Podcasts about baltimore city department

Khalil Zaied is the newly sworn-in Director of the Baltimore City Department of Public Works. He takes over an agency that has been rocked by scandal, and roundly criticized by workers and people outside of DPW for ineffective and hostile organizational culture. A lack of training and accountability and insufficient emergency protocols even contributed to the death of a DPW worker, Ronald Silver II, last summer. Zaied joins Midday to discuss how he intends to address the questions surrounding DPW.Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Baltimore was one of the hottest cities in the nation last week. Extreme weather is becoming more common as human-driven changes to the planet's climate continue. Joey Henderson of the Baltimore City Department of Emergency Management on how the city handles the heat and hurricanes, and how you can be best prepared. (Photo by Kylie Cooper, The Baltimore Banner)Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Right now, beneath your feet, a century-old system of pipes and drains making up Baltimore City's water and sewage utilities help deliver water to nearly 2 million people across the region. The system serves the city, Baltimore County, and parts of Anne Arundel, Carroll, Howard and Harford counties, too. It is among Baltimore city's largest and most valuable assets, worth billions of dollars. Later in the show, we discuss how aging sewage infrastructure is impacting Baltimore city residents. But first, a new regional task force created by the Maryland General Assembly is considering changes to the system that could have repercussions for the many people who use its water. The task force has a deadline in January to present its recommendations to the General Assembly.Our guests are Bill Henry, Baltimore City' Comptroller and chair of that Task Force, and Lauren Buckler, Deputy Director for Baltimore County Department of Public Works and Transportation. She was named to the task force by County Executive Johnny Olszewski. Later in the show, we talk about the consequences of aging sewage infrastructure for Baltimore city residents. The Baltimore City Department of Public Works reported in 2021 there had been more than 8500 sewage backups in the city in the previous three years.Some of those backups are caused by storms or flooding, when a sudden influx of water triggers the sewage system to spill. Sometimes into streams and sometimes into people's homes. In 2021, the city expanded its help for residents with sewage backups by paying clean-up crews dispatched to the scene. But this past May, the federal EPA said the city must expand its assistance to include residents who experience sewage backups from causes beyond storms and flooding. Our guest Jennifer Kunze, program coordinator with the grassroots advocacy group Clean Water Action, joins us to talk about the latest. We asked the city's Department of Public Works about the practice of limited support for clean-ups to backups caused by wet conditions; "If City of Baltimore residents encounter capacity-related sewage backups, the Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) offers its Sewage Onsite Support (SOS) Cleanup Program, a direct assistance program, which provides cleaning and disinfection services at no cost to residential customers, who reside in Baltimore City, and are impacted by sewage damage caused by a capacity-related wet-weather event resulting from heavy or sustained rain. A capacity-related wet weather event occurs when at least ¼ inch of precipitation is recorded within a 24-hour period that causes the sewer lines to surcharge or overflow. A City resident who incurs costs as a result of a non-capacity and/or dry weather building backup has the option to pursue a general liability claim with the Baltimore City Law Department." More information about the city's Sewage Onsight Support Cleanup Program can be found on the Department of Public Works website.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472

In this episode, we interview Jason Mitchell, Ed.D. the Public Works Director for the Baltimore City Department of Public Works. With over 20 years of experience in private and public sector operations, strategic capital planning, and fiscal management, Jason has a proven track record as a change agent in the field of public works. In this interview, he shares his insights on balancing the demands of critical infrastructure and financial stability with innovation in sustainability, long-term planning, and community development. Join us as we learn more about Jason's journey and his vision for the future of public works. #fixinfrastructure #engineering #sustainability #infrastructure #publicsector --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-infrastructure/message

Prior to joining AMAC as President and CEO, Eboni Wimbush most recently served as the Deputy Director of the Baltimore City Mayor's Office of Children & Family Success. She was responsible for advancing all of the work across the agency including building and implementing the strategies and systems to operationalize the City's $100 million eviction prevention program in response to the global pandemic as well as leading the agency's contracting, human resources, grant compliance and equity strategy. Previously, Eboni served as Chief of Staff at Baltimore City Department of Transportation,  Additionally, she served as a key advisor to the Director in overseeing the day-to-day management, operations and performance activities of the agency's 1,250 employees and $250 million budget. Prior to joining Baltimore City and over a span of two decades, Eboni had a distinguished private sector career with Fortune 500 companies including FedEx Corporation, Johnson Controls and Siemens. Eboni holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Management from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. She resides in Alexandria, Virginia and is an active member of Alfred Street Baptist Church where she serves as the President of the College Ministry. Eboni is a proud parent of one son. Register for the April 12, 2023 NABWIC's Billion Dollar Luncheon at https://aviationbdl2023.eventbrite.com NABWIC's Vision: The Vision of the National Association of Black Women in Construction (NABWIC) is to build lasting strategic partnerships with first-rate organizations and individuals that will provide ground-breaking and innovative solutions for black women in construction and their respective communities.| NABWIC.ORG

Prior to joining AMAC as President and CEO, Eboni Wimbush most recently served as the Deputy Director of the Baltimore City Mayor's Office of Children & Family Success. She was responsible for advancing all of the work across the agency including building and implementing the strategies and systems to operationalize the City's $100 million eviction prevention program in response to the global pandemic as well as leading the agency's contracting, human resources, grant compliance and equity strategy. Previously, Eboni served as Chief of Staff at Baltimore City Department of Transportation,  Additionally, she served as a key advisor to the Director in overseeing the day-to-day management, operations and performance activities of the agency's 1,250 employees and $250 million budget. Prior to joining Baltimore City and over a span of two decades, Eboni had a distinguished private sector career with Fortune 500 companies including FedEx Corporation, Johnson Controls and Siemens. Eboni holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Management from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. She resides in Alexandria, Virginia and is an active member of Alfred Street Baptist Church where she serves as the President of the College Ministry. Eboni is a proud parent of one son. Register today for NABWIC's Billion Dollar Luncheon in Aviation Opportunities:  https://aviationbdl2023.eventbrite.com NABWIC's Vision: The Vision of the National Association of Black Women in Construction (NABWIC) is to build lasting strategic partnerships with first-rate organizations and individuals that will provide ground-breaking and innovative solutions for black women in construction and their respective communities.| NABWIC.ORG

Six months ago, Baltimore installed speed cameras on The Jones Falls Expressway, on a stretch of the highway where unsafe driving and traffic accidents have been a problem for years.  So, are the cameras having their intended effect? Aaron and Baltimore Banner reporter Hallie Miller get some answers from the Baltimore City DOT. In this episode, we hear from: Corren Johnson, Interim Director of the Baltimore City Department of TransportationSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With recycling rates averaging only 30% in the US there is plenty of room for improvement. Many companies and organizations have sustainability strategies that include goals to increase the capture and use of recycled content. These goals are often worked on within an organization where the scale and impact can be limited and not widely accessible or beneficial. Learn how The Recycling Partnership, the City of Baltimore, Dow and Rehrig Pacific Company have used their individual sustainability goals and aspirations to form a common foundation for collaboration. This session will explore how this public/private sector partnership has successfully delivered and implemented almost 200,000 roll out carts across the city. This inclusive and equitable new solution will enable The City of Baltimore to increase household recycling by 80% and will capture as much as 40 million additional pounds of recyclable material. Speakers: HyeSook Chung, President, Baltimore Civic Fund Cody Marshall, Chief of Community Strategy, The Recycling Partnership Jonathan North, Vice President Sustainable and Core Solutions, Rehrig Pacific Company Kristyn Oldendorf, Chief, Office of Waste Diversion, Baltimore City Department of Public Works Jennifer Ronk, Senior Sustainability Manager, Dow

Hold onto your steering wheel as we're about to hit the road on this week's PreserveCast as we talk with Evans Paull about Baltimore's Stop the Road movement, the historic waterfront communities saved, and the Highway to Nowhere. Detailed in his recently released book, Stop the Road: Stories from The Trenches of Baltimore's Road Wars, Paull will give us a glimpse into the up-close-and-personal account of Baltimore's 40-year battle over highway plans.  E. Evans Paull spent 45 years as a city planner working in Baltimore and nationally on urban redevelopment issues. He began his career in the Baltimore City Department of Planning as a generalist planner before specializing in the redevelopment of brownfields.  After starting and managing Baltimore's Brownfields Initiative, he tackled these same issues at a national level, working first for Northeast-Midwest Institute before becoming director of the National Brownfields Coalition and finally running his consulting business, Redevelopment Economics. Although now retired, many of his published articles and papers still appear on the Redevelopment Economics website. Paull has won several awards, including: Brownfields Leadership Award, Phoenix Award (for brownfields redevelopment), Governor's Smart Growth Award and Professional Achievement in Economic Development Award from the Maryland Chapter American Planning Association.

About the guestAndy Cook is the founder and Executive Director of Made In Baltimore.  After a decade spent telling stories of progress and innovation as a photojournalist in Baltimore and New Orleans, Andy shifted focus to pursue a career in urban planning. As an Environmental Planner at the Baltimore Office of Sustainability, Andy helped launch Waste-To-Wealth, a program capturing economic value from sustainable waste diversion.  Baltimore City Rec & Parks' Camp Small Zero Waste Initiative, Baltimore City Department of Public Works' Grow Centers, and Baltimore Office of Sustainability's Food Waste Initiative are all programs Andy piloted during that time.A native of Baltimore County, Andy holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Cooper Union, and a Master of City Planning from MIT.  In 2018 he was recognized as one of Baltimore Business Journal's 40 Under 40. He lives in the Remington neighborhood.The Truth In This ArtThe Truth In This Art is a podcast interview series supporting vibrancy and development of Baltimore & beyond's arts and culture.Mentioned in this episodeMade in BaltimoreTo find more amazing stories from the artist and entrepreneurial scenes in & around Baltimore, check out my episode directory.Stay in TouchNewsletter sign-upSupport my podcastShareable link to episode★ Support this podcast ★

Once a child is placed in foster care, they're reuniting with their parent or guardian less than half of the time. But many child welfare agencies say reuniting families is a top priority. Is it possible to have a system that both protects children and prioritizes families? Guests: Aby, a Mother who reunited with her child Dalton Shump, Permanency Case Worker, KVC Molly Tierney, Managing Director, North American Public Sector at Accenture, Former Director of the Baltimore City Department of Social Services Lynn Price, Founder, Camp to Belong

Tom's Newsmaker guest today is Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski, Jr. Mr. Olszewski has a full plate of issues to contend with. The County has relaxed some COVID restrictions. Masks are no longer required in public buildings. As of the end of the month, masks will no longer be required in County government buildings too. It's budget season in Baltimore County; hundreds, maybe thousands of people are expected to participate in budget hearings. A consultant hired to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of County government offered 171 ways that the County could save hundreds of millions of dollars. School construction is back on the front burner. Dulaney and Towson high schools are due for facelifts. The County has more than $160 million to work with from the American Rescue Plan, but not all problems can be solved with money alone. Like other jurisdictions around the country, Baltimore County is experiencing more violent crime than in years past. The County is Maryland's third largest jurisdiction. After some speculation that he might run for governor, Mr. Olszewski announced last spring that he will stand for election for a second term as County Executive. He is the only Democrat who has filed to run in the primary. Kimberley Stansbury and Darren Badillo have filed to face-off against each other in the Republican primary. Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszeski, Jr,. joins us on Zoom from his office in Towson. We welcome your questions or comments for the County Executive.  ______________________________________________________ An important addendum to yesterday's show: Tom interviewed three members of the leadership team at the Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development. They spoke about the vacant house on Stricker Street in South Baltimore that was recently the scene of the terrible tragedy in which three Baltimore firefighters were killed when that home collapsed while they were fighting a fire there. Justin Fenton is one of several excellent reporters who have been hired by the Baltimore Banner,an online platform that is scheduled to launch later this spring. In the meantime, the Banner is publishing a newsletter with stories of local interest, and this morning, Justin posted a story that tells the history of the house on Stricker Street where the firefighters were killed. He found that It is owned by a woman in Huntingdon, PA, whose husband, Robert Shore, Sr., left it to her when he passed away in 2016. Fenton reports that the house was declared vacant by the city in 2010. That same year, the tax liens on the house were sold at public auction to First National Assets. This is a company that buys the right to collect back taxes that are owed by homeowners around the country. First National Assets foreclosed on the property in 2013, but Justin Fenton reports that a year later, the city had the foreclosure overturned because First National Assets had not paid the back taxes that were owed on the property. The city tried to sell it at three subsequent tax sales, but no buyers have been interested. To read Justin Fenton's story in the Baltimore Bannernewsletter, click here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last month, three firefighters — Paul Butrim, Kelsey Sadler and Kenny Lacayo — died while fighting a fire in a vacant house in South Baltimore. That tragedy put the issue of Baltimore's vacant houses back in the headlines, and top of mind for many. For many others in our city, vacant houses and blight have been part of their lives for decades. Over the years, city officials have tried to address the problem of abandoned homes in a number of different ways. One idea currently being discussed in the Baltimore City Council is to revive the Dollar House program, a program that was implemented more than 40 years ago. Since 2016, the Maryland Dept of Housing and Community Development claims to have demolished or stabilized 5,000 units, and they promise that 400 more are in the pipeline for demolition. But there are still 14,990 vacant houses in Baltimore City, according to the latest tally by the Mayor's office. Two weeks ago, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scottordered a review of what city agencies are doing about those vacant houses, which the Mayor has promised will “inform a plan to deal with Baltimore's vacant housing stock." The review is to be completed by the beginning of next month. Today on Midday, a conversation with the senior leadership of the Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development about the plan to rid the city of blight, and the overall strategy for creating safe, quality affordable housing for the thousands of Baltimore City residents who need it. Joining Tom on Zoom today are: Alice Kennedy, the Housing Commissioner; Jason Hessler, the Deputy Commissioner for Permits & Litigation; andKate Edwards, the Acting Deputy Commissioner for Development. As always, we welcome listener questions and comments. Our call-in lines are out-of-service today, but you can email us at Midday@wypr.org, or Tweet us @MiddayWYPR A note to our listeners: We experienced some technical difficulties with the recording of the first several minutes of today's live Midday broadcast.  As a result, host Tom Hall provides a recap in today's podcast of the brief dialogue that took place before normal recording began, with our apologies to you and to our guests.       See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tom's Newsmaker guest today is Jason Mitchell, the Director of the Baltimore City Department of Public Works. Mitchell comes to Baltimore from Oakland, Califoirnia, where he served as the assistant city administrator. He became acting director at the Baltimore DPW in May of last year, and he was confirmed by the City Council in July. Before the search for his job got underway, the City Council approved a 30% pay increase for the Director position. His salary of $245,000 makes Mr. Mitchell the fourth highest paid employee in city government, behind Visit Baltimore CEO Al Hutchinson, Police Commissioner Michael Harrison and City Administrator Christopher Shorter. The DPW faces a number of difficult challenges, chief among them a severe labor shortage, which has led to backlogs and a cutback of many services. Recycling, for example, is now collected every two weeks instead of every week, street sweeping has been severely curtailed, and workers are having a difficult time keeping up with requests to address illegal dumping. The department was also saddened last month when Jake Rogers, an employee in the Solid Waste Bureau, was shot to death at his home, in front of his three young children. The department is also dealing with on-going problems with the water billing system, and last week, the State Department of the Environment sued the city over problems at wastewater treatment plants. The Department is under a federal Sanitary Sewer Consent Decree as well. DPW Director Jason Mitchell joins us on Zoom… Listeners are welcome to join us as well, with their comments and questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It sounds like a word-problem with a simple solution: “A city resident and a county resident get their water from the same source. They both use the same amount of water. How will their bills compare?” The answer, it turns out, is tangled up in a century-old municipal labyrinth with more twists and turns than the meandering Gunpowder River. In this episode, we hear from: Matthew Garbark, Deputy Director of the Baltimore City Department of Public Works Rianna Eckel, affordable drinking water advocate with Food and Water Watch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Food waste rotting in a landfill has no future. As compost, old scraps morph into a nutrient-dense spread for your garden.We hear from Kristyn Oldendorf of the Baltimore City Department of Public Works about a pilot program to collect food waste at drop-off stations. And Marvin Hayes, of the Baltimore Compost Collective, gives us a how-to on backyard composting, including making sure your mixture is moist. Original air date: October 12, 2021. Links: Baltimore City Food Scrap Drop-off UMD Extension Compost Guide DPW Facebook page - Trash Talk Tuesday videos Baltimore City Department of Public Works Residential Recycling Cart Program See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Food‌ ‌waste‌ ‌rotting‌ ‌in‌ ‌a‌ ‌landfill‌ ‌has‌ ‌no‌ ‌future.‌ ‌As‌ ‌compost,‌ ‌old‌ scraps‌ ‌morph‌ ‌into‌ ‌a‌ ‌nutrient-dense‌ ‌spread‌ ‌for‌ ‌your‌ ‌garden.‌ ‌‌We‌ ‌hear‌ ‌from‌ ‌‌Kristyn‌ ‌Oldendorf‌‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌Baltimore‌ ‌City‌ ‌ Department‌ ‌of‌ ‌Public‌ ‌Works‌ ‌about‌ ‌a‌ ‌pilot‌ ‌program‌ ‌to‌ ‌collect‌ ‌food‌ ‌waste‌ ‌at‌ ‌drop-off‌ ‌stations.‌ ‌‌And‌ ‌‌Marvin‌ ‌Hayes‌,‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌Baltimore‌ ‌Compost‌ ‌Collective,‌ ‌gives‌ ‌us‌ ‌a‌ ‌how-to‌ ‌on‌ ‌backyard‌ ‌composting,‌ ‌including‌ ‌making‌ ‌sure‌ ‌your‌ ‌mixture‌ ‌is‌ ‌moist. Check out youth entrepreneur @kenny.captures on Instagram. Links: Baltimore GROW Center compost workshops Baltimore City Food Scrap Drop-off UMD Extension Compost Guide See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The COVID-19 pandemic changed our lives and led to mandated business and school closures, families and communities all around the country experienced record levels of unemployment and record levels of food insecurity. This led to unprecedented policy innovation designed to increase access to nutritious food through the supplemental nutrition assistance program, known as SNAP. The program that was formerly known as Food Stamps. In today's podcast, we'll talk with the authors of a new report entitled, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Waivers and Adaptations During the COVID-19 Pandemic, A Survey of State Agency Perspectives in 2020.   Interview Summary   Our guests today are two of the authors of the report, health policy expert, Alyssa Moran of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Matt Lyons, the Director of Policy and Research with the American Public Human Services Association.   So your report addressed how states responded to the increase in need for SNAP during the pandemic. Matt let's begin with you, can you tell us more about the report and why it was important to document the state experiences?   When the pandemic first hit last year, the sharpest spike and need for basic help was in SNAP. And this isn't a typical and economic downturn SNAP has always been one of the most effective tools to help meet people's basic needs and to stimulate local economies. This time around though, we had to weather an economic crisis that was layered on top of a public health crisis, and that dynamic raised all kinds of new questions about how state agencies were going to get help to millions of families in a world that literally shifted to virtual overnight. In those first weeks of the pandemic, we as the membership association supporting those state agencies, we were literally convening state agency leaders on Zoom calls daily just to figure out basic questions of how are you going to keep the lights on so that staff could keep processing applications when they're working from home? Or how are you going to navigate through federal requirements that frankly were developed at a time when SNAP was assumed to be a program people applied for in person? And as difficult as that was for our agencies to make sense of, we could only imagine how infinitely harder that was for all of the people that were trying to apply for help. So as federal policies and guidance started to catch up in the coming weeks and months, and states really settled in for the long-term COVID response, states had to plan for how they're going to adapt their services so that people could keep accessing the benefits through the duration of the pandemic. And as we worked through all of these monumental changes to how the program is being administered, it really just became self evident that it was crucial. We had to take the time to rigorously document this experience and just draw on all the insights and lessons learned so that we can improve access to SNAP in the long-term and strengthen its impact on peoples and communities based off of this experience.   Well, some of the problems, the challenges you mentioned make perfect sense now that you've brought them up, but they're not the kind of thing most people would think about, and you could imagine how hard it must've been to keep things going that even a modest level, much less been ramped up. So Alyssa, I'd like to hear your thoughts on this.   I'll preface this by saying that I'm a public health researcher. So I think about SNAP through that lens, and from a public health perspective, SNAP is a tremendously important program. It reaches about one in eight Americans and nearly half of those participants are kids. And it's a critical program for reducing poverty and improving food security, which are really important social determinants of health affecting everything from dental caries to diabetes, to depression. But the design and the delivery of SNAP also really better for health. For example, there are obvious ways that design choices in SNAP affect health equity, things like eligibility criteria, which prevent certain people from accessing the program or decisions about the benefit amount, which affects the types of foods that are available to participants. But there are also more subtle ways that program delivery can impact health, something as simple as how the state communicates with you about your benefits. So did they send you a text message right to your phone, or do you have to call a call center and wait on the line for two hours for information? Can you submit all of your application information online or do you have to come into the office for an in-person interview? So all of these requirements to enroll and stay enrolled in SNAP can affect health by limiting or expanding access to benefits and can also cause significant stress, increased anxiety and cause people to worry about whether they're even going to actually receive their benefits each month. And as Matt described, the pandemic acutely changed how states deliver SNAP and how participants interact with the program. And I was really interested in learning what we can take away from this experience to strengthen the public health impact of SNAP moving forward, not just by breaking down barriers to access, but also by improving the client experience through these structural changes.   It's nice to hear of the interest among public health researchers in helping improve the delivery of these programs, because as you said, they reach so many people. Matt, you mentioned that there were program changes that needed to be made in SNAP during the pandemic, how successful do you think these changes really were in helping states serve their clients?   Well, in those first few months of the pandemic, you had more than 6 million people newly enrolled in SNAP and participation has remained well above pre pandemic levels as a nation have continued to grapple with all of the disparities in the COVID response and recovery. So I think from this perspective alone, it's important to consider the SNAP pandemic response a success. Fundamentally more people needed help affording food during the pandemic and the program was responsive. We've all heard the stories of it taking weeks, if not months for unemployment insurance systems to respond to the spike in demand and to be able to issue new benefits. And that just wasn't the case for SNAP. State and local agencies really did step up to the table to meet the challenge, but I will say SNAP's ultimate success, it certainly didn't come without its fair share of bumps in the road. And I think that probably starts with the fact that SNAP rules, they're just not well suited to work in a virtual world. When you think of things like interview requirements and procedures for recertifying for benefits and even things like a signature requirement, they all lean heavily on in-person interaction. And that's particularly true for underserved communities that already face access barriers.   For our clients, if you mess up and following those rules, you're back to square one, you got to start all over in the application process and even beyond just the benefit itself, there's other components of SNAP that are there to help people receiving a help learn more about healthy food or engage in employment and training services. And those services are similarly modeled towards in-person activities. So to say that the program had to make changes would be an understatement, I really think everything had to change about SNAP. And I will say to their credit, the federal government approved a broad range of temporary flexibilities to mitigate a lot of these issues.   But really, the devil is in the detail of whether these flexibilities can be successfully implemented. Early in the pandemic in particular, states would often not get approval for waivers that were really critical to help families keep their benefits until days before or even after an action was due in a client's case. The reality is that states needed to know weeks in advance. They could be updating their eligibility systems and sending out notifications to people receiving SNAP of what was expected of them. And these issues unquestionably led to unnecessary confusion and problems in the pandemic response. I will say fortunately, the federal government did learn from a lot of its early mistakes, in late September Congress passed new legislation that allowed for a lot more flexibility in states being able to select waivers, they could deploy over a longer time horizon and customized to their specific needs and implementation approaches. And that approach, it worked a lot better for states to be able to proactively plan how they could use these waivers and transition over time to a new normal. In the months after that even both Congress and the administration made a number of additional changes to help states provide more equitable benefits access. So I would say even in just the short period of this pandemic response, we've already come a long ways.   Alyssa, I'd appreciate your reflections on this issue as well.   The pandemic really forced states to think differently about how they interact with and provide services to clients. Some of those changes were successful and others existing deficits in technology, staffing models or community partnerships that were really difficult or sometimes even impossible to adapt during the national crisis. So one example of a change that worked well was the expansion of telephonic case processing. So this allows caseworkers to support client applications over the phone instead of in-person or online. And federal policy really facilitated that by allowing clients to give verbal signatures over the phone instead of a written signature. Before the pandemic, states had some options to do this, but they were required to collect and store an audio recording of the signature and purchasing that technology to be able to do that was a major barrier. So only some states were doing it and it wasn't always fully available statewide. So this flexibility that allowed for verbal signatures was seen as a really successful low-cost option facilitating remote services.   Another change I'd consider successful was the expansion of the online purchasing pilot. So before the pandemic, only two states allowed SNAP participants to use their benefits for online groceries, and now almost all 50 states offer that service. And we know that there are still a number of barriers to access, so things like few participating retailers, high delivery and service fees, lack of delivery particularly in rural areas, but it does represent a big shift towards modernizing SNAP, which was long overdue. On the flip side states also experienced some challenges moving SNAP online, particularly in communicating these frequent program changes to clients, shifting supportive services like nutrition, education, and workforce training to a virtual setting and engaging people who might lack reliable access to internet or digital devices. Very few states were able to provide mobile friendly services to clients, most relied on mass communication through their websites or social media or call centers. And even though most states were able to transition their supportive services online, somewhat, they tended to have difficulty engaging clients in this new setting.   So you both painted a picture of things that may be helpful to know in the future if there's some crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic, but also there's a lot to be learned about the way SNAP might be changed going forward overall no matter what's happening in the background. So Matt, let me ask, what are you taking away from this experience about making SNAP stronger and more resilient?   Well, I think that's the million dollar question. So the first thing I think that sticks out to me, we really desperately need a playbook ready to go should we ever face a crisis like this again. The time it took to get legislative authority from Congress so we could get SNAP rules adjusted and then the process of developing and refining USDA Guidance has a real insignificant cost on the people in the communities that need help. Being able to come into a crisis where we've codified automatic triggers that are most essential for SNAP to be responsive during a time of crisis that would really ensure that state and local agencies can hit the ground running with a plan and knowledge of what flexibilities they can use and how to best deploy them. This is needed around a lot of different issues.   I'd say most glaringly, we need to be talking about SNAP benefit increases and looking at suspending work requirements during a crisis, but we also need to look at those administrative rules that make a really big impact on how people access and participate in services. So things like interview requirements, the way that people can recertify for benefits, the use of telephonic signatures, quality control procedures, and then things for particular populations that have specific needs, looking at student eligibility rules, purchasing of hot and prepared foods. These all come to mind to me as things that we really need to come prepared day one of whatever that next crisis is to be ready to respond, to be nimble and adaptive.   The second thing that sticks out to me is we have learned a tremendous amount about what works and what doesn't work in SNAP this past year, and we should use it to strengthen the program. Many states have found that the amount of meetings and paperwork that we're required to put people through, it really does little to preserve program integrity. What it does do is it places a lot of significant administrative burden on families. So less rigid interviews and change reporting requirements can help us cater the program to better support people that are participating. And I think federal pilots demonstrations that could test alternative strategy that could help states build the evidence for what best practices work and what contexts, that's really needed right now and the time is critical that we be thinking about that as we transition out of the pandemic.   Thanks, Matt. And Alyssa, what are your thoughts on this?   Testing ways to minimize participant burden is really critical. And what we've learned during the pandemic is that a big part of that is investing in technology to expand the ways that people can interact with SNAP. So one example that I think is helpful is thinking about what it's like to do your taxes now versus what that looked like even 10 years ago. So if you recall, you used to have to go to your accountant to file your paperwork in person, if they needed more information they had to call you, or you had to come back into the office. If you got a refund, you'd have to wait for weeks for your check to arrive in the mail. And now I can easily submit everything online. I can chat with an accountant on demand. There's a streamlined process to file state and federal taxes all at once. And I can easily track my refund on my phone and even have it delivered to my virtual wallet. So if we can use this best available technology to do our taxes, why can't we expect the same services for SNAP? And I think these kinds of changes that make it easier to get and keep benefits, not only have potential to break down barriers to participation and reduce participants stress and anxiety, but will also make SNAP much more adaptable and responsive in future crises.   We found that states were largely constrained by the technology they had available before the pandemic. Very few were able add or expand modes of interacting with clients while they were in crisis mode. And understanding best practices and providing these virtual services is key. So there's a real need for investment in technical assistance and research to help states better understand how clients interact with these remote services. What are some of their strengths and limitations and what are some of the access barriers for certain groups?   And then one last point I wanted to lift up is the importance of making SNAP more client centered. One thing I personally learned through this work is that state performance is evaluated using metrics like payment errors and application processing time, and this can come at the expense of customer and staff satisfaction. So in thinking about modernizing SNAP, it's really important to center the client voice and to really value the lived experiences of participants to improve customer service and to ensure that we're prioritizing equitable program access. Something that one state said that really resonated with me is we need to put the human back in human services.   So the report is co-branded and coauthored by Johns Hopkins and the American Public Human Services Association. So Alyssa, how did your two organizations come together to do this work and why do you think this relationship between the organizations is so important?   Alyssa - Working with APHSA on this was like a dream partnership. They have such deep working knowledge of SNAP policy which we try to understand as best we can as researchers, but can't possibly keep up with all of the intricacies of implementing these program changes on the ground. And the team at APHSA provided that policy context and made sure we were asking really relevant and meaningful questions. And they also offered a direct line to the people we really wanted to get our findings in front of. So often when you submit a policy research grant application, they ask about your plans to disseminate findings to key stakeholders. And depending on the research, it can be really challenging to figure out who to contact and how to communicate your message in a meaningful way. But for APHSA that's their bread and butter. So they already have these great relationships with Congressional and USDA staff, and they know exactly how to communicate the research in a way that will resonate with them. So that made getting the word out to policymakers really easy.   Matt - Recently, we had a chance to preview the final report with our state SNAP directors. And one of the comments that just really stuck out to me was hearing how this report is just a gift to have this kind of information readily available at your fingertips to be able to drive and inform future changes that are needed to make SNAP programs more equitable and resilient.   Bios:   Alyssa Moran has more than a decade of experience working with individuals, community organizations, and government agencies on food and nutrition programs and policies. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor of Health Policy at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where she is Core Faculty within the Institute for Health and Social Policy and Impact Specialist in Obesity and the Food System. Her research, teaching, and practice focus on the role of food and social policies in improving diet quality, reducing food insecurity, and eliminating health inequalities. She is a registered dietitian, earned her MPH in public health nutrition from NYU in 2011, and earned her ScD in nutrition from the Harvard Chan School of Public Health in 2018.   Matt Lyons is the Director of Policy and Research with the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA). In his role, Matt is responsible for developing and executing strategies for policy advocacy and influence in areas impacting health and human services programs. Prior to joining APHSA, Matt served in a variety of roles in state and local government, including administering economic support programs for Maryland's human services agency, managing disaster recovery programs for the State of New Jersey in response to Superstorm Sandy, and coordinating the delivery of housing and healthy homes programs for the Baltimore City Department of Housing & Community Development. Matt also has worked for a non-profit research institute where he provided technical assistance, data analysis, and information system design and implementation for low-income energy efficiency and community services programs across the country. Matt has an undergraduate degree in Government and Politics and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Maryland.    

On the afternoon of September 5, 1961, in the pavilion in Patterson Park the Baltimore City Department of Recreation was staging that year's great Baltimore World Series of Jump Rope. But this year's contest was going to be different: boys a be allowed to compete in the traditionally all-girls contest. The reason the boys wanted in the contest was that they've been watching on television all of those boxers in training by jumping rope. The outcome of the contest was surprising and Pearl Williams, director of it, provided a surprising explanation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Humans and cars have always had to share the road. But that territory is in demand as more people spread to the outdoors in order to physically distance during the pandemic. Neighborhood organizer Odette Ramos tells us about Slow Streets, the Baltimore City Department of Transportation's effort to calm traffic and make residential streets safer. And Del. Robbyn Lewis discusses building on the momentum of Slow Streets ... with her newly formed coalition Livable Streets. The group promotes ‘people first’ street design in African American and Latino neighborhoods in Baltimore.

On the afternoon of September 5, 1961, in the pavilion in Patterson Park the Baltimore City Department of Recreation was staging that year's great Baltimore World Series of Jump Rope. But this year's contest was going to be different: boys a be allowed to compete in the traditionally all-girls contest. The reason the boys wanted in the contest was that they've been watching on television all of those boxers in training by jumping rope. The outcome of the contest was surprising and Pearl Williams, director of it, provided a surprising explanation.

Michael Braverman, the Commissioner of the Baltimore City Department of Housing ---- Community Development, joins Tom today.Any conversation about housing in our city is a conversation about two Baltimores. There’s the Baltimore of downtown and the Inner Harbor, with its strong history of public and private investment, and the stable, majority-white neighborhoods that stretch in a narrow line north from there.And then there’s what Morgan State University professor Lawrence Brown has dubbed Baltimore’s “black butterfly,” the city’s majority black neighborhoods that stretch out like two large wings on either side. Many of those neighborhoods continue to struggle with poverty, unemployment and a lack of affordable housing on the one hand, and a huge number of vacant buildings on the other.Late last month, Mayor Catherine Pugh unveiled a new Framework for Community Development: the start of what she calls ----a new era of neighborhood investment.---- Commissioner Braverman is tasked with executing these plans. He has worked with the city for 30 years, in both the Housing Department and the State’s Attorney’s office. This conversation was livestreamed on the WYPR Facebook page. Click here to see the video.

We’re about a decade in to single-stream recycling in Maryland … How is the system working? And how are we doing? Is the process cost effective? Is recycling worthwhile? We ask Robert Murrow, recycling coordinator at Baltimore City Department of Public Works, about the business of recycling. Plus, DPW recycling collection employee Roland Weeks Jr. describes realities of the work ... and his colleague Welford Lee Johnson Jr. offers some advice.

Interview with Robert Murrow, recycling coordinator at Baltimore City Department of Public Works, and DPW recycling collection employees Roland Weeks Jr. and Welford Lee Johnson Jr.

This show will focus on the value of researching enslaved ancestors, free people of color and identifying the slaveholders in tax records in an Urban community such as Baltimore in the early 19th century. Donna Tyler Hollie received an MA and a Ph.D. in  History. After retirement as an administrator with the Baltimore City Department of Social Services, she served for thirteen years as professor of History and Chair of the Social Science Department at Sojourner-Douglass College.  She has contributed articles to a variety of historical and genealogical journals. In June 2009, she published African Americans of Fauquier County Virginia. Her most recent work, Through The Tax Assessor’s Eyes: Enslaved People, Free Blacks and Slaveholders in Early Nineteenth Century Baltimore, was published in November 2017. Current projects include an article on John W. Locks, a nineteenth century African American prominent in Baltimore’s religious, economic and political arena.     Noreen J Goodson was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland and earned a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from Morgan State University. She is the Corresponding Secretary of BAAHGS (Baltimore’s Afro American Historical and Genealogical Society) Agnes Kane Callum Chapter. She is a member of several historical and/or genealogical societies of Baltimore City and County, Maryland, Virginia and South Carolina. She began teaching beginning genealogy workshops in 2006 and has presented them at the Family History Centers in Washington, DC and Essex and Laurel, Maryland, the Reginald F Lewis Museum, the Central Enoch Pratt Library in downtown Baltimore, in Frederick, Maryland and St. Michael’s, Maryland and AAHGS chapters in Maryland and Delaware.  

On the afternoon of September 5, 1961, in the pavilion in Patterson Park the Baltimore City Department of Recreation was staging that year's great Baltimore World Series of Jump Rope. But this year's contest was going to be different: boys a be allowed to compete in the traditionally all-girls contest. The reason the boys wanted in the contest was that they've been watching on television all of those boxers in training by jumping rope. The outcome of the contest was surprising and Pearl Williams, director of it, provided a surprising explanation.

In 2014, Molly Tierney gave a popular and provocative TEDxBaltimore Talk titled “Rethinking Foster Care,” which examined an unchecked loyalty to the idea of foster care and the flaws of intervention. As the director of the Baltimore City Department of Social Services, Molly manages the city’s child welfare and public assistance programs, and she came to the city with some creative ideas in tow. After seven years leading the agency, Molly left in February 2014 to join a New York-based management consulting firm. However, about 10 months later, she returned to the department of social services, and she discussed what has changed since she came back. Molly was involved in a controversial program that allowed some teens in foster care to get a high school diploma from a Christian school in Philadelphia in a single day, which ended amid questioning from The Baltimore Sun in 2013. She talked about that decision, as well as her upbringing, unconventional thinking and what she wishes she had had time to say in her TED Talk.

The winners of the Baltimore City Senior Citizens Poetry Contest 2012, sponsored by the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks, are: Barbara Morrison, first place; Helen Szymkowiak, second place; Kate Richardson, third place; and Mary Dozier, honorable mention. They will read from their winning entries at this Free Fall Baltimore event. Carla Dupree, one of the contest judges, will present a special tribute to her friend Lucille Clifton, former Maryland poet laureate.  Recorded On: Saturday, October 20, 2012

Harriet Lynn, local theater and sports activist, will moderate a discussion with African-American tennis pioneers, Leon Bowser, Joseph Parham, Sr. and Jean Powell. This discussion follows the documentary, Tennis, Everyone!  based on oral history interviews with tennis pioneers conducted by Ms. Lynn and sponsored by the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks. The panelists will share their experiences about the integration and advancement of the sport at Druid Hill Park.    Recorded On: Thursday, November 17, 2011