Carla Nelson Chambers elected chair; Estella Alexander chosen vice chair

Carla Nelson Chambers was elected chair of the Baltimore County Redevelopment Authority at a virtual meeting of the authority. The chair vote was conducted by members privately messaging their choice to staff; the chair announced a tally of nine votes for Carla Nelson Chambers with one member absent.

The board also elected Estella Alexander as vice chair by a unanimous ballot. Earlier in the meeting the board moved to adopt the minutes of the previous meeting.

The vote method drew questions about Open Meetings Act requirements. John (legal counsel) said there must be a public record of who voted to avoid future challenges, saying the vote "need[s] to be done in public so that there's some actual record of who voted." The board ultimately relied on staff to read the tally aloud after members sent private chat votes to the meeting host.

Carla Nelson Chambers addressed members after the election, thanking them for their support. "Thank you. Thank you, everyone. I appreciate that," she said.

The board also took a vote to allow the meeting recording to be used in lieu of written minutes; a member moved and the motion carried. Members discussed follow-up steps to ensure the vote record and other meeting documents are preserved and posted as required.

Actions recorded during the meeting included adoption of the prior meeting minutes, the chair selection (Carla Nelson Chambers elected), selection of Estella Alexander as vice chair, and approval to use the meeting recording in lieu of written minutes. The meeting host said they would follow up by email with scheduling information for additional meetings to address open items.

The meeting concluded after a brief public-comment period and the chair adjourned the session.