[{"_1":2,"_109":-5,"_110":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,97],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6674680,"mediaKeyId","2383188-e3ab096d40a0baea165a6023dca24d63","parentId",2383188,"title","Annapolis City Council: votes at a glance from Feb. 24 special meeting","audioSeconds",4205,"startMs",3860000,"endMs",8065000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2383188-e3ab096d40a0baea165a6023dca24d63&start=3860&end=8065","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2383188-e3ab096d40a0baea165a6023dca24d63/thumbnail_3860000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6674680/Annapolis/Anne-Arundel-County/Maryland/Annapolis-City-Council-votes-at-a-glance-from-Feb-24-special-meeting","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6674680-80b851b6ad5b2f2844b8bfd5a784197f/orig.mp4?Expires=1775223961&Signature=AxoSWB92e2-jXl2jmugjAeoXQWMrLKmjezvXqkuGdmeDhpFtOZJbP~U-ZqJWSjuv7r6cwoQ1OP~9FvINmpm04wfgF3Sq2smuhWKngidPvRLx21E1hSi7l9LgK7n1dsenSQSc4yqKichFRGRxD3bc~oYXZfDgJUgN6htzw-rbHuAwws8eupRjQIIV1XF-Wuxpm~2AB1chTidtU9EmtNI8ErT2sam-iUvhgHbebMDhUOvJO9Q~c~t-PShYMFnjRq8vCGVWWUKP08FwFSKXflMoc-eedrIu2IVEXGFLoHJPD-Bvn7roM0tGe0tpRp9hO1impshUNvT7cO6zfjjHepX2Cg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Annapolis, MD","date","2025-02-25T03:15:45.617Z","article","Key outcomes from the Feb. 24 special meeting of the Annapolis City Council (actions listed as adopted, postponed, or referred):

- Charter amendment CA 2-24 (FY 2025 departmental reorganization): Adopted on third reader. Council debate included amendments and an extended discussion about city manager pay-setting and implementation steps; staff will return with related implementing ordinances and pay-rule language for committee review.

- Ordinance O3224 (fire sprinkler system clarification for Main and Francis streets): Council approved amendments and extended the compliance deadline to 2032 for covered properties on those streets. The ordinance as amended applies to commercial, mixed-use and other residential buildings except single-family houses on Main and Francis.

- Ordinance O225 (radio tower lease with city): Council approved a lease for a radio tower site; the lease is terminable by the city and staff noted protections to preserve the city’s options. The fee cited in discussion was $500 per month; council confirmed the city retains termination authority.

- Appointments and consent calendar: The council approved consent calendar appointments, including appointments to the Board of Appeals (alternate), and a number of board/committee annual reports accepted into the record.

- Supplemental appropriation SA26-25 (donation from the Beirich Foundation to DPW Capital Fund): Approved. Council thanked the foundation during the vote.

- Supplemental appropriation SA27-25 (general fund planning and zoning reserve for one-time uses): Approved.

- Fund transfers: FT8-25 (DPW snow and ice transfers, $60,000 reallocated: $15,000 contractual services and $45,000 snow supplies) — approved; FT9-25 (Transportation vehicle/maintenance transfer, $30,000) — approved.

- Ordinance O2324 (parking and towing regulations): The council considered an amendment and ultimately postponed O2324 to the second March meeting for additional review; members raised concerns about contracting practices for tow vendors, especially for large or abandoned vehicles.

- Resolutions: R6-25 (nonprofit vendors at fall 2025 boat shows) — adopted; R10-25 (Annapolis Film Festival fee waiver) — adopted on first reader and referred to finance committee; R8-25 (accept compensation commission report) was introduced on first reader.

- Executive pay ranges and classification items (R5324, O34-24 and related items): Postponed to the second March meeting to allow rules and finance committees additional time to align pay rules, job descriptions and budget timing; HR staff said several budgeted hires remain on hold pending these measures.

Why it matters: the council’s votes included both immediate, operational finance items and a charter-level governance change that will affect how top positions are classified and paid. Postponements were used to allow committee work to reconcile implementing language.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Meeting February 24, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The council approved several routine items, adopted a charter amendment, passed sprinkler requirements for two downtown streets with an extended compliance deadline, and postponed multiple personnel/pay measures; the meeting also included appointments, donations, and fund transfers.","taxTitle","Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, Maryland","taxId",59348,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6674685,"Annapolis postpones executive pay ranges and classification changes after committee debate",311,9712000,10023000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2383188-e3ab096d40a0baea165a6023dca24d63&start=9712&end=10023","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2383188-e3ab096d40a0baea165a6023dca24d63/thumbnail_9712000.jpg","/articles/6674685/Annapolis/Anne-Arundel-County/Maryland/Annapolis-postpones-executive-pay-ranges-and-classification-changes-after-committee-debate","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6674685-2f139a57308a315cc2fc51f6e8d6ca69/orig.mp4?Expires=1775223961&Signature=fDRZgf66LmAHs~wzM-J1myZGemq8XQxsFgbM7GBpKuE3U-swM4trub90IEzJ5hFacVkM0TeYkkWBgMdjBlTOtFvW0XAcaag-nlsCD2pL2OfQWXOBgkiO74f-x-mqn61PDMASPuUihnePhIOhcwxEAoFGX~~W3OUzkNOEQ4866jPmPsBxKnP2I0KrFWf-th0gJwuNh9L2g2PqBZmZMgR6r8uGgPqt0gbiUkB6xorV8pxf9Ttnqu6ZNL~Z6WbsZFvlFD2aWP2gCcw-bx9HWzj7hD93GEGqMv1-a3nVdHGGvy2hbEMPGMwvWDAo5Su08dJLFI25dnjbP4m~YdDJYUlEpQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Annapolis City Council on Feb. 24 voted to postpone several interrelated personnel and pay-rule measures so committees could complete review and align implementation with the budget schedule.

Resolutions and ordinances the council delayed included the executive pay-range resolution and a city code update to exempt service job classifications (referenced in council materials as R5324, O34-24 and related items). Councilmembers and staff said the measures raise interdependent issues — job titles, career-ladder treatments, whether deputy and assistant managers should share titles and how the executive-pay rules will be administered — and that additional committee time was needed before final votes.

Human Resources Director Patricia Hopkins (speaking during the meeting) and other staff noted that several recruitments remain on hold pending completion of pay-range and classification work; Hopkins listed vacancies that could not be filled without the pay/range action, including a GIS specialist in public works and a pretreatment manager in utilities. Assistant City Manager Vicky Buckland and the city manager urged the council to move items forward to avoid further hiring delays; committee chairs said additional review would allow cleaner implementing language.

Why it matters: the postponed measures affect pay ranges, job descriptions and the city’s ability to hire for approved positions. Council members and staff highlighted that some budgeted hires are on hold until the classification and pay rules are finalized.

What’s next: the council referred the measures back to rules and finance committees and set a tentative return for the council’s second meeting in March. Staff said they will prepare the implementing pay-rule language and updated job descriptions for committee review.","The City Council delayed several linked personnel measures — including proposed executive pay ranges and exempt classification updates — to the second March meeting after committees requested more time to reconcile pay rules, job descriptions and budget timing.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":44,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":50,"_51":93,"_53":94,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":95,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":96,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6674690,"Annapolis council adopts charter amendment creating two departments; debate centers on city manager pay authority",2781,6641000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2383188-e3ab096d40a0baea165a6023dca24d63&start=3860&end=6641","/articles/6674690/Annapolis/Anne-Arundel-County/Maryland/Annapolis-council-adopts-charter-amendment-creating-two-departments-debate-centers-on-city-manager-pay-authority","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6674690-3be12cb72710bad45295c3650fcffeb4/orig.mp4?Expires=1775223961&Signature=Uvd4q6CWNQ1NvSVQXoHxQSS52HFJi924DJ1EaVOuXtf0MnabbD24T2P~eqkB0FENDNn7kA-j4hJDoaGsaq02TwX452iM7N-eAtbBgmG99HZgzKHbDP7jVIouzM0rrooVuwBJwCx1W1D4F49KaF775KFRjTKSAEJW~PA6PamjgF6-OlNWKharoVeb87g~AQT~qmNH23ys2YSJeskc08MFZBbe6iuszeKTQiA-2dauyAyhRhPuRLjU2pdBz1~ANChJpmYsYpgTC63qaWLRrT6sQC7oicovmgUdy4UbTXIWv8ocdLEMej~18EWouwxOUa4bx~lXaRZnCwaiQ3UR1hup2g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Annapolis City Council voted to adopt Charter Amendment CA 2-24 on Feb. 24, moving a package of departmental reorganizations into the charter that elevates two offices to department-level status.

Council members debated amendments for more than two hours before a roll-call vote on second and then third reader. Much of the debate centered on whether the charter should continue to direct city-manager compensation via the city’s compensation commission or change practice so the city manager’s pay would be set under the same executive pay-scale process used for department directors. Alderman Ottoman Savage moved an amendment to remove the city manager from the compensation commission’s formula and make the manager’s pay follow the executive pay scale; proponents said it aligns with professional practice for ICMA-style city managers and reduces an atypical charter provision. Opponents said the commission and mayoral negotiation are established and professional, and argued the amendment raised larger governance questions better handled in a separate measure.

City Manager Michael Malinoff told the council he was largely agnostic about the technical mechanics of pay-setting but supported relying on class-and-compensation studies and validated salary information rather than an arbitrary outside committee. Alderman Autumn Finlayson and others urged caution given concurrent proposals to change executive pay ranges and job classifications, which staff and committees were still reviewing.

After extended debate, the council voted on postponement and reconsideration motions and ultimately advanced CA 2-24. The transcript records that CA 2-24 passed on third reader; the council directed staff to continue work on related ordinances and pay-rule language as separate items. Several council members said they want a work session to align the charter amendment, the executive pay rules and classification changes before additional implementing ordinances are finalized.

Why it matters: the charter-level change formally creates departments and alters the city’s organizational structure. The pay-setting discussion and related pending ordinances could affect salary ranges and hiring for senior management positions and will influence how future managers’ compensation is negotiated.

What’s next: councilmembers and staff said related ordinances and resolutions (including executive pay ranges and exempt classification changes) will return for committee review and separate votes. Multiple council members urged a dedicated work session to resolve the interrelated policy and budget questions before final program implementation.

Ending: The charter amendment itself moves forward; lawmakers and staff must still reconcile pay rules and classification changes in follow-up legislation and committee work.","On Feb. 24 the Annapolis City Council adopted Charter Amendment CA 2-24, elevating two offices to department status; council debate focused on whether the charter should continue to link city manager pay to the compensation commission or defer pay-setting to the executive pay scale and mayoral negotiation.",{"_33":98,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":99,"_41":100,"_43":101,"_45":102,"_47":103,"_49":104,"_51":105,"_53":106,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":107,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":108,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6674695,"Annapolis city manager gives timeline for long-delayed Robert Eads Park work",196,2114000,2310000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2383188-e3ab096d40a0baea165a6023dca24d63&start=2114&end=2310","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2383188-e3ab096d40a0baea165a6023dca24d63/thumbnail_2114000.jpg","/articles/6674695/Annapolis/Anne-Arundel-County/Maryland/Annapolis-city-manager-gives-timeline-for-long-delayed-Robert-Eads-Park-work","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6674695-66d79451fa2272166eac91f92fa65ec3/orig.mp4?Expires=1775223961&Signature=P8LlhbekjLc1HJojuILdiXWeWOGc-2VS99fWreLMlX9FWWpkqo5U38sJGmDYWpQTKgF0bi5jENZ5NK4WYSfYT1-Hj~hg9EM-C56~6vMbKz~S-CE-TEtIlDgW92PBPxBEsrMZEutcopbgTZQId3RiHTZP6-4ZQC6o~P0UP9za~rOHJFgbsMu4ixm6psX3fPaT9zaMPVIuNUPzQbGVvnp1LTLoQuOB34ow3swzp60hD8iMRTXNWP80Cm5GmlHCbPqlp0slntAl3ggjA2nfjUAAIn7YhNPaAiWUz3P5nig34JVFvwtlOKWdNCfnQhN27lo0sQPNumdxuGyX7p1c4ycEjQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Belon (sp) McGowan, a Ward 2 resident, asked the City Council on Feb. 24 what was happening with long-delayed work at Robert Eads Park, saying the site had been “an eyesore” and unmaintained for four years.

The question drew a detailed status update from Michael Malinoff, the city manager. Malinoff said the procurement posting for the project would go live the week of Feb. 24, with a pre-bid meeting set for March 5, bids due March 28, an award memorandum the week of April 3 and an expected contract in mid-April. He said performance bonds will be required and the construction schedule will follow award.

The procurement timeline, Malinoff said, reflected recent staffing turnover in the procurement office and other internal delays. “Our procurement office is quite small,” he said, adding that a longtime procurement officer had retired and a deputy had recently died, requiring time to onboard replacements. Malinoff also said the city is creating a central services director position intended to coordinate capital projects and speed work in future.

Why it matters: residents and neighbors told the council the park’s condition is harming the neighborhood and that plans visible in 2021–23 had not moved to construction. Council members and residents pressed the administration for a concrete schedule; Malinoff’s timeline gives specific dates for the public solicitation and bid-review steps.

Additional details and constraints cited at the meeting: Malinoff and others said the design includes a living shoreline component on the waterfront, which requires approvals from state and federal natural-resources authorities and has been cleared for permitting work. Malcolm (sic) Malinoff said those waterfront approvals had been obtained.

Resident follow-ups and requests: Belon McGowan and another speaker, Godfrey Phelps, asked about outside funding. Phelps asked if state and county funds were part of the project; Malinoff did not dispute that outside funding had been identified, and the public record referenced county and state participation during prior planning, but specific funding amounts were not provided at the meeting.

What’s next: Malinoff said the contract award could take up to three weeks after the intent-to-award posting for signature and bonding, and he forecast that by mid-April a contract award and a construction schedule should be available for public review. Councilmembers urged staff to follow up directly with neighborhood representatives and the speakers who requested status information.

Ending: The city manager’s timetable gives a near-term procurement path after years of delay, but the project still depends on the bid outcomes, contract execution, and the federal and state permits needed for waterfront work.","City Manager Michael Malinoff told residents at the Feb. 24 special City Council meeting that a solicitation for Robert Eads Park is scheduled to post the week of Feb. 24, with bids due March 28 and an anticipated contract award in mid-April; residents had pressed the council about years of delay and visible deterioration at the site.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Annapolis City Council: votes at a glance from Feb. 24 special meeting

Annapolis postpones executive pay ranges and classification changes after committee debate

Annapolis council adopts charter amendment creating two departments; debate centers on city manager pay authority

Annapolis city manager gives timeline for long-delayed Robert Eads Park work