Attendees: 

Sandy Anderson
Li ndsay Chudzin
Craig Coulbourne
Ree Coulbourne
Julia Dumont
Linda Hansen
Clarissa Howison
Billy Hufnell
Paige Kelly
Kate Leitkowski
Nazany Niebeluk
Bill Reuter
Paul Rubenson
Sy Saulynas
Bobby Walsh

Guests: 

Bill Henry – Comptroller’s Office

Meeting Minutes

Opening Remarks

Conflict of Interest Statement – Julia

Quorum: Quorum is (2/3)* ,  are in attendance

Julia opened the meeting and introduced guest speaker Bill Henry from the Comptroller’s Office.

Bill began by asking attendees, “Do you know what we do?” He provided an overview of the history and role of Baltimore City government finances. He explained that prior to the election of the Chief Financial Officer position in the 1960s, the city was responsible for managing its own finances. Today, the Director of Finance operates under the Mayor’s office.

Bill discussed how the Mayor oversees both operational agencies and administrative “back office” functions, which can make checks and balances within local government more difficult to identify. He noted that most schools focus on teaching federal government structure, while state and local governments operate very differently.

Comptroller’s Office Presentation

Bill explained that the Comptroller’s Office is responsible for the Department of Audits and serves as an oversight body for the Mayor’s office and city agencies.

Key goals of the office include:

• Improving agency effectiveness and efficiency 

• Promoting openness, transparency, and accountability 

• Helping agencies operate effectively while minimizing additional costs 

Bill noted that as recently as December 2020, the office operated entirely on paper systems.

He also discussed modernization efforts involving the Board of Estimates process. Previously, city project approvals were handled through outdated systems, but the office has since implemented:

• A public-facing website and web portal 

• A virtual pipeline for reviewers and approvers 

• Increased public access to city spending records through the “Open Checkbook” system 

The Open Checkbook portal allows residents to review city checkbook registers and spending details online.

Jay Hardy distributed informational flyers about additional agencies that work with the Comptroller’s Office.

Discussion: Baltimore City Charter

Paul asked what changes were required to establish Baltimore’s current “strong mayor” system and what would be needed to reverse it.

Bill explained that the current structure resulted from major charter changes made in the 1890s and again during the 1960s. Reversing those changes would require a charter amendment, including potentially returning Accounts Payable responsibilities to the Comptroller’s Office.

Conflict of interest statements were also briefly discussed.

Initially, it was stated that a quorum was not present; however, Clarissa later confirmed that a quorum had been achieved.

Finance Update

Billie reported that there were no additional finance updates at this time.

ARC Review Committee / BGE Lawsuit Discussion

Paul provided an update regarding a lawsuit against BGE. He explained that he had reached out to ARC requesting a statement regarding the impact on the neighborhood. ARC prepared and submitted a letter as expert testimony supporting the case.

Paul requested that the community formally ratify the statement; however, due to time constraints, he had not been able to coordinate fully before the meeting. The hearing was scheduled for Friday morning.

Discussion points included:

• Whether the RDA should issue its own supporting statement 

• Concerns about supporting the lawsuit without reviewing all details 

• Clarification on what action was being requested during the meeting 

Bill expressed concern about supporting the effort without having full information. Julia noted that there did not appear to be enough time for additional review before the hearing.

Katrina asked what action was needed from the group. Paul explained that he hoped to frame the matter as an RDA vote.

A motion was made for the ARC letter to stand alone without additional RDA action. Kate L. explained the work Yanis had been doing related to the matter. Paul later located and read the approved letter from the Ridgely’s Delight Historic Committee.

Mural Grant Discussion

The community received a $2,000 grant for the mural project, which matched the original request amount.

After the grant request was submitted, a professional artist volunteered to complete the entire wall mural with a cohesive design. Concept examples had previously been shown at the last meeting.

The artist requested a total budget of $5,000, prompting discussion about:

• Additional fundraising opportunities 

• Applying for an additional grant to cover the remaining $3,000 

Paul suggested postponing a final decision until the group could determine whether additional funding could be secured.

It was noted that the grant must first be accepted before an agreement with the artist can be finalized.

Bill moved to proceed with accepting the current grant and returning with additional information regarding funding options. The motion passed.

Approval of Previous Minutes

Julia presented the April meeting minutes for approval. The minutes were voted on and approved.

Community Announcements

MTA Transit Meetings

Rochelle announced that the MTA is revisiting transit planning efforts and is currently holding open houses regarding bus transit and light rail service.

Community “Buy Nothing” Group

A Dover Street resident asked whether a neighborhood “Buy Nothing” group exists for sharing or giving away unwanted items.

Bill mentioned that his wife may have participated in one previously and said he would gather additional information.

Paul also noted that the neighborhood has hosted several flea markets in the past.

Adjournment

Julia made a motion to adjourn the meeting, which was confirmed.

Neighborhood Happy Hour

Members were reminded to check prior records for the Happy Hour location.