The Economic Matters Committee on Oct. 15 heard a report from the city’s Economic Development Office introducing new economic development manager Adam Strot and announcing the formal launch of a Marine Trade Apprenticeship program.

Hope Stewart, head of the Economic Development Office, thanked Alderman Shandell Meyer for support during the recent Annapolis Boat Show and said the apprenticeship program — developed over four years — already has one participant signed up. Stewart highlighted outreach to the Seafarers Union and the Maritime Retailers Association and said staff will meet with school-board representatives to explore school-based recruitment.

Adam Strot, the new economic development manager, described his background in sustainable industries, technology and affordable-housing initiatives and said he will focus on building a stronger data baseline for the office. Strot said the office is onboarding a constituent-relationship-management (CRM) system to create a living dataset from permitting records and to respond more effectively to businesses.

Strot presented permitting-derived metrics through September showing a 4.6% commercial vacancy rate (down from 4.7% month-over-month) and ward-level permit activity across 2023–2025. He cautioned that some reported figures require qualification: one entry listed 206 part‑time jobs because of a change in ownership of a larger employer; Strot said the actual number of jobs tied to the permitting record was six.

Strot also said maritime-related industries accounted for roughly 5% of new use-and-occupancy permits in the permitting dataset. He said the office plans a new five-year economic development strategy (the prior plan dates to 2015) and will use the new CRM and permitting intelligence to build ward-level economic profiles and better target programs such as economic gardening and workforce apprenticeships.

On childcare, Strot and Stewart discussed regulatory staffing ratios and acknowledged that childcare affordability requires public-sector solutions. "Maryland regulation requires 1 provider for every 2 children under the age of 2 and a half," Strot said, noting that such staffing requirements increase costs and complicate the childcare market.

Council members praised the new data work and asked staff to connect it to transit and pedestrianization efforts and prior studies, including the Urban3 land-value and infrastructure study. The committee closed the item by thanking Stewart for her leadership and encouraging staff to continue building the CRM and the strategic plan.