Resilience update: Annapolis staff outline electric ferry procurement, LED street‑light work and Carr—s Beach design progress

Jackie Guile, deputy city manager for resilience and sustainability, presented a multi‑topic resilience and sustainability update to the Environmental Matters Committee on Dec. 12, reporting progress on coastal resilience planning, an electric ferry procurement, street‑light conversions, Carr—s Beach design work, and related grant efforts.

Electric ferry procurement and funding: Guile said the city received 11 proposals for the electric ferry project and narrowed the field to six firms for in‑depth interviews. "We whittled that down to 6 firms to do round 2 interviews," she said. The grant funding covers construction of two electric ferries (roughly $1.95 million) and additional funds are available for landing improvements and charging infrastructure (bringing total grant funding to about $2.95 million). Guile emphasized that the grant does not fund operating costs, which the city will need to budget separately or procure through a third‑party operator. Staffing and operations questions will be part of a future RFP process for the vessel operator; staff said the city should begin work on an RFP this winter so an operator can be in place before vessel delivery.

Capacity and timing: Proposed vessels are approximately 35 feet with a seating capacity of roughly 14–15 passengers plus bicycle storage and at least one ADA seat. Staff told the committee they expect delivery within 12–14 months after contract award with a goal of receiving vessels by the end of 2025, though timing depends on the procurement schedule.

LED street lights and ownership questions: Committee members asked whether transferring street‑light ownership to the investor‑owned utility (BGE) would affect small‑cell permit revenue the city receives for hosting providers on poles. Staff said they will research whether revenue rights transfer with ownership and noted the city has a map showing which lights are city‑owned versus utility‑owned. Dylan McCunich, environmental programs coordinator, said the city will prioritize the least efficient fixtures and pursue grant funding (for example, Maryland Smart Energy Communities grants) to convert city‑owned lights to LED; no CIP budget for the conversion had been finalized.

Carr—s Beach shoreline and park design: Guile reported the shoreline (living shoreline) work is in design with a firm called Scapes and that public outreach has been held with neighboring communities. The design team is working on a pier configuration that extends farther into the channel to reduce dredging needs and to preserve kayak access. Separately, McAdams (with Mitchell Silver noted as lead) is working on a comprehensive park design; staff said the park design remains at an early conceptual stage and agreed to invite Rec & Parks staff and designers to a future committee meeting to present plans and outreach timelines.

Other resilience items and grants: Guile and staff noted the University of Maryland coastal resilience planning series, for which Annapolis was invited to participate; the program will run through 2026 and focus on nature‑based solutions. Staff also reported the Maryland Energy Administration recently opened a heavy‑duty grant that could subsidize up to 75% of the cost of electric fire trucks; the fire chief and fleet manager are exploring the opportunity. Staff highlighted that some grants require prompt application (one closing in late January) and urged coordination.

Leaf blowers and enforcement timeline: Committee members asked about enforcement for a recently passed leaf‑blower ordinance; staff said the effective date is Jan. 22 and the committee chose a three‑month lead for civil citations, which would make the first citation date April 22.

Ending: Staff committed to return with more detailed materials and specific budget or CIP requests where applicable (for example, operating budgets for ferries and potential grant applications for LED conversions and electric vehicles). The committee asked that relevant designers and project leads be invited back for the January meeting to present concept and final designs where available.