DC Government

Dr. Lewis D. Ferebee nominated by Mayor to be the next chancellor of DC Public Schools, If Confirmed “he will begin full time on January 31, 2019”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Erin

From the Mayor’s Office:

“Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that she has appointed Dr. Lewis D. Ferebee to serve as the next chancellor of DC Public Schools (DCPS). Dr. Ferebee comes to the District from Indianapolis, Indiana where he has been serving as the superintendent of Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) since September 2013.

“Dr. Ferebee is someone with experience leading at all levels of public education – from serving in the classroom and as an elementary and middle school principal to leading a system that serves more than 30,000 students. He is a strong leader and educator, and has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to providing all students and families high-quality educational opportunities,” said Mayor Bowser. “I want to thank all the students, families, educators, and community members who participated in the search process. Dr. Ferebee’s experiences and achievements align with the feedback we received throughout the engagement process, and I look forward to the community working with him to build on the progress we’ve made at DCPS.” (more…)

“DC Government to Remain Open as Region Prepares for Former President George H.W. Bush State Funeral”

By Prince Of Petworth

Ed. Note: This follows earlier word of Federal agencies being closed Wednesday.

From the Mayor’s Office:

“In observance and support of the State Funeral for former President George H.W. Bush, Mayor Bowser has activated the District’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to ensure district services are well-coordinated within Washington, DC during the three-day event.

To see full maps, please visit: here.

KEY UPDATES

· On Wednesday, December 5, District Government and District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) will be open and operate on normal schedules.

· Residents are strongly encouraged to take the Metro and other forms of public transportation as the District will experience significant traffic delays beginning the afternoon of Monday, December 3, through the evening of Wednesday, December 5, due to processional routes and road closures. (more…)

“Has anyone else ever had their car lost by D.C.?”

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

My friend recently had her car recovered after DC towed and lost it for about 8 weeks. Her car was in a temporary Emergency, No Parking area and was towed. The city told her they ticketed her car and towed 5 others around hers, but not hers. Can you hear my eyes rolling? Some construction workers said hey saw her black SUV towed and an embassy said they had surveillance tape of it, though they couldn’t share it. Finally, 8ish weeks later, they found it in a tow lot. With several other long lost cars. All had windows busted in. Crazy! Has anyone else ever had their car lost by DC? Seriously lost, not towed around the corner. Clip of the news story here.

Ed. Note: They sure have.

Legend

By Prince Of Petworth

Thanks to Marcy for sending last night:

“Spotted: Jack Evans’ car in a tow zone. Perks of being a DC council member??”

The man is a legend, if that’s the right word. Rules? hahaha do as I say peasants. And thank me for telling you. At least it didn’t snow last night.

Ed. Note: We’ve previously learned that Council Members are not obligated to follow parking regulations.

“AG Racine Sues Landlord to Stop Illegal Discrimination Against Low-Income Renters”

By Prince Of Petworth

From a press release:

“Attorney General Karl A. Racine today announced a lawsuit against Evolve, LLC and Evolve Property Management, LLC, local real estate companies, for violating consumer protection law through illegal housing discrimination. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) alleges in its complaint that consumers were harmed when the companies refused to show or rent available properties to prospective tenants who receive housing assistance from the federal government. In its lawsuit, OAG is seeking an injunction against the companies to stop their illegal and discriminatory business practices, as well as restitution and penalties for violating District law.

“Many District of Columbia residents receive subsidies, including housing vouchers, to assist them in meeting the high cost of living in our city,” said AG Racine. “It is illegal to deny housing opportunities to District residents who use subsidies or vouchers to pay for their rent. Today’s lawsuit is a warning to entities that denying housing on the basis of source of income is discriminatory, illegal, and will not be tolerated.”

Evolve, LLC and Evolve Property Management, LLC (Evolve) are real estate and property management companies that own and manage residential properties in the District. The companies are headquartered in the H Street Corridor and offer multiple apartments for rent in the District, including several units on Capitol Hill. Evolve advertises apartments online at www.evolvedc.com and on Craigslist, and requires prospective tenants interested in scheduling a showing online to disclose whether they plan to pay the rent with housing vouchers. (more…)

Meet D.C.’s New Nightlife Mayor

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Tim Brown

From the Mayor’s Office:

“Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the appointment of Shawn Townsend as the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Nightlife and Culture. Mr. Townsend most recently served as a Supervisory Investigator at the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA) where he led a team of six investigators. He has extensive knowledge and work experience engaging with nightlife establishments to resolve challenges and leading business training and engagement opportunities.

“We are excited to welcome Shawn to the Office of Nightlife and Culture where he is going to help us ensure our city’s growth is benefitting more DC residents and local businesses,” said Mayor Bowser. “Together, we’re going to work with the community to overcome challenges, create new opportunities for Washingtonians, and spread prosperity across all eight wards.” (more…)

This Seems Bad

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Eric P.

From DC Fire Fighters L36:

“Tonight, we believe, there are 4 of our 16 ladder trucks are OOS. This is a danger to the citizens of DC and to our members. Ladder trucks play critical roles in getting access to buildings, ventilation, search & rescue, rapid intervention for downed firemen, etc…”

“During the day today, the downtown region of DC was without adequate coverage of ladder trucks. (more…)

Eligible D.C. residents can now apply for the 2019 Visitors Parking Pass

By Prince Of Petworth

From DDOT:

“The Visitor Parking Pass (VPP) program is designed to allow guests of District residents to park for more than two hours on Residential Permit Parking or RPP-zoned blocks. A VPP is only valid during the hours of RPP enforcement and in the same RPP zone and ANC boundary as the residence. The passes are not necessary on holidays or other times when parking restrictions are not subject to enforcement.

The VPP can be used to provide temporary Residential Permit Parking (RPP) privileges in the following eligible wards:

Ward 1 – all Ward 1 residents
Ward 2 – 2F only. All other Ward 2 ANCs have opted out of the program.
Wards 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 – all residents that live on RPP blocks

Residents who live on a commercial zone block are not eligible for VPP or RPP. Non-residential address types are not eligible for VPP/RPP.

Approved VPPs are mailed every Friday via first class mail.

How to Register for VPP

To register for a Visitor Parking Pass online, please follow these six easy steps: (more…)

Information regarding “critical, on-going District operations” for Thursday and Friday

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Miki Jourdain

From the Mayor’s Office:

“The District of Columbia government offices will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 22, 2018 and Friday, November 23, 2018. Below is information regarding critical, on-going District operations for these days.

The DC Department of Public Works (DPW) will suspend sanitation services on Thursday, November 22, and will resume services on Friday, November 23. Parking enforcement will be suspended on both Thursday, November 22 and Friday, November 23. Other DPW service changes include: (more…)

“So Much for Vision Zero”

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

Mid-afternoon Wednesday, and at least *six* l delivery trucks and cars completely blocking southbound 14th Street NW bike lane between R and S. One was a FedEx truck, and I thought FedEx/UPS was supposed to stop this stuff after a recent letter from the city. Someone’s going to get seriously hurt. Where’s the enforcement? Where is “VisionZero”?”

Another reader writes:

“Today 11-14 at 4:30pm. Farragut and Arkansas NW. I live on this block of Farragut and this is so common here. Speed is a problem on both streets. Unfamiliar drivers with this intersection traveling on Farragut assume it’s a 4-stop…it’s not. DDOT did respond to me a few years ago about a 4-way saying “not enough accidents”. Brandon Todd’s office has not responded.”

Update from Council Member Todd’s Office:

“Jackson Carnes, Councilmember Todd’s Director of Constituent Services, recently did a site visit on Arkansas Avenue with some neighbors and is working with DDOT to explore safety improvements. Traffic safety and Vision Zero are very important to Councilmember Todd and he will continue to collaborate with DDOT on finding solutions.”

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