I guess black and white.

Good.

I'm good.

Okay, just need a script up.

Okay.

Need a script up here.

Yeah, it's just in the right away because I just changed the fact that a few upgrades on there.

So the regular Annapolis City Council meeting on Monday, September 8th, 2025, will be called to order at 702.

This time, please join us for the invocation given by Alderman Aldwom Pindell Charles, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Dear Heavenly Father, we come again before you with humbled hearts.

Lord, we come to seek peace, grace, and mercy.

We come before you, Lord, to provide us with some of the answers to the questions that perplex us.

We come before you knowing that the world in many parts is in turmoil.

People are struggling.

People are trying to find peace, joy, and love, but we can find it in our own spheres.

We can spread it in our own spheres.

We have those who are here to do that for us.

And we know that the decisions that we make, we hope that they will be guided by your strength and by your love.

We want you to be in this place this evening and wherever we may go in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Yes, sir, Mayor Buckley.

Yeah.

Alderman Huntley.

Here.

Albertman O'Neill.

President Alban Pendel Charles.

Present.

Alban Philasin.

President Alderman Shannon Meyer.

Present.

Alderman Gay.

Alderman Savage.

Present.

Alderman Arnett.

President.

Thank you.

Mr.

City Attorney, please present the first on the agenda.

Yes, sir.

The first item of the agenda is approval of the agenda.

Okay.

This time I'd entertain a motion to approve the agenda as amended to add CA2-25.

Uh and O thirteen-25.

So move.

Second.

Thank you.

And for chapter amendment CA25.

This allows us to rectify a timing oversight in what has been an extremely busy legislative period over the past few months.

Uh it will ensure we recognize the intention of the council as reflected in the budget and the hard work of the residents volunteers of the salary review commission by bringing their recommendations to final council vote prior to the election.

Aye.

Opposed.

Thank you.

Mr.

City Attorney, please present the next on the agenda.

Yes, sir.

The next item of the agenda is ceremonial items beginning with ID 12925.

All right.

Excellent.

And Scott, the man behind the mayor of Eastport.

How are you doing?

Good.

This is a new restaurant.

Most people don't know much about the boat yard, but uh this is a citation from the city of Annapolis.

On behalf of the residents of the city of Annapolis, we are pleased to confer upon you the city council citation in recognition of your outstanding cooperation support of city staff in addressing critical infrastructure needs.

In July of 2025, during emergency repairs to remove collapsed abandoned fuel tanks in front of your establishment at 4014 Street in Eastport.

Uh your team, including owner, general managers, and even the head chef, demonstrated exceptional community spirit.

You maintained open communications with our Department of Public Works, Inspector, and adapted restaurant operations to accommodate the work, including rerouting customers and providing cold drinks, non-alcoholic to the crew working in extreme heat.

Your support and hospitality showcase the civic partnership that strengthens the city of Annapolis.

We are grateful for your contributions and proud to recognize the Boatyard Bar and Grill as a valued neighbor and partner in public service.

Congratulations.

Yeah, thank you.

Good.

Thank you very much.

And uh head chef Scott, uh GM, uh uh Kevin, he's been with me for 21 years.

And since Kevin was really the one on the job, Kevin wanted to talk about it.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Thank you, members of the uh city council.

Um, we would just like to extend a special thank you to Inspector Remy Sunville, who worked with us hand in hand, constant communication about the issues on the street, and they were so easy to work with.

And uh that's why it's it's easy to uh extend our hospitality from the restaurant to them uh due to their professionalism.

Thank you.

And all of our uh interaction with city and employees for a long time now have been have been superb.

So thank you for having really great people.

Well, we want to thank you.

Uh you truly uh give back to the community.

Uh, you know, you we are gonna be erecting those 30-foot high statues on either side of the Eastport Bridge so that when people come across that bridge, they know who truly is the mayor of Eastport.

They're gonna be gold, they're gonna be beautiful.

So city attorney, please present the next on the agenda.

Yes, sir.

The next item on the agenda is ceremonial item city council citation ID 135 25 Chicken Roof's Delhi 60th anniversary.

Right Spencer, thank you.

Another great restaurant.

You can only come down if you have the sandwich named after the question.

I'm not sure if any of you have eaten at this place called Chicken Ruths.

Have you heard of it?

So um, I'm gonna hand this over to uh who would like to raid, Comaral Oh Harry.

All right, on behalf of this residents of the city of Annapolis, we present this city council citation in celebration of your 60th year in business.

Thank you.

I can actually read it.

Congratulations.

Since opening the doors in 1965, Chicken Roost Sally's become a beloved main street landmark and a symbol of Annapolis's hospitality.

Founded by Chicken Ruth Lovett and carried on by their family until 2017, when Keith Jones and now his son Spencer took over.

The Delhi has welcomed generations of residents, midshipmen, visitors, and leaders from across Maryland and beyond.

With its famous colossal challenges, creative sandwiches, and iconic crab cakes.

Chicken Roost has made its mark.

Its walls and menus tell the story of Maryland's capital city where politics, community, and tradition, meet over a shared meal.

For six decades, Chicken Roose has nourished our city with food, fellowship, and great memories.

We thank you for your dedication and wish you many more years of success.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Yeah.

So I just want to thank um, thank really the whole Annapolis community because uh with the restaurant, you can't stay open for 60 years if you don't have loyal customers.

So thank you all for showing up for us year after year.

Uh sorry, my voice is a little raspy.

Virginia Tech football game this weekend.

Uh so thank you all for showing up.

Um I want to thank our staff.

They work so hard every day to uh provide great food and great service.

And then uh wanna thank the uh past owners of Chicken Roos.

I am uh standing in really big shoes here.

Um Chick and Ruth, obviously, their son Ted for many years, um, my dad.

So uh yeah, thank you to the community, our staff, past owners.

Let's do another 60.

Uh Mr.

City Attorney, please present the next on the agenda.

Yes, sir.

The next item on the agenda is ID 13225, City Council member recognition.

So we do them first.

So we have uh something very special tonight.

Um we'd like to honor uh two of our amazing uh counselors who've been great colleagues uh to all of us, uh especially me in the last eight years.

I want to thank you.

Uh we have a prom set up here, so we're gonna invite the family forward uh who brought these chairs.

Who brought these chairs?

I think this was someone's idea, so I'm I'm I'm ready to run with it.

Please come forward, family and friends who would uh telling on the budget.

Regina's running.

Okay, Regina, what's the uh run of show?

Can the family members of Mr.

Ross Arnett and Alderwoman Sheila Finlayson please come to the front?

And then Alderman Arnett and Alderwoman Finlays and will you please join your family at the front?

Huh.

Yeah.

Um I'll try and run it from over there.

What's that?

Oh, excuse me.

Excuse me, everybody.

I said family members, so members of the city council, please join your family in the middle of the floors for a photo.

Everybody.

Come on.

Everybody.

Looks good.

Oh, okay.

Okay.

Huh.

Well, I'm just gonna present from here and I'll jump in for a picture.

Um, as all of you know, um, politics is really easy.

Um people love you.

Uh you it's uh really hard to make mistakes in what we do.

Um, but I can tell you for 18 years, um, Sheila and Ross have sacrificed for this city uh and made this city a much better place.

So we want to recognize their service because they're both retiring this year.

Just so everybody knows about your uh illustrious career and the way you volunteered uh yourselves for this city to make it a better place.

Uh Sheila, we thank you for 18 years of service to the people of Annapolis as award for Alderwoman of Annapolis on the Annapolis City Council.

Uh born and raised in Annapolis, you earned a bachelor's from Morgan State University, Go Bayers.

Uh, and later, a master's from the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.

Um, after 35 year career as an educator, where you became the first African American woman to lead the teachers association for the county, you continued to serve uh you uh uh continue to serve the National Council of Urban Education Associations.

Uh in 2007, you were elected to this body where you served on rules and finance and worked closely uh with Education Commission, Police Fire, and the Office of Emergency Management.

You sponsored the funding for the summer job for job jobs program, led fighting the name for Air Bree T.

Allen Boulevard, served on the Bates Development Committee, which is now Bates Senior Center, Bates uh Senior Living, and the Boys and Girls Club.

Uh, and spearheaded the sale of the Eisenhower Golf Course, which brought us a beautiful new municipal pool.

You've been more than three decade member of the Annapolis Chapter of Lynx Incorporated and served in many leadership positions, including Vice President and President and Secretary.

Uh, a member of Mount Zion United Methodist Church, we know you will continue to serve our community.

We can't thank you for all the ways which you've advocated for city staff, city programs, and residents of our community.

Thank you, old woman Finlayson, for your remarkable contribution and years of tireless service.

All right, the Honorable Ross Arnett.

Ross, we thank you for your 18 years of service, including successful council actions on public safety, environment, zoning, and most importantly, city finances.

After graduating from the University of Maryland, Ross began what would become a 32-year career with the U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services as a nationally recognized expert in private health insurance and health care use.

Eventually managing a research center with a professional staff of 65 and an annual budget of more than 50 million.

You initially came to Annapolis seeking repairs for your sailboat at Forsyths.

Then, like a lot of us, you fell in love with our historic Chesapeake Bay town, visiting often and eventually moving here permanently with your wife for more than two dec more than two decades ago.

After getting involved in the community and serving on the board and as president of the Eastport Civic Association, you began your service to the residents as aldermen in 2007.

Now, Ross, you participated in many and any number of succession successions with Annapolis.

Sorry, I'm gonna go.

This is a little bust on you here, Ross.

Secessions from Annapolis as a flag-waving member of the Maritime Republic.

I think tonight we're gonna have to forgive you that uh give you this order and this plaque.

Uh I'm sure a few times a year, just before the tug of war and the sock burning events, you'll have to take this plaque down from your wall so that nobody knows your allegiance and the MRE don't find out and fire you.

We won't hold it against you, Ross, because you're one of us.

So thank you for your service to the residents.

We wish you the best of luck in your retirement.

From bottom of all of our hearts, we thank you.

Thank you, Ross.

That was a good idea.

I didn't know what to do.

What?

That's your report.

Oh, okay.

Sleeping.

Okay, it's still the um it's still the Sheila and Ross show, and I'd love uh if you could say a few words here, uh, followed by Alderman Arnett.

Um, thank you.

Uh, first of all, um many of my link sisters have stepped out of the room, but this was a wonderful surprise.

We had a meeting on Saturday, and they fifty ladies kept the secret.

So I was totally shocked when I walked in this morning.

But you know, I do what I do because I love it, but because I also have such a good foundation of support.

My family, my link sisters, my colleagues.

So no one does this alone, but with a good foundation of support, we can do anything.

So I just want to say thank you to my colleagues on the council for our collaborative work over the many years, and I want to thank my family and my community for stepping up and supporting me to allow me to do what I do.

So I have to stop here.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Ross.

Yes, thank you.

Well, first of all, I'd like to thank Alden Woman Finlays and for being such a good colleague.

We joined virtually at the same time.

Of course, ladies first, Sheila was sworn in, then me.

So she's had seniority.

But um in terms of being on the council, I this may sound vargadocious, but it kind of came naturally.

It just seemed like a logical sequence, as was Sheila and all of her leadership roles in the private sector.

And I won't say it was always easy, and sometimes it was kind of hard to take direct criticisms, but I have thoroughly enjoyed it.

I'm sure I'm going to miss it.

Um I just got back from two weeks in Portugal and realized I can quickly divorce myself from the city.

But um, I'll be working until the last day, and then I'll still be around.

You can't get rid of me.

So thank you for supporting me.

Thank you, all the colleagues on the council.

I think we coalesce and make a very good team, and we couldn't do it without helping each other.

We all should stand up for that.

Uh Mr.

City Attorney, please present the next item agenda.

Yes, sir.

The next item agenda is petitions, reports, and communications, beginning with update from the mayor.

Uh so welcome back, everyone.

Uh, I trust we all had a good August break and have come back refreshed and ready for a busy few months in the last four council meetings of this term, which includes tonight.

Uh, while we're off, uh uh deputy city departments continue their work.

We had some great events and outcomes for our community.

Uh, firstly, I'd like to thank the public safety teams of Annapolis Police, Annapolis Fire, and the Office of Emergency Management, uh, who supported national night out events at locations around the city, including Clay Street, the Bush Library, Annapolis Gardens, Bay Ridge Gardens, and Woodside Gardens.

Uh, these events are an opportunity for community members to positively interact with law enforcement and public safety officials while promoting community partnerships that make all neighborhoods safer.

Thank you.

Uh, we were also able to break ground on a project that has been years in the making.

Uh, the new Robert Eads Park.

I want to start by thanking our planning and zoning, public works and recreation and parks teams for their efforts in working to get community input on the design and functionality of this space and sourcing grants to fund this nearly half a million dollar project.

The location of the park is a prime example of a beautiful waterfront site where access has been limited, or in this case, almost completely cut off for use.

Uh the new design gives our Clay Street Homewood and West Annapolis neighbors, along with residents of Morris Blum and students of J.

Albert Adams Academy a place to reflect, do a little fishing or crabbing, or even grab a sandwich while watching the birds do all the fishing.

Uh the new park is named in honor of Robert Eads, and we are thrilled that Tavon and London Eads were able to celebrate the groundbreaking with us.

I thank them for their remarks at the event, reminding us all of the outsized influence their dad had on this community before his untimely passing during COVID.

At the end of August, U.S.

Naval Academy Mid Jim marched up Main Street, marking the return of Navy football.

The season got started the best way with a big win over VMI, 52 to 7.

Uh last weekend, they took on the University of Alabama at Birmingham and were again again one 38 to 24.

Uh I got to spend the opening game in the company of new superintendent Lieutenant General Borgus Schultz.

A Marine who knows Annapolis well since he himself graduated from the Academy in 1991.

On behalf of the council, I'd like to extend a warm welcome to Annapolis to him and his family.

Last week we were pleased to host the U.S.

Conference of Mayors P3 Institute.

That's private public partnerships, which ran a workshop for municipal leaders here at City Hall.

The public-private partnership that has helped us fund the work at City Doc through the rebuilding of Hillman Garage is of great interest to local governments around the state and across the country.

Annapolis is leading the way in resilience innovation, and we're excited to support others facing their own infrastructure challenges.

The work is being recognized by our residents and businesses.

First, Director Jacobia got two recent letters.

The first came from Pellet Pleasers, the second from a city resident who is building their forever home.

Both had high praise for our permitting staff led by John Manassa.

I should note here that Director Jacobi has instituted significant changes to permitting with a goal of streamlining the process.

And it seems that that effort is paying off.

Thank you, Chris.

The other thank goes out to DPPW team for their work on taming weeds on sidewalks areas around downtown.

Alongside our beautiful baskets that line Main Street, we are working to keep our city looking beautiful.

Thanks to Director Vogel and his team.

We have not only we've had not only had zero complaints this year about weeds, which is a first, especially around election time.

So thanks to all involved in keeping our city looking beautiful.

In case you missed amongst all the debates and yard signs and the canvassing, this year is a municipal election year, and we want to remind eligible voters that next Tuesday, September 16th is primary election day in Annapolis.

All Democrats have the opportunity to turn out and vote because there is a citywide Democrat primary mayoral primary, and there are contested aldermanic races for four of the eight city council seats.

Please note that Republicans and independent voters do not need to turn out for the primary because there is no inter-party primary contest.

All of those candidates have automatically won their races and will advance to the general election on November 4th.

Lastly, a reminder on a few things that are coming up.

Our community resource fair will continue until early October.

This Thursday, it's at Morris Blum, Senior Living, beginning at 3 p.m.

Also, on Thursday, the Singer Songwriter Festival begins with live music, some free, some paid at venues around Annapolis.

That event goes through Sunday and is now in its fourth very successful year.

On Saturday, from 11 a.m.

to 5 p.m.

Come out for the drug-free all-stars event at Pitmore Recreation Center, featuring face painters, DJs, food, moon bounce, games, and fun for the whole family.

And also an uh wonderful West Annapolis, uh, the West Annapolis Oktoberfest, a great tradition on Annapolis Street, will take place starting at 11 a.m.

on Sunday, September 28th.

So we'll see you at the next meeting later this month.

Now let's get on with tonight's meeting.

Mr.

City Attorney, please present the next item.

Yes, sir.

The next item is reports by committees.

Alderman Huntley.

Thank you very much.

Uh the finance committee last met on September 3rd.

We had a bunch of supplemental appropriations, some of which are very exciting, and we'll see later in the agenda.

Uh, we did not take any action on the legislation 0125 regarding the spending affordability commission.

Uh Ottoman Arnet has decided there's uh a better non-ordnance way to do this, and and I agree with them.

And then we did favorably recommend the uh 03125 issuance of general obligation bonds and bond anticipation.

And uh Director Moran had a great uh report first about all the progress in the finance department.

Uh that's all I got.

Thank you.

Ruan O'Neill.

Thank you very much, Mr.

Mayor.

Um, the Transportation Committee is meeting tomorrow at 4 p.m.

here in Council Chambers um with reports from uh parking contractors uh about some data that we've been asking for and not on the transportation committee.

I think we forgot to announce the Kenta Quinte Festival that's also taking place on Saturday at uh inward to the best ward of all at the stadium at the stadium um all day long bands, children's activities um by the children's museum and um lots of great vendors.

Thank you.

Sorry, that was left off the schedule.

I apologize.

Thank you.

Please come out for the Kunta Quinto Festival.

This year it will be at the Naval Academy grounds uh and it'll be bigger and better than ever.

Thank you.

Uhund Savage.

Uh thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Um, for environmental matters.

Well, I can't really remember what we did in July, it's the long ago.

Um it was actually I think it was the spy road property.

Um for the next meeting that will be September 11th for this Thursday, 3 p.m.

Uh, we're gonna be talking about implementation of the Napolis Hag Comprehensive Plan 014.

Uh, we're gonna be talking about harbor line legislation, which I think might be getting withdrawn, and then the two boat show leases.

And I think we're also going to be getting into some of the update on the how the leaf blower prohibitions going and talk about enforcement and implementation of uh incentive program for that.

So that's all.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Thank you.

Oh my goodness.

Thank you so much, Mr.

Mayor.

The Housing Human Welfare Committee will meet uh is it September the 10th?

Virtually Wednesday, September the 10th, virtually at 6 30 p.m.

Uh, we'll discuss a number of things, including everything that's coming from uh the planning commission, uh uh 01425 um in 02925 in particular, which are uh on public hearing.

Thank you.

Honor Finlayson.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

The rules and city government committee meeting or committee met this morning.

Uh we discussed 01425 implementation of the Annapolis ahead comprehensive plan 2040.

After much discussion, we decided that we needed some additional information, and more importantly, we needed to give the staff an opportunity to work with the Alderman to work out some issues.

So we postponed action on that piece of legislation.

We also discussed 017, which was short-term rentals per block base.

We gave it a favorable recommendation with one amendment.

And the last was 024 election report deadlines.

After much discussion and after hearing from the chairperson of the Board of Elections, we voted to give that legislation an unfavorable recommendation.

Uh so our next meeting will be Friday, October 3rd, 1 o'clock here in Council Chambers.

And I might add to the Kunta Kentate, it is the 35th anniversary of the Kunta Kente celebration in Annapolis.

So it is a big event this weekend at the stadium beginning at 10 a.m.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Economic matters will be meeting on Wednesday, September 17th at 6 30 p.m.

here in Council Chambers.

Uh, we were supposed to be hearing 01225, the portable spending, although that is no longer relevant, it seems.

Uh, we will also be hearing uh the boat show leases and the market house leases.

Thank you.

Uh Pindale Charles.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

The uh September meeting for the public safety standing committee was scheduled for Monday, September 1st, which was Labor Day, that was canceled.

And we do not have we did not have any legislation pending uh for this month.

So the next meeting will be on October the 6th here in council chambers.

Thank you.

Mr.

City Attorney, please present the next on the agenda.

Yes, sir.

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

The joint comments by the general public, you may not speak on scheduled public hearings.

Uh we have a lot of public hearings that are scheduled, and they are, and you will come up separately for those.

Uh uh Tyler Avenue, uh 0925, Tyler Avenue Complete Community Overlay District.

Uh that's a separate one.

Business revitalization district regulation change, uh, lease of city property for the full boat show, lease of city property for the market house, ranked choice voting, and lease of city property for the spring boat shows.

These will all have their own separate um uh public hearing, which will be later.

But for anything else, please come forward if Katie McDermott, are you uh general?

You'll signed up first here.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh Katie McDermott, 50 Franklin Street, Annapolis, Maryland.

Thank you, Mayor, and members of the city council.

I wanted to uh bring up the STRADU and Duplex bills that are pending.

I submitted a request last week to ask you to consider withdrawing these bills and engage with the public on all three of these bills, which affect neighborhoods.

And I think this will be a tremendous opportunity for you to consider that because the notice on the ADU and the duplex bills, which I left in my folder back there, were in the Capitol Gazette.

They were for September 15th, and I guess that's been now moved to September 29th.

But I can tell you folks don't really understand what's going on.

And when you're making seismic zoning change that have big impacts on neighborhoods, whatever the merits of the bill may be, and I have a lot of concerns about them.

There hasn't been the type of town hall public engagement that you really should undertake.

So normal routine processing of these bills is exceedingly unwise and frankly disrespectful to the neighborhoods of the city.

So I would encourage you to really seriously consider that request, withdraw these bills.

Withdraw these bills.

There's no, it would be impressive if you did so.

And schedule three, four town halls over the next three, four months and get this right.

We are in election year, obviously.

The city council is having a huge turnover.

And it would be wise and in the public interest to slow down, engage the public, and really get this right.

Thank you very much.

I'm here to oppose adoption of the equitable public water access resolution, as now written.

So that's R 4025.

This enormous plan contains over 120 projects.

When initially conceived in 2023, the context for city spending and availability of state and federal grants was very different than the outlook today.

We need to carefully prioritize spending to address the safety and quality of life for the largest number of residents, especially those in underserved communities within our city.

While the whereas of the resolution are solid, who can disagree with improving access to our waterways?

The plan itself is not ready for approval.

Two examples of where it is lacking.

There's no connection to the water access points in Quiet Waters Park.

Surely for the underserved residents near Forest Drive in communities like Robinwood, Woodside Gardens, and others, Quiet Waters Park and its lovely nature paths and paddle center are a short distance away.

Can our transportation department develop a way to help residents access those resources?

Secondly, the evaluation of existing conditions as reported in the plan are incomplete and problems have been glossed over.

I am most familiar with the headwaters of Spa Creek, since that's where I've lived for 28 years.

But I see obvious holes, and if I see them, residents of other neighborhoods would no doubt have insight to consider.

Specifically, where the water access plan proposes paddlers access water at the children's museum and at the footbridge from Silipana to Truxton Park.

The water quality and water depth prevents safe use about half the days as measured by the Spa Creek Conservancy.

Half the days.

The health department guidelines for fecal coliform, essentially poop in the water, were over the max level of 104, more than half the weeks measured this year.

Some weeks the level was more than 100 times the safe level.

And keep in mind the children's museum underwent a $3 million waterway improvement project several years ago.

And keep in mind that at the footbridge, the city's electrical expert, tasked with evaluating the stray current problem at the Truxton Boat Ramp last July 18th, declared that that site was okay, but found straight current at the water at the footbridge.

To put disadvantaged residents into dirty, unsafe water in the name of equity is not responsible or kind.

These problems are challenges that are unlikely to be fixable in the near term.

Yet the water access plan categorizes those project areas as short-term, and staff have already applied to DNR for a permit to install a dock for paddlers.

So because of these types of weaknesses in the plan, plus the lack of real prioritization of spending on water accesses versus so many other needs for maintenance in city parks, such as the playing fields by Bates, the Truxton Part footpaths, and especially in light of financial stresses related to the City Dock project, I respectfully ask that you not adopt the Equitable Public Water Access Plan.

Thank you.

Anyone else would like to come forward and speak in the general public hearing?

Good evening, colleagues.

I just want to say a few words in honor of uh Alderman Ornette, Alderwoman Ben Layton on your upcoming retirements.

I I was listening to your earlier celebration and just wanted to be here in person.

So thank you for your service for many years.

Appreciate your guidance and mentorship when we serve together.

Appreciate the many things you've done before and since, and in your communities, and uh just want to thank you and congratulate you on your upcoming retirements.

And uh just want to thank you and congratulate you on your upcoming retirement.

Hi, my name is uh George Gallagher, 1212 Barbud Lane.

The question I'm asking tonight is how far is this current city council majority and planning commission willing to go with top-down, heavy-handed plan 2440 central planning agenda.

Well, you need to look no further than what happened with ordinance 0624.

As a reminder, on Monday, December 9th, 2024, Alderwoman Sheila Finlandson, Ronda Pendle Charles, and Carmel O'Neill voted no on ordinance 06424.

The radical anti-accessibility, anti-seniors, anti-business, banning of drive-throughs.

During the city council meeting, Alderman Finlandson stated this legislation smacks of discrimination against seniors, folks with disabilities, and against parents with children.

I wholeheartedly agree.

Despite months of testimony from seniors and businesses voicing opposition to this ban on drive-throughs for pharmacies, banks, restaurants.

Mayor Buckley, Alderman Arnett, Savage, Huntley, Gay, and Chandelmeyer voted in support of this discriminatory legislation.

Anyone who is running for city council in this election period to replace this current city council should commit to introducing legislation to repeal ordinance zero six twenty-four on day one and take a hard look at all the objectives of Annapolis Plan 24.

Thank you.

Anybody else would like to come forward and speak?

Good evening.

Councilman, Mayor.

My name is Carl Larkin.

I live at 154 Prince George Street.

I just wanted to ask if you've clearly read the leases that are being considered for this council.

Because four of four of the ordinances and alike have such a we'll be speaking, we'll be we'll be speaking to those later.

We'll be speaking to the leases later.

If you're here to speak on the leases, please sit down.

We have a separate public hearing for the leases.

If you're here to speak about the leases, please sit down.

Thank you.

Anybody else like to come forward?

It's it's interesting again.

We we have a separate uh time for each leasing.

Please come forward and speak at the right time.

We want to hear from you.

Thank you.

Anybody else like to come forward about anything else other than the things that have their own special public hearing?

Okay, I declare the public hearing closed.

Mr.

City Attorney, please present the next on the agenda.

Yes, sir.

The next item of the agenda is consent calendar.

Consent calendar.

So moved.

Thank you.

Yes, sir, Mayor Buckley.

Aye.

Alderwoman O'Neill.

Hi.

Alderman Pendelto.

Aye.

Alderman Finn Latin.

Aye.

Alderman Shannemeyer.

Alderman Gay.

Aye.

Alderman Favage.

Aye.

Alderman Arnett.

Aye.

Alderman Hunt.

Aye.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Mr.

City Attorney, please present the next on the agenda.

Sir, the next item is business and miscellaneous.

Beginning with supplemental appropriations $50,000 and above.

SA 426, Capitol Department of Transportation, Capital Reserve.

Could I get a motion on SA426?

So move.

Second.

Thank you.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Thank you.

Mr.

City Attorney, please present the next on the agenda.

Next item under supplemental appropriations 50,000 or above is SA 526.

Grant.

Fire.

DSCI, Maryland Department of Service and Civic Innovation.

Did I get a motion, please?

Second.

We all want to do that one.

I just wanted to say something about it.

Okay.

Yeah.

Um.

For those that don't know, this is a really great grant because it um grants funding for an internship for firefighters.

Um, that I know that Chief Ramalley has been working really hard on for the past six months, along with his staff.

So very excited about this essay.

Thank you.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Thank you.

Mr.

City Attorney, please present the next time agenda.

Yes, sir.

The next item of agenda is public hearings beginning with ordinance.

Oh, 2925, Tyler Avenue Complete Community Overlay District.

Okay, the first public hearing for the number of public hearings we have tonight is on 0902925 Tyler Avenue.

Uh we have one, two, three, four people signed up to speak.

Nope, eight people signed up to speak.

Uh so uh this is a hard one.

Nicholas, please come forward.

I am Nikos Fondoris.

I live on 20 Wayne Road Drive in Annapolis.

Thank you.

And I am in favor of the uh ordinance because it promotes a more livable, safer, um sustainable and equitable community along the Tyler Avenue corridor.

And what's good for Tyler Avenue is good for Annapolis as a whole.

Uh rising tide raises all ships.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Right.

Uh Yanis is up next.

Hello, my name is Giannis Capriani, 1237 Tyler Avenue, Annapolis, Maryland.

Obviously.

Um I'm in support of this.

I think this is great for the city of Annapolis, great for the residents.

This is going to give an opportunity for people that are less fortunate to be able to afford housing in Annapolis.

Uh obviously we all know that housing is very expensive in Annapolis, and I think this is a win-win for everybody.

And we've gone to all the hearings and we've had a lot of positive, a lot of negative.

But I think at the end of the day, at the last meeting we went attended was for the Planning and Zoning Commission that supported this for many reasons.

And uh Eric for that works for the city for the planning zoning has been very transparent about everything and has done a wonderful job.

And I just want to say thank you for uh all his hard work.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh next person signed up, uh Jennifer Wilhoy.

Please come forward.

Hi, good evening.

My name is Jennifer Wilhoit.

I live at 1195 Tyler Avenue.

And I just wanted to come here to support the Tyler Avenue project.

I was attendance uh in attendance of a couple of the meetings that they had, and I think what Eric presented was um very well thought out, and it was something that is good for Tyler Avenue if um anyone that owns property on Tyler Avenue has the option to participate and perhaps build a multi-family dwelling on their property or sell their property and maybe allow someone else the opportunity to do so.

So it's not something that's forced upon the residents if they want to participate.

I think um they can for the betterment of their family, but um, I just wanted to show my support for all the hard work and preparation.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Sorry about this.

Um I can't read this writing.

Uh Pelts Pelchnik, Christine.

Thank you.

Did I need to bring my Greek dictionary or anything like that?

Christos Pelicanos, 1238 Tyler Avenue here to support the Tyler Avenue initiative.

Uh want to thank Eric and his team.

They've dealt with a lot of um community uh pushback approval.

Uh they've gotten beat up at some of these meetings, and he's been very transparent.

At the end of the day, this is just an overlay, and I think it'll be great for the community, and it'll be great for Annapolis, and uh that's all I've got to say.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Next up, Nan Wells.

Good evening.

Thank you.

My name is Nan Wells.

I live at 27 Johnson Place in Annapolis, 21401.

And I am here to tonight to support the Tyler Avenue complete community overlay.

I called Annapolis my home beginning in 1983.

And um I love Annapolis.

It is a city that values history, but we must also value fairness and opportunity.

Too often working families and young people, especially our children and grandchildren cannot afford to live here.

This breaks up families, and we can the social fabric that makes Annapolis so special.

The Tyler Avenue Plan creates a more complete community.

It brings thoughtful development with green space, mixed housing types, and opportunities for small businesses.

It is designed not just for one group, but for all Annapolitans, teachers, nurses, service workers, seniors, and young professionals.

I see this as a way to open doors.

The Tyler overlay is about equity, inclusion, and ensuring that Annapolis doesn't become a place for only the wealthy.

It's about creating choices so families can stay together across generations.

Please support this vision for a stronger, fairer Annapolis.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next up, Peggy Meyer.

Good evening, and thank you very much for this opportunity.

Um I first came to Annapolis in 1972 to come to St.

John's, and I've never left.

Um you just uh full name and address.

Thank you.

Oh, I'm so sorry.

That's right.

Thank you.

Peggy Meyer.

I live at three Silapana row.

All right.

And that's 21403.

Thank you.

Um when I came, um, I was in college, and honestly, really never left.

Certainly never left Maryland.

I've gone, you know, various places in the county, but this is my home.

My children were born here, and I am so fortunate that my children are also still in Anna Rundle County.

All my grandchildren are within 30 minutes of where I live.

Um I am not affected by the Tyler plan, but I see it as a really excellent framework and model that we should emulate whenever we have the opportunity.

Um, someone earlier mentioned um ADU regulations that are on the table, and I'm afraid I don't know anything about them.

But these are all initiatives that honestly uh make it possible for me to stay in my home after I retire.

Um I I want to do that.

I don't I don't want to move to another heaven knows what community.

I had to I lived in Baltimore once because it's the only thing I could afford to do at that point in my life, and I'm so grateful that I'm back in Annapolis now.

I want to stay here, and so I really do encourage your support for this Tyler initiative, and then anything else that are really excellent um urban planning people come up with.

They've done a beautiful job on this.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Uh Tom Pesterick.

Thank you, uh, City Council members for Mr.

Mayor for this opportunity to speak with you.

Most of the people that have come up and uh spoke to you.

Uh excuse me.

Just give us an address, please.

Thank you.

I'm sorry, Mr.

Mayor.

Just your address.

Oh, I'm sorry, Mr.

Mayor.

My address is 1198 Tyler Avenue.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Uh I've owned that building for about 10 years.

Two of my kids have lived in there uh with you know young children.

And the the it's ridiculous what the speeds that go up and down the thing in the development plan is going to slow down the traffic down there and make things better.

I can't see why anybody's against this plan.

I think the uh planning and zoning has done a great job.

And I think everybody in this in this thing should get paid more money.

What do you think about that?

It's the next man's problem.

And that's all I got to say.

Mostly everybody has got it, and thank you very much for your attention.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Good evening, Mayor, members of the council.

For the record, my name is Larry Tom.

Uh my wife and I have resided at 1116 Tyler Avenue since June of 86.

So we are long-term uh residents of this community.

Uh, if I may also add that uh until my retirement in um 2017, I served for over a decade as the planning and zoning director for Ann Ouron County.

So I speak to you tonight not only as a long-term resident of the community, but also I want to share my views as a professional planner who's had a long career of over 40 years.

I'm here to speak in support of this overlay district.

And I think from my point of view, this is a very stable neighborhood.

But it's not I don't think it has reached its full potential as a community.

And a lot of this has to do with the fact that Tyler Avenue being a very broad uh corridor and serving as a collector street has essentially subdivided us into two segments, each being on one side of the street or the other.

I think that there are some underutilized and unused properties that could be redeveloped or developed to provide some additional housing and to um increase the property values of the community.

And thirdly, part of what's happening too is because of the nature of the community, there is no real central or identifiable amenity or um um amenity that can pull us together as uh a neighborhood.

So with the overlay district, we have the potential of seeing those concerns be addressed in very positive ways without negatively impacting the overall nature of the community.

The overlay district maintains the underlying zoning district that's there in existence.

So we're not looking at any kind of upzoning or increase in density and what is already allowed under its current zoning.

But it does provide some opportunities and some creative approaches to address those three issues that I identified.

And that's why I'm in support of the bill.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Anybody else like to come forward and speak on 02925.

George Gallagher, 1212 Barbud Lane.

So we had uh three public meetings on this uh overlay project.

On this the last two meetings, the opposition um was not only um sizable, but it was very loud and vigorous.

So one of the things is that a lot of the residents that own single family homes with backyards know what this really means.

This is phase one of getting rid of single family homes with backyards in the city of Annapolis.

The uh ward six and this Tyler Avenue overlay project is the canary in the coma.

Because this is the agenda for plan 2040 to turn this city infill it with high density units.

They want to knock down the single family homes, get rid of the backyards, and put in two-story, uh, four two-story units per site.

And they won't be affordable.

This will be very expensive.

So, what they're doing is they're gonna eliminate single family homes and backyards, force the elderly on fixed incomes and working class off their property and out of Annapolis.

This zoning change will open up Tyler Avenue to predatory development.

The claim of affordable housing is it's nonsense.

What'll actually happen is high density, high cost housing, nothing more than plan 2040, smart city 15 minutes program coming from City Hall.

Our city budget has blown up to 204.8 million dollars.

And you guys just need more tax money, and this will give you more tax money.

Ward six um is just the least represented, most vulnerable ward, and the zoning um department and this city council has decided to pick off this area.

It'd be the easiest one.

But what you're gonna do, and what you wanna do is get rid of single family homes with backyards.

That's what the agenda of plan 2040 is.

And there's more.

I mean, the the elimination of the drive-throughs is part of plan 2040.

This is just the beginning.

It's not what it appears to be, everybody.

It isn't what it appears to be.

Thank you very much.

Anybody else like to come forward and speak on 2925?

Please come forward, state your full name and address.

Hello, my name is Gabriel Solano.

I live at 1204 Tyler Avenue.

Uh, this overlay really is gentrification.

And if we have seen this across the country, and the people who are hurt the most are the longtime homeowners, as they will end up losing their home because developers will pressure them to do so.

Additionally, the false claim of affordable housing.

The math doesn't work out.

In order to put up a four-plex, you have to buy additional lots.

You can't do it on existing lots.

You so therefore, you have to knock down what is there, and then come the code on each of the four units.

Now, we recently had a house built after uh a devastating event for a very small 1,500 square foot house with all the codes that we had to come up with, which is store management, sprinkler systems for the inside for a one-story ranch was close to $500,000.

Now, what's wrong with that?

Well, the current value and the average cost of homes on Teller Avenue are affordable.

The average cost is 400,000.

The average cost for homes in Annapolis is in excess of 600,000.

So if you have to put in just call it a four-plex, and I'm glad you're not going with apartments and things higher than two and a half feet.

However, you will not get affordable housing for teachers, for firemen, for police people, because once again, the house has to be sold for a profit, and that's gonna be about six to seven hundred thousand dollars.

And the proof is off of Forrest Drive, where all those new townhouses were built.

You had the opportunity then to provide for affordable housing.

Well, starting points at 700,000 with no land is not affordable.

People on Tyler Avenue was mentioned, many of them have what are called deep lots.

And we heard on many occasions how deep lots seem to be problematic.

Well, deep lots called yards are affordable currently.

It provides green space to the families that live there.

Now I have no objection to people wanting to put additional properties onto their existing homes or even to buy adjoining properties.

That's fine.

But I think this project really is what gentrification looks like, and its goal of meeting affordable housing is nowhere close to the mark.

Thank you.

Okay, I declare the public hearing closed.

Want to thank Eric Lyshinsky for taking a lot of arrows just to get this out in the public.

There's a long way to go on this, but thank you for all your hard work.

Mr.

Mayor Alderman Gay.

Thank you.

I I obviously I'm just echoing what you say with uh Mr.

Leshinsky has worked incredibly hard on this with his staff.

I'd also like to add on that the uh street repairs for the uh the greenery uh and the traffic calming.

It was supposed to be done while we were on recess over um over the August break, and there were issues with uh the procurement, and so that will be taking place as well.

The street calming will get done before any of the major development, and and I I just thought that was some of the the more uh pertinent feedback that we heard.

People wanted the streets to calm, and so that will be done.

And and again, thank you very much, Eric, for working on this uh incredible piece of legislation.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

City Attorney.

Please present the next item agenda.

Yes, sir.

The next item.

I actually I need to close that.

I need to accept into the record the findings of O 2925 as well.

Thank you, Mr.

City Attorney.

Next item.

Sure.

Uh the next item uh for public hearing is O3025.

Business revitalization district regulation change.

Okay, we have this one person signed up to speak on that.

Please come forward, Tara Stout.

Hi, Terra Stout 1174 Bay Highlands Drive.

I'm here to vocalize support for 030 25, which basically modifies the FAR and the BR zone.

But I'd like to reiterate what Planning Commission stated in its findings, and this is a direct quote.

This legislation does not substantially change the economic incentives for redevelopment and is thus not likely to have a meaningful impact on revitalization of the zone.

End of quote.

Yet despite those findings, planning commission voted to recommend this lay legislation be approved as is with a five zero vote.

It's baffling to me that we're spending time on legislation acknowledging it has not going to meet its intended goal, but we're just going to approve it as is anyway.

Uh I attended that planning commission meeting and actually was very impressed with planning commission.

They were quite engaged and asked a lot of questions, which made me even more baffled by the written findings.

But I requested that O3025 be amended to provide the same leeway for height for rooftop accessory structure similar to the MX zone.

It quite candidly defies logic to me that an area specifically zoned for revitalization gets zero feet of leeway for rooftop accessory structures.

At the same time, we're discussing that an area zoned for conservation and historic district gets recommended for 14 feet for the same purpose.

Please understand I am not offering an opinion on whether the dock street should get its 14 feet.

This request for height was made after consultation with several architects.

Uh, most notably Dan Douglas, a local architect who designed 161 West Street, a project I'm sure the mayor is quite familiar with.

Uh Dan evaluated this potential redevelopment as a three-story structure and chaired that it was a real challenge to get 161 West Street to work within the height restrictions, and that building is in the MX zone, so had the extra 12 feet for rooftop accessory structures.

I am not a designer, it's not my forte, but I think the basic rationale for the height is that today's design standards call for higher interior ceiling heights than may have been in a the norm in 1985 when this BR zone was created.

Clearly, it didn't work.

It's been 40 years and nothing has happened in that part of the city.

So Planning Commission and Department of Planning Zoning both suggest evaluating a potential rezoning of the BR zone to MX, which would automatically provide the extra 12 feet.

So I'm asking that we simply not stall the process further and that we amend O3025 so that there is a potential of getting to an economically viable redevelopment of property in the Clay Street and Washington Street area.

Again, YPS legislation that even planning commission and everybody acknowledges is not going to meet its stated goal.

I'm happy to attend any of the committees that are reviewing this to go over it in you know excessive detail, but I'd list that the council, I'm told that the only people who can amend this ordinance at this point is that the council has to recommend this incremental height.

And I want to thank Alderman O'Neill for being very engaged in this process and you know ensuring that we could even get this amendment on the council agenda for this session.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thanks, Tara.

Uh anybody else like to come forward and speak on O3025.

Okay.

Uh I declare the public hearing closed on O3025.

Uh let's accept into the record the business revitalization district regulations.

Uh Mr.

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

Please add me as a co-sponsor.

Yes, sir.

The next item on the agenda for public hearing is ordinance 03235.

Lease of city property 2031 to 2036.

Okay.

I'm not sure if you're signed up, but because you came up to the microphone first, please go first when we're talking about these leases.

This is a lease for the boat show.

Yes, my name is Carl Larkin.

I live at 154 Prince George Street.

And I was just referring to the drafting of the lease that's being offered here.

That it's carefully, if you read it carefully, it allows all of the extensions for at least 14 years for the boat shows.

And because it allows that the lease can be extended any time before a specific date.

So it could be extended.

It could be signed tomorrow, extended the next day to 14 years.

And it's similarly on the market house.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Carl.

Okay, the first person signed up to speak uh on this is John Stephanie.

Uh good evening.

My name's John Stefanchuk.

I serve as the executive director of the Marine Trades Association of Maryland.

We're located at uh 7076 Bembi Beach Road in Annapolis.

Um I'd like to underscore the importance of extending the Annapolis boat shows uh leases at City Dock through 2036.

Annapolis sailboat shows are the largest sailing events in the Western hemisphere.

Drawing residents, visitors, exhibitors, media from across the globe.

It's a signature event that cements Annapolis as the sailing capital of America and delivers unmatched economic benefit to the city and to the state, the entire region.

At the same time, the Annapolis Power Boat Show is the largest boat show between New Jersey and Florida.

Showcasing the bread here in Annapolis, we're showcasing the breadth of the power boating industry and attracting a thousands of enthusiasts at our waterfront each fall.

Taken together, Annapolis represents fully one third of the recreational marine businesses in Maryland.

Uh a sector that covers both sailing and power boating and contributes to the 4.2 billion annual economic impact to the state.

These shows are not just events, they're vital anchors of an industry that provides jobs, supports local businesses, many local businesses, sustains the vitality of the city's waterfront economy.

By renewing these leases, the city of Annapolis secures the future of its world-class shows, protects its leadership position in both the sailing and power boating communities, and ensures long-term stability.

Um and prosperity for residences and uh for residents and businesses alike.

These shows are irreplaceable assets.

They need the time, uh, and their future at City Doc should be guaranteed.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh next up, Mary Ewenson.

I'm Mary Ewanson.

I live at 139 Pinecrest Drive, Annapolis, Maryland, 214 at 03.

And I am the president of the Annapolis Boat Shows.

Um, as you know, there are a lot of changes at City Doc.

And um most of them are pretty exciting.

It's a lot of work.

It's a lot of work for the city, it's a lot of work for all the people doing the building and planning down there.

And it's a lot of work for us.

We're investing a lot of time and money into what this will look like for the boat shows and other festivals down at City Dock.

And it's exciting.

Um, but having these leases is important to us because we're planning many, many years in advance.

And so as this gentleman pointed out, rightfully so.

Currently, we have leases that end in 2030.

Sorry, that's not you, Mary.

Keep going.

I'm long-winded, but I didn't think of any leases end in 2030, and what this next round takes us to 2036 with an option to renew through 2040.

And that is correct.

We could exercise that option at any time.

The city could also tell us if we're not doing all the right things with this lease.

There are some remedies there as well.

And rightfully so.

I encourage anyone who's concerned to read the leases.

They're long, they're a little complicated, they're a little boring.

But you're welcome to call me or anyone at the city with questions about them.

Easy way to reach me, best way is marry at Annapolis Boat Shows.com.

It is long term, and I understand concerns about that, but happy, happy to address them.

Our telephone number is also 410 268 8828.

Um I'm a lifer here.

I love Annapolis.

I'm not going anywhere.

And um love being part of these boat shows.

And I know we disrupt Annapolis a couple of weeks every year, but we we we really do try to give back, and we appreciate all of your support.

We're looking forward to do boat shows here for many years, and I thank you for consideration.

Uh anybody else like to come forward and speak on O3225.

Okay, I declare the public hearing close on 03225.

Mr.

City Attorney, please present the next on the agenda.

So the next item of the agenda for public hearings.

Thank you.

First person signed up to speak is Kirsten Whitaker.

Please come forward.

Good evening, everyone.

Um Kirsten Whitaker, 145 Main Street.

Uh I'm a proud Annapolitan born in the old hospital, which we now call Acton's Landing.

And I have raised my two daughters here as well.

I think that over the course of my 51 years, I've lived in just about every pocket of Annapolis.

Fun fact my first job was at Mann Sandwiches in the Market House.

Uh sometime in the 80s.

Who's counting?

Uh, I know the old market house, and I loved it.

And I've lived through many iterations since then.

And I find this current version of the Market House to be the most dynamic and vibrant version so far, offering something for everyone.

As a local realtor who lives here and works right on Main Street in downtown Annapolis, I want to take a moment to speak in strong support of the market house, not just as a historic landmark, but as a living, breathing part of our community and economy.

The market house is more than a building.

It's a gateway into the soul of Annapolis.

It attracts visitors, it supports small businesses, and it creates the kind of vibrant street life that makes visitors say, I want to live here.

When prospective buyers ask what makes Annapolis special, I don't just show them beautiful houses.

I show them the lifestyle.

And the market house is at the heart of that.

It's a symbol of our heritage and a space for innovation and connection.

Supporting the market house means investing in the character and future of our city.

So let's keep it thriving for residents, for local business owners, and for the generations to come.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next person sign up speak, Jennifer Edkins.

Hi, my name's Jennifer Atkins, 119 Grandville Avenue, where I have lived for almost 30 years and raised four kids with my husband.

Market House holds a special place in our lives, not just as a historic building in a prominent downtown location, but as a part of a vital part of our community.

Our two daughters both worked at Market House during their high school and college years.

It was more than a suburb job for them.

It was more of an introduction into the local workforce, a chance to connect with neighbors and visitors, and a place where they learned real responsibility in a supportive locally owned establishment.

Market House is where we meet friends for a meal, grab a drink at the bar, enjoy community events, listen to live music, and feel the heartbeat of our city.

Market House also regularly hosts and supports events for local nonprofits from providing food and gift cards for community fundraisers to partnering with organizations.

Last year I attended the Annapolis Betterment Bash at Market House to raise funds for local families in need.

It was a great night, and Market House was the perfect venue where neighbors gathered for live music, food and drink for a good cause.

Like every night at Market House, I noted that during the fundraising event, the owners were on site, working in the kitchen cooking food, serving drinks, and bussing tables alongside their employees.

Whether it's providing visibility for nonprofit initiatives, donating space or resources, or simply being a reliable hub for civic engagement, the market house exemplifies what it means to be a good neighbor.

I often see comments, especially on social media when historic photos of Annapolis are shared about how much people miss the way the city used to be.

I feel that nostalgia too.

I love the old market house with its individual stalls where you could grab a quick lunch or pick up fresh vegetables.

Back in the 80s, I worked at Lower Ashley on Main Street and Bridges of Georgetown at Market Space.

Both are long gone now.

However, some beloved institutions have stood the test of time.

McGarvey's Middletons, Storm Brothers, and others remain anchors in our historic district, places that residents and visitors returned to again and again.

Like the Market House, these businesses offer quality, reasonably placed priced goods that are locally owned.

They help define the charm and identify identity of Annapolis.

Well, many of us miss the old style market house.

That model simply isn't viable today, and it was tried again a couple of times in the last few decades and failed.

The building then sat vacant for years, a blight on the historic district.

The current market house is thriving as it adapts to meet modern needs while preserving its local community focused spirit.

Owners are committed to investing further in improvements and continuing to serve as a valuable part of downtown.

I'm asking you to support the effort by extending their lease and giving them the stability they need to keep growing.

Let's ensure the market house has a chance to thrive for years to come.

By extending their lease, you are supporting a small business business, youth employment, and local nonprofits.

Extending the lease also ensures Market House remains locally owned and true to its community roots while honoring the city's history and supporting its future.

As a longtime resident, a parent, and a neighbor, I urge you to support the extension.

The market house has earned its place and deserves the opportunity to keep serving future generations the way it has served ours.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Thank you.

Next up, Tom Tom Creek.

Next up, Tom Creek.

Tom Creek, 14 Murray Avenue, Annapolis.

I don't think anybody's speaking here tonight about the market lease, market house leash is going to say negative about the market house.

I think we all enjoy it.

We've all spent time there.

Um but we're talking about the business transaction.

And this is a business transaction.

Um there's a lot of tension and emotion built around this transaction, and that's not a bad thing.

It's not a bad thing to have tension and emotion around a business transaction.

The issue is that that you need two good competing ideas to have that tension and have that emotion.

We only know one idea, and that's what the lease represents.

Plus you only have one idea.

That's what the lease represents.

The lease represents a bad idea right now.

That's all we know.

When we ask our city officials, both publicly and privately, we can't get a good idea.

We can't get a competing good idea.

And that's that's really what the issue is.

Um, this is a city asset.

It's clearly Shayas it, and based on this lease, it's not being maximized.

You go through the lease.

Um, so I asked the city officials here tonight.

Um, compile come provide the competing good idea of why we should be doing this lease in the way it is.

That's a really important hurdle to get over.

Um, if you can't do that, then don't vote it out of committee.

Table it until the next administration, next council comes along.

If it's a good idea now, it'll be a good idea in six months from now.

The good idea a year from now.

I thank you for your time.

Uh, next up, Dan Douglas.

Um, Dan Douglas, 215 Ward Or Drive.

My family moved to Annapolis in 1970, just as the market house was being saved from demolition, restored, and reinvigorated.

Since 1972, we've witnessed changes in the market house that I categorize into three eras.

The farm to table era, the fast food era, and the public house era.

During the farm to table era of the 1970s and early 80s, the market house fulfilled the role defined for it in the original charter that created the market house.

It was a one-stop shopping destination for superior food products.

During the farm to table era, the market house was surrounded by other city dock mom and pop stores offering goods that locals needed and shop for daily.

Locals could get groceries at Rookie's Market and pants at Jack's Reliable Store, gear for the boat at Stevens or Fawcett's, and in the Market House sandwiches at Curran's Deli and at Mrs.

Mann's, bread at the bakery stall, specialty cheeses, produce at Kaufman's fancy fruits and vegetables.

Market house vendors offered quality fresh fruits not commonly found elsewhere.

By the mid-1980s, City Dock and Market House started changing from a shopping center for locals to a busy tourist destination.

Mom and pop stores began to close, parking became more challenging, and at the market house, visitors began favoring prepared foods eaten on site to high quality ingredients meant for the dinner table.

The fast food era had begun.

By the mid-1990s, Market House was a market in name only.

It was described by residents and in committee reports as the cafeteria of Annapolis, a food court for Main Street, and a major fast food operation.

For a decade, the city produced studies and formed committees to identify problems and propose solutions, but meanwhile, the business model of Market House did not respond to changing realities.

And things at Market House continued to decline.

The public house era began with a 2017 request for proposals by the city to select new proprietorship for the market house.

The chosen bidder, New Market LLC, described its mission as the creation of Annapolis's newest living room, a gathering spot to enjoy food, drink, music, conversation, and an informal atmosphere where locals and visitors can meet, linger, and socialize.

The current proprietors have worked hard for eight years to fulfill the promise and to make the market house lively, attractive, welcoming, and well positioned for long-term success.

What's best for the market house and for the locals and visitors who enjoy it is that the present proprietors be granted the security and the vote of confidence of a lease extension.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Thank you, sir, for that rendition historically.

I think it's extremely important for everyone to hear.

But thank you so much.

Thank you.

Next up, Ron Gunsberger.

Good evening, Ron Gunsberger, 197 Hanover Street.

Market House is part of the place I go to regularly.

I enjoy it.

I think it does great business.

That said, that's not the issue before us.

The issue is not, is it a great place to go?

People enjoy it.

I enjoy it.

We like it.

The real question is what is the rush and why now?

And the real question is why this many years?

Because it doesn't make sense for the residents.

When we heard about the RFP process that brought this about, why not?

Still a few years down the road, not today, not tomorrow, not next year.

Then we put it out again for RFP.

And if the current tenant is the best proposal, which they well may be, people enjoy them, then we should keep going down that road.

But why decide today what will essentially put in place something that will last for the next 20 plus years?

It makes no sense.

There's no urgency, there's no need to rush this through right now in the waning months of this council.

Let's wait till it's time appropriate.

There is no rush.

Stop trying to push this through, and let's actually look out for the taxpayers.

Thank you.

Next up, Lori Sullivan.

Good evening, Laurie Sullivan, 25 Wagner Street.

Thank you for having me tonight.

I um I concur.

We all love Market House.

The market house is a great night out.

I go there frequently and the staff is spectacular.

We always have a good time.

But as has also been said, that's not really the issue.

Um, I've been on both sides of commercial leasing, both as a tenant and as a property owner with tenants of my own.

In all of my experience, I have never seen a lease that was so loose, so lacking in protections for the property owner, which in this case is the city, and so tilted in favor of the tenant.

The lease that was signed in 2018 is already extremely favorable to the tenant.

Uh, it set the base rent at just $8,000 a month, which is $18 per square foot, which is substantially under the uh similar values for properties that were ranging from $35 to $55 per square foot.

So it's very, very favorable terms in terms of the lease amount.

Um, the tenant was exempted from paying property taxes, even though nearly every other for-profit business in Annapolis is required to pay them.

Uh, performance rent was set at only 2% of sales above one and a half million dollars.

And despite the original deed prohibiting liquor sales, the tenant was able to secure a liquor lease and even had the right to walk away penalty-free if that license had not come through.

Now, instead of correcting these one-sided terms, uh Bill O 3325 would double down on them.

It would extend the lease all the way to 2033 and give the tenant renewal options that could lock up the public asset until 2053.

Uh, it would cut performance rent in half of what they're currently paying, reducing it from 2% to just 1%, with no explanation of why.

And it would continue allowing the tenant to sublease space and pocket the difference, leaving the city with no share of the revenue.

And here's what makes this proposal truly outrageous.

The current lease does not expire for another eight years.

In all my years and experience with commercial leasing, I have never seen anything like this.

It's unheard of to extend a lease at this magnitude, so far in advance, especially on terms this unfavorable.

Locking the city into nearly three more decades of this arrangement, eight years early, is not prudent stewardship.

It's irresponsible.

All of this comes against a troubling backdrop of missed payments, missing reports, and little transparency.

At a previous council meeting, testimony was given that performance rent had not been paid.

And since then, both the tenant and the mayor have claimed that that matter has been resolved.

But the public has never seen those details.

There have been no reports released, no clear disclosures, and no way for residents to verify whether the city has actually been made whole.

Without transparency, the public is simply asked to take the word of the very parties who benefit the most from this arrangement.

The market house is not just another building.

It's one of Annapolis's most iconic assets.

Entering into such a long extension on such one-sided terms, eight years before the current lease expires is outrageous.

Annapolis deserves a lease that protects the public interests, not one that gives it away.

Thank you.

Next up, Jody Dennick.

Good evening, Mr.

Mayor and Council members.

My name's Jody Danick.

I live at 2981 Friends Road in Annapolis, Maryland.

So obviously here we are with Market House again.

It's a contiguous thing, but I want to just address some of the uh misinformation and falsehoods that's been put out there, which we did address last meeting.

I don't know why it continues to persist, but it does.

So, you know, just on the basic facts of the matter, okay.

Um last year alone we paid 171,000 to the city of Annapolis, okay, with performance rent, eight eighty, four hundred dollars in monthly rent, as well as um leasing for parking spaces, okay.

That comes out to about $35 a square foot, okay?

$32 a square foot.

Now, if you want to take the parking out, it's $29 a square foot.

But anyway you look at it, it isn't a dollar a square foot, and it's not $18 a square foot.

Okay, it's a significant amount of money that we pay every month, $14,000 to $15,000 a month to the city for the right and the privilege to work at the market house and put 60 or 70 hours a week into it.

My partners, Michelle, Joe, Bob are uh general manager who you guys heard last time are very passionate about the market house.

I have memories of uh some of my earliest memories actually were riding in the in a seat on the back of my mother's bicycle, probably 1971.

All right, I have uh pictures of me in denim jeans and jeans jackets right in front of the market house.

And you know, it's a part of my history, it's a part of our dream was to be there.

And uh, and I think we've done a phenomenal job of doing what we said we were gonna do.

It is this it is the city's living room.

We have um taken uh a space that had a lot of negative connotations to it, and um and and and turned it into a place where your grandmother and your four-year-old grandson also can enjoy themselves, and everybody can have a good time there.

It's it's not um stuffy, and it's uh I think it adequately represents exactly what Annapolis needed and what it wanted.

Um, so some of these issues about property taxes and about past leases and things like that, you know, it's it's it's the city and the state and federal government does not pay property taxes on their own assets.

So the city would have no right to charge us property taxes on that city asset.

So that's just the bringing up a thing, you know, acting like we're supposed to be paying more for liquor license because we have more um uh I have an extra minute, right?

No, yep.

Okay.

I was worried I wasn't gonna fill up three minutes.

Um it actually act like like we need uh extra uh fees for liquor license because we um have extra seats.

It's just not how the liquor laws work in the city of Annapolis.

There's one fee based on what type of stuff you had.

And you know, without your wine and liquor, it's not a viable business.

You know, you want to turn it into a flower shop again, you wanna let nonprofits hang out there and the city support it?

Great.

But right now we've been paying, and um, and I think we've done a great job.

We want security.

We wanna know that we can invest for the future, and we wanna know that you know, six or four or eight years from now, we're not gonna get it ripped out from under us after we put another $300,000 into place.

Quite frankly, like the last tenant that happened to that we were the beneficiary of.

Now I'm starting to feel a little bit like him, where I'm like, what the hell?

So I don't wanna um belabor the fact, but we've put a lot of energy and time into it and money, and we wanna continue to do that.

And so that's why we want the security of extra five-year renewals.

That's all we're asking.

Thank you very much.

Anybody else like to come forward and speak on O 3325.

Good evening, Mr.

Mayor, uh, members of the council.

Bill Kardash 17 South Street.

Um it's nice to hear that uh so many people are up to date as to what's been happening with the market house.

Um I've I've probably testified more on this than most uh citizens, but I'm um it's it's become kind of a project of of sorts.

Uh just just to challenge one of uh the comments that Jody just made.

This whole question of property tax is not something that's arbitrary.

Um I I can point to two properties at uh market space.

One is the oyster bar portion of McGarvey's, and the other one is the former customs house or the customs house, which historic Annapolis had.

Both of those properties are owned by nonprofits during the time that Historic Annapolis had the um had the customs house, they paid no property tax.

When they subled it to a realty firm, the realty firm then was required to pay property tax.

The um the building at the McGarvey's oyster bar, which is basically the historic side of the building.

Uh uh the people at McGarvey's pay property tax on that on that piece of property, even though it is owned by uh historic Annapolis.

So uh this question that it's arbitrary because the city owns the market house, it just is not accurate.

Um the uh the other question is you know, I think the basic is uh the market house is uh is probably the the most i can uh iconic building in the city.

Uh from its value to the city as an asset, I I believe it's enormous.

The uh the price that the tenant is currently paying is round numbers $19 a square foot.

Um the what they're asking for, and and others have discussed this the idea of renewing a lease that doesn't expire for eight years is very unusual, highly unusual.

So I'll just go back to before the lease was signed in 2018.

Um I encouraged members of the council to come to a meeting that I had arranged with a local realtor.

Uh at that meeting, uh Alderman Arnett, Alderman Finlayson, Alderman Pitnell Charles, and Alderman Payon attended for what was a very instructional and very helpful analysis of what the reality market and what the value of the market house was.

The other because of the size of the room and because of timing, the other four members of the council, who included um uh Rob Savage, um Mark Rodriguez, Ellie Tierney, and uh Shanika Henson, I believe, at the time, uh refused to attend, frankly.

They so they and and shortly thereafter, guess what?

The market house lease was approved.

Um good for you.

So you got so you you got a you got an unusual building at an incredible price.

The idea that this lease should be renewed eight years into the future.

I just saw today an analysis that was done.

Uh, if you were to project the cost of living increase through 2050, which is which is the termination date of the last term of this extended lease.

The um gross rental is over a half a million dollars.

Currently, at the current rate, it would escalate to 132,000.

There's a 400,000 swing between what these what the value is to the tenant and what the market rate value would be.

That is not equitable.

It's bad business.

And if if for no other reason that uh the economics of this is so distorted, the council should vote no on our uh on um 03325.

Thank you.

Uh anybody else like to come forward and speak.

Hi, good evening.

Uh excuse me.

Uh Keith Bouchard, 18 Bryce Road 21409 in Apollo.

Um my wife Michelle is uh one of the three partners with Jody and uh Joe Lyon and in the market house.

Uh I'm very much involved, and I've spoken to this council you know several times before.

Uh I just like to share a couple of thoughts on why um and and uh and clear up some of the uh miss misunderstandings or uh fabrications of the truth, whichever way you want to look at it as to where we are.

And I say that guardedly because I do know that uh there may not be a ton of information out there, but there's some people in the room that have my phone number that haven't even called to find out what the numbers really are.

So um uh before writing opinions in letters, it would be uh uh a great privilege to be able to to give out information.

As Jody mentioned, um we are a uh a business that is vibrant.

Uh a lot of people here have uh you know stood up and said how how much they enjoy what what Michelle and Jody and Joe have and all the uh number of the associates that are here today have have uh have provided.

And um Yeah, the the payment to the city through July 1st or June 30th of 2025 for the 12 months fiscal year was 171,000.

That's 100,000 ish in rent, 101,000 in rent, plus a performance rent, um, which was 40 something thousand dollars, plus uh the parking fee.

So it's 171,000.

And I would challenge anybody to come up with a number anywhere close to that through the history of the market house.

Uh I don't know that that I don't haven't seen that data.

I haven't seen that that sort of number before, uh, but it's been anecdotal that it's been a lot, a lot less than that.

So I think they've done a really good job of making something there, putting something together there that the community wants and needs and is proud of, and uh and is and visits it often.

So um if we look at the the compound annual growth rate on the business since COVID, you know, if we if we did it off of pre-COVID, it would be off the charts.

The numbers are silly, right?

But but if it did just from from after COVID, uh the market house uh business has grown to 23.3 percent per year.

Uh and that is the the uh the basis that the performance rent will increase on on a go forward basis if we can continue a trend similar to that.

23 0.3% a year is a lot.

Now, if I've if I just look at at uh the the last year, the the most current year, you know, the most current year grew at 17%.

Before that was 53%, then 23% before that, and 28% before that.

So uh we've got a business model in place that's growing and it's generating revenue for the city, it's providing a really good value for the for the public, and we want to be able to continue that.

So the question is why do we want why why should we be granted an extension of the lease?

We need to put more money in the building.

We need to put uh a lot more money at the building.

We we I think what we've done is when we took it over, it was like a food court, right?

It was you know that everything was kind of dented and damaged and mis put together.

It was it was it was what it was what it was, right?

We decided to really upgrade.

We put mahogany uh paneling in the walls in the walls, we put marble countertops in, we put a nice bar in.

By the way, city council code allows for beer and wine, allowed for beer and wine in the market house before we took over the lease.

Okay, that was pre-existing.

We did go to the city council and ask to upgrade to a liquor license, which we were granted 12 12 p.m.

12 a.m.

or 12 a.m.

midnight license only, uh, which we were granted.

So yeah, that that that that fact, I just want to clear that up.

So um we need to put a lot of money in the building.

We we we we're not we we're really happy with what we have right there, but we want a lot more.

We want you to have a lot more.

We want you to have better furniture outside.

We want you to have a uh a better experience inside.

We want you to have upgraded food, uh, even more so than what what the what they put out so far.

Um, and that's gonna cost a lot of money for us to do that to be clarity going forward.

Sorry, it's been four minutes.

So thank you.

Anybody else like to come forward and speak on O 3325.

You can just leave them, please.

Thank you.

You know that you know the drill.

Good evening, Mr.

Mayor, members of the council.

Congratulations to the retiring members of the council.

You've earned it.

And I want to remind you that the next meeting of the retired alderman is going to be held in two weeks.

I'll give you the location shortly.

I don't blame uh Mr.

Boussard and Mr.

Danick for coming up here and advocating for their lease.

They got a hell of a deal.

And that's the problem with this proposed lease, Mr.

Mayor and members of the council.

The city isn't getting its value for that property.

And you guys and gals can make that difference by number one, postponing consideration of this lease until it really needs to be renewed, which is at least six or seven years in the future.

Beyond the term of the next council that you're gonna see elected in November.

No commercial lease in the private sector does business in this matter.

It's totally inappropriate for the city to do so.

The proposed lease continues to give away to the leaseholder who has enjoyed city allowed below market lease rate since nine since 2018.

The giveaway continues under the proposed extension by setting a lease rate of $22.53 per square foot for the $5,326 square foot market house, or $120,000 per year for five years through June 30, 2028.

The proposed lease allows for three additional five-year extensions at the sole discretion of the lease lessee with 5% escalation each of those five-year terms for a square foot rate of $26.08 or a total annual amount of $138,000 during the last five-year term.

These lease rates are outrageously low.

These current rates are three times greater than the rate the initial extension period to in 2033.

I might also add the performance rent uh component of these leases drops from the current 2% to 1% in this proposed lease.

Another little benefit.

Commercial lease rates are triple or listed at triple negative or least a triple net leases, requiring the tenant to pay property related expenses, such as property taxes.

Everybody around the market house pays property tax, but not the market house.

And the market house is assessed for $2,137,500.

That's $31,300 in property taxes that they're not paying that all their neighbors are paying.

What a deal.

A crash-strapped city budget should surely benefit from a market-based rent on the market house and property taxes that should be applicable to this commercial enterprise.

Surrounding city merchants are operating in a significant disadvantage to the cut rate lease the city is proposing.

I've attached a spreadsheet which clearly shows the large discrepancy in lease rates between the market house lease and the commercial lease rates in effect in the area.

Then there's the issue of the amusement tax that the market house tenants should be paying when live entertainment is operating.

The annotated code of state of Maryland provides for tax in the tax general volume, section 4-101 through 4-105 for the amusement tax and the city code section 762.010 and section 762020 for the levy of the tax.

Despite several inquiries to the city, I have been unable to ascertain this if the city isn't collecting these taxes.

That question should certainly be answered if the taxes are not being collected.

It's a violation of the terms of the lease as the tenant is to be current in all payments applicable under the lease.

Stop the rush.

Good evening.

Max Kroos, 215 Taylor Avenue.

I want to be clear that tonight I am uh testifying as a citizen and not a lobbyist for any uh uh causes.

Um I am a lobbyist that deals with uh housing policy, property policy uh in my professional work, and I attend a lot of city council meetings.

I attend a lot of county council meetings, talk to a lot of business owners, and what I hear about doing business in Annapolis and in the county all the time is it takes too long, the rules are constantly changing, the process uh is arduous, and business owners feel like they can't operate with any sort of certainty.

I hear a lot of complaints about downtown being taken over by Atlas.

I hear a lot of complaints about the city being more for tourists than for residents.

And tonight it seems very strange that we have a local business being offered a lease extension, and we're being told by business community, slow down, pay more taxes, make them go through more hoops.

Let's maximize profit on this property.

And I'm certain that we can maximize profit on this property by putting it up for a new lease every three to six years, every four to eight years.

Atlas will put a bid on it, they'll put in something fancy.

The city will be in charge of putting in any improvements because the lease terms won't justify the investment.

I have no idea what's in this lease.

I am coming to this issue tonight, fresh, just based on what I've heard in the testimony tonight.

But it does really strike me as a strange shift in opinions that when the property in question is owned by the city, we want to make it as hard as possible for the business to operate.

And when the property is owned by a private entity, we want to make it as easy as possible for the businesses to operate.

Just seems like a strange contradiction, and I want to point it out.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Anybody else like to come forward on 03325.

Good evening.

My name's Ken Vincent.

I live at 717 Monterey Avenue.

Uh good evening, Mr.

Mayor, Council members.

Thank you for having us here.

I just want to speak very briefly.

I won't even use my three minutes, but uh I agree with pretty much everything everybody said relative to the history, the value, the culture of Market House.

I remember being here in the early 80s, going to Market House, enjoying it then through the 90s and through the last 10 years as I saw it morph into what it is today.

Market house is an important part of our community.

I I'm not going to argue with who's paying taxes, who's not paying taxes, how much they're paying, etc.

My concern here is I just don't think it's a good idea for government governance here to say, let's extend a sole source contract out 13 years with extensions to go beyond that.

It's just something that 13 years from now, I have no idea what I'm going to be seeing here in Annapolis.

I don't know what the community is going to be like, what the other business could be like.

We need to have the options to have people look at this and say, is this the best thing for Annapolis?

It's not necessarily maximizing our profit here.

I'm I don't believe we should be.

But we should be maximizing our value to the community.

And by going to at least 2038 and saying this is the model that we want to go forward with.

I I'm just not familiar with that in government.

I don't remember ever having a sole source contract in the federal government that went 13 more years.

They people have to rebid RFPs.

And if it's the best thing for us to continue to do, we do that.

And I believe that the business can survive as well.

Many businesses do not get, I don't know if too many businesses get 13-year leases on their restaurants.

So I would suggest very strongly that we put this off for three, four years until it's time to rebid the contract.

I certainly appreciate Market House.

I appreciate the ownership.

I appreciate the people working there, but I just think it's a bad idea for us to go with a sole source lease for that period of time.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

We do do sole source, Watermark cruises, and also the boat show uh sole source.

Thank you.

Um anybody else like to come forward and speak.

Okay, I declare the public hearing closed.

Mr.

City Attorney, please present the next on the agenda.

Yes, sir.

The next item on the agenda is O3425, FY2026 changes and exempt service job classifications.

Have no one signed up to speak on that.

All right, Gillon once going to us.

I declare the public hearing closed on O3425, Mr.

City Attorney.

Please present the next item on the agenda.

Sir, the next item on the agenda is 03525 ranked choice voting in Annapolis City elections.

All right.

Um before we go through this.

Uh lots of people.

How many people are opposed to it that are here?

Okay.

All right.

So I thought it was all one-sided.

Thank you.

So the first person uh signed up to speak uh is uh Michael uh Pilitari.

Please come forward.

Good evening.

I'm Mike Pelletier, 1207 Hollywood Road in Odenton.

Uh I'm a volunteer with and the state leader of vote veterans for all voters, Maryland.

I'm here today in support of implementing rank choice voting here in Annapolis.

As a Navy veteran, I am obligated to start with a C story.

Well, see, I sought to cast my vote in a contentious primary with a crowded field of candidates.

Unfortunately, I felt compelled not to vote for the candidate that best represented me, but for the one that had the best chance of beating the candidate.

I didn't want to win.

When you're a board ship, you really have to calculate out when you're going to drop your ballot in the mail.

Uh it's based on when the mail will leave the ship, when it's going to make it ashore, and when it's going to make it all the way back to the board of elections.

So I dropped my ballot in the mail far enough out, and then I checked the news, and the candidate I had voted for had dropped out.

My ballot was effectively useless.

Had ranked choice voting been available at the time, I could have ranked my choices, prioritizing the candidate that I wanted.

My vote would have mattered.

I do want to address with RCV, everywhere it's used, voters like and understand RCV.

Alaskans, New Yorkers, and our and our friends in Arlington overwhelmingly find RCV easy and want to use it again.

With RCV, all voters get one vote.

It is one person, one vote.

It's not weighted, it's not extra.

It's just your highest ranking remaining candidate receives your your vote.

Every court that has examined whether RCV upholds one person vote has said that it does.

RCV elections can be tabulated instantly and transparently.

This is not a complicated process.

Very easy to teach election judges election judges how to count them.

To do a hand count.

That being said, we use computers to speed that up, just like we use computers to speed up every other process that we do.

This is extremely transparent because there are cast vote records so that people can audit and make sure that this the results that you receive are in fact the results that people voted.

I appreciate the council's efforts in making Annapolis elections more responsible to the voters.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next up, Susan Duff.

Good evening.

Can you hear me?

Yeah.

Uh my name is Suzanne Duffy.

I live in Ward Two.

Did you know that the Department of Justice is coming down on the Maryland State Board of Elections?

Susan, just uh just an address, please.

Uh 17 King Court.

Thank you.

Did you know that the Department of Justice is coming down on the Maryland State Board of Elections for over 238,000 voter role illegal violations.

This is a story that just dropped in the last two weeks.

Maryland has a 98% voter registration rate.

Our voter rolls are incredibly bloated.

The norm is about 74%.

I began my day today at lawyers mall on the at the only citizens' vote rally with the Maryland Freedom Caucus.

Now I'm here as someone who has been active in voter integrity for over four years.

Also known as RCV.

As of September 2025, 17 states across the country have banned rank choice voting.

That's four new states since March.

RCV is widely known to disenfranchise marginalized communities.

RCV is confusing and is designed to be that way.

Low income and minorities are disproportionately affected by ballot exhaustion.

RCV produces a lack of voting integrity.

With 77% of polled Americans already believing elections are problematic.

Why do this?

So-called winners will be elected without the majority of votes.

Gaming the system is often done by adding a less threatening second choice to rig the outcome.

Often the winner of RCV would not have won under traditional voting methods.

Then there is the expense.

The cost is substantial.

But do any of you care?

Who's going to pay for it?

Hello, tax dollars.

The lawsuits that follow RCV are monumental.

Does Annapolis need more lawsuits?

This is an exceptionally bad voting practice.

This one-party rule to shove this through as a council.

Many more of us will be forced to move.

We are being suffocated by out-of-control city spending, and more tax hikes are coming.

This is beyond the pale.

This is a dangerous path to take.

What we see is what's happening here, and it's not good.

Half of Annapolis already has zero representation.

If you think you don't have a voice now, if RCV is crammed through, we never will.

RCV will ensure that the powers that have run Annapolis into the ground for the last eight years will always be in power.

An independent, an old school Democrat, a green, or even a Republican will never hold a seat in Annapolis again.

When you combine this last-minute meeting with all of the carefully chosen agenda items in the last stretch of what I think is like the destruction tour, it becomes clear that this is a socialist ticket to hold power in perpetuity.

Thank you.

Okay, thank you.

Uh next up, uh David Mossberger, please come forward.

He's not here.

Okay, we'll go down the line.

Uh Morgan Dreutsen.

Good evening, Mayor Buckley and members of the council.

My name is Morgan Drayton, policy manager for Common Cause Maryland, which is located at 121 Cathedral Street.

Um, Common Cause is a nonpartisan grassroots organization dedicated to upholding the core values of our democracy.

Um, we are a good governance group working to create open, honest, and accountable government that serves the public interest.

And that's why I'm here tonight in support of ranked choice voting.

Ranked choice voting or RCV empowers voters to better express their preferences at the ballot at the ballot box by eliminating the need for strategic voting.

Under RCV, a vote for your favorite candidate never helps the candidate that you like the least.

This will allow Annapolis voters more freedom to voice their true preferences rather than forcing a choice between the two most popular candidates that may not represent them or their interests.

RCV encourages candidates to run civilized community-focused campaigns that appeal to broader constituencies in order to garner those second and third choice supports.

And most importantly, RCV guarantees that the winning candidate is supported by the majority of the voters.

I do want to stress the importance that a local government-led public education campaign be part of the implementation process for this bill.

This will help ensure that voters are aware of the changes and cut down on confusion once they enter the ballot box.

RCV is a simple proven and constitutionally sound method of election that helps to shift power back to the voters and helps ensure that our elected officials are truly representative of the communities that they're representing.

For these reasons, we would request a favorable report on ordinance 2535.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next up, Steve Brown.

Yep, Steve Brown.

Yep.

Yes, sir.

Okay, I'm Steve Brown.

I'm with the Secure Vote in Maryland.

Okay, we're a nonpartisan organization that advocates for free, fair, and secure elections.

I am not a resident of Anna Rundle County or this Annapolis.

Okay, so what do we all want or should want in elections?

That they be free, fair, and transparent or FFT.

Ranked choice voting does not promote FFT elections.

Here are the multiple reasons why.

First, you cannot vote against a candidate.

You have to rank candidates that you may never in your whole freaking life consider voting for by including a candidate in the ranking.

You have voted for that candidate.

Number two, extreme candidates can win.

Large vote disparities disparities in initial outcomes can be overcome, and a candidate that a majority of the voters do not or will not support can win.

Number three, moderates get squeezed out.

Votes get divided up between extreme factions.

Number four, ballot exhaustion.

If a voter doesn't rank all candidates, because the voter never ranked all the candidates, that voter's ballot becomes exhausted and will be thrown out in later rounds.

So it is F that voter never voted.

This is not inclusive at all as people's votes are discarded.

Number five, lower voter participation.

Measurement of voter participation in RCV elections has consistently shown that it lowers turnout, precisely the opposite effect desired in a democratically elected representative society.

In Minneapolis, St.

Paul, and San Francisco, which have had rank choice voting for a while, voter turnout has consistent been consistently lower than in earlier elections without RCV.

Number six, it is confusing to voters.

It is complicated and hard to explain.

Thus, it decreases transparency.

This is precisely against the principles of FFT that I outlined in the introduction.

Confusion leads to lower turnout.

Fairfax County utilized RCV in 2022 local elections, and all the reports I have heard were very negative for the reasons cited.

In fact, 17 states, as Ms.

Duffy pointed out, have already banned the practice with what four earlier this year.

Okay, number seven, more chances for fraud.

Because of the complexity, it is more difficult to attract the election.

RCV requires more handling of ballots, more transportation of ballots, more chain of custody issues, and more adjudication, which opens up the system to potential fraud.

Finally, the reporting delays.

An RCV election is practically not audible because of ballot exhaustion.

The multiple rounds with ballot exhaustion result in delays in determining the winner.

In 2021, New York City took nearly a month to declare a winner.

In 2022, Alaska, the results took more than two weeks to determine.

In summary, RCV increases election complexity, decreases transparency, increases the time to achieve the outcome, lowers voter participation and confidence in the elections.

And finally, it does increase the cost, which I haven't even addressed.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Steve.

Next up, uh Ron Kirby.

Hello, and thank you, Mr.

Mayor, members of the council.

My name is Ryan Kirby.

Um, I'm the director of policy at the ranked choice voting resource center.

I do not have the good fortune of living in Annapolis, but I do live in Anna Rondo County, so I hope that still gives me a little bit of something.

Um the ranked choice voting resource center is a nonpartisan nonprofit.

We are dedicated to working with election administrators across the country to implement ranked choice voting.

Um we focus on voter education, best practices for election administration, those kinds of things.

Um we are not advocates, so I'm not here to tell you to vote for RCV or not to vote for our RCV.

Um, just here to share some information about ranked choice voting.

Uh, here to answer any questions if there are any, um, but also to share that organization is more than happy to work with the city of Annapolis if you do adopt ranked choice voting.

We've worked with jurisdictions from across the country, um, Portland, Oregon to Portland, Maine, um, and New York City and everything in between.

Um, and uh we have also developed the open source uh software the for ranked choice voting tabulation, it's also known as RC Tab.

It's been used in elections across the country, including one of the most recent ones, New York City.

Um, so happy to talk about that or answer any other questions and work with the city about that.

Um, the last thing I want to clarify is some of the uh information from one of the previous speakers about exhausted ballots.

Um the voter did participate in that election because of ranked choice voting, you're not forced to vote for anybody that you would never support.

That is the result sometimes is that you know, if you just want to vote for one candidate or one or two candidates, um, by default, you can just choose to not rank all of those candidates.

Um, but you still participate.

You made your voice heard, and you gave that candidate the support they needed to possibly get a little bit further around in uh the rounds of election.

Um, but thank you again for your letting me speak, and I look forward to hearing from some of the wonderful residents about their opinions on ranked choice voting.

Happy to work with the city.

Thank you, Oldman Savage.

I just uh so this is not the time to have a back and forth questions, but if you could leave your card with Mr.

Acts, and I would like to get in touch.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Next up, Laura Duncan.

Good evening.

My name is Laura Duncan.

I live at 1012 Tyler Avenue, 21403.

I live in Ward 8, and I am testifying in support of ranked choice voting at an ordinance 03525.

The morning of my 18th birthday, after I had breakfast, the first thing I did was go out and register to vote.

I voted in every election since, and voting is essential to have your voice heard.

As I'm sure you're all aware, unaffiliated voters now make up the second largest group of voters in the city of Annapolis.

This should be a wake-up call to the two major parties here in the city.

It is clear that more and more voters are looking for alternatives to the two major parties.

In a city as small as Annapolis is, this should be easy, but our current voting system makes that difficult.

When there are more than two candidates on the ballot, voters find themselves having to vote strategically because otherwise they feel their vote will not count.

We don't want voters to vote against what they really want.

At the same time, we are discouraging unaffiliated candidates from running at all.

We need change in Annapolis, and that change starts with enacting ranked choice voting for our elections.

With ranked choice, you get to rank the candidates in your order of preference.

Your vote counts toward your top choice.

If no candidate reaches the winning threshold of votes, the candidate is in the last place is eliminated, and voters have their next choice counted.

This continues until we have a winner.

So if your top choice is eliminated, your vote goes to your next choice.

Every voter has a greater chance of electing a candidate of their choice, ensuring that your vote actually matters.

Thank you very much.

Good evening, Mayor Buckley and City Council members.

My name is Zoe Budaz.

My address is 43th Street, Annapolis, Maryland, 21401.

I'm testifying in support of ranked choice voting and ordinance 03525.

Of the many benefits of RCV, I'm going to use my time to discuss how campaigns in RCV elections are more civil.

Voters across the U.S.

are tired of toxic campaigns in which candidates try to win by generating fear about what the other candidates will do if elected.

But this trend shouldn't be a surprise.

It's the product of a plurality system that rewards candidates for attacking every other candidate, even if they have some alignment on the policies.

Alternatively, in RCV elections, candidates are incentivized to show where they agree and disagree with each other to try to earn voter second, third, or fourth choice.

We saw this play out in the Democratic primary for mayor in New York City this year, when several candidates chose to cross-endorse, recommending that their supporters rank particular candidates second because there was general alignment on policies.

In this way, voters had a real opportunity to understand the true alignment of candidates.

In cities and states that use RCB, there's real data to demonstrate increased stability.

A 2016 study from researchers at the University of Iowa and Western Washington University found that people in cities with RCB were significantly more satisfied with the conduct of local campaigns than people in similar cities with plurality elections and less likely to view campaigns as negative and less likely to respond that candidates were frequently criticizing each other.

Direct surveys of voters in Virginia Republican primaries and Santa Fe City elections were conducted after RCV was adopted in each jurisdiction.

And voters in both instances said that they felt like the elections were more positive than the prior plurality systems.

A quote from New York City Councilmember Natasha Williams sums up the increase in civility with RCV quite well.

Commenting on how RCV impacted her campaigning, she said, if I saw a lawn sign for someone else, I would go to the House and say, hey, I agree with them on that.

Will you rank me second?

Something I would have never done in a non-RCV election.

Annapolis may not be the epicenter of toxic campaigning, but we certainly are not immune to it.

Let's be a model of what great elections can look like for other cities across Maryland and the broader country.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Hold upon me.

I I'm just curious about the um in if you could also email me the uh articles or reports as it relates to civility in the races.

The reason I've asked that, we've all watched the news.

The New York City mayor's race has been one of the most uncivil political races I've ever seen in my life.

Eric Adams, Kumo, Mandami, they're literally attacking each other every single day.

So I don't I would I I just would disagree with that.

I'd be interested in looking at some of the facts.

Um, and if I'd be if you would share that for me with that, that'd be great.

Thank you.

All right.

Now next up.

Uh Karen Jennings.

Hello, my name is Karen Jennings.

I live at 1022 Park Avenue in Eastport.

I'm here tonight to ask for your support of 03525 ranked choice voting in the city of Annapolis.

In a nation that's increasingly polarized and antagonistic, ranked choice voting is a way to unite voters and reinvigorate engagement and confidence in election outcomes, knowing that the winner truly has the support of the majority.

It's a voting method that's been used successfully both within the United States and abroad.

Heather Cox Richardson, the well-known historian who publishes the Daily Letters from an American, has become a big proponent of ranked choice voting since her home state of Maine adopted it in 2018.

In her weekly live videos, she's talked about how RCV allows Senators Lisa Morkowski and Susan Collins to better stand up to for their constituents against the political pressures because they know that they have broad support amongst voters in their state and that they won't be bumped out by a party extremist in the primary plurality vote.

Plurality meaning when somebody wins with less than 50% of the vote.

And I worked just as hard as my opponents to win votes in that election.

In fact, I probably worked harder than my opponents because there were only six people in that ward who were registered with my political party.

I knocked on every single door in the ward multiple times, and from that effort, I learned that my supporters were largely independents and others who had become disengaged from elections because they were tired of the same old same world.

My campaign brought people to the polls who had not voted in a municipal election in years, if ever.

Thank you.

Thank you for Sophie Westfield.

Good evening.

My name's Sophie Westfield.

I live at 144 Duke of Gloucester Street in Annapolis, Maryland.

And I just want to share my support for adopting ranked choice voting for municipal elections.

Um, I really think that ranked choice voting is an extremely advantageous system in comparison to our current plurality system.

Being able to share one's preference for more than one candidate really allows people to vote for their values and the values of their community.

In our current plurality elections, voters are tasked with trying to determine who the top two candidates will be and potentially wondering that a vote for anyone else will be a waste.

Occasionally we might be excited for one of the presumed top two candidates on the ballot, but more and more frequently it feels like a choice between the lesser of two evils.

Under a plurality system, it's really no wonder that voters are rarely inspired to get out and vote, and thus it's no surprise that we really struggle with high voter turnout.

Um, I was actually a longtime resident of New York before moving to Annapolis, and recently many of my friends and family members were able to see ranked choice voting in action in the Democratic primary race this summer in New York City.

Many of them spoke about feeling excited to go cast their vote in ways they hadn't felt previously.

Under the ranked choice voting system, they really knew that their votes had an impact on the outcome of the election, even if their first choice wasn't in the final round of tabulation.

So while there are plenty factors that impact voter turnout, data really suggests that ranked choice voting elections can increase voter turnout.

Specifically, a 2024 study compared voter turnout and ranked choice voting and non-ranked choice voting elections in 2021.

After controlling for other factors, the researchers found that individuals living in ranked choice voting jurisdictions were 17% more likely to vote.

An earlier study from 2021 focused specifically on youth voter turnout and had the same conclusion that ranked choice voting was a factor in increasing turnout.

Some people have expressed concern that ranked choice voting would increase the disparity in voter turnout among historically marginalized groups, but again, research suggests otherwise.

A 2016 study by Kimball and Anthony from the University of Missouri found that ranked choice voting did not impact inequities in turnout in minute in Minneapolis City elections when comparing elections before and after the adoption of ranked choice voting.

Additionally, ranked choice voting has been shown to make room for more diverse and representative candidates to run for office.

So with ranked choice voting, more voters are likely to see a candidate in the field that reflects their values and backgrounds.

All this research backs up the principle that when voters have an opportunity to vote for candidates that are exciting to them without feeling like they're wasting their vote, they are more likely to make the effort to go out and vote.

Voting takes up time, energy, money on transportation or lost work, and unfortunately, the lesser of two evils isn't enough to draw many people to the polls.

So I really think ranked choice voting would increase voter engagement and turnout and really revitalize people's faith in the democratic process in our municipal elections.

So thank you so much for your time and consideration.

Thank you.

Next up.

Michael Kosabades, good evening, council members.

I live at 193 Hilltop Lane.

I'm testifying today in support of ranked choice voting and ordinance 03525.

Voters here in Annapolis want an election system that puts them first.

Because ranked choice voting allows voters to rank the candidates, they can express more preferences between candidates at the ballot box.

Recent surveys and jurisdictions that use RCV, like Alaska, Maine, Arlington, Virginia, and cities in California and Utah all found that over 80% of voters thought RCV was simple and easy to use.

After the New York City primary this year, a whopping 96% of voters found that their ballot was simple to complete.

Evidence of how many candidates voters choose to rank further supports that the claim that RCB is easy to use.

That figure increased to 75% in elections with five or more candidates.

Furthermore, ballot errors in ranked choice voting elections have been shown to have no change from prior proportional elections.

It is true that voters make errors on their ballot and vote for more than one candidate in a single round.

However, research suggests that it occurs at a very similar rate to the share of voters that vote for more than one candidate in non-ranked choice voting elections when they are supposed to only select one candidate.

Specifically, a 2021 study from the researchers at University of Louisiana found that ranked ballots do not raise the probability that a voter would cast a void vote.

Multiple other studies have confirmed that this finding does not change when looking at minority voters specifically.

All data points show that voters own overwhelmingly like ranked choice voting once they have used it.

This year, a fair vote survey in Charlottesville, Virginia, found that 89% of people supported using ranked choice voting in future elections.

After the New York City election this year, 76% of voters wanted to keep RCV and or expand it to general elections.

Lastly, researchers from Utah Valley University found 94% of voters and local jurisdictions that use ranked choice voting were satisfied with the system.

Thank you all for your consideration.

Thank you.

Next up, Christine Kozmines.

I don't think they're all right.

I got two people down here.

Um Ron Gunsberger is next.

Christine and then Marco, same same last name.

Okay.

Thank you.

Okay, Ron, go ahead.

Good evening, Ron Gunsberger, 197 Hanover Street.

I think that the current proposal of RCV you have before you is actually an unwise proposal.

And I say for this reason.

If you look what happened in New York is a good example, is in a party primary to keep partisan primaries and apply RCV to partisan primaries, you often get the more polarizing candidate winning, not the more moderate candidate winning, if that's the stated goal of this.

It actually encourages sometimes if you look who votes in party primaries on both sides of the aisle.

It is usually those who are much more, if you want to use the term hardcore, but that's who the candidates are.

If you do want to explore RCV, perhaps the solution is make it a nonpartisan primary and apply RCV, and then you at least everyone can vote in the same primary.

However, I suggest the best solution, and I do appreciate that this essentially is an acknowledgement that the current system isn't the best solution, is going to a nonpartisan primary in the sister in the city, just a nonpartisan primary.

Everyone runs, it's what they have in a bunch of states.

It's often called the jungle primary.

If any candidate gets 50% plus one vote, that race is over at that point in the primary.

If no one gets a majority, the top two advance to November and someone gets a majority.

Then when we hear all these stats about in an academic setting where people think of ranked choice voting, Maine only has partial ranked choice voting.

The only state that has full ranked choice voting is Alaska.

In Alaska, the voters last year, they've now had it for several years.

The voters last year voted 49.9% of them to repeal ranked choice voting.

In fact, part of what it was was the confusion on the ballot that voting yes was voting no on ranked choice voting.

So it's gonna be on the ballot again next year.

Reward it, apparently, the courts already approved it.

But it lost by roughly 700 votes statewide for a state that had been using it for a few years, that the voters who actually use it statewide did not like as we saw by the vote.

49.9%.

Let's try to fix our elections in the city.

Let's try to move to what frankly every community in Maryland, other than Annapolis, Baltimore City, and Frederick have moved to nonpartisan elections.

We are one of the only three remnant partisan elections.

Let's go to that.

Let's get the whole community involved in our elections and have, I think, a more representative council of our populace as a whole.

Thank you.

Next up, Lori Sullivan.

Hello again.

Lori Sullivan, 25 Wagner Street.

Um I want to share my concerns about the ranked choice voting bill before you.

And let me be very clear.

I am not opposed to ranked choice voting.

Um, I'm open to learning more about it, but what troubles me is the process by which the bill is being advanced.

Um changing our election system is not a small administrative matter.

Uh, it's a fundamental shift in how our democracy works right here in Annapolis.

And yet the council has allowed for this one meeting for public input and nowhere near enough uh time or energy for the public to weigh in to learn and to debate.

Uh Annapolitans for a better community, a respected nonpartisan group has been working diligently to put open primaries on the ballot this year.

There are already ideas uh being pursued in good faith, especially since a significant share of Annapolis voters are independents who cannot participate in our primaries.

But instead of opening the discussion, uh, this bill narrows it to a single option in a single meeting.

If we say we care about democracy, then we should act like it.

That means putting voters, not just this council, in charge of deciding how elections are run.

This deserves broad engagement and ultimately a referendum, so that the people themselves and not just a handful of elected officials can make such a significant choice.

And I would argue that many of the bills that have been before you this year have not felt like there's been sufficient public engagement and input.

And I think that that has caused a lot of angst among the voting public.

And I would really encourage you to use this bill as an opportunity to open the doors, get more public engagement, because these are significant things that we're asking for change, you know, considering for change.

And it just feels too much like a select few are making really dramatic decisions without a significant amount of input from the greater public at large.

So I would very much appreciate if you would consider.

Thank you so much.

Next up, Robert Tufts.

Hello, my name is Robert Tufts.

Um I reside at 1012 Tyler Avenue, 21403 in Ward 8.

Um, and I am testifying in support of ranked choice voting and ordinance 03525.

And just real quick to address Alderman Gay's concern about the New York City elections.

It should be noted, New York City only uses RCV in its primary elections.

It does not use RCV in its general elections.

During the primary elections, um, you did find candidates actually getting along and candidates were actually cross-endorsing one another in order to be that second option, you know, under someone's first option.

So just to clarify that.

Um, when we allow voters to rank candidates, ranked choice voting is going to give us more information on voting preferences than single choice voting.

RCV makes ballots count, more ballots count in the final outcome.

Ranked choice voting makes an average of 17% more ballots count in the outcome of a race.

In contests that actually go to an RCV tabulation, the average increases to 30%.

Voters, of course, are never required to rank all candidates, just like in our elections now, you can skip over a race if you want to, or maybe write someone in.

RCV revolt results are easy to verify.

Uh most ranked choice voting jurisdictions will release a cast vote record of the election, and this allows for independent inspection and analysis, creating a high degree of transparency.

The counting process for ranked choice voting elections is involves very basic addition and subtraction.

Every jurisdiction that uses ranked choice voting uses a verifiable paper ballots.

Um when there's a paper record like that, these elections can be audited and their outcomes then verified.

And as you've also heard from other speakers, under RCV, the error is low and it is comparable to single choice elections.

Uh research that's been done indicates that the ballot error in ranked choice voting elections is very low and follows the same patterns as elections as non-RCV elections.

As someone who has spent the last two over two decades in local politics, both Annapolis and Anne Rundle County as a volunteer, as a campaign manager, I even ran for office in 2006.

I've knocked on a lot of doors all around the city, all around the county, hundreds, maybe thousands.

And if there's one thing that I can take away from talking to all those voters, and that is voters want more choices, but they also want their votes to count under the current system where if you have more than two candidates running in an election, a lot of people feel like they have to vote strategically or their vote won't count.

That's why I feel we need to open up our democracy here in Annapolis, and we need to enact ranked choice voting.

Thank you very much.

Next up, Owen Addison.

Oh, and are you for or against?

Just kidding.

I think my testimony will speak for itself, Mayor.

But I'm Owen Anderson, deputy director of Ranked Choice Voting Maryland.

Um, I've known this city a long time, my whole life.

I was actually born at Anna Rundle Medical Center.

Um, but today I'm testifying on behalf of our organization based at 8484 Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring.

So, Honorable Mayor and Annapolis Alderman today, Annapolis, Greenbelt, and Rockville City Councils are all talking about ranked choice voting.

But for this hearing, I have an important question for everyone listening to think about.

Why are you here today?

It may not be for ranked choice voting.

There's been a lot of other topics on the agenda, but I think there's one reason for being here that we all share.

I believe that each of us wants to be heard and have our voice matter in local politics and local elections.

So if you're here today, because you wanted to make your voice heard, could could you please raise your hand?

Thank you.

And if you want that, if you want your voice to matter, I believe you will like ranked choice voting, which is designed to give every voter more choice and more voice in elections.

You get to rank the candidates in your order of preference, and your vote counts in that order.

If your top choice is eliminated, your vote goes to your next choice.

And you've already heard a lot from residents, but I'd like to summarize some of the reasons that they've raised that they like RCV.

One is RCV is liked and understood by voters because it is simple, quick, and transparent.

RCV is used by nearly 14 million Americans in 50 plus jurisdictions like Tacoma Park.

RCV allows more votes to count, increasing participation, voter engagement, and campaign civility while reducing strategic voting.

RCV improves representation for historically marginalized groups, increasing rates that people of color, LGBTQ plus people, and women overall win elections.

And ultimately, RCV gives voters more choice and more power.

RCV Maryland also submitted a letter signed by state and local organizations who support O303525.

I have a copy of it with me, but this the 12 signing organizations are Anarundal County and ACP, Anarundal County Indivisible, AZA Learning, Chesapeake Indivisible, Common Cause Maryland, League of Women Voters of Ana Rundel County, National Council of Jewish Women Maryland, Out for Justice Incorporated, Ranked Choice Voting Maryland, Represent Women, Third Act Maryland, and Veterans for All Voters Maryland.

The letter describes why we believe the city is ready for RCV, addressing election equipment capability, ballot design, implementation, and robust voter education.

The city has seen many changes in its long history.

And Annapolis has already played a very special role in the story of American democracy.

So I hope the city will strengthen it by embracing ranked choice voting.

And if everyone here who is supportive of RCV, could you please stand?

Or raise your hand.

On behalf of our coalition and supporters across the city of Annapolis, we urge the mayor and council to adopt ordinance 03525.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right.

Amy, you're up next.

Good evening, Mayor and City Council members.

My name is Amy Cruz.

I'm a Ward 8 president.

Address is 924 Wells Avenue.

I am here in my personal capacity tonight, but as some of you know, um, I have spent a number of years, a couple of decades actually working on voting rights at the ACLU of Maryland, in particular running our election uh protection campaign for 20 years.

Um but today I'm here in my personal capacity as a resident of Annapolis, and I'm here in strong support of ranked choice voting.

I have to say that when I heard that Annapolis was considering ranked choice voting, I was super excited.

This is something that I have wanted for Maryland for Annapolis since for 25 years.

Since there was a little Rob Savage and a little Rob Tufts and a little Amy Cruz running around Annapolis thinking that they could like get involved in local politics at the age of 22 years old.

We were talking about ranked choice voting, and we're talking about how we can reform voting so that more voices can be included, and that we could get more people excited and involved in local government.

And I know how many of you have tried really hard to make the local government more inclusive and engaging and to have uh more people in positions of the city council as well as boards and commissions.

And I think that this uh ranked choice voting absolutely supports those goals, and even more importantly, especially these days, uh the goals of preserving our democracy.

So there's three main reasons that I support um RCV, and I'm so excited about it.

And the first is that um RCV lets people vote for their favorite candidate without fear that voting their heart will somehow backfire.

I prefer a system that allows everyone to vote for the person that they really want.

That should not sound crazy, but that is the situation that we have.

Uh I have a strong, I have really strong political opinions, but I want to see more diversity of ideas in our local elections.

My first couple of elections, there were a lot of enthusiasm about third-party candidates.

This is when I was first starting to vote at a young age.

Um, but there was also a lot of pressure and shaming around the idea of voting your conscience and picking the candidate that you really wanted.

And as a young voter, that was a big political turnoff.

And I still am a little bit mad about it.

So rank choice voting eliminates this whole spoiler effects effect.

It allows voters to pick their favorite candidate and then their second favorite.

And as other people said, you don't have to vote for more than one if you don't want to.

You can vote for whoever, and you don't have to vote for whoever, but without fear of voting that voting your heart will somehow backfire, but as I already said.

The second reason, and I'm very passionate about this, is that it protects against vote splitting.

And the reason I care about this is because communities of color, especially here, black voters don't lose representation when support is divided among multiple candidates.

So this prevents um dilution of races when you have, let's say you have two black candidates and a white candidate.

You don't have to worry about the the black vote getting split.

Um, I'll wrap it up real quick.

So the third um reason is that it allows for true voter choice, which I already have repeated a bunch of times of being able to actually vote for who you want to vote for.

Um, and I'll just conclude by again repeating that I'm very deeply uh committed to racial equity and an inclusive local government that is responsive to everyone in the city, especially those who are not in the room today.

And I really think that this can help get more people in the room, and I'm asking you to vote for RCV for greater equity and democracy right here in Annapolis.

Thank you.

Anybody else like to come forward and speak on O 3525?

Thank you.

Awesome.

Good evening.

I'm Abby Root, uh, representing the League of Women Voters of Android County.

Our state league is at 121 Cathedral Street.

The League of Women Voters supports rank choice voting because we believe it is important that election systems produce representation that reflects community sentiment, help increase voter participation by encouraging a broader range of candidates and more civil campaigns, and are feasible to implement.

We also prefer reluxious systems that are easy for the voter to understand, both in terms of how to vote and how their vote is counted.

Help ensure minority views and interests, have some influence in selecting elected officials, help raise the level of political campaigns by encouraging a focus on the issues and discouraging negative campaigning, maximize the power of each voter's vote voter's vote, and help promote more openness and responsiveness between candidates and constituents.

We believe a majority of votes is required to win election.

Ranked choice voting is preferred method of determining such a majority.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um my name is Kurt Savenson.

I live in Arnold.

I just want you all to know that the eyes of many Anne Arundel County residents are upon you.

Um, as a municipality in Maryland, you are uniquely positioned to play a key leadership role in this important election reform movement.

Your choice to move forward with and to showcase the success of ranked choice voting is an important first step for Anna Rundle County as a whole.

Your success will help Anna Rundle County to join with other counties to obtain the same authority you have to choose their election systems.

I know at least one candidate for county executive who already strongly supports ranked choice voting.

I know some of you may be concerned about the cost of implementation.

Change does not come without cost, but you need not be alone.

Others have made this choice before you.

Others will be making this change alongside you, and you can partner with leaders in county government to ensure the path toward this future is efficiently and cost effectively paved.

It's in the county's interest to see you succeed.

God bless and Godspeed.

Did we miss anyone?

Okay, thank you.

Good evening, Mayor Buckley and Annapolis City Council.

Uh, my name is Patrick McDermott.

I am at 200 Bertina A.

Nick Way, Annapolis, Maryland, uh, 21401.

It's in Ward 2.

Uh today I am speaking in support of ranked choice voting and O3525.

At its core, ranked choice voting is designed to elect the most popular candidate.

Because a candidate must attract support from a majority of voters rather than just a plurality, which usually is less than 50%.

Candidates have to appeal to a broader set of voters.

And in our current system, candidates cater their message to a subset of voters that often will carry them through the primary.

Now, taking this into account, when I hear someone say that RC RCV is going to make it harder for them or say their party to win an election, what I'm really hearing is them admit that their platform that they intend to run on isn't really popular with a majority of voters.

God forbid they face the consequences of having unpopular policies.

I also want to be clear that RCV does not necessarily mean that the most moderate candidate will win.

It means that the most popular candidate will win.

Candidates with bold ideas can be very successful in RCV if the bold idea is popular.

C Zaran Mamdani in New York.

RCV creates space for independent and third party candidates as well to run in the general election without spoiling the result.

In Annapolis specifically, three of the last eight mayoral general election campaigns have been one with a plurality rather than a majority, because there were more than two candidates running.

Fair vote found that since 2004, only 6% of all elections that used RCV had a winner that was not in first place after the first round tabulations.

In most cases, candidates that earn a plurality of first choices are also widely popular and win a majority of support.

Now, let's examine those 6% of races where someone else ended up winning.

Ultimately, those candidates were popular with a subset of voters, but had alienated a majority of voters to not rank them on their ballot.

Great example of this was the 2022 special house race in Alaska.

In the primary election, Sarah Palin earned a plurality of support with 27% of the vote.

However, most Alaskans were turned off by her political style, extreme platform, and the fact that she had abandoned the governorship in Alaska a few years prior.

After three rounds of tabulation, Mary Potola won the RCV general election with 40% of the vote in the first rounds and 51% in the final round.

In this instance, Alaskans were able to express their preference among all the candidates and avoided electing a relatively unpopular candidate.

And if you flash forward two years to 2024, and a different Republican, Nick Begitch won the congressional seat.

So this shows that RCV does not help or hurt particular parties, but rather it helps popular candidates and hurts unpopular ones.

And specifically just mentioning myself as an unaffiliated voter, I would love the chance to not be uh constantly having to make that quote unquote strategic vote when it comes to general election, because I don't get a choice in choosing in the primary system that we have in Maryland.

Uh, and then I have to usually choose the lesser of two evils when it comes to the general.

I would love as an unaffiliated voter to not have to make that chase anymore.

Generally, I want a system that rewards these broadly popular candidates.

Thank you so much for your time.

Appreciate it.

Thank you.

Philotero, 1800 Poplar Avenue Ward 3.

Uh, I'm here to speak in support of the ranked choice voting or RCV bill being introduced, as I said when I was here last time.

U.S.

citizens have a long been feeling disenfranchised by uh the entrenched two-party system, as others have said.

Voter sentiment shows the state of our election to be unsatisfactory.

So we're obligated to ask how can we improve our elections and democratic processes?

So candidates that are ultimately elected are more closely aligned with the visions, views, and values of voters.

RCV has been shown to be that step towards a better democratic process with many elections around the country having used RCV in primary and general elections.

That being said, RCV may be new to you in many Annapolis residents, especially in these times that can cause anxiety to tweak our electoral system.

So I'd like to help assuage any nervousness, especially from our marginalized communities.

I know there's concern about how this will affect black candidates by long-time black Annapolis residents.

Here's some of the data on elections that you used RCV.

National studies show a higher percentage of people of color hold city council seats in ranked choice voting cities.

2022 case study in the Bay Area found RCV cities have a higher percentage of women and women of color on their city councils.

Data from jurisdictions using RCV confirms higher than average numbers of people of color run for office and are elected after RCV is implemented.

Candidates of color benefit from the RCV counting process, seeing their vote share increase between first and final rounds.

Don't I worry, right, friends?

This is long this has shown promise for white candidates as well.

When considering elections for one seat, RCV racist who are active, uh candidates were active past the first round of vote catting.

White candidates increase their vote share between their first and final rounds by 12%.

Candidates of other racial and ethnic backgrounds see increases led by black candidates with a 15% increase.

Candidates of colors pay no penalty when they run against other candidates of the same race, their race or ethnicity.

When a candidate of color is eliminated, ballots are more likely to transfer to other candidates of the same race or race or ethnicity.

Some other stats.

The median black candidate earned 6% more votes than expected when other black candidates were eliminated, suggesting a favorable transfer of support within their own community.

The median Hispanic or Latino candidates earned 12% more transfer ballots than expected.

The median Asian American and Pacific Islander candidate earned 33% more transfer ballots than expected, again indicating a positive in-group flow of support.

Now let's talk about how women have fared in RCV elections.

National studies show that a higher percentage of women hold city council seats in ranked RCV cities.

According to Represent Women's Research in 2024, women made up only 33 percentage of city council seats in the 100 largest cities.

But in RCV cities, women make up 52% of seats on city council seats.

Women also make up a larger percentage of mayors in RCV cities.

In 2021, history was made when 31 women were elected to the New York City Council.

The first time ever the council would have a women majority.

Of those women, 25 were women of color.

26 of those women won ranked choice election primaries.

I hope that this information was helpful.

I will email it to you all.

There's a lot of information on how RCV has affected elections for the better, but I only get so much time as we just heard, so I'll leave it up to others to continue to share more information.

And with several other positive ancillary effects on our elections, I urge you to vote in support of this legislation and help restore faith and enthusiasm for our elections.

If you have any questions, I'm easy to find.

Thank you.

1212 Barbud Lane.

So RCV is losing all over the country, and these guys know it.

So we're getting to be a test laboratory to try to claw their way back in favor.

I guess here in Anne Ronald County.

RCV is a direct assault on one person one vote, forcing voters to choose anyone, but their first choice is disenfranchising voters.

Choosing the candidate that has the priorities and values that align with our own is our right.

The second and third and fourth choice may not have any priorities or values that reflect ours.

Ranked choice voting is flat out undemocratic.

It will create the tyranny of the mediocre.

Anyone with innovative ideas will be denied public office in favor of banal establishment choices.

This approach is a democracy killer.

Here's some reality.

With ranked choice voting, not all votes count.

In Maine, the second congressional district in the uh 2018 Democratic primary, although 126,000 votes were cast, only 117,000 votes were counted.

This means that approximately 7% of the voters, nearly 9,000 people had their voices silenced by ballot exhaustion.

In San Francisco, Board of Supervisors General Election, after 20 rounds of tabulation, 53% of the ballots had been exhausted, and only 8,200 ballots contributed toward the final result.

Reality.

More ballots were thrown out than were counted.

Having someone's vote systematically discarded under RCSV is directly disenfranchising individual voters.

It's completely unacceptable.

One person one vote, not one person, one vote, maybe.

RCS RCV literally depersons a registered voter.

In the last few months, the Michigan House passed a bill banning RCV.

Denver just rejected RCV.

Somebody mentioned Utah.

Park City, Utah just rejected RCV.

Iowa in June became the 17th state to ban RCV.

Also, Ohio is thinking about banning RCV.

And it's coming back in Alaska to ban RCV.

RCV in many states and many cities is one of the biggest buyer's remorse moments that an electorate has, or city council, or a county or a state.

I urge this city council not to get involved in this experiment and reject this ordinance.

Vote no.

If you want to open up this voting process to more people, have nonpartisan open primaries.

This is an experiment that will go very badly, and the whole city will end up in buyer's remorse.

And we'll be like these other 17 states or some of these other cities that have had to reverse course and reject RCV.

Thank you.

Did we miss anyone?

Oh no, Pindale Chells.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

I want to make one comment concerning one component of this, which is the incivility part that I heard.

And I want to say this in front of Mr.

O'Shea as well as Mr.

Lippman.

Wasn't by design, we didn't discuss it, but it's the quality of the candidates that make sure that the process and the campaigns are civil.

Thank you.

All right, I declare the public hearing in 03525 closed.

Mr.

City Attorney, please present the next item agenda.

Yes, sir.

The next item on the agenda is 03625.

Do we do that before?

Nope.

Yep, okay.

2131, 2031 to 2036 spring boat shows.

Okay, one person signed up to speak.

Thank you, everybody.

Uh John Stevenick again, please come forward if you're still here.

If not, you want to come forward and speak on it, or you know, we all support you.

It's in the we got you.

Okay.

Uh I declare the public hearing closed.

Uh Mr.

City Attorney, please present the next on the agenda.

Yes, sir.

The next item on the agenda is legislative action first readers, beginning with ordinance 03725.

City Capital Facilities charges payment plan.

Could I get a motion on 03725?

So moved.

Second.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Opposed?

Thank you.

I'd like to refer 03725 to economic matters committee.

Mr.

City Attorney, please present the next on the agenda.

Sir, the next item of the agenda for first reader is 03825.

Exception to the city's prohibition on doors or gates opening over sidewalks.

Could I get a motion on 03825?

Second.

Thank you.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Thank you.

Mr.

City Attorney, please present the next on the agenda.

Yes, sir.

The next item on agenda is resolutions for first reader, R 3325.

Speed monitoring system fines.

Can I get a motion on R 3325?

Some move second.

Second.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Thank you.

Let's refer R 3325 to the finance committee.

Mr.

City Attorney, please prevent uh present the next item agenda.

Yes, sir.

The next item on the agenda is R 3425 market space interest charge waiver.

Okay.

Second.

Thank you.

On first reader, uh Pindell Charles.

Just one comment.

I guess maybe for public consumption.

Uh resolutions and ordinances.

It has been an issue that came up about first readers.

And I think I just want to say for me, first readers are extremely important.

It vets things through the standing committees.

We don't have staff, but I think sometimes out of that come other issues and other solutions that we have.

So just want to make that kind of commentary to the public.

Sometimes it gets a bit confusing.

Yep.

Have to get it on the floor to get to the public, right?

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

All those in favor say aye.

Oh, sorry, Oddman Gay.

Uh I'll run through them pretty fast.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Thank you.

Uh 3425 goes to the finance committee.

Mr.

City Attorney, please present the next on the agenda.

Yes, sir.

The next item on the agenda is R 3525.

181 Prince George Street Sidewalk Easement.

Could I get a motion on I 3525?

Moved.

Okay.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Thank you.

Mr.

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

Yes, sir.

The next item on the agenda is resolution R 3625.

Fees for clear.

Sorry, Miss City Manager.

I just wanted to check which where that got referred to.

Uh I don't have it referred anywhere.

Resolution.

Yeah, R 35.

The resolution.

Okay, we had just referred some of the other resolutions to committee, so I just wanted to see.

Nowhere.

Not in my comments anyway.

Uh Mr.

City Attorney, next, please.

Yes, sir.

The next item on the agenda is R 3525, 181 Prince George Street Sidewalk Easement.

Okay, can I get a motion for that?

Please.

So moved.

Second.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Thank you.

Mr.

City Attorney, please present the next on the agenda.

The next item on the agenda is R 3625.

Fees for clearing snow and ice from city sidewalks.

So moved.

Can I get a second?

Second.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Thank you.

We'll refer R 3625 to the Finance Committee.

Mr.

City Attorney, please present the next on the agenda.

Yes, sir.

The next item on the agenda is R 3825.

Reassigning fiscal year 2025 and fiscal year 2026 community grants.

Okay.

Can I get a motion on R 3825?

Second.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Thank you.

Mr.

City Attorney, please present the next on the agenda.

Yes, sir.

The next item on the agenda is R 3925.

Itinerant Merchant Sales in the Historic District 4 flea market.

Is there a motion to adopt R 3925 on first reader?

So moved.

Second.

Okay.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Thank you.

Let's refer R 3925 to the Finance Committee.

Mr.

City Attorney.

Yes, sir.

The next item on the agenda is R 4025.

Equitable public water access plan.

So moved.

Okay.

All those in foot.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Thank you.

We're going to refer that to Environmental Matters Committee.

Odman Savage.

Is that was that it?

Yeah, thank you.

And I'm um I was also going to bring it to the Severn River Commission.

Great.

Well, I think it's commendable work that's been done on that.

Thank you.

Um Mr.

City Attorney, please present the next item agenda.

Yes, sir.

The next item on the agenda is R 4125 2025.

Go bowling military bowl parade and football game.

We love having all those people in town for this.

Spending money.

So move.

There's your motion.

Thank you.

Second.

Second.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Thank you.

Let's refer that to the finance committee.

Mr.

City Attorney, please present the next item agenda.

Yes, last item on first reader is CA225.

City Council Pay and Benefits Deadline.

No move.

Second.

Right.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

We'll refer CA225 to rules and city government committee.

Mr.

City Attorney, please present the next on the agenda.

Yes, I yes, sir.

Second readers beginning with ordinance 01225.

Prioritizing affordable spending through expansion of financial advisory commission duties.

Yes, Mr.

Mayor, I would like to move to withdraw this.

Um I think that the second desire for spend on authorability is a good idea, but in discussions with the finance director, city manager, and chair of the finance committee.

I think there's a better way to proceed, and we're working on that.

Okay, thank you.

So we've got a motion to withdraw.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Thank you.

Mr.

City Attorney, please present the next item agenda.

Yes, sir.

The next item on the agenda is O3125 for second reader.

Issuance of general obligation bonds and bond anticipation.

Is there a motion to adopt 03125 on second reader?

Moved.

Thank you.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Thank you.

Is there a motion to adopt 03125 on third reader?

So moved.

Second.

Madam City Clerk, please call the roll.

Yes, sir, Mayor Buckley.

Aye.

Aldwoman O'Neill.

Aye.

Alderman Pendel Charles.

Aye.

Alderman Lyson.

Aye.

Alderman Chandelmeyer.

Aye.

Always gay.

Almost savage.

Aye.

Alvin Arnett.

No.

Alderman.

Let's do that.

One last word.

Mr.

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

Yes, sir.

The next item on the agenda is 03525.

Lease um.

All right.

I'm sorry.

Hold on.

Um what's the uh what's the number one?

Oh thirteen.

Yeah, that's what I wrote it down wrong.

Um sorry, Mr.

Mayor.

It's oh thirteen twenty-five.

So move.

Second.

Okay.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

No.

Uh we can move.

Uh yeah, it's a second reader.

We've got an amendment.

Move amendment one.

Sorry, I missed that.

I don't have it in front of me.

Yes.

Okay, great.

I apologize, Alderman Savage.

We didn't take a vote on that yet.

Um, somebody's second.

Second.

Uh Savage, let's move then amendment number one.

All those in favor of the amendment say aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Nay.

Okay.

Can I get a motion to vote on that as amended?

So moved.

Second.

All those in favor, say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Nay.

Thank you.

Now third reader, right?

Third reader.

Third reader.

Okay.

Can I get a motion on that on third reader?

No move.

Second.

Got a second on that.

Madam City Clerk, please call the roll.

Yes, sir, Mayor Buckley.

Aye.

All woman O'Neill.

Aye.

Alderman Pendel Charles.

Aye.

I'll go and pin lice.

Aye.

Always have aye.

All of the savage.

Aye.

All of attorney.

Aye.

Almost.

Thank you.

Mr.

City Attorney, please present the next army agenda.

Uh Mr.

Mayor, the agenda is complete.

We're done.

Yeah.

Hearing.

We did.

We did it.

Okay.

Yes.

We're done.

We're good.

1015.

Okay.

Is there anything else for good order?

Uh Otman Gay's hungry.

Yes.

Really quickly.

Um the Annapolis 250 Commission created a passport.

Um put on the desk.

Wall.

Um it is 36 sites throughout Annapples and Anona County that had some play in a revolution.

Um, please check it out.

See how many sites you've visited.

Um, go to see those sites, talk about them.

If there are people in the public that want a passport, uh the visitor center has them.

Banneker Douglas Tubman Museum has them.

Many of the local retailers downtown have them.

Thank you to Downtown Annapolis Partnership for getting them out.

There are QR codes for businesses, and just a great way to start celebrating Annapolis and America's 250th.

Thank you.

Did you give a passport to Mayor Moya?

She was asking the other day.

It was as inclusive as possible as far as the revolutionary site.

Thank a committee member when you see that you so much for the work on that.

It looks great.

Anything else for a good order.

Thank you to the staff that was working on all of our bills and everything over their recess.

I know I've reached out to this these two quite a bit, and so thank you very much.

Thank you.

Anyone else?

Okay.

Well, it was a spirit of nut.

Um, could I get a motion to this uh motion to close?

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Meeting agenda.

Um I want to give a special shout to the chair of the legislative black caucus, Janelle Wilkins.

And all the members of the General Assembly here.

Um, but I also want to say too, one of the uh, you know, I've had some very, very proud moments in my life.

One was uh when uh when our first lady said yes, I was pretty proud that day and I was able to bag someone like her.

I um who was not just my best friend, but has truly been um my life's salvation, and I thank God for you.

I um but also speaking of our partners inside the work, I have to say um a very very proud moment uh that I have had as being the governor of the state of Maryland was when I had the honor of signing the paperwork to make Shanika Henson a senator in the Maryland.

This is a um this is a celebration of of a remarkable coalition and and our and our our county officials, Pete, God bless you.

Thank you for everything you continue to do for all of our members, not just up here who you've heard from in the day as all friends and amazing human beings of the clergy, of the business community, of the nonprofit community, everybody here who was able to celebrate the fact that we are all on very broad shoulders right now, and I specifically, you know, also, and by the way, I'll be remiss.

Uh, I want to give a special shout to Cleveland Horton and Chanel Compton, both from the Commission of Civil Rights and the Commission of African American history and culture.

True public servants who make sure that our history is remembered, and um, you know, as as I was as I was thinking about today, I um I immediately thought about my friend Keith from Mitchell, and uh, you know, what y'all don't know is you know, I have you know, I used to uh run every Sunday in Baltimore down to Kiefer's juice shop.

Keeper had a juice stand under the JFX in Baltimore.

Y'all in Baltimore know what I'm talking about with the JFX, and I used to run there every Sunday morning to go get some of the best juice you would ever find.

And Keeper thought I was running there to get the juice.

I mean, the juices, the juice is great.

Um I don't know if Kiefer ever really fully appreciated how much it meant to me to be here there with somebody who didn't just do a remarkable job and every single day continues to preserve a wonderful legacy, but somebody who I had a chance to feel like I knew Perrin Mitchell because I knew you.

Because I had the honor of becoming friends with your family and everything you all have meant to us.

And one thing I always thought about, which I think I actually had it wrong in that way, where I used to look at Kiefer and the members of the family and say, wow, how amazing it is to come from such a wonderful legacy, and to be such wonderful descendants of a man who did so much for all of us.

But I actually think I cut it wrong.

Because while I think that is true, the beauty of this room is we're all part of his legacy.

We're all descendants.

We're all people who have benefited from the power that he provided from the shade that we now have the chance to enjoy.

The fact that every single one of us know, had it not been for him and his work, that we would not be here, and I want to be very, very clear.

I am not the 63rd governor of the state of Maryland, had it not been for Congressman Karen Mitchell, because he believed in us, he believed in us, and he fought for us.

And even if he did not know us, he fought for the hope of us.

That one day that he knew that he would have the opportunity to look down and smile, and know that he paved a beautiful pathway for all of us.

A place where we know that in any space that we are in, we are there because that space was already paid for.

A space that every single place we are in, that we know we are there because we belong, that every single room that we walk into, we are not there because of someone's benevolence.

We are not there because of someone's kindness.

We are not there because of someone's social experiments.

We are not there because someone wanted to sprinkle diversity into the room.

We are there because that room will be incomplete until we showed up, and that room has now finally complete because of the work that happened before we even got there.

And if there's one thing that we know is that, yes, we talk about how he was a first, and and being a first is fine, and that's great.

But let's be clear that's not the assignment.

Being the first is never the assignment.

Doing something while you're there is and if there's one thing that Parent Mitchell was, this man was a soldier.

He understood the fight.

He understood it wasn't gonna be easy, it wasn't gonna be simple.

If there's one thing that his life taught him, if there's one thing that all of our lives have taught us, is that if it comes easy, it is usually never worth it.

The only things that are worth it were hard, they were tough, and he showed that and demonstrated that throughout his entire life.

That he was always willing to take on the hard fights, he was always willing to take the arrows if necessary, because he knew the measure of impatience that was required and necessary, it should not be lost on anybody.

Why Perrin Mitchell always talked about I have only just a minute, like Dr.

Benjamin Mays.

I have only just a minute, because he knew that our time here it's ephemeral.

Our time here is temporary.

Your legacy is not.

What you did with your time here, that's what lives on.

I have just only a minute.

And I think about the work that this room has done.

I think about the work that collectively we've been able to do over just these past two and a half years.

Chair Wilkins, you said it right.

This is all because we have the wind to our backs that Perrin Mitchell's helping to provide.

Like our leader Dr.

Snowden said, having the largest mass part in the history of the United States of America, making historic investments in our HBCUs.

Over one point three billion dollars in towards our HBCUs.

Over 60% increase from the time we started off.

Over 1600 new black homeowners, making it easier for first-time homeowners to be able to get the capital that they need, historic low unemployments among the black community.

This doesn't happen by accident.

It's because we have a foundation we built upon.

Any type of work, any type momentum, any type of increase, it happens because we have the wind to our backs.

Who had the hope of this moment and who understood the urgency of the moment.

Didn't seek it.

Didn't choose it.

But it's up to me to use it.

I must suffer if I lose it.

Give account if I abuse it.

Just a tiny little minute.

But eternity is in it.

God bless you.

God bless Congress and Perrin Mitchell.

God bless the Mitchell family.

God bless his legacy.

And God bless this amazing state.

God bless y'all and thank you so much.

I am absolutely honored to be able to have the ability to present to the family.

This governor's citation.

Which reads to the family of Congressman Perrin Mitchell.

Be it known that on behalf of the citizens of this state, in recognition of the life and legacy of Congressman Perrin Mitchell, the first African American elected to Congress to represent the great state of Maryland and the first African American elected to Congress post-Reconstruction by a state south of the Mason Dixon line.

By the way, this is not in here, but let me just say it's amazing that people somehow forget that Maryland is the northernmost southern state in the country.

Learn our history.

And thanks to so many of you in this room, and Congressman, Perrin Mitchell, the sixty-third governor of the state of Maryland, Westmore.

God bless you and thank you so much.

Wait, no, that's what we can do.

See if you've seen Chinese jobs.

I don't know.

We now have a presentation from Senator Van Holland's office as we move very quickly.

Thank you, Carl.

Um, I guess someone's got to be followed the governor.

I'm today's sacrificial lamb.

I'm Ashima Thilvar, Senator Chris Van Hollins, uh State Director.

The Senator really regrets that he couldn't be here today, but he has a congressional citation that he wanted me to present on his behalf.

This citation is presented in memory of the honorable Perrin Jay Mitchell on the occasion of the memorial dedication in his honor, in recognition of this enduring tribute to commemorate the life life and legacy of a trailbrazer and statesman who tirelessly advocated for justice, equity, and opportunity for Marylanders, with appreciation for his historic election as the first African American to represent Maryland and the United States Congress, with admiration for his remarkable work as a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, and with gratitude for all he did to touch the lives of countless individuals.

Signed Christian Holland, United States Senator on this day.

Lisa, please.

Quickly, quickly, please.

And good afternoon.

So I'll take it.

So um this two leases.

The Annamundal County Council honors Congressman Mitch Congressman Mitchell for his lifelong dedication to making America better, not bitter, and commends Congressman Mitchell for his fierce fight against racism.

The county council joins the community and his family in the remembrance of the Congressman and the and the legacy he has created.

The Congressman earned the trust of people throughout the country and world because he was constantly building bridges for others to cross, while tearing down the walls that had excluded them.

The county council thanks Congressman Mitchell for his many contributions, and we're pleased to honor this, uh give this honor to his family today, signed by the entire Anna Rundle County, May twenty-eighth, twenty twenty-five.

Thank you very much.

But let me say this really quickly of the next speaker.

Those of you who have not had this opportunity that I have with Joanne Benson.

I want Joanne to know, Senator Benson, if you will.

Some you will not know.

Man named Benny Fair, one man named Alfred Barrett, people I worked with.

When I first met Senator Joanne Benson.

Jesse Jackson was running for president of the United States.

There was no black attorney, state's attorney in Prince George's County.

I remember this voice who stood with Perrin Mitchell.

You know, talked about the need for African American representation.

Please join me in welcome to the podium, a true leader, Senator Joanne Benson.

Good afternoon, everybody.

I won't speak long.

About an hour and a half, is that okay?

In the early 60s, I met this man, Perrin P.J.

Mitchell.

And we developed a friendship.

And I went to visit with him in Congress.

But he was not the kind of person that just worked in Congress.

He traveled not only in Baltimore, but he traveled all over the state of Maryland.

In 1978, I invited him to come with me to Haggerstown to give a speech for the NAACP dinner.

He showed up.

And when he finished talking about racism and bigotry and what we needed to do to work together.

Because he acted up in there, which was typical of Parent P.

J.

Mitchell.

He said what he meant, and he meant what he said.

He was a wonderful, wonderful role model for me personally.

I want everybody in this room to know this.

We are in this bag together.

Fatty Lou Hamer.

We are in this bag together.

And if Parent PJ Mitchell was here, that's exactly what he would say.

We have a lot to do, and we cannot place the responsibility on anybody else.

It's up to each of us in this room to make up our mind that we're going to make a difference so that the future generations will be so much better than what we found when we got here.

When I see the Mitchell family, Michael, wonderful friend of Tommy Broadwater, my great friend that I love so much, and I miss him.

I think about him, I think about Juanita, Lord have mercy.

Those of you who know, Juanita Mitchell was Clarence Mitchell's wife.

She was an attorney.

And when we had issues in Prince George's County, we would call Juanita and she said, come on over at 9 o'clock.

I said, Well, I'm going to call Perrin to tell him that we're coming.

He said, Well, come on over, but be prepared to wait.

So I said, Well, only a few minutes.

We got there, about five or six of us.

I said, What time?

She said, nine o'clock.

We're out there at nine o'clock, ten o'clock, eleven o'clock, twelve o'clock, coming down the steps was Juanita Mitchell.

We stayed there until two o'clock in the morning, hammering out what was going on, not only in Prince George's County, but in the state of Maryland.

How could we make it better for future generations?

That's what our sole responsibility was.

It was not about politics.

It was about raising the bar, giving hope to our children.

And that's what Parent PJ Mitchell was all about.

He was concerned about the least of these.

It wasn't just PJ Mitchell.

He had a strong, strong family.

And his family is still strong and committed.

I want to commend the governor.

I want to commit every single soul who had anything to do with this unveiling.

It is so appropriate.

It is so needed.

I've been waiting for this moment where we give, give, let's give credit where credit is due.

The words and the actions of Parent PJ Mitchell cannot be described.

I was with Parent PJ Mitchell on so many occasions.

We would go to Cavert County.

That's where his administrative, his top advisor was.

And we would go there for picnics every year.

It was just wonderful.

We just had a wonderful, wonderful friendship.

There were things he and I talked about.

We went to the Democratic Convention, Lord have mercy.

I thought we were going to go to jail then.

I said, listen, Parad, we're too far from home.

It's no time for us to carry on.

I'm done.

My bowling follow are not gonna come and get me out of jail.

No.

But we were able to make it back home.

Uh-oh.

I think that means something.

I thank you all for coming this afternoon.

You could be doing something else that you're here.

Stop that.

Lastly, to bring brief remarks, will be uh Darrell Jones and uh Lisa who will be representing the family.

Please bear with us just a couple more minutes before we close.

Quickly, please, quickly.

So we go off with one move.

Thank you, Carl.

You know, God has a way.

God has a way.

I have a student, I was a student at the University of Maryland, College Park.

And at that time, we had uh problems in South Africa with the apartheid.

And so I had the opportunity to re restart the NAACP at the University of Maryland College Park.

We then took on the university for his divest, demanding that it divest from South Africa.

University was resisted.

We formed Shanty Towns.

We got together with the black student union as well as the African student union.

We marched on the administration.

We didn't know what was going to happen, but we knew we were on the side of right.

Little would I know, boy, does God have a way.

We would have a reception sometime later.

And this gentleman would come up, and I knew nothing really about federal politics and all that other stuff.

But the good gentleman came up and said his name was Congressman Perrin Mitchell.

And we talked.

God just has a way.

And then sometime later, 2006, here in my home county, Anoronto County.

If you look at the program, it says I'm a formal Anorondo County Councilman.

I might be former, but I'm also former.

But in 2006, I had the opportunity to run and to become the first African American male elected to the Anorondo County Council.

God has a way.

Maryland's Parent J.

Mitchell dinner and salute.

And then putting that together, I had the opportunity, and of course, you know, my friend Carl Sloan's always right with me on everything.

He said, you need the blessings of the family.

So I called Senator Mitchell, who I had never met.

I said, you know, Senator, I don't know how to ask you, but uh we we want to do this dinner in honor of Congressman Mitchell.

And we talked for a while, he said, well, let's get together and meet.

So we met and he had uh Lisa just loads of information with regards to Senator uh Congressman Mitchell.

But the bottom line was the Mitchell family said yes.

And for the last seven years, we've been doing the Perrin J.

Mitchell dinner and salute on Fort Meade's base.

I tell you, God just has a way.

And so when we had the opportunity earlier a year or so ago to talk about this Perrin J.

Mitchell Memorial, we ran into a lot of headwinds.

People that were negative, telling us we couldn't do it.

We had the opportunity to go and sit in with Maryland's new governor, Governor Moore.

Within 30 seconds, Carl could barely get it out of his mouth.

Before Governor Moore was saying, yes, yes, yes, I'm with you.

God just has a way.

And we're here today with this unveiling with the Mitchell family and the unveiling of the memorial for Congressman Perrin J.

Mitchell.

Remembering that it's about community.

It's about people, it's about service.

But we're so glad that God has a way in that way has had this day today to have the unveiling of this of this memorial.

Thank you all so much.

Thank you.

I'm gonna be very, very brief.

Um, as one of the great nieces, I think I'm the oldest great niece of Congressman Perrin J.

Mitchell.

Um, thank you, Governor, First Lady, Mayor, all of the elected officials.

I want to in particular thank all of the community that came here today, the caucus of African Americans.

We can't say Carl Snowden's name enough on behalf of all of our family.

We thank you, Caucus of African Americans, the Martin Luther King Jr.

Committee, all of the volunteers and people that supported this effort.

And I have to say, you know, Congressman Mitchell, PJ, Uncle Perrin, the proudest moment for him was the MDE legislation.

And that was one of the first executive orders that this governor uh issued when he came into office.

He is our governor's, our parent J.

Mitchell's wildest dream, uh, that we would be able to legislate that.

And I also want to say the Minority Business Enterprise Legal Defense and Education Fund.

He founded our Justice Department to protect the legislation.

And all of the members who are continuing that organization, I see the legacy of Perrin Mitchell in this room.

My grandmother said, our children and our grandchildren are our claim on eternity.

Uncle Perrin didn't have any children.

We are his children.

We are his legacy.

I see leaders of a beautiful struggle out there today.

I see uh uh Black Lives Matter out here today.

This is the legacy of Congressman Perrin J.

Mitchell.

He was absolutely radical, one of God's angry men, they said he said who would not be angry in how we have to live in America.

And so I thank you on behalf of our family, our elder, Senator Michael Bowen Mitchell, uh the historian, uh the patriarch of our family and all of our cousins, great nieces, and the extended family of Perrin J.

Mitchell.

I see Delegate Town Mitch Branch over there.

I mean, Perrin PJ, if we would say this, he just his heart was as big as all outdoors.

He never said no.

And this exemplifies the work and the legacy he left us to carry on.

I thank you so much.

Let me quickly.

Immediately following this, there's a reception.

Um you're welcome to attend.

It's upstairs.

I want to acknowledge Rosalind Johnson, the director here, who gave us a marvelous broken.

Lakeisha Simmons.

Thank you.

Rodney is not here, but Rodney did a fantastic job as well.

In fact, all of the Annapolis staff did a great job, including Annapolis police chief.

Would you please stand and let's start the police department.

Now, for anybody who's been to a caucus meeting, you know what's coming.

We always in this caucus meeting this way.

Those of you Baltimoreans may find it a little difficult, Brother Lawrence, but this is what we do.

We understood what Perrin Mitchell understood.

We understood what Dr.

King understood.

Dr.

King said there were two basic things that he wanted American people to understand.

One, he said, when the American people join hands, we make a difference.

Look at history.

Women got to vote, the right to vote in 1920, because people of goodwill joined hands.

Martin Luther King's birthday became a national holiday because people of goodwill joined hands.

Nelson Mandela walked out of a prison into the presidency in South Africa.

Because people of good will join hands.

Throughout history, whenever people of good will in America join hands, we make a difference.

When you look somebody in the eye, you are watching their very soul.

When you look in that person's eye, male or female, doesn't make any difference.

Look that person directly in the eye and just say that they say, I love you.

Now there's somebody, if somebody who pays attention, and quote Laddie, she did not look Ronda in the eye and say I love you.

Now let me just say one more thing.

So we wind this up.

People have heard this many times, but it's true.

When I was 14 years old, she had a girl told me, I love you, and the next day she was with somebody else.

I understand what love is that love is that thing you can feel if you don't get that tingle, that person ain't loving you.

So look him or her one more time, deeply in the eyes, deeply in the eyes.

Look him in the eyes and say, I love you.

The next very the next voice you will be hearing is the man of great love.

Apostle, please come and give us the benediction.

Karen, would you come up really quickly?

Kern for Historic Annapolis, real quick.

Kern, please, quickly.

There she is, quickly, quickly, quickly.

She's gonna give a special gift to the state senator.

When it was referenced earlier, there was a young man who got arrested for protesting and desegregating Annapolis.

It was our great state senator.

We have the photograph of the arrest of him being arrested.

God is good.

Twenty-four years later.

Who'd you pass it to us?

I went to get a hand.

Police department.

And I'm going to be here.

And now you said unfortunately.

Please prepare yourself for the benediction, please.

The beneficion we're also gonna ask everyone if you would remain at your seat as we are able to escort the uh governor out.

Thank you very much.

Shall we bow our heads?

Eternal God, our father.

We thank you for the life and legacy of Congressman Heron J.

Mitchell.

A trailblazer, a servant leader, and a champion for justice.

As we depart from this sacred moment of remembrance, may we carry forward his courage, his conviction, and his compassion.

May the seas he planted continue to bear fruit in our communities.

And may we be inspired to walk boldly in the path he helped us pay.

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you.

May the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you.

May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you shalom.

Peace that empowers, peace that perseveres, and peace that prevails.

We ask this in the name that's above every name.

In the name of our Lord and our Savior.

To him be glory.

Amen.

And amen.

God bless you.

It was cars beach.

We talk about James Brown.

Stevie Wonder.

Jimmy Hendrix.

This is a place where 70,000.

We 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 gonna be here for the next generation to learn about a we need to pay homage to our history and our ancestors.

You know, this is bringing home back to us.

You remember the carousel, you remember the fan stand.

So this is bringing that dream to a reality.

And it's a beautiful thing that what you see in the day 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.

Still deep in love.

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.

My name's Eric Leshinski.

I'm a chief of comprehensive planning for the city in our city's planning and zoning department.

We have a bunch of city staff here.

Our comprehensive planning team includes Casey in the back, Alexis, and then Swarupa is on current planning.