DC Government

“See attached video there is more water leaking today. This is terrible – how can we address ASAP? I can’t believe this has continued to happen over a month.”

By Prince Of Petworth


alley behind the 1600 block of L Street, NE

A reader shares the correspondence trying to get this flow of water addressed:

From DC Water:

“So as I understand it, an inspector went to the site and believes that the leak is coming from the building, so he could not access it. He thinks the building may not be occupied. Does that sound right?”

OP shares developer address/info and:

“See attached video there is more water leaking today. This is terrible – how can we address ASAP? I can’t believe this has continued to happen over a month. The water is flowing into Blandesburg road and has flooded the empty lot.”

“Did anyone else have this issue with the marathon?”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by Haleigh Hoffman

“Dear PoPville,

I parked my car on Columbia east of Ontario Place on Friday night in a zoned resident spot (I’m a resident). Knowing that there were a ton of emergency no parking signs up in the neighborhood for the rock n roll marathon course, my companion and I checked carefully, saw no signs, and left celebrating that I had found a spot that would be good for a while. Fast forward to Sunday, I find my car was towed Saturday at 1:52 am, with $150 in tickets, with the offense stating that no parking signs were posted.

I’m 100% certain there were no signs within a block, but of course it’s impossible to prove the absence of a sign two days later. Did anyone else have this issue with the marathon? Any success fighting these tickets?”

“TONIGHT: Rally Together to End Domestic Violence in the District”

By Prince Of Petworth

From a press release:

“On Thursday, March 7th at 5:00pm, at Freedom Plaza–1455 Pennsylvania Ave NW–the DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence, in collaboration with Asian/Pacific Island Domestic Violence Resource Project (DVRP), DC SAFE, District Alliance for Safe Housing (DASH), DV Legal Empowerment and Appeals Project (DV LEAP) and House of Ruth, will host Balance for Better: A DC Free from Domestic Violence rally in honor of International Women’s Day. The theme of International Women’s Day 2019 is Balance For Better, but we know it is impossible to have a balanced society when such a large portion of our community experiences domestic violence. Now is the time for action; we are calling on District leadership to make ending domestic violence in DC a priority. (more…)

“So, if people’s tax returns are being corrected from the amount due from the tax table, that’s the story I received.”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Jim Havard

“Dear PoPville,

So, I got a correction to my DC individual tax return for 2018, which included a one dollar adjustment (in DC’s favor) to my total tax. I wanted to know what was up with that.

Reviewing my calculations & the tax table, I saw that I did not make a mistake. I used the correct figure. Their “correction” appeared to be incorrect based on the tax table in the instructions booklet. I was like, hey, no, don’t do that–it’s not the amount, it’s the “don’t make stuff up,” ye Tax Department, principle. (more…)

“The historic 35-day federal government shutdown reduced FY 2019 revenue by an estimated $47.4 million”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Lorie Shaull

From the Mayor’s Office:

“Today [Thursday], the DC Government released the revised revenue estimates for the FY 2019-2023 District of Columbia Budget and Financial Plan. The historic 35-day federal government shutdown reduced FY 2019 revenue by an estimated $47.4 million. Due to the impact of the shutdown, the forecast for local fund revenues is revised downward in FY 2019 by $41.4 million; the forecast is revised upward by $25 million in FY 2020. In response to the new estimates, Mayor Bowser released the following statement: (more…)

Despite the Winter Watch Below, We’ve Got Our Second Sign of Spring – Street Sweeping Starts March 4th – Check Out the New App for Alerts!

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user bajidc

Ed. Note: If you missed the first sign of spring.

From DPW:

“Residential Street Sweeping Resumes Monday, March 4

The Department of Public Works (DPW) has launched a new “MyDPW” mobile app that allows residents to receive alerts about when to move their vehicles ahead of weekly residential street sweeping. The app is designed for residents who frequently park on residential streets, allowing them to receive alerts about the specific blocks they select.

“With this new app, we hope to lessen the burden on those who park on residential streets and decrease the number of vehicles our street sweepers need to maneuver around,” said Acting DPW Director Chris Geldart. “Looking ahead, we plan to expand MyDPW to include other DPW services as well, using technology to make things as convenient as possible for residents.”

In addition to alerts about street sweeping, the mobile app allows residents to sign-up for DPW’s existing booting/towing and leaf collection alerts. (more…)

“property tax bills to go out this week”

By Prince Of Petworth

Thanks to Terry for passing on

“The purpose of this event is to provide the Mt. Pleasant community with an in-person forum to learn more about their home value, the assessment process, and tax programs to reduce their tax bill. We feel this is a timely event because real property tax assessment notices are being mailed to District property owners this week. The event is scheduled to be held on Thursday, March 7 from 6:30 – 8:00pm. The presenters include:

Deputy Chief Financial Officer Keith Richardson
OTR Director of Operations Eva Liggins
Chief DC Appraiser Olufemi Omotoso
Tax Relief Specialist Jeffrey Toney

We will also have additional staff on hand in case attendees have other questions related to OTR. This is a great opportunity for OTR to directly engage with Mt. Pleasant”

You’re Gonna Wanna Fall Down Again – Another Month of Free Circulator Rides!!

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Eric P.

From the Mayor’s Office:

“Today, while celebrating three years of the DC Streetcar, Mayor Bowser extended free rides on the DC Circulator through March 31, announced a new partnership to give free annual Capital Bikeshare memberships to District veterans, and called on the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to restore full rail service.

“When we increase access to safe, reliable, and affordable transportation options, we give more Washingtonians a fair shot,” said Mayor Bowser. “While the District is doing a fantastic job providing residents and visitors with a range of ways to move around our city, we know we can’t do it alone: we need Metro working at full capacity. We need a world-class Metro system that meets the needs of a world-class city.”

The free Capital Bikeshare memberships for District veterans are made possible through a partnership between Capital Bikeshare’s Community Partner Program and the Mayor’s Office on Veteran’s Affairs (MOVA). (more…)

“What is the best way to report a building filled with illegal Airbnbs to the DC government for inspection?”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Victoria Pickering

“Dear PoPville,

I’ve been looking at the website for DCRA but can’t figure out a clear way to report a building where the owner has converted it from what used to be a rental into multiple airbnb units. The reason I ask is that recently it seems like every walk up that sells in my neighborhood is bought by someone who clears the renters out and puts all the units on airbnb. Home sharing is one thing and I’m for it, but taking an entire building offline to be airbnb’d is something else entirely, and I don’t know, but I doubt it’s actually supposed to be allowed. (more…)

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