For purposes of determining whether to again renew and continue the District and the Authority, the City Council has held a hearing, as required by Article 14, § 1-20.
The City Council finds that, since its establishment, the Authority has initiated and carried out numerous activities and undertakings in support of the objective of the Enabling Statute, including the implementation of public safety, clean-up, maintenance, streetscape improvements, beautification, and marketing activities and programs. These include:
(1) Downtown Baltimore Guides, who patrol the streets every day to check on businesses, assist the public, and provide safety escorts to downtown employees, residents, and visitors;
(2) Clean Sweep Ambassadors, who remove graffiti, pick up several tons of trash each week, and ensure a clean downtown environment;
(3) Park Stewards, who improve and oversee Downtown’s major open spaces;
(4) Supervision of court-mandated community service workers;
(5) Workforce Development Programs, which provide dozens of trainings and jobs through the Youthworks initiative and to the formerly homeless or incarcerated;
(6) Homeless and substance abuse outreach in conjunction with the Baltimore Police Department and Baltimore Homeless Services, Inc.;
(7) Streetscape and beautification programs, park and green-space maintenance, and flower planting and maintenance;
(8) Capital improvements, including streetscape and infrastructure improvements and remediation of empty City-owned properties;
(9) Master planning and urban design initiatives, relying on comprehensive demographic data;
(10) Comprehensive advertising and marketing campaigns promoting Downtown
Baltimore as the place to live, work, visit, and invest; and
(11) General constituent services work.
The programs and activities listed above all support the redevelopment of Downtown and address challenges specific to the District.
Having evaluated the activities and undertakings of the Authority and the District, the Mayor and City Council believe that further renewal and continuation of the District and the Authority is in the best interests of the City of Baltimore.
Section 1. Be it resolved by the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, That, subject to the Renewal Process described in Section 2 of this Resolution, the District and the Authority are renewed and continued for an additional 5 years, from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2027. However, the Authority may not impose any taxes or charges, other than those in effect on the date of enactment of this Resolution, until the Renewal Process is completed and certified by the Board of Estimates.
Section 2. And be it further resolved, That the Board of Estimates must use the procedures described in Article 14, § 1-19, to determine whether opposition to continuation of the District exists in excess of the Base Level Protests. If this excess opposition exists, the Board of Estimates must then conduct a referendum, comparable to that described in § 1-19, to determine whether the District should be renewed and continued for another 5 years.
Section 3. And be it further resolved, That this Resolution takes effect on the date it is enacted.