The Annapolis Rules and Government Committee recommended favorably that the city approve a lease renewal for the Chesapeake Children's Museum extending through June 30, 2030, and asked staff to assess the building’s condition and nearby lighting to address public-safety concerns.

A sponsor present told the committee the museum occupies a city‑owned property that has fallen into disrepair in the past but that lessees have worked to maintain the structure; the sponsor asked staff to speak to outstanding concerns. Matt Flint, central services director, said the city will replace security lighting as part of the lease terms and offered to assess whether additional lighting along the pedestrian path adjacent to the museum should be added: "While we're adding security lighting to the property, we're happy to assess the whole thing. We can bring light meters out and assess the lumens projecting on different spaces and try to bring dark areas up to industry standards," Flint said.

Committee members raised safety concerns about a long, unlit stretch of the path used by downtown workers and asked whether the lighting work could include motion‑activated or dusk‑to‑dawn fixtures; Flint recommended dusk‑to‑dawn LED fixtures for continuous coverage and energy efficiency. The committee also asked whether the project might qualify for capital improvement plan (CIP) funding; Flint said the scope—replacing fixtures versus adding new ones—would determine whether the work should be handled in the existing facilities budget or elevated to a CIP project.

On the building’s condition, Flint said the city's facilities and engineering teams are launching a facility condition assessment of all city‑owned property and that the museum site would be included in that review to identify deferred maintenance and any needed structural repairs. Committee members said they wanted a better understanding of the building’s soundness because of the building’s public use by children and the lease's requirement that lessees perform maintenance in lieu of a monetary rent.

The committee moved and approved a favorable recommendation to the full council by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the committee transcript. Staff said they will report back with assessment results and, if necessary, seek funding options to address deferred maintenance or additional lighting.