Dear Friends and Neighbors

After a very difficult year, the time has come to start looking ahead as we slowly but surely move beyond the worst of the pandemic. At the City, we have been planning for re-opening and recovery for some time. A critical turning point came last week, with Governor Hogan announcing the easing of state coronavirus restrictions from Friday, March 12th. For some these changes will feel like too much, for others not enough, so in this newsletter, I want to outline how we see things unfolding locally.

I also want to let you know about other work that we’ve progressed on community park and water access projects that provide opportunities to get outdoors safely – something that’s become even more vital to our mental and physical wellbeing over the past year, and something, I believe, will also play a helpful and practical role in our recovery.

Hope for recovery and reopening

Recent changes to state coronavirus restrictions include lifting capacity limits at restaurants and opening up large indoor and outdoor venues to 50% capacity. Social-distancing requirements remain in place so, in practical terms, this means venues won’t actually be operating at full capacity, due to the need to ensure tables are safely spaced. Masks are also still required indoors and still required outside whenever social distancing isn’t possible.

Overall, I think these measures offer a broad, middle pathway forward. As warmer weather approaches and the vaccination rollout picks up, the momentum towards recovery is growing. The next few months will require careful navigation but by summer, we hope to see our city safely re-opened, with consistency and support in place for businesses and residents so we can all live and work with more freedom and security.

To get there, it’s important everyone understands and adheres to the requirements still in place and stays informed about any changes. Taking responsibility, keeping ourselves informed, following guidelines and maintaining safe practices will be more important than ever as we manage risks for ourselves and our families in this time of transition.

Vaccination rates are also key. The federal Covid Relief Plan will support a big increase in vaccination production and distribution over the next two months. The City is playing its part in this by working with the County and State to activate additional vaccination sites at the Pip Moyer Recreation Center, the Mount Olive AME Church, and the Iglesias Hispana Church. We are also pushing for other sites locally so stay tuned for updates.

It’s been a hard year – for some very hard. Julie and I extend our deepest sympathies to everyone who has suffered loss and experienced hardship. It's clear we will need to keep supporting one another for some time. Thankfully, the federal Covid Relief Plan will provide more support for families and businesses and the City will continue to direct any additional resources to those in most need, as we move carefully towards our new normal.

We aren’t quite there yet and we'll need to stay vigilant. If we’ve learned anything out of this pandemic, it’s the need to be flexible and ready to adapt. We’ve also learned how resilient and resourceful we are, how supportive we can be as a community, and how much we need each other. These are great lessons for building a healthier, safer, more tolerant and united future.

Finally, I want to acknowledge that the hopeful outcomes we anticipate over spring and summer are only possible because of everyone who followed guidelines and made sacrifices over the past months. At times it felt like we’d never reach the other side but we are getting there. I’m proud to be a part of a community that took the crisis seriously, responded quickly and worked hard to support one another. Thank you all for helping us move forward on the path to recovery.

Hope for a more liveable city - Award presented for Waterworks Park

Last month, the City received a “Land Manager of the Year” award from the Mid-Atlantic Off Road Enthusiasts (MORE). The award recognized our work with MORE volunteers to create 11 miles of hiking and cycling trails within the 600 acres of Waterworks Park – all delivered at no cost to the Annapolis taxpayer!

As the warmer weather returns, I hope you’ll take advantage of the trails and new facilities in the park. What was once a reservoir catchment and then, for decades, unused land, is now an accessible recreational facility where residents can hike, bike, picnic and fish (catch and release only).

I’m proud and grateful that we’ve been able to build these kinds of non-profit, public-private partnerships to deliver assets for the community. They take time and nurturing but the benefits to residents and our city are significant and ongoing.

Hope for a more liveable city - improving water access

When I ran as Mayor, I promised to ensure water access is available to all residents. Currently, there are more than twenty water access enhancement projects planned or underway across the city. They include:

Hawkins Cove, where we are working in partnership with the Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis to provide water access, stop erosion and pollution, and create a new community space. A recently completed community survey along with community meetings have helped to generate local ideas and solutions for the site.
The new Robert Eades Park site on Clay Street where we will create a community space and walkway to the water, along with a new dock.
Wells Cove, where we are working with Alderman Ross Arnett to ensure public water access is maintained.
City Dock, where we are working with residents and businesses to find a solution to ongoing nuisance flooding. “Reimagining City Dock” will become one of the largest municipal projects in City history!

It takes time to get all parties engaged and implement change that meets community needs and expectations but we are making progress. You can read more about these and the many other water access projects underway in my recent Mayor’s newsletter.