DC Government

Anyone Else Having Issues With DPR Pools Opening Late?

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

A number of people tried to go to Harry Thomas Sr. pool this morning at 10am only be turned away by staff who claimed that the 10am opening time posted on the DPR website and the door of the pool building (pic attached here) was “outdated information”. In fact the 10am opening time is supposed to be new this summer and Mayor Bowser had done a big press push about it.

I’ve so far had pretty fruitless attempts to contact DPR, my council member and the Mayor’s office about this. (more…)

“Would love to know other readers experiences with foreign language immersion pre-schools”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Lorie Shaull

“Dear PoPville,

I’m considering enrolling my son in a foreign language immersion pre-school, starting when he’s 2 years old (He’s 8 months old now and I need to get on waitlists/applications in the next couple months for even a slim chance at starting when he’s 2 years old–crazy.) Would love to know other readers experiences in similar programs in DC. We are mostly interested in French but I’d consider any recommendations.”

Epic Debate About Towing into an Eventual Tow Zone Seems Resolved, I Think

By Prince Of Petworth

Tammar reported yesterday to DPW:

“this guy just got towed off of North Capitol & deposited right away on to the street cleaning side of Adams St.. which means he’ll be towed again today.”

There were many, many takes on whether this was cool or not. Many takes. Tammar later responded to one:

“The city had, in this scenario, the option (on the same street) to put the car where it would 100% NOT get a ticket today OR where it would likely get one (and prob towed again).”

And DPW retweeted that response: (more…)

“The LINE DC and our more than 300 employees are grateful to the DC Council for keeping the hotel’s real estate tax abatement in place”

By Prince Of Petworth


1780 Columbia Road, NW

From a press release:

“The following is a statement from Crawford Sherman, managing director of The LINE DC, on behalf of the hotels more than 300 employees:

The LINE DC and our more than 300 employees are grateful to the DC Council for keeping the hotel’s real estate tax abatement in place for future years, including eligibility for future reimbursement of 2019 & 2020 taxes which were misappropriated by the Council’s FY20 budget amendment. We are pleased to be granted due process and that the rules set forth by the Department of Employment Services will prevail. While compliance with 5 of the 7 provisions of our tax abatement have long been certified, we are eager for resolution of the remaining provisions overseen by DOES, with whom we have worked closely for the past four years. We are confident that the conclusion of this audit will show what we have said from the outset, that we have met all required provisions of the real estate tax abatement. (more…)

Soon You’ll Be Able to eCycle your Electronics at the Library

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Pablo Raw

From the Mayor’s Office:

“Mayor Bowser announced that District of Columbia Public Library (DCPL) will hold collection events this year at libraries in all eight wards to allow District residents and businesses to responsibly recycle their used electronic equipment through the Department of Energy & Environment’s (DOEE) eCycle DC program.

“As one of the greenest cities in the nation, the District is committed to giving our residents convenient opportunities to recycle responsibly right at their local libraries,” said Mayor Bowser. “It takes all of us to keep our city and our world clean, beautiful, and sustainable, and programs like eCycle DC go a long way.”

The first collection events will take place on June 15, from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., at Dorothy I. Height/Benning Library (3935 Benning Road, NE) and Chevy Chase Library (5625 Connecticut Avenue, NW). (more…)

Has anyone solved their Office Tax and Revenue Back Taxes Issues or are you still “in this bureaucratic nightmare”?

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

I’m following up on previous posts about incorrect billing for back income taxes by the DC Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR). I have been trying to resolve a bill from OTR from late 2018 in which they insisted that I never paid my 2014 income taxes. They added (and continue to add) a range of penalties and fees, so that the total balance is now almost $18,000. I have provided all the information that proves that I paid my taxes, to no avail. Now on the OTR web site, my payments appear AS WELL AS the incorrectly billed amount. Most recently, OTR put a lien on my property, which I discovered when I started receiving solicitations from these fly-by-night companies that apparently buy people’s liens from them at a discount. (more…)

“I had a renovation/permitting question that’s in a moral/legal grey area”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Phil

“Dear PoPville,

I have a freestanding house in DC and a few years ago we “finished” off the basement. I say “finished” because all the contractors we talked to said the ceiling was too low (69″ instead of 74″ if I remember right) for it to be living space, it had to be classified as storage. We put in lights, outlets, drywall, replaced the windows and redid the floor, which were all allowed, inspected, and approved.

The thing is, what we wanted most was a small bathroom down there, but we were told the ceiling was too low. I’ve seen many other similar houses with bathrooms and even kitchenettes in the basement, but those were all grandfathered in before the current codes. The contractor we went with advised to do everything else above the board first, then try to do the bathroom on its own later. That way if we were caught doing unpermitted work, we would only be out the time and money spent on the bathroom. So now a few years have passed, and I’m thinking of trying to sneak in a small bathroom, just a toilet, pedestal sink, and shower stall, definitely nothing fancy.

So two questions: (more…)

“The meeting concluded with a 7-year-old, in tears, asking “why does this happen?” Recap of Recent Columbia Heights Public Safety Meetings by Cait DeBaun

By Prince Of Petworth

Thanks to Cait DeBaun for writing these up:

“3rd District Community Advisory Committee meeting (20-30 attendees)

The Third District has stepped up on-foot/bike/car patrols both in uniform and plain-clothed/undercover in the high-activity area. The Crime Suppression Team (where VICE is now centralized) has also increased activity in the 3rd district. The MPD Chief approved overtime pay to meet staffing needs for increased patrols.

The gun violence isn’t attributed to one specific cause. It ranges from petty disagreements to drug deals to gang activity and often comes with uncooperative victims and witnesses. (more…)

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