Annapolis · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in City of Annapolis public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Baltimore Street reopening and streetscape renovation (Cumberland)
Cumberland reopened its downtown Baltimore Street to one-way traffic and renovated the streetscape with new utilities and lighting. Annapolis council members are touring the site to learn how this approach works before weighing similar downtown street decisions at home.
Cottage Food Businesses as Home Occupations
The public hearing closed with no opposition on letting home-based food businesses like an Eastport alcohol-infused desserts company operate legally — the plan advances.
Economic Development Update
A new applied-AI lab opened at 209 West Street, building tools for environmental monitoring, wastewater plant digital twins, and landfill methane sensing. The founders are longtime Annapolis area residents, and they're planning a training partnership with Anne Arundel Community College — with potential for significant hiring once their funding round closes this winter.
Snow and ice sidewalk clearing fees and fines
A package of legislation would shorten deadlines for clearing sidewalks after storms, let the city clear them and bill property owners, and set new fees and fines. Homeowners and businesses would need to shovel faster or pay up.
Overlapping property inspections at HACA sites
The council met privately for over 40 minutes to discuss pending or potential litigation involving the Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis. Details are confidential, but HACA oversight is now formally on the council's legal docket.
Resiliency Hub for New Harbor House and Eastport Terrace
A $12,000 study will test whether the redeveloped Eastport community center can run on solar with battery backup, cutting energy costs and powering the facility during emergencies. Members questioned why the city, not the developer, funds it and noted construction may be years away.
Fee Waivers for City-Supported Special Events (R-8-26)
A $7,000 fee waiver for the Clydesdale event sparked a broader question: why does the city have fees it almost always waives? The committee wants the events manager to brief it and may develop criteria or an annual budget cap for waivers.
Civic decorum and antisemitism concerns
After a heated incident two weeks prior, Jody Goldsmith of the Jewish Federation asked the council to ensure people can disagree without being treated with hostility, citing a poll showing rising acceptance of antisemitism.
Snow removal rules overhaul
New rules shorten the window to clear sidewalks, let the city clear them and bill owners, and modernize snow-emergency procedures — with fees and fines to back enforcement.
Special Residential Parking District Number 5 changes
Business employees on a stretch of Forbes Street and Monterey Avenue in West Annapolis have had to move their cars every two hours for over three years. Removing those streets from the parking district would free up the nearby medical building's lot for actual patients.
Transportation fine waivers bill (O-28-26)
The bill would let the Transportation Director waive certain fines and let the council waive them by resolution. The city attorney's office says the draft needs work — it wrongly covers misdemeanor fines and raises separation-of-powers concerns. Action was postponed for amendments.
Tree removal and replacement fees in the Critical Area
The city was set to consider setting fees for tree removal permits and replacement in the Critical Area under its expanded tree protection ordinance. Fees could affect homeowners and developers who need to remove trees in protected zones.
November agenda: AI police robots, e-bikes, and ICE policy
Chairwoman O'Neill previewed November committee topics: the city's stance on AI robots after one appeared downtown, how the city can protect youth riding motorized bikes, and local policy regarding federal immigration enforcement and coordination with the county.
Annapolis Fire Department Update
The city's new fire boat arrives October 28, funded through prior council budgets. The fire department is also seeking Monday council approval to buy three more cardiac monitors and up to 15 AEDs, plus an underwater ROV from a port security grant.
Fee waiver for Budweiser Clydesdale community event
The committee was asked to consider waiving city charges for a December 27, 2026, community meet-and-greet with the Budweiser Clydesdale horses by designating it a Major Special Event.
Annual Audit and FY 2028 Budget Kickoff
The city's audit is in final fieldwork and on schedule, and the FY 2028 budget process kicked off with instructions sent to departments. The committee wants more useful quarterly budget-versus-actual reporting going forward.
Itinerant merchant sales for Naptown Flea market
A resolution would authorize hawker, peddler, and itinerant merchant sales in the Historic District for a Naptown Flea flea market on November 22, 2026.
O-12-26: Remove Forbes Street and Monterey Avenue from Parking District No. 5
O-12-26 would remove Forbes Street and Monterey Avenue from Special Residential Parking District Number 5, changing who can park there and under what permit rules.
City Branding and Logo Concepts
Annapolis is getting a new logo and unified brand, partly because federal accessibility rules kick in for the website in April 2027. The rollout is phased through 2029, with an adoption ordinance expected in November.
Blue Route Transit Pilot
A new one-bus route starting November 2 will connect Eastport to Forest Drive, the high school, and the Riva Road corridor on weekdays. Committee members want the schedule synced with after-school activities and debated whether the route has too many side trips.
Parking Enforcement Without Clear Markings
Alderman Savidge reported angry constituents getting tickets near unmarked fire hydrants and crosswalks under newly aggressive enforcement. The committee agreed areas need clear marking — or warnings first — before tickets are written.
Water Service Line Right of Entry
A new bill would let city workers or contractors enter homes, with notice, to inspect or replace lead-prone water service lines as required by law.
Downtown Business Rules
Hearings and resolutions on mobile food vendors, outdoor dining, and a downtown flea market would reshape how commerce works in the Historic District, with an advisory task force also proposed for Main Street.
Leaf blower ban enforcement
Alderman Savidge asked for a better enforcement plan during peak season. Staff said inspectors will target tips with specific days and times, rebates for landscapers converting to electric remain available, and citation numbers should be publicized.
Watershed restoration / stormwater fee reform
Four living shoreline projects are moving in the city: St. Mary's finishes this month after a seven-year effort, Providence Point's stream restoration wraps October 31, and Hawkins Cove and Carr's Beach are slated for 2027. The committee discussed how to streamline permitting so green projects don't take seven years.
LED lighting and community solar savings
The city's LED replacement program will save an estimated $170,000-plus a year in utility costs (possibly $200,000 when done), and a no-cost community solar contract could save $66,000 to $127,000 annually — up to nearly $2 million over 20 years. The finance chair took note for budgeting.
245 West Street redevelopment (former Crown station)
Nine houses are proposed at the old gas station corner, with a public hearing before the Planning Commission on October 15. Alderman Savidge wants the stormwater/green space lot flipped to the front facing West Street; the lever is public comment at the hearing.
Finance Department Update
The annual audit is on track for December, but the finance office is in 'lockdown' this month and the budget manager job is being reposted. The committee asked for a monthly book-closing timeline, which has long been lagging.
Fines for mobile food service vendors in the Historic District
A $1,000-per-violation fine for mobile food vendors was postponed because nobody could explain how the number was picked — Planning and Zoning will be asked to appear next time.
Federal grant for police youth mentoring program
The city is accepting $20,000 in federal grant money to keep the PAL youth mentoring program running, which serves hundreds of kids through boxing, swimming, and volleyball. Committee members want better budget planning so programs don't depend on grant luck.
Food trucks at Historic District special events
Food trucks are currently allowed in the Historic District only at city-supported special events. This bill adds a second path: business associations could request trucks for their own events, protecting brick-and-mortar restaurants because the businesses themselves control when trucks appear.
Charter preamble expansion (CA-3-26)
CA-3-26 would add language on diversity and inclusion, voting rights, the Chesapeake Bay, and public safety to the city charter's preamble. Alderman Thorp's amendment trimmed it to a tighter strategic statement, and the committee added that the city's foundation is its residents rather than a list of 'pillars.'
Youth e-bike and e-motor safety
Alderman Smith-Brown raised a near-miss between a resident and a teen on an e-motor, asking what the city is doing about youth on these vehicles. APD promised a fuller answer in October and noted summer youth outreach programs.
Out-of-service fire hydrants
Alderman Smith-Brown flagged hydrants in his ward that have been out of service, some for over a year. Public Works maintains them; AFD offered to follow up on specific locations.
Emergency Management Grant Boost
The city landed nearly $900,000 in federal anti-terrorism funding — $220,000 more than budgeted — for emergency training, exercises, and planning.
Overhaul of the Art in Public Places program
Five new commissioners were seated with staggered terms, and the commission's temporary restructuring gets more time to finish the transition.
Vehicle Barriers for Special Events
The grant includes $100,000 for deployable vehicle barriers that are easier to set up than current heavy barricades. Some members questioned whether they will raise costs for special events, and staff declined to guarantee savings, but the purchase moved forward.
Truxton Park master plan priority
Mayor Littmann asked that the Truxton Park master plan be treated as a top priority, calling the park the city's crown jewel and worrying it will otherwise become the default spot for sheds and dumps.
Coordination with West Street transit feasibility study
Alderman Savidge urged coordinating the Spa Road decision with a Resilience Authority study on high-value transit along the West Street corridor, due around May 2027 — the Spa Road site may be considered as a transit facility location.
Hillman Garage Status
Transportation Director Moore presented an update on the Hillman Garage, a downtown parking facility. The garage's condition matters for downtown parking availability.
Standing committees overhaul (O-9-26)
The council finalized a rewrite of its own rules, changing how budgets get reviewed and how bills move between committees. It could speed up or slow down how future laws are handled.
Street Cafe Fees (R-16-26)
New fee amounts for outdoor 'street cafe' dining concessions were adopted, covering spots inside and outside the Premium Parking concession area. Downtown restaurants will pay the updated rates.
Ranked choice voting for Annapolis elections
A presentation on whether Annapolis should adopt ranked choice voting, covering how it works, what it costs, and how other Maryland cities have implemented it. No vote yet — the chair wants any major change to go to voters as a ballot question.
Bywaters
The committee was scheduled for a discussion-only update on the Bywaters project.
Homes at the Glenn
The committee was scheduled for a discussion-only update on the Homes at the Glenn housing project.
Annapolis Arts District
Arts District Executive Director Holly Hendrickson was scheduled to brief the council on the Annapolis Arts District. The presentation could inform future council decisions about the district's programs and support.
Maryland PDAB for Annapolis
The Maryland Citizens Health Initiative was scheduled to brief the council on the Maryland PDAB for Annapolis. Because this was a work session with no public comment, residents could watch the presentation broadcast live or in the city's archived video.
Transportation Department Update (ID-11-26)
The Transportation Department was scheduled to brief the committee on current operations and projects. Residents interested in transit and street work would get a picture of what's underway.
Anne Arundel County Public Schools Update
School district leaders were scheduled to brief the Council on the state of local schools. It's a chance for the city to hear what's happening in the district that serves Annapolis families.
Rooming House Fees (R-17-26)
The city is working out what it will charge for rooming house licenses now that Ordinance 11-26 lets homeowners rent long-term rooms in their houses. The fee resolution was pushed to June 17 while the Finance Department refines its cost estimates.