Boards & Commissions
Meeting with Boards & Commissions
On Monday, December 2nd, the Planning team met with the Chairs and other representatives of City Boards and Commissions at the "Pip" Moyer Recreation Center. During the meeting, City staff presented the framework for the Comprehensive Plan update and gathered their feedback on what their aspirations are for the Plan and the City over the next 20 years.
Boards and Commissions We've Heard From:
- Annapolis Conservancy Board
- Arts in Public Places Commission
- Board of Appeals
- Civil Service Board
- Commission on Aging
- Education Commission
- Environmental Commission
- Heritage Commission
- Historic Preservation Commission
- Housing & Community Development Committee
- Human Relations Commission
- Maritime Advisory Board
- Planning Commission
- Transportation Board
Here is what they said:
| Maritime Advisory Board | design policy that will attract boaters, give them a positive experience, including water quality traffic control |
| Annapolis Conservancy Board | working on a greenspace network inventory to identify what is available and where they can best conserve, maintain and improve the existing networks including bikes and pedestrians. |
| Transportation Board | need to look at alternative transportation modes for the future to help mitigate negative environmental and congestion issues, need to look at cycling as a mode of transport and not as a recreational activity, paratransit opportunities are limited and currently cost more to use |
| Human Relations Commission | complaints around the use of Section 8 housing vouchers - it is illegal for a landlord to not accept a Section 8 voucher as a form of payment, city has not had a complaint based on race, origin or color as a reason for denying rental |
| Environmental Commission | development regulations, community groups are noticing issues with sediment, erosion control issues around town and the town has not been available to work with these, concerns with tree canopy, stormwater runoff, stormwater management, shoreline loss and mitigation will be an issue, the city has a significant amount of shoreline and it will be a difficult to manage these as the effect of climate change accelerate. |
| Historic Preservation Commission | focused on individual applications for permit. Dealing with sea level rise and the impact on historic properties. The preservation of downtown is important to the community as an economic engine and as the identity of Annapolis. |
| Commission on Aging | tale of two cities, those who can afford to live where they always have and have access to their needs and those that are constrained by transportation. Housing and affordability: hope there is courage that there will be policy that encourages individuals to be creative about how housing and transportation are provided to those in the most need. Samuel Jordan - transportation equity City and County transportation systems need to be better coordinated and complement each other |
| Board of Appeals | board of appeals sees the end game of the many issues and finds the tools it’s given are challenging, the code is unclear. Community character should be an important feature that needs to be included in the plan. Need a balance of rules and regulations with respect to allowing creativity that will enhance the community. Need to make the plan actionable and accountable, the plan shouldn’t be a document that sits on a shelf and doesn’t get used. |
| Education Commission | Look at the performance gap in Annapolis schools. Safety for our students, both in getting to and from school and once they are in the classroom. Job training programs are essential. etc. |