Dear
Friends:
2007: City Council Year in Review
By any measure, 2007 was a very productive year for the City Council. As the year draws to a close, I'd like to share with you some of the work we've done to improve the quality of life for Baltimore residents.
In February the City Council passed 07-0392 Health – Indoor Smoking, banning smoking in Baltimore’s bars, restaurants, and private clubs, paving the way for the General Assembly to follow suit with a statewide prohibition in April. The ban will take effect throughout Maryland in February 2008.
To address the chronic staffing shortages in the police department, I advocated funding for an aggressive new police recruitment effort. You have probably seen these commercials on local television. I also met with rank and file officers to solicit their recommendations on crime-fighting on the streets, and submitted a report detailing these findings to Mayor Dixon. These efforts resulted in an innovative staffing program in the Northeast District, with overlapping shifts, effectively increasing the number of officers on duty during peak crime hours. If this pilot program is successful, it will be expanded to the entire department.
The City Council also passed Mayor Dixon's 07-0738 Gun Offender Registration legislation, requiring Baltimore gun offenders to register their name and address within 48 hours of a gun conviction or release from jail. Many of those arrested on homicide charges have prior gun convictions, and this registry will help police target prior offenders for questioning if criminal activity increases in a particular neighborhood.
In June the Council passed 06-0558 Inclusionary Housing. This law will require new housing developments of 30 units or more that receive significant city subsidy to make a certain percentage of their units affordable.
The City Council approved 07-0665 Eviction Chattels prohibiting landlords from tossing tenants' personal belongings onto the sidewalk after an eviction - a long-standing practice that forced the city to haul those items away at taxpayer expense. In a similar vein, 07-0717 Neighborhood Nuisances will give city police the authority to take action against residences or businesses that significantly affect neighboring residents by being disorderly, including eviction of residents for up to one year.
07-0801 Minority and Women’s Business Program - Reauthorization
This law adopted new targets for how much money minority subcontractors should receive from companies that bid on city work. The new rules would apply to any construction contract over $1 million and for all architectural and engineering contracts. Specific goals for each ethnic group's participation in various kinds of contracts will be set later by the city's minority business office.
Together with the help of many conscientious citizens, we are moving our City forward by investing where Baltimore lives. The City Council is delivering on our promise to make government work for the people it serves. As your elected representatives, this City Council will work with you to create strong, self-sustaining communities, and a positive climate for investment—financial and personal—in the City's future. I look forward to building on this foundation in the New Year.
Stephanie
Rawlings-Blake
President, Baltimore City Council
