City Paper Widget

Showing posts with label Gottlieb Simon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gottlieb Simon. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Should Churches or Private Businesses Receive ANC Grant Money?

Martin Moulton, a Shaw community activist, is shopping an idea to Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANCs). The idea is that ANC grant funds should be used to help local organizations -- especially churches and businesses -- install outward-facing security cameras on their buildings. The security camera footage could be of use to police when crimes take place in the vicinity.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
So far, Moulton has attempted to interest ANC 2F/Logan Circle and 6E/Shaw in the idea. He has prepared a model grant form. But he cannot get the ANCs to commit to even considering the applications, because the grant application process is designed to benefit non-profit community groups and secular organizations only.

ANC2F Commissioner Peter Lallas (distrcit 01) brought up Moulton's proposal at the ANC's last regular monthly meeting on August 7. (Lallas is chair of ANC2F's Crime and Public Safety Committee.)

ANC grants are supposed to be for projects that produce a public benefit. It was agreed at the meeting there could be sufficient public benefit to security cameras that monitored public spaces, no matter where they were located.

However, ANC2F must first change its bylaws, because as presently written a church or a private business might not quality. The by-laws say that ANC2F "may approve grants only to citizens groups that are public in nature".

It was argued at the meeting that churches are public in nature, because anyone can walk into a church.

Gottlieb Simon of DC's Office of Advisory Neighborhood Commissions was present at the August 7 meeting. He confirmed the obvious fact that grant money could not be used to further religious activity. Outward-facing security cameras, however, were not a religious activity, so could be funded with ANC money, Simon said.

However, it was clear that private businesses could not, under any circumstances, qualify for a grant under the by-laws as they are currently written. Changing ANC2F's bylaws was discussed, but no proposal was put forward at the meeting.

Moulton told ANC2F he had not shopped the proposal to any area businesses yet, but would like to be in the position where he could.

ANC6E has also discussed this matter at a previous meeting but has not moved forward with a grant.

The discussion above is mentioned briefly in the summary of the meeting on ANC2F's web site here.

Friday, January 3, 2014

James Turner New Chair of ANC1B

Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 1B/U Street elected new officers at its meeting of last night, January 4. Commissioner James Turner (district 09) was elected ANC1B Chair, defeating incumbent Tony Norman (10) in a narrow 5 - 4 vote. Marc Morgan (01) was elected Vice-Chair, also by 5 - 4, over Jeremy Leffler (02). Ricardo Reinoso (05) and Dyana Forester (06) were elected without opposition as Secretary and Treasurer, respectively.


Gottlieb Simon and ANC1B elect new officers
The election was conducted in public view by Gottlieb Simon, Executive Director of D.C.'s Office of Advisory Neighborhood Commissions. Simon arrived at the meeting when it started at 7pm in a bicycle helmet and a soaking-wet yellow rain slicker, indicating that he had braved last night's slushy winter storm on two wheels to make the election happen.

Simon explained the election could not be by secret ballot, since all ANC activity is supposed to be public. After making that clear, Simon and the ANC agreed candidates for contested positions would have a minute to speak to the other commissioners.

Speaking first, Turner said the ANC had experienced a difficult year. The ANC had not leveraged the strengths and weaknesses of its members, Turner said, and the ANC had been criticized for not filing documents on time.

"My focus will be making us strong operationally," Turner said.

In reply, Norman said there had been a lot of improvements in the last year, including bringing a staff person on board. Norman said the ANC wants to move toward having its meetings broadcast live online.

The vote tally for ANC1B Chair:

For Turner: Leffler, Reinoso, Forester, Juan Lopez (07), and Turner.
For Norman: Morgan, Sedrick Muhammed (03), Norman, and Zahra Jilani (12).

The vote tally for ANC1B Vice-chair:

For Morgan: Morgan, Reinoso, Forester, Turner, and Norman.
For Leffler: Leffler, Muhammed, Lopez, and Jilani.

Commissioners Deborah Thomas (04), Emily Washington (08), and E. Gail Anderson Holness (11) were not present at the meeting.

Once Turner was elected Chair, he immediately took up his position, and the balance of the meeting took place under his leadership.