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.
City Attorney Designated as City Resident Agent
A mostly administrative fix: state law requires the city to have an official resident agent to receive legal documents, and this ordinance would put that role on the City Attorney. Unlikely to affect residents day-to-day.
FY 2027 Position Classifications and Pay Plan
Money shuffled to cover cost-of-living raises under new union contracts was replaced from capital reserves, so sidewalk and City Dock projects keep their funding — 'it nets out to zero,' per the finance chair.
Outdoor Dining Regulations Update (O-29-26)
Two first-reader bills would cut red tape for shop owners — no more permits for sidewalk signs — and let food trucks serve historic district special events.
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.
Water service extension to 3020 Arundel on the Bay Road
The committee will consider authorizing a water service agreement to extend City water outside the city limits to a single property. It's a small hookup, but extending service beyond city limits can set a pattern for future requests.
Fines for tenant eviction process violations
New first-reader legislation would set eviction notice requirements, regulate how tenants' belongings are handled, and attach a fines schedule. Both landlords and tenants have stakes in how this is written.
Resilience Authority membership and director appointment changes
The bill updates membership rules and director appointments for the joint city-county Resilience Authority, which has secured over $80 million for local projects. The committee recommended it but flagged a legal question — whether the city can add council confirmation of appointments without matching county action — and asked the law office to resolve it before the council votes.
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.
Fire and Harbor Security Grants
Federal grants will add three cardiac monitor defibrillators, up to 15 AEDs, and a remote-operated underwater search-and-rescue vehicle deployed off the city's new fire boat — a capability not otherwise available in the immediate area.
Atlantic Menhaden Conservation
The council endorsed a draft addendum to the interstate menhaden management plan, adding Annapolis's voice to regional fishery decisions.
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.
Rooming houses in private homes (O-11-26)
Renting out a room in your own house for 90 days or more is currently illegal in Annapolis — punishable by a $1,000-a-day fine — even though short-term rentals are allowed. The simplified bill just says it's legal, removing an enforcement tool that sponsors said has been targeted disproportionately at minorities and providing the city's cheapest unsubsidized housing option.
Annapolis Main Street Program management transition
The city took the Main Street program in-house from the Downtown Annapolis Partnership and needs a governing body to satisfy state requirements. A 13-seat task force will guide the program — covering holiday lights, flower baskets, vacancy reduction, and eventually a downtown brand — until an independent organization takes over around fiscal 2028.
Collective bargaining agreements for FY2027–2028
The new union contracts' cost-of-living increases are being funded through a fund transfer, with the diverted pay-go money replaced by capital reserve. One member was briefly alarmed the money appeared to come from $200,000 in sidewalk projects before staff explained the mechanics.
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.
Affordable Housing Community Updates
A $12,000 state grant, with a $3,000 city match, would help pay for preconstruction of a resiliency hub serving the New Harbor House and Eastport Terrace communities.
Electric-Hybrid Ferry Proposal
Five operators responded to the ferry RFI, suggesting weekend-first service with possible deficits in year one. The committee discussed funding it partly through the sustainable mobility services fund and using the boat for events and charters; RFPs for the vessel and landing sites are ready to advertise.
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.
Expanding the Board of Supervisors of Elections
The bill grows the elections board from three to five members to fix quorum problems and add unaffiliated-voter representation. The committee's amendment shifts appointment power from the council to the mayor with council confirmation and sets a 10% threshold for third-party seats — a change that split the committee 2-1.
Tenant Eviction Notice Requirements
A $1,000-per-day fine backs up the compassionate eviction-process ordinance O-30-26. Because sheriffs are present at evictions, city staff expect enforcement to be more practical than typical proactive code enforcement.
O-17-26: Right to park in front of residential driveways
Residents can currently be fined $200+ for parking in front of their own driveways. This bill would let legal occupants and their guests park there, with a new appeal process and a temporary exemption for certain Ward 8 streets expiring December 31, 2027.
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 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.
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.
Homeland Security grant-funded public safety projects
The city's emergency management, fire, and police teams are using federal Homeland Security grant money to build capabilities for preventing and responding to terrorism and catastrophic events. The presentation would show how those dollars improve day-to-day public safety in Annapolis.
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.
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.
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 Police Department summer safety and crime plan
APD doubled its weekend-night presence over the summer by putting detectives and administrative staff in uniform. The result: crime down 6% overall, property crime down 10%, traffic accidents down 15–16%, and over 443 days without a gun homicide.
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.
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.
FY25 Urban Area Security Initiative grant projects
A late-arriving $900,000 federal grant funds bomb squad gear, a new robot, vehicle barriers, and emergency planning. Because federal litigation delayed it a year, the city had to fund three emergency management salaries from the general fund, and grant rules bar using the award to reimburse them.
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.
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.
Citywide Strategic Planning Process
The city is hiring consultants to build a 'community plan' co-owned by government, nonprofits, businesses, and residents — not a traditional city strategic plan. Several aldermen feel the council was sidelined and want the process to go through the council formally.
Spa Creek Bridge maintenance
The 1946 Spa Creek Bridge broke down twice during July's heat wave, snarling traffic. State officials confirmed the failures were operator error, not heat damage, and the bridge is not slated for replacement — so expect continued vigilance and occasional disruptions on an 80-year-old drawbridge.
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.
Bus Pass Access — Mailing and Digital Options
Alderman Savidge wants riders to be able to get bus passes by mail or digitally instead of trekking to the transportation office. The director is working with IT and finance and agreed to report back next meeting.
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 reform work group — Phase 1 recommendations
A community forum October 8 drew 28–30 participants who ranked residential access and enforcement, clear parking information, and affordable employee parking as top priorities. Employee $5 parking programs already exist at Gotz Court and Park Place — the push is to expand locations.
Short-Term Rental Moratorium
Planning & Zoning reported 65 unlicensed short-term rentals remain, with enforcement hampered by staffing, technology and the legal citation process. Preliminary ideas include a zoning-based framework, annual rental-day limits, higher fees to fund enforcement, and possibly capping the total number of rentals citywide. Final recommendations and community input sessions are still to come.
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.
Short-term rental enforcement and fines
The city wants to raise short-term rental fines to up to $5,000 because current fines aren't deterring unlicensed rentals. A fight over how much discretion to give the enforcement director left the resolution without a committee recommendation.
APD has no ongoing relationship with ICE
Multiple speakers reported ICE vehicles at Pitt Moyer Rec Center and Truxton Pool — Pitt Moyer is a polling place and ballot drop box location. Speakers urged the council to bar ICE from city property, as Anne Arundel County's executive has done by executive order.
Denied posthumous citation for activist Phil Ateto
Mayor Littmann denied a ceremonial citation for the late activist Phil Ateto, saying Ateto's language toward him crossed into antisemitism. Dozens of residents demanded the decision be reversed, while a few Jewish residents defended it. Two aldermen called for a transparent, council-wide citation policy so the decision doesn't rest with one person.