Seton Hill Association Elections!

Not only are national, state and city elections upon us, but so is the election for the Seton Hill Association board!

Tuesday October 8th is the Seton Hill Association Annual General Meeting with Board Elections for 2024 – 2025.

Advance nominations for board members closed on September 17th. The slate of nominees was read at the September 24th board meeting, and sent out via email notice to membership, and posted on the website, 2 weeks prior to the election as per the by-laws. 

Additional Board nominations by members in good standing may be made from the floor at the annual meeting prior to voting. We are currently short a candidate for a general position, so if you’re eligible please consider running.

Here is the slate:

President

Julia Roche: I moved to Baltimore in 2017 and to Seton Hill in 2022. We currently rent, but have fallen in love with the neighborhood so much that we actually purchased a house here that we are looking forward to restoring and moving into! One of the things that attracted me to this neighborhood is the close-knit community and strong neighborhood association. This past year, I have served as a General Board Member. During this time, I co-planned the flea market we held in July and wrote our application for the Park and Play grant that has enabled us to continue our weekly free yoga and host a slate of free events this fall. I’ve also supported other ongoing initiatives, including our monthly neighborhood clean ups.

My goals for the Association are that it:

  • Is a positive environment, helps neighbors to get to know each other, and fosters a feeling of community
  • Serves as a forum for neighbors to voice concerns and collaboratively come up with solutions
  • Continues to spearhead projects and activities that improve the quality of life of all Seton Hill residents
  • Provides a variety of ways for neighbors to get involved, ranging from serving on the Board, to participating in a committee, to supporting the occasional event, or simply attending and enjoying our activities as a participant!
  • Welcomes new members from within the expanded neighborhood boundaries

I hope to cultivate a welcoming, participatory environment for all SHA members. I also hope to uplift the Board members such that they can contribute their diverse skills and interests to achieving our mission. We are stronger as a collective than as any one person!

Vice President

Samir Chandra: Samir is running for Vice-President of the Seton Hill Association (SHA) for 2024-2025. He is the current Secretary in SHA, and is leading the crow prevention efforts this year. With a service background including stints in Americorps, he has served in community organizations like the 20s and 30s Mount Vernon Urbanites Meetup Group (Vice-President) and founded the 20s and 30s Capitol Hill (Seattle) Urbanites Meetup group. He looks forward to connecting neighbors for a stronger Seton Hill community.

Treasurer

Caleb Bowers: My name is Caleb Bowers and I have been a resident of Seton Hill since February 2023. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know all my neighbors and sharing in the task of working to make this neighborhood one of the best in the city. I accept the nomination for treasurer and look forward to the opportunity to serve, should I receive the required vote count. In my professional career, I have worked as a banker, a grants administrator, and now as a data analyst with the city. I believe I have a unique skill set that can support treasury work while also collaborating with the community to explore grant opportunities and to expand our fundraising efforts. In addition, I hope to explore new and innovative ways to manage the Association’s funds.

In my free time, I enjoy cooking and smoking meats. If anyone is ever interested in smoking ribs or brisket, let me know. I’ve also been known to play disc golf and hike parts of the Appalachian Trail.

Secretary

Sunny Wiggins: I am excited to accept the nomination for Secretary and general board member of the Seton Hill Association. As a new homeowner in Seton Hill, I feel deeply connected to this community and eager to contribute. I aim to strengthen ties with local nonprofits, enhance marketing and branding efforts, and engage donors, community members, and city officials. I strive to help build support from a more diverse group of neighbors and partners to keep Seton Hill inclusive and thriving.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve.

General Board Member

Dean Ratcliffe-Lynes: Has produced Emmy Award-winning television programs, television specials, and documentaries for national distribution and videos for grassroots and non-profit organizations that tell compelling stories of their work. Her mission is to educate, encourage, enlighten, and empower, providing a voice for the unheard and a forum for the unseen. Topics addressed range from health to education to social justice. Stories are told in a way that intends to impact and move people to action.

Her work has been recognized with awards for “Martin Luther King, Jr.: The March to Freedom” hosted by Julian Bond, for the Hearst Broadcast group, “The Bottom Line”, a weekly talk show hosted by Kweisi Mfume, and “A Celebration of Life: Rising Above Breast Cancer” a one-hour documentary hosted by legendary jazz artist Nancy Wilson that American Public Television nationally distributed to 133 public television stations nationwide.

She was named a Fellow in the Johns Hopkins/MICA Saul Zaentz Innovation Fund “Bold Voices” program in 2016 and has a documentary in production about four Baltimore women who were formerly incarcerated. Women Make Movies is the film’s fiscal sponsor. She was also named a Fellow in the inaugural class of the Still I Rise Film Fund in 2021.

For the last four years, she has been producing videos for the 400 Years of African American History Commission, a federally appointed Commission created to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the landing of the first kidnapped Africans in the English Colonies in 1619.

She currently serves as President of the Board for Baltimore Outreach Services, a 501c3 organization that provides safe shelter for homeless women and children.

Stephen Brown: Brown moved to Baltimore 5 years ago, and moved to Seton Hill 3 years ago. Despite growing up in the Baltimore area, he had not heard of Seton Hill, but was attracted to its charm, history, and community. He believes that Seton Hill’s location, amenities, and community make it one of the most underrated neighborhoods in the city. He is committed to fostering Seton Hill’s development and is looking forward to helping to make it one of the most livable, desirable neighborhoods in the city.

************************************************************

Membership Renewal Schedule

SHA membership application renewals for 2024-25 started September 1st and continue until the election. Please renew in time to be able to vote.

New members are encouraged to join now to receive all the benefits of a full year of membership.

Absentee Ballot Schedule

Requests for absentee ballots start 1 October and are due by 7 October, the day before the election. Email SHAboard@setonhill.org

To be eligible to vote you must have been a member last year who attended at least one business meeting, and have paid the 2024-25 year dues. For an absentee vote, membership must be renewed by 6 October at 5:00 pm. If voting in person, you can pay prior to the election.

2024 Election

You may have seen a sign or two highlighting the fact that it’s an election year. We want to make sure you have all the resources you need to be able to vote.

Note, make sure you check to see which polling location is yours! Depending on your address, your polling location may be different from your neighbor’s! Visit this site to verify: https://boe.baltimorecity.gov/boe-polling-locations

Polling Place:Chase House
Address:1037 Cathedral St
Baltimore, MD 21201
Election Day Hours: 2024 PRESIDENTIAL GENERAL ELECTION
11/5/2024 – 7 am to 8 pm
Polling Place:School #122 Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Elem
Address:507 W Preston St – Enter On Druid Hill Ave
Baltimore, MD 21201
Election Day Hours: 2024 PRESIDENTIAL GENERAL ELECTION
11/5/2024 – 7 am to 8 pm

Taken directly from the MD election website, here’s the key info you need to have:

#MDvotes 2024

To vote by mail, you must request a mail-in ballot from the State Board of Elections or your local board.Your request for a mail-in ballot for the Presidential General Election must be submitted as follows:

  • If you want to receive your ballot by mail or fax, your request must be received (not just mailed) by Tuesday, October 29, 2024.
  • If you want to receive your ballot via the internet, your request must be received by 5 pm, Friday, November 1, 2024 for a request sent in the mail, or by 11:59 pm, Friday, November 1, 2024 for a request sent by fax or submitted online. 
  • If you hand deliver your request and the ballots are ready, you can pick up your mail-in ballot. You may take your mail-in ballot with you and return it by mail or you can vote it at the local board office and give it to an election official.
  • The deadline to request a mail-in ballot in person is election day, November 5, 2024 by 8 pm. Please visit your local board of elections’ website for hours of operation. 

Mail-in ballots must be postmarked or placed in a designated ballot drop box (en espanol) by 8 pm on November 5, 2024 for the Presidential General Election.

To vote in person, Marylanders can vote during early voting or on election day:

  • For the 2024 Presidential General Election, early voting will be available from Thursday, October 24, 2024 through Thursday, October 31, 2024 (including Saturday and Sunday) from 7 am to 8 pm. You can vote early at any early voting center in the county you live in (en espanol).
  • The Presidential General Election day is November 5, 2024 from 7 am to 8 pm. To vote in person on election days, vote at your assigned polling place.

Below you will find information on:

  • Vote by Mail (Mail-in Ballot)
  • Vote Early (Thursday, October 24, 2024 – Thursday, October 31, 2024)
  • Vote on Election Day (Presidential General Election Day is November 5, 2024.)
  • Accessible Voting

Register to Vote

You can register to vote during early voting. Go to an early voting center in the county where you live, and bring a document that proves where you live. This document can be your MVA-issued license, permit, ID card, or change of address card, or your paycheck, bank statement, utility bill, or other government document with your name and new address.

You can register to vote on election day. Go to the polling place assigned for your residence, and bring a document that proves where you live. You can find your polling place here. The document can be your MVA-issued license, permit, ID card, or change of address card, or your paycheck, bank statement, utility bill, or other government document with your name and new address.

You can update your address during early voting or on election day. Go to the polling place assigned for your new address. You can find your polling place here. At your polling place, you will provide your new address, vote a provisional ballot, and election officials will update your address and count your provisional ballot.

Request a Mail-In Ballot

The deadline for us to receive your request for a ballot using our online system is November 1, 2024 for the Presidential General Election. If this deadline has passed and you would like to vote a mail-in ballot, please go to your local board of elections. You can pick up your ballot there and either vote and return it then or take your ballot with you and return it by mail or at a ballot drop box (en espanol).

Once your application is submitted, you can check the status of your application here.

Vote by Mail (Mail-in Ballot)

If you chose to receive your mail-in ballot by U.S. Mail, simply follow the instructions with your ballot and return it in the postage-paid return envelope that accompanies your ballot.

Your mail-in ballot must be mailed, dropped in a ballot drop box location, taken to a polling place, Early Voting Center or local board by 8 pm on Election Day, November 5 for the Presidential General Election. If you mail your ballot, it must be postmarked on or before each election day to be counted.

If you chose to receive your ballot by email, you will receive an email with a link that will allow you to print and mail your ballot.

Maryland.gov are domain names that belong to the Maryland State Board of Elections. Our email will have the prefix “absentee” or “voterservices”and the suffix “@maryland.gov.” The following are domain names that the Maryland State of Election uses: MDElections.SBE@info.maryland.gov, Absentee.sbe@maryland.gov and support@marylandstateboardofelections.zohodesk.com. Ballots are delivered from MDelectionsbe@maryland.gov. Ballots are delivered from MDelectionsbe@maryland.gov. For example, sbe_voterservices@maryland.gov is an email we use to communicate with our voters about mail-in voting.

If you don’t see your email, please check your SPAM folder and if you don’t see it there, please email us and provide your full name, month and day of your birth, and the county where you are registered to vote.

Important Note: A recent change in the law requires the State Board of Elections and each local board of elections to refer to absentee ballots as “mail-in ballots” and absentee voting as “mail-in voting.” Please note that this change in terminology does NOT change the process of mail-in voting.

Completing your Ballot

When filling out your ballot, remember to: 

  • Use black ink pen to mark your ballot (Do not use a sharpie).
  • Sign the return envelope. Do not sign the ballot.
  • Seal your return envelope.
  • Send your ballot using the postage-paid return envelope.

Returning your Ballot

First Class Mail – U.S. Post Office

We are urging all Marylanders to return their ballots as soon as possible due to potential delays with the U.S. Postal Service. Your mailed ballot comes with a postage-paid return envelope, so submitting your ballot by mail is free. Your ballot must be postmarked on or before November 5 for the Presidential General Election. Putting your ballot in a mailbox on election day does not mean it is postmarked that day.

Ballot Drop Boxes

Marylanders can use a ballot drop box to return their mail-in ballot. The 2024 Presidential General Election ballot drop locations are available here (en español). Ballot drop boxes will be open until 8pm on November 5 for the Presidential General Election.Voting In Person

Due to a recent change in the law, we now mail every voter an application for a mail-in ballot. The best time to vote in person is on weekends during early voting and between 10 am and 3 pm on election day.

Vote Early

If you prefer to vote in person, for the Presidential General Election, early voting centers will be open from Thursday, October 24, 2024 through Thursday, October 31, 2024 from 7 am until 8 pm–Saturday and Sunday too. You may vote early at any early voting center in your jurisdiction of residence (en espanol).

Vote on Election Day

Election day polling places will be open from 7 am until 8 pm on November 5, 2024. Election day voting will be held at your assigned polling place.

Canceling Mail-In Ballot/Switching to In-Person Voting

If you have previously requested a mail-in ballot and would like to vote in person, you will need to cancel your mail-in ballot. The easiest way to cancel your mail-in ballot request is online via our Voter Registration Update Page here: Maryland’s Online Voter Registration System (OLUP).

You can find step-by-step instructions on canceling your mail-In ballot and switching to in-person voting (including screenshots) on our Mail-In Voting information page.

Accessible Voting

Maryland is committed to making voting accessible to all voters. All of the early voting centers in Maryland are accessible to voters with disabilities. To learn more about voting by mail or voting in person, click here.

The CHAP process

We added a new page to help you navigate the CHAP process! It’s located here, under the “Historic Neighborhood” section: https://setonhill.org/chap-requirements-for-seton-hill/

Here’s a snippet:

Seton Hill is a historic neighborhood protected by Baltimore City’s Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation (CHAP). To preserve the historic character and architectural details of the neighborhood the Seton Hill Historic District was established in 1968 and was recognized by the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Owners of historic homes in Seton Hill must abide by exterior preservation standards to maintain the character of the neighborhood. All exterior work or new construction in Seton Hill requires review and permits before commencing. 

Seton Hill’s Architectural Review Committee (ARC) acts as the neighborhood advisory group in support of the City’s Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation (CHAP). It is recommended that property owners contact the committee at architecture@setonhill.org early in the process to discuss planned scope of work before contractors or architects are hired. 

All exterior work to any structure within the Seton Hill historic district–including changes to windows, doors, lighting, painting, additions, fencing, hardscaping, and major landscaping–is subject to review by the ARC and approval by CHAP.