Ward 5 Weekly Newsletter
June 16, 2023

This week, the Council wrapped up its work on the FY24 budget by passing the Budget Support Act which contains all the laws for how funds can be used. Several amendments came forward, on issues including revenue from traffic enforcement and grants for the DC Commission on the Arts on Humanities. You can read a full recap of the activities from Tuesday's Legislative Meeting in Kendra's Corner below.

One of the things I'm particularly proud of is that we were able to secure more resources for Ward 5 with $1 million for a burn center at Washington Hospital Center and $2 million for Children's Hospital. Another hospital is top-of-mind for me right now, Providence Hospital. I hope you'll join me for a Virtual Town Hall regarding the redevelopment at Providence on June 27. I am proud of the FY24 budget the Council passed, and I hope Ward 5 neighbors are too, after the many hours, comments, testimonies, meetings and more you put in to help shape how the District allocates funds. 

Happy Juneteenth weekend! I hope you enjoy meaningful, joyful, and safe celebrations as we remember the liberation this day memorializes, and continue to fight for reparations. I'm sharing a number of Juneteenth events in the Team Zachary in the Community section of this newsletter. Monday is a government holiday, so please note that certain District services will be suspended or "slide" one day (e.g. trash pick-up and parking enforcement). One highlight is that DPR outdoor pools will be open Saturday, Sunday, and Monday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. for one extra day of weekend splashing!

Thank you to everyone who walked with us in the Capital Pride Parade last Saturday! Bayard Rustin once said, "We need in every community a group of angelic troublemakers." I'm grateful to serve alongside legislators that are willing to get into good trouble to protect the rights of LGBTQIA+ neighbors. Saturday was a moment of fun in this fight for humanity. 

• The Council's budget provides every dollar Mayor Bowser and MPD asked for. With this investment, MPD plans to increase patrols and respond faster to crimes. There are also funds set aside to address the hiring and retention difficulties that police departments across the country are facing, including MPD. 
• The Council's budget also restores funding Mayor Bowser had proposed cutting to violence interruption programs, victim services programs for victims of crime (including programs for victims of domestic violence), hospital-based violence interruption, and infrastructure to deter crime, including increased lighting and security cameras in areas where neighbors have requested it. For example, in Ward 5, Edgewood Terrace is receiving a $200,000 investment to enhance cameras and security. 
• The budget funds a new Safe Commercial Corridors Grant Program, creating pathways for local leaders in commercial corridors to take individualized approaches to public safety in their areas. Grant moneys can be used to increase safety patrols, address infrastructure needs such as lighting, and equip violence interruption programs. 

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) will host an open house to share the preferred alternative for Bladensburg Road NE between Benning Road and Eastern Avenue. DDOT invites residents who live, work, and commute on Bladensburg Road to drop by our open house to review concept plans and provide feedback. The open house will happen on tomorrow, June 17, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Trinidad Recreation Center in the Multipurpose Room (1310 Childress Street NE). Learn more here.  
 

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is conducting a high-level feasibility study of the North Capitol Street Corridor, which has been identified as a high crash corridor in the District’s moveDC plan. The study is a preliminary assessment of the existing transportation network, and study results will help inform the scope of future project phases starting in 2024 and will guide development concepts and preliminary corridor designs. The corridor is also identified as a Transit and Freight Priority corridor and is a connector for the Northeast and Northwest parts of the city. 

The purpose of this meeting is to present existing conditions on the corridor, gain community feedback on major issues, and present draft short-term improvements at high crash intersections. This is a chance for community members to share their feedback on ongoing issues, challenges, and opportunities for the study. DDOT staff will also be available to answer questions.

The meeting will be held virtually via Webex on June 22, and in-person at SeVerna on K (43 K St NW) on June 24.

• Virtual Option: June 22, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. - Webex link
• In-person Option: June 24, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - SeVerna on K (43 K St NW)

On June 26, DC Public Library is shifting open hours at neighborhood library locations across the District to enhance accessibility. The hours at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library and at co-located library locations will not change.

Neighborhood Libraries (in Ward 5: Lamond-Riggs/Lillian J. Huff Neighborhood Library and Woodridge Neighborhood Library):

• Monday - Wednesday | 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. 
• Thursday | Noon - 8:00 p.m. 
• Friday - Saturday - 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
• Sunday | 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Co-Located Libraries | Deanwood, Northwest One, Rosedale

• Monday - Wednesday | 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
• Thursday | Noon - 8:00 p.m. 
• Friday - Saturday | 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
• Sunday | 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library

• Monday - Thursday | 9:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
• Friday - Saturday | 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
• Sunday | 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

• Providence UCC lost over $2.6 million since 2019 with direct cost $6.5 million.
• Diagnostic Imaging lost $1 million since 2021 with direct cost $2.7 million.
• Ascension has taken efforts to reduce the financial burden:
  • No management fee for shared support services provided by corporate offices (H/R benefits, marketing, food services, environmental, regulatory compliance).
  • No mark up on fees paid for various services.
  • Forgave $55 million of intercompany debt on June 18.
• Explored growth in other services, market demand and financial analysis in designing non-acute campus and contacted other health systems about their interest in operating in the Urgent Care.

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is developing concept designs for the New York Avenue Streetscape and Trail Project that will promote multimodal transportation safety and create cohesive, community-friendly spaces along the project area. The corridor is a major east-west route through Ivy City and connects the Arboretum and Union Market communities in Ward 5 and Ward 6. New York Avenue NE is a major transportation route, a neighborhood, and an important industrial and commercial hub in the District. The project area extends along New York Avenue NE from the NoMa Metro Station to Bladensburg Road NE and includes a mix of residential units, businesses, places of worship, and new developments. Currently, the project area has few options for non-vehicular traffic and lacks adequate and consistent infrastructure to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists. 

The purpose of this meeting is to gain input on the updated concept designs and associated streetscape improvements. These comments will be incorporated into developing the final concept prior to moving into further design work. Attend the virtual meeting on June 28 from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. here.

• Closes for comment on June 20: Installation of All-Way Stop at 19th St and M St NE - Read and comment here
• Closes for comment on July 13: Conversion of 17th Street NE between Monroe Street and Newton Street NE to one-way northbound and conversion of 17th Street NE between Monroe Street and Lawrence Street NE to one-way southbound - Read and comment here
• Closes for comment on July 26: Close 3rd St NW between Shepherd St NW & Rock Creek Church Rd NW - Read and comment here

This week, my team attended the ANC 5D June meeting. Here's a brief recap: 

• ANC 5D (June 12 at 7:00 p.m.): James Ernst from DDOT gave an update on the New York Ave Streetscape and Trail Project. He also shared about the upcoming public meetings for this project as well as the North Capitol Corridor Feasibility Study. Aisha White from Nailah Studio X Ivy City Takeover gave a presentation as she seeks a letter of support for her application for a grant from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. The studio focuses on Ivy City and uses Black art abundance to engage communities. Nailah Studio intends to focus on vacant buildings and structures in Ivy City and add art and imagery to them. The Ivy City Takeover will be built on social practice and engagement for the community and what the community represents. A lot of the art will have QR codes for ways to donate to the community. All commissioners were in favor to draft a letter of support. Lastly, the Committee voted to present a resolution and discussion for the establishment of a new Trash Committee for littering, illegal dumping, and rodent control in ANC 5D.  

• New format! My website now displays upcoming ANC and Civic Association Meetings in an interactive calendar. View upcoming meetings here.

• 5A & 5C: Carlos McKnight, cmcknight@dccouncil.gov
• 5B & 5D: Oliver Stoute, ostoute@dccouncil.gov
• 5E & 5F: Sam Bonar, sbonar@dccouncil.gov

On Tuesday, the Council voted on the final part of the FY24 budget by approving the Budget Support Act (BSA), which gives DC government the authority to spend funds related to the budget and establishes laws around spending. There were several amendments proposed to the BSA. Two amendments proposed by Councilmember Parker passed unanimously. These were: 

• An amendment to clarify the establishment of the School Safety Commission. This was a small technical clarification to state that one of the duties of this commission will be to report on responsibilities that could be assumed by safety staff who are unarmed and who are neither SROs or security guards. Without this amendment, the Committee may not realize the School Safety bill's potential to improve school safety in the District by expanding protections through alternative safety measures.
• An amendment intended to preserve equitable granting opportunities at the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. This amendment removes the cap on grant amounts for organizations with operating budgets smaller than $115,000. Organizations with budgets larger than $115,000 will not be able to receive grants larger than 50% of their operating budget. Organizations with smaller operating budgets would have been disproportionately impacted by the 50% cap. By limiting the cap, we expand the opportunity for smaller start-up artists and organizations—many of them Black and brown—to contribute to the District’s vibrant arts culture.

What’s Next?
The Council-approved FY24 budget and financial plan that covers fiscal years 2024-2028 will go the Mayor for signature. Once the Mayor approves the budget it goes to the President for submission to Congress. The District’s budget must be approved by Congress as one of 12 annual federal appropriations bills. Federal appropriations bills are decisions Congress makes on how to distribute portions of federal spending. The District of Columbia’s budget includes federal funding, and under the Home Rule Act Congress must approve all legislation passed by Council. 

Upcoming Hearings Next Week: 

• Tuesday June 20 at 11:00 a.m.
  • Committee of the Whole Meeting and additional Legislative Meeting 
     
• Thursday June 22 at 10:00 a.m.
  • The Committee on Executive Administration and Labor will hold a public roundtable on the Department of Employment Services, The First Source program, and the Office of Youth Programs. The First Source program ensures DC residents receive priority consideration for new jobs created by local government-assisted projects or contracts. Sign up to testify by either emailing the Committee at ceal@dccouncil.gov or telephone the Committee at (202) 724-8198, at least two business days before the hearing and provide your name, address, telephone number, email address, organizational affiliation and title. 
     
• Thursday June 22 at 10:00 a.m.
  • The Committee of the Whole will hold a hearing on providing school nursing services and the School Vaccination Act. Sign up to testify on the Council’s Hearing Management System at https://lims.dccouncil.gov/hearings by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 20.

Juneteenth was declared a state holiday in Texas in 1980, and a national holiday in 2021. Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863 which said “that all persons held as slaves” within the rebellious states “are, and henceforward shall be free.” But some don’t realize that the Emancipation Proclamation did not free all enslaved people in the United States immediately. It only freed the enslaved people that were in the states that were not part of the Union, otherwise known as the Confederate or “rebellious states” that refused to return to or re-join the United States (also known as the Union at that time). Those were Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia. African Americans in Galveston, Texas didn’t receive the news of the end of slavery until June 19, 1865, over 2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

Interesting facts about Juneteenth 
Emancipation Park in Houston, Texas is the oldest park in Texas and is the site that the formerly enslaved purchased in 1872 to celebrate Juneteenth. Due to segregation, in 1872 freedpeople couldn’t find a place to celebrate the end of slavery. They pooled $800 (over $19,000 in today’s dollars) and purchased 10 acres to celebrate the occasion. For 78 years it was the only public park and swimming pool open to African Americans in Houston.

Juneteenth is not just celebrated here in the United States. In fact, Juneteenth is celebrated by the Mascagos population in Coahuila, Mexico. According to the Los Angeles Public Library, “This population are descendants of Africans from Texas and the indigenous group called Seminoles who fled to Mexico in the early 1800s. In Mexico, they are known as the Black Mascogo tribe and they celebrate Juneteenth every year.” 

The DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) hosts three weekly free veggie giveaways of local, fresh organic produce including kale, collards, lettuce, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, squash, herbs, flowers, and MORE! They occur May 9 through November 30 (weather permitting). In Ward 5, the weekly giveaway is at the Edgewood Rooftop Farm (at the Edgewood Recreation Center - 301 Franklin St NE) every Tuesday from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Pepco, the DC Public Library Foundation and DC Public Library are calling on youth between the ages of 13 - 19 to use their creative voice to make a difference. 

Between May 22 and August 15, youth can submit an original work of writing, photography, film, visual art, or music that expresses their feelings on a social issue that matters to them. They’re looking for pieces that are not only well-crafted but have a strong voice and perspective on a subject pertaining to civic engagement.

Winners will be selected in the categories of Visual Art, Writing, Music, and Film & Photography. Entries will be judged by representatives from Pepco and D.C. Public Library's Teen Council. Prizes include:

• Prize for Writing: Laptop
• Prize for Film & Photography: Canon EOS 4000D
• Prize for Visual Art: Wacom CTL4100 Intuos Graphics Drawing Tablet
• Prize for Music: Fender Electric Guitar

• 17 Ways to Celebrate Juneteenth in the DC Region (DCist)
• Juneteenth Events to Check out Around DC (Axios)
• First Wildfire Smoke, Now Possible Water Shortages? (DCist)
• DC Celebrates Progress on Long-Awaited McMillan Redevelopment (WTOP)
• DC Council Includes Clause to Prevent City Money from Being Spent on Commanders Return to DC (WUSA)
• New Tool Tracks Gun Injuries at DC Emergency Rooms (Axios)
• They Clean DC's Buildings, But They Struggle to Make Ends Meet (WaPo)
• DC DMV Workers Say Computer Issues Let DUI Convictions Fall Through the Cracks (DCist)
• New Bill Aimed at Metro Fare Evasion (NBC4)
• All Black-Owned Shopping Center Opens in Ward 8 (DCist)

• Councilmember Parker's Statement on Capping Rent Increases
• Franklin the Brookland Bear
  • There are t-shirts! Benefiting the Humane Rescue Alliance, which aided in safely returning "Franklin/Smokey/the bear" home
• Providence Reimagined
• Fort Totten Transfer Station Re-Opens
• DPW Hazardous Waste/Electronic Waste/Paper Shredding Information

As always, we invite you to use this form to provide feedback on how we're doing. We'd love to hear from you anytime. 

Yours in service and community, 

Zachary

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