MANAGING BALTIMORE'S INNER HARBOR OPERATIONS:
The Need for Direct Day-to-Day Authority and Empowerment

Report from the Greater Baltimore Committee's
Inner Harbor Management Task Force

ANALYSIS OF CURRENT HARBOR MANAGEMENT OPERATIONS

To address the lack of a manager of harbor operations, the duplication and shared responsibilities of city agencies on harbor issues, and the importance of establishing lines of communication and cooperation, an Inner Harbor Task Force was created. The task force, chaired by the Director of Public Works, is comprised of representatives from various city departments/agencies who were appointed to serve as a coordinating counsel for marine and land-based issues in the Inner Harbor. The current functions of the Inner Harbor Task Force are three-fold: (1) operational/planning, (2) reviewing of new proposals, and (3) addressing stakeholder concerns.

The task force has no formal policy or guidelines in reference to its decision making, has no specific powers and duties, no staff, no standards for decision-making, hears only those selected issues that are brought to the group from various sources, meets on the average of once per month and is unclear as to what influence or decision making power it has over issues presented to them. Primarily, the Inner Harbor Task Force shares information, and coordinates the shared responsibilities within city government. It has little authority to implement or direct activities.

Despite the existence of the task force, no singular focus exists on harbor issues, as each member has much broader responsibilities in the city government. With no staff, no standards for decision making, no clearly defined responsibilities and no authority, real or apparent, there is little improvement over management and maintenance of the Inner Harbor than had previously existed following the merger of Charles Center-Inner Harbor Management, Inc. into the Baltimore Development Corporation.

It should be noted that the existence of the Inner Harbor Task Force has served to emphasize the intermingling of governmental functions pertaining to the harbor and highlighted a significant need to provide authority and empowerment to a single entity. However, despite the recognition of the lack of authority and empowerment to a single entity, the Inner Harbor Task Force has done little, if anything, to advance that notion to appropriate city officials thereby relegating the day-to-day operations of the Inner Harbor to a bureaucratic abyss.

The Inner Harbor Task Force is an inadequate and ineffective management structure to operate day-to-day oversight and supervision of a world-class waterfront attraction and asset. Unfortunately, it represents the only loosely assembled group of city officials who give direct, although irregular focus, attention, or vision regarding harbor operations. The task force has not been provided, under executive order or mandates, the specific authority or empowerment for day-to-day management decisions or the power to direct city agencies or employees to take action, nor is it constituted to execute such authority should it be given.

There remains no clear authority as to the proper contact person or city representative to deal with developers or users or who has the overall responsibility of issues pertaining to harbor management and operation. There remains no coordinated effort to integrate marine activities with land-based activities or to address relationship of the management and operation of those two separate but related harbor activities.

Finally, no leader has been identified or appointed with the authority to coalesce and direct the many moving parts of city government and the shared responsibilities of city agencies. This ineffective management structure is analogous to a ship with a large crew but absent a captain or rudder to provide direction.