DC Government

Rendering for store already under construction at Georgia and Missouri Ave, NW

From a press release:

“Citing the likelihood that it would harm job growth and economic development, Mayor Vincent C. Gray today announced that he had vetoed the Large Retailer Accountability Act of 2013 (LRAA). He also called for a reasonable increase in the District’s minimum wage for all workers.

“I am vetoing this legislation precisely because I believe in providing a living wage to as many District residents as possible – and this bill is not a true living-wage measure,” said Mayor Gray. “While the intentions of its supporters were good, this bill is simply a woefully inadequate and flawed vehicle for achieving the goal we all share.”

In a letter to Chairman Phil Mendelson and other members of the DC Council explaining his veto decision, the Mayor noted that many bill supporters who spoke to him seemed to be relying on misconceptions about what the LRAA contained. (more…)

Photo by PoPville flickr user philliefan99

From a press release:

“Mayor Vincent C. Gray, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) Victor L. Hoskins, Department of Employment Services (DOES) Director Lisa Mallory, Director of the Mayor’s Office on Budget Eric Goulet, and Dr. Fitzroy Lee of the Office of the Chief Financial Officer today disclosed the impact of sequestration on the District’s economy and unemployment rate. City leaders also revealed plans to continue growing private-sector employment and mitigate the expected ongoing negative impact of sequestration on District job growth and reductions in federal revenues and grants.

“My administration has worked aggressively to strengthen the District’s economy and bring down the unemployment rate,” said Mayor Gray. “We’ve helped spur the creation of 23,700 new private-sector jobs. But our growth is being hampered by sequestration’s elimination of federal jobs, grants and revenue. We are calling on Congress to end sequestration and balance the budget responsibly.”

The revenue impact to the District of Columbia from federal sequestration and the loss of federal grants and payments is deeply concerning, according to officials. The Office of the Chief Financial Officer predicts that sequestration could take approximately $60 million in revenue from the District’s economy in Fiscal Year 2014.

In addition, the District is currently projected to lose approximately $30 million of federal grants and payments in Fiscal Year 2014. Some of the most significant cuts are $11 million to the D.C. Housing Authority and $6.3 million to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education. These cuts may result in the loss of 200-250 housing vouchers for needy families and the reduction in grants to public schools for special education, free and reduced-price lunches, and early-childhood education. (more…)

Photo by PoPville flickr user UStreetV

Thanks to a reader for passing along from NBC Washington:

“The District is adding dozens of new ticket-issuing cameras across the city, expanding its photo enforcement capabilities to include infractions such as stop sign running, blocking the box and failing to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks.”

Judge not lest ye be judged…

Photo by PoPville flickr user Mr. T in DC

Speaking of Kaya:

The Board of Elections shall consider in a public hearing whether the proposed measure “Decriminalization of Possession of Minimal Amounts of Marijuana for Personal Use Act of 2014” is a proper subject matter for initiative, at the Board’s Meeting on Wednesday, September 4, 2013 at 10:30am., One Judiciary Square, 441 4th Street, N.W., Suite 280, Washington DC.

The Board requests that written memoranda be submitted for the record no later than 4:00 p.m., Thursday, August 29, 2013 to the Board of Elections, General Counsel’s Office, One Judiciary Square, 441 4th Street, N.W., Suite 270, Washington, D.C. 20001.

Each individual or representative of an organization who wishes to present testimony at the public hearing is requested to furnish his or her name, address, telephone number and name of the organization represented (if any) by calling the General Counsel’s office at 727-2194 no later than Friday, August 30, 2013 at 4:00 p.m

Summary

This initiative would make possession of under two ounces of marijuana for personal use, or a person’s cultivation in their home of no more than three cannabis plants, a civil offense rather than a criminal offense; provide for imposition of civil fines; provide mandatory drug awareness education for minors committing the civil offense; and would prohibit any District of Columbia government agency from denying any opportunity or benefit based on such civil violation.

Those caught would receive a $100 fine. I realize we never polled PoPville when this first came up so here goes:

Photo via @ChehPress

More on the recent ambulance problems from the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice:

“Aluminum signs that were temporarily installed in some D.C. Fire and Emergency Services (FEMS) ambulances are being removed from the vehicles, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice Paul Quander said.

When FEMS ambulances were brought in for service last month because of air conditioning failures caused by the heatwave, aluminum signs were placed in the engine compartments of some of the vehicles to serve temporarily as heat shields. An official from the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 36 informed a FEMS official of this on Monday, Aug. 12. “But the official that it was brought to did not take immediate action,” Deputy Mayor Quander said.

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) was asked late Tuesday to investigate two reports of fires in ambulances earlier that day. Police were made aware of the aluminum sign situation, and MPD said late Wednesday that it does not appear that either of the ambulances involved had these signs in their engine compartments.

“One of the reasons we wanted MPD is to get independent eyes and ears involved,” Quander said.

As of late Wednesday, four ambulances had been found to have these alterations, and two of them were already back in service after the alterations were removed and new aluminum safely installed.”

Photo via ‏ @rescue1dcfd

From IAFF36’s website:

“In the continuing saga of the District’s ambulance crisis, there was startling news reports: several ambulances have caught fire. A-27 (Deanwood), followed by A-07 (Waterside) a short while later. Both units have been placed out of service – reducing even further the number of units now available to serve the city. Yesterday, news agencies reported that M-01 ran out of fuel while detailed to the Presidential motorcade, the same unit has had a non-working fuel gauge since at least April of this year. Local 36 has continuously sounded the alarm, over periodic fleet maintenance, the number of units available at any given time, and staffing levels. The city is still operating at a deficit in regards to all three – even though the Department is fully funded. Mayor Gray, and Fire Chief Ellerbe have done little to fix a quickly deteriorating fleet, nor kept up with the pace of personnel departing at an alarming rate. Their preference is to cast blame back upon the same hard-working members who are “doing more, with less” more frequently. It has become clear that Chief Ellerbe is no longer capable of leading the department. It is time for the collective voice of the community to speak out, and address the mounting threat to the public’s safety.”

From a DC Government press release:

“We are aware of an incident involving a D.C. ambulance detailed to a presidential motorcade on Aug. 8. The incident already is being investigated, and corrective action will be taken. Beyond that we are not commenting further, as our policy is not to publicly disclose details on any matters involving D.C. public safety employees assigned to the president.

It is completely unacceptable for a vehicle in service to ever run out of gasoline. Every morning, our crews are instructed to refuel and ensure their vehicle has a full tank. It is important that our employees are consistent to detail while performing their duties, because the goal of our mission is to keep everyone in the District safe.

George Ogilvie of the United States Secret Service, said his agency “works closely and on a continuous basis with D.C. Fire and EMS. Any issues with equipment related to the movement on Thursday 8/8/13, were dealt with quickly and efficiently and there was no break in ambulance coverage for the motorcade.”

@rescue1dcfd, who tweeted the photo above, write:

“Third time in under two weeks that this has happened in the Nation’s Capitol”

From the Mayor’s Office:

“The Mayor’s Office of Victim Services will join with community service providers, leading sexual assault prevention experts and law enforcement officials throughout the D.C. area, to launch a new, District-wide initiative to address sexual assault and dating violence through the use of technology.

For the first time, 33 life-saving assault response resources throughout the entire District have been united in an all-in-one tool for DC residents: the new Assault. Services. Knowledge. Washington, DC (ASK DC) mobile application and website. No other city or state has created a resource this comprehensive.

The new ASK DC app provides quick access to immediate medical help and law enforcement, 24-hour support hotlines and online chats, and District-specific community resources. As part of the ASK DC initiative, a series of trainings will be hosted throughout the city focusing on how to use the ASK DC app, bystander intervention strategies, and sexual assault response protocols. Training participants will include Capitol Hill staffers, law enforcement, other non-profits, local churches, deaf and hard-of-hearing, military families, and military personnel. (more…)

“Dear PoPville,

Take a look at this ludicrous situation – people in my building have been trying to get the alley in between Columbia and Irving on 14th Street cleaned for weeks. But DC 311 continuously passes the buck!”

Photo by PoPville flickr user rpmaxwell

Thanks to a reader for sending word. You can see each individual library’s new hours here.

More time to print in 3D!