Annual Report for Fiscal Year 1999

(October 1, 1998 - September 30, 1999)

Restoring the functionality of DC government's service and regulatory agencies.

Governance and funding of the University of the District of Columbia (UDC).

Governance of the DC Public Schools (DCPS).

Governance of agencies now in receivership under federal District Judges.

Need to shift responsibility for more "State level" DC expenditures to federal government.

Continued long-term revitalization of the Van Ness/UDC business district.

METRO rehabilitation, especially escalators.

Preservation and replacement of trees.

Construction noise and other nuisances.

Getting a full count for DC in the upcoming Year 2000 Census.

How to enhance planning, institutions and solutions on a Metropolitan Region scale.
 
 

Coordinating traffic planning and enforcement by DPW and the MPD (as well as non-DC agencies).

Staffing all inspection and enforcement agencies (not just the MPD) at night and on weekends.

Watering young trees from tank trucks at locations where hoses are impractical.
 

The Commission submitted timely quarterly reports to the DC Auditor. But the District did not pay approved quarterly allotments on a timely basis. The District was in arrears to the tune of $6,450 for two such payments as of the end of the year (and until November 5, 1999). Disbursements covered six cost centers: staff services (including health insurance and taxes) $9,884; office rent $120; telephone $718; postage, delivery, office supplies and equipment $626; grants $500; and public meeting space $672.
 

An Open Forum early in each business meeting let community members raise new matters not placed on the formal agenda. Moreover, during discussion of each agenda item the Commission invited community input, including questions to speakers and comments on proposed Commission actions.
 

Issues raised by community members included a Forest Hills Citizens Association proposal (FHCA) for a weekend collectibles and farmers market at UDC (as to which the FHCA surveyed its members' opinions); requests for traffic-calming measures and enforcement by the Department of Public Works (DPW) and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) for Reno Road, Albemarle Street and stop-signs at Linnean Terrace; traffic congestion at Connecticut Avenue & Van Ness Street and on Reno Road; clogged storm drains at Tenleytown METRO; proposed weekday "test closures" of portions of Beach Drive; proposed cell phone towers and support buildings in Rock Creek Park; construction noise involving private commercial buildings, chanceries and Howard University Law School; school bus parking at Edmund Burke School; plans for construction at or near 3901 Connecticut Avenue; proposed construction at 3901 Albemarle Street; plans for locating Jewish Primary Day School of the Nation's Capital at 3017/3031 Gates Road.
 

Mary Gill Murch School, Principal

Fern Chamberlain Murch School, Extended Day Director

Stacey Lucas Girl Scouts of America, Regional Chapter, Field Director

Dr. Sharon Bland UDC Director of Office of University & Government Programs

Thomas F. Heustis DC Deputy CFO and Treasurer

Libby Lawson DC Water and Sewer Authority, Director of Public Affairs

Peter Moreland DC Department of Public Works

Rick Morgan PARC/People's Alliance for Rock Creek

Carlene Cheatam DC Public Advocate

Tina H. James UDC's Senior Administrator for University Services

Karen Archer DC Public Service Commission
 

Invited speakers at the two town hall meetings were
 

Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton at a very well-attended meeting and
 

representatives of Giant, Charlie Bentley, Van Ness store manager, Al Behr, district manager, and Bruce Steadman, company-wide sales director, who received dozens of suggestions for store improvements (reacting to some, reserving as to others) at a meeting attended by over 230 people.
 

Other speakers at business meetings included At-large Councilmember Phil Mendelson, Senator Florence H. Pendleton, ANC 3G Commissioners Anne Renshaw and Joe Bishop, counsel for Bell Atlantic Mobile Whayne Quin, Esquire, and counsel for GTE John Ray, Esquire.
 

The Commission reviewed and did not oppose a few new alcoholic beverage control licenses and some ABC license renewals (in every case entering into or extending a voluntary agreement with the licensee), as well as some zoning variances and an outdoor cafe. None of the foregoing were controversial. The Commission repeatedly opposed installation of outdoor phones, unsought by the building owner or occupant (and proposed by entrepreneurs to the PSC without contacting the ANC). The Commission approved one grant of $500 to the Northwest Youth Alliance to help fund job training, after school education and Fort Reno Park social events/family-oriented summer concerts.
 

The Commission adopted resolutions as follows:
 

(a) Not opposing a 3-year BZA exception to allow Murch School to move the pre-K/extended day program to St. Paul's Lutheran Church starting no sooner than the end of the 1998/99 school year and

(b) expressing gratitude for Mary Gill's years of service. (5-0-0) Outcome: Murch arranged to move the extended day program at the start of the 1999/2000 school year but the Department of Health's Regulatory Licensing Administration did not complete processing its approvals until October 13, 1999.
 

Supporting Murch School's request to DCPS for temporary trailer and demountable structure to address immediate space needs while calling on DCPS Facilities Division to prepare an appropriate long-term plan. (5-0-0) Outcome: No known actions.
 

Offering condolences on the death of our neighbor, Judge Theodore Tannenwald.
 

Identifying traffic hazard issues involving Reno Road and supporting coordinated study by the MPD and DPW of ways to cause traffic to adhere to speed limits. (5-0-0) Outcome: MPD used a smart machine at Reno and Warren for several days and the Second District agreed that they need to target that area.
 

Supporting residents on 33^rd and 34^th Streets and Linnean Terrace who petitioned for stop signs at those intersections and urging DPW to act on an expedited basis. (5-0-0) Outcome: DPW installed stop signs.
 

Encouraging Metro to approve replacement of large buses on Veazey Sreet with small buses without diminution of direct cross-town services. (7-0-0) Outcome: Metro has begun to operate small buses on Veazey Street.
 

Supporting adequate financial resources in the District's FY 2000 budget for UDC operations and capital needs while expressing inability to evaluate proposed relocation of UDC for lack of adequate supporting information. (7-0-0) Outcome: The pending DC Appropriations Act would increase UDC's operating budget from $40 million in FY1999 to $40½ million of local funds and woul provide for $16 million in permanent capital improvements over five years (also local funds). The Mayor said he defers to UDC's Board of Trustees as to location.
 

Supporting

(a) federal multi-year funding for UDC to bring it into the national program for historically-black colleges and universities (HBCU) administered by the U.S. Department of Education (DoE) and

(b) federal tuition subsidies for District residents attending public universities outside the District but not addressing specific details (e.g., whether the Mayor or DoE would administer the scholarships), with parity subsidies for non-District-residents attending UDC. (5-2-0)

Outcomes: (a) A FY 1999 Supplemental Appropriations Act provided $1.5 million of federal funds for UDC for the first time under the HBCU program. The HBCU allocation formula is expected to provide UDC the same amount in FY 2000. (As an alternative, Congress authorized special appropriations to UDC for FY2000 and five succeeding years if the HBCU-formula funding should become unavailable.)

(b) Congress authorized two scholarship programs, with no means test, to be administered by the Mayor for DC residents who graduated from any high school after January 1, 1999. The original program applies to students at public universities in Maryland or Virginia (but possibly may be expanded by the Mayor, after consultation with DoE and Congress, to universities in other states) and covers up to the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition (up to $10,000 a year maximum). A second program applies to students at private universities in the District and suburban counties and covers up to $2,500 a year. Part-time students would receive partial scholarships under either program. Congress directed the General Accounting Office to monitor and report on operation of these programs, including impacts on UDC enrollment, but it did not include "parity" scholarships for non-DC residents attending UDC. The pending DC Appropriations Act would appropriate $17 million for the two scholarship programs in FY 2000 (restricting expenditures to $11 million).
 

Asking the DPW to submit for ANC review any plans for street-marking changes after reconstruction of Albemarle Street. (7-0-0) Outcome: DPW reported concept plans for traffic-calming measures including edge lines (parking lines) and speed-limit signs and then submitted revised street-marking maps for the Commission's Nov. 15 meeting.
 

Supporting Councilmember Ambrose's Bill to rename a pocket park in memory of murdered ANC 6B12 Commissioner Dennis Dolinger. (4-0-1) Outcome: The DC Council held a hearing on October 26, 1999.
 

Requesting DCRA and other agencies to prepare a full environmental impact study of plans for new building at 3901 Connecticut Avenue and allowing the Commission to participate in the permit process. (5-0-0) Outcome: Inconclusive.
 

Not opposing outdoor cafe at Shanghai Garden restaurant, 4469 Connecticut Avenue. (5-0-0) Outcome: The restaurant is perfecting its plans for DCRA.
 

Urging Congress not to adopt the Daschle rider to the DC Appropriations Act which would have short-circuited review by the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) of two proposed cell phone towers and their support buildings in Rock Creek Park and which would have set deadlines -- in the District or nearby areas only (but nowhere else in the country) -- for approval by all federal land-management agencies of any future cell phone tower applications (5-0-0); and, after Congress first adopted the Daschle rider, urging the President to veto (7-0-0). Outcome: After two Presidential vetoes of the entire DC Appropriations Act, and after the NCPC had approved the two towers, Congressional conferees proposed to include the Daschle rider once again in the DC Appropriations Act.
 

Requesting further information (a) from National Park Service (NPS) regarding Rock Creek Park safety statistics and (b) from Bell Atlantic Mobile (BAM) regarding its mapping of blind spots in Rock Creek Park. (4-0-0) Outcomes: The NPS and U.S. Park Police supplied extensive data which the Commission shared with the NCPC together with analyses related to blind spots (which showed that safety data had been misunderstood and exaggerated). BAM declined to supply data characterized as "proprietary."
 

Urging Mayor to nominate trustees promptly to serve on the Board of UDC so as to maintain quorum past early November. (7-0-0) Outcome: No nomination as of November 12, 1999.
 

The Commission amended its By-Laws on June 21, July 19 and September 21, 1999 (second readings). The consolidated By-laws are posted on the Commission's web site.
 

SMD 1998 1999

3F01 Christine Sorge Treasurer Phil Kogan Treasurer

3F02 Karen Lee Perry Vice chair Karen Lee Perry Secretary*

3F03 vacancy Robert V. Maudlin

3F04 Marjorie Collins David J. Bardin Vice chair

3F05 Martha Saccocio Secretary Doug Mitchell Chair

3F06 Scott Strauss Robert L. Spencer*

Phil Heinrich*

3F07 Stephan Malcolm Chair Duane Fitzgerald Secretary*

* Commissioner Perry resigned as, and Commissioner Fitzgerald was elected Secretary on September 21, 1999. Commissioner Spencer resigned for personal reasons on June 24, 1999. The seat was vacant until Commissioner Heinrich took office on September 21, 1999.
 

Administrator Michael Carter resigned for personal reasons in March 1999 but agreed to serve through the April meeting. Administrator Karen Ruffin served starting in May.
 

The Commission established a web site (www.DC.net/maudlin) and Commissioner Maudlin served as webmaster. The web site is linked to sites of DC agencies and other ANCs. The Commission established liaisons with citizens associations and adjacent ANCs as well as ANC committees and subcommittees to address on-going issues.
 

All Commission public meetings were held at the Capital Memorial Seventh-Day Adventist Church, 3150 Chesapeake Street, NW, except that one Town Hall meeting (regarding upgrading and modernizing the Van Ness Giant supermarket) was held at Van Ness South, 3003 Van Ness Street, NW. The Commission's office and mailing address were located in the Intelsat Building, 3400 International Drive, NW, Room 2J-21 throughout the year. Thereafter, the office moved to 4200 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Room CC08 (UDC Building 39) and the mailing address to P.O. Box 39290, Washington, DC 20016-9290.
 

This report, approved at the Commission's regular business meeting on November 15, 1999, is respectfully submitted by:
 
 
 

/s/ Doug Mitchell, Chairperson

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