August 2026 Community Meeting Recap
Note: Any changes to the minutes should be directed to secretary@upperfellspoint.org.
Virtual Meeting
The meeting was held virtually only.
Introductions and welcoming of new attendees
Guest Speakers
Shea Winpigler, Legislative Aide, Councilman Glover’s office, discussed the staff, their roles, etc.
Shea thanked the UFPIA for hosting a wonderful National Night Out!
Councilman’s staff are:
Chief of Staff: Justin Hunt
He is the Councilman’s right hand and fills in if Councilman Glover can’t make it
Interfaces with agencies, scheduling, prep for hearings, emergency response
Constituent Services Aide: Hannah Konteh
Legislative Aide: Shea Winpigler
Each office operates differently
What Councilman’s office does:
Constituent Services
Attends community meetings every month - 18 community meetings every month - each staffer has six and the Councilman comes in and out
Make sure the Councilman knows what’s going on in every community
Provide resources and information
Advocates for events to come to the district:
Waste diversion event - eco-loop event at Patterson Park (District 1 & 13 share the Park)
Doing another event later this year
Honor and celebrate (such as Lady Day Way mural unveiling); also attends funerals and community events to make sure residents are appreciated and heard
Investigates with the community as to why the problem is happening - for example, trash cans needed (“cans in hands” project)
Partnerships with organizations in and around District 13 (like Friends of Patterson Park), agencies, businesses
Investigations: ride-along with “Put Your Seat Where Your Mouth Is” with a BCPS student, and learned about their school ride to advocate to help BCPS students
Community events: like the UFPIA progressive dinner
Emergency or 311 complaints: always go out and check damage, provide resources and support
Communications: newsletter, social media, district spotlight
Legislation:
Councilman’s committees:
Budget & Appropriations
Housing & Economic Development
Legislative Investigations (Vice Chair)
Public Safety
Legislative sponsor and priorities:
National 311 day (first city to deploy 311) recognition
Request for state action for beer & wine in grocery stores
Padlock bill & exterior signage - part of smoke shop package
Other Council members introduced related bills
Change administrative hearing process for cannabis & controlled dangerous substances within smoke shops
Hearing scheduled in September
Study & Report bill: unlicensed rentals in Baltimore
Want to know how big a problem it is across the city and across each district - licensed, unlicensed, how many violations in each category
July: might have found staff a little less responsive - we had youth workers with us!
Our August newsletter is out
Email Shea:
Procedure in requesting the repaving of an alley
You can do it yourself but reach out about it and will be connected to the right people.
There was discussion to repair the alley behind the community garden
Baltimore Green Space holds the title for the land for the community garden. The City was going to pave it and assess all property owners that were adjacent to it in order to pave it, but the Councilman’s office didn’t want that.
All property owners have to sign off on it; it was about $500/ person but that might have been for that specific project.
Food Security Fund Update:
Upper Fell’s was impacted by the continued changes in food security funding
70% of families with children at Wolfe St. Academy live below the poverty line
Funds allowed us to distribute boxes of fresh produce to our community members 1-2 times a month
$20 feeds a family of four for 1-2 weeks with fresh produce and eggs
The fundraiser is being managed by a small group of community members who will purchase the food directly from Full Circle Farm - all funds except for processing fees go directly to purchasing boxes
Wolfe St. Academy will be distribution site
Since October 2025: $6,939 raised
Monthly cost is $900/ month for 40-45 boxes/ month
Distributed 309 boxes of food
Currently: have $749
2026 goal: 45 recurring donors donating $20/ month
Go Fund Me : it says we raised over $6,000 but we’ve been spending it
Broadway-Gough Task Force Update:
Outline of task force
This is not a new effort - we’ve been engaging the City on this for years
Goal is to get a coordinated, inter-agency response that provides help to people in crisis and restores safety and quality of life with neighbors with clear accountability
Identifying the problem, actions, and the results, as well as impact and observations to form the request to Sen. Ferguson’s office
Problem: Gough/ Broadway/ Regester have been persistent in intoxication, encampments, disorder, dumping
Actively engaged several offices, agencies, BPD, BGE, the Liquor Board with emails, COP walks
MOHS said they were visiting twice a week and people were declining services
None of it has led to a long-lasting solution, just brief periods of cleanup and increased patrol
Impact: at least five people connected to that corner have died in recent years
Businesses impacted
Natural surveillance is down which raises the risk of crime - at least two houses were broken into or attempted
Assault by armed teenagers in masks, calls for immediate medical help or assistance
When conditions persist for years, it signals tolerance and the group is expanding
No single agency owns the whole issue - this needs collaboration and clear ownership, but that is not what we have seen
No one can answer what happens when services are repeatedly declined but the problem persists
Ask: transparent interagency plan, timeline and milestones for accountability, clear protocol for what happens when services are repeatedly declined
Balance compassion with accountability
What we’ll be doing:
Organize data and interactions with agencies - gathered two years’ worth of data in interactions, responses, dates, quotes, timestamps
Explore other available resources that the community is connected to
If we do not get a clear response: could take full records to the press to make sure this timeline is part of public record when community evaluates representation and results
Votes:
Motion: For the UFPIA to provide $300-$500 from the general fund for legal fees by the Community Law Center to file paperwork to form a 501(3)(c) for Broadway Partners (the UFPIA and Washington Hill Community Association) to improve the Broadway corridor from Eastern to E Baltimore with the goal of procuring grant money to fund a full time director (Washington Hill will be donating a similar amount). Motion passed (Y-19; N-0; A-2)
Motion: For the UFPIA to send a letter of support to Edgemont Builders to procure historic renovation credits for their building at 200 S Broadway. The proposed project would include commercial space ideal for artistic, cultural, and/or education endeavors. (They are seeking MD historic building credits and would like a letter of support). Motion passed (Y-12; N-0; A-2)
Motion: For the UFPIA to approve a grant for the 300 block of S Regester for cafe lights (see details in New Business section); motion passed (Y-14; N-0; A-1)
Upper Fell’s Finds
This new topic was added to the agenda starting in July whereby residents can share some of the things in the neighborhood that they like.
Lisa highlighted some of the painted sallyport doors
209 S. Wolfe (Artist: Joe Rizza)
1907/ 1909 Gough (Artist: William from Art Brigadiers)
205 S. Wolfe (Artist: Joe Rizza)
212 S. Durham (Artist: Anne Kotleba)
If you have one to share, contact Trevey at (parliamentarian@upperfellspoint.org)
Officer Reports
Treasurer’s summary report was given.
Reminder: if you pay your dues via the PayPal giving fund, please email a copy of your receipt to treasurer@upperfellspoint.org.
New mural unveiling celebration at S. Chapel & Lombard on 8/22 at 10:30am
There will be light refreshments at the corner; event is free
Committee Reports
Beautification
Mallory Kuehn - beautification@upperfellspoint.org
Tuesday night cleanup 8/11 at Mallory’s Garage
Dumpster Day 9/5 at Ann & Gough
Mallory is moving out of the state in October: need a new chair of the committee
Email beautification@upperfellspoint.org if you’re interested!
COMMUNITY GARDEN
Jan Mooney - communitygarden@upperfellspoint.org
Honey Happy Hour - 8/15 from 4-6pm at the garden to celebrate National Honey Bee Day. Will have beverages, snacks, a raffle and short talk by a local beekeeper.
Oktoberfest - 9/19 from 4-7pm at the garden to celebrate fall.
Both are fundraisers - proceeds to the greening efforts at the garden.
EDUCATION
Eliza Poffenberger - education@upperfellspoint.org
Had a craft table in the children’s section of National Night Out - was very popular
In contact with WSA about school supply donations, putting together a list
Next committee meeting is Thursday 8/27 - email education@upperfellspoint.org for more information if you’d like to join
FUND-RAISING
Amy Zemanick and Wendy Bozel - fundraising@upperfellspoint.org
Monthly meetings on the fourth Monday at 7pm, Ministry of Brewing (8/24 is the next one).
Planning an event on 10/11 in Patterson Park so stay tuned!
Progressive Dinner: will be held in February 2027 (date TBA)
Winter Wander event will be on 12/14 (the same day we’d normally have our meeting since we don’t have a meeting in December)
LADY DAY WAY
Beth Russo - ladydayway@upperfellspoint.org
Purchased the placemaking signs
At some point we will have a celebration party so stay tuned.
LAND-USE
Mark Hoffmann - landuse@upperfellspoint.org
Next meeting on 9/7 at 7pm at the Julie Community Center.
See Votes section above.
Safety (sub-committee)
Dan Harrison - safety@upperfellspoint.org
Showed National Night Out video recap
MEDIA
Jan Mooney - newsletter@upperfellspoint.org
Deadline for the Sept. newsletter is Aug. 30th at 5pm.
Follow us on UFPIA instagram page (@ufpia_baltimore), Facebook and Nextdoor for up-to-date news.
STREETS
Vacant
A volunteer is needed to lead the Committee; contact Ben at president@upperfellspoint.org.
New Business
300 Block of S. Regester Love Your Block Grant (also see Votes section above)
Looking to put cafe lights up, and applied for a City grant
Need a 501(c)(3) to handle the money
Asking the City for $1,350 - if we go over budget, neighborhood will take the rest of the costs
Timeline: have until August 21
Fiscal sponsorship? City wanted a budget of only the items that would be used
Safety: $1,300 left in the budget for the fiscal sponsorship fee and leftover materials from other cafe light projects
See Vote #3 ins votes section above.
Baltimore Compost Collective
There is concern that the youth are being profiled in communities - please be welcoming! (they pickup on Mondays)
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.
Social at Benders
To vote on issues at a meeting, you must have paid your current dues (based on calendar year beginning in January), attended 2 of the preceding 11 meetings, live in our boundaries and be age 18 and/or attended UFPIA sponsored events/activities per our Meeting & Voting Regulations.
