Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon was in an upbeat mood at a monthly city council luncheon hosted by the mayor’s office Monday afternoon.
Less than a week after a grand jury indicted Dixon on charges of theft, perjury, and misconduct in office, Dixon traded jokes with council members as officials briefed the legislative body on the Mayor’s finalized proposal for a land bank and plans to cut trash pick up to once a week.
The only controversy arose when photographers were momentarily ejected from Dixon’s conference room after several council members complained of photographs being taken while they enjoyed a buffet lunch that included crab cakes and chocolate cake.
The photographers were let back into the room after complaints were lodged with Mayor’s spokesman Ian Brennan.
“Public access does not mean we do not have control over the meeting,” Brennan said.
Meanwhile the city council members were briefed on legislation introduced at Monday’s council meeting to authorize a city run land bank.
Dixon said the land bank – which would be a separate city agency responsible for disposing of city-owned land – was key to reviving moribund neighborhoods plagued with abandoned housing.
“This is an opportunity to eliminate blight in the city,” Dixon said. “I’m very passionate about this.”
Housing director Paul Graziano told the council the Land Bank would allow Baltimore to create a central database of the more than 10,000 properties, half of which are vacant lots.
“We have been struggling with this inventory, ” he said.
In other developments, officials from the Department of Public Works unveiled plans to reduce trash pick-ups from twice a week schedule to once a week.
Called the “one and one” program, the proposed reduction in sanitation service was touted by DPW Director David Scott as a cost saving measure that will make trash pick-up more efficient.
“Not only will it save the city $5.5 million dollars a year on the service but it allow us to do more to make the city cleaner.”
The change in service would require city council approval, including a repeal of a city ordinance that makes it illegal to leave trash outside the night before a scheduled pick-up.
“We plan to have legislation introduced to the council in February,” Scott said.
