A Christmas wish

As we approach the coming holidays and our hopes of having a wonderful Christmas with my daughter, wife and brother-in-law in Philadelphia this year, we think that it is now the time to thank some of those who have made our weekend backpack program a success.  First, we should start with St. John's of Baltimore City UMC and thank them, along with Grace United Methodist, ss Philip and James RC Church, Heart's Place Services, Maryland Food Bank and so many others who have helped make this dream a reality.

We started this program (mission) almost four years ago with only four backpacks being prepared for families that were homeless and attending Margaret Brent Elementary School and from that we now have programs in 11 schools throughout Baltimore City feeding a total of 300 people.  What a wonderful sight it is to see smiling faces of children when we drive to a school in west Baltimore and meet with the Principals of these schools who welcome us warmly, or when we visit Northeast Baltimore or other schools that we are providing this service.  The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that they all agree that this service is needed and wanted, and in fact children approach them in the hallways of these schools and ask them whether they will receive a backpack of food this weekend.  These children will have most likely not eaten over the weekend so this backpack represents something that guarantees food over the weekend.

We need to do better than what we have previously accomplished and we need to do it soon. Children are depending on us to survive the weekends.  We can only do this with your help and your understanding that all of the volunteers do not get paid in any way for the work they are accomplishing and are doing this so that children can eat.  We are not supported financially by any vast foundation, although we have tried to get funding, but we still manage to get some funds by attending festivals, writing letters, sending out material explaining our program.  Many have been very generous and have come forward and assisted our program, but the need is greater in that if you feed only 100 families over the weekend (each theoretically being made up of two children and one adult) you leave approximately 2,500 left without food.  This year our program cost us all collectively $100,000. but our goal is $2,700,000.  We can and must accomplish our goal.

Each backpack approximates $18.00 and provides the necessary food for a family of three over the weekend, which by anyone's calculations is a bargain.  It does not require refrigeration or heating and apparently is enjoyed by the children who receive it.  I don't think that you can really get good quality food at these prices, but with the leverage of the Maryland Food Bank, they have reduced our cost factor in purchasing the product and made it possible for us to feed more in need in Baltimore.

We must do better this year to ensure that the families left who want to eat over the weekend can be fed.  We need you all to assist us in this venture to make sure that all of Baltimore's children are fed each and every weekend.  Our government is working to feed the children during the week and now it is our time for those who can to come forward and feed these wonderful children over the weekend. Support this program by donating to Heart's Place Services, Inc., 2640 St. Paul Street, Baltimore, MD 21218 - marking your check "weekend backpack program", or go to our web site and make a donation through pay pal, it will make your holiday more meaningful knowing that a child will have food this weekend.  Thank you.

Save Abbottston Elementary School

Many of you don't know that when my wife and I set up the "Weekend backpack program" with the various Baltimore City Public Schools we actually visit these schools, some close by while others are located in various neighborhoods of the city.  Some of these neighborhoods are downright deteriorated and cause us a little concern when traveling through them.  But then a remarkable thing happens when we finally locate the school that we are looking for as we note alternative homes for the children they serve.  Abbottston Elementary School is one of these schools where the children find an environment of warmth, care and education in a smaller setting.

The school system should take a long and hard look at this wonderful school and meet with the Principal and all of the teachers and talk with the students as Abbottston is a welcome place for the community and has achieved a high educational standard that many other schools have not achieved.
Many years ago in Montclair, NJ we experienced the same situation where the township experienced a shortfall in their budget and decided to close down a smaller school that worked very well with a smaller population.  There were meetings in the community, but the township wanted to use the sale to cover up this small short fall and I stood there at one of the meetings and warned them that they would regret this decision and would have to pay considerably more in the future.  They failed to heed our warnings and the school was closed causing the children to be distributed to various sections of the township creating a hardship for those who were accustomed to learning in a smaller school.
They missed the warmth and friendships of the staff of teachers and their friends as they were moved into the other schools of that township and I personally think it hurt them.

One of the wonderful things that I noted during our visits to the Southwest Baltimore, Northeast Baltimore and within our community is that most of these schools provide a place of safety for the children who attend these schools.  It is important to know that we who have walked through the halls of these schools see teachers who care for the students and show them respect and pride in their accomplishments.  Some of these schools are not beautiful and need repairs, but the love that is shown in these schools is fantastic.  Closing down any school in Baltimore City in a way condemns a fragile neighborhood and changes the environment in which these children live.  Abbottston is one of these schools that should be kept open.  Their enrollment is increasing.  Their students educational performance is high.  Their attendence is significant and they have the support of their neighborood, which we learned yesterday when we supported a group protesting the closure of the school.  Don't make the expensive mistake Montclair made years ago as these children need this environment now and in the future.  These are schools geared to build hope and God knows we need hope.

Contemplated physical changes to St. Paul and Calvert Streets

Last night we attended a City meeting for the community which addressed potential changes to St. Paul and Calvert Streets .  The meeting held at Sts. Philip and James R.C. Church was attended by a significant number of residents.  These included what the City representatives called “Stakeholders” (unidentified and who began this push two years ago along with “institutions”) of a Steering Committee which requested the City’s study on this project and obviously in favor of the changes, and residents who supported the changes, along with those who did not.  In all of the years that we have attended meetings, this appeared to me to be one of the largest gathering of individuals on any single cause to attend any meeting in our community.

 

The meeting did not go as planned in that many of the community members in the audience were incensed about the fact that there is every possibility that there will be greatly reduced, perhaps no parking allowed on North Calvert Street and St. Paul Street in order to accommodate this plan.  The engineer and City representative did not deny this nor the deep concerns of home owners that the sidewalks and their front gardens may have to be reduced in size to accommodate these change, reduced along these corridors although the engineers said there were no plans currently to take yards or streets (however they did not deny that this would not be included) but parking was an issue.  And further, they mentioned bus discharge street-cuts (possible changes to bus routes are also under consideration).  Where the residents and business operations in existence will park their vehicles is anyone’s guess.  Another resident who reported that he had a photograph dated in 1925 showing that Calvert was always one-way traffic but this was challenged by Mr. Charles Duff of Jubilee Baltimore, Inc., a development enterprise, who reported that Calvert Street’s two-way direction was original and that it was changed in the 1950’s (there was no mention that before the 1950’s there were significantly fewer cars on the street).  One neighbor expressed great concern that if the area allowed for two-way traffic it would have terrible negative effects on ambulances traveling on North Calvert bringing the sick and wounded to MedStar Union Memorial hospital.  The response from the engineer that they are contemplating ways to move this traffic to another corridor.  (When one considers that these ambulances carry people with heart attacks or some other serious condition and seconds and minutes apply, this did not seem reasonable at all.)

One woman expressed tremendous concerns about two-way traffic on St. Paul Street because of the existence of two schools and the library (the VLP) within a very short distance on St. Paul and how most of the children cross that street and North Calvert Street at all times of the day.  She was certain two-way traffic was truly dangerous and would result in children being hit by cars.  (All you have to do to understand her concern is to go to one of these school closings and see how the Crossing Guards attempt to cross the children now where they stand strong, facing the one-way travelling cars.  You can only imagine how they will have to attempt to address two-way traffic unless two crossing guards were placed on each intersection, one facing each of the two-way traffic.  On many occasions we have witnessed vehicles honking their horns and attempting to cross the street while she or he was working to safely move the children across the street.  How could one person control cars going both ways?)

Mr. Duiff said his office faced one of the streets under discussion, but did not specifically state that he lived in Mount Vernon or that his home faced either St. Paul or North Calvert Streets (and therefore his concern is different than that of a resident of a community).  He explained his vision by way of an explanation that in those neighborhoods people cannot make friends with others who live across the street because of one-way traffic.  He said being able to cross in the middle of a two-way street would result in a truly residential community of interacting neighbors. (Strangely enough we have friends all over the community and we often have to cross streets to visit with them – or even to mail a letter for that matter.  Do I even have to say this?)

At one point Councilwoman Clarke asked the panel from DOT to name the individuals who were on the Steering Committee but they refused to do so and only released the names of the organizations on this committee, which in part consists of the CVCA, Charles North, the City Health Dept., Mt. Vernon/Belvedere, Central Baltimore Partnership (CBP) (whose website listed the requestor of the study by the DOT as Eric Dymond of Remington), Johns Hopkins University.  (We also know that the CVCBD, represented by David Hill, has been a part of the CBP but little of anything contemplated there has been shared with the community the CVCBD claims to represent and of which he is an employee.  These are decisions with which impact the community, whether you live facing St. Paul or North Calvert or live on other streets in the area.)

 

Overall, it appeared that residents on North Calvert Street were not in favor of this two-way traffic to run past their homes and seemed quite shocked and distraught by both the suggestion of this plan and the $150,000 cost to the taxpayers for the study.   Residents of St. Paul Street, many of whom were not present at the meeting last night, but the few that were appeared to be were considering the various options and concepts. 

The engineer also said that this study would be using today’s volumes and not looking into the future except for estimating an approximation of % of potential changes going forward to 2020.

In closing, this study will also include the other major streets within the community and will address changes within those streets due to the proposed changes envisioned by DOT at the request of the CVCA Vice President, Mr. Dymond, and Mr. Duff who said that this has been a dream since 1987.

If you wish to express your opinions to the DOT, e-mail Stephanie.Yanovitz@baltimorecity.gov phone number 410-396-6865.  If you wish to see the Central Baltimore Partnership Meeting “Exploring Two-way Traffic Conversions in Central Baltimore, October 8, 2014” goggle “Central Baltimore Partnership”.

If this message is taken down by the “leaders” please go to “other voices from Charles Village.blogspot.com” and you will find a repeat of this message there.

Reauthorize the CVCBD - Why?

Yesterday afternoon at 4 pm my wife and I, along with neighbors Janet and Stephen Gewirtz and later with the arrival of Joan Floyd attended the hearing scheduled by the City Council on the reauthorization of the CVCBD.

The survey commissioned by JHU, Abell Foundation and the City was presented to us as we entered the chambers yesterday afternoon and we found the statistics to be very interesting.  The Greater Charles Village community, according to the 2010 Census consists of 14,597 residents; however due to time limitations the
survey was only conducted on 205 of these individuals which consisted of residents, homeowners, workers, business owners, students and visitors within the district.  64.3% of the residents existed on annual household income of less than 25K to 49K, with the greatest amount, 38.9% existing on annual household income of less than 25K, and the remaining 42% of the population had annual household incomes exceeding these amounts.  This means that the greatest majority interviewed, i.e., 72 of the population that lived within the district survived on less than 25K which is an important factor in considering the affluence of the neighborhood.

An equally important note is that those who were interviewed represented a total of 64% of the population surveyed and rated the performance of the CVCBD who were familiar with their service as poor to slightly good, hardly a point which the CVCBD can enjoy, considering that this district has managed to spend approximately $15,000,000. of our surtax funds for 20 years.  Interestingly it should be noted that 49.4% of the population were not even aware of the CVCBD, but you have to remember that of the 72 households that were interviewed only made under 25K and the CVCBD traditionally only sends out communications via email, it is not surprising and those who were excisting on 25K could hardly afford computers and their related costs.  Of which another interesting note is that 63.4% of the population were not even aware of the the CVCBD surtax (the study calls it a surcharge, but it is really another tax).

We were not presented with information as who was interviewed and I feel quite certain that this information is confidential as there is a small group of supporters of the CVCBD which have been in existence since the inception of this program that does cast a long shadow and most people who actually oppose it have been marginalized and kept from expressing their opinions, which was shown last afternoon at 4 pm when the CVCBD was only represented by Board Members and Employees, plus a wife of a Board Member and 1 resident.  So from a total of 14,597 residents within the community two residents showed up to support the CVCBD.  Councilman Stokes amply stated that the reason more people were not in attendance at the hearing in opposition of the CVCBD was due to the fact that over the years they grew weary of constantly fighting to improve it and have just given up.  People have been insulted by members of the CVCBD, told that their opinions didn't matter, were advised that they could not speak at the hearings over the last 20 years and so they gave up.  This is true as I have attended many of these hearings and between having the Executive Director tell us that the Board does not have to respond to any question presented and that we are out of order each time we stated anything.

The only significant thing that came up during the hearing was the fact that those who opposed the CVCBD did stand up and state that in order to create a governmental board that was democratic was to create a  one person - one vote, which irritated one Board Member to such a degree that she sat there attempting to get the attention of the council members each time it was mentioned.  If the Board Members were elected by, we the residents of the community, we would then have the ability to get rid of those that were not performing in the manner the community wanted and that was not accepted at all by most of the Board Members.  Others on the Board stated that they thought it might be a good idea.  Just imagine having the ability in Charles Village to elect our own Board to the CVCBD and while it would mean changing the legislation, it could be done and then all of the residents who have been marginalized would finally have an ability to talk and pick who was going to represent their interest in issues involving additional taxation and what is being accomplished in Charles Village.  Until serious consideration is given to creating a truly democratic organization - why reauthorize the CVCBD?

Give it a thought and let me know what you think.

The disaster on 26th Street

By now you have probably seen and read most of the articles about the collapse on 26th Street between St. Paul and North Charles Street.

Last year a neighbor of mine, Mr. Peter Winch contacted me because he was concerned by the conditions noted and knew that I had been working with CSX on several issues for some time.  We discussed the issue and I suggested that first we had to put the responsible people on notice, which we did:

1.  The City of Baltimore were informed with photographic supports of our concern and a request for a study to be made.

2.  CSX were informed both in Jacksonville and in Baltimore.

3.  The CVCBD, the governmental entity that is supposed to be involved in safety and sanitation for this community.

4.  We even called 311 because we were concerned of the conditions noted.

We received a response from CSX said it was a problem with the road, and therefore DOT was put on notice, and later DOT put DPW on notice and the report from the city was that the condition was not serious enough and would be repaired at some other time.

About two weeks ago a member of Old Goucher Community Association, reported conditions to the CVCBD and nothing happened.  We also learned that the President of Old Goucher Community Association reported the matter to the City just prior to the collapse.

Other residents and neighbors have been reporting this issue to the City as well, but nothing was done and now the city faces millions of dollars of repairs and the residents of the unit block of east 26th Street cannot return to their homes.

The only bright thing about this collapse was the fact that no one was injured.  Thank God.

My question to all of those who were advised is as follows:

WHY WASN'T SOMETHING DONE TO PROTECT THE PROPERTY AND RESIDENTS OF THIS COMMUNITY?

There is no such place as the Margaret Brent School Playground

I read today the announcement from Central Baltimore, an organization reportedly attempting to better the area of Baltimore City within the central Baltimore area.  They announced that the playground has received a grant from the Homewood Community Partnership Inc., to Greater Homewood Community Corporation to make the playground known as "the 26th Street Playground" since the 1970's, which was dedicated to the residents of the community known as Charles Village by then City Council Member Mary Pat Clarke.

Greater Homewood Community Corp., have finally gotten their way in their attempt to lead Central Baltimore/Homewood Community Partnership Inc.,  to believe that this little pocket of land is part of the Baltimore City Public School system, which it is not.  This property has been on lease to the City of Baltimore since the times when the Baltimore & Ohio railroad ran through the community.  This is property that has been used by this community for many years for the enjoyment of the children in this neighborhood. We don't have many places for the children of this community and this group, Greater Homewood has been attempting to destroy this little plot of land for as many years that I have lived in this community.  They have tried to turn the basketball court into a tennis court, but the children of this community love their basketball court  They had a meeting with children and drew up fancy plans to improve the playground and suggested that they got acceptance for their plans by these children.  I agree that there should be some more swings for the children and that the padding should be repaired, but the playground was nearing it's 10 year life span and would have been brought up to date by the Department of Parks and Recreation.

There is, was and should have been no need for Greater Homewood to have been involved in the "26th Street Playground" now or ever since it was a part of this community, where under the "Baseline Agreement" the control of the playground was in the community's hands.  This is nothing more than Greater Homewood asserting its authority over this community despite what the community and the children want.  

CVCBD Reauthorization

When you read the latest "The Charles Village" keep in mind that sometimes Mr. Frank Januzzi gets things a little confused, like the time he was President of the Charles Village Community Benefits District and wrote a letter to community members announcing the upcoming Quad Elections.  In the letter he said next year the community would have a vote on reauthorization.  Wow!  First of all, even though he was the CVCBD President he forgot that the community cannot have another vote on the CVCBD because the legislation doesn't allow it even though it was originally sold to the community with the promise, "Vote it in and don't worry, you can always vote it down in 3 years" was the cry of the supporters.  Also, Mr. J. forgot that a few months earlier than his letter, he and a handful of the CVCBD's inner circle went to Annapolis to get our representatives to hand over the State's reauthorization powers to the City.  You would think a President of the CVCBD board would remember those important issues.

Now, I read in "The Charles Villager" a article entitled "At 20, CVCBD Moves Forward for 4th Reauthorization" and who wrote this article, none other than the Frank Januzzi who just a few years ago stood up in front a group of residents and exclaimed how the CVCBD successfully negotiated with CSX to clean up their area along 26th Street.  Not so.  Didn't do it and was not involved in it.  I remained a gentleman at that meeting and later told him privately that if he ever again attempted to take credit for getting this area cleaned up, I would publicly out him.  I did several years later on the old "Charles Village Discussion List" and when he denied it, members from the community got on the list and said, "Yes, Frank you did make that remark."   I was the person who in 2001 was greatly distressed to see the condition of the CSX railroad property from Huntingdon Ave. to Greenmount Ave. and I was to the who "lobbied" CSX (which in this article Frank J. credits to the CVCBD), via its then President Snow, to clean and maintain it.  After meetings with representatives of the railroad they agreed with us and provided an army of dumpsters for an initial clean up.  They then tasked me with overseeing (at no salary or other remuneration) their monthly crew who cleaned, mowed and repaired broken fences along that entire corridor.  I would receive a call from headquarters that the men had finished their work and my wife and I would walk, often in blazing heat, the entire area to be sure the job was satisfactory.  The crew would not be paid until I sent a fax okaying the job.  If something was not satisfactory, they had to come back until I approved it.  Then the CVCBD got involved and the railroad pulled out of the agreement leaving the area to fall into disrepair again.  The CVCBD decided they could get extra funding by doing the clean up themselves and getting CSX to pay a small amount compared to what the railroad was paying their own contractor.  The CVCBD even put up small signs on the railroad fencing claiming they were responsible for the work which so many of us laughed at because despite what their signed claimed, the property abounded in weeds and trash.  When neighbors clamored for maintenance the CVCBD finally persuaded CSX to again give them a chance to do the work.  Mr. J. was far gone from the board by then.

Further in Mr. Januzzi's article on the CVCBD's reauthorization he states that he was a resident "who went from opponent, to skeptic, to board member, to board president".  Again, I think Mr. Januzzi was confused about his involvement in the CVCBD and that rather than being an "opponent" or a "skeptic" he was really right in the forefront of its supporters.  He was not only a board member very early on but became President of the CVCBDMA based on a claim that he was president of the South Charles Village Partnership.  This was a business association started in 1993, just prior to the establishment of the CVCBC to allow Mr. Shafer, one of the CVCBD's founders and the first President of the Board, to fill one of the business association seats on the board as provided by the legislation.  Since the South Charles Village Partnership never paid the State's Annual Personal Property Returns for 5 years the South Charles Village Partnership forfeited its State Charter in 1998.  Yet Mr. J., who was not a local businessman, as one would assume he should be in representing South Charles Village businesses, used that organization's name to get his board seat.  But my wife can attest to the fact that when she served on the CVCBD board Mr. J. was teased by other members who asked, "Frank, when are you holding meetings?" and "When are you getting members?".  In other words his confusion about the legislation meant that he was violating the legislation that enacted this governmental entity and sat in a voting seat representing no one but himself while performing a serious fiduciary responsibility of taxing the community.

If someone who is so out of touch with the facts is the best recommendation supporters for the CVCBD to be reauthorized can find, outside of the support by the CVCA, then the residents of our community should seriously consider NOT supporting reauthorization of the Benefits District. 

As for the CVCA, remember it was the CVCA that went behind the backs of the residents of Old Goucher, and wrote letters that were critical of those who opposed and/or make constructive suggestions on the 25th Street project, involving WallMart.   In another article in The Charles Villager CVCA president Sandra Sparks writes about the CVCBD Safety Program but this Program would not have existed without a big uproar from community members that finally forced the CVCBD to employ the "off-duty police officers".  The "Court Watch Program" really now ceases to exist since Stephen Gewirtz, who as a resident was the one community participant running this program, can no longer be involved.  Mr. Gewirtz continues as a member of the "Safety Advisory Committee", as is the undersigned, but that is to make sure that the community knows of what is taking place at the meetings so that members of the community can be advised.  What is most likely unknown to the residents unless they bother to read The Charles Villager is the fact that president Sandra Sparks of the CVCA is in charge of getting the CVCBD reauthorized, which makes me wonder if she is getting paid for this position, as she was when 20 years ago when she pushed for the creation of the CVCBD and was paid a stipend for this service.

Let us put an end to this CVCBD now and please send emails to:

mayor@baltimorecity.gov
Mr. Bernard "Jack" Young - councilpresident@baltimorecity.gov
Mr. Carl Stokes - Carl.Stokes@baltimorecity.gov
Ms. Sharon Middleton - Sharon.middleton@baltimorecity.gov

Let them know that we do NOT support the reauthorization of the CVCBD.  Tell them that you do not want or need the CVCBD as it has never functioned as legislated.  This is our community, we do not need a small group to control us as they have attempted to do during these last 20 years.

Planning Commission Debacle-Reauthorization of the CVCBD Hearing

Planning Commission Hearing held on March 20, 2014 on the reauthorization of the CVCBD City Council Bill #14-0324.  This report is a co-effort on the part of both Christian and Pamela Wilson.

Thursday, my wife, other community members and I attended the Planning Commission hearing on the reauthorization of the Charles Village Community Benefits District and it was an eye opener, to say the least. 

We arrived early and sat in on a hearing on changes amending a PUD in Belvedere Square and the concerns expressed by the local community association.  The association representative was concerned that the association had not received any advance notice by their Council Representative Bill Henry about the changes which impacted their community.  She presented her position quietly and with respect for the Planning Commissioners and then was treated shabbily including by Councilwoman Spector who is a member of the Commission and who asked a question that attempted to discredit this woman, Spector asked “do you even have regular meetings?” inferring that if the association didn’t have regular meetings the woman’s request on behalf of her organization should be dismissed.  She was further bullied by the Commissioners when all she wanted to say was that her community organization should have been informed about such changes to this PUD legislation and she wanted to be sure they would be in the future.  My wife and I thought this is not unlike the disrespect most community associations and citizens face when attempting to discuss quality of life issues with this quasi-governmental body appointed by the Mayor of this City.  I believe that members of the Old Goucher Community Association also experienced similar treatment when issues regarding the 25^th St. project were heard at the Planning Commission.

I was not well-impressed by this hearing and thought that we would probably be doomed because we represented the “other side” which the Commission is usually not keen to deal with.  Also, were not as well represented as we should have been considering this regards the renewal of a taxing governmental body.  But since property owners paying the surtax were not notified by mail (as one would expect should be done unless you don’t want their input) and since even the latest “Charles Villager” had nothing about this extremely important issue for our community most people didn’t even know it was happening except for those contacted by the supporters. However, the Planning Department’s report to the Commission included a litany of surrounding community associations who received written notice of the reauthorization bill.  A good number of which must be at some distance because we did not even recognize them.  So it would appear that letters went out to everyone but not to the surtax payers and not to most of the Greater Village Community. 

The supporters, mostly members of the Board of the CVCBD and employees thereof were in attendance in greater numbers than those who opposed the reauthorization.  To clarify a point here, this is not the Planning Department, but an independent board of commissioners to which the Planning Department recommends actions supporting its decisions on issues.  My wife was present about 8 years ago when the previous Planning Commissioner actually voted against reauthorization because he told the CVCBC that they had better work things out with us (the opponents) because he never wanted to see such contention over reauthorization again.   It is also important to note that at the March 20^th hearing Councilman Carl Stokes gave his testimony against this reauthorization.  This is very unusual for a Councilperson to take a firm and decisive stand against the status quo but we believe that he has seen and experienced so much during his recent tenure on the CVCBD board that he is now firmly against them.  Mary Pat Clarke supported the reauthorization.

Both Pamela and I worked for days to prepare our presentations in opposition of the reauthorization of the CVCBD because we wanted to be on firm footing before we made our speeches to the Planning Commission.  Steve Gewirtz also gave good testimony.  We photographed several areas where the CVCBD did not clean up as they state that they cleaned twice a week or even once a week but not even once in two months; we presented them with photographs where a pile of trash was laying on the sidewalk near the curb, next to a school for at least several weeks; and we pointed out in an alley where a mattress had been laying for two months without it being picked up proving that the CVCBD never even comes through the alleys as they allege once a week or they would have reported the mattress to the City because the CVCBD is, they tell us, prohibited from picking up such items because of problems with bedbugs.  Thinking that this time-dated photographic evidence would prove that the claims made by the CVCBD to the Planning Commission were false.  I could never have believed that this evidence would be used against me.  The Planning Commissioner, demanded, “Did you report these incidents to the CVCBD?”  I replied that I had previously reported many issues to the CVCBD which were never resolved, and then was told that it was my responsibility to report these instances to the CVCBD.  So it appears that while the CVCBD states in their reports that they clean the sidewalks and gutters twice a week and that they clean the alleys once a week, if they don’t or if they can’t see a big pile of garbage it is now my duty to advise the CVCBD that they missed it.  I pay surtax to the CVCBD who report repeatedly that they do the work, but I am expected as a surtax payer to walk behind them and note their activities and report each infraction to the Supervisor of the CVCBD in charge of the “Clean Team”.  My house can have a lien put upon it if I don’t pay the tax for services that I don’t receive, but I am now expected to personally supervise the activities of the CVCBD. 

Pamela’s testimony was based on the non-democratic aspect of the CVCBD where, with the exception of one vote for one quad rep, that seat being the only one for which you can run unless appointed by an association or the board itself, we are denied the democratic participation we have in voting for and running for elected office.  This creates an ever widening gap between individuals in the community and the CVCBD which can appoint seats to whomever they wish when vacant.  She described how this makes it easy for a small group, on the board and behind the scenes, to control and pack the board.  She explained how she and others have served on the board and tried to reform it from within but could not abide either being marginalized or being part of the illegal activities that are allowed to persist. 

She also reported that the CVCBD has employed a person who is an attorney disbarred on 11/23/12 “for signing multiple individual’s names to various documents filed with the Register of Wills without authorization”, a very serious matter, and who is now in a management position with the CVCBD.  She also reported that the CVCBD allowed people to sit on the Board of Directors of this governmental body when in one instant that individual represented a non-existent association that had forfeited its State Charter and another who owed City real estate taxes while voting to tax the rest of us.  And both were Presidents of the board.  However, one person who sat in a non-voting seat was removed because he didn’t agree with their actions.

Pamela pointed out that the board spent 5 years working to give themselves new bylaws (merely a guide to running a meeting) so they could reply on mere bylaws to give them more power than the actual law allows and that the response from a CVCBD founder to concerns we raised one time was “Laws?  Schmaws.”  They confound City officials and think they are untouchable. But none of this, no indication of a corruption of the law or its intention, fazed any of the Commissioners.  It was as if they heard nothing.  Pamela even gave a solution if the CVCBD were to cease existing:  let the community associations (CVCA claims they are large and active and there are many others in Greater Charles Village) use JHU’s donations themselves to run the off-duty policing, continue the Walkers program which is a volunteer association program, work with the City to get commercial property owners to clean their streets as is required by law, and raise money for those desiring fall leaf cleanups. But one Commissioner at the end of the session said, “But I didn’t hear any solutions offered in place of the CVCBD.”  As TV’s Judge Judy would have said, “They didn’t have their listening ears on.”

What brought the CVCBD the most impressive support testimony for the Commissioners to approve reauthorization came from a young man in a business suit who had moved into the Harwood community.  He advised the Commissioners that he supported the CVCBD because of their safety and security programs and that therefore he felt safe and noted how clean the neighborhood is and was when he and his wife moved in.  He also proudly claimed that his real estate taxes had gone up which he felt was due to the increase in property tax values in the community.  This pleased the Commissioners a lot, however, it also contradicted the complaints of the CVCBD that income from the property taxes was down.  And, we did not have a chance to say that we who have been here a few more years than this young man saw our property real estate tax values fall. 

In the closing remarks of the Planning Commission Board one of the Commissioners said something disturbing. He said that the young man living in Harwood impressed him the most with his testimony.  He said in so many words that he loved having young people who made a determination to move into our community and wanted to see more of these young people who would do things for the community.  There was definitely a sense that he felt that if you are over 25 you are no longer of use to the City and I wondered if this even gave pause to those present who all the supporters present who pointed to the fact that they had lived in CV for decades. Based on his physical appearance I would believe that the Planning Commissioner hasn’t seen the sunny side of 26 in many years.  I hope he has found a safe haven in the County, because in his opinion those of us who have spent decades working for the City and for our community are considered a drag.  If this opinion is shared by our City government, this individual better get his retirement soon, because the City may decide that he is too old to deserve it.

Ultimately what happened was the Planning Commission decided to reauthorize the CVCBD.  One Commissioner suggested there be an audit of the CVCBD’s work.   Obviously he did not know this was demanded by the Mayor several years ago so the CVCBD did their own audit of their own work and found it quite adequate.

In closing, the Planning Commission just rubber stamped the CVCBD.  But Carl Stokes said he is saving his full argument for the right time and that would be for the vote by the full City Council and then the Mayor.  So I urge you to read up on, investigate and discuss this 20 year old, non-democratic governmental entity and decide for yourselves.  A lot of history and information can be viewed on this blog by clicking the category on the right hand side entitled “Information about the Charles Village Community Benefits District”.  During the 20 years many illegalities were allowed to exist and in some cases made retroactively acceptable to allow the CVCBD to continue.  Law suits lost by opponents succeeded in correcting some of their obvious problems but in some cases forced the CVCBD to wreck the law even further to cover their behavior.  To get people to vote for on the original and only referendum establishing the CVCBD the core group of founders promised the community 24/7 security patrols and then admitted they knew they couldn’t do it.  They promised to community that if they voted for the CVCBD they would have a second vote in 3 years to either continue or end it knowing full well that the community would never have a second vote.  Pretense from start to now does not a good government make.  Consider ending the pretense and write to your City Council Representative and the President of the City Council, Jack “Bernard” Young, as well as the Mayor.
 

As a last thought, we understand that Midtown has a Benefits District with a reported excellent reputation and since the Charles Village Community Benefits district has such a reputation of distrust and lack of performance, why not merge the two for a 4 year experimental period to see if they can improve the CVCBD’s performance and get rid of the current management team that has led to this 20^th year battle?  What do you think?

 

Why reauthorize a failed CVCBD?

The process has been put in place to reauthorize the CVCBD; a process which means after waiting for 9 weeks for the leaves to be picked up in front on my house that it was finally accomplished on March 12, 2014, so the tales that you have read and heard for the last 20 years about the cleaning that the CVCBD does accomplish is fiction.  They simply do not sweep the sidewalks and gutters on each block twice a week.  They do not clean up alleys in the community twice a month.  My statement regarding my block proves that point and yet my neighbors on the north side of the unit block of east 27th street were not cleaned up as well, but some of the sanitation employees were dispatched to the gutter in front of my house and cleaned it up the first time in 9 weeks.  I mentioned this fact that they had not cleaned up the gutter in the front of my house the previous evening at the Budget Hearing.  Go to the 2600 block of North Calvert Street and walk along that street and you will that the sidewalks and gutters haven't been cleaned for a considerable period of time.  Go to the Harwood
and walk through the area and you will note that many of the streets haven't been cleaned up in a considerable period of time.  As you travel through the community you will note that the 2500 block of Maryland Avenue hasn't been cleaned up, nor has the 2600 block of Maryland Avenue.  Don't take my word for it, take a walk so far it is a balmy day and check it out.

The recommended FY2015 Budget also shows that they intend on cutting the services of the Off-duty police by 50%, but say that if they can get some grants they may be able to increase the surveillance provided by these officers.  However, their lack luster success and promises in the past now has the City telling them to not report these potential grants in their proposed budgets.  We have heard these stories for years and have noted that they haven't met their expectations.  Just think of it, within the last 20 years we, as residents have spent $15,000,000.+ on the Benefits District without any real success noted in the community.  We have the same amount of crime and our streets are as dirty as previously prior to their legislation.  With the exception of spending $15,000,000.+ nothing has changed.  The Benefits District was going to encourage people to move into the community, but look around and you will see many "For Sale" signs for businesses and homes which are not moving off the market.  On my tiny block two houses that we up for sale have been taken off the market and both are being rented out, because the Real Estate brokers could not secure interest after potential buyers walked around the community.  Filthy does not create tools in which to sell properties.

At the public hearing on the budget, 8 residents attended this important hearing;  not counting those associated with the Benefits District or employees of the Benefits District and other agencies such as Central Baltimore which also attended.  The figure is so low in proportion to the residential base of the community that it is laughable.  At that time we listened to a budget created out of the air which does not represent actual expenditures, but a fiction of costs to the point that in the slide presentation they stated they had 16 employees and then the recommended budget included only 15 employees.

On the Board of the Benefits District sits a person who owes the city $4,136.00 in taxes and this individual sits with the authority to recommend a surtax increase.  The Benefits District employed the services of a disbarred attorney.  Why was it necessary to hire this individual and obtain the other for the Board?  Within the community's  population of 14,000 weren't there other competent people available to replace these two people? 

Most people don't even know what the CVCBD is, and/or what they do.  After 20 years and $15,000,000.+ of our money being spent on this failed program, most people don't even know what they are and what they do.   It is sad that such a failed entity will more than likely continue to exist.
Wouldn't you like to receive $15,000,000.+ over 20 years and not be accountable for performance?

Donate coats

As you know we are now waiting for a sudden cold front to come into our area of Baltimore City where temperatures will plunge to 4 degrees upon waking tomorrow morning.  There are children throughout Baltimore who need coats in order to survive this cold weather now and in the future.  Please check your closets and take a look to see if you have any gently used coats that your son or daughter cannot use because they suddenly require larger ones and bring them to The Book Thing, Inc., on Vineyard and 30th Street in Charles Village and put them in the book box there where you usually place used books for donations.

Contributions this year have been very slow and we haven't really been able to keep up with demand that is truly needed by our children of this city of Baltimore.   If the coat is dirty, don't worry we will wash it or have it professionally cleaned and if there is a button missing, we will make sure that it is replaced, but the children do need warm coats and you can make the difference.

Thank you for your consideration.