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MIDTOWN COMMUNITY BENEFITS DISTRICT MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING MINUTES WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 2008
UNIVERSITY OF BALTIMORE FOUNDATION BUILDING
1130 N. CHARLES STREET
6:30 p.m.

Member’s Present:  Randall Carroll, Steven Cassard, Jason Curtis, Michael Deets, Polly Duke, Eric Evans, Florintina Gittens, Pamela Johnson, Steven Johnson, Kevin Macartney, Michael Molla, Joseph Palumbo, Mike Shecter, Steven Shen, Kristy Taylor, Carlo Van Greiken

Staff Present: 
Peter Merles, District Administrator, Midtown Community Benefits District
Peggy Smallwood, Office Manager, Midtown Community Benefits District

Visitor Present:
John Fritze, Baltimore Sun Reporter

Michael Deets called meeting to order at 6:34 pm
Chair called for introductions.

Approval of Minutes
Michael Deets makes motion to accept minutes.
Mike Shecter seconds motion.  Motion passes.

Peter Merles, District Administrator’s Report
Report distributed prior to the meeting and copies are on file at the MCBD office in the minutes binder.
All Board meetings are recorded and a copy can be obtained through the MCBD office.

  • Revenues for FY 2009 may be significantly lowered due to the Tax Credit cap. A memo from Councilman Cole regarding the Benefits District and Homestead Tax Cap was distributed.   If there is a decrease, a revised budget will be submitted for review and approval of the Board.
  • The budget as approve at tonight’s meeting will be submitted to the Board of Estimates by April 15th for approval.
  • With projections of lower revenue for FY 2009, we are looking into ideas for maintaining quality of service while limiting the possible of reducing staff.  One idea that was proposed in the past was increasing productivity and efficiency by mechanization which would decrease foot cleaning and increase utilization of littervac machines. 

 

Eric Evans, Midtown Development Corporation Report

  • Commercial Façade Improvement Grants have been completed for The Hippo and Cathedral Street.

Steven Johnson, Budget & Finance Committee
Report distributed at the meeting and copies are on file at the MCBD office in the minutes binder.

  • Copies of the proposed FY2009 budget and an alternate budget proposal were distributed. 
  • Chair recaps discussion at the March 5th Board meeting when it was proposed not to add a new position but upgrade a position to foreman.  The motion was amended to allow an upgrade of a position to create a Green Team foreman. At the Town Hall Meeting there were concerns that in order to upgrade a position or to have a vacant position to upgrade, someone would be terminated.  After the Town Hall Meeting, The Executive Committee requested that Peter Merles put together an alternate budget proposal that would maintain the increase in funding for public safety programs while also fund the upgrading of a foreman position on the Green Team and the additional position on the clean team. Also document how much monies would be available for the Safety initiative.
  • If the proposed budget is adopted an estimated $186,000 is projected for the Safety Initiative.
  • Suggestion made to partner with outside agencies and provide additional training to the Green Team staff. 

 

Joseph Palumbo makes motion to accept original budget as presented at the Town Hall Meeting, and present to the Board of Estimates for approval.
Carlo Van Greiken seconds motion
Chair opens floor for discussion
Discussion follows.
All in favor. Motion passes.

Strategic Planning Task Force
The Strategic Task Force will meet on Friday, April 4th @ 12noon at the University of Baltimore, Student Center Room #133

Suggestion made for Midtown officers to attend neighborhood association meetings for direct feedback from community.  Each association gave their meeting schedule:
MRIA              -           First Tuesday of each month
MVBA             -           Third Tuesday of each month
MPIA               -           Every other First Thursday of the month/next meeting April 3rd   
Charles North   -           Every other 3rd Tuesday of the month/next meeting May 20th

Bill Oelke, Personnel Committee
No report to give at this time

Joseph Palumbo reports an email of complaint has been forwarded to him twice by the MRIA President regarding a MCBD employee sitting on his front steps for an hour or so during the day.  The issue will be referred to Peter Merles, District Administrator, Personnel Committee and to the Operations Committee to be addressed.

Steve Shen, Operations Committee

  • Initial budget forthcoming for camera proposal.  Will keep the board updated.
  • Student interns continue to work on “no parking” to allow street cleaning survey on Calvert Street.  Thirty per-cent of property owners have responded positively to the survey.  A 60% response is needed. Ninety properties were included in the survey.
  • Committee is also looking into pricing and purchasing a truck for FY 2009.

Michael Molla, Public Safety
The first Public Safety Meeting will take place on Wednesday, April 9th.

 

Chair asks for motion to adjourn.
Mike Shecter seconds motion.
Meeting is adjourned.