Annapolis mayor names 3 to board of housing authority...

Annapolis mayor names 3 to board of housing authority

Annapolis Mayor Ellen O. Moyer has appointed an affordable-housing advocate, a former mayoral candidate and a public housing resident to the Annapolis Housing Authority's board of commissioners.

Trudy McFall, chairwoman of the nonprofit Homes for America; and Franklin Yates, a resident of the Glenwood senior citizen public housing development who ran against Moyer in the Democratic mayoral primary, will join the board July 1.

Patricia Holliday, a resident of the Bowman Court neighborhood who served on the mayor's public housing transition team, also was appointed to the board. She will replace board member Loretta Hall, a tenant representative whose term expires July 31.

At Moyer's request, the General Assembly expanded the board by two seats - from five to seven - this year. Moyer said she wanted to be able to appoint individuals with relevant expertise. The legislature approved the measure but stipulated that one board member must live in senior citizen public housing.

McFall, a former director of the Maryland Community Development Administration and program director with the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, also serves as president of the Arundel Affordable Housing Coalition. She said she hopes to help the authority take advantage of new programs and wants to encourage on-site management to improve conditions in the authority's 10 public housing communities.

"There are opportunities to do things in new and better ways," McFall said. "The housing authority has not taken advantage of all the tools and programs that exist. ... The most immediate [challenge] is improving the physical condition of the existing properties - I think that is Job One."

Two farms to be preserved in Rural Legacy Program

Anne Arundel County will receive $863,977 from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Rural Legacy Program to preserve two farms in Lothian and Harwood.

Both farms lie within the Middle Patuxent River watershed. The 78-acre Lothian farm, on Bayard Road, includes more than 2,600 feet of tributary streams. The 87-acre Harwood farm, on South Polling House Road, includes more than 3,000 feet of unnamed streams. Both are working farms under family ownership.

"Every acre preserved is an investment in the quality of life for our present and future citizens," Anne Arundel County Executive Janet S. Owens said in a written statement.

State to provide $2 million to improve 3 local parks

Gov. Parris N. Glendening and the state Board of Public Works recently committed $2 million to improve three local parks, according to county officials.

Kinder Park in Millersville will receive $1.3 million to restore several farm buildings that are part of its agriculture history museum. A multipurpose field also will be built. Harmans Park in Hanover will receive $560,987 for expansion. The Washington Baltimore & Annapolis Trail Park will receive $186,000 to construct a 2.6-mile paved trail.

Fire Department report is expected in mid-July

An independent consultant is expected to deliver its final report about Anne Arundel County's Fire Department's infrastructure by mid-July.

The study will include recommendations for new stations in growing areas of the county and a review of current stations, staffing and equipment.

The $100,000 study by Maximus was scheduled to be done last week, but Fire Department officials discovered inaccuracies and problems with how the current stations were evaluated, said Fire Division Chief John M. Scholz.

Several County Council members are eager to receive the final report to help assess how much money will be needed to build additional fire stations.

Bisesi chosen to lead investigations division

A veteran county detective has been appointed the new commander of the Anne Arundel County Police Department's criminal investigations division.

Capt. Joseph H. Bisesi, a former lieutenant in the narcotics section and platoon commander in Northern District, will oversee units including homicide, robbery, missing persons and career criminals. Bisesi began his police career in the county in 1977 as a cadet.

Capt. Tom Rzpekowski, who had been heading the CID, became commander of the Southern District this month.