DC Government

“Can anyone share advice on avoiding DC parking tickets when meters are broken?”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Phil

“Dear PoPville,

When a DC street parking meter is broken, how do you avoid a ticket AND officially register a request for repair? I know how to request a repair, dialing 311 gets you to the central phone line for DC parking meter repair requests but the voice mail states reporting a broken meter will not excuse a ticket. I’ve had a couple incidents lately where meters were broken, and I’d love to hear anyone’s experience with this regarding how to use the space but not receive a ticket: (more…)

“Has anyone had success filing claim against DC gov for towing damage?”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Joe Flood

“Dear PoPville,

I recently parked in a street cleaning zone when I shouldn’t have. Totally my fault but I’m new to car ownership in the district. When I realized my car had been towed I called DC parking enforcement in a panic and learned that they’d only towed it less than a block away. At first I was relieved not to have to go out to a tow yard somewhere but then I realized they’d still managed to gouge the hell out of my back bumper–8 deep scratches several inches long. (more…)

“Help Starting a Small Business In D.C.”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Olaf Zerbock

“Dear PoPville,

I’m starting a new business in DC and I’m in need of some help with the process. I’ve registered the business as an LLC and I have received my IRS EIN number, however, when when I attempt to register with the DC tax office, the options they provide online don’t match the description of the business. Even with all of the tips provided online, it seems like the process is intentionally complicated and tricky and not made for the weary. I’d love some assistance and/or advice for anyone that’s gone through the process of registering with DC and obtaining the necessary business licenses to legally do business. I even contacted the small business office to set up a meeting to go in and get some help but their availability was limited. If it helps, my business is selling re-purposed and redesigned items for home decor, dining, and kitchen. I’d also love any recommendations anyone has for tax attorneys and certified accountants who have experience working with small businesses.”

Heads Up – Next Thursday Wireless Emergency Alert System Test, “The alert triggers a loud noise while displaying the text message on cell phones and mobile devices.”

By Prince Of Petworth

From the Mayor’s Office:

“On Thursday, April 5 at 10:00 a.m., twenty jurisdictions, including the District of Columbia, will simultaneously issue a test message to the public through the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system. WEA is a public safety alerting system allowing government officials to target emergency information to a specific geographic area using an individual’s cell phone or other mobile device. WEA allows the messaging to be more targeted and efficient which is critical during an emergency. (more…)

“The complex, which has been vacant since 2007, will have mostly family-sized units and provide workforce development training to residents and energy savings through the installation of solar panels through the Solar for All program.”

By Prince Of Petworth


via google maps

From the Mayor’s Office:

“Mayor Bowser today kicked off Roots to Roofs Week at a revitalization groundbreaking for 220 affordable housing units at the Parkway Overlook Apartments in the Ward 8 neighborhood of Congress Heights. The complex, which has been vacant since 2007, will have mostly family-sized units and provide workforce development training to residents and energy savings through the installation of solar panels through the Solar for All program.

“The revitalization of Parkway Overlook has been in the making for over a decade, and we are proud to finally get this project moving forward,” said Mayor Bowser. “With these investments, we are making it possible for residents to return to Parkway Overlook and for more families to secure the housing and community services they need to get their fair shot.”

The $82.2 million rehabilitation of the complex, located at 2841 Robinson Place, SE, near the Congress Heights Metro Station and St. Elizabeths East Campus, will be comprised of one-, two-, and three-bedrooms and all will be affordable to households making up to 50 percent of the area median income (AMI) or about $54,600 for a family of four. Eleven units will be available for households at or below $33,090 (30 percent of AMI) and will be set aside as permanent supportive housing. (more…)

“People run and bike on the islands on a regular basis, so it’s a matter of when, not if, someone gets hurt down there and needs help.”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Jim Havard

“Dear PoPville

This is a long story. The important part is at the end, with the asterisks.

I regularly walk my dog on Heritage and Kingman Islands just off the RFK parking lot at Benning Rd. and Oklahoma Ave NE.

This evening at about 6:45pm I happened upon some kids at one of the clearings on the west side of the gravel road that runs down the center of Kingman Island, the larger of the two islands.

This clearing has a small curved sidewalk and some large boulders; it’s the second area like this north of the Pennsylvania Avenue bridge.

The kids were standing next to a wooden trash can, which had a good sized fire burning inside it.

I looked away for a second, then looked back up, and they were gone.

As I got closer to the clearing, I saw a large amount of grass had also been burning – I’d estimate about a 30′ x 30′ patch. The perimeter of the patch was still on fire, flames about 4-6” high. (more…)

“Folks parking there would have had every reason to believe that any “snow emergency” was long since over.”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by Tammar Berger

“Dear PoPville,

I live on 9th St, which is a designated snow emergency route. Yesterday [Wednesday], starting about 3pm and continuing for a few hours, there was a veritable army of (mainly private) tow trucks that were towing any car parked up and down 9th St. Yet, by that time, it was done snowing, the roads were dry, and there was nothing left to plow. Folks parking there would have had every reason to believe that any “snow emergency” was long since over. (more…)

“I’m curious if DCers are ready for even more expensive dishes, perhaps less service staff and the likelihood of restaurants closing.”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Eric P.

“Dear PoPville,

I was wondering what folks thought of the proposed increase in wage to tipped workers?

Where I work, a lot of industry folks from restaurants we all love have been meeting to discuss it frequently.  Sounds like it has a lot of owners concerned about the potential downfalls.  I recall Sally’s Middle Name first opened with this model but regressed to a traditional tipping model.  The states and cities this has been implemented seem to be weathering the change, but I’m curious if DCers are ready for even more expensive dishes, perhaps less service staff and the likelihood of restaurants closing.”

“Neighbors feel that the old C of O from 1966 classifying the home as an apartment home is no longer valid because it has been over 50 years and the house was not used as an apartment home for 30 years”

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

I live in Columbia Heights and a bunch of my neighbors are struggling with a renovation. There is a home on Kenyon Street that was a single-family home for at least the last 2 decades – and likely more. Many of us old timers in the neighborhood knew the previous owner and had been in the home on multiple occasions.

A developer purchased the property in 2015 for $900,000. It needed to be gutted and completely redone

He submitted drawing/plans to the city shortly after purchasing the home, showing the property was a 4-unit building with kitchens on every floor. These plans were false. Several people have signed affidavits stating that this was a single-family home and we submitted those affidavits to DCRA. One of these people lived there up until shortly before it was sold to the developer. The house was in no way a 4 unit building, but DCRA wrote a determination letter stating that since the property was always 4 units – the developer could rehab and renovate the property as such. (so he essentially lied to get permission to convert a single family home to a 4 unit building) He received permits to do this work in the summer of 2017. The interior of the home was been completely demolished and the back ½ is missing. Now there is no way to tell how many units there were.

As a side note – but deserving of a “bullet point” nonetheless….there is one electric meter, one gas meter and tax records show it was taxed as single family home.

DCRA issued a stop work order on September 17th, 2017 because they learned that the adjoining neighbors on both sides were not served any construction documents along with the neighbor notification form that is required by the city, to give both adjoining neighbors a chance to see the plans and make sure the structural integrity of their own homes are protected.

The crux of the issue lies with an old C of O from 1966 zoning the house as an apartment house. Neighbors want the developer to build 2 units, not 4 as the city granted him, and in January of this past year DCRA retracted their permission for him to build 4, but granted him the right to do 3, even though this is now a zone where a maximum of 2 units can be built. This was their explanation: (more…)

“Mayor Bowser Addresses District Preparation for the March For Our Lives Rally” All the Info you need including Street Closures

By Prince Of Petworth

From the Mayor’s Office:

“Mayor Bowser today hosted a press conference on the District’s preparation for Saturday’s March For Our Lives rally. March For Our Lives, which will address gun violence in schools and include a diverse program of student speakers, musical performances, guest speakers and video tributes, is scheduled to take place on Pennsylvania Avenue, NW between 3rd Street and 12th Street. The event will start at noon and go until 3:00 p.m.

“We’re going to have thousands of visitors in our city on Saturday and many of these visitors are going to be young people. Our number one priority is keeping every person in our city safe,” said Mayor Bowser. “As the young people from Parkland, Florida have been preparing for March For Our Lives, the District has been preparing to keep our residents and visitors safe.”

To prepare for Saturday, District agencies have created a comprehensive public safety response, a comprehensive reunification plan to ensure individuals separated from their travel groups can be reunited, and a coordinated District response to ensure residents continue to receive services as scheduled. The District has also created a website, marchforourlives.dc.gov, for residents and visitors to look up information regarding street closures, public transportation, hotels, reunification services, and bus permitting. Additionally, March For Our Lives attendees are encouraged attendees to sign up for free text alerts from the District on safety, weather, traffic, and transit by texting “MARCH24” to 888-777.

Chief of Police Peter Newsham emphasized the impact of the potential crowd size, “We encourage visitors and participants to utilize one of the many public transportation options available but also plan for an extended travel time due to the crowd size and closures.”

DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Dr. Chris Rodriguez shared that the District’s Emergency Operations Center will be fully staffed with representatives from District response agencies, federal partners, and representatives from non-government organizations, such as the Red Cross, DC Water, PEPCO, and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. The DC National Guard will provide support with crowd control and other security measures.

A comprehensive list of updates can be found below. (more…)

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