[Chat] Fw: PAROLE & PROBATION NEGOTIATIONS AT A STANDSTILL: Need yourhelp

[Brad Schlegel]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "William P. Miller" <Wpmiller at greaterhomewood.org>
Sent: Friday, August 06, 2004 4:16 PM
Subject: PAROLE & PROBATION NEGOTIATIONS AT A STANDSTILL: Need your help


Negotiations between the City and the State to choose an alternative site
for the citywide Parole and Probation service center at 2100 Guilford
Avenue, next door to Guilford Elementary School, are going nowhere.

The State has not worked in good faith to move the facility. The clear
attitude from State officials is, "Show us the alternative site, we are not
going to lift a finger".  They have only been involved in setting such
strict requirements (such as 300 parking spaces for employees and the use of
public transit without a transfer) that the City representatives feel their
hands are tied.  The State has not considered using any of its own property
for relocating this facility. To most of us it appears that the State
bureaucrats are simply going through the motions so that they can move
forward with their $20 million remodeling project.

On the City side, the site location work has been thrust onto already busy
staff who have little time to devote to the effort.  The City identified six
possible sites, but never formally presented them to the State Board of
Public Works.  This allowed the State officials to be negative about the
sites without any public debate.

Senator Hughes and Delegates Fulton, Goodwin and Marriott have been very
helpful up until now, but we really need their continued support. They are
under pressure to just give in and accept the State's plan.

Dallas Nicholas School and the Barclay and Old Goucher neighborhoods really
need the help of the entire north central Baltimore community.  You may have
seen the TV coverage Wednesday evening when they picketed Parole and
Probation to help stimulate renewed discussion between the State and City,
or you may have seen this week's City Paper with an article highlighting the
problem this facility poses for 420 young children.

If you agree that it is outrageous for the State to spend $20 million
remodeling a rundown Parole & Probation building next door to an elementary
school, or if you are simply fed up with the vacant houses on the 2100 &
2200 blocks of Calvert Street and the other abandoned properties between
North Ave and 25th Street that many people are still afraid to invest in,
then we need your help in the next few days.

We need to pour in phone calls, e-mails and faxes to the Governor and the
Mayor with copies to state legislators.

Governor Robert Ehrlich
<governor at gov.state.md.us>  Phone 1-800-811-8336  FAX: 410 974-3275.

"Under no conditions should the State spend $20 million to remodel the
citywide Parole and Probation office next to Dallas Nicholas elementary
school.  State officials need to recognize that 5000 visits per week by
convicted criminals is not acceptable around an elementary school.  It was
wrong to expand the facility over the years in that location and now is the
time to correct the mistake, rather than perpetuating the situation for 30
more years.  State officials need to be proactive in the effort to find an
alterative."

Copies should go to:

Senator Ralph Hughes

<Ralph_Hughes at senate.state.md.us>  Phone:410-225-0555
Fax: 410 225-7289.

Delegate Tony Fulton

<Tony_Fulton at hous.state.md.us>  Phone: 410-383-1500
Fax: 410 383-0902.

Delegate Marshall Goodwin

<Marshall_Goodwin at house.state.md.us>  Phone: 410 383-1500
Fax:  410 383-0902

Delegate Salima Siler Marriott

<Salima_Marriott at house.state.md.us> Phone: 410 728-6698
Fax: 410 664-4951.

 Mayor Martin O'Malley

<mayor at baltimorecity.gov>  Phone: 410 396-3835  Fax: 410 576-9425.

"Thank you for your continued support to move the State's Parole and
Probation Office from next door to Dallas Nicholas elementary school.

Given the resistance of State officials to changing their original plans,
the City needs to work harder to accomplish this move.  Please don't give up
the fight."

Thank you for your help.  We need lots of communications in the next few
days.