Showing posts with label Ward One. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ward One. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Ward One Church and Community Parking Task Force "Summit" June 10
At its regular monthly meeting on May 1, Advisory Neighborhood Commission 1B/U Street heard plans for meetings -- both public and private -- by the Ward One Church and Community Parking Task Force. The task force will have a town meeting-style "summit" at Cardozo High School (1200 Clifton St NW) at 7pm on June 10. Members of the public are invited to this meeting.
"We hope you'll come with solutions," ANC1B Commissioner E. Gail Anderson Holness (district 11) said.
Among the people scheduled to participate, Holness said, are Dr. Earl D. Trent Jr. of Florida Avenue Baptist Church (623 Florida Avenue), Father Patrick Smith of St. Augustine Catholic Church (1419 V Street), Rev. Dr. Winston C. Ridley, Jr. of The Greater First Baptist Church (2701 13th Street), Rev. Dr. Paul H. Saddler of the Twelfth Street Christian Church (1812 12th Street), and Chief of Staff Calvin Woodland from the office of D.C. City Councilmember Jim Graham (D-Ward One).
"We tried to include people from all the quadrants of Ward One," Holness said.
Holness also announced there would be a meeting at 7pm on May 22 for members of task force and ANC1B Commissioners only. A location for the meeting had not been set at the time of Commissioner Holness's announcement.
Holness announced the creation of the task force at the April 3 regular monthly meeting of ANC1B -- see SALM blog post of April 7. At that time, the subject of the task force was announced to be facilitating parking on Sundays at the 67 churches around Ward One.
At the May first meeting, Holness said the task force was working on a variety of issues, including parking, but also including public safety, senior housing, and taxation.
"A lot of people don't understand what churches do -- how they benefit the community," Holness said.
In preparation for the meeting, Holness said an online survey was being prepared on the website Survey Monkey. Participants would be invited to the survey via email.
"We hope you'll come with solutions," ANC1B Commissioner E. Gail Anderson Holness (district 11) said.
 |
| St. Augustine Catholic Church, 15th and V Streets |
"We tried to include people from all the quadrants of Ward One," Holness said.
Holness also announced there would be a meeting at 7pm on May 22 for members of task force and ANC1B Commissioners only. A location for the meeting had not been set at the time of Commissioner Holness's announcement.
Holness announced the creation of the task force at the April 3 regular monthly meeting of ANC1B -- see SALM blog post of April 7. At that time, the subject of the task force was announced to be facilitating parking on Sundays at the 67 churches around Ward One.
At the May first meeting, Holness said the task force was working on a variety of issues, including parking, but also including public safety, senior housing, and taxation.
"A lot of people don't understand what churches do -- how they benefit the community," Holness said.
In preparation for the meeting, Holness said an online survey was being prepared on the website Survey Monkey. Participants would be invited to the survey via email.
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Average Monthly Water Bill Likely to Rise by 12 Percent This Year
George S. Hawkins, General Manager of D.C. Water, said on April 22 the average monthly residential water bill will rise this year by 12.3 percent under a proposal to be voted on by the DC Water Board of Directors in July. Hawkins spoke to an audience of about 40 at a Ward One town meeting, held in the auditorium of Benjamin Banneker High School (800 Euclid Street NW). The meeting was one of eight such town meetings -- one for each ward -- held during the month of April to discuss "how rates are set and what is funded by ratepayer dollars".
If approved, the increase in water rates will take effect October 1, 2014 -- i.e., the beginning of Fiscal Year 2015.
Many of the individual line items on a water bill are staying the same or increasing less than 12 percent. For example, the average residential bill will see DC Water Retail Rates -- the largest single component of the bill -- increase 7.3 percent, from $53.56 in FY 2014 to $57.67 in FY 2015.
However, the Clean Rivers Impervious Area Charge will jump more than 40 percent on the average bill -- from $11.85 in FY 2014 to $16.75 in FY 2015.
The Impervious Area Charge is based on the estimated amount of water runoff from a property. According to the DC Water website, it is designed so "owners of large office buildings, shopping centers and parking lots will be charged more than owners of modest residential dwellings".
Homeowners may be eligible for a discount on the Impervious Area Charge if they implement improved stormwater management -- see explanation here.
Why is the bill going up so much?
Hawkins explained why this increase was necessary.
"The bulk of the cost is deferred maintanence," he said. The median age of water main pipes in DC is 79 years old. There are also 7000 miles of unlined cast iron pipers with a median age of 96 years old. Some of them date to the 1860's.
The Clean Rivers Impervious Area Charge will fund a project mandated by law under a consent decree signed by DC and federal government authorities in the 1990's. Its aim is to reduce pollution in Rock Creek, the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers, and Chesapeake Bay.
This project to reduce pollution is getting minimal assistance from the federal government -- almost all of the funding will come from D.C. ratepayers. Hawkins termed it "an unfunded mandate" by the federal government.
The project has many large and expensive components, including the construction, 100 feet underground, of a storm-water tunnel 26 feet in circumference and 13 miles long from Shaw and Bloomingdale to the Blue Plains Advanced Water Treatment Plant. The construction of the tunnel will result in street lane closures in Shaw and Bloomingdale -- see SALM blog post of April 15.
This will probably not be the last year of substantial increases in D.C. water bills.
A November 2013 DC Water document predicts continued increases in the average water bill -- 10 percent and 7.9 percent for FY 2016 and 2017, respectively (see page 25 of a 39-page .pdf available here).
Audience reaction
A member of the audience asked if it was possible to get more funding from the federal government for the project. Hawking said it was not likely.
People were, unsurprisingly, not happy to hear their water bill would be increasing. They complained about the increase but they seemed to understand Hawkins was not to responsible for the increase and there was no point in blaming the messenger. One community member called DC Water "the city's only unregulated utility" and suggested closer supervision might be necessary.
The eight ward-wide meetings are over, but there is one more chance to comment on the proposed rate hikes. The DC Water Board of Directors will hold a public hearing on the proposed rate increases. The hearing will be held on Wednesday, May 14, 2014, beginning at 6:30pm. The location will be DC Department of Employment Services (first floor community room), 4058 Minnesota Avenue NE.
If approved, the increase in water rates will take effect October 1, 2014 -- i.e., the beginning of Fiscal Year 2015.Many of the individual line items on a water bill are staying the same or increasing less than 12 percent. For example, the average residential bill will see DC Water Retail Rates -- the largest single component of the bill -- increase 7.3 percent, from $53.56 in FY 2014 to $57.67 in FY 2015.
However, the Clean Rivers Impervious Area Charge will jump more than 40 percent on the average bill -- from $11.85 in FY 2014 to $16.75 in FY 2015.
The Impervious Area Charge is based on the estimated amount of water runoff from a property. According to the DC Water website, it is designed so "owners of large office buildings, shopping centers and parking lots will be charged more than owners of modest residential dwellings".
Homeowners may be eligible for a discount on the Impervious Area Charge if they implement improved stormwater management -- see explanation here.
Why is the bill going up so much?
Hawkins explained why this increase was necessary.
"The bulk of the cost is deferred maintanence," he said. The median age of water main pipes in DC is 79 years old. There are also 7000 miles of unlined cast iron pipers with a median age of 96 years old. Some of them date to the 1860's.
The Clean Rivers Impervious Area Charge will fund a project mandated by law under a consent decree signed by DC and federal government authorities in the 1990's. Its aim is to reduce pollution in Rock Creek, the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers, and Chesapeake Bay.
This project to reduce pollution is getting minimal assistance from the federal government -- almost all of the funding will come from D.C. ratepayers. Hawkins termed it "an unfunded mandate" by the federal government.
The project has many large and expensive components, including the construction, 100 feet underground, of a storm-water tunnel 26 feet in circumference and 13 miles long from Shaw and Bloomingdale to the Blue Plains Advanced Water Treatment Plant. The construction of the tunnel will result in street lane closures in Shaw and Bloomingdale -- see SALM blog post of April 15.
This will probably not be the last year of substantial increases in D.C. water bills.
A November 2013 DC Water document predicts continued increases in the average water bill -- 10 percent and 7.9 percent for FY 2016 and 2017, respectively (see page 25 of a 39-page .pdf available here).
Audience reaction
A member of the audience asked if it was possible to get more funding from the federal government for the project. Hawking said it was not likely.
People were, unsurprisingly, not happy to hear their water bill would be increasing. They complained about the increase but they seemed to understand Hawkins was not to responsible for the increase and there was no point in blaming the messenger. One community member called DC Water "the city's only unregulated utility" and suggested closer supervision might be necessary.
The eight ward-wide meetings are over, but there is one more chance to comment on the proposed rate hikes. The DC Water Board of Directors will hold a public hearing on the proposed rate increases. The hearing will be held on Wednesday, May 14, 2014, beginning at 6:30pm. The location will be DC Department of Employment Services (first floor community room), 4058 Minnesota Avenue NE.
Monday, February 3, 2014
Graham, Nadeau, Weaver at Ward One Candidates Forum
The three candidates for D.C. City Councilmember from Ward One -- incumbent Jim Graham, Brianne Nadeau, and Bryan Weaver -- spoke to prospective voters at a forum on Thursday evening, January 30. It was held in the Good Will Baptist Church (1862 Kalorama Road NW) and sponsored by the Kalorama Citizens Association (KCA).
Topics included education, the future of D.C. United's stadium, and liquor license moratoriums.
Graham late so Weaver speaks
The forum sponsors were reluctant to start without Graham, who was 30
minutes late. After some attendees agitated to start without Graham, moderator Dennis James, head of the KCA, announced that Bryan Weaver would be given five minutes to speak before the scheduled main event between Graham and Nadeau.
Weaver had announced the previous evening that he was dropping out of the Democratic primary scheduled for April 1. Instead, Weaver will run as an independent in the November general election.
"D.C. is a broken system," Weaver said. "We have a warlord problem. I know what you’re thinking. Warlord -- you're thinking of Joseph Kony. You're thinking Taliban. You're thinking right-wing death squads."
Weaver then went on to compare "political brokers" in D.C. to these warlords, in that each was close-minded and change-averse, and each exploit the existing political system.
"Our system is completely broken," Weaver said.
In response to an audience question, Weaver said he would make his candidacy official in June.
"We think we're well within the guidelines," he said.
After Graham arrived, Weaver concluded: "I'd like to thank Jim Graham for giving me the time to speak."
Education, charter schools, neighborhood schools
Weaver also got a question about education. He said there needed to be more resources and better quality education.
"I don't exactly agree with [D.C. City Councilmember] David Catania's plan," he said.
Later, the two Democratic candidates fielded a question about the state of childhood education.
Nadeau noted that, in Ward One, there were more children in public charter schools than neighborhood schools.
"What I'm afraid is happening in some cases is that parents are choosing [charter] schools simply because neighborhood schools aren't good enough," Nadeau said.
Nadeau said she wanted to make it easier for parents to choose a school.
"We want them to be choosing it because it's good for their kids -- not because the other option is bad for them," she said.
In reply, Graham noted his long history of support for bilingual and charter schools in D.C.
"I think that charter schools bring us great richness," Graham said.
Graham went on to say he thought D.C. could have an active charter school movement and good neighborhood schools at the same time.
Various stadium deals
The candidates talked about the competing plans for a new home for D.C. United: a plan by City Councilmember Vincent Orange renovating RFK Stadium vs. a new stadium atBuzzard's Buzzard Point. The latter deal would involve swapping Ward One's Reeves Center (14th and U Streets) for a parcel of land at Buzzard's Point in Southwest Washington.
"The deal forBuzzard's Buzzard Point cannot proceed until we've analyzed RFK," Graham said. Graham noted he had co-sponsored a proposed law by Councilmember Orange about the RFK renovation.
Nadeau was more positive about the Reeves Center/Buzzard's Buzzard Point option, but also wanted to make sure that the successor to the Reeves Center included community space, not just high-end housing.
"I'd like to see that deal move forward," she said. Then she said: "We need to see more transparency."
Adams Morgan and liquor license moratoriums
KCA head and forum moderator Dennis James got into a quarrel with Graham about certain actions Graham may or may not have taken five or more years ago in connections with attempts to renew the liquor license moratorium in Adams Morgan. James eventually yielded to audience members who shouted: "Let the candidates speak!"
"I think one of the biggest issues we're having here is really not about whether there's a moratorium of not," Nadeau said. "It's about whether or not you've got enforcement of the laws on the books. You know, it's whether or not a nightclub -- which is prohibited under the moratorium but is effectively operating under a restaurant license -- is allowed to do that."
Graham said that, when he started on the council, city alcohol inspectors refused to work at nights, but during Graham's period of oversight they began to work at night. Graham also said he found money in the city budget for extra auditors. These auditors worked to ensure liquor licensees complied with city rules so de facto nightclubs could not masquerade as restaurants for licensing purposes.
"The enforcement is so much better," Graham said.
About the effects of moratoriums in general, Graham said: "I think by and large they have been positive." Graham said that, without moratoriums, the pressure of increasing rents would drive all non-alcohol-dependent businesses out of an area. This was why, Graham said, there were no hardware stores or antique shops in the area anymore.
Punch line
At the evening's end, the candidates were given a final opportunity to speak. Graham ended his speech by saying: "In the immortal words of FDR, 'Just one more term'."
"That's a joke," he added.
Read coverage of the same forum in Washington City Paper here.
Topics included education, the future of D.C. United's stadium, and liquor license moratoriums.
Graham late so Weaver speaks
 |
| Bryan Weaver at the January 30 forum |
minutes late. After some attendees agitated to start without Graham, moderator Dennis James, head of the KCA, announced that Bryan Weaver would be given five minutes to speak before the scheduled main event between Graham and Nadeau.
Weaver had announced the previous evening that he was dropping out of the Democratic primary scheduled for April 1. Instead, Weaver will run as an independent in the November general election.
"D.C. is a broken system," Weaver said. "We have a warlord problem. I know what you’re thinking. Warlord -- you're thinking of Joseph Kony. You're thinking Taliban. You're thinking right-wing death squads."
Weaver then went on to compare "political brokers" in D.C. to these warlords, in that each was close-minded and change-averse, and each exploit the existing political system.
"Our system is completely broken," Weaver said.
In response to an audience question, Weaver said he would make his candidacy official in June.
"We think we're well within the guidelines," he said.
After Graham arrived, Weaver concluded: "I'd like to thank Jim Graham for giving me the time to speak."
Education, charter schools, neighborhood schools
Weaver also got a question about education. He said there needed to be more resources and better quality education.
"I don't exactly agree with [D.C. City Councilmember] David Catania's plan," he said.
Later, the two Democratic candidates fielded a question about the state of childhood education.
Nadeau noted that, in Ward One, there were more children in public charter schools than neighborhood schools.
"What I'm afraid is happening in some cases is that parents are choosing [charter] schools simply because neighborhood schools aren't good enough," Nadeau said.
Nadeau said she wanted to make it easier for parents to choose a school.
"We want them to be choosing it because it's good for their kids -- not because the other option is bad for them," she said.
In reply, Graham noted his long history of support for bilingual and charter schools in D.C.
"I think that charter schools bring us great richness," Graham said.
Graham went on to say he thought D.C. could have an active charter school movement and good neighborhood schools at the same time.
Various stadium deals
The candidates talked about the competing plans for a new home for D.C. United: a plan by City Councilmember Vincent Orange renovating RFK Stadium vs. a new stadium at
"The deal for
 |
| Graham listens, Nadeau speaks |
"I'd like to see that deal move forward," she said. Then she said: "We need to see more transparency."
Adams Morgan and liquor license moratoriums
KCA head and forum moderator Dennis James got into a quarrel with Graham about certain actions Graham may or may not have taken five or more years ago in connections with attempts to renew the liquor license moratorium in Adams Morgan. James eventually yielded to audience members who shouted: "Let the candidates speak!"
"I think one of the biggest issues we're having here is really not about whether there's a moratorium of not," Nadeau said. "It's about whether or not you've got enforcement of the laws on the books. You know, it's whether or not a nightclub -- which is prohibited under the moratorium but is effectively operating under a restaurant license -- is allowed to do that."
Graham said that, when he started on the council, city alcohol inspectors refused to work at nights, but during Graham's period of oversight they began to work at night. Graham also said he found money in the city budget for extra auditors. These auditors worked to ensure liquor licensees complied with city rules so de facto nightclubs could not masquerade as restaurants for licensing purposes.
"The enforcement is so much better," Graham said.
About the effects of moratoriums in general, Graham said: "I think by and large they have been positive." Graham said that, without moratoriums, the pressure of increasing rents would drive all non-alcohol-dependent businesses out of an area. This was why, Graham said, there were no hardware stores or antique shops in the area anymore.
Punch line
At the evening's end, the candidates were given a final opportunity to speak. Graham ended his speech by saying: "In the immortal words of FDR, 'Just one more term'."
"That's a joke," he added.
Read coverage of the same forum in Washington City Paper here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)