City of Baltimore

City Council

City Hall, Room 408

100 North Holliday Street

Baltimore, Maryland 21202

Meeting Agenda - Final

Monday, March 24, 2025

5:00 PM

Virtual Meeting Link: https://bmore.webex.com/bmore/j.php?

MTID=m27a12c46f6384dbd122b9ed78312b0ef

Password: Public

City Hall, 4th Floor, Du Burns Chambers

Baltimore City Council

Zeke Cohen, Council President - District 1: Mark Parker - District 2: Danielle

McCray - District 3: Ryan Dorsey - District 4: Mark Conway - District 5: Isaac "Yitzy"

Schleifer - District 6: Vice President Sharon Green Middleton - District 7: James

Torrence - District 8: Paris Gray - District 9: John Bullock - District 10: Phylicia

Porter - District 11: Zac Blanchard - District 12: Jermaine Jones - District 13: Antonio

Glover - District 14: Odette Ramos

Call to Order

Invocation

Rev. Dr. Robert Richard Allen Turner, Empowerment Temple AME Church

Pledge of Allegiance

Roll Call

Approval of the Journal

March 10, 2025

Bills Signed by the Mayor

March 17, 2025

25-0007

Supplementary Special Revenue Fund Operating Appropriation –

Mayor’s Office of Recovery Programming – $270,000

FOR the purpose of providing a Supplementary Special Revenue Fund

Operating Appropriation in the amount of $270,000 to the Mayor’s Office of

Recovery Programming – Service 916 (Opioid Restitution Administration),

to provide funding for additional positions to oversee grants awarded

through the Opioid Restitution Fund; and providing for a special effective

date.

Sponsors:

City Council President (Administration)

25-0008

Supplementary Special Revenue Fund Operating Appropriation –

Mayor’s Office of Recovery Programming – $10,000,000

FOR the purpose of providing a Supplementary Special Revenue Fund

Operating Appropriation in the amount of $10,000,000 to the Mayor’s

Office of Recovery Programming – Service 917 (Opioid Grants - Named

Organizations), to provide partial grant funding for non-profit organizations

named in settlement agreements; and providing for a special effective

date.

Sponsors:

City Council President (Administration)

25-0009

Supplementary Special Revenue Fund Operating Appropriation –

Mayoralty – $1,773,000

FOR the purpose of providing a Supplementary Special Revenue Fund

Operating Appropriation in the amount of $1,773,000 to the Mayoralty –

Service 918 (Opioid Restitution Administration), to provide funding for

additional positions to provide direction and guidance regarding the City’s

opioid response, establishment of the Restitution Advisory Board,

contractual support to establish a trust fund for litigation proceeds, and

community engagement; and providing for a special effective date.

Sponsors:

City Council President (Administration)

25-0010

Supplementary Special Revenue Fund Operating Appropriation –

Department of Law – $100,000

FOR the purpose of providing a Supplementary Special Revenue Fund

Operating Appropriation in the amount of $100,000 to the Department of

Law – Service 862 (Transactions Contracts), to provide funding to create 2

additional positions to oversee contract agreements with grant

organizations; and providing for a special effective date.

Sponsors:

City Council President (Administration), Isaac "Yitzy" Schleifer

25-0011

Supplementary Special Revenue Fund Operating Appropriation –

Baltimore City Health Department – $500,000

FOR the purpose of providing a Supplementary Special Revenue Fund

Operating Appropriation in the amount of $500,000 to the Baltimore City

Health Department – Service 715

(Health - Administration), to provide funding for planning costs for a

replacement facility for the Westside clinic; and providing for a special

effective date.

Sponsors:

City Council President (Administration)

25-0012

Supplementary Special Revenue Fund Operating Appropriation –

Baltimore City Health Department – $2,000,000

FOR the purpose of providing a Supplementary Special Revenue Fund

Operating Appropriation in the amount of $2,000,000 to the Baltimore City

Health Department – Service 307

(Health - Substance Use Disorder), to provide funding for staffing and

support costs for opioid response and recovery strategies; and providing

for a special effective date.

Sponsors:

City Council President (Administration)

Executive Nominations

EA25-0004

Makeda Drake

Member - Public Art Commission

Committee on Legislative Investigations

EA25-0005

EA25-0006

EA25-0007

EA25-0008

EA25-0009

EA25-0010

Jaz Erenberg

Member - Public Art Commission

Committee on Legislative Investigations

Shanek Kumi

Member - Public Art Commission

Committee on Legislative Investigations

Mary Ann Mears

Member - Public Art Commission

Committee on Legislative Investigations

Amy Raehse

Member - Public Art Commission

Committee on Legislative Investigations

Evan Richardson

Member - Public Art Commission

Committee on Legislative Investigations

Stanley Mazaroff

Member - Public Art Commission

Committee on Legislative Investigations

Bills Introduced

25-0040

Zoning – Uses – Retail: Small Box Establishment

FOR the purpose of making small box discount retail stores a conditional

use by approval of the Board of Municipal Zoning Appeals in all

commercial zoning districts; setting use standards for new small box

discount retail stores; and defining certain terms.

Sponsors:

Sharon Green Middleton, Odette Ramos, Mark Parker, Ryan Dorsey, Mark Conway,

James Torrence, Paris Gray, John Bullock, Phylicia Porter, Antonio "Tony" Glover

Land Use and Transportation Committee

25-0041

Zoning – Conditional Use Conversion of Single-Family Dwelling Unit to 3

Dwelling Units in the R-7 Zoning District – Variances – 2628 Edmondson

Avenue

FOR the purpose of permitting, subject to certain conditions, the

conversion of a single-family dwelling unit to 3 dwelling units in the R-7

Zoning District on the property known as 2628 Edmondson Avenue, as

outlined in red on the accompanying plat; granting variances regarding

certain bulk regulations (lot size area) and off-street parking requirements;

and providing for a special effective date.

Sponsors:

John Bullock

Land Use and Transportation Committee

25-0042

Retirement Savings Plan – Clarifying Amendment

FOR the purpose of clarifying the definition of “service” for the members of

the Retirement Savings Plan; and providing for a special effective date.

Sponsors:

City Council President (Administration)

Labor and Workforce Committee

25-0043

Employees’ Retirement System – Class C – Filing Period – Amendment

FOR the purpose of increasing the time period required between filing for

and commencing receipt of service retirement benefits by Class C

members; and providing for a special effective date.

Sponsors:

City Council President (Administration)

Labor and Workforce Committee

25-0044

Employees’ Retirement System – Board of Trustees – Membership and

Qualifications

FOR the purpose of making certain amendments to the membership and

qualifications of the members of the Employees’ Retirement System’s

Board of Trustees; and providing for a special effective date.

Sponsors:

City Council President (Administration)

Labor and Workforce Committee

25-0045

Supplementary State Fund Operating Appropriation –

Department of Recreation and Parks – Service 654 (Urban Forestry) –

$90,000

FOR the purpose of providing a Supplementary State Fund Operating

Appropriation in the amount of $90,000 to the Department of Recreation

and Parks – Service 654 (Urban Forestry), to provide funding for

addressing the pressing concerns surrounding the detrimental impact of

deer on the forested natural areas within Baltimore City parks, particularly

those affecting forest ecology in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

(“EPA”) Inflation Reduction Act (“IRA”) Disadvantaged Communities; and

providing for a special effective date.

Sponsors:

City Council President (Administration)

Budget and Appropriations Committee

25-0046

Supplementary State Fund Operating Appropriation –

Health Department (Service 723 - Advocacy for Seniors) – $90,236

FOR the purpose of providing a Supplementary State Fund Operating

Appropriation in the amount of $90,236 to the Health Department –

Service 723 (Advocacy for Seniors), to provide funding for assisting and

guiding care givers of persons with dementia, building community

awareness of dementia, and strengthening the ability of area agencies on

aging to provide services to the growing number of Marylanders with

ADRD and their family care givers; and providing for a special effective

date.

Sponsors:

City Council President (Administration)

Budget and Appropriations Committee

25-0047

Supplementary Federal Fund Operating Appropriation –

M-R Office of Employment Development – Service 795

(Workforce Services for Baltimore Residents) – $206,822

FOR the purpose of providing a Supplementary Federal Fund Operating

Appropriation in the

amount of $206,822 to the M-R Office of Employment Development –

Service 795 (Workforce Services for Baltimore Residents), to provide

funding for a Recovery-Friendly Workplace pilot (RFW) to educate the

business community about the benefits of providing resources for

employees struggling with substance use disorder, and for job seekers in

recovery that have barriers to employment because of their previous

struggles with substance use; and providing for a special effective date.

Sponsors:

City Council President (Administration)

Budget and Appropriations Committee

25-0048

Supplementary Federal Fund Operating Appropriation –

M-R Office of Employment Development – Service 795

(Workforce Services for Baltimore Residents) – $1,375,655

FOR the purpose of providing a Supplementary Federal Fund Operating

Appropriation in the amount of $1,375,655 to the M-R Office of

Employment Development – Service 795 (Workforce Services for

Baltimore Residents), to provide funding for case management,

barrier removal, supportive services, and skills training to workers

dislocated by the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, as well as offering

occupational skills training to prepare workers to assist with disaster

recovery efforts and, eventually, the reconstruction of the bridge; and

providing for a special effective date.

Sponsors:

City Council President (Administration)

Budget and Appropriations Committee

25-0049

Release of Access Easement – Vehicular Access to U.S. Route 40

through 6709 Pulaski Highway

FOR the purpose of authorizing the release and surrender by the Mayor

and City Council of Baltimore of all of its interests in and to the access

easement generally described as a 30 foot wide parcel, which extends

from Pulaski Highway on the north to the southern boundary of the Property

along the entire eastern boundary of the Property (“the Easement Area”),

previously granted by WH-Pulaski, LLC, predecessor in interest to the

current land owner, 6709 Pulaski, LLC; the location and course of the

access easement to be released being created and described by that

certain Access Easement Agreement dated October 7, 2011 and

recorded among the Land Records of Baltimore City, Liber 13806, Page

235 (“the Access Easement”).

Sponsors:

Danielle N. McCray

Land Use and Transportation Committee

At the Request of: The Administration (DOT)

Resolutions Introduced

25-0015R

Informational Hearing – Well-being of the Transgender Community in

Baltimore

FOR the purpose of inviting representatives from the Mayor’s Office, the

Baltimore City Health Department, the Baltimore Police Department, the

Baltimore City Public School System, the Mayor’s Office of Homeless

Services, the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development, the Mayor’s

Office of LGBTQ Affairs, the Baltimore City Office of Equity and Civil

Rights, the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City, the Baltimore

City Department of Social Services, the Maryland Department of Health,

and Behavioral Health Systems Baltimore to update the Council on

services provided to, and the general well being of, the transgender

community in Baltimore.

Sponsors:

Phylicia Porter, Mark Parker, Ryan Dorsey, Mark Conway, Sharon Green Middleton,

James Torrence, Paris Gray, Zac Blanchard, Jermaine Jones, Odette Ramos, Zeke

Cohen

Public Health and Environment Committee

Consent Calendar

(See Section A at back of Agenda)

2R Second Reader

Housing and Economic Development Committee

25-0003

Historic Preservation – Conservation Districts – Establishment

FOR the purpose of establishing Conservation Districts; providing a study,

proposal, and review process; defining certain terms; and providing for a

special effective date.

Sponsors:

John Bullock, Mark Conway, Sharon Green Middleton, James Torrence, Paris Gray,

Phylicia Porter, Zac Blanchard, Jermaine Jones, Antonio "Tony" Glover, Odette Ramos,

Zeke Cohen

RECOMMEND FAVORABLE WITH AMENDMENT

3R Third Reader

25-0001

Department of Consumer Protection and Business Licensing

FOR the purpose of creating the Department of Consumer Protection and

Business Licensing; providing for the leadership and staffing of the

Department; establishing the Department’s purpose, powers, and duties;

creating the Board of Consumer Protection and Business Licensing;

providing for the membership of the Board; establishing the purpose,

powers, and duties of the Board; transferring the administration of certain

business licenses to the Department; repealing certain obsolete Boards;

allowing the Department to suspend a certain license if the licensee

engages in unfair, abusive, and deceptive trade practices; providing for a

special effective date; making conforming changes; and generally relating

to consumer protection and business licensing.

Sponsors:

Ryan Dorsey, Mark Parker, Mark Conway, Sharon Green Middleton, James Torrence,

Paris Gray, John Bullock, Phylicia Porter, Zac Blanchard, Jermaine Jones, Odette

Ramos, Zeke Cohen

25-0002

Study and Report – Absences in Baltimore City Schools

FOR the purpose of requiring the Baltimore City Public School System

(“City Schools”) to prepare a report exploring the causes of student

absences to better identify solutions to address the most persistent

barriers students face to attending school; requiring City Schools to

collaborate with certain City agencies to propose recommendations to

address the root causes of unexcused absences found in the report; and

providing for a special effective date.

Sponsors:

Mark Conway, Mark Parker, Ryan Dorsey, Sharon Green Middleton, James Torrence,

John Bullock, Phylicia Porter, Zac Blanchard, Jermaine Jones, Antonio "Tony" Glover,

Odette Ramos, Zeke Cohen, Paris Gray

Committee Announcements

Announcements

District Spotlight - District 2