City Council - Regular Meeting

At this time would everyone willing and able please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you. Madam City Clerk, will you please call the roll?

Yes, sir. Mayor Litman?

Present.

Alderman Huntley? Here. Alderman O'Neill? Present. Alderman Smith-Brown? Present. Alderman Alsop-Johnson? Here. Alderman Chatham-Meyer? Present. Alderman Conte? Here. Alderman Savage?

Present.

Alderman Thorpe? Present. Thank you.

Mr. City Attorney, please call the next item on the agenda.

The next item on the agenda is the approval of the agenda.

At this time, I'm going to entertain a motion to approve the agenda.

So moved.

Thank you, Alderwoman O'Neill. Is there a second?

Second.

All those in favor, say aye.

Aye.

Motion carries. Mr. City Attorney, please present the next item on the agenda.

The next item on the agenda is a ceremonial item, ID 15526, City Council Citation to Dr. Charles Dean Fairley.

Thank you. This is for Dr. Chersling-Fairley, who is retiring very shortly. And we want to thank her. She is retiring from the Community Action Agency, which is in Ward 1. So if Harry, you'd like to join me. So before we introduce the citation for her, Ms. Fairley had a birthday on Friday. I won't share her age, but she is free to. And so the older woman behind you, Daisha Conte, has a little birthday treat for you. On behalf of the residents of the City of Annapolis, we are pleased to confer upon you the City Council Citation to congratulate you on your tenure as CEO of the Anne Arundel County Community Action Agency. Your important work on youth development, economic mobility, workforce development, and reentry services has changed the lives of countless people. Thank you and congratulations on your retirement. On behalf of me as mayor, the entire City Council, and the residents of the City of Annapolis, we're pleased to confer this citation to you.

Okay. As the CEO of Community Action Agency, I'm just doing everything. During the time I served as the CEO of the agency, which I've served for eight years, I took the job with the anticipation of just doing three years. So it's eight years, it's time for me to go. But frequently, I reminded people that I was a working CEO. I did not get to as many meetings as I should have, but it was important that I stay at that agency and get the work done. So I'm delighted on behalf of the board of directors and personnel of the agency as well as the individuals that we served during the time I was CEO. Many people do not understand that Community Action Agency is the designated anti-poverty agency for the county. And Anne Arundel, Annapolis, is in the county. We served everybody who darkened our doors, who needed help. We did not serve individuals according to zip codes. So, with that, I'm gonna say thank you, thank you. I am truly honored as I'm not an Anapolitan, but I think I am. I've been here almost for decades, but I think of myself as an Anapolitan. But this is a great honor, and I do appreciate it. Thank you so much. Thank you. This is my daughter, Nina Hickson, who has recently moved from Atlanta, Georgia to be with me in my old age. I was 88 on July 24th. But Nina comes from after practicing law in Atlanta for 40 years herself. She was chief legal officer for the city. She was also judge. Well, I'm not going to embarrass you, Nina. I could stand here and brag about it, but I'm pleased to have her with me to receive this important citation.

Everybody should have an advocate for themselves like you are for your daughter. Mr. City Attorney, please present the next item on the agenda.

The next item on the agenda is petition reports and communications beginning with update from the mayor.

Thank you.

Give me one second.

Good evening. This is going to be our last council meeting before we take our August recess. During that month, the city council goes on recess, meaning that we'll have no city council or committee meetings. But of course, the work of city government continues. The next city council meeting is scheduled for September 14th. I get to share a note of appreciation from a couple of city residents. Eric Leschinski, who serves as Chief of Comprehensive Planning for the Department of Planning and Zoning, recently received this email from two Annapolis residents, Jennifer Wilhoy and Yannis Kakoyeni. They reached out regarding the recent street safety project on Tyler Avenue. After getting permission from them, I'd like to share a snippet of their message. It reads, Yannis and I wanted to thank you again for all your hard work on the Tyler Avenue project. The road is now properly lined, and we've already noticed a huge difference in traffic. Drivers are obeying the speed limit, driving more courteously and respectfully, and it's only been 24 hours. Tyler Avenue is already starting to feel like a neighborhood again, instead of a convenient cut-through route. Please pass along our thanks to everyone involved who was involved in making this project happen. It was truly a job well done by all. And so I certainly want to echo those sentiments and appreciate all the hardworking public servants who made this happen. Appreciate Eric and the rest of the team at Planning and Zoning for implementing this project so effectively. And we have our Director of Planning and Zoning here on my left. And I also thank the previous council and mayor for collaborating on these plans to develop for Tyler Avenue. Feedback like this certainly shows that here in the city, that government listens, and we listen to the residents who are having the issues that they're having, and we work together on solutions, putting in the work to follow through, and we'll certainly continue to make life better for Annapolis residents in ways that they can see. Some updates on job vacancy news. The posting for the harbor master position is almost closed. Anyone listening who is interested should apply immediately. It closes early this week. In addition, the city has posted the job announcement for police chief. That application period closes August 3rd, and then the Police Chief Selection Committee will evaluate the applicants, taking into account the feedback that they've gotten through the recent community engagement sessions and the public survey. When they conclude the interviews, the committee will then send the list of applicants and finalists, excuse me, finalists to me and the city manager willing to interview the finalists. And then I'll nominate one of them for the position so that my colleagues here on the council can vote on whether to confirm that nominee or not. The link to the job posting can be found on the police chief community input page on annapolis.gov. This page has all the information you might need regarding the police chief search process. We've been hearing a lot about and focusing our efforts and attention a lot on housing issues lately. As one step to share guidance, we recently posted on our trending topics feed, where we periodically update and provide updates on pressing issues in Annapolis. This post is titled, who was responsible for what? Attendance guide. And here's a short section. Living in an Annapolis rental property involves a shared responsibility between tenants, landlords, and the city. Understanding each person's or entity's role can help ensure that housing remains safe, well-maintained, and compliant with applicable standards. This guide will help you understand how the pieces fit together, especially regarding your unit's licensing and the property's maintenance. Please read the full trending topic. Go to annapolis.gov and search trending topics. Next, I'd like to share some news from our fire department, and I am looking at our fire chief here. Not sure he knows what's coming. He gave me a look that said he did not. In May of this year, the Annapolis Fire Department established the Whole Blood Program. This program allows Annapolis paramedics to provide blood transfusions to patients in the field before they reach the hospital. Since then, paramedics have given six pre-hospital blood transfusions in Annapolis. The fire department recently held a ceremony honoring the paramedics who administered the first of these transfusions. They had been treating a patient who'd sustained multiple traumatic injuries. By giving the patient a blood transfusion before they arrived at the hospital, they significantly improved the patient's condition. I want to thank our fire chief, Doug Romali, and the entire fire department for creating this program and doing what they do to keep Annapolis safe and healthy. I'll also share that just today I received a letter that was sent to Chief Romali describing the first individual who got the whole blood transfusion. This individual had an extremely traumatic injury, lost a hand, and as a result, massive loss of blood. Their paramedics were able to get new blood, whole blood into this patient within 10 minutes of being on site, which was only 10 minutes after initial call went through. So they were able to stabilize the individual and help save this person's life. minus the awful injury that they had. I'd like to share an example of how the city is working on overdose prevention. The Naptown Antidote Movement, NAM for short, is holding a workshop on overdose prevention this Thursday, starting at 1230 p.m. at One Ben's Drive in Bay Ridge Gardens. The workshop will include a free lunch, as well as free Narcan and training on how to use it. Attendees will also learn about treatment and recovery resources. Please join the workshop and learn how to save a life. Everyone likes, bless you, everyone likes a tax break. Take advantage of Shop Maryland Tax-Free Week from August 9th through 15th. This is a state program. During tax-free week, clothing and shoes $100 or less are exempt from state sales tax, and the first $40 of a backpack purchase is tax-free. As always, please consider making your purchases locally to support the economy right here in Annapolis. Shop local and save during Shop Maryland Tax-Free Week. Now let's get on with tonight's meeting. Mr. City Attorney, please present the next item on the agenda.

The next item on the agenda is reports by committees.

Thank you. Are there any council members who wish to present a committee report? Alderwoman O'Neill.

Thank you very much, Mr. Mayor. I actually do not have a committee report because we did not have a public safety committee this month, but I do want to recognize my niece, Liesl Regier, who is here in attendance at this meeting. She is in a Boy Scout troop, which is really amazing. They're doing all kinds of great things, and she is earning points towards a communications badge by listening to city council meetings. So I want to just say thank you for coming. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. The audit committee met on this past Monday and discussed numerous items of importance of note. The director of finance has provided a schedule that will get to the audit committee approval of the FY26 audit at our December meeting and providing to the council at the first meeting of 2027. of note this is compared to the april 13th agenda item in 2026 at the city council for the past audit a tremendous well done to the director of finance and the city manager as well quite frankly as all the senior staff who committed them committing themselves to making this a priority to clear the audit before the budget process begins in the new year We also discussed the review of the staff's 26 performance metrics to be done by the end of this calendar year and preparing for the development of calendar year 27, as well as further discussion to prepare us for September's meeting and the establishment of procedures for managing allegations of improper procedures.

Perfect. Thank you. Thank you, Alderman. I want to reiterate how important it is that we stay on our schedule with the audit schedule, and we want to get it done by December 15th. We're not going to have an instance where, like last year, it didn't get done until March. So any directors listening know that this is a top priority to make sure we stay on Karen's schedule, the Finance Director's schedule. Alderman Huntley?

just want to make sure all my colleagues are aware that the finance committee did have a brief special meeting last friday um outside of our normal schedule it was possibly the shortest committee meeting that you've ever seen in history uh what we wanted to do is make sure that we got some time sensitive legislation out of the committee we did not take any we did not make any recommendation on it we just voted to get it out of there so I just wanted to make everybody aware because that came together quickly among the members of the Finance Committee. But if you want to watch the minute and a half of recording, you can.

Thank you, Alderman. Appreciate you making sure that we got through committee reports for that legislation.

Any other Alderpersons?

Okay. Mr. City Attorney, please present the next item on the agenda.

The next item on the agenda is comments by the general public.

Thank you. During comments from the public, the public may not speak on any items scheduled for a public hearing, which is tonight is limited to ordinance 1226, removing streets from special residential parking district number five. Otherwise, we're happy to hear you talk on any topic. I'm going to start by calling Leah Weiss, Stanley Stooley-Ashley, and then Kathleen Brooks and Sven Storm, and then I'll open up the floor to anybody else. Please start by stating your name and address, and you have three minutes.

Okay. My name is Leah Weiss. I live at 212 South Cherry Grove, Annapolis, in Ward 3. I'm a musician who has interacted with the Art in Public Places Commission, which is what I'm talking about today. I have over 20 years' experience in developing and analyzing regulations on the side. With all due respect, I see no reason for Ordinance 2226, which is on the agenda for tonight as a first reader, that extends the temporary dissolution of the Commission. The intent in February when you passed Ordinance 426 was to quickly dissolve the Commission, assess the problem, interview new candidates, and develop a proposal. All of that has happened. I think it's time to move forward. So once 4-26 sunsets on August 23rd, then the existing code comes back into play. In my opinion, Ordinance 1426, which would replace the current AIPPC code, is a flawed and rather clunky piece of legislation. And several of the amendments offered to date essentially revert to the existing code. So rather than focus on amendments, and there are several, and more amendments, I think it's far less cumbersome to just convene a new commission, charge them with making recommendations based on their expertise as to how the existing code could be updated, including what has been offered in Ordinance 1426. There's really nothing preventing you from restarting the commission with a smaller group and then building it back up to nine. And I think that the arts community could really assist you in finding potential members from the wards that are not yet represented. I'm also concerned that a longer dissolution of the commission could endanger the funding, which has been mandated by state law and is meant to go solely to the commission, which at the moment does not exist. So for an ordinance that goes to first reader, a public hearing is required with appropriate notice. And that is in section 216.180. And should this go to first reader, there are certainly others in the arts community besides me who would want to testify about this new ordinance at a public hearing. And I'm sure you'll want to hear from them as well. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. Appreciate it.

And next is, help me out here, Stanley Ashley. I'm having trouble reading that first name. Mr. and Mrs. Ashley. Okay, moving on to Kathleen Brooks. Ms. Brooks, going once, twice. Sven Storm. Come on up, Mr. Storm. You guys have seen me. You're done, sorry.

You guys have seen me plenty of times. I brought up various issues that are important to those of us who live in the community, to those of us who live downtown. I'm sorry, Mr. Storm, did you start with your name in Natchez? Oh, I thought you started with my name. Spade Storm, I live at 120 Dock Street, have a business at 130 Dock Street. Thank you. Please continue. The line between a public servant and a politician is distinct. One leads with service and the other with ambition. The difference is about trust. You see, a good public servant builds trust by putting people first. A politician erodes it, leaving communities more cynical and disengaged. The contrast is at the heart of why good public servants matter. They remind us that politics doesn't have to be corrupt, transactional, or hopeless. It can still be about service. Today, distrust in government is at a historic high. Over 50% of Americans say they don't trust elected officials. They assume that politics is about corruption, partisanship, and self-interest, and that's exactly why good public servants are more important than ever. Good public servants lead with integrity and responsibility. They listen to constituents and take responsibility for their outcomes. They put community needs before personal ambition or party loyalty and accept the sacrifices that come with their public service. On the other hand, politicians put donors, party, and personal gain above public interest. They use power as a tool for an advancement and treat elected officials or elected office as a career path and a platform for enrichment. They govern based on optics rather than outcomes. Most politicians are so inflated by their own hubris they cannot truly understand the needs of their community, let alone respond honestly. Good public servants rebuild trust by acting with integrity. They strengthen communities by listening and responding to real needs. They remind us that politics can still be about people and keeping communities functioning well. Good public servants rebuild trust in democracy. Jimmy Carter was an amazing example of honesty, integrity, and compassion in a public servant. He lived modestly before, during, and after his presidency and continued to serve communities through Habitat for Humanity and the Carter Center after leaving office, rather than cashing in from his time in office. As you guys take the month of August off, I hope you'll use this time to reflect on your role in city government. Are you a public servant or a politician? And maybe ask yourself how the community would answer that question.

Thank you, Mr. Storm. I'll give another chance to Mr. and Mrs. Ashley and then Kathleen Brooks, either of them return to the chambers.

We came as, I'm Kathleen Brooks.

Okay. Let's do one person at a time so we can, very good.

Okay. We signed in, didn't know we were going to be speaking, but I do want to say.

I'm sorry, start with your name and address, please.

Kathleen Brooks, 3423 Hidden River View Road, Annapolis, 21403. Thank you.

Please continue.

Staley and I are both part of the Anne Arundel Women Giving Together, an organization that works with nonprofits and does grant making throughout the year. And Dr. Fairley is part of our organization. And we were invited to come by borough. And we would not have missed this for the world. And we just want to say thank you to all the public servants who do serve very honorably for our county. And I just want to say congratulations to Dr. Fairley.

Thank you so much.

I'm Staley Ashley. I live at 207 Spring Race Court, Annapolis, Maryland. And I ditto everything that Kathy said. We're here to congratulate Dr. Farrelly. And watch this. This has been fascinating. Thank you very much.

Thank you both very much. Appreciate you. If there's anybody else in the chambers who wishes to speak during this public comment period, except for that next public hearing that we have, please come forward. Start with your name and address. And you have three minutes. Right there, please.

Mr. Mayor, John Hammond, 141 Monticello Avenue. Before I get started on my prepared remarks, I wanna point out my written remarks. I'm not gonna do the first part. There are two nits that need to be corrected in what I'm going to speak on, which is R-2926. One, a bad reference to a code section or a charter section in the proposed amendment, in the proposed amendment, and then there's another little nit in your proposed amendment for tonight that needs to be corrected, because if you don't correct it, I think you'll end up levying residential parking charges to visitors in all of the residential parking districts, and I don't think that's your intention. So I just wanted to bring those out, and hopefully when you get to the business portion of the meeting, you'll have an opportunity to look at those two nits that I think I've identified.

Thank you.

Thank you very much. I do plan, I am speaking on R2926. This is the update to the fiscal year 27 city fees. And I'm disappointed that no public hearing for R2926 was scheduled and that the Finance Committee spent no time reviewing the proposed resolution. My concerns to the resolution are addressed to parking fee increases, specifically the justification for the fee increases, which in some instances would increase fees by 50%. I have tried to research the justification for the increases in order to make a judgment as to the validity of the rise in the parking rates that may exacerbate the public's reluctance to patronize downtown businesses or visit friends who live in residential districts one and two. To date, I have been unable to locate documentary information as to the fiscal impact of the proposed increase, other than the vague reference in the fiscal note published July 13th, 2026, that the revenue from these fee increases was included in the FY27 budget. These rate increases deserve transparency, and as of today, there has been none. Projected revenue realizations from the concession area and the bond sale documents for Medco financing of the Annapolis Mobility Resilience Project and actual revenue realizations of concession area parking revenue for the first two years of operation are presented in a table below for your fiscal years 24 and 25. The 26th report will be available in November. These projections in the table show that actual parking revenue realizations have far exceeded projections, undermining the necessity to raise parking rates at this time. For fiscal year 25, the City of Annapolis receives $3,681,668 after all expenses for bond amortization, other expenses, fees and reserve funding requirements from the operation of the concession agreement. As Chairman of the Finance Committee to the City DOC Action Committee, I am fully aware as to the concession agreements requirement for actually adjusting for annually adjusting parking rates. The concession agreement affords the city some flexibility as to the setting of parking rates as long as revenue realizations meet minimum requirements.

Please wrap up your comments.

I would judge that the first two years of revenue realizations and payment to the city are costs and beg to question the need for rate increases. The concession agreements for calls for annual increases. How do revenue realizations relate to concession agreement requirements? How much additional revenue is forecast to be realized from the proposed increases? Where are those calculations? What is the city's policy toward elasticity of consumer utilization of parking lot increases? These are many questions that deserve actions. Let's be transparent, Mr. Mayor and Council.

Thank you. Next individual, if any. Okay, seeing no motion in chambers, I declare comments by the general public closed. Mr. City Attorney, please present the next item on the agenda.

The next item on the agenda is a public hearing on ordinance 01226, removing streets from special residential parking district number five.

Thank you. Is there anybody signed up to speak on this?

All right, no one is signed up to speak on this. If anyone in chambers wishes to speak on this, please approach the podium. Seeing no motion in chambers, I declare public comment on 01226 closed. Mr. City Attorney, please present the next item on the agenda.

The next item on the agenda is approval of the consent calendar Items on the consent calendar include appointments AP 2226, the appointment of Rebecca Britt to the Anne Arundel County Community Reinvestment and Repair Commission. Supplemental appropriations under $50,000, SA 227, Grant Annapolis Police Department. The supplemental appropriation from surplus funds, Anne Arundel County, Maryland Department of Health.

Thank you. Any objections to the consent calendar? Okay, entertain a motion to approve the consent calendar. Thank you, Alderman Chandelmire. Is there a second? Second. Thank you. Madam City Clerk, please call the roll.

Mr. Littman?

Aye.

Alderman Conte? Aye. Alderman Savage?

Aye.

Alderman Thorpe?

Aye.

Alderman Huntley? Aye. Alderman O'Neill? Aye. Alderman Smith-Brown? Aye. Alderman Alsop-Johnson? Aye. and Alderman Chandomire. Aye.

The next item on the agenda is Business and Miscellaneous Items, beginning with ID 15426, the Preliminary Review of Petition for Annexation of Bay Ridge Road.

Thank you. I'd invite the petitioners, their representatives, and the Director of Planning and Zoning to the front desk and ask that the Director of Planning and Zoning to start the presentation by helping us with context. This is this council's first petition for annexation. So if you could help us to set the stage of what we're doing and what's next. And of course, start by introducing yourself.

Good evening, everybody. Chris Jakubiak, Planning and Zoning Director, City of Annapolis. The city has received a petition for annexation, and I just wanted to take just a moment to introduce the relevance of that. Annexation is the process by which the city incorporates land within its borders. So it's a way that the city's boundaries grow and expand. If we do it right, annexation is also the process by which we implement our comprehensive plan. And in the case of the current proposed annexation that you will soon become familiar with, the comprehensive plan calls for annexation. It specifically identifies this parcel of ground and recommends that it be incorporated into the City of Annapolis. So tonight's event is about you as a city body receiving the petition and submitting it for comment and review by the various departments and agencies in city government and or the Planning Commission. So each of us Planning and Zoning, Public Works, the Planning Commission, Fire and Police and others will review it and offer technical evaluations to help you evaluate whether to approve the annexation or deny the annexation. But certainly, once an annexation petition is submitted, the process leads to an eventual vote by the City Council. So that's all I have for you, Mr. Mayor, and if there's any questions, I'm here to answer.

And so for today's meeting, is there any action that's taken by the City Council?

There's no action, only to receive it and then refer it out to various other agencies and bodies.

Perfect, thank you so much. Mr. Hyatt, if you can introduce yourself and your client and begin your presentation.

Thank you. I'm Alan Hyatt. I represent GSX Solutions LLC. To my left is Hugo de Cesaris, a principal of that organization, and Mr. Jakubiak ably stated what is involved, but tonight is what's called under the city code a preliminary review of the petition. And a petition for annexation was filed last month by GSX Solutions and the property owner, which is Lidl U.S. Operations LLC. The site in question was going to be a Lidl grocery store, and then, for whatever reason, Lidl determined not to proceed. This is a site that's 5.4 acres along the south side of Bay Ridge Road, across from Georgetown Road. It was occupied for many years as C&C Liquors, for those of us that have been around a long time, but it's been vacant probably 20 years. It contains several derelict buildings, formerly homes. Mr. de Cesaris has fenced it in to try to keep the vagrants out. and it really is something that cries for redevelopment. It's at the end of a road called Bay Village Drive, and just to the east of the property, is a vacant parcel that has been recently approved for independent senior housing. Next to that is a Starbucks, one of the busiest ones in the vicinity. Next to that is the CVS, and in the rear is an assisted living facility that is operated by Brightview. All that property was also annexed into the city. state law and city law governs the annexation process and under state law the government the local government article under title 4 describes the process and as mr jacubiak stated the legislative body this legislative body has the opportunity to expand by acquiring land to be brought into the city that's currently in the county, as long as it's contiguous land and as long as you don't create an island of county property. The process is initiated by a petition, or can be initiated by a petition, which we did, and the petition has to be filed by at least 25% of the owners of the assessed value of the property. In this particular case, 100% of the owners filed, and then voters also have the opportunity to petition, but it's unoccupied, so there are no voters here. So we meet the requirements of the state code. What happens is that the city council considers a resolution for the annexation, a resolution for an annexation plan, and then an ordinance to zone the property. What we have requested is that the property be zoned under the R3 designation. It is currently zoned C1 in the county, which allows commercial use, but it also allows what Mr. de Cesaris has in mind for the site, which are townhomes. The density is identical to what the county permits, and that's important because under state law, an applicant for annexation cannot substantially increase the density that's permitted under county law. In other words, you can't come into the city and then have an explosive amount of density as compared to what the county allows. And in this case, Twelve units to the acre are allowed under C1 for townhomes. Exactly the same thing in the city for R3. So it really matches up very nicely. So we don't really have an issue for the compliance with the state law. The City Code also governs the activities of annexation under Chapter 2.52. Under that chapter, the contents of the petition are enumerated, and we think we've satisfied all those requirements with our petition. And then tonight is the preliminary review. And as Mr. Jakubiak stated, what the City Council does tonight is it refers it to the appropriate committees, the Planning Commission and any of the departments or agencies in the city that you wish to have the annexation application reviewed. And ultimately there's a public hearing where I will come back with the applicant and we have a couple of witnesses and one of the things, one of the significant things we have to show is that the revenue from the annexation exceeds the expense that the municipality would absorb we also have to show that there's no harm to the general welfare no harm to the adjacent properties that it's consistent with the city's comprehensive plan and that there will not be any environmental degradation of of the annexation We think we can satisfy all those criteria, but it's up to us to prove to you and convince you that we do satisfy that. Now we've had a, it's a little unusual, but we had a work session, a couple of work sessions before the City of Annapolis Planning Commission on land that's not even in the city yet, but we wanted to get a sense of the reaction from the Planning Commission. The concept plan that was included in the petition shows 49 townhomes. The Planning Commission felt like it was a little too dense, which is often the reaction of the Planning Commission, I'll say. But in this particular case, Mr. de Cesaris came back and he has shown a new plan with 39 units. And I think It's fair to say that at the last Planning Commission session, the members of the Planning Commission liked that plan better than the first 49 units, even though 12 to the acres permitted would allow 60 units. But that gets pretty tight by the time you have open space and want to satisfy the forest conservation laws. It's difficult to do with that much density. the plan is to go forward we hope to be back in a couple of months whenever we have our opportunity for public hearing we certainly will respond to any of the committee requests or concerns any of the department's planning commission and you should also know that the obligation for a development like this is to provide 15 moderately priced dwelling units so you know in a city that needs housing this should be a good opportunity at a location that i think is appropriate for this type of of housing and with that unless you have any questions for me or mr de cesaris that would conclude our brief presentation thank you i'm sure we'll have a couple questions um i have one to start and maybe it's for mr jacobiak

The annexation itself is separate from the planning approval process, correct? So that when you come back, when the petitioner comes back, ask the Council to approve the annexation. That doesn't approve whatever the project is. It's just approving that annexation from the County to the City. Is that correct?

Yes, but there is a nuance there because should the annexation resolution or annexation agreement have conditions that say the developer or the petitioner will develop the property in substantial conformance with the conceptual plan, then you've conveyed to the applicant and conveyed to the Planning Commission what the rules of the game are, so to speak. But the decisions are two separate. First, the annexation, and second, the development approval.

Thank you. And does it come back to us in the form of a resolution that we're asked to vote on? Yes.

Ultimately, you'll have a resolution to act on.

Okay, very good. Council members, got any questions? Okay, Alderman Shannon-Meyer.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I think this is a good idea to incorporate this. Alderman Savage said it best when he said, if we incorporate this into the city, we can apply our standards, our high-end policies and procedures to any new development that gets brought forward. One question that I have is, So very recently there was an approval to expand the senior center right next door. This is not part of that approval, correct? This is entirely separate? Is this property going to be incorporated into that? Is the goal to expand that out the senior center? Is this an entirely new unrelated development? Or is the goal to incorporate more senior housing?

This is unrelated to the senior housing. It just happens to be adjacent to it, but we have a mix. Interestingly enough, we have the assisted living in the rear, and then we have the senior independent living that was just approved, and then these would be market types of units for families and what have you. So you have a whole mix of opportunities there.

along with the 15% moderately priced dwelling units, where I must stress there is currently no moderately priced dwelling units, so automatically an improvement. Excellent. One thing I do want my colleagues to be aware of whenever we start discussing any type of annexation and density and development though, the land value infrastructure study, which my colleagues in the rules and city government are aware of, which my returning colleagues are aware of, When we do annexation, there is always a risk of potentially bringing on a loss of revenue per acre. So if we incorporate this, we need to make sure that we have a land use style that is revenue positive for the city. I look forward to working with the director and planning zoning with the rest of you to make sure that this is best for everyone to make sure that we have some good housing, some good potential infrastructure and make this a positive thing for everybody.

Thank you.

Alderman Savage, then Alderman Thorpe.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. So since this will be in my ward, I want to take an opportunity to speak up. I do support this annexation moving forward. I'm actually quite excited about it, particularly getting redevelopment on this property. It's been really a constant source of complaints as far as trash, vagrants, aesthetics, blight, fire hazard, I could go on. So first of all, I do want to thank you for getting the fence put up. I know a lot of positive remarks from the community in that regard. But moving on to some of the more substantive issues, I do think that this property sits right in our growth area. It fits the vision of our comprehensive plan, which it sets out for the Bay Ridge Road corridor. And bringing it into the city is the right conversation for us to be having. I want to be clear for my colleagues about what tonight is about. And I was gotten into a bit and I just want to reiterate because I know it is a complicated process. And so this is, again, as was mentioned, just the preliminary review. We're not voting on the annexation tonight anyway, and we're not approving the concept plan just yet. The only thing we can do tonight is direct the petitioner to supplement the record, produce studies, provide additional notice, or accept referrals. After that, there's the annexation resolution. An annexation plan to the city has to adopt and send to the county and the state. We have four weeks of published notice, public hearing, and then a vote. So there's quite a bit of, and then even more notice. So realistically, we're talking about probably next spring perhaps at the earliest to get all of this tied up, hopefully sooner. So tonight is really about agenda setting. So a few things I just also wanted to mention that I think we'll need to work through as we move forward with this. First of all, the trails. The current concept shows work through the forest in the rear, which is their conserved forest under the Forest Conservation Program. And I'm firm and I do think that those trails should be a public asset, not a private amenity. And so that would mean recorded public access easements. I mean, looking at how this connects to the county's greenway plan. because the long-term vision here is bigger than just one site. Second, coordination with our transportation planning. We're also exploring a road diet and intersection improvements on Bay Ridge Road in partnership with the county. So whatever gets built here should be designed with that in mind rather than around it. I would ask that this be referred to transportation board so that the work happens in the right forum. third density and land use mix a petitioner has requested a zoning classification that is their request classification is the council's determination and we can ask for something different if we conclude it is warranted i'm not proposing a number tonight i'm just saying we should look at it deliberately and um including whether or not we want more mixed juice along that particular frontage and i would know just um putting a finer point on something that um mr hyatt referred to as far as the restriction with increasing density. I believe the state law allows density to be increased by more than 50% above what the county allows. But if it goes beyond that, it has to go to the county council for express approval. So there is a way to do that. Again, I'm not advocating one way or another. I'm just wanting to let you know that there is a process there. Fourth, and this one is broader than the petition, I just want to make sure we start the conversation with staff about updating our road standards to allow the kind of narrow pedestrian first streets that you see in older parts of the city, as well as what some of us have seen abroad, and about making sure our fire code has the flexibility to allow us to build that way. Right now, our standards make it very hard to rebuild the kind of place downtown Annapolis already is. That's a separate piece of work, but it bears on what what's possible on sites like this, you know, and also lead to to a better designed housing, more community space. Um, and, uh, again, narrower, safer rates. So I'm just flagging that here. Lastly, um, I'd just be asking. I know we still might need to settle on a referral process, but I would ask that you refer to the planning commission. Transportation Board, as well as Department of Public Works and Planning and Zoning and Fire Department. And so in any case, none of this is designed to slow the petition down. I really just want to build off of this and make sure it's something that everybody can be happy with. So again, thank you to the petitioners for putting this package together and look forward to working with you and staff moving forward. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

Mr. Mayor, my question is just a point of clarification. So thank you very much for the in-depth explanation. I appreciate it, Mr. Hyatt, Mr. Kubiak. Mr. Hyatt mentioned tonight referring it to the Planning Commission, and then Alderman Savage just talked about referring it to a group of people. Can we clarify what happens tonight? Is tonight movement to the staff for work and followed by other actions? Can you clarify that for us?

Sure, Mr. Jakubiak.

It's both through the staff, that is the city departments, like the ones that Alderman Savitz mentioned, and to the Planning Commission, referral to the Planning Commission, or to the Transportation Board or any other city agencies that you may wish to forward it to. So it's both.

So which ones are you recommending?

Fire, police, transportation, public works, planning and zoning, and finance. And Planning Commission? and of course to the Planning Commission. Thank you. Alderman Huntley.

Yeah, I have a clarification about what we're talking about here.

You just said refer it to fire.

We don't normally refer things to departments. Do you mean we would refer to the Public Safety Committee? Is that your recommendation, Director Dugubiak?

No, it's to the department for staff review, a technical review. Most of it will be through the Fire Marshal's office.

Got it. So we're not talking about legislation. You were still talking about the staff portion. Sorry, I misunderstood. I did also have a question, if you don't mind, Mr. Mayor. Please go ahead. Yeah, go ahead.

I'm still confused. We generally don't.

As I always say, refer to departments. It seems to me that planning and zoning has this for action and coordinates within the city staff. So I'm trying to figure out where this leads to for what.

Right. So I view it the same way that the city manager and planning and zoning will determine which departments need to review it. and through the city manager's leadership those departments will get it as directed and advised i should should as recommended i'm sure from the planning director is that a better way to say it i do like that that's that's fine okay clarifies things and the planning commission because obviously that's separate ultimately

First, I wanted to second Alderman Savage's comments about making sure that we don't have things in our code that prevent us from building the parts of our city that people like the best. I think he mentioned fire, which is definitely one of them. We should make sure our trucks fit our streets, not our streets fit our trucks. So just appreciate you calling that out, Alderman Savage. My question, and I'm I'm looking at Director Jakubiak because I'm asking for an opinion, but I'm asking you an opinion about something Mr. Hyatt said, so you both have the opportunity to defer to the other one. This state law that was mentioned that we can't have higher density when something gets annexed to a city than in the county, that seems like dumb growth to me. Cities are where density should be. In your opinion, is that something that the city should be looking to see changed by the state?

Well, think about it this way, and I'm not advocating for it, but I want you to see the other perspective. If there was a substantial land holding on the edge of a city, a neutral, anonymous city, and the county had a low density zoning on that because its facilities were so inadequate that any development would impact them to such a degree that the schools couldn't function, for instance, or the roads couldn't function. They may have some reluctance to see the city annex it and triple or quadruple or multiple new times increase the density. So that's essentially the provision that was adopted in I think 2004, 2006 by the General Assembly shortcut that. There is a pathway, and the alderman mentioned it though, if the density is substantially greater, it can be presented in front of the council of the county or the executive of the county for an express approval, not express meaning fast, but expressly approving it with the knowledge that the density will be substantial. So it gives the county time to grapple with the growth changes and deal with it. Or, If the county denies that express approval, the property can sit within the city for five years before the city approves a development plan. So the city still has an out. It just means that the developer sits there with the zoning in place without any approval for five years. And presumably that five years gives the county time to accommodate the anticipated growth.

Not quite so black and white as we first heard, so that makes a lot more sense. Thank you.

And as an aside, there was legislation in front of the General Assembly this year and previous years to repeal that section of Maryland Code or substantially modify it. I don't think it was adopted, though. Good to know.

Thank you.

Behind the property to connect to Quiet Waters Park for someone on a bike or a walking trail, maybe through the Dollar General parking lot, something to that effect.

The plan, and Mr. Savage, Alderman Savage referred to it, the plan does show a path on our property. We can only do whatever we can do on our property, and it would connect to the adjacent property, then ultimately to the park. That is the plan, yes.

Thank you. Any other questions by council members? Okay. I'd entertain a motion to the applicants to work through the City Manager's Office with the relevant departments as recommended by the Director of Planning and Zoning and in coordination with the City Manager in addition to the Planning Commission. anyone so moved so moved thank you alderman chandler is there a second thank you all those in favor say aye aye aye any opposed motion carries thank you thank you mr city attorney please present the next item on the agenda the next item on the agenda is id 158 26 report on short-term rentals

Chris Jakubiak, Planning and Zoning Director.

Thank you, and whenever you're ready.

Four minutes, 40, 25. established a moratorium, one-year moratorium on the approval of short-term rentals in Annapolis. And as part of that, there is a directive that the department shall, or the city manager actually, should report monthly on the status of short-term rentals, the number of rentals that are licensed in the city, the number of short-term rentals that are licensed for usna commencement boat show and special events and the number of new enforcement actions taken during the preceding month and so this is what this is it's uh it's just a a brief report uh that licensed short-term rentals total 304 plus there are 36 registered rentals for the commencement boat show and other special events So we're at 340 total short-term rentals in the city.

And in June 2026, we took... And I'm celebrating for not just me, for many others that have came out of situations of adversity.

This is where it all started.

This is where I used to work. Maybe 10 years ago, this was my station. They helped me out with every single thing I did. Braiding hair, teaching me how to hold, teaching me how to steer a boat, teaching me how to be the work all the time. All of them, this is where I all ended up. Being raised with a culture of women of hairdressers that I looked up to growing up, I was heavily equipped. I used to sit in hair salons and watch the ladies work, and I really learned a lot about being a hairstylist with my mentors in front of me. I mean, I have clients like Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Kelly Rowland, Yara Shahidi. I like glamorous hair. I like confident hair. I like hair that's been slept on and lived in and ruffled up. I told myself that I could dream and I told myself that I could in a situation where I wasn't supposed to. And so me standing here today is a huge honor because when I started my journey, I had no idea that this could be. But I kept going and I kept doing. Here we are today. I'm getting the keys to the city.

On behalf of the city of Annapolis, we present you with the keys to the city.

I honestly want to say thank you so much. Listen, I've been working really, really hard and I love what I do. I love Annapolis. I want to be able to create space for younger individuals to be empowered, to be uplifted, to find mentorship and to really strategize ways to really uplift. And so I am going to start a nonprofit here in Annapolis. I want to pair up with all of my mentors, and we are going to come up with something spectacular. It means more to me than the accolade. It's really about the honor for me. I'm really honored and grateful. And that's what it means to me. Really, I have a lot of humility for what my ancestors gave me.

Hey, hey, hey! Get out of there! Get out of the garbage! Oh, we're going to have to clean all this up again. And since we're here, I'll take the opportunity to do a training on how we're going to place the garbage properly. First, we lift everything. and we put it inside the trash bag, then we tie it and we put it inside the trash container. We cover it. Now that we are, we take advantage and also look at the recycling. This bag does not have to be in the recycling. And we empty all this. Again we place the lid, so we are going to ask our monster to return from the trash. Hey, Annapolis.

Go time. on-demand transit that takes you where you want to go. It's fast, it's easy, and it's an affordable way to get around Annapolis. Going to the doctor? It's go time. Going shopping? It's go time. Exploring Annapolis? It's go time. It's easy to schedule your ride. Use the app or call Transportation Dispatch at 410-263-7964. Set your pickup and your destination and we'll be right there. Simply track the bus on the app so you'll know exactly when we'll be there to pick you up. Pay once you're on the bus. Just $2 per ride and only $1 for seniors. Or you can use your daily, weekly, monthly, or annual bus pass. Getting around Annapolis is easy with Annapolis Go Time. On-demand transit. See you on board.

Hi, I'm Megan. I'm here at City Hall to talk to you about the Golden Pass. If you're 55 and older, the Golden Pass is a great opportunity for you. For just $20 a month, you can park for up to two hours a day on Maryland Avenue, Main Street, or the Mills Home and Garage without using a promo code, the pay machine, or even an app. Just park and walk away. All week this week, May 11th through the 15th, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. I'm here if you have any questions, if you want to sign up in person, or if you just need a hand. Stop by, park at the Mills Home and Garage, we'll validate your parking, and we'll connect in person. Thanks.

I've seen so many stars at Cars Beach.

It'll go down in history as one of the most beautiful places there were.

You know this, come on!

When Chuck Berry came to town, or James Brown came to town, there was so much parking that you only had room for one car to move a quarter of a mile.

We saw people that got tired of waiting in traffic and they'd get out and walk and run because all the big stars came here.

They would sneak in, you know, through some type of fence. I don't know where this fence was, but, you know, because it gets so crowded and people would sneak in some type of way just to come and see the, you know, different entertainment.

We didn't have to go anywhere to see James Brown, Etta James. All the big-name stars came right here in Alpac Door.

It was just a joy for time. For me and a lot of other blacks, it was just a joy for time. When we got off from work sometimes, we went to Carl's Beach. But Carl's Beach is, wow, it was a center of attraction for everybody, especially blacks. It was a center of attraction.

When the community was segregated, it's the only place that really Afro-Americans come in and have a day of fun.

Ever since my first visit here, I can remember the people dancing on the concrete pavilion with the sand on the pavilion and the leather soles made a distinct grinding sound, but it was a rhythmic sound that That is still with me now. I am tickled today to be sitting here and hearing music and looking out in the bay. It brings back a lot of memories.

They had rides, first wheels, a miracle round, the cotton candy. They even had a big dance hall where we see hop albums on the bands and it would be broadcast live.

Tonight, tonight, tonight, we're hopping at them. And people came from all over, come down Carls and Sprouts Beach. And we came for the Carls and Sprouts Beach reunion.

And this is a great reunion. This is where it all started from, the grounds. And I don't know, it's just heavenly to be here today. It's awesome. And I'm just so delighted to be here to see this.

It was such a beautiful thing. It was a place where you had a beautiful time. Like I say, Cod Beach will live forever and it's in our hearts and it'll live in our hearts forever.

I said sugar pie.

🎵 🎵 Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Hey Annapolis, it's go time. On-demand transit that takes you where you want to go. It's fast, it's easy, and it's an affordable way to get around Annapolis. Going to the doctor? It's go time. Going shopping? It's go time. Exploring Annapolis? It's go time. It's easy to schedule your ride. Use the app or call Transportation Dispatch at 410-263-7964. Set your pickup and your destination and we'll be right there. Simply track the bus on the app so you'll know exactly when we'll be there to pick you up. Pay once you're on the bus, just $2 per ride and only $1 for seniors. Or you can use your daily, weekly, monthly, or annual bus pass. Getting around Annapolis is easy with Annapolis Go Time. On-demand transit. See you on board.

Hey, hey, hey! Get out of there! Get out of the garbage! Oh, we're going to have to clean all this up again. And since we're here, I'll take the opportunity to do a training on how we're going to place the garbage properly. First, we lift everything. and we put it inside the trash bag then we tie it and we put it inside the trash container we cover it since we are we take advantage and we also look at the recycling this bag does not have to be in the recycling and we empty all this again we place the cover so we are going to ask our monster to return from the garbage And let's see what it has to see if it can be recycled or not. This metal thing down here cannot be recycled. All this fine plastic from the trash bags does not go into recycling either. This metal knife either. Please take into account that when you take out your garbage, these are the ways to do it to be able to avoid being notified or fined.

Hola, soy el Capitán Zapata del Cuerpo de Bomberos aquí de la ciudad de Nápoles. En esta semana estamos hablando de prevención de incendios en la cocina. La causa principal de incendios en casa proviene del uso de la cocina. La causa principal de incendios en la cocina es falta de supervisión. Punto número uno. Cuando esté cocinando, use un reloj alarma automático. Punto número dos. Siempre mantenga una tapa cerca o a la mano cuando esté cocinando. Si está cocinando con aceite o manteca y toma fuego, ponga la tapa sobre el sartén y espere que se enfríe. Point number three, make sure to keep an area clean and organized when you're cooking. And point number four, be sure to keep a free area for children of at least three feet or one meter. Por si acaso hay un incendio que está fuera de su control, llame al 911 inmediatamente. Acuérdese de probar sus detectores de humo mensualmente. Haga un plan de escape también y practíquelo. Mantente seguro, Annapolis. Muchísimas gracias.

Hello, Annapolis. It's Mayor Gavin Buckley here, and we are about to start the Blues soccer season at the end of this month. I can't wait to be out there with you. The atmosphere is electric. And just when you thought it couldn't get any better, this year we're bringing in a women's team. So go Blues. Kill it this season.

Hear them geese? They're flying high through this crystal shimmer of that October sky. Just like them, I'm flying away down the muddy waters of the Chesapeake Bay. So come on, Captain, raise that mane. Can't wait to get back again to Annapolis on the Bay. I can see the domes and spires of my little town rise from the horizon like the jewels on a crown in Annapolis on the Bay. So meet me at the city dock and give us a hug, then we'll shuffle off to Middleton's and have us some fun. The crab pot's steaming, we can pick us a few. I'll shuck the oysters if you make the stew. So come on, Captain, don't make me wait. There's no ill wind that blows us away to Annapolis on the bay.

All right. Well, welcome, everybody. We're gathered here in a great American city, the great city of Annapolis, the sailing capital of the world, an historic city where George Washington resigned his military commission, symbolizing the transfer and peaceful transfer of power and making it clear that in America we have no kings, a city that's not afraid to tell all of its past, including its role in the slave trade in annapolis people learn from our past they don't try to whitewash and hide their past a city that is the home the proud home of the naval academy a city where millions of people from all over the world come every year but also a city that because of climate change has really been hurt by the flooding hitting these small businesses, impacting tourism, impacting the boat show. And so that's why we're gathered here today, to address that problem. And we have great news for a great American city, great news for the great city of Annapolis, which is after many years, FEMA has released the $35 million in funds. $35 million in funds. That includes the $33 million that was part of the original City of Annapolis grant and an additional $2.5 million to help with related upgrades for stormwater management. And this has been the result of work of Team Maryland. And you're going to hear from so many people who were part of that effort. But there were also many more who are represented here today that you won't hear from, but who you see here and others who could not join us today. including somebody who could not join us today, Mayor Buckley, the former mayor of Annapolis. And it was his vision that really set this project in motion. And I heard from him last night. He said he couldn't be here. I think he's taking one of his kids to college. But he was just thrilled, of course, that we were able to secure these funds. And to the new mayor, Mayor Lipman, and to the council, city council here in Annapolis, thank you. Thank you for carrying on that vision with absolute perseverance. I was just telling the mayor that I have right here a text message that I received from him on Valentine's Day, coincidentally. And it was an SOS message. And it began, I am writing because we are at a critical point in the city doc project. And he went on to outline the huge challenges they would face if the FEMA funds didn't come through. He also was putting together contingency plans because he understood the importance of this project. And he said in that text message, if we don't get started and try to keep this on time, we're going to see some of these businesses close. So thank you, Mayor Litman, for moving with that urgency. And that lit another fire under all of us who are members of the Maryland federal delegation. And I can say that in the Senate, we immediately renewed our push, which has been ongoing, and directly contacted DHS and FEMA. and said, we really need you to release these funds and we need it yesterday. And we got the Appropriations Committee in the Senate involved. And not surprisingly, there are other members in the House and the Senate who've also had projects held up. by FEMA. And so there was a growing backlog, but also growing frustration at what was happening with backlogs for projects all over the country. And so all of that pressure built and the dam broke. And the good news is Kristi Noem is out and the funding for the Annapolis dock is in. And let me just thank other members of the federal delegation who are part of it, because the city, we took our lead from the city, from their vision, but we have with us today John Sarbanes. Congressman John Sarbanes, who is absolutely tenacious. absolutely tenacious when it came to making sure that the city of Annapolis had what it needed and was constantly pushing and pushing and of course former state senator and now congresswoman representative Elfrith she's been pushing really hard And thank you to other members of the District 30 delegation and everybody who's been involved in this effort over years. To Stuart Pittman, your county executive, you've been just an amazing partner. Amazing partner. And all of us know the resources need to come from the city. They need to come from the county. They need to come from the state. And yes, this critical piece needed to come from the federal government. And so I'm also pleased that we're here. And with the continuing support from the governor and the governor's team, you're going to hear from our secretary of the Department of Emergency Management, Russ Strickland. But thank you for what you're doing in this project, but also the other emergency projects around the state and FEMA. So as you can see, this is really a Team Maryland day. And this wouldn't have happened without everybody gathered here and many more people and never giving up. This is an example of perseverance and persistence at work, and that requires everybody pushing from their own angle and their own point of leverage. So without further ado, let me now turn it over to somebody who has been pushing really hard for this, first in the Maryland legislature, and hit the ground running in the United States Congress, Sarah Elfrith.

Well, thank you to Senator Van Hollen for being Team Maryland's quarterback in the federal delegation, but also, as you see behind me, the epitome of Team Maryland when we say it's not just the federal delegation. It starts with our local partners, our county partners, our state partners, and, of course, the federal team. Y'all, this is a day that I got to tell you, I try to be an optimist in this work. I think you have to be. I wasn't sure this day was going to happen, Mr. Mayor. First of all, this is my umpteenth CityDoc press conference. I think we've all been here many, many times to announce really great news, to announce state funding, $18.5 million in state funding, to announce almost $10 million in federal earmarks, to announce the resilience authority, to mark Congressman Sarbanes. We were here. Sorry, there's too many tall people behind me. We were here during one of the biggest floods, I think the fourth biggest flood on record, standing right here surveying the urgency of now. And that's where I wanted to start. Rising seas aren't going to wait for bureaucracy. I think we see that every single day. And as the senator said, this is more than just a climate adaption project. It has real implications for Annapolis' past, present, and future. Obviously, the historical impacts of this project, what we are preserving as the former United States Capitol, really important year that we are celebrating the 250th anniversary of the founding of this nation. But we also recognize the more challenging and difficult pieces of our history that we need to honor and respect and share and tell. The fact that where we are standing is a UNESCO site of remembrance because it was a site of the transatlantic slave trade. We also have a deep obligation to tell the stories in this city, not just of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence, but also the folks who worked the water, the immigrants, the families who lived right here and made Annapolis what it is today. Obviously, this moment is important because we have to preserve this city dock for our economy as well. All of the small businesses you see around here, every time there is a major flood, we are all on the phone checking in, making sure they have what they need, making sure we're corralling the state resources and local resources to get them what they need. Obviously, this is important for the present because of our United States Naval Academy. And rising seas do not respect what is city land versus what is federal land. And so what happens here very much impacts what happens there. And of course, to the aldermen from Eastport, you know better than anybody, when the rising seas cut off Compromise Street, that is a real emergency management challenge for the people of Eastport. Obviously, the moment of now as we address climate change across this country is so real, and it can sometimes feel overburdened. We feel overburdened. It's just such a large problem. Where can we even start? Obviously, this started almost a decade ago with a vision from Mayor Buckley and the city council and the staff at the city who knew that this was not a nice-to-have, this was a must-have, not just then, but knowing that the seas will continue to rise each and every year. It's often said that success has a thousand fathers. I'd like to also believe there's a few mothers tucked in there as well. Obviously to Mayor Buckley for his vision, the city council for their dedication, the staff. I also want to thank the hundreds of Annapolis citizens who participated. And I don't know how many charrettes y'all had to make sure. 300 opportunities for the public to weigh in here. That's so important in this moment. To County Executive Pittman, who has just been a champion in making sure that we are all staying on task and on target, I so appreciate you. The state delegation, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that the state funding started under former Speaker Mike Bush. He had the vision, he knew, and he wanted to respond with state dollars, being the capital city. And he started the trend that I had the privilege of picking up. I know Delegate Jones, Delegate Baylor, Senator Henson make sure we, in every single budget, make sure we are delivering for this project. To the federal delegation, I'm so grateful that Congressman Sarbanes is here. I also called Senator Ben Cardin the other day to share the good news. There's not a lot of good days of good news in this job. Senator Van Hollen, you didn't tell me that when I first ran. But he was thrilled and he wished he could be here today. I want to give him thanks and credit as well. It's been said that Mayor Littman has taken this project and been so thoughtful and so strategic as we met this critical moment. And I, too, received that SOS text message in February. Being on the Armed Services Committee, the Naval Academy Board, along with Senator Van Hollen, he asked, can we involve the Navy? And so that was my role to play in this orchestra of support that we all lent here is to call the Pentagon, to call the Navy and remind them that the rising seas will also impact the readiness of our United States Naval Academy. And they made a call as well. There were so many calls that were made in the month, Mr. Mayor, since you sent that text message. And I just want to thank you for your vision and your commitment. We're going to hear in a minute from Secretary Strickland, from MDEM, who has also been just a champion of this throughout multiple administrations. I want to thank you for your support. You're also on our call sheet any time we get a major flood, so I want to thank you and your team for that. And without further ado, I want to thank my predecessor, who... has been dedicated and focused to this work for his 18 years serving in the United States Congress. I'm so grateful to be able to call him and turn to him for advice more often than I thought I would in this Congress. But I'm so grateful to my friend, Congressman John Sarbanes.

Thanks very much, Sarah. This is a great day. I'm going to be brief. I promise, you know, if you let a former member of Congress up to a podium, they could go forever. But first of all, let me salute Team Maryland, Senator Van Hollen, Congresswoman Sarah Elpheth, representative of the 3rd District of Maryland. I love saying that. to Jared, to Stuart, to everybody who's been part of this. I also want to give a shout-out to Gavin Buckley. I got a lot of SOSs from Gavin over the years, so I've got a whole text string there. But thank you, Jared, for kind of picking up the ball and carrying it. It means so much to Annapolis. It means so much. to Anne Arundel County, to the state. This is an example of people coming together in a very, very powerful way. This was a Rubik's Cube from the beginning. I mean, it had so many different and continues to have so many different interlocking parts that require special attention. So getting these resources finally over the finish line is just, it's a huge win. And it demonstrates, I think, and you mentioned this here a moment ago, the resilience of the people of Annapolis. I mean, stepping up, how to conceptualize this, what would it mean to execute it, putting all the phases together that you're now going to see kind of rolling out over time. That was a huge accomplishment. And then the last thing I want to say is this kind of a project, this kind of a resilience project in the context of what we know are going to continue to be increasing challenges coming at us in terms of climate change and weather disruption and so forth. is going to be a model for how you do these things around the country. And Annapolis has always been a leader. It's always been a model. It's always kind of taken the lead nationally on innovative, creative approaches. This is another example of that. It's going to be a tough slog through the execution. But I know one that's going to be successful. So congratulations to the people of Annapolis, to Team Maryland, to everybody who got us to this point is going to keep moving it forward. And obviously, very much at the reins for this process going forward is going to be Mayor Lippman. I want to thank him for all his great work and bring him up.

Thank you.

Good morning. Thank you. My name is Mayor Jared Lipman, and on behalf of the City Council members and I, it is our great honor and pleasure to thank and receive the $33 million plus the $2.5 million for FEMA. And I just, I am so relieved, frankly. I know my sleep isn't everyone's concern, but I've been sleeping a lot better the past couple nights knowing that this money is coming. And this is obviously the evolution of work from so many individuals, and they've been mentioned. But I just want to point out how our city staff continue to slog away at the financial, the technical, the environmental reviews, meeting every deadline. Answering questions from FEMA, it was a long process and it seemed to evolve and they stepped up and they've met all the burdens and requests. And their dedication has absolutely ensured our success. To go over the funding of this huge engineering and infrastructure project, We have $24 million from the concession agreement related to the building of Hillman Garage. $10 million from the state of Maryland. And I see our delegate, Delegate Jones, Delegate Baylor, and our state Senator Henson being represented here. $4.8 million in congressional earmarks, although they're not called earmarks anymore. $2 million from the county. And today's $33 million plus the $2.5 million from FEMA plus the city's bond money to ensure that we now have all the funding in place to see this project through. this is a major investment in protecting our historic waterfront local businesses and ensuring that our residents can continue to enjoy this wonderful area that we all love for generations and generations to come this is an investment in the future of annapolis I want to acknowledge we have a lot of partners, and I recognize the city is the small player here, and so we have a lot of people I want to thank. I first want to call out the current and former city council members who stood by Mayor Buckley and I throughout this process. They all received lots of phone calls of, if this, then this, and the council, it was unanimous in supporting our efforts to move forward. Of course, our... Thank you, council members. Thank you. Of course, I want to thank our federal delegation, Senator Van Hollen, Senator also Brooks, who couldn't be here today, Representative Elfrith, and of course, Representative Sarbanes, who's always been a good friend. Thank you all so much for your support. Our governor and his team have been hugely instrumental as well. So I thank Governor Moore and MDEM Secretary Strickland for your support. The number of phone calls and conference and strategizing all along. And of course, again, I want to call out our state delegation, Senator Henson, delegates Jones and Baylor. I think delegate Jones gets the award for latest phone call on this matter on a Friday night in particular, too. So thank you for being available. County Executive Pittman, you've always stood behind and helped strategize. And I know that I can count on you as well. Thank you so much. Mayor Buckley, I know, had this vision, and now the hard work of going from vision to turning into reality, but that doesn't get started without the initial vision. So I thank you, Mayor Buckley. A couple of individuals that don't get a lot of limelight I want to call out. City Manager Buckland, I want to thank you. Project Manager Eileen Fogarty, seeing this through. Director and Chief Kevin Simmons and David Mandel from Office of Emergency Management. and Public Works Director Burr Vogel. Someone who never calls out for attention but is a friend and a leader in this whole project, Matt Fleming and the Resilience Authority. Thank you for your leadership. He's one of those guys that when we strategize of who needs to do what, he's like, I got it. I got it. I got it. Thank you, Matt. Appreciate you. Looking ahead, I want to call out all the individuals who are involved. We all got involved in public service because we wanted to do good for the community. We are doing our best to serve the public. And as Congresswoman Elfrith mentioned, there are some tough days where when our efforts to do good are not necessarily treated as such. I just want to let all of us have all of us take a moment to appreciate the enormity of today's milestone. This is the result of your hard work, your focus on serving your constituents, and seeing the big picture of what can be done when we join together. And so I just want you all to pat yourselves on the back, pat each other on the back, take a moment to appreciate this. I know that there have been a lot of press conferences. I am so looking forward to having a ribbon-cutting where we could say, come on, and it's not last minute and hurried. This work is absolutely just beginning. I know that just because we now have the money in the bank, it's not all smooth sailing. But I know with the team behind me, they've all demonstrated they're willing to answer the call, be involved, be supportive, either quietly or publicly, whatever is needed to get the job done. And that's huge. That is absolutely huge. It is my absolute honor to lead Annapolis's efforts through this. And again, I thank all of the partners involved in this work. I'm so excited to help deliver the CityDoc project for all of us. And with that, I want to introduce my friends and our county executive, Stuart Pittman.

Well, first, just congratulations to everybody. I'm not going to go through everybody and do all the same things all over again. But congratulations to all of us. We should be having a huge party right now. Maybe this is maybe we will later. I had a meeting on my schedule today that got canceled. My scheduler told me the mayor's office canceled our meeting on Friday. Didn't say why. And then I got a text message, not the SOS one, got that too, but I got the good text message from Mayor Lippman. And the joy, I mean. The ability to sleep. That meeting was about, we're in the middle of our budget process. We're in the middle of our capital budget process. We managed to squeeze $2 million out last year, you know, with the help of Councilwoman Rodvian for this district, for particularly the Welcome Center as part of this project to get it over the finish line. But not having the fee and my money would have meant that the project would have been scaled back. The mayor had all kinds of contingency plans, and his contingency plans included more money from the county, I think. And so it was a big relief to have that meeting canceled. I want to particularly thank our delegation, Congresswoman Elfrith, our senators, and the whole team. But I think in this time, we've almost lost faith that we have a partner in the federal government, and particularly in FEMA. It has been so, so frustrating and sad and terrifying in some cases to have FEMA no longer a partner. But these folks didn't give up. These folks continued to work relationships that they had, relationships in places we don't even want to know who they talked to to get this thing across the finish line. But thank you. Just thank you for not giving up in a time where we all just want to fight, fight, fight. Sometimes we also have to get in there and negotiate and manage to get some wins. public for the residents of Anne Arundel County who are so looking forward to coming into Annapolis and seeing this beautiful, beautiful public space. It's going to be like a park for the whole county, which is why I'm open. I've been open to investments in it is with county dollars. It is it is just like a little bit of sunshine. We haven't had sun all week, but it's a little bit of sunshine in a dark time and that in fact, government can work and things can get done. So just thank you. And and let's celebrate. This is a wonderful, wonderful day. Congratulations. And I also want to acknowledge the former mayor, Gavin Buckley, for the work that he did to get us to this point. You know, his name would have been mud if FEMA money hadn't showed up, right? I mean, you've got to blame somebody, but now his name is not mud. It's back to Gavin Buckley, and we can all celebrate.

Next, we're going to hear from the great Maryland Secretary of Emergency Management, Secretary Strickland.

Thank you. Thank you very, very much. This is a celebration. I really like that term. I'd first like to thank Governor Moore and Maryland's congressional delegation for your unwavering support of this critical project. I'd also like to recognize the City of Annapolis for their leadership and persistent advocacy to see funding awarded, and the Maryland Department of Emergency Management Hazard Mitigation team who are adeptly shepherding this project through many stages of approval. Now I'm going to go off script for a second because there were two words that were mentioned here today, resilience and modeling. And emergency management's responsibilities, although many times at the back end of the crowd, just kind of watching and making sure everybody's safe, but it's before, during, and after a disaster that we're involved. This is before. and before is mitigation. And mitigation is the center of the universe. We're really, really good at response and immediate recovery, but mitigation is that which will improve for all the businesses in the area and will make a difference of almost a dollar invested, a $6 return when it comes time for recovery. So I think that is so, so important and I appreciate the words that folks have used. So the mission of Maryland Department of Emergency Management is to proactively reduce these disaster risk and reliably manage consequences through collaborative work with Maryland's communities and partners. In Maryland, emergency management is a system of systems. We cannot do it alone. We are the counties and the local jurisdictions, coupled with the state, working with our state agencies and partners and with our private sector partners. We cannot do it alone. No one can, and it's only through that system of systems that we do it. The Annapolis City Dock Hazard Mitigation Project is an excellent example of this type of work, of everyone coming together. So the investment today comes as a result of years of partnership and collaboration with the residents, business owners, and governments at every level. And I have to say, we've been talking about it. It started in 2019. I started in state emergency management in 2004. This was a discussion then. It was a discussion of flooding back into the 1700s for Ellicott City. And when it comes time for a model, this will not only be a model, but there's another really, really good model in Frederick City that started with Agnes. And it took 20 years to build. And about three or four years ago, there was a flooding event and it worked. It worked. So we know that this funding will bring a significant return on investment for every dollar invested, as I mentioned, we'll save six in disaster recovery. And while the dollars matter, what really matters is our community and our survivors. That's where our focus is. So the hazard mitigation efforts on this scale mean more days that residents and visitors can enjoy Maryland's state capitol and the beautiful waterfront, more days that local businesses have to grow and thrive, and fewer days spent mucking out livelihoods and homes or wondering if the next storm or king tide will be worse than the last one. So this project is proof that together we can do things which shape a more resilient Maryland where communities thrive and where no one is left behind. So from the emergency management community to all of you, one, congratulations. Two, thank you. And number three, we're not leaving. We are not leaving until it's done. And we'll be here for another 20 years to make sure it works so we can write that down. All right? Thank you very, very much.

Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Thank you, Team Maryland. Before we take questions, I do want to acknowledge a few other folks. And Sarah mentioned my former partner and colleague, Ben Cardin. He was also tenacious about this project. And we worked very closely together. And just like Congresswoman Elfrith picked up the baton from John Sarbanes in the House, Angela Alcer Brooks has helped pick up that baton in the United States Senate. So I just want to thank her. She could not be here. So let's give them both a round of applause. So we're happy to answer any questions. And if not, we do have a check. Cash it fast. Any questions?

Yeah.

Can you respond to the letter that you sent to the Trump administration regarding the Legionella?

I'm sorry, I couldn't hear.

Can you respond to the letter you sent to the Trump administration relative to the Legionella letter?

Oh, can we talk to you after about I'm happy to do one on one or what? Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. Any other questions? Okay. Time for the real thing. Check. All right. Should we? Senator, can I mention one other person?

Yes, of course. I also want to call out Lieutenant General Superintendent of the Naval Academy, Mike Bork-Schulte, who was incredibly helpful. And I just want to acknowledge his efforts as well. Why don't you get in the middle here?

All right. Thank you

I've seen so many stars at Cause Beach.

Cause Beach, it'll go down in history one of the most beautiful places there were.

You know this, come on. Every superstition.

When Chuck Curry came to town or James Brown came to town. There was so much parking that you only had room for one car to move a quarter of a mile.

We saw people that got tired of waiting in traffic and they'd get out and walk and run because all the big stars came here.

They would sneak in, you know, through some type of fence. I don't know where this fence was, but, you know, because it gets so crowded and people would sneak in some type of way just to come and see the, you know, different entertainment.

We didn't have to go anywhere to see James Brown, Etta James. All the big-name stars came right here and out back door.

It was just a joy for time. For me and a lot of other blacks, it was just a joy for time. When we got off from work sometimes, we went to Carl's Beach. But Carl's Beach is, wow, it was a center of attraction for everybody, especially blacks. It was a center of attraction.

When the community was segregated, it's the only place that really Afro-Americans come in and have a day of fun.

Ever since my first visit here, I can remember the people dancing on the concrete pavilion and the sand on the pavilion. And those leather soles made a distinct grinding sound, but it was a rhythmic sound that... that has still with me now. I am tickled today to be sitting here and hearing music and looking out in the bay. It brings back a lot of memories.

They had rides, Ferris wheels, a merry-go-round, the cotton candy. They even had a big dance hall where we see hop albums on the bands and it would be broadcast live.

Tonight, tonight, tonight, we're hopping at them and people came from all over come down Carls and Sprouts Beach and we came for the Carls and Sprouts Beach reunion and this is a great reunion.

This is where it all started from, the grounds. And I don't know, it's just heavenly to be here today. It's awesome and I'm just so delighted to be here to see this.

It was such a beautiful thing. It was a place where you had a beautiful time. Like I say, Cod Beach will live forever and it's in our hearts and it'll live in our hearts forever.

There's a little place across Spa Creek. You get there when you shuffle down Compromise Street, cross the bridge or paddle through the harbor. It's the opposite side of Annapolis proper. And when you get there, you leave your worries behind and get that laid back feeling that only you'll find in Eastport on the bay. They're a laid-back crew there in old Eastport. They go to work all summer long in deck shoes and shorts. And if you want a millionaire's elbow to rub, he's got the shabbiest deck shoes down at Marmaduke's Pub. Or go around the corner to Leon's Barbershop and have the mayor himself take a little off the top in Eastport on the bay. So let me get across, Mr. Bridgetender, and leave it up for good for all that I care. The crab pot's steamin', we can pick us a few, and I'll shuck the oysters if you make us do. Crabbin' and sailin' with characters galore, it's a land of pleasant livin' surrounded by shore. Yuppies with puppies walkin' side by side, and things ain't a-changin' except for the tide. So come on over, leave your worries behind, and get that laid-back feelin' that only you'll find in Eastport on the bay.

Hi, I'm Megan. I'm here at City Hall to talk to you about the Golden Pass. 25 and older, the Golden Pass is a great opportunity for you. For just $20 a month, you can park for up to two hours a day on Maryland Avenue, Main Street, or the Mills Home and Garage without using a promo code, the pay machine, or even an app. Just park and walk away. All week this week, May 11th through the 15th, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., I'm here if you have any questions, if you want to sign up in person, or if you just need a hand. Stop by, park at the Mills Home and Garage, we'll validate your parking, and we'll connect in person.

Thanks.

We are here in Annapolis today celebrating the boy who harnessed the wind. A guy who overcame adversity. A young brown boy from projects.

And I'm celebrating for not just me, for many others that have came out of situations of adversity.

This is where it all started.

This is where I used to work. Maybe 10 years ago, this was my station. They helped me out with every single thing. Braiding hair, teaching me how to hold, teaching me how to schedule, teaching me how to be the work all the time. All of them, this is where I all ended up. Being raised with a culture of women of hairdressers that I looked up to growing up, I was heavily equipped. I used to sit in hair salons and watch the ladies work, and I really learned a lot about being a hairstylist through my mentors in front of me. I mean, I have clients like Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Kelly Rowland, Yara Shahidi. I like glamorous hair. I like confident hair. I like hair that's been slept on and lived in and ruffled up. I told myself that I could dream and I told myself that I could in a situation where I wasn't supposed to. And so me standing here today is a huge honor because when I started my journey, I had no idea that this could be. But I kept going and I kept doing. Here we are today. I'm getting the keys to the city.

On behalf of the city of Annapolis, we present you with the keys to the city.

I honestly want to say thank you so much. Listen, I've been working really, really hard and I love what I do. I love Annapolis. I want to be able to create space for younger individuals to be empowered, to be uplifted, to find mentorship and to really strategize ways to really uplift. And so I am going to start a nonprofit here in Annapolis. Pair up with all of my mentors, and we are going to come up with something spectacular. It means more to me than the accolade. It's really about the honor for me. I'm really honored and grateful. And that's what it means to me. Really, I have a lot of humility for what my ancestors gave me.

Hello, I'm Ken White with the Annapolis Fire Department. This week's theme for Fire Prevention Week is Serve Up Safety in the Kitchen. So this holiday season, here are some tips from the Annapolis Fire Department that can help you serve up safety in the kitchen. Tip one, when frying, boiling, or simmering, stay in the kitchen. Never leave the home and always use a timer. Tip two, if a grease fire starts, never try to extinguish with water. Use a lid to cover over the pot, turn the burner off, and wait till the pan cools down. Tip three, always keep your cleaning and cooking surfaces free of any clutter. And tip four, remember to always keep a three foot distance around the cooking area, a three feet kid zone, as I like to call it. And remember, if you're unable to control the fire, get out of your house and dial 911 immediately. And never forget, every month to test your smoke alarms, have an escape plan, and practice your escape plan. Unattended cooking is a leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries. For more information on tips on how you can serve up safety in the kitchen, visit www.firepreventionweek.org. Stay safe, Annapolis.

Thank you.

All those legends. We talk about James Brown. Stevie Wonder. This was a place where 70,000 would come from New York, from the Carolinas, to Annapolis.

You know, we talk about our history a lot in Annapolis, but we only talk about one history. And this amazing piece of history that happened for three decades is going to be here for the next generation to learn about it.

We need to pay homage to our history and our ancestors. You know, this is bringing home You remember the carousel. You remember the bandstand. So this is bringing that dream to a reality.

What you're seeing today, as I say, is a microcosm.

What we see at Cars Beach is a perfect example of that. It's the state, it's the citizens that all come together. It's very much a team effort.

Send his kisses to me, Cupid, Cupid.

Tell him he belongs to me. Tell him that I'm still deep in him.

Tonight, tonight, tonight. And that tonight goes on perpetually. Keep celebrating tomorrow and the next day. Keep encouraging one another. Don't stop. Just keep going.

And if you see my love, tell him that I'm sorry. I will do anything to get him back into my arms.

Hey, get out of there. Looks like I have to do proper trash placement training again. If you put the trash out, please place it into a bag. and tie the bag up and place into a watertight receptacle with your address placed on it so they can be seen from the street at the end of your property for proper road collection. As a matter of fact, this recycle is done all wrong also. If you decide to place your recycling in a bag, please bring your bag to the receptacle and take all items out of the bag and place them into the can and make sure the lid is closed, please. Let's bring back in the trash monster so I can show you things that are not recyclable. She's 40% non-recyclable right now. This is non-recyclable. This is non-recyclable. The metal utensils are non-recyclable. Please be mindful of your trash and recycle placement to avoid fines.

Hello, I'm Ken White with the Annapolis Fire Department. This week's theme for Fire Prevention Week is Serve Up Safety in the Kitchen. So this holiday season, here are some tips from the Annapolis Fire Department that can help you serve up safety in the kitchen. Tip one, when frying, boiling, or simmering, stay in the kitchen, never leave the home, and always use a timer. Tip two, if a grease fire starts, never try to extinguish with water. Use a lid to cover over the pot, turn the burner off, and wait till the pan cools down. Tip three, always keep your cleaning and cooking surfaces free of any clutter. And tip four, remember to always keep a three foot distance around the cooking area, a three feet kid zone, as I like to call it. And remember, if you're unable to control the fire, get out of your house and dial 911 immediately. And never forget every month to test your smoke alarms, have an escape plan and practice your escape plan. Unattended cooking is a leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries. For more information on tips on how you can serve up safety in the kitchen, visit www.firepreventionweek.org. Stay safe Annapolis.

Hey Annapolis, it's go time. On-demand transit that takes you where you want to go. It's fast, it's easy, and it's an affordable way to get around Annapolis. Going to the doctor? It's go time. Going shopping? It's go time. Exploring Annapolis? It's go time. It's easy to schedule your ride. Use the app or call Transportation Dispatch at 410-263-7964. Set your pickup and your destination and we'll be right there. Simply track the bus on the app so you'll know exactly when we'll be there to pick you up. Pay, once you're on the bus, just $2 per ride and only $1 for seniors. Or you can use your daily, weekly, monthly, or annual bus pass. Getting around Annapolis is easy with Annapolis Go Time. On-demand transit. See you on board.

🎵 🎵 Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. so so Thank you. Thank you.

Hey, get out of there. Looks like I have to do proper trash placement training again. If you put your trash out, please place it into a bag and tie the bag up and place it into a watertight receptacle with your address placed on it so they can be seen from the street at the end of your property for proper road collection. As a matter of fact, this recycle is done all wrong also. If you decide to place your recycling in a bag, please bring your bag to the receptacle and take all items out of the bag and place them into the can. And make sure the lid is closed, please. Let's bring back in the trash monster so I can show you things that are not recyclable. See, it's 40% non-recyclable right now. This is non-recyclable. This is non-recyclable. The metal utensils are non-recyclable. Please be mindful of your trash and recycle placement to avoid fines.

Hey, hey, hey! Get out of there! Get out of the garbage! Oh, we're going to have to clean all this up again. And since we're here, I'll take the opportunity to do a training on how we're going to place the garbage properly. First, we lift everything. and we put it inside the trash bag then we tie it and we put it inside the trash container we cover it since we are we take advantage and we also look at the recycling this bag does not have to be in the recycling and we empty all this again we place the cover so we are going to ask our monster to return from the garbage And let's see what it has to see if it can be recycled or not. This metal thing down here cannot be recycled. All this fine plastic from the garbage bags does not go into recycling either. This metal knife either. Please take into account that when you take out your garbage, these are the ways to do it to be able to avoid being notified or fined.

There's a little place across Spa Creek. You get there when you shuffle down Compromise Street, cross the bridge or paddle through the harbor. It's the opposite side of Annapolis proper. And when you get there, you leave your worries behind and get that laid back feeling that only you'll find in Eastport on the Bay. They're a laid-back crew there in old Eastport. They go to work all summer long in deck shoes and shorts. And if you want a millionaire's elbow to rub, he's got the shabbiest deck shoes down at Marmaduke's Pub. Or go around the corner to Leon's Barbershop and have the mayor himself take a little off the top in Eastport on the bay. So let me get across, Mr. Bridgetender, and leave it up for good for all that I care. The crab pot's steamin', we can pick us a few, and I'll shuck the oysters if you make the stew. Crabbin' and sailin' with characters galore, it's a land of pleasant livin' surrounded by shore. Yuppies with puppies walkin' side by side, and things ain't a-changin' except for the tide. So come on over, leave your worries behind, and get that laid-back feelin' that only you'll find in Eastport on the bay.

to the United States. I think that's the way it's going to be discovered. So that's one of the things that's coming out of the environment in the United States. And I think that's really the point that the United States is trying to escape them. I think that's the only way that we're going to solve the crisis, though, since we're in the day and age. We don't want people in the United States to just step back around and say, no, I think I have to go to bed. And I think that's the only way to do it. It's the start of the US, and it's the end of the US, really. All right.

Well, welcome, everybody. We're gathered here in a great American city, the great city of Annapolis, the sailing capital of the world, an historic city where George Washington resigned his military commission, symbolizing the transfer and peaceful transfer of power and making it clear that in America we have no kings, a city that's not afraid to tell all of its past, including its role in the slave trade. In Annapolis, people learn from our past. They don't try to whitewash and hide their past. A city that is the home, the proud home of the Naval Academy, a city where millions of people from all over the world come every year, but also a city that, because of climate change, has really been hurt by the flooding hitting these small businesses, impacting tourism, impacting the boat show. And so that's why we're gathered here today, to address that problem. And we have great news for a great American city, great news for the great city of Annapolis, which is after many years, FEMA has released the $35 million in funds. 35 million dollars in funds that includes the 33 million dollars that was part of the original city of annapolis grants and an additional two and a half million dollars to help with related upgrades for stormwater management And this has been the result of work of Team Maryland. And you're going to hear from so many people who were part of that effort. But there were also many more who are represented here today that you won't hear from, but who you see here and others who could not join us today. including somebody who could not join us today, Mayor Buckley, the former mayor of Annapolis. And it was his vision that really set this project in motion. And I heard from him last night. He said he couldn't be here. I think he's taking one of his kids to college. But he was just thrilled, of course, that we were able to secure these funds. And to the new mayor, Mayor Lipman, and to the council, city council here in Annapolis, thank you. Thank you for carrying on that vision with absolute perseverance. I was just telling the mayor that I have right here a text message that I received from him on Valentine's Day, coincidentally. And it was an SOS message. And it began, I am writing because we are at a critical point in the city doc project. And he went on to outline the huge challenges they would face if the FEMA funds didn't come through. He also was putting together contingency plans because he understood the importance of this project. And he said in that text message, if we don't get started and try to keep this on time, we're going to see some of these businesses close. So thank you, Mayor Littman, for moving with that urgency. And that lit another fire under all of us who are members of the Maryland federal delegation. And I can say that in the Senate, we immediately renewed our push, which has been ongoing, and directly contacted DHS and FEMA. and said, we really need you to release these funds, and we need it yesterday. And we got the Appropriations Committee in the Senate involved. And not surprisingly, there are other members in the House and the Senate who've also had projects held up. by FEMA. And so there was a growing backlog, but also growing frustration at what was happening with backlogs for projects all over the country. And so all of that pressure built and the dam broke. And the good news is Kristi Noem is out and the funding for the Annapolis dock is in. And let me just thank other members of the federal delegation who are part of it, because the city, we took our lead from the city, from their vision, but we have with us today John Sarbanes. Congressman John Sarbanes, who was absolutely tenacious. Absolutely tenacious when it came to making sure that the city of Annapolis had what it needed and was constantly pushing and pushing. And of course, former state senator and now congresswoman, Representative Elfrith, she's been pushing really hard. And thank you to other members of the District 30 delegation and everybody who's been involved in this effort over years. To Stuart Pittman, your county executive, you've been just an amazing partner. Amazing partner. And all of us know the resources need to come from the city. They need to come from the county. They need to come from the state. And yes, this critical piece needed to come from the federal government. And so I'm also pleased that we're here. And with the continuing support from the governor and the governor's team, you're going to hear from our secretary of the Department of Emergency Management, Russ Strickland. But thank you for what you're doing in this project, but also the other emergency projects around the state and FEMA. So as you can see, this is really a Team Maryland day. And this wouldn't have happened without everybody gathered here and many more people and never giving up. This is an example of perseverance and persistence at work, and that requires everybody pushing from their own angle and their own point of leverage. So without further ado, let me now turn it over to somebody who has been pushing really hard for this, first in the Maryland legislature, and hit the ground running in the United States Congress, Sarah Elfrith.

Well, thank you to Senator Van Hollen for being Team Maryland's quarterback in the federal delegation, but also, as you see behind me, the epitome of Team Maryland when we say it's not just the federal delegation. It starts with our local partners, our county partners, our state partners, and, of course, the federal team. Y'all, this is a day that I got to tell you, I try to be an optimist in this work. I think you have to be. I wasn't sure this day was going to happen, Mr. Mayor. First of all, this is my umpteenth CityDoc press conference. I think we've all been here many, many times to announce really great news, to announce state funding, $18.5 million in state funding, to announce almost $10 million in federal earmarks, to announce the resilience authority, to mark Congressman Sarbanes. We were here. Sorry, there's too many tall people behind me. We were here during one of the biggest floods, I think the fourth biggest flood on record, standing right here surveying the urgency of now. And that's where I wanted to start. Rising seas aren't going to wait for bureaucracy. I think we see that every single day. And as the senator said, this is more than just a climate adaption project. It has real implications for Annapolis' past, present, and future. Obviously, the historical impacts of this project, what we are preserving as the former United States Capitol, really important year that we are celebrating the 250th anniversary of the founding of this nation. But we also recognize the more challenging and difficult pieces of our history that we need to honor and respect and share and tell. The fact that where we are standing is a UNESCO site of remembrance because it was a site of the transatlantic slave trade. We also have a deep obligation to tell the stories in this city, not just of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence, but also the folks who worked the water, the immigrants, the families who lived right here and made Annapolis what it is today. Obviously, this moment is important because we have to preserve this city dock for our economy as well. All of the small businesses you see around here, every time there is a major flood, we are all on the phone checking in, making sure they have what they need, making sure we're corralling the state resources and local resources to get them what they need. Obviously, this is important for the present because of our United States Naval Academy. And rising seas do not respect what is city land versus what is federal land. And so what happens here very much impacts what happens there. And of course, to the aldermen from Eastport, you know better than anybody, when the rising seas cut off Compromise Street, that is a real emergency management challenge for the people of Eastport. obviously the moment of now as we address climate change across this country is so real and it can sometimes feel overburdened we feel overburdened it's just such a large problem where can we even start obviously this started almost a decade ago with a vision from mayor buckley in the city council and the the staff at the city who knew that this was not a nice to have this was a must-have not just then but knowing that the seas will continue to rise each and every year It's often said that success has a thousand fathers. I'd like to also believe there's a few mothers tucked in there as well. Obviously to Mayor Buckley for his vision, the city council for their dedication, the staff. I also want to thank the hundreds of Annapolis citizens who participated. And I don't know how many charrettes y'all had to make sure. 300 opportunities for the public to weigh in here. That's so important in this moment. To County Executive Pittman, who has just been a champion in making sure that we are all staying on task and on target, I so appreciate you. The state delegation, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that the state funding started under former Speaker Mike Bush. He had the vision, he knew, and he wanted to respond with state dollars, being the capital city. And he started the trend that I had the privilege of picking up. I know Delegate Jones, Delegate Baylor, Senator Henson make sure we, in every single budget, make sure we are delivering for this project. To the federal delegation, I'm so grateful that Congressman Sarbanes is here. I also called Senator Ben Cardin the other day to share the good news. There's not a lot of good days of good news in this job. Senator Van Hollen, you didn't tell me that when I first ran. But he was thrilled and he wished he could be here today. I want to give him thanks and credit as well. It's been said that Mayor Littman has taken this project and been so thoughtful and so strategic as we met this critical moment. And I too received that SOS text message in February. Being on the Armed Services Committee, the Naval Academy Board, along with Senator Van Hollen, he asked, can we involve the Navy? And so that was my role to play in this orchestra of support that we all lent here, is to call the Pentagon and call the Navy and remind them that the rising seas will also impact the readiness of our United States Naval Academy. And they made a call as well. There were so many calls that were made in the month, Mr. Mayor, since you sent that text message. And I just want to thank you for your vision and your commitment. And we're going to hear in a minute from Secretary Strickland, from MDEM, who has also been just a champion of this throughout multiple administrations. I want to thank you for your support. You're also on our call sheet any time we get a major flood, so I want to thank you and your team for that. And without further ado, I want to thank my predecessor, who has been dedicated and focused to this work for his 18 years serving in the United States Congress. I'm so grateful to be able to call him and turn to him for advice more often than I thought I would in this Congress. But I'm so grateful to my friend, Congressman John Sarbanes.

Thanks very much, Sarah. This is a great day. I'm going to be brief. I promise, you know, if you let a former member of Congress up to a podium, they could go forever. But first of all, let me salute Team Maryland, Senator Van Hollen, Congresswoman Sarah Elpheth, representative of the 3rd District of Maryland. I love saying that. to Jared, to Stuart, to everybody who's been part of this. I also want to give a shout-out to Gavin Buckley. I got a lot of SOSs from Gavin over the years, so I've got a whole text string there. But thank you, Jared, for kind of picking up the ball and carrying it. It means so much to Annapolis. It means so much. to Anne Arundel County to the state. This is an example of people coming together in a very, very powerful way. This was a Rubik's Cube from the beginning. I mean, it had so many different and continues to have so many different interlocking parts that require special attention. So getting these resources finally over the finish line is just, it's a huge win. And it demonstrates, I think, and you mentioned this here a moment ago, the resilience of the people of Annapolis. I mean, stepping up, how to conceptualize this, what would it mean to execute it, putting all the phases together that you're now going to see kind of rolling out over time. That was a huge challenge. And then the last thing I want to say is this kind of a project, this kind of a resilience project in the context of what we know are going to continue to be increasing challenges coming at us in terms of climate change and weather disruption and so forth. is going to be a model for how you do these things around the country. And Annapolis has always been a leader. It's always been a model. It's always kind of taken the lead nationally on innovative, creative approaches. This is another example of that. It's going to be a tough slog through the execution. But I know one that's going to be successful. So congratulations to the people of Annapolis, to Team Maryland, to everybody who got us to this point is going to keep moving it forward. And obviously, very much at the reins for this process going forward is going to be Mayor Lippman. I want to thank him for all his great work and bring him up.

Thank you.

Good morning. Thank you. My name is Mayor Jared Lippman, and on behalf of the City Council members and I, it is our great honor and pleasure to thank and receive the $33 million plus the $2.5 million for FEMA. And I just, I am so relieved, frankly. I know my sleep isn't everyone's concern, but I've been sleeping a lot better the past couple nights knowing that this money is coming. And this is obviously the evolution of work from so many individuals, and they've been mentioned. But I just want to point out how our city staff continue to slog away at the financial, the technical, the environmental reviews, meeting every deadline. Answering questions from FEMA, it was a long process and it seemed to evolve and they stepped up and they've met all the burdens and requests. And their dedication has absolutely ensured our success. To go over the funding of this huge engineering and infrastructure project, we have $24 million from the concession agreement related to the building of Hillman Garage. $10 million from the state of Maryland, and I see our delegate, Delegate Jones, Delegate Baylor, and our state Senator Henson being represented here. $4.8 million in congressional earmarks, although they're not called earmarks anymore. $2 million from the county, and today's $33 million plus the $2.5 million from FEMA, plus the city's bond money to ensure that we now have all the funding in place to see this project through. This is a major investment in protecting our historic waterfront, local businesses and ensuring that our residents can continue to enjoy this wonderful area that we all love for generations and generations to come. This is an investment in the future of Annapolis. I want to acknowledge we have a lot of partners, and I recognize the city is the small player here, and so we have a lot of people I want to thank. I first want to call out the current and former city council members who stood by Mayor Buckley and I throughout this process. They all received lots of phone calls of, if this, then this, and the council, it was unanimous in supporting our efforts to move forward. Of course, our... Thank you, council members. Of course, I want to thank our federal delegation, Senator Van Hollen, Senator Alsobrooks, who couldn't be here today, Representative Elfrith, and of course, Representative Sarbanes, who's always been a good friend. Thank you all so much for your support. Our governor and his team have been hugely instrumental as well. So I thank Governor Moore and MDEM Secretary Strickland for your support. The number of phone calls and conference and strategizing all along. And of course, again, I want to call out our state delegation, Senator Henson, delegates Jones and Baylor. I think delegate Jones gets the award for latest phone call on this matter on a Friday night in particular, too. So thank you for being available. County Executive Pittman, you've always stood behind and helped strategize. And I know that I can count on you as well. Thank you so much. Mayor Buckley, I know, had this vision, and now the hard work of going from vision to turning into reality, but that doesn't get started without the initial vision. So I thank you, Mayor Buckley. A couple of individuals that don't get a lot of limelight I want to call out. City Manager Buckland, I want to thank you. Project Manager Eileen Fogarty, seeing this through. Director and Chief Kevin Simmons and David Mandel from Office of Emergency Management. and Public Works Director Burr Vogel. Someone who never calls out for attention, but is a friend and a leader in this whole project, Matt Fleming and the Resilience Authority. Thank you for your sponsorship. He's one of those guys that when we strategize of who needs to do what, he's like, I got it. I got it. I got it. Thank you, Matt. Appreciate you. Looking ahead, I want to call out all the individuals who are involved. We all got involved in public service because we wanted to do good for the community. We are doing our best to serve the public. And as Congresswoman Elfrith mentioned, there are some tough days where when our efforts to do good are not necessarily treated as such. I just want to let all of us have all of us take a moment to appreciate the enormity of today's milestone. This is the result of your hard work, your focus on serving your constituents, and seeing the big picture of what can be done when we join together. And so I just want you all to pat yourselves on the back, pat each other on the back, take a moment to appreciate this. I know that there have been a lot of press conferences. I am so looking forward to having a ribbon cutting Where we could say, come on, and it's not last minute and hurried. This work is absolutely just beginning. I know that just because we now have the money in the bank, it's not all smooth sailing. But I know with the team behind me, they've all demonstrated they're willing to answer the call, be involved, be supportive, either quietly or publicly, whatever is needed to get the job done. And that's huge. That is absolutely huge. It is my absolute honor to lead Annapolis's efforts through this. And again, I thank all of the partners involved in this work. I'm so excited to help deliver the City Dock project for all of us. And with that, I want to introduce my friends and our county executive, Stuart Pittman.

Well, first, just congratulations to everybody. I'm not going to go through everybody and do all the same things all over again, but congratulations to all of us. We should be having a huge party right now. Maybe we will later. I had a meeting on my schedule today that got canceled. My scheduler told me, the mayor's office canceled our meeting on Friday, didn't say why. And then I got a text message, not the SOS one, got that too, but I got the good text message from Mayor Lippman. And the joy, I mean... The ability to sleep. That meeting was about, we're in the middle of our budget process. We're in the middle of our capital budget process. We managed to squeeze $2 million out last year, you know, with the help of Councilwoman Rodvian for this district, for particularly the Welcome Center as part of this project to get it over the finish line. But not having the fee in my money would have meant that the project would have been scaled back. The mayor had all kinds of contingency plans, and his contingency plans included more money from the county, I think. And so it was a big relief to have that meeting canceled. I want to particularly thank our delegation, Congresswoman Elfrith, our senators, and the whole team. But I think in this time, we've almost lost faith that we have a partner in the federal government, and particularly in FEMA. It has been so, so frustrating and sad and terrifying in some cases to have FEMA no longer a partner. But these folks didn't give up. These folks continued to work relationships that they had, relationships in places we don't even want to know who they talked to to get this thing across the finish line. But thank you. Just thank you for not giving up in a time where we all just want to fight, fight, fight. Sometimes we also have to get in there and negotiate and manage to get some wins. public for the residents of Anne Arundel County who are so looking forward to coming into Annapolis and seeing this beautiful, beautiful public space. It's going to be like a park for the whole county, which is why I'm open. I've been open to investments in it is with county dollars. It is it is just like a little bit of sunshine. We haven't had sun all week, but it's a little bit of sunshine in a dark time and that in fact, government can work and things can get done. So just thank you. And and let's celebrate. This is a wonderful, wonderful day. Congratulations. And I also want to acknowledge the former mayor, Gavin Buckley, for the work that he did to get us to this point. You know, his name would have been mud if FEMA money hadn't showed up, right? I mean, you've got to blame somebody, but now his name is not mud. It's back to Gavin Buckley, and we can all celebrate.

Next, we're going to hear from the great Maryland Secretary of Emergency Management, Secretary Strickland.

Thank you. Thank you very, very much. This is a celebration. I really like that term. I'd first like to thank Governor Moore and Maryland's congressional delegation for your unwavering support of this critical project. I'd also like to recognize the City of Annapolis for their leadership and persistent advocacy to see funding awarded, and the Maryland Department of Emergency Management Hazard Mitigation team who are adeptly shepherding This project through many stages of approval now i'm going to go off script for a second because there were two words that were mentioned here today resilience and modeling And emergency management's responsibilities, although many times at the back end of the crowd just kind of watching and making sure everybody's safe But it's before during and after a disaster that we're involved This is before And before is mitigation. And mitigation is the center of the universe. We're really, really good at response and immediate recovery. But mitigation is that which will improve for all the businesses in the area and will make a difference of almost a dollar invested, a $6 return when it comes time for recovery. So I think that is so, so important and I appreciate the words that folks have used. So the mission of Maryland Department of Emergency Management is to proactively reduce these disaster risk and reliably manage consequences through collaborative work with Maryland's communities and partners. In Maryland, emergency management is a system of systems. We cannot do it alone. We are the counties and the local jurisdictions, coupled with the state, working with our state agencies and partners, and with our private sector partners. We cannot do it alone. No one can, and it's only through that system of systems that we do it. The Annapolis City Dock Hazard Mitigation Project is an excellent example of this type of work, of everyone coming together. So the investment today comes as a result of years of partnership and collaboration with the residents, business owners, and governments at every level. And I have to say, we've been talking about it. It started in 2019. I started in state emergency management in 2004. This was a discussion then. It was a discussion of flooding back into the 1700s for Ellicott City. And when it comes time for a model, this will not only be a model, but there's another really, really good model in Frederick City that started with Agnes. And it took 20 years to build. And about three or four years ago, there was a flooding event and it worked. It worked. So we know that this funding will bring a significant return on investment for every dollar invested, as I mentioned. We'll save six in disaster recovery. And while the dollars matter, what really matters is our community and our survivors. That's where our focus is. So the hazard mitigation efforts on this scale mean more days that residents and visitors can enjoy Maryland's state capitol and the beautiful waterfront, more days that local businesses have to grow and thrive, and fewer days spent mucking out livelihoods and homes or wondering if the next storm or king tide will be worse than the last one. So this project is proof that together we can do things which shape a more resilient Maryland where communities thrive and where no one is left behind. So from the emergency management community to all of you, one, congratulations. Two, thank you. And number three, we're not leaving. We are not leaving until it's done. And we'll be here for another 20 years to make sure it works so we can right that dam. All right? Thank you very, very much.

Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Thank you, Team Maryland. Before we take questions, I do want to acknowledge a few other folks. And Sarah mentioned my former partner and colleague, Ben Cardin. He was also tenacious about this project. And we worked very closely together. And just like Congresswoman Elfrith picked up the baton from John Sarbanes in the House, Angela Ulster Brooks has helped pick up that baton in the United States Senate. So I just want to thank her. She could not be here. So let's give them both a round of applause. So we're happy to answer any questions. And if not, we do have a check. Cash it fast. Any questions?

Yeah.

Can you respond to the letter that you sent to the Trump administration regarding the Legionella?

I'm sorry, I couldn't hear.

Can you respond to the letter you sent to the Trump administration relative to the Legionella?

Oh, can we talk to you after about I'm happy to do one on one or wouldn't it? Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. Any other questions? Okay. Time for the real thing. Check. All right. Should we?

Senator, can I mention one other person? Yes, of course. I also want to call out Lieutenant General Superintendent of the Naval Academy, Mike Bork-Schulte, who was incredibly helpful. And I just want to acknowledge his efforts as well. Why don't you get in the middle here?

All right.

Thank you.

We are here in Annapolis today celebrating the boy who harnessed the wind. A guy who overcame adversity. A young brown boy from projects.

And I'm celebrating for not just me, for many others that have came out of situations of adversity.