>> WELCOME BACK, EVERYONE.
JOINING US NOW, COUNCILMAN CHRIS
BURNETT FROM THE EIGHTH
DISTRICT, AND FROM THE NINTH
DISTRICT, JOHN BULLOCK, WHICH
REPRESENTS THE AREA AROUND
EDMONDSON VILLAGE.
YOU ARE BOTH FROM THE WEST SIDE
OF BALTIMORE.
WEST BALTIMORE WAS THRUST INTO
THE SPOTLIGHT IN A MAJOR WAY IN
APRIL 2015, EXPOSING THE SEVERE
CHALLENGES OF THAT PARTICULAR
URBAN COMMUNITY.
HERE WE ARE 18 MONTHS LATER OR
WHATEVER.
NOT A WHOLE LOT HAS CHANGED.
WHAT HOLDS UP ANY KIND OF
PROGRESS WITH HOUSING
OPPORTUNITY, LOWER CRIME?
WHAT IS THE BIG STUMBLING BLOCK?
>> ONE OF THE THINGS YOU
MENTIONED WAS THE NINTH DISTRICT
SERVICE WEST AND SOUTHWEST
BALTIMORE.
WE HAVE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE
SEEN DECADES OF DISINVESTMENT.
SOME PEOPLE LOOKED AT THE UNREST
AND SAID THAT WAS TERRIBLE, BUT
SOME OF THESE WERE LONG-STANDING
CONDITIONS IN ADVANCE.
WE KNOW PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN
A VACANT HOUSES FOR 10 OR 20
YEARS.
SOME OF THE OBSTACLES HAVE BEEN
A COUNCIL THAT HAS NOT BEEN AS
ACTIVE ON SOME OF THESE ISSUES.
IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO CREATE
THOSE PARTNERSHIPS.
SOME OF THOSE HAVE BACK
KNOWLEDGE IN ORGANIZING POLICY
AND USING THOSE TO PUSH THE CITY
FORWARD.
WE HAVE TO USE THOSE TO PUSH OUR
STATE AND AGENCY FORWARD.
>> I HAVE TO AGREE.
I STARTED GETTING CALLS DURING
THE UNREST FROM FRIENDS IN NEW
YORK WHO WOULD SEE A BLOCK OF
VACANT HOUSES.
I GOT A PICTURE, AND AS A PART
OF THE BLOCK HAS LOOKED THAT WAY
SINCE I WAS A KID.
AS A CITY, WE WANT TO SEE CHANGE
IMMEDIATELY AND QUICKLY, BUT AT
THE END OF THE DAY, IT IS GOING
TO TAKE SOME TIME TO REBUILD
BALTIMORE, BUT I'M ENCOURAGED.
YOU SAID SOMETHING THAT I WOULD
SAY CHANGES THE COUNCIL.
WE HAVE EIGHT NEW COUNSEL PEOPLE
COMING IN, WHICH REPRESENTS A
MAJORITY OF THE COUNCIL.
HAVING GOTTEN TO KNOW SEVERAL OF
THESE FOLKS SINCE APRIL, I THINK
WE HAVE A LOT -- A VERY TALENTED
GROUP.
I COME FROM A BACKGROUND IN
COMMUNITY ORGANIZING, AND I HAVE
ALREADY HIT THE GROUND WORKING
WITH MY NEIGHBORHOODS AND
DEVELOPING A WORKSHOP SERIES TO
TRAIN ASSOCIATION LEADERS AND
COMMUNITY LEADERS ON HOW TO DEAL
WITH VACANT PROPERTIES AND
NAVIGATE THE LABYRINTH IT CAN BE
TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHO OWNS A
VACANT BUILDING THAT HAS BEEN
THERE FOR TWO YEARS.
I LIVE NEXT TO A VACANT HOUSE.
ON SEVERAL OF MY BLOCKS, I
CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THE
FRUSTRATION, BUT IT IS ALSO
SOMETHING THAT IS A PRIORITY FOR
ME PERSONALLY, FIGURING OUT WAYS
WE CAN NOT ONLY WORK ON THE
GROUND LITERALLY WALKING BLOCK
TO BLOCK, BUT ALSO POLICY
CHANGES TO STRENGTHEN CODE
ENFORCEMENT, CREATING NEW
INCENTIVES FOR HOME OWNERSHIP
FINANCIAL EDUCATION SO WE CAN
PUT PEOPLE ON A PATHWAY TO
GETTING THESE HOMES IN REHAB.
I THINK IT IS A BIG DEAL,
WORKING WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE
AS WELL TO TRY TO GET MORE
FUNDING.
ALSO PROJECT CORE, MAKING SURE
NOT ONLY THE MONEY IS THERE, BUT
THE IMPLEMENTATION AS WELL.
IT'S IMPORTANT, AND THAT IS WHEN
WE WILL HAVE TO WORK
HAND-IN-HAND TO REALLY MAKE SURE
THESE DOLLARS ARE SPENT IN A WAY
THAT MAKES IT A MAXIMUM IMPACT
FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
>> GOVERNOR HOGAN SPOKE AT
CATHERINE PUGH'S INAUGURAL.
IT HAS NOT BEEN A GOOD
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CITY HALL
AND ANNAPOLIS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
DO YOU THINK THERE IS A
PARTNERSHIP THERE, AND WHAT DO
YOU THINK OF IT?
>> I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO
HAVE ONE.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE THAT
LINE OF COMMUNICATION BECAUSE A
TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORKMATES
TO BE DONE, BUT I ALSO KNOW IT
IS A PRIORITY FOR THE COUNCIL
PRESIDENT, SOMETHING HE
MENTIONED IN HIS INAUGURAL
ADDRESS YESTERDAY, WORKING WITH
NONPROFITS, SMALL BUSINESSES,
COMMUNITIES TO REALLY PUT ALL
OUR RESOURCES ON THE TABLE, AND
THAT INCLUDES WORKING IN
ANNAPOLIS AS WELL AND WORKING
WITH OUR DELEGATION.
WE ARE THREE WEEKS AWAY FROM THE
NEXT SESSION, SO MAKING SURE IT
IS ALSO A PRIORITY FOR THEM.
>> WE HAVE ABOUT 30 SECONDS
LEFT.
I KNOW YOU HAVE A PUBLIC POLICY
BACKGROUND.
WHAT EFFECT WILL THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION HAVE ON CITIES
LIKE THIS?
>> ONE OF THE BIG CHALLENGES WE
LOOK AT AN ADMINISTRATION LIKE
THIS, WHAT WILL BE THE FOCUS OF
URBAN AMERICA.
THERE HAS BEEN TALK ABOUT
INFRASTRUCTURE.
WERE TALKING HOUSING,
INVESTMENTS IN TRANSIT, THINGS
THAT WILL BE CRITICAL FOR
BALTIMORE CITY TO MOVE FORWARD.
I'M NOT EXPECTING A BIG WINDFALL
ON THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, BUT
WE NEED TO HAVE THOSE
CONVERSATIONS.
THE TALKING POINT DURING THE
ELECTION WAS AROUND SAVING URBAN
CITIES AND INVESTING IN THEM,
BUT WE SHOULD ALSO SEE THE
DOLLARS FOLLOW THAT.
>> AGREED.
WE HAVE A PRESIDENT THAT LIKES
TO, FRANKLY, BUILD THINGS.
HOPEFULLY, THAT ACTUALLY
TRANSLATE INTO DOLLARS.
WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE
IN THE CITY AS IT RELATES TO
INFRASTRUCTURE.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT STORMWATER
BREAKS AND EVERYTHING ELSE,
HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
THAT NEED TO MOVE FORWARD.
IT'S GOING TO BE IMPORTANT TO
RECEIVE ASSISTANCE FROM THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.