Attendees

Cecil Clark Angel Mazwi Carrie Baniszewski Tisha Guthrie Sonia Eaddy Loraine Arikat Scott Kashnow Charisse Lue Diana Geis Ivan Leshinsky Nate Tarter Alica Corson Frizz Meghan Cardoso Laura Dykes Nicole Orr Eric Holcomb Rsddique Arlisa Anderson Chris Firehock Rason Taru Zarva Taru Donald Quarles Nancy McCormick Edith Gilliard Twanetta Randall Tyla Johnson Latonya Hill Paulette Carroll Kim Lane Braxton Street Ericka Yates Venroy July Steve Whalen Nicole King Robin D. Boston Junile Engram Howard Hughes

Intro (7:00-7:15 PM, 15 min)

  • Welcome
    • Cecilia read out housing committee mission and community rules/norms
    • Scott introduces preservation committee mission and approach 
  • Review and approval of March Minutes
    • Scott makes a motion to approve minutes and Howard seconds. 
  • Speaker introductions

Education (7:15-8:15 PM, 60 min)

  • Brief presentations by DHCD/311 reps
    • Shae from DHCD/311, represents southern Baltimore and assistant superintendent
    • What is a vacant building? Buildings that have vacant building notice. If it does not have this, it’s not officially vacant.  
    • Criteria to issue vacant property: Unoccupied, unsafe/unfit, nuisance property (6 citations within 12 month period)
    • Owners of vacant properties are given 30 days to rehab the property and then the city can issue fines to the owner. 
    •  Report to 311; hold onto the 6 digit number that 311 gives you after filing report 
    • $1000 fine for citations
    • 2 options for abating a vacant property: 1) UNO = use and occupance; 2)demolish vacant property
    • In rem foreclosure: tax debt on property is higher than value of property
    • Tax sale foreclosure: properties that are tax delinquent 
    • Least preferable option: city led demolition. City prefers to focus on emergency demolitions only. 
  • Q&A/discussion
    • Baltimore city’s code map shows all vacant properties, active permits, or has been issued notices and will show you ownership information. 311 team can help when ownership information is less transparent. 
    • Venroy comments that the citations actually hurts property owners and rehabbers like him who are trying to rehab vacant properties. 
    • Charisse asks about people impacted who live near vacant properties and the deteriorating conditions impact infrastructure of current residents. 
      • DHCD does not come back out another vacant citation and issue for the same issue that’s been reported that has not been addressed 
    • Kim asks if a property is being rehabbed with permits, can vacancy notice be issued? 
      • A: Case by case situation 
    • How can city take action regarding “squatters”?
      • A: If people occupy property, it’s on the owner to deal with that situation. But if there is a VBN notice, then the city will remove those tenants 
    • What do you do when people live in the backyard?
      • A: 311 rep says that you just have to keep calling and hopefully the individuals will get annoyed about being told to move by the police 
    • It’s hard to get a property to be lawfully vacant because we cant get the city to classify it as vacant due to the gaps in the system or to even get 6 citations on a building
      • 311 says DPW mows loan but they will close out the citation when it has been done
      • Charisse asks does DHCD double check the work? 
        • A: DPW posts before and after 
    • Cecil: City does not have cross agency coordination. We have had several fires in our neighborhood. 8 years ago we presented a plan to the city and the city said they did not have the money. City is not promoting redevelopment of W. Baltimore Street. 
    • Donald Quarles: Dangerous squatter ? 
      • DHCD will get address after meeting
    • How can we as a coalition of communities help DHCD to address the issues that we are facing? DHCD needs more inspectors and more 311 staff, more reports. 
      • A: Resources for DHCD, community support – call 311. But do not know how to get more resources for DHCD
    • Paulette: Tree trunk being uprooted 
      • 311(Ms Hill) will look into the address and can leave contact information for anyone else who would like to directly reach out. 
    • Sonia: asks about signage regarding vacant properties ; Whats up with 1 property having 4 different signs?
      • White = information about that house ; demolition are big ones; orange sign ; yellow = demolition; red = fire fighters danger
        • Charisse mentions that if these are dangerous for firefighters they are dangerous for even the neighbors because its deteriorating other peoples structures and others property values. 
    • Venroy: is there any one who is cross referencing bad actors with neighborhoods
    • Rason: If city has lack of resources, then consider the deficit of those on w baltimore street and what can we do to support those who don’t have financial means to fix their properties? 
      • A. Shae will follow up with list of resources for those individuals. 
    • Teresa: Mentions the tree that Paulette mentioned earlier. Emphasized that the tree is city property.
      • A. Call inspector, report through 311, contact Shae, Superintendent Randall, Ms Hill are available. 
    • Cecilia will send list of addresses that people have consistent issues with to the DHCD/311 for follow-up. 
    • Carrie asks about the receivership process more community minded? 
      • A: Shae says that current receivership needs to be sent to court appointed receiver and auctioned off to rehabbers. Highest bids win. 
      • DHCD works with SWP and Main St and the community has to find the bidders. 
    • Laura: in rem foreclosure process
    • Lue: DPW needs to review internal processes to allow multiple violations for the same hazardous condition of a property in order to reach 6 violations 

Contact information: 

Shae Beitler-Akman, Asst. City Solicitor / Asst State’s Attorney Code Enforcement Legal Section 

shea.beitler-akman@baltimorecity.gov

Office: 410-396-4140 

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