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The Establishment of the Annapolis Main Street Advisory Task Force
For the purpose of creating a temporary advisory task force to guide the Annapolis Main Street Program during its interim management by the Office of Economic Development; authorizing task force members to participate in establishing and serving on the board of a new independent entity, which will become the new management organization for the Annapolis Main Street Program; and providing for simultaneous operation of the task force and the newly created entity during the transition period when the Office of Economic Development manages the Annapolis Main Street Program.
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City Council of the
City of Annapolis
Resolution 34-26
Introduced by: Alderman Huntley
Co-sponsored by:
A RESOLUTION concerning
The Establishment of the Annapolis Main Street Advisory Task Force
FOR the purpose of creating a temporary advisory task force to guide the Annapolis Main Street Program during its interim management by the Office of Economic Development; authorizing task force members to participate in establishing and serving on the board of a new independent entity, which will become the new management organization for the Annapolis Main Street Program; and providing for simultaneous operation of the task force and the newly created entity during the transition period when the Office of Economic Development manages the Annapolis Main Street Program.
WHEREAS, Main Street America, formerly the National Main Street Center, is a subsidiary program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and leads a nationwide network of communities that employ a place-based economic development strategy centered on historic preservation, known as the Main Street Approach; and
WHEREAS, Main Street Maryland is a similar state program operated by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development that coordinates activities for the nationwide Main Street America; and
WHEREAS, The City of Annapolis has its own Main Street Program, which is both a Designated Main Street Maryland community, certified by Main Street Maryland, and an Accredited Program of Main Street America, and has been administered by the Office of Economic Development on an interim basis since July 1, 2026; and
WHEREAS, Both Main Street Maryland and Main Street America require an independent advisory board to provide guidance and oversight for their programs, and the Annapolis Main Street Program has not yet established one; and
WHEREAS, The Task Force established by this Resolution is intended to satisfy the interim advisory board requirement described above and, at the same time, to prepare the organizational documents, including Articles of Organization, governance bylaws, and funding strategies, needed to form a new, independent nonprofit organization to serve as the long-term management organization for the Annapolis Main Street Program; and
WHEREAS, This phased approach, in which the Task Force and the new organization operate simultaneously and collaboratively with the Office of Economic Development for a period, allows the Annapolis Main Street Program to transition to long-term, independent governance without a gap in oversight or management.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE ANNAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL that:
A. Functions. The Task Force shall operate with three core functions:
1. Interim Advisory function to provide guidance and stakeholder feedback to The Office of Economic Development, which manages day-to-day Annapolis Main Street Program operations;
2. Organizational Creation function to draft the Articles of Organization, governance bylaws, and funding strategies for a new, independent non-profit organization to manage the Annapolis Main Street Program ultimately; and
3. Transition Oversight function to facilitate the legal formation and operational onboarding of the new, independent non-profit organization while the City’s Office of Economic Development continues internal management of the Annapolis Main Street Program.
B. Purpose. The ultimate purpose of this resolution is to create a new permanent, standalone Main Street organization. During the brief transition to that stage, the Task Force and the new Main Street organization may operate simultaneously.
C. Membership. The Task Force will consist of up to 13 voting members, but no fewer than seven, who shall be invited by letter to join the Task Force by the Mayor, in consultation with the Economic Development Manager, the Alderperson representing Ward 1, and the City Council’s Economic Matters Committee, structured using the following optimal guidance for representation:
1. One representative that is a merchant or building owner located on the first block of West Street off of Church Circle;
2. One representative that is a merchant or building owner located on State Circle or the first two blocks of Maryland Ave off of State Circle;
3. One representative that is a merchant or building owner located on Dock Street;
4. One representative that is a merchant or building owner located on Market Space;
5. Two representatives who are merchants or building owners located on Main Street;
6. One representative of the local Destination Marketing Organization (DMO);
7. Two representatives who are Annapolis residents residing within or adjacent to the Main Street Program Area;
8. One representative with expertise in historic preservation;
9. One representative of the United States Naval Academy;
10. One representative of St. John’s College; and
11. One representative with expertise in non-profit management and economic development.
D. Ex Officio Membership. The Economic Development Manager shall serve as the acting Main Street Program Manager within the Office of Economic Development, and shall further serve as a non-voting ex officio staff liaison to the Task Force.
E. Cross-membership. The members of the Task Force are authorized and permitted to serve simultaneously on the Board of Directors of the newly created Main Street organization, ensuring continuity of governance without creating an unresolvable municipal conflict of interest for this specific transitional purpose.
F. Report Required. The Task Force shall present to the Mayor and City Council a formal transition report within nine months of its organization, including:
1. Evaluation of the interim program management of the Annapolis Main Street Program;
2. Formally filed or ready-to-file Articles of Organization and Bylaws for the new Main Street organization;
3. Roster of initial Board of Directors for the new Main Street organization; and
4. A phased timeline of transferring Annapolis Main Street Program responsibilities from the Office of Economic Development to the new Main Street organization.
G. Task Force Dissolution. The Task Force shall automatically dissolve 30 days following the transition of Annapolis Main Street Program management from the Office of Economic Development to the new Main Street organization (estimated to occur by June 30th, 2028), unless extended by resolution of the City Council.
AND BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED BY THE ANNAPOLIS CITY COUNTY that this resolution shall take effect upon passage.