June 15, 2025 Newsletter
Happy Sunday, Ward One
And happy Fathers’ Day! No, that’s not a photo of my dad. That’s Jared Littmann, candidate for mayor, and I at yesterday’s No Kings protest on Lawyers Mall. We headed out soon after this picture to knock on residents’ doors in the historic district and talk with them about getting city dock done, budgeting responsibly, and speeding up the city’s permitting and procurement processes. And then, I really did go knock on some additional doors with my dad (but we didn’t take a picture).
National politics can feel so disempowering. Protests can help remind us that we do have something of a voice at the federal level, and we’re lucky to have great representation. But I find local government to be even more meaningful. When you come speak at a city council hearing, the people making decisions about that legislation are listening directly to you…as long as you elect the right ones. Your voice on an issue in your neighborhood can lead to a tangible solution, so never hesitate to speak up.
Here are the top 3 things you need to know in Annapolis:
This week’s agenda is likely going to be amended to introduce a backlog of legislation, but it’s not officially on the agenda yet, so I’m not writing about my colleagues’ legislation the way I normally do. My four pieces of legislation (limiting density of STRs, re-allowing duplexes, creating standards for walking tours, and adding campaign reporting requirements) do have their full explanations.
There are so many celebratory events happening around Juneteenth this week: Carr’s Beach reunion, the parade on Saturday, a festival out at the fairgrounds, and more.
In the evening of June 26, Bob Gallagher and Cate Greene are hosting a meet and greet, and you should come! Register here.
Updates from Harry
We’ve got a lot of new subscribers recently, so welcome! These newsletters are a mix of events around town, city council news, and my own reflections. Let’s jump in.
As is typically the case, I’m reading two books right now. Well, not right now. Right now, I’m writing a newsletter. But I’m reading Gone to Market, a history of the Annapolis Market House, and listening to the audiobook of Bowling Alone, a study of the decline in Americans’ social connectedness. I like an audiobook for when I’m driving or cooking and a real book when I’m ready to relax. But both have got me thinking about how we build community.
It’s funny how the book about the 1990s almost feels more out of date than the book that goes back to the 1700s. Bowling Alone has lots of references to the uncertainty the internet may bring, while the scenes in Gone to Market can mostly still be seen in downtown today.
One of the most convincing arguments of Bowling Alone is that government should invest in building social connection the way that we invest in infrastructure. Government should be intentional in supporting libraries, parks, community centers, and other places that brings people together—like the Market House and like the park that will soon be at City Dock.
That kind of civic infrastructure makes people happier and healthier. And the Michigan Municipal League has conducted excellent research on how places for people to connect can strengthen local economies. So, these investments can really pay off.
Of course, it’s not just about investing in infrastructure. Bowling Alone talks about how changes in national labor policies led to more precariousness in the job market and less time to invest in building social capital. And local policies—like the changes below that I’m introducing to short-term rentals—have outsize influence on how communities organize themselves.
In addition to the inherent quality of life benefit, I believe that building strong community ties at the local level can be an antidote to the division happening at the national level. If you’ve ever asked me about how we fight back against the angry politics of today’s federal government, you’ve probably heard me say, “When people know their neighbors and know their neighbors care about them, they’re less likely to vote for hate and fear.”
I’ll keep working on public policy to encourage those community ties, and I’ll keep listening to your suggestions about how to do it. I hope this week you’ll make an effort to invite a neighbor over to chat on the front porch, attend a new community meeting, or even host a forum for your neighbors to discuss city elections.
This week and every week, I’m grateful for the honor of representing you and our whole community. Never hesitate to contact me at harry@harrymhuntley.com.
City council agenda
NOTE: This week’s agenda is a little odd. We have a backlog of new legislation that for three meetings now has not gotten introduced while staff was busy with the budget. But the council wants to get it moving, so the first readers listed below will likely get added to the meeting agenda on Monday just to introduce them and begin the process. I support that. But this means they’re not all uploaded into our regular system, so—except for a couple notes relevant to Ward One—I’m only writing about my legislation in this edition, and you’ll notice there aren’t the normal links.
Call To Order
Mayor Buckley
Invocation
Mayor Buckley
Pledge of Allegiance
Mayor Buckley
Roll Call
City Clerk Watkins-Eldridge
Approval of Agenda
Ceremonial Items
Update from Mayor
Mayor Buckley
Reports by Committee
Comments by the General Public
Remember, you can come to any city council meeting to tell us about what’s important to you and your neighborhood! Register here or just show up.
Consent Calendar
Business and Miscellaneous
FT-12-25 General - Department of Recreation & Parks - Administration
This and the following three are aligning budgeted and actual expenses before the end of the fiscal year. They were reviewed at Tuesday’s Finance Committee meeting.
FT-13-25 General Fund & Transportation Fund - Various Departments
FT-14-25 General - Police Department - Salaries and Benefits
FT-15-25 General - Finance/Department of Public Works - Contingency/Supplies and Other
ID-112-25 Preliminary Review of Carr’s Manor Annexation Petition
Carr’s Manor is a small neighborhood that is surrounded by the city but is not part of the city. The residents want to become part of the city (because we’re awesome), and we’ve just received their petition to do so. This will be a detailed process, but it starts with the mayor presenting the petition to the council.
(Probably going to get added to the agenda as) First Readers
O-17-25 Limiting Short-Term Rentals per Blockface (Huntley)
I have heard from so many of you how short term rentals are hollowing out our amazing communities as longtime neighbors get replaced with rotating tourists. After much careful study of measures taken across the country to address that concern, I’ve worked with our Office of Law to develop this relatively straightforward bill. It simply says that once a blockface (one side of a city block) reaches 10% being short-term rentals, no new licenses are issued for that blockface. It does not directly affect existing short-term rentals, but if one lost their license and had to reapply, it would then be subject to this density cap. I don’t think this is the ultimate panacea to the issue, but capping density like this is something we can get done this council term to strengthen communities without overstepping on private property rights.
O-18-25 Reallowing Duplexes in R2 Zoning Districts (Huntley)
Right now, duplexes are allowed in the R2 zone (one of the larger zones in the city) under two conditions: 1) It has to roughly look like a single-family house and 2) It had to have been built before 1970. This legislation strikes that second requirement, re-allowing duplexes where they had historically been. I grew up in a duplex, and I know they’re not scary. Plus, they’re required to provide twice as much parking! This is a small step towards allowing more fiscally responsible and historically accurate land use.
O-19-25 Regulation of Walking Tours in Historic Annapolis (Huntley)
This creates a simple process to license walking tours in downtown. The businesses themselves have requested this legislation. We’ve heard about some bad actors, so this will give the city a way to remove licenses if businesses do not comply with commonsense rules. It only applies to walking tours.
O-24-25 Election Reporting Deadlines (Huntley)
This adds two new campaign finance reporting deadlines earlier in the election cycle. It would not apply until the 2029 elections. We all know the city council and mayoral elections are in full swing, but the first reports that tell you who’s raised how much from whom won’t be available until August. By requiring candidates to report their contributions six months and three months before the primary, the legislation will give voters more transparency into who’s funding city elections.
O-15-25 Removing Accessory Dwelling Unit Owner-Residency Requirement (Schandelmeier)
This does not apply to short-term rentals.
O-27-25 Cutting of Trees in Critical Areas and Tree Replacement (Savidge)
O-29-25 Tyler Avenue Complete Community Overlay District (Gay)
O-30-25 Business Revitalization Zoning District Regulations (O'Neill)
O-20-25 Sale of City-Owned Property at 932 Spa Road and 935 Spa Road (Buckley)
Selling (for $0) some property to the Resilience Authority so they can do cleanup on it and then eventually give it back to the city.
O-21-25 Annapolis Harbor Lines 423 Chester Avenue on Back Creek (Arnett)
O-22-25 Electronic Parking Tickets and Parking Charges in City Garages (Savidge)
My next newsletter will be about parking, and I’ll talk more about this legislation then. For now, I’ll say that the intention here is good to make Hillman work better, but the cost may be prohibitive.
R-27-25 Renaming of the Noah Hillman Parking Garage (Buckley)
The mayor is proposing to rename it to the “Mills Hillman” garage. I’m going to spend my time on making the garage work better, rather than who it’s named after.
R-30-25 Five-Year Consolidated Housing and Community Development Strategic Plan (Buckley)
Resolution Second Readers
R-17-25 2025 Transit Development Plan for the City of Annapolis
This is the city’s annual transit development plan that we have to submit to the state. I appreciate the Transportation Board member who pointed out to me that the survey data used in here has some issues, but I don’t see a problem with the conclusions in the plan, so unless I hear something to convince me otherwise, I’m intending to vote yes. If you’re getting déjà vu, this was on the council’s agenda last meeting but got pulled to finish up in the Transportation Committee.
R-22-25 City Supported Special Events in Fiscal Year 2026
This resolution waives fees for awesome events like the Veterans’ Day Parade, Slaughter Across the Water, and Film Festival. It is estimated to cost about a hundred thousand dollars, which I think is well worth it to have these 18 events in the city. The Finance Committee did bring forward an amendment which ensures that if the actual costs end up being more than 10% higher than the estimated costs, we have to reconsider.
Adjournment
Other news you can use
Blues game double-header tonight at 5 and 7:30.
The Sounds of Joshua Community Praise choir will be tomorrow’s concert in the City Dock free summer concert series. 6:30-8:30 at City Dock.
Wednesday at 7, Maryland Hall will host a screening of In Waves and War, a powerful story of psychological pain and psychedelic healing.
3-7 PM on Thursday (Juneteenth) will be the Carr’s-Elktonia beach reunion with a free concert, food trucks, and so much more. Parking is limited, so maybe you should paddle over in a kayak.
Afterwards, catch the Annapolis Maritime Museum’s free Tides and Tunes Summer Concert Series on Thursday at 7 with Sweet Leda, a blend of rock, soul, and funk.
The Juneteenth Parade will step off at 11 AM next Saturday June 21 and march up West Street to Amos Garrett.
On June 26th, Bob Gallagher and Cate Greene will be hosting a community meet and greet and their home in Murray Hill. I hope you can join us for some casual conversation about the campaign and issues facing the city. Please register here so we can have an accurate guest count.