DC Government

“discuss how residents can control the District’s rodent population” with Renowned Urban Rodentologist Robert Corrigan

By Prince Of Petworth

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From DPW:

“The DC Department of Public Works (DPW) Solid Waste Education and Enforcement Program and The DC Department of Health (DOH) Rodent and Vector Control Division will host a live Web chat to discuss how residents can control the District’s rodent population through proper sanitation practices on Friday, May 28, 2015, at noon.

Among their numerous services, DOH provides a comprehensive rodent control and animal disease prevention program for the District, while DPW is charged with enforcing sanitation violations that can encourage vermin. Renowned Urban Rodentologist Robert Corrigan, who has studied rats and mice in cities around the world for more than 20 years, will be on hand to provide expert advice on vermin control.

To participate in the session once it has begun, place dpw.dc.gov/livechat into the search browser or visit www.dpw.dc.gov and select the “Live Chat” icon up at the top of DPW’s homepage.

WHAT: Live, One-Hour Chat to Discuss how Sanitation Impacts Rodent Control with DPW Director William O. Howland, Jr., and Urban Rodentologist Robert Corrigan

WHEN: Friday, May 28, 2015, 12:00pm-1:00pm

WHERE: dpw.dc.gov/livechat”

Disaster Narrowly Averted at Petworth Spray Park: “It was a nearly full jug of muriatic (hydrochloric) acid with no top on it!”

By Prince Of Petworth

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A reader reports:

“This afternoon [Sunday] I took my 2 year old son to the Petworth water park– the one at 8th and Taylor – for its first open weekend. It was packed. Frequent visitors to that water park may notice that (what I assume are) the filters/pumps are located in the corner under large green lids a few feet from the edge of the paved play area. Next to one of these lids, towards the fence, was a white jug. I thought nothing of it since kids bring all kinds of containers to the water park. But when my little boy went over there, I followed because it had the look of a pool chemical container. I’m glad I did because it when I picked it up and, assuming it was actually full of water, sniffed it… Whoa! not water! My nose and eyes still hurt an hour later. It was a nearly full jug of muriatic (hydrochloric) acid with no top on it! (Photo attached.) This is dangerous stuff, very poisonous, and can cause serious damage to eyes. It etches concrete and cleans calcium stains and, as the photo shows, is used as a pool chemical (diluted in the water), which is why I imagine it was there. The jug is emblazoned in big red letters with: Keep away from children! With little kids running around dumping containers of water on eachother, imagine what would have happened if a 5 year old had dumped this on themselves or a friend!

Clearly this chemical was used by city workers/contractors when they turned the water park systems on to prepare the water and it was carelessly left there. Since no one was staffing the park’s building on Memorial Day, I reluctantly dumped the chemical down a storm drain and disposed of the container.

Assuming my guess is right and this was left by city staff when they turned on the water system, it was an incredibly negligent thing to do and could have ended with a very serious injury or even a poisoning death. I’m putting this is in writing to the city as well.”

Council Member Nadeau Requests DMV Send Bike Safety Info to DC Drivers

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user Lorie Shaull

From a press release:

“The DC DMV should work with regional bicycling advocates to send information to all registered drivers about being mindful of bike lanes and the shared responsibility for safety, according to a letter sent from Ward 1 DC Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau today, National Bike to Work Day.

The letter asks the DMV to work with the Washington Area Bicyclist Association and the D.C. Bicycle Advisory Council and would complement the work those organizations are doing to educate bicyclists about their role in being responsible commuters. The information could be included in already planned mailings such as annual registration notices, or sent as a standalone piece.

“Washington is a national leader in supporting bicycling infrastructure,” said Nadeau. “As biking to work grows in popularity, we need to ensure both drivers and bicyclists have all the information they need to help keep each other safe on the road. The DMV and bicycling advocates sending safety information to all registered drivers could go a long way to helping keep all the commuters who share our streets safe.”

The full text of the letter is below (more…)

Uh Oh DC Rain Barrel program on hiatus until new contactor is found

By Prince Of Petworth

rain barrel
Photo by PoPville flickr user Wayan Vota

Thanks to a reader for passing on from DDOE:

“I’m writing to update you on your rain barrel installation. As of May 1, DDOE’s non-profit partner DC Greenworks unexpectedly closed and therefore is no longer installing rain barrels for the RiverSmart Homes program. We do not have an estimated date for your rain barrel installation, but you are at the top of our priority list. As soon as we have secured partners to provide installation services, we will be in touch with next steps.

In the meantime, we sincerely appreciate your understanding and patience as we work to resolve this issue.”

New Style Speed Camera Deployed

By Prince Of Petworth

sneaky speed camera 1500blk of 22nd st NW

A reader tweets us about the photo above:

“Heads up – New sneaky speed camera 1500blk of 22nd st NW (southbound), right before 22nd & 23rd merge.”

and another reader tweets us:

“Speed camera on 395 N. coming from New York Ave. is back. Saw them setting it up this morning in middle of construction site. @PoPville”

Ed. Note: Yes, yes we should all just drive the speed limit. Noted. Thank you.

Catch 22 Parking Situation Results in Tense Standoff and Frustration Last Night

By Prince Of Petworth

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A reader reports:

“So on Tuesday from 7am – 7pm there is street cleaning on the north side of Euclid Street between 13th and 14th streets. So on Tuesday by 7am, residents in zone 1 on that street must move their cars from the north side of the street to the south side; where it is zoned and acceptable to park only on Tuesday from 7am to 7pm.

When residents get home from work, they must move their cars back to the north side of the street at 7pm. Here’s where it gets tricky and the altercation occurred. To move your car right as the stroke of 7pm happens is near impossible, so residents usually move their cars between 6:30pm and 7pm. Yesterday my neighbor moved his car around 6:45, and there was a parking enforcement guy who begun giving tickets. I pointed this out to my neighbor as I had just gotten hope from work myself. The parking enforcement guy (real jerk about it), told him to move his car back to the south side quickly and keep it there till right at 7pm or he would give him a ticket. There was also another neighbor that had parked his car but was already inside so I had to call him to race down before the parking enforcement gave him a ticket. In the meantime, I stood in front of his license plate to block parking enforcement from taking a picture of the back or the front license plate, as they are required to do to issue the ticket; this was all occurring at 6:50pm, 10 minutes before parking is acceptable on the north side of the street.

The parking enforcement gentlemen became aggressive and yelled at me to move, which I refused. He took my picture; which is when I begun taking his; he even stepped out of his car to “flex his abusive power” over the residents of Euclid Street. After he left, post 7pm, he called the police and showed up with them, I was still standing outside with my neighbors, around 10 minutes later. The police did nothing but I was reprimanded for interfering with city government procedures, they say it could be considered assault and local government and firefighters are protected under this. I understand but at the same time, it just seems amoral to ticket like this.

All in all, it seems like a flawed system. How can you allow for no grace period? It seems like a racket to me, to come along and make people sit in their cars to move them right at 7pm would be chaos. It seems like just another way for the city to get money from ridiculously strict parking enforcement.”

“you may have been ticketed and towed because it appears someone at DDOT didn’t do their job properly”

By Prince Of Petworth

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A reader reports:

“If you parked on the south side of the 1900 block of Calvert Street this morning you may have been ticketed and towed because it appears someone at DDOT didn’t do their job properly. The sign in the picture was just posted early this morning 5/12 despite having a printed date of 5/6 and an effective date of 5/9. I was outside late last night looking for these signs because I knew the repaving was scheduled to take place this week and confirmed that there were no signs as of 10pm. And yet the signs were up and parking enforcement was out there before I left for work this morning. She was just sitting in the car when I left and I didn’t have time to see if she would ticket anyone, but there are now reports on the Adams Morgan listserv that cars on that block were in fact ticketed and towed today. If this happened to you, you should be able to successfully contest it given the complete lack of advance notice. Compounding the DDOT ineptitude, it looked like someone was also granted a moving truck permit for today’s date along part of the stretch undergoing repaving. No idea how that was handled.”

Anyone know if “if DC laws require condos and/or apartment buildings of certain sizes or generally to have evacuation plans”?

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user Kim Baker

“Dear PoPville,

I’m trying to find out if DC laws require condos and/or apartment buildings of certain sizes or generally to have evacuation plans in place. I called DC Homeland Security who told me to talk w/ DCRA. Two people there said “no, not us” and said it was the Fire Department. They transferred me and someone there put me into voice mail for the Fire Marshal (?) The outgoing message said I’d get a call back by the end of the business day or within 24 hours. This was Monday afternoon. It’s Wednesday and no call back.

Who knows if it’s required and/or who does one call to get help?”

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