Ramos Legislation introduced 1.23.2023

During the City Council meeting on January 23rd, Councilwoman Ramos introduced the following resolutions:

23-0151R Informational Hearing - Infrastructure and Jobs Act and Inflation Reduction Act. This resolution is for a hearing with the Infrastructure Office, City Administrator, and relevant city agencies to report on how Baltimore is positioned to pull down significant funding from the recent federal government initiatives. During the hearing, we will work to find out what these funding sources offer for Baltimore, the process for requesting funds, Baltimore’s preparedness for applying for these funds, reporting requirements to the federal government, public participation, and more.

23-0153R Investigative Hearing - Vacant Buildings Water Shut Offs. This resolution calls for a hearing to understand why section 16.4 of the Baltimore City code which requires DPW, and the request of DHCD, to shut off the water to a property once it is deemed vacant. During the recent cold snap, several constituents reported busted water pipes at vacant houses. Section 116.4.6 of the Baltimore City Building Code requires that when a home is deemed vacant and abandoned, DHCD will inform DPW to turn off the water. This section of the code is not being implemented, and this hearing will seek to find out why. The reason to do this is so that residents don’t have to deal with water damage in their home if a vacant and abandoned property has busted pipes. In addition, the rehabilitation costs for homes with water damage skyrockets, making it harder to achieve our revitalization goals.