ANC 5A held its monthly public meeting on May 26, 2021. All commissioners were present: Damion McDuffie, Sr. (5A01); Charles Lockett (5A02); Emily Singer Lucio – Secretary (5A03); Ronnie Edwards – Chair (5A05); Derrick Holloway, Sr. (5A06); Sandi Washington – Treasurer (5A07); Gordon Fletcher – Vice Chair (5A08). ANC 5A04 remains vacant.

Quick note on the agenda. Once again there was not anyone present to discuss the residential parking permit (RPP) fee increase that was on the agenda. Seems there was confusion again about who was responsible for getting the proper District officials there. District Department of Transportation (DDOT) staff were present, but they were there to discuss the visitor parking pilot program, which was not on the agenda. DDOT is not the agency responsible for the RPP fee increase; the DC Department of Motor Vehicles is. So the commission decided not to have DDOT present at all on the parking pilot and said they will try again to get someone at a meeting to discuss the RPP fee increase. All in all, definitely sounds like there will not be any discussion of this issue before June 1, the effective date of the fee increase.

The meeting was running long for reasons, and nature decided to intervene. The thunderstorm Wednesday evening made people’s internet connection unstable. The commission had to end the meeting at around 9:15 pm and could not get to a couple of items on the agenda, including discussion of two proposed bikeshare locations in ANC 5A03 (12th Street NE and on Decatur Street NE).

MPD Police Report

I missed the first few minutes of the meeting while I was waiting to get the link to join. I joined in the middle of a discussion with MPD 4D Inspector James Boteler about police officers getting out of their police vehicles to speak with and interact with residents. This is a recurring conversation. Inspector Boteler said he was interested in an adopt-a-block program in which officers would be charged with focusing on a particular block and getting to know 10 to 15 residents of that block. Commissioner Emily Singer Lucio (5A03) was the first to offer up her SMD for this challenge. (I guess do not be surprised if officers start randomly talking to you and waving at you on the street).

ANC 5A03 Traffic Calming on 10th Street NE

View the draft resolution here.

The commission voted unanimously to approve a resolution from Commissioner Lucio (5A03) regarding traffic calming in the 4200-4300 blocks of 10th Street NE (between Taylor and Varnum). This area is the border between ANC 5A and ANC 5B. The resolution opposes DDOT’s proposal to open the currently one-way street to two-way vehicular traffic by removing parking on one side of the street. Instead, the resolution requests other measures such as speed humps, signage, and flexiposts. ANC 5B has considered a similar resolution.

ANC 5A08 Public Safety Task Force Update

ANC Commissioner Gordon Fletcher (5A08) will be soliciting input from residents in ANC 5A08 to complete a community questionnaire from the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement to identify ways to address community safety.

The next ANC 5A public safety meeting will be in June.

Ward 5 Mayor’s Office Report

Ward 5 MOCR Nokomis Hunter noted that Mayor Muriel Bowser will present her FY2022 budget to the Council on May 27, 2021 (find the full budget here and see the mayor’s presentation to the Council here).

DC residents 12 years of age and older are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. Homebound residents who would like to receive the COVID-19 vaccine should contact (855) 363-0333 to register for an at-home appointment.

DC will run a ticket amnesty program from June 1, 2021, through September 30, 2021. Penalties will be waived for outstanding tickets for certain violations issued prior to September 30, 2021, so that individuals will only have to pay the original ticket amount. Details at ticketamnesty.dc.gov.

DC residents can get assistance with paying rent and utilities through https://stay.dc.gov.

Ward 5 Council Report

Jonathan McNair, Director of Community Engagement for Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, noted CM McDuffie previously sent a letter with a number of budget requests to the mayor, some of them ostensibly designed to address equity in DC.

ANC Commissioner Damion McDuffie (5A01) noted that adjustments will be made to COVID-19 vaccination site locations beginning in June due to reopening of recreation centers for summer camp. To find the nearest vaccine location, visit vaccines.gov or text your zip code to GETVAX (438829).

The DC Council unanimously passed amendments to the Comprehensive Plan (Bill 24-1). The Comp Plan guides how the city should grow and develop.

DC Health Link: Health Insurance Resources

See presentation here.

With funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, DC residents have new health insurance resources available:

1. New temporary benefit for laid off workers: health insurance for as little as $2/month

2. New lower health insurance premium for more residents: individual and family coverage on DC Health Link

3. New temporary benefit for laid off workers: free COBRA premiums (employer health insurance continuation coverage)

For information and details, visit DCHealthLink.com.

NAF Academy at Roosevelt High School

See presentation here.

Roosevelt High School has two career academies, foreign policy/diplomacy and culinary arts. Benefits of enrolling in the NAF Academy include academic supports, paid internships, mentoring, career exploration, and college preparation. Complete the interest survey here. Part of ANC 5A07 is zoned for Roosevelt High School. In-boundary students can enroll in person or online. Out-of-boundary students can apply for enrollment using the My School DC lottery.

Roosevelt NAF Academy is also accepting volunteers. Complete the volunteer interest form here.

For questions, contact Roosevelt NAF Academy Director Julian Hipkins at julian.hipkins@k12.dc.gov.

Defund MPD Coalition

See presentation here.

Organizers with the Defund MPD campaign presented the coalition’s goals for consideration for ANC resolution support. The goals include ideas for legislation, MPD’s budget, and investment in community resources. Some of the commissioners expressed uneasiness at the thought of fewer police in the community and opined on the name of the coalition.

(Commentary: I think it is worth taking a look at the presentation to view the list of concrete goals from the coalition, which is comprised of various community and labor organizations in DC. Some of the goals align with the recently released report from the DC Police Reform Commission, which was created by the DC Council to explore improvements and alternatives to policing. To me, there is value in engaging with the ideas presented).

This issue will be discussed more at the ANC’s public safety meeting in June.

EYA Michigan Park Townhome Project Update

See presentation here.

Construction continues on the Townhomes at Michigan Park project located near Sargent Road NE and Allison Street NE (view construction updates at https://www.eya.com/townhomes/washington-dc/michigan-park/construction-updates). The first residents are scheduled to move in starting this fall. The developer EYA has started implementing community benefits associated with the project. A housing counseling organization will soon begin marketing grants available to residents affected by higher property tax bills in the area. Construction of a playground for the project will begin in the next 60 days in time to be open by fall. Look for meeting information for residents with the artist and design team regarding the playground. There will be 10 homes available below market rate that will be going on sale soon. Individuals interested in the below market rate homes have to qualify through the city.

A couple of residents raised construction issues, such as trucks using residential streets and water/sewer prep work occurring at 2:00 am. Commissioner Lucio has regular meetings about this project for residents in that area. Please reach out to her if you live in that area and need to receive notices about her single member district (SMD) meetings.

At this point, the meeting was adjourned due to the storm.

ANC 5A held a special meeting on May 12, 2021. Commissioners present: Damion McDuffie, Sr. (5A01); Charles Lockett (5A02); Emily Singer Lucio – Secretary (5A03); Ronnie Edwards – Chair (5A05); Sandi Washington – Treasurer (5A07); Gordon Fletcher – Vice Chair (5A08)

The ANC ended up packing a lot into this special meeting. Traffic calming on 10th Street NE on the border between ANC 5A03 and ANC 5B05 was on the agenda. Commissioner Lucio announced at the start of the meeting that that item was removed from the agenda so that she and ANC Commissioner Colleen Costello (5B05) can work on a joint resolution after meeting with DDOT and MPD. If you live in Commissioner Lucio’s single member district and did not receive notice of a separately scheduled meeting on this topic, email Commissioner Lucio at 5A03@anc.dc.gov to be added to her distribution list.

ANC Business

Work on the ANC 5A website continues. A resident asked if meeting notices and links could still be posted to the website as the work continues. I would recommend emailing Commissioner Lucio, who is the secretary of the commission, at 5A03@anc.dc.gov to be added to ANC 5A’s distribution list in order to receive meeting announcements.

Capital Guardian Youth Academy

The Capital Guardian Youth Challenge Academy, a residential, quasi-military academy run through the DC National Guard for youth ages 16 to 18 who have left high school before graduating, is accepting applications. For information, contact admissions staff Gerard Waluyn at gerard.waluyn@dc.gov or Hector Lamas at hector.lamas@dc.gov.

Mayor’s Budget

There was some confusion about why a representative from the mayor’s office, Chris Murray, was present to ostensibly discuss the mayor’s budget proposal. It sounded like ANC 5A Chair Edwards wanted the representative there to discuss Crummell School. (At the April meeting, the ANC voted to support a resolution from ANC 5D regarding community use of the former school). Mr. Murray stated he could not discuss specific budget items before the mayor presents her budget, but he did say that Crummell School is on the mayor’s radar. Other than that, Mr. Murray discussed the general timeline for the budget process, which has been delayed to account for receipt of funding from the federal government. The mayor will present her budget to the DC Council on May 27. The Council will hold budget hearings during the month of June and vote in July. (See budget schedule at https://www.dccouncilbudget.com/schedules). Commissioner Lockett asked about opportunities for resident or ANC input on the budget. Besides the budget hearings held by the Council, Mr. Murray stated that the mayor’s office accepts input year-round and also conducts budget engagement forum exercises to get input from residents.

Residential Parking Permit Fee Increase

The initial reason for even having this special meeting in the first place was to discuss the fee increase for residential parking permits (RPP). The ANC discussed during the April meeting that, beginning June 1, the RPP fee schedule will increase from $35 per vehicle. The new rates will be:

1. $50 for the first vehicle
2. $75 for the second vehicle
3. $100 for the third vehicle
4. $150 for each vehicle beyond the first three vehicles

There is an exemption for one resident 65 years of age or older per household. Exempted residents will pay a $35 annual RPP fee for the first vehicle registered at a legal mailing address. The fee for each subsequent vehicle registered at a legal mailing address will be identical to the tiered rates noted above.

There was some confusion about who was responsible for getting a District official to the meeting to discuss the fee increase, so there was no one there from District government to talk about this issue. The commissioners ended up voting to draft a “letter of concern” about the fee increase. When asked what the concerns were, Commissioner Lucio responded that she was concerned about the fee increase generally. Commissioner Washington responded that she was concerned about the timing of the fee increase given that the District is still under a public health emergency and some residents are still out of work or just returning to work. She would recommend suspending the effective date of the fee increase until the public health emergency is over.

The commission is accepting resident input on this issue. I recommend sending an email to all of them. Their email addresses can be found here.

Chair Edwards asked for the MOCR’s assistance in getting someone from District government to the ANC’s regularly scheduled May meeting on May 26 to discuss the fee increase. Commissioner Washington also asked if someone from DDOT could discuss the digital visitor parking pass pilot program that was recently announced for two ANCs in Wards 1 and 6.

Catholic University

Catholic University officials attended the meeting to apologize for the lack of notice regarding the end-of-year fireworks celebration that caught some residents by surprise. The university did send notice out, but not as widely as they had planned.

The university’s nursing school expansion plan was approved by the Zoning Commission (zoning case number 12-01D).

The DC Board of Elections has certified a vacancy for ANC 5A04, which covers Catholic University. University officials have identified a potential candidate. The petition circulation period ends May 17, 2021. Interested candidates should consult the vacancy notice.

Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie Report

Silas Grant, Senior Advisor to Councilmember McDuffie, noted that CM McDuffie has introduced legislation to provide a publicly-funded trust fund for babies born in the District to families with an annual household income of $132,000 or less (see press release). This initiative is sometimes referred to “baby bonds.” An initial payment of $1,000 would be provided for newborns, supplemented by an annual payment of up to $2,000 depending on household income. When the child turns 18, the money can be withdrawn for specified uses, such as education, starting a business, or buying a home. Mr. Grant said CM McDuffie introduced this legislation to address the racial wealth gap.

Next Meeting

The regularly scheduled ANC 5A meeting will be on May 26, 2021.

ANC 5A01 Single Member District Meeting
with Commissioner Damion McDuffie (5A01)
May 19, 2021
6:30 pm-8:00 pm

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81337416017?pwd=ZytRT3RDWnRycGVkcmJXbmtLMEdoZz09

Meeting ID: 813 3741 6017

Passcode: 782710

Dial by your location:  301 715 8592

AGENDA 

1. Welcome & Opening Remarks
2. DC Office of Campaign Finance Presentation
3. DC Public Library Presentation
4. Councilmember McDuffie’s Office Update
5. Fourth District Metropolitan Police Department Update
6. The Executive Office of the Mayor (EOM) Update
7. The Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement Update
8. DC Department of Transportation Update
9. Community Q & A
10. Closing Remarks

*Please make sure you are on the call in plenty of time for your presentation.

*To stay within an hour, please try to limit your questions so everyone can be heard. Any unanswered concerns can be forwarded to 5A01@anc.dc.gov

ANC 5A Special Public Meeting
May 12, 2021
6:45 pm

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86809581016?pwd=T1ZhWFdCT1ZwVnFCTW1WeGlBaWpSQT09

Meeting ID:  868 0958 1016    
Passcode: 912367
Dial In: 301 715 8592

AGENDA ITEMS

1. DC Department of Motor Vehicles Residential Parking Permit (RPP) Fee Increase and the Mayor’s Budget
2. Catholic University Fireworks
3. ANC 5A03 10th Street Traffic Calming

In the interest of keeping our regular May meeting from being too long, we have asked two presenters to attend this meeting and give very brief presentations, if time permits:

Office of Campaign Finance- Fair Elections Program Deloris K. Ramsey

DC National Guard Capital Guardian Youth Challenge Academy  Rip Preston

ANC 5A Special Public Meeting
May 12, 2021
6:45 pm

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86809581016?pwd=T1ZhWFdCT1ZwVnFCTW1WeGlBaWpSQT09

Meeting ID:  868 0958 1016    
Passcode: 912367
Dial In: 301 715 8592

AGENDA ITEMS

1. DC Department of Motor Vehicles Residential Parking Permit (RPP) Fee Increase and the Mayor’s Budget
2. Catholic University Fireworks
3. ANC 5A03 10th Street Traffic Calming