Committee members discussed a public proposal to create parking benefits districts that would return metered revenue from defined main‑street areas to local corridors. Staff noted the distinction between creating a non‑lapsing special fund in the charter and directing revenue by ordinance, and asked legal staff to identify the charter language that currently constrains legislative action on special funds.

Members cited the Affordable Housing Trust Fund as an example of charter language that designates a non‑lapsing fund and lists permitted revenue sources (ordinance of estimates, grants, donations, portions of TIF). Legal staff said they would research whether the charter required the Affordable Housing Trust Fund to be established by charter rather than ordinance and referenced a Maryland Supreme Court case involving the so‑called baby‑bonus as relevant precedent.

The committee asked Jeff and Law Department staff to return with a short memo outlining (1) what in the charter requires non‑lapsing funds to be created by charter, (2) whether the council can lawfully direct specified revenue streams by ordinance, and (3) any state‑law or court constraints on mandating future appropriations.