September 2022 Community Meeting Recap
Note: Any changes to the minutes should be directed to Lynnie at secretary@upperfellspoint.org.
Hybrid Meeting
Everyone was welcomed and new attendees introduced themselves.
Guest Speakers
Creative Alliance had to cancel and will present at a future meeting.
Mayor’s Office for Homeless Services- Jessi D. C. Stevens stated that the agency aims to respond to urgent housing crisis in Baltimore through three outreach teams:
Mayor’s Street Outreach (responds to constituent requests that require a connection to City authority officials and to clinical and crisis intervention)
The Clinical Outreach Team (specializes in medical care, mental illness, drug addiction and trauma through People Encouraging People (a non-profit behavioral healthcare corp.))
The Business District Outreach Team (handles frequent nuisances and quality of life crimes that are unable to be resolved by the service provider and City outreach teams)
To refer someone to homeless services call 443-984-9540 for an emergency shelter for the night. The hotline is open 9:30am-9pm daily (after hours call the specific shelter directly)
Global Generosity provides showers (450 N Front St; operates April – October from M-F from 8am - 1pm). and the Franciscan Center (101 W 23rd St) provides meals
To report an encampment or make a referral call 311 or 410-545-1862 or send an email to homelessoutreach@baltimorecity.gov or bit.ly/MOHSGetHelp
Jessi’s Email: Jessi.Stevens@baltimorecity.gov
For Code Blue situations, contact the shelter hotline. If it is an extreme emergency, call 911.
Bilingual services are available as well as a language access line and in printed materials
When it seems like homelessness and public safety seem to cross, there is a working group that is looking at what should happen after outreach has been done. Assistance can be reached by the homeless office or BCP (drugs, danger to themselves or community) so the person gets the services they need.
Trash/Dumping comes back to HOMS since they partner with DPW; call 311 to create a ticket.
Committee Reports
Beautification
Mallory Kuehn—beautification@upperfellspoint.org
3 events since last meeting (weed clean-ups)
Cleanup – Sept. 24th 9-11am
Litter Stroll/Social – Sept. 26th – Meet at Bar 1801 at 6pm
Recycling Bins: Reminder that bins cannot be stored in the front of your property/on the sidewalk or you are subject to a citation.
Curbside Compost Pickup: There are now 32 registered. Cost is $25/mo. with pickup currently on Sundays. For more, contact Lynnie at secretary@upperfellspoint.org. Also, Baltimore Compost Collective is having a fundraiser on Oct. 1st - 2022 Black Gold Fundraiser Tickets, Sat, Oct 1, 2022 at 5:00 PM | Eventbrite
Community Garden
Jan Mooney - communitygarden@upperfellspoint.org
Garden Open House - Sunday Sept. 25th 10am-Noon
Garden Oktoberfest - Saturday Oct. 15th 4-7 pm
Ostrowski’s sausage, Little Donna’s chili, vegetarian options
Beer, mead, wine and other beverages
Raffle (tickets are $1 ea. or 6 for $5)
All food/beverages by donation (cash, PayPal and we hope to have Venmo too)
Kids welcome with an adult but no pets allowed
Proceeds to the Garden and Traffic & Parking Committee
Education
George Croom — education@upperfellspoint.org
No news
Land-Use
Mark Hoffmann - landuse@upperfellspoint.org
Sweet Caroline wants to expand their liquor license to 7-days (open 6am-2pm)
Next committee meeting - October 11th at 7pm at the Julie Community Center
Safety (sub-committee)
Chris Moad safety@upperfellspoint.org
Successfully funded two light projects (on Ann and on Pratt)
Discussed extending to house lighting and use of dusk-to-dawn bulbs; will have an update at next meeting.
Continuing to work with different organizations to work with homelessness and encampments in the neighborhood.
Request received to have residents on the 1800 block of Bank turn their lights on
Media
Jan Mooney - newsletter@upperfellspoint.org
Deadline for the Oct. newsletter is Oct. 2nd.
A few newsletters were found on the street. It is sometimes difficult for our route carriers to leave them in a secure place and when we have alternates filling in, but they will be reminded before the next delivery. (Note: The post office does not allow us to put them in the mailbox.)
Although the newsletters are online too, the printed ones reach the majority of people.
Social events
Wendy Bozel - vicepresident@upperfellspoint.org
Working on a winter holiday decorating challenge – Dec. 15th (details coming soon)
Traffic & Parking
Kurt Schiller - trafficparking@upperfellspoint.org
Request has been made to add authentic traffic calming on Wolfe Street.
Striving for a 20mph traffic calming initiative
Comments on Washington/Wolfe Bike Study are being taken until October 15 - Wolfe-Washington Bikeway Study — Upper Fell's Point Improvement Association (upperfellspoint.org)
Councilman Cohen’s office/Ethan: Traffic light on Wolfe is not working; met with DOT and they have a tech that is going to come out to fix it.
Baltimore City website states that speed cameras in school zones will remain active when school is not in session; will look into this to see if we can expand hours.
Moveable Feast’s Cranksgiving bike/food drive is on Nov. 19th. We will have a bike group participating (Fells Point Angels); more details soon.
New Business:
Teri - Just opened Southpaw, new cocktail bar at 529 S. Bond (by H&S); will have food soon; she lives in our neighborhood: https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/section/fooddrink/southpaw-cocktail-bar-doug-atwell-finally-opens-fells-point/
Blaire - Question I on the November election ballot proposes to change the membership of the advisory board that appoints/removes the inspector general to be comprised of 11 city residents who are not elected officials or candidates for office; encouraging everyone to vote FOR. To see a sample ballot online: https://www.elections.maryland.gov/elections/2022/general_ballots/baltimorecity.pdf
Ethan/Councilman Cohen’s Office - 1) Letter drafted in support of Wolfe becoming one lane. 2) Sharps containers for needle pickups are being dropped off to Friends of Patterson Park.
Several houses on S Ann were without internet service.
It has been over 9 months and still no word from the City about recycling going back to every week.
To vote on issues at a meeting, you must have paid your current dues (based on calendar year beginning in January), attended 2 of the preceding 11 meetings, live in our boundaries and be age 18 and/or attended UFPIA sponsored events/activities per our Meeting & Voting Regulations.
