GBCQuestionnaire
1. Whatdoyoubelievearethegreatestchallengesfacingthecity’seconomy?
1) Publicsafety,whichconnectstonearlyalloftheotherchallenges.
2) Populationloss,includinglossofouryouthandfamiliestosurroundingjurisdictions andlossofgraduatesfromourcollegesanduniversitiestoothercities.
3) Poortransitaccesstojobsforworkers.
4) NegativeperceptionsaroundBaltimore.
5) Ourfailuretoprovidegood-payingjobstothemajorityofourcity’spopulation.
2. Pleaseoutlineyouroverallstrategytopositionthecity’seconomyforgrowth.
IamexcitedthatBaltimoreisexperiencingsomeofthefastesteconomicgrowthinthe country.
IlookforwardtosupportingGBC’sstrategy,whichIthinkislargelytherightapproach. ThedesignationofBaltimoreasafederaltechhubisahugewinbyGBCforourcityand region,andweneedstrongleadershiptomakesurethatthisinvestmentisleveragedin themoststrategicwayspossible,andthataswecreatemoreopportunity,wearenot displacingourlegacyresidents.Weneedanationalandinternationalstrategyforselling Baltimoretobusinesses.Thatstrategymustfocusonleveragingourcity’sassetsand strengths,andnottryingtobewhatwethinkoutsiderswantustobe.Andweneedsmart, effective,andaccessiblegovernmentsystemsandservicesthatmakeiteasytodo businessinourcity
Iwilldiscussthisingreaterdetailbelow,butreversingourcity’spopulationlossand creatingaffordablehousingopportunitiesarealsoessentialtoourgrowth.
3. Willyoupartnercloselywiththeprivatesectortoaddressissues(orpursue opportunities)tosupporteconomicgrowthandentrepreneurship?Pleasedescribe examples.
Ihaveconsistentlypartneredwiththeprivatesectortomoveourcityandmydistrict forward,andIwillcontinuetodosoascouncilpresident.
Inmyfirstyearasacouncilmember,Icreatedthe This is Working youthjobsprogramin whichweconnectedparticipantsintheYouthWorksprogramwithjobsinthefirstdistrict andprovidedadditionalsupervisionandtransportationtoenabletheirparticipation.
Ihavebroughttogetherdevelopersandleadersinthebuildingtradestodiscusshowwe canworktogethertogrowourcity,andworkforcedevelopmentquicklyemergedasa commongoal.IhavefacilitatedapartnershipbetweenPattersonHighSchoolandthe 111 S Calvert Street | Suite 1700 | Baltimore, MD 21202 410.727.2820 | 410.539.5705 FAX wwwgbc org
CarpentersUniontocreatepathwaysforyouthintounionjobs,andIlookforwardto expandingonthesepartnershipsasCouncilPresident.
WhenthePattersonParkPoolwasclosedlastsummer,Icollaboratedwiththeprivate sectortoraisefundsforapop-upsplashpadthatoperatedjustoutsidethepool4times perweekfor3hoursperday.ItwasarefugeforthefamiliesofsoutheastBaltimore duringanexceedinglyhotsummer.
WhenIlearnedlastsummerthatcityschoolswouldnotbeofferingsummer programmingonFridays,Ipartneredwiththeprivatesectorandoveradozenofour culturalinstitutionstoofferFieldTripFridays.
4. Howwouldyouprioritizeinfrastructureandothercapitalimprovementstosupport yourgrowthstrategy?
Forgrowththatisbotheconomicallyandenvironmentallysustainableweneedmajor transitinvestments,andIhavebeengladtoseeGBCleadinginthisarea.Weneedto buildtheRedLineasalightrailprojectwithdedicatedright-of-wayandincreasedensity alongthecorridor.ThesamegoesfortheNorth-Southtransitcorridor.Wealsoneed smallerbutnolessimpactfulinfrastructurealongbusroutestoimprovebusspeedsand reliability AspartoftheKeyBridgerebuildingprocess,Iamparticularlyinterestedin exploringhowwemayimprovetransitconnectionsbetweenTradepointAtlanticand disadvantagedneighborhoodsinsouthandsouthwestBaltimore.
Iamalsointerestedinpartneringwiththeport,ourindustrialbusinesses,andthestate andfederalgovernmentstomakesurethatourinfrastructureprioritiescontinuetoalign withtheirneeds.
IntermsofCityinfrastructuredollars,Ibelieveweneedtoprioritizecapitalinvestments thatallowustodeliverbettercityservicesandprovidebetteramenitiestoourresidents.I agreewiththeMayor’sinvestmentofARPAfundsintorecreationcenters,pools,and trash/recyclingtrucks–IwishthatmoreoftheARPAfundshadbeenusedinthisway Weneedmorestreetsweepingtrucks,forexample.Weneedtomakesurethatevery schoolbuildinginBaltimoreisasafeandcomfortablelearningenvironmentforour children.
5. Pleaseshareyourviewontheroleofpublic-privatepartnershipstoadvancekey developmentinitiatives.
Collaborationbetweenthepublic,private,andcivicsectorsdoesnothappenenoughin ourcity TheGBC’scollaborationwiththeadministrationandBUiLDonastrategyfor vacanthousingisagreatexampleofwhatneedstohappenmore.
ForHarborPointParcel1inmydistrict,Iwasproudtosecurea30%localhire commitmentinexchangeforaddeddensity.Thiswasawin-windealthatputourcityto work,increaseddensityinastrategiclocation,andultimatelybenefitedthedeveloper
Intermsofformalpublic-privatepartnershipsforinfrastructure,Iwillsupportthemwhen thereistruealignmentingoalsbetweenthepublicandprivatesectors,andwhentherisk andrewardarebalancedappropriately.Butwecannotaffordthesortsofissuesthathave plaguedthePurpleLine,forexample.
6. Pleaseshareyourpublicsafetyagenda.Whatstrategiesdoyousupporttoreduce gunviolence?
IamproudtohavetheendorsementofState’sAttorneyIvanBates,andIwillworkwith himandtheadministrationinreducinggunviolenceandaddressingqualityoflifecrimes.
StaffinghasbeenapersistentchallengeforBPD.TheSoutheastDistrictisluckytohave anoutstandingmajorwhocametoBPDaspartofourpastrecruitingeffortsfromPuerto Rico.Ibelievethatweshouldrenewthispartnership.Wealsoneedtofullyfundand strengthenthePublicSafetyApprenticeshipProgram,whichwascreatedvialegislation thatIcosponsored,toprovidepathwaysintolawenforcementcareersforourcity’syouth.
Iseetheroleofthecouncilpresidentasaconvenerandorganizerinmanyareas includingpublicsafety IwillbringtheMayorandState’sAttorneytogethertoensure thatthecitationdocketisbeingimplementedproperly,withenforcementofqualityoflife crimesandrealresourcestopreventrecidivism.
Iwillcontinuemyleadershipinfightingtheopioidepidemicandmentalhealthcrisis.I proudlypassedtheHealingCityAct,thefirsttrauma-informedcarelegislationinthe countrythathassinceservedasamodelforothercitiesandwasrecognizedbytheRobert WoodJohnsonFoundation’sCultureofHealthPrize.Aspartoftheimplementaitonof thislaw,IpartneredwiththelibrarysystemtocreateaPeerNavigatorprogramfor individualsstrugglingwithaddiction.AsCouncilPresident,Iwillexpandthissuccessful programtoeverycitylibrary.IwillincreasefundingforEMSandBaltimoreCrisis Response,Inc(BCRI)toaddresssubstanceabuseandmentalhealthissuesand allowBPDtobetterfocusonviolentcrime.IalreadyworkedwiththeTraumaInformed Taskforce,whichIco-chair,tosecureacommitmentof$1.5millioninannualfundingfor BCRI.
IwilltakeanactiveroleintheCriminalJusticeCoordinationCouncil,andhopetouseit asavenueforresolvingsystemsissuesregardingpublicsafetyandbringingagencies togetheraroundacommonpurpose.
Intermsofstrategiestoreducegunviolence,IstronglysupporttheGroupViolence ReductionStrategyandSafeStreets.PartnershipswithorganizationslikeRocabringreal
comprehensiveservicestoat-riskyouthandsavelives.Ialsoseeworkforcedevelopment asaviolencereductionstrategy,andlookforwardtopartneringwithGBConsuch initiatives.
7. PermittingandgovernmentoperationshavebeenongoingchallengesinBaltimore Citycitedbythedevelopmentcommunityandothers.Howdoyouenvision improvingtheseissues?
Weneedtostrategicallyimprovesystemsandaddressstaffingatpinchpoints.For buildingpermitsspecifically,Ihaveobservedthatthepinchpointsareinthebuildingplan reviewofficeandfiremarshall’soffice,andIwillbefightingforincreasedstaffingin theseofficesinthisyear’sbudget.
Ascouncilpresident,Ilookforwardfromshiftingmyfocusfromaddressingspecific constituentservicecasestoholdingtheadministrationaccountabletoaddresssystemic issues.First,311mustbeintegratedwiththecity’sinternalworkmanagementsystem. Thefailureofthesetwosystemstocommunicatecausesnearlyallofthefrustrationfor residentsusing311.Iwillholdtheadministrationaccountabletomakethischange.There arealsoanumberofchangesthatneedtobemadetothe311categoriestomakesurethat workisassignedtothecorrectagenciesandthattheworkisdoneefficiently.For example,allillegaldumpingcasesarecurrentlysenttoDHCDforinvestigationbefore theyaresentforcleaningbyDPW,eventhoughthevastmajorityofillegaldumping incidentsdonothaveevidencethatDHCDcanusetoissueacitation.Iwillworktogive DHCDmoretoolstoenforceillegaldumpingwhilemakingsurewearenotwasting resourcesonpointlessinvestigataions.
Finally,Iwillmakesurethateverycitycouncilofficehastheresourcesthathasallowed myofficetoresolveover4,900constituentservicecasesoverthepast7½years.Iwill supportcouncilofficesinimplementingconstituentserviceticketingandtracking softwareasIhavedonetoincreaseefficiency.Iwillsupportcouncilmembersin leveragingexistingpartnershipsandcreatingnewpartnershipswithourlocalanchor institutionstohirebrilliantinternsandfellows.AndIwillimprovethesharingof resources,bestpractices,andknowledgeamongcouncilofficestomakesurethatthe councilismaximallyeffectiveinholdingtheadministrationaccountable.
8. Pleaseshareyourbroadstrategytoaddressthecity’svacanthousingcrisis.
IstronglysupporttheMayor/GBC/BUiLDplantoaddressthevacantcrisisandbelieve thatthissortofpartnershipbetweengovernment,thebusinesscommunity,andthecivic sectorwillallowustofinallymakeprogress.Ialsosupporttheimplementationofaland bank,becauseIbelievethatthecrisisistoomuchforDHCDtohandlealone.Finally,I believethatweneedtotaxvacanthousesatahigherratetoendthewidespreadpractice
ofout-of-townspeculatorsholdingbacktheredevelopmentofourneighborhoods.
9. Pleaseshareyourstrategyforaddressingthecity’sloomingbudgetcrisis.
Thebestwaytoaddressthebudgetcrisisistogrowourpopulationandincreaseourtax base.Solvingthevacanthousingcrisisispartofthis.Weneedtocontinuetomake progressinpublicsafety,becauseeven“minor”crimeslikecartheftsmakeourfamilies wanttoleave.Weneedexcellentschools,andIamcommittedtoprovidinguniversal pre-Kfromage3andupdatedschoolbuildings.Andweneedtobuilddensity strategicallyandalongarevitalizedtransitnetwork.
Inthefirstdistrict,Iamproudthatourpopulationgrewby5,7000peoplesincethelast census,andwedidsobecauseweinvestedinfournew21stCenturySchoolbuildings, supportedourbusinesses,focusedonpublicsafety,andinvestedinamenitiesandgreen spacelikearevitalizedDypskiPark.Thisistheintentionalapproachthatweneedto growourpopulationcitywide.