Clarke: ‘We Were Very Blessed’

Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke said her district fared very well during the hurricane compared to the June derecho.

Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke, whose district covers much of North Baltimore, said her district fared much better in the wake of Hurricane Sandy than it did following the June derecho.  Clarke, who introduced a resolution calling for a hearing with BGE after power outages plagued the district following the derecho, said she has been pleased with the response so far. "I have some problem places, but I’m working with the Emergency Operations Center and BGE. By and large we were very blessed that it was not as severe as it could’ve been and we were prepared," Clarke said. She said there was still a pocket of houses in Guilford that went eight days without power in June, and also lost power in the storm, but she is working to get that situation…

•  5 Comments
• Photos (1)

City Council Hearing on Derecho Lessons Set for Wednesday

Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke introduced the resolution calling for the hearing.

BGE will appear before a City Council committee on Wednesday to discuss how future long-term power outages—such as the power failure experienced by many North Baltimore residents after June’s derecho—can be avoided. According to the council’s legislative calendar, the informational hearing before the Housing and Community Development Committee on the lessons learned from the storm will be held at 5 p.m., at City Hall. Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke introduced the resolution calling for the hearing this summer. This June a rare derecho with powerful winds formed quickly and pushed through the area giving BGE little time to prepare a response. In North Baltimore parts of several neighborhoods ranging from Hampden, to Poplar Hill to Cedarcroft …

• Photos (1)

Councilwoman Concerned About Harwood Violence

Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke said she feels the area needs special attention from the Northern District.

A spate of violence in the Harwood neighborhood is a matter of deep concern for Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke, who represents parts of that community. On Saturday, one man was shot and wounded after allegedly pointing a gun at Baltimore police, and on Monday night one man was killed and another injured in what police believe was a running gun battle. "We have a major problem in that whole neighborhood, Harwood as well as right across the street, and just up the street in the Better Waverly neighborhood," Clarke said. "The Northern District knows that we all feel that we need special attention. We’re going to court watch everybody that gets arrested, and I believe the Northern District is making an all out effort to patrol and apprehend in …

• Photos (1)

Notes from City Hall

Young Says 'No' to Clack

A look at the news and notes coming from City Hall this week.

The battle over the budget, and cuts to the fire department, continued for a little bit longer during Monday’s City Council meeting. While voting on second reader to approve executive appointments, City Council President Bernard C. "Jack" Young was the only member to vote against reappointing Fire Chief James Clack. During budget season, Young supported an alternative that would have kept three firehouses open that were closed in the mayor’s budget. Despite the objections of the firefighters union, Clack supported the mayor’s proposal to close those stations. Derecho Hearing Approved The council unanimously approved Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke’s resolution calling for an informational hearing with BGE officials about the lessons learned …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (2)

Kathleen C. Ambrose

3:36 pm on Thursday, August 16, 2012

I hope the bill does pass, but I, too, can't see how it's going to be enforced. Wyman Park Drive and Remington had a mattress and sofa piled around the public receptacle (obvious household trash), but it's not like anyone is leaving their name and address on this stuff.   more ›

Council to Vote on Audit Charter Amendment

The City Council agenda also includes a bill to add the Shelley House to the landmark list.

The Baltimore City Council is scheduled to meet Monday evening for the first time since July 16, and will hold a final vote on whether to approve a charter amendment requiring audits of 13 city agencies every four years. If the council approves the amendment tonight, which it is expected to do, city residents will have the chance to vote on the amendment in the Nov. 6 general election. Originally the bill, which was supported by North Baltimore council members Carl Stokes, Bill Henry and Mary Pat Clarke, required an audit of 14 city agencies every two years, but despite their objections it was amended to lessen the frequency and agencies that were audited.   Other items of note on the agenda:

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)

Adam Bednar

1:25 pm on Monday, August 13, 2012

It was Councilman Bob Curran's amendments that knocked the frequency back. He argued that he's requested previous audits that haven't yet come to fruition, so he was doubtful the city could perform them every two years.   more ›

Clarke's Attempts to Amend Budget Fail

Last ditch attempt to alter $2.8 billion operating budget vote fails.

Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke failed to tack budget-cutting amendments back on to Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake’s proposed $2.8 billion operating budget during a City Council hearing on Monday.  Clarke made three motions to add amendments on to the budget the council’s Committee of the Whole had approved last week, and then were defeated on a subsequent vote. Supporters of the amendments argued the cuts allowed Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake the ability to fully fund priorities, such as after school programs and prevent the closure of three firehouses. "These are not random amendments," Clarke said. But the amendments were all defeated by a 9-6 vote with Councilman Carl Stokes and Councilman Bill Henry joining Clarke as the lawmakers from …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)

Clarke Aide Named Waverly Main Street Director

Jermaine Johnson will be taking over an organization with an increasing profile.

Jermaine Johnson is stepping down as Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke’s director of legislation, and has been named Waverly Main Street's new director. Johnson, a resident of Coldstream-Homestead-Montebello, previously worked for the Greater Homewood Community Corporation before joining Clarke’s staff two years ago, according to an email from Clarke's office announcing the departure. He will take over an organization that has seen its responsibilities and profile increase in recent months. Waverly Main Street recently took over responsibility for representing the interests of businesses along Greenmount Avenue on the Charles Village Community Benefits District's board, after the Waverly Merchants Association disbanded. The organization is also…

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)

Council Members Cast Votes on Bottle Tax

Find out how your City Council member voted on a 3 cents bottle tax increase.

The City Council laid their cards down tonight, and passing a 3 cents increase of the bottle tax now appears to be just a formality. The council voted 11-4 to pass the tax increase, which will now go on to a final passage next week.  The Taxation, Finance and Economic Development Committee voted to move the bill forward without a recommendation earlier in the day. Scroll through the pictures above to find out how and why your council member voted.

•  5 Comments
• Photos (7)

Clarke Votes Against Property Tax Cut

Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke said she doesn't oppose the tax cut but doubts the timing.

Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke was the lone vote against moving a bill forward for final approval that would cut 20 cents from residents property tax rate in eight years. Despite Clarke’s objection, the City Council approved sending the bill to third and final reader on Monday night. Clarke, a veteran North Baltimore council member, argued against the tax cut, especially at a time when the city’s budget includes closing three firehouses, and when an official budget has not been presented to the council.  “My concern [is] of the timing of this tax cut," Clarke said. "Not so much the tax cut itself, but we just talked about a bake sale and sponsorship for firefighters. Right now we have not seen a budget and in fact there isn’t a budget to be …

•  3 Comments
• Photos (1)