Pimlico Community Development Authority

Meeting

MINUTES

March 31, 2015

3939 Reisterstown Rd

In Attendance:Tom Stosur, Chair; Ramsey Harris; Gladys Stewart;Camille Burke;Avrahom Sauer; Beth Huber

Absent: Sen. Lisa Gladden; Pr. Tonya Wade; Sen. Catherine Pugh; Del. Barbara Robinson;Roslyn Smith;Gloria Cinquegrani;Del. Nathaniel Oaks

PCDA Chair’s Remarks:

Mr. Stosur announced that Delegate Barbara Robinson has been appointed to represent the 40th District and thanked Delegate Shawn Tarrant for his service. He also announced that Kathryn Cooper-Nicholas has resigned from PCDA. The Department of Planning and the Mayor’s Office are seeking to fill vacancies on the board; interested persons can contact the Planning staff.

Purpose of tonight’s meeting is to review the current status of FY15 and FY16 revenues and spending plans and to hear updates on implementation of projects in the One Mile Radius. The next meeting will focus on the Park Heights Master Plan area.

Update on Revenues and Spending Plans:

Mary Clapsaddle (Planning) described the challenges facing the revenue outlook. Slots are not generating the revenues that had been anticipated, leaving a shortfall of about $500,000 in each of FY15 and FY16. In addition, Governor Hogan’s budget proposal would reduce the Pimlico Local Impact Aid by about another $500,000 in each year. Planning has been working with the Finance Department to adjust spending over a three-year horizon to close this $2 million gap. The result is to reduce the current FY15 plan by $500,000 (from $4.5 million to $4 million) and the FY16 plan by $1 million (from $4.5 million to $3.5 million). The remaining shortfall would be absorbed with the FY17 plan.

The Mayor released the Final FY16 Spending Plan on March 12, 2015, which also addressed the necessary changes to the FY15 plan. Ms. Clapsaddle reviewed the major changes to address the budget reductions and described how the Final FY16 Spending Plan differed from the Draft FY16 Spending Plan. The Mayor’s objective in making the adjustments was to minimize the negative impacts on projects or programs underway, preserve the communities’ highest priorities, and continue to achieve the highest possible benefit for residents and businesses. Ms. Clapsaddle also pointed out how the comments of the PCDA were incorporated into the final plan.

In the Park Heights Master Plan area, the FY15 reduction was taken from the allocation for the Major Redevelopment Area to preserve commitments in other areas. For FY16, all of the recurring items were reduced from the amounts anticipated in the draft, and $50,000 for job training scholarships was retained. In the Northwest Community Planning Forum area, the reductions for both FY15 and FY16 were made by reprogramming funds that had been allocated to prior projects: the Reisterstown Rd Library Branch parking lot and a portion of the funds for the Mt Washington light rail station safety and signage improvements. By taking these actions, all of the FY16 community priorities could be fully funded. In Liberty-Wabash, funding for the high priority project of public realm improvements on Dolfield Ave was preserved. Reductions were taken to a street light project and to small community grants. For FY16, funds were preserved for work to address vacant housing and blight and a reduced amount was provided for community initiatives, which will be determined through a future process. Coldspring Newtown’s funding for FY16 will be applied to the eventual redevelopment of the Mercantile Building.

Implementation Updates on One Mile Radius Projects:

Representatives from the Department of Transportation, Recreation and Parks, Baltimore Development Corporation, and Healthy Neighborhoods described recent activity in each project.

Discussion for Next Meeting:

At its November meeting, the PCDA expressed interest in periodically meeting with the board or representatives of Park Heights Renaissance to discuss matters of mutual interest. Mr. Stosur led a discussion to define the desired outcomes of a joint meeting and how to best frame a discussion. PCDA members indicated interest in understanding more about how PHR is held accountable to the priorities for which Impact Aid funds are provided and to get a better understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the two organizations and how they intersect and overlap. Mr. Stosur indicated that he would follow up with Larry Jennings, Chairman of the PHR Board, and Cheo Hurley, Executive Director, and ask the PHR Board to join PCDA at its next meeting.

Next Meeting:

The next meeting of the PCDA will be held at Grace Presbyterian Church, 2604 Banister Rd, at 6:00 on Tuesday, June 23, 2015.