Ward 5 Weekly Newsletter
June 2, 2023

Happy Pride Month! Yesterday, I joined Mayor Bowser, Attorney General Schwalb, and several of my Council colleagues to raise—for the first time ever—the Pride flag in front of the Wilson building. In my remarks, I reflected on the origins of Pride Month more than 50 years ago. The courageous resistance of Black trans women at The Stonewall Inn continues the ever-present protest from our community today. I am proud to call the District home as we continue lead on LGBTQIA+ issues both in the U.S. and internationally. 

On Monday, I connected with DC Water as they issued a Boil Advisory for parts of the Ward (areas in Langdon, Woodridge, Fort Lincoln, Brentwood, and Gateway) following a water main break that occurred Sunday. My team also stopped by holiday cookouts to connect with neighbors, including the Crummell School celebration in Ivy City with EmpowerDC. 

• I support the Judiciary Committee's plan to hold a hearing on the Mayor's newly introduced legislation before Council's summer recess. It is important we consider all proposals as we work to effectively address the city's upward crime trends.
• We recently shared the announcement of the new Interim Chief of Police, Ashan Benedict. I look forward to getting to know Chief Benedict and working together to address issues in Ward 5.  
• There are a number of public safety investments the Council was able to secure in our second vote on the FY24 budget Tuesday. These include: 
  • Approval of the Mayor's proposed staffing budget (for the third straight year), including $25,000 signing bonuses for new recruits, tuition, and rental assistance to retain officers, and a continued first-time homebuyer program for first responders.
  • Continued violence interruption programs in Ward 5. 
  • When the Council takes up the Budget Support Act in a few weeks, we'll be working to ensure we have a functioning and strong Department of Forensic Sciences, critical to helping prosecute and close cases. 
• As you may remember, there was a tragic shooting at The Jameson in Fort Lincoln at the beginning of May. My team conducted a safety walk in Fort Lincoln and we have had multiple follow-ups with neighbors and the property management company since then. This week, we learned that U.S. Marshals arrested the suspect in this homicide—a 15 year-old from Prince George's County who was also wanted in connection to an attempted shooting on a school bus in PG County. 
• We are advocating to scale Cure the Streets as they reapply for a grant from the Office of the Attorney General to serve the community. They have been essential partners in our work to curb violence in Ward 5. 
• On Monday morning, my team will be conducting a Public Safety Community Walk in the Truxton Circle neighborhood with Mundo Verde, joined by MPD, DDOT, and Violence Interrupters. Email Constituent Services Coordinator Sam Bonar for more information, sbonar@dccouncil.gov.

You are invited to DC Healthcare Finance's 6th Medicaid Renewal Community Meeting on Wednesday, June 7 at 2:30 pm, click here to join the meeting. Click the image above for a quick video on how to update your information in the Medicaid system.

The meeting will cover the resumption of Medicaid renewals with a focus on:

• beneficiaries who are over the age of 65; and
• beneficiaries who receive assistance with their Medicare payments (QMB), or qualify through a disability or health condition (non-MAGI beneficiaries).

DHCF staff will explain the Medicaid Renewal process, along with steps beneficiaries and stakeholders can take right now to ensure continuity of coverage. The meeting will examine key eligibility data, provide an update on some recent issues, and take questions and comments. If you would like to get meeting invites and more information on Medicaid Renewal, please send an email to medicaid.renewal@dc.gov.

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.

The DC Tax Revision Commission is inviting members of the public to an additional Virtual Town Hall to discuss the District’s tax system. The Town Hall will be Thursday, June 15, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Registration is available at https://bit.ly/TRCTownHall.

• Multimodal Improvement of Mt Olivet Rd NE - Read and comment here
  • This is an important traffic safety improvement from DDOT. The history of crashes along the corridor shows several major injuries and fatal crashes involving pedestrians, cyclists, drivers, and passengers. The change from a four-lane undivided roadway to a three-lane cross-section, otherwise known as a "road diet," will improve safety and reduce crashes by decreasing the number of conflicts along the road.
     
• Installation of All-Way Stop at 19th St and M St NE - Read and comment here
   
• Installation of Residential Permit Parking Signs - Read and comment here

This week, my team attended the 5A08 Spring/Summer Single Member District Meeting. Here's a brief recap: 

• 5A08 Spring/Summer Single Member District Meeting (June 1 at 6:30 PM): My team joined Commissioner Gordon Fletcher and residents in ANC 5A08 to hear neighbors' concerns regarding the McDonald’s development at 4950 South Dakota Ave NE and the Convenience Store at 4975 South Dakota Ave NE.

• 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 at the Committee of the Whole Meeting, Council voted on the FY23 Supplemental Budget. Along with the upcoming year’s budget, the Mayor and Council make adjustments to the budget the fiscal year we’re currently in based on how things are going. Changes included: 

• Restoring the Mayor’s $2 million cut to the Opioid Abatement Fund. Council passed the Opioid Litigation Proceeds Amendment Act of 2022 to oversee the District’s management of $49 million in settlement funds we’ll receive over 18 years from the national lawsuit against the Sackler family that pushed addicting drugs resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths across the county. The money must be used to address the opioid crisis by compensating victims and addressing opioid abuse prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction; 

• $33 million in budget authority for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP); and,

• Moving about $60 million from FY24 to FY23 so that charter school teachers can get pay increases at the beginning of the 2023-24 school year. 

At the Legislative Meeting, the Council had their second vote on the FY24 budget, which remained largely unchanged from the first vote, but included passing a vote on funding $5 million for the Food Access Fund, a grant program to increase equitable access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food in areas of the city that have less access to quality food through funding grocery stores, restaurant, and neighborhood food operators. The Legislative Meeting also included a lively discussion on the emergency rent control bill and the appropriate maximum rent landlords are able to charge. The matter has been tabled until the June 6 Legislative Meeting (this coming Tuesday). We want to ensure renters don't see historic and devastating increases, while understanding the financial demands landlords face to keep properties well-maintained. Councilmember Parker has helped lead the conversation about needed changes to the proposed rent hike and is part of a contingent of Councilmembers seeking to cap rents at rates lower than the previously proposed 8.9% and 6.9%.

Upcoming Hearings Next Week: 

• Wednesday June 7 at 9:00 a.m.
  • The Committee of the Whole will have a public hearing on Out of School Time and equitable access to high quality out-of-school-time programs for students and improving access and programming for students with Individualized Education Programs. Sign up to testify by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, June 5. Watch the hearing here.
• Thursday June 8 at 9:30 a.m.
  • The Committee on Transportation and the Environment will have an oversight roundtable with two WMATA representatives to discuss the Better Bus Network Plan. The roundtable won’t have public witnesses, but it will be an opportunity for Councilmembers to ask questions on behalf of constituents and ANCs. Watch the roundtable here. 
• Thursday June 8 at 10:00 a.m.
  • The Committee on Business and Economic Development’s hearing on 4 bills includes the Workers and Restaurants are Priorities Act of 2023. The bill looks at restaurant service charges, third party food delivery platforms such as Door Dash and Uber Eats, and whether the timeline for implementing law I-82 on tips and minimum wages should be changed. 
    • The Committee invites the public to testify remotely or to submit written testimony. Anyone wishing to testify must register by email to BusinessEconomicDevelopment@dccouncil.gov by 5:00 p.m. Monday, June 5. Watch the hearing here.

Happy Pride Month! Last week we celebrated Black Pride, Councilmember Parker introduced legislation to set up a commission to research and document Black queer history, and yesterday was the start of Pride Month.  

How did Black Pride start? 
The Children’s Hour was a Memorial Day event that took place from the 1970s to the 1990s at the Black queer nightclub, Clubhouse. When Clubhouse closed, 3 men—Welmore Cook, Theodore Kirkland, and Ernest Hopkins—wanted to continue the Children’s Hour tradition, spread awareness about the AIDS/HIV epidemic, and create a safe space for Black queer people to gather and celebrate. The first Black Gay and Lesbian Pride event happened on May 25, 1991 at Banneker Field. Later, it turned into a week-long festival, and now more than 50 Black Pride events happen around the world. DC is the second largest Black Pride event in the world. We honor the Black queer people that came before us and fought to make sure the Black queer community is not just seen, but also heard, honored, and celebrated; and not just for their existence, but also for their joy, tenacity, and courage. 

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.

Local gym, Bourne2Fly, is providing free fitness classes every Monday at 6:00 p.m. at their location (3408 18th St NE), sponsored by FITDC. These functional fitness classes started in May and will continue through July and provide DC residents a high quality fitness experience, connecting their mind, body, and community. Spaces are limited and registration is required on Eventbrite. 
 

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

• DC Youth Feel Left Out of the School Safety Debate. Eight Weigh In. (WaPo)
• DC Schools Will Now Offer Free Menstrual Products (Axios DC)
• Coming Soon to a Neighborhood Near You: Air-Quality-Monitoring Cars (Washington Informer)
• DCHA's Deadline to Fix Major Problems from HUD Report Has Come and Gone. Here's Where Things Stand. (DCist)
• Mayor Bowser Announces New DOEE Acting Director (Press Release)
• Kids In Crisis: 5 DC Activists Talk Violence Trends Among Kids; Where We Go From Here (WUSA-9)
• 11-Year Old Charged in Armed Robbery, Assault in NW DC (NBC Washington)
• 15-Year Old Suspect in DC Homicide Taken into Custody (NBC Washington)
• In DC, a Fight Over Insurance Delays, Denials (WaPo)
• Climate Activists Indicted for Paint Protest at National Gallery of Art (DCist)
• How to Talk to People: The Infrastructure of Community (The Atlantic)
• Local Queer Officials Lead Amid Surging Anti-LGBTQ Legislation (Queer in DC)
• Why So Many Events Have Ticket Lotteries Now (Axios DC)
• Here's the Lineup for MLK Rooftop Concerts this Summer (DCist)

• Ward 5 Bus Network Task Force Letter to WMATA
• DC Black Pride (and Councilmember Parker's Black Pride Dinner)
• DPR Outdoor Pool Season
• OSSE Annual Report
• Linda Harllee Harper, DC Violence Prevention Leader, Dies at 57 (DCist)

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

Want to reach one of our staff members?
Save this directory to stay in touch with us.