DRAFT
MINUTES
BOARD MEETING
HISTORIC JONESTOWN, INC
JANUARY 30, 2015
Call to Order. The inaugural meeting of the reconstituted Historic Jonestown Corporation, held
at the Fairfield Inn in Baltimore, was called to order at 10:00AM by Lindsay Thompson, the President pro
tem, noting that the Historic Jonestown Corporation was reconstituted to establish its legal status and
leadership structure as the official Historic Jonestown neighborhood association. There was no old
business, but attendees were referred to the Historic Jonestown Corporation Articles of Incorporation
defining its purpose:
1) To advance and promote the historic and cultural institutions and sites in and within walking
distance of Historic Jonestown, Baltimore’s oldest neighborhood; and
2) To cooperate with residents, businesses, and other institutions of Jonestown to improve the
quality of life in this neighborhood.
Meeting Attendance. A quorum was in attendance. Board members in attendance at the
meeting were: Wyatt Cardwell, Lisa Crawley, Joseph Cronyn, Stasia Cruz, Amanda Davis, Karen
Fowler, Carol Gould, Paula Hankins, Jon Miller, Etan Mintz, Marvin Pinkert, Ellis Prince, Anne
Pomykala, Lindsay Thompson, Allen Tien and David Wise.
Additional attendees included:
 Marianne Navarro representing the Office of the Mayor was also in attendance. Ms. Navarro
stressed that she had long been aware of the issues surrounding Jonestown when she was at
the Baltimore Development Corporation and that the importance of planning and developing
Jonestown had the attention of the Mayor.
 William Marcus and two other officers from the Central District of the Baltimore Police
Department. Officer Marcus gave out his personal telephone number and encouraged people
to call him with any problems, regardless of the time.
 Isaac Hametz and Tom McGilloway of Mahan Rykiel Associates.
Election of Directors. The meeting then proceeded with the election of directors, a list of which
is attached.
Election of Officers. The following officers were elected: Lindsay Thompson, President; Joseph
Cronyn, Vice President; David Wise, Secretary. Joe Cronyn will continue to head the Jonestown
Planning Council which also will serve as the Historic Jonestown Corporation open community forum.
The position of Treasurer is currently vacant, although Paula Hankins has the pertinent documents and
accounts in her possession and assured the Board that all of the required filings have been made on behalf
of the Corporation.
Historic Jonestown Boundaries. A Jonestown area map of the Historic Jonestown boundaries
was reviewed to determine whether the boundary lines of Historic Jonestown as defined in the Bylaws
should be adopted by the Corporation going forward. The general feeling of the group was that the
boundary lines in that document were too broad and that the boundary should extend no further south
than Pratt Street. This matter was referred to the Bylaws Committee for discussion with a formal
proposal to be made at the next meeting of the full Board.
Allen Tien spoke about developments in the MDLogix building at 1216 East Baltimore Street
intended to bring more economic activity to the area, including a car detailing business, a jazz club, and
incubating medtech companies.
Jonestown Neighborhood Safety Plan. A Southeast District crime report and draft of a
proposed Jonestown Safety Plan was circulated for discussion of neighborhood safety issues. The
proposal emphasized the connection between safety and general neighborhood appearance, outlining three
possible options for consideration: 1) A volunteer neighborhood watch program at no cost; 2) A
neighborhood safety program with a combination of paid staff and volunteers; 3) A professionally staffed
neighborhood safety and improvement program paid for with funds generated by creation of a Special
Benefits District.
Officer Marcus took the lead in discussing actual crime and perceptions of neighborhood safety.
Car break-ins are the most common form of crime in the area. Abandoned, vacant properties also were
noted as problematic in creating a neglected, unwelcoming appearance in key parts of the neighborhood
along the Heritage Walk. It was noted that development in many of these areas is blocked by
encumbrances that the City has been working to remove to pave the way for urgently needed business and
residential investment. It was further suggested that the Corporation should discourage land banking of
these properties which would further delay development and exacerbate ongoing safety and adjacent
property value concerns.
Pros and cons of the three options for neighborhood safety were discussed. To address immediate
and urgent concerns, Option 1 is the most doable. Although the neighborhood watch program initiated
several years ago has fallen by the wayside, the Helping Up Mission is willing to provide part of the team
to implement Option 1, but needs more neighborhood partners to make it work. Ellis Prince of the
Gallery Church said that he would look into assisting with this and report back.
The cost and managerial structure of options 2 and 3 were discussed as more long term options,
with the possibility of either extending the Downtown Partnership into Jonestown or creating a Benefits
District. The lack of a current tax base to support any of these programs was underscored, given the very
small geographic area and density of Jonestown. Out of 469 properties in the area, 103 are exempt from
taxes and 95 make their payments in kind. The many open spaces in Jonestown were again pointed out
and how this can lead to at least a perception that the neighborhood is unsafe. This raises the importance
of the overall Master plan for the neighborhood to improve streetscapes and other public spaces. Lindsay
Thompson reported that Delegate Brooke Lierman is organizing an initiative to explore special benefits
districts throughout the Southeast Baltimore neighborhoods because the requests for SBDs now are
greater than the current legal authority for creating new ones. This may provide organizational and
funding options for the future.
Historic Jonestown Master Plan. Marvin Pinkert provided an update on the Master Plan being
developed for the properties around the Jewish Museum of Maryland, which includes lots on Lombard
that were the location of what had in the past been commonly known as Corned Beef Row. He said that
the initial plan had been to develop a cultural center in the area but that since Jonestown shuts down
around 6:00PM that he felt this earlier plan did not make sense. He said that there is a problem of
Jonestown being essentially invisible to the rest of the city with which it has very little connection. The
Museum had hired a firm, Mahan Rykiel, to do an initial study. They had received $30,000 from the
France Merrick Foundation and had requested additional $30,000 of funding from the Goldseker
Foundation, but felt that they would need an additional $15,000 to complete all of the required phases.
Tom McGilloway and Isaac Hametz, of Mahan Rykiel, spoke about the four phases of the program and
the need for active community support to secure required funds. The Historic Jonestown Corporation
Board voted unanimously to provide a letter of support endorsing the Master Plan project and the request
for funds. Marvin also noted that, while he was eager to launch the Master Plan process because it was
important for the Jewish Museum of Maryland and Historic Jonestown, his primary mission is the JMM
and that he is looking to the Board of the Historic Jonestown Corporation to take a more active leadership
role in future neighborhood planning and management of the neighborhood.
Jonestown Planning Council. Joseph Cronyn reminded everyone of the forthcoming Jonestown
Planning Council meeting on February 3, 2015 to be held at St. Vincent’s Church. He noted that the
main item on the agenda was the deferral of new school funding for City Springs School, stressing that it
was essential that Jonestown speak with one voice on issues such as this that were of crucial importance
to the entire community. The Board endorsed Joe’s leadership as Historic Jonestown Corporation VicePresident and continuing role as head of the Jonestown Planning Council with a Resolution from the
Board. The discussion continued about the need for better pre-schools and schools, possibly to include
charter schools, if Jonestown is to develop as a dynamic, diverse downtown neighborhood. At this point
there was discussion of the new Health Commissioner, Leana Wen, whose appointment is believed to be a
very positive development. It was suggested that Dr. Wen be invited to attend a future meeting of the
Board.
At this point Ms. Navarro stressed that she had been asked to keep current on events and plans
related to Jonestown and to present an update to the City’s internal Development Working Group. The
Board expressed its thanks for the increased interest and participation from the Office of the Mayor.
Financial Report/Treasurer. The Board discussed the vacancy in the Treasurer position. It was
agreed that at the next meeting it should be filled; several people indicated that they would think over a
solution or candidate for the position. In the meantime, Paula Hankins reported that the Corporation has
$1,003.00 in an account at SunTrust. She further reported that all taxes and IRS and other required
charitable reporting filings had been satisfied for the year. She said that she would work with the new
Treasurer to transition the relevant documents and accounts over and to make certain that they understood
the annual filing requirements.
Future Meeting Schedule. The Board agreed to a tentative schedule for the required meetings at
10:30 AM on the following dates: March 27, June 26, September 25 and December 18.
Board Governance Structure. This is an active board and it is important for all members to
pitch in with initial organizational challenges. Pending future governance structure changes, board
members are requested to serve on at least one of the following pro tem committees established by the
Board:
 Bylaws Committee. Chair: Etan Mintz. Members: Marvin Pinkert, Anne Pomykala. The
Bylaws Committee will meet prior to the next Board meeting to review current Bylaws and
suggest governance revisions that would best serve the HJI mission. The Bylaws Committee
Report will be the first item of business at the next Board meeting to review and act on any
suggested revisions for the Bylaws.
 Community Safety Committee. Co-Chairs: Jon Miller and Wyatt Cardwell
 Master Planning Committee. Chair: Joe Cronyn. Members: Marvin Pinkert, Paula
Hankins, Carol Gould
 Executive Committee: Chair: Lindsay Thompson. Members: Joe Cronyn, David Wise,
Treasurer (TBA), Marvin Pinkert, Jon Miller, and Etan Mintz.
Adjournment. The Board expressed appreciation to both the Office of the Mayor and the
Eastern District of the Baltimore Police Department for their participation and support. The Board voted
to adjourn at 11:30 AM.