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Writer's picturePPNA

Virtual Community Meeting, August Minutes

Hello all,

Thanks to those who were able to tune in for the PPNA Virtual Community Meeting on August 10, 2020. Our next virtual meeting is coming up on September 14, 2020 at 7:00p.

For those who were not able to tune in, here is a recap of what you missed, including video recording (see below). These were the highlights:

  • Announcements

  • Sarah Johnson, Director, Local Progress at Center for Popular Democracy, on nationwide considerations for racial equity, police reform, and social justice

  • Delegate Robbyn Lewis, Maryland State Delegate for District 46, on Slow Streets, Liveable Streets, and making our streets more walkable

  • Allison Blood, PPNA Chairperson for Sustainability Committee, on what does 'Sustainability' mean to you, and shaping the PPNA Sustainability Committee

ANNOUNCEMENTS

  • Census 2020: Have you been counted in the Census yet? Each person who gets counted in the Census brings in $18,000 of federal money for the City of Baltimore. Complete the Census online today: click here.

  • Request your mail-in ballot: Vote by mail in the November election. Click here to request your ballot by mail. Click here to apply as an election judge.

  • PPNA Membership: PPNA is a membership-based organization. Click here to purchase or renew your annual membership for as little as $5.00-$100.00. Questions about your membership? Contact: treasurer@pattersonparkneighbors.org.

  • Pop-Up Food Pantries: Please continue to donate to the PPNA Pop-Up Food Pantries: take only what you need and leave what you can. There are two locations in Patterson Park, near the Little Free Libraries: intersection of Baltimore and Linwood, and intersection of Patterson Park Ave and Gough St.

  • American Red Cross: There is a nationwide blood shortage due to COVID-19. Click here to schedule your blood donation appointment. Nearby location to PPNA is Johns Hopkins Bayview.

  • DPW Recycling: DPW has suspended recycling pick-up through at least November 1. Click here to view a list of drop-off recycling locations. Nearest location to PPNA is Dunbar High School. Council President Scott is organizing recycling/trash volunteers. Click here to express interest in volunteering, (especially those that have access to a pick-up truck). Contact: councilpresident@baltimorecity.gov.

  • PPNA Sustainability Committee: The PPNA Sustainability Committee is seeking neighbor input on what ‘sustainability’ means to you, and future directions. Click here to contribute your thoughts and ideas. Contact: sustainability@pattersonparkneighbors.org.

  • Thursdays Grab and Go at William Paca: William Paca Elementary School is seeking donations for school supplies, and seeking volunteers and donations to help with the Grab and Go Food Distribution efforts. Join in at 219 N. Chester Street at 9:45a on Thursdays, or at Banner Neighborhoods (2911 Pulaski Highway) at 11:00a on Thursdays. Contact: cheryl@southeastcdc.org.

  • Butchers Hill House Tour: Tickets are on sale now for the Butchers Hill House Tour; click here. This will be a virtual event with flexibility to invite your non-local friends. The event will be streamed live at 12:00n on Sunday, October 11. Contact: butchershillpresident@gmail.com.

  • COVID-19 Relief Efforts: Click here for a complete list of volunteer opportunities in District 1 to address COVID-19 relief efforts, including food distribution and drivers/delivery.


GUESTS

Sarah Johnson, Director of Local Progress at the Center for Popular Democracy

  • Having Sarah as a guest is one small step towards addressing the pledge in the PPNA Anti-racism Statement for prioritizing inclusion of speakers in monthly meetings that are doing work in anti-racism, police reform, justice reform, and related issues.

  • Local Progress is a national network of progressive, municipal-level, elected officials. Local Progress seeks to use local government solutions for advancing items around racial and social justice inequities.

  • Racial equity is a large, systemic, intersectional commitment.

  • In 2017, Local Progress started building a police reform toolkit which included more oversight, community accountability, civilian review boards, transparency in data collection and dissemination, policies to limit use of force, etc. This dovetailed with the 21st Century Taskforce that was rolled out by the Obama Administration. Yet, local elected officials shared that many of these policies and best practices were already in place in their communities.

  • Instead, police reform needs to be situated within a broader conversation about community-wide public safety. This would take a public health approach towards preventing violence in communities across the country.

  • Going forward, communities across the country are examining their local budgets, and reimagining how to focus on public safety in a more holistic way. This may include call diversion programs, social workers and mental health professionals as first responders, violence interruption programs, etc. For example, the Minneapolis City Council recently adopted a multi-year plan to replace the Police Department with a more holistic Department of Public Safety.

  • Baltimore has a challenging situation where the City Council has very little authority over reallocating funds at the municipal level. In addition, the Baltimore Police have oversight at the state level. This leads to some significant structural roadblocks that are unique to Baltimore for budgetary reform towards investing in other community-based response resources.

  • Additional reading:

  • Contact Sarah: syjohnson@gmail.com

Delegate Robbyn Lewis, Maryland State Delegate for District 46

  • Robbyn has been a PPNA Neighbor since 2002. In 2004, Robbyn was involved on the PPNA Board at the time that the neighborhood association rebranded and adopted its current name. In 2011, PPNA was identified as the most sustainably diverse neighborhood in Baltimore City, regarding socioeconomic diversity and racial diversity. In 2012, the PPNA Greening Committee was recognized for the Greening Master Plan, creating a roadmap for PPNA to increase the tree canopy to be the greenest in the city.

  • The Maryland General Assembly is working to help Marylanders get the financial support they need for anybody having trouble with filing for unemployment, applying for income relief, or securing health insurance. Contact Delegate Robbyn (robbyn.lewis@house.state.md.us) or Delegate Luke Clippinger (luke.clippinger@house.state.md.us) for assistance.

  • Baltimore City Department of Transportation started a program called Slow Streets. The DOT is required to establish 25 miles of Slow Streets across Baltimore City. It is a demand-driven program, where Slow Streets must be requested. So far, there are three Slow Streets in District 1. Click here to request a Slow Street for your block.

  • Slow Streets are also known as ‘open streets,’ or ‘play streets.’ Slow Streets allow pedestrians to reclaim public streets, as opposed to vehicles. Slow Streets increase pedestrian safety by limiting car traffic and reducing speeds.

  • Liveable Streets is a coalition of neighbors that aims to make our streets safer for people who are walking. The Liveable Streets coalition includes neighbors from Patterson Park Neighborhood, Highlandtown, Elwood Park Neighborhood, McEldery Park Neighborhood, Library Square, CARE Community, Butcher’s Hill, and Washington Hill. Each of these neighborhoods are affected by high-speed, high-volume thoroughfares, including Orleans, Fayette, Monument, and Madison.

  • Liveable Streets supports requests for Slow Streets. Click here to nominate your block as a Slow Street for Baltimore City. Contact: livablestreetsbaltimore@gmail.com

  • Contact Robbyn: robbyn.lewis@house.state.md.us


Allison Blood, PPNA Chairperson for Sustainability Committee

  • A PPNA neighbor since 2019, Allison has a background in Environmental Science and a passion for living sustainably.

  • For clarity, we are using this as the definition of ‘sustainability’: “Meeting our own needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” We are referring to three pillars of sustainability: the environment, society, and economics.

  • The current vision for the Sustainability Committee is to provide a place to learn, engage, connect, and share information. What do you want to see from the Sustainability Committee? Share your thoughts on this google form.

  • The Sustainability Committee will also adopt the roles of the former Beautification Committee: block clean-ups, Bloom Your Block, tree planting, collaboration with the Greening Committee, community dumpsters, etc.

  • Contact Allison: sustainability@pattersonparkneighbors.org



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