DC Council oversight hearings for District government agencies begin this week. Find the full draft schedule at https://dccouncil.gov/2023-2024-performance-oversight-fy-2025-budget-schedules.

The Council has a hearing portal that should make it a little easier to sign up to testify and to submit testimony for each committee at https://lims.dccouncil.gov/hearings. Find the committee oversight hearing that interests you and click on the appropriate button to either sign up to testify or to submit your written testimony.

Have issues with how an agency is performing? Have ideas about how to make things better?

Is there something that multiple neighbors are experiencing with an agency that remains unresolved despite multiple attempts at resolution?

Is there an agency doing something well that might be a useful idea for another agency?

Are there things that an agency is doing well but you just wish they were doing more of whatever that thing is?

Let the Council know.

A neighbor passed along some items from Council committee fiscal year 2024 budget draft reports specific to the neighborhood. (This post covered the mayor’s proposed FY24 budget). See all of the draft committee reports at https://www.dccouncilbudget.com/fy-2024-budget.

Committee on Facilities & Family Services Report

• $75,000 to install a swing set with appropriate ground cover at Lamond Recreation Center
• $25,000 to install a shade structure at Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center
• $20,000 to install vertical netting to enhance the functionality of a fence at Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center

Committee on Transportation & the Environment Report

• Adds $1 million for the installation of tactical road diets along South Dakota Avenue NE to help slow down cars down the residential corridor

South Dakota Avenue NE Tactical Road Diet
The Committee is also establishing a new sub-project within DDOT’s Safety & Mobility master project to fund tactical safety improvements on South Dakota Avenue NE. South Dakota Avenue is one of the most dangerous corridors in Ward 5. However, due to the presence of even more dangerous arterial corridors in Ward 5, South Dakota Avenue NE was not designated a high-injury network corridor in DDOT’s 2022 Vision Zero Report. The Committee is placing $1M in the new sub-project to fund efforts to improve safety on the corridor in the short term, preferably by constructing a road diet on a segment of the corridor to calm traffic, reduce injuries, and improve connectivity along the corridor. DDOT shall determine which segment of the corridor would be a suitable starting point for safety improvements; however, the Committee recommends that DDOT consider either the segment between Bladensburg Road and Monroe Street NE or the segment between Sargent Street NE and Riggs Road NE.

Committee of the Whole Report

Looks like the committee is keeping the mayor’s proposed $20 million for UDC’s Bertie Backus campus. The committee report has some interesting commentary regarding UDC (pp. 70-74 in the report).

On March 22, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser released her proposed FY2024 budget to the DC Council. The mayor’s budget overview presentation to the council as well as budget highlights for each ward are available at budget.dc.gov.

• Ward 4 FY2024 Proposed Budget Highlights (highlights funding for modernization of LaSalle-Backus Elementary School & funding for completing the Metropolitan Branch Trail from First Place NE to Oglethorpe Street NW)

• Ward 5 FY2024 Proposed Budget Highlights (highlights funding for UDC Bertie Backus campus expansion & funding for community park space on District-owned green space on corner of South Dakota Avenue & Riggs Road NE).

Proposed budget details are in the budget books on the District’s Office of the Chief Financial Officer website.

FY2024 Budget Hearing Schedule

The Council Committee of the Whole hearing with Mayor Bowser is today. Over the next few weeks, Council committees will hold hearings on proposed agency budgets.

The FY2024 budget hearing schedule and instructions on how to participate through either oral or written testimony are available at https://dccouncil.gov/2022-2023-performance-oversight-fy-2024-budget-schedules.

Items relevant to/near Riggs Park

• UDC Bertie Backus Campus Expansion on p. 4 – 60,000 sq. ft. expansion; notes include current projects (Bertie Backus Master Plan Development & Programming; Backus Exterior Beautification Project; Aquaponics Infrastructure Improvements)
• DCPS Coolidge High cafeteria addition on p. 18 – included in previous capital budgets
• DCPS LaSalle-Backus Elementary modernization on p. 41 – same schedule for modernization
• DPR playgrounds on p. 22 – mentions North Michigan Park playground equipment replacement/resurfacing forecasted for FY2023
• DPR roof replacement on p. 26 – mentions Riggs-LaSalle Rec roof replacement forecasted for FY2023

More budget details will come. There has already been lots of commentary about the proposed budget and the lingering impacts of the pandemic on the budget in the past few days. There will be a lot more discussion over the coming weeks. This is your chance to let the Council know what you support and would like to see funded in the budget.

DC Council oversight hearings for District government agencies begin this week. Find the full draft schedule at https://dccouncil.gov/2022-2023-performance-oversight-fy-2024-budget-schedules.

Have issues with how an agency is performing? Have ideas about how to make things better?

Is there something that multiple neighbors are experiencing with an agency that remains unresolved despite multiple attempts at resolution?

Is there an agency doing something well that might be a useful idea for another agency?

Are there things that an agency is doing well but you just wish they were doing more of whatever that thing is?

Let the Council know.

Individual committee instructions on how to participate either by testifying orally or by submitting written comments are available at https://dccouncil.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/DRAFT-Instructions-for-Public-Participation-PERFORMANCE-OVERSIGHT-01132023.pdf. (Note, this list is currently incomplete).

Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George chairs the Council’s Facilities & Family Services Committee. This is the committee that oversees DC’s Department of General Services (DGS), among other agencies. DGS is responsible for maintaining District-owned buildings and District-managed space. This includes traditional public schools and recreation centers. Instructions on how to sign up to testify for that committee are available at https://janeeseward4.com/testify.

Now that the new ward boundaries for DC are in place, it is time to turn to redistricting for Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) boundaries. (Note that the ward map signed into law keeps the northern Ward 5 boundaries intact). The DC Council Redistricting Subcommittee has released information about the ANC redistricting process, available at https://www.elissasilverman.com/redistricting. Each ward councilmember is responsible for putting together a ward level task force to recommend ANC boundaries. According to the information listed on the redistricting website, each ANC single member district (SMD) must have between 1,900 and 2,100 residents.

Expected Timeline

• January 2022: Ward task forces begin meeting
• April 1, 2022: Ward task force reports due to the Council
• April 2022: Council hearings on ANC and SMD boundaries
• May/June 2022: Subcommittee vote on ANC and SMD boundaries bill
• June 2022: full Council votes on ANC and SMD boundaries bill

Task force meeting dates are already listed for Ward 5, but not Ward 4 just yet.

• Ward 5 (watch all meetings live at https://www.facebook.com/KenyanRMcDuffie)
  • Tuesday, January 11, at 6pm
  • Tuesday, January 25, at 6pm
  • Tuesday, February 8, at 6pm
  • Tuesday, February 22, at 6pm
  • Tuesday, March 8, at 6pm
  • Tuesday, March 22, at 6pm

It is not clear who is on the Ward 5 ANC redistricting task force.

In December, Greater Greater Washington published a piece about potential Ward 5 ANC configurations. We shall see what the task force comes up with.

The DC Council has begun performance oversight hearings for District government agencies. This is a good opportunity to let the Council know both the good and the bad with respect to agencies and offer suggestions for improvement. The schedule is available at https://dccouncil.us/2021-2022-performance-oversight-fy-2023-budget-schedules. You have to scroll all the way down to the bottom of the hearing notice to find out how to testify live or submit written testimony for each committee.

As an aside, I sometimes question the extent to which Council staffers actually read written testimony that is not accompanied by oral testimony. A couple of months ago, there was some discussion about the extent to which having virtual hearings during the pandemic increased public participation. It is nice having virtual hearing options. What would also be nice and a means to facilitating public participation is making sure the Council reads written testimony that is submitted for the record. It is probably easier to pay attention to oral testimony, especially when it comes from repeat players and questions can be asked. But I also think well done written testimony can be really valuable if people pay attention to it. And also, while it does take time to write, one can do so without having to take leave from work, unlike with live testimony.

In any case, go ahead and check out the performance oversight schedule and comment to your heart’s delight.

Seems like it is survey season. Please take a moment to complete Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie’s Ward 5 budget survey available at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/McDuffie. Complete this survey by noon on February 19.

Also, please take a moment to complete Mayor Muriel Bowser’s budget survey at budget.dc.gov.

This is the time to request that specific neighborhood items and other items you believe are a priority be funded.

Have thoughts about how DDOT is doing? Want to give praise to DCPL? DC Council agency performance oversight hearings are coming up. Instructions on how to participate or submit testimony are at the end of the public hearing notice.

In addition, Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George is asking residents for input regarding the oversight hearings. Councilmember Lewis George sits on the Committee on Human Services; Committee on Recreation, Libraries, and Youth Affairs; Committee on Labor and Workforce Development; and the Committee on Transportation and the Environment. Share your input via this google form and be as detailed as possible.

Saff contact information for Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George is now available on the Council’s website.

Lenace Edwards
Chief of Staff
Email: ledwards@dccouncil.us

Tamira Benitez
Constituent Services Coordinator
Email: tbenitez@dccouncil.us

Alexandros Taliadoros
Communications Director
Email: ataliadoros@dccouncil.us

Matthew Landrieu
Constituent Services Coordinator
Email: mlandrieu@dccouncil.us

Katherine Eyster
Legislative Director
Email: keyster@dccouncil.us

Will Perkins
Senior Policy Advisor
Email: wperkins@dccouncil.us

Meetup with Mendo: DC Council Chair Phil Mendelson Virtual Meetup
January 11, 2021
5:00 pm
Watch live: https://www.facebook.com/ChairmanPhilMendelson

Submit questions in advance
Email: bhughes@dccouncil.us
Twitter: @chmnmendelson; #meetupwithmendo
Instagram: @chairmanphilmendelson (direct message)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChairmanPhilMendelson (comment or message)

Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie has published office hours for the month of August. He will be at Lamond-Riggs Library on August 8 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie’s Chief of Staff Jeanette Mobley is retiring. Mrs. Mobley has worked tremendously to address concerns of our neighborhood. A farewell event will be held on July 31 at 6:30 pm at Busboys and Poets (Brookland).

July 25, 2015  •  John A Wilson Building 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Suite 506 (202) 724-8028

The Ward 5 Report Dear Resident, Over three years ago I had the distinct honor and pleasure of beginning my role as Councilmember in service to you.  At my side then was one of the most respected women in Ward 5, Jeannette Mobley.  Jeannette, who now serves as my Chief of Staff, promised me a year, or maybe two, just long enough for me to “get my feet wet.”  Now the time has come, and Jeannette has decided to retire. Though Jeannette certainly can never be replaced, I am confident my staff will do its best to continue the work that Jeannette has started.  In the meantime, I would like to invite you to bid a fond farewell to Jeannette this Friday, July 31, 6:30 pm at Busboys and Poets 625 Monroe St., NE.