mary pat clarke

Food truck operators packed into Baltimore City Council chambers on Tuesday to testify on an administration bill that would change the way food trucks operate in the city. The food-truck vendors told the committee they are concerned about new parking restrictions and other provisions in the bill, which would turn over turn over the supervision of food trucks to the city¿s department of general services.

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake will deliver the State of the City for 2014 on Monday afternoon at City Hall.

Amid a storm of complaints from Baltimore taxi drivers over a per-passenger excise tax imposed on their industry last year, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake will today propose a radical restructuring of how the tax is collected and to whom it applies.

The City Council decided Monday to launch an investigation into the secret audit of Baltimore's speed camera system that found error rates much higher than officials have claimed publicly.

2014 may be a year of significant push in the city to accommodate bicyclists

Baltimore finance officials concerned about $1.7M in revenue annually

Members of the City Council are considering a key change to Baltimore's controversial new taxi tax, following months of complaints from taxi drivers and companies that the current per-passenger collection structure is too burdensome.

Hampden merchants are complaining about temporary water pipes that have been lining Falls Road and other streets for several months as part of a city infrastructure project. Merchants and City Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke are asking the city to hurry up and finish the work and remove the pipes.

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake pledged Wednesday to move forward with a new but smaller speed camera system despite the spate of problems that plagued Baltimore's last two speed camera vendors. She spoke after officials voted to terminate the most recent contract for running the city's system, once the largest in North America.

Despite the troubles of its program, Baltimore should not abandon the use of speed cameras to slow motorists in school zones.

Baltimore plans to pay its speed camera vendor $600,000 to end a troubled relationship that has left the city's once lucrative automated enforcement program offline since April and some members of the City Council questioning whether it's time to pull the plug altogether.

Many city taxi riders will see the cost of their trips increase by 25 cents starting next week, as the Maryland Public Service Commission has approved a plan by taxi companies to pass a new city tax on to their customers.

The Baltimore City Department of Social Services is defending its decision to spend nearly $40,000 of taxpayer money to send youths in foster care to a private Christian school in Philadelphia, where in the past year-and-a half, they have obtained a high school diploma in one day.

Planning Commission holds hearing on whether to approve planned shopping center as approved by the City Council in 2010 with "minor" amendments or to send the project back to the council for review of "major amendments, such as the loss of Lowe's as co-anchor with Walmart. Residents are deeply split on the issue, as are the city planners and council members.

City Councilman Carl Stokes says he is leaning toward asking the city Planning Commission to send the 25th Street Station shopping center project back to the City Council for further review.

U.S. Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin will join the parade of Maryland Democratic elected officials who are backing Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown for governor Monday, a source familiar with the senator's plans said.

A week before new revenue is set to arrive in city coffers from a 25-cent tax per passenger on all taxi, limousine and for-hire sedan companies in Baltimore, the City Council will begin considering legislation to delay the tax by six months.

In an act of civil disobedience, a broad coalition of taxi, limo and sedan companies in Baltimore say they refuse to pay a new city tax on the industry.

Although a key Baltimore City panel has approved the Walmart redesign for the 25th Street Station shopping center, a City Council member said he still might ask the Planning Commission to send the project back for reconsideration by the City Council, which approved an earlier version of it in 2010.

At Woody's Taco Island food truck, customers take their marinated tilapia, Caribbean fried rice and jerk chicken chili to go in recycled cardboard containers. It's an environmentally friendly — albeit more expensive alternative — that restaurateurs around Baltimore say their customers are demanding in place of traditional foam cups and containers that some want banned from the city.

Hudson's Corner Column

Roland Park Place, a retirement center, is looking to sell a church it owns next door. Roland Park Place really wanted to raze the church and put in parking lot for employees and guests, but the local community association said no. Now, while it tries to sell the church, Roland Park Place is also asking the community's blessing to put temporary parking behind the church.

Mizeur gains endorsement of Gilchrest, Shore leaders

Driven by a surge of opposition from local residents, several city leaders have withdrawn their support for a major CSX Transportation rail facility proposed for Southwest Baltimore.

25th Street Station developers present their plans tonight to the communities, which already have questions and complaints about the revised plans.

A group of young people banded together a decade ago to overcome public opinion, personal doubt and bureaucracy to build a safe space where Baltimore's youths could thrive and be recognized as productive members of the community.

Groundbreaking ceremony for Phase I of park for skateboarders, partially funded by the Tony Hawk Foundation. The facility, funded partly by Baltimore City, will be built in Roosevelt Park in Hampden. The community of skateboarders in the area is expected to turn out in force to celebrate the start of the park, which is spearheaded by Stephanie Murdock, coincidentally an aide to City Council member Mary Pat Clarke.

Web-only advance on groundbreaking ceremony for first phase of new skateboarding park in Hampden

When Tamber's restaurant in Charles Village opened a racy bar called The Den upstairs several years ago, the community was up in arms and City Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke went on the warpath to shut the bar down. Now, Tamber's wants to expand the restaurant and Clarke once again is fighting it. This time, however, the community supports Tamber's.

The city is expanding the Purple Route of the Charm City Circulator bus line to University Parkway in north Baltimore in 2014, because of the efforts of the Charles Village Civic Association. The only downside is that people wanted it this year, but city officials say funding isn't available until fiscal 2015.

Sarbanes joins parade of Brown endorsers

Official groundbreaking is held for $100 million Rotunda redevelopment project that started this month. The mayor and other dignitaries were on hand and a gourmet lunch was served under a tent in the south parking lot, where the mall is being expanded with nearly 400 apartments, restaurants, more retail, a garage and stores turned out to face a central plaza.

Rotunda redeveloper announces that MOM's Organic Market will replace Giant Food at the Rotunda mall.

Hampden is the first project for Jennifer Leonard, who was hired in May to the newly created position of parking planning manager, responsible for studying parking problems in neighborhoods citywide.

Methadone clinic draws fire at community hearing, as residents and business owners decry drug dealing and loitering outside and city councilwoman says the clinic should be closed.

Merchants say they need a foot patrol officer on and around The Avenue to solve rising crime, but Northern District commander says she doesn't have the resources, even though she agrees a foot patrol officer is needed.

With city leaders pushing to impose earlier curfews on Baltimore's youth, civil liberties advocates and researchers say such measures don't deter crime and truancy and lead to police targeting children from poorer areas.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Heather Mizeur picked up her first endorsement from a Baltimore elected official Monday as veteran City Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke gave her blessing to the Montgomery County delegate's insurgent campaign.