DC Government

Dear PoP – Unresponsive 911 To Incident at 13th and T St, NW

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Mr. T in DC

“Dear PoP,

I’m writing because I’m incredibly concerned about the responsiveness of 911 dispatchers in my neighborhood after an incident Saturday afternoon on 13th Street, NW, between S and T. I was packing some boxes at home when I heard a loud crashing sound from the street and looked out my window to see several cars stopped in the middle of the road. Thinking it was a minor traffic accident, I went back to packing until I heard loud shouting and screaming coming from outside the window. I looked out to see that the situation had quickly gotten out of control, with a young woman screaming in the face of another driver and a small group of men forming around them. Someone was tossing things from another’s car and realizing that this was looking to turn into a fistfight at any minute, I called 911 to report the incident.

I was told by the dispatcher that she had already taken another call from someone else about situation and that I should tell her when punches are thrown so she could make note of it once the police showed up. Thinking this was an outrageous response, I explained to the dispatcher that it was a volatile situation and was deteriorating pretty fast – things could easily have gotten violent (not to mention these cars were parked in the middle of 13th Street and could cause more accidents).

Still after over a half hour, no police car has shown up and those involved are hashing it out. The situation was left to devolve because of a lack of responsiveness from the 911 dispatcher and the unresponsiveness of the police. Following the violent attack on two residents in the alley behind 13th Street a few months ago, my understanding was that the police were going to be more active in patrolling this area and had promised to become more responsive.

Since last summer, there have been several fights and assaults in front of the Whitelaw Hotel apartments and other low-income housing that borders our street. It’s very disconcerting and a shame to think that police have already lost interest in keeping this neighborhood safe. I’d be interested to know whether other readers of yours have had a similar experience with unresponsive 911 dispatchers.”

Dear PoP – Southwest Circulator Route and other Changes

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user fromcaliw/love

“Dear PoP,

You’ve probably already heard, but the Convention Center to Southwest Waterfront Circulator route is in danger of being terminated. A new “Priority Plan” recommends that the route end for two years and a new route be added in 2012. This Circulator route directly connects the hotels in the Convention Center area to Southwest Waterfront and provides a really important economic boost to the Arena Stage, Southwest marina and the few new businesses that have begun opening in the area. The city has invested millions of tax payer dollars in Southwest Waterfront’s revival – ending a key transportation source will seriously undermine the economic growth spurred by that investment.

If readers want to submit their comments in support of maintaining the route, they can do so on Circulator’s website here.”

Hmm, according to the press release below it looks like there will still be SW service.

From a DDOT press release:

On April 1, 2011, the DC Circulator will implement service changes affecting the Smithsonian-National Gallery of Art route, the Union Station-Navy Yard route, and the Convention Center-SW Waterfront route. Public notice of these changes was made on March 2 and a public meeting was held to discuss them on March 17. Details of the changes are as follows:

  • All service will end on the Smithsonian-National Gallery of Art route. Last year, an average of 2,427 passengers per month – fewer than 11 passengers an hour – utilized this route. The District was subsidizing each passenger an average of $11.50 per trip and has decided to end the service because it did not meet ridership or financial targets. (All historic ridership metrics can be found on our performance measures dashboard located at circulatordashboard.dc.gov.) Visitors to the National Mall should consult GoDCGo.com or the Metro Trip Planner at wmata.com to discover alternative public transit options in the National Mall area.
  • Savings gained from ending the Smithsonian-National Gallery of Art route will be reinvested to extend hours on the Union Station-Navy Yard route, providing a great travel option for evening activities on Capitol Hill and in the Capitol Riverfront area. Beginning April 1 through September 30, 2011, this route will operate Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and on Saturdays from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
  • On Nationals home game days, the Union Station-Navy Yard route will continue to operate later into the evening and on Sundays in order to transport fans to and from baseball games. A 2011 baseball schedule with Circulator service hours can be found at DCCirculator.com under the “Where We Go” tab.
  • In the Southwest Waterfront area, service will be moved off Water Street, SW and onto Maine Avenue, SW, a very short distance away. Circulator stops will move to Maine Avenue at 7th Street, SW and Maine Avenue at 9th Street, SW. This change is made necessary due to pending construction of the Washington Kastles stadium on Water Street that will narrow traffic lanes.

You can see the full plan in pdf below:

Circulator-Transit-Development-Plan_Draft-Final_3-23-11

Dear PoP – Non Residents are Paying to go to DC Public Schools

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user rpmaxwell

“Dear PoP,

We live in Brookland, where Noyes Elementary is the assigned elementary school for our child. With the recent test cheating scandal, we are even more grateful than ever that our child was lucky enough to win an out-of-boundary spot at one of the few good DC elementary schools. Some of our neighbors have not been so lucky. Given the limited number of good elementary schools in the city and the limited number of out-of-bounds spots in each school, I find it very upsetting when I drop off or pick up my child from school to see numerous parents whose cars have Maryland license plates.

Some of these parents are likely sending their children to this school illegally, which I understand the district has policies in place to prevent. That is of course, annoying, but it is the parents who are in the wrong. But we were very surprised to learn that other parents are actually paying non-resident tuition for their children to attend the school.

According to the school district’s website, non-resident parents “may pay non-resident tuition to enroll in a DCPS school where space is available.” We don’t have a problem with that generally speaking. But it appears that the district is giving spaces to non-resident tuition payers even when there is a long waiting list of DC residents who applied via the out-of-boundary process to these schools. Shouldn’t these spots go to DC residents first, and then if (and only if) there are no remaining DC children who want to attend a particular school, be opened up to non-resident tuition payers?”

Holy cow. Did anyone else know this takes place? Does it make sense?

DDOT: New York Avenue to Lose One-Third of Lane Capacity on/about April 25

By Prince Of Petworth


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From a press release:

Mayor Vincent C. Gray today warned District residents, workers and visitors that upcoming construction work on New York Avenue, NE could have a significant impact on traffic in this heavily-traveled corridor. On or about April 25, weather permitting, New York Avenue commuters will encounter a one-third reduction in lane capacity between Penn Street, NE and Florida Avenue, NE. The reduction from six to four lanes is unavoidable for the next two phases of construction for the District Department of Transportation’s (DDOT) rehabilitation of the aging New York Avenue Bridge over the railroad tracks.

“There’s no other way to do it – this aging structure needs to be replaced for the safety of everyone who crosses it and for the rail traffic underneath,” said Mayor Gray, “But I don’t want to understate the impact of taking away two lanes: there will be backups and it will take you significantly longer to get down New York Avenue until this project is completed.”

DDOT estimates commuters can expect delays of 15 to 30 minutes in the project area for the duration of the lane reductions, which are anticipated to last approximately two years.

“DDOT understands how sizeable the impacts will be in this busy corridor due to the required closures for this project. To help ease travelers’ pain, several steps have been taken, including offering real-time traffic and project updates, identifying alternate routes, and debuting a transit incentive program that will encourage commuters to try alternatives,” said DDOT Interim Director Terry Bellamy.

To help travelers cope with the change, DDOT is activating a series of tools:

Continues after the jump. (more…)

Dear PoPville – New speed camera installed on Military Road

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user ekelly80

“Dear PoP,

In light of your popular post about the Porter Road speed trap:

While riding the E bus across to Friendship Heights, I noticed a construction crew working on eastbound Military Road near the eastern side of the Rock Creek Park ravine. The backhoe was making what looked like a single car length cut in the curb and were preparing to pave the grass over with a patch of concrete. The small construction site had the same size and orientation as the existing speed camera setup on westbound Military just past St. John’s College Prep, where a marked or unmarked police car with camera setup sits just past a 25 MPH sign. (For reference, this is the same thing that was installed on both directions of North Capitol Street near the Irving Street cloverleaf in the past year or so.)”

Heads up!

You can see a full list of red light cameras here and speed cameras here.

Friday Question of the Day – Who Should the City Give Tax Breaks to?

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user AWard Tour

Thursday afternoon WBJ’s Michael Neibauer wrote a story titled, Tax break eyed for Capital City Diner:

Citing its economic and social impact on the surrounding community, [Ward 5 Council Member] Thomas has introduced legislation that would exempt Capital City Diner from property taxes through Jan. 1, 2016. The diner is assessed by the city at $320,340. The exemption amounts to a $5,000-plus annual tax break.

The article also quotes Ed Lazere of the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute, who says:

“While the Capital City Diner is located in a neighborhood without many sit-down restaurant options, it is unclear why a restaurant that currently is operating needs a further incentive to continue its business,” Lazere said. “There are a number of restaurants that have opened in recent years on nearby H Street NE, none of which has received this kind of assistance to our knowledge.”

So the FQotD is a simple one – what businesses do you think should receive tax breaks? And how long should tax breaks given – 1 year, 5, years, 10 years? I know that developers also commonly receive tax breaks – who else does? Who else should? Do you know of any other restaurants that receive tax breaks?

“DPW Notice of Violation” Unfairly Issued For Trash in Flowerboxes

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user philliefan99

A reader sent the following letter was sent Ward 2 Council Member Jack Evans. I’m wondering if this has happened to anyone else? Did you receive a fine? Were you able to contest it? How did they know it was your trash? I’m also wondering if you agree with the letter writer that this is merely a way for the government to raise money? Or do you think it’s just a symptom of dysfunctional bureaucracy? Or is this legit?

I received a notice of violation from the DC DPW yesterday (03/23/11) with a Date of Service of 02/15/11. DPW has cited me for leaving the garbage by my flowerbox that they were scheduled to pick up that day. I would like to speak with someone regarding this issue, however, the notice states that I only have 14 days after the “Date of Service” to contest this citation, which would have been Feb 27th. A neighbor of mine had a similar experience as he too was presented with a notice past the grace period. In both cases, DPW held the notice until the grace period had expired before delivering it. My neighbor’s case is even more frustrating as it was someone else’s trash that was left in his flower box. Both of these instances make it very clear that DPW is treating these notices more as a source of revenue than a betterment for the city.

A few questions to consider:
– How does DPW identify/confirm that the trash is in fact the “Respondent’s”?
– How are DC residents supposed to defend themselves if DPW holds these notices beyond the grace period to contest them before delivering them?
– Why would a DC resident be held liable for trash that DPW was scheduled to pick up?
– If DPW is concerned with the cleanliness of DC’s flower boxes, why is it that the majority of them on my block are in deplorable condition (minus my own which I renovated with my own money)?
– Are we (DC citizens) responsible for ALL trash that ends up in our flower boxes? If so, where is this stated in DC law?
– I would also ask, why wouldn’t DPW remove the trash and then charge the owner rather than leaving it behind in hopes of collecting more fines due to either the negligence, or in mine and my neighbor’s case “not knowing it was a violation”?

I understand that the city’s budget is in bad shape and this might be a way to assist DC in recovering some of its budget; but as a longtime resident of DC, a homeowner, and taxpayer, I sometimes wonder what message DC tries to send to its law abiding citizens.

TaKorean Owner Responds to Yesterday’s Incident with MPD

By Prince Of Petworth

“My name is Mike Lenard and I am the Owner and Operator of TaKorean as well as the Assistant Director of the DC Food Truck Association (DCFTA). I know there has been talk between here and Food Truck Fiesta about some of the events that went down yesterday. I appreciate PoP for giving me the opportunity to explain what happened.

During lunch service yesterday (Tuesday), I was approached by a Metro PD officer who had received a call from someone around to the Metro Center area saying that we were operating without a “site permit.” Currently, food trucks are not required to have site permits under Dept. of Consumer & Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) regulations. The officer was either misled or misinformed about vending regulations and opted to shut me down until he could find an answer to the situation. All of my licenses and paperwork were completely in order and with me the entire time, as they are every time we’re out.

I made a call to the Vending/Special Events coordinator at DCRA, Sam Williams. I contacted him so that he could call the officer’s precinct clarifying the DC regulations concerning food trucks. After that MPD Officer Steinbach, the MPD vending expert, was dispatched to the scene. Once Officer Steinbach arrived, he explained the regulations to the first officer, and we were allowed to re-open without further incident.

Unfortunately, I was not the only truck that experienced this interruption in service yesterday. I later learned that two other food trucks experienced very similar situations in the Farragut Square area. I know that it is frustrating for both the food trucks as well as the law enforcement agencies to see precious resources like time and energy get wasted on these calls.

Both myself and the rest of the DCFTA know this is just one part of a larger, on-going conversation that we’re looking forward to participating in as our industry continues to grow and prosper during the next several months and years.

We’re excited to be a part of such a vibrant metropolitan area, and I can assure you that you’ll be hearing more from those of us at the DC Food Truck Association soon. On behalf of myself and the other food truck vendors that make up the DCFTA, we thank you for your overwhelming support, and appreciate Prince of Petworth for giving me the opportunity to clarify yesterday’s situation at Metro Center.”

The 5pm Post – DC Hearing on the Brewery Manufacturer’s Tasting Permit Amendment Act of 2011

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoP,

I wanted to pass along a letter that you have probably already seen. Brandon is one of the co-owners of DC Brau and has been working to not only start a business in DC (a daunting task by itself) but also to get legislation passed to allow manufacturers the same ability to provide tastings that grocery stores and liquor stores have. The legislation has a hearing date before the Council on March 31st. This seems like a no-brainer bill that will go a long way to allowing these new breweries (we’ve got a few others in the pipeline besides DC Brau) to thrive, make profits, create jobs, and pay taxes in DC. Even if you aren’t a beer lover, supporting this bill means supporting one of the few products made in DC by DC residents.

If you want to testify or submit testimony, contact Benton Heimsath at [email protected].

If you don’t have time for testimony, a quick note/call of support to your councilmember would be extremely valuable:

Ward 1: Jim Graham, (202) 724-8181, John De Taeye (Legislative Director), [email protected]
Ward 2: Jack Evans, 202.724.8058, [email protected]
Ward 3: Mary Cheh, (202) 724-8062, Jeremy Faust, [email protected]
Ward 4: Muriel Bowser, 202-724-8052, Rob Hawkins, [email protected]
Ward 5: Harry Thomas Jr, 202.724.8028, Ayawna Webster, [email protected]
Ward 6: Tommy Wells, 202-724-8072, [email protected]
Ward 7: Yvette Alexander, (202) 724-8068, J.R. Meyers, [email protected]
Ward 8: Marrion Barry, (202) 724-8045”

Hello,

I am writing you this morning as the co-owner of a small start up brewery located in Washington DC. DC Brau Brewing is the first “production/package” facility to be located inside DC in over half a century. It was our choice to be located within the District. We knew that some aspects would be challenging, especially since there has been no local protocol for businesses like ours in such a long time.

Most breweries across the country offer tours of their facilities and a small tasting of their product. Usually a business is required to get an annual tasting permit to do this. After reviewing the District’s laws, we noticed there was no such provision for businesses of our type. Tasting permits are available for grocery and off premises establishments but nothing for manufacturers. This prompted us to work with an attorney to write the “Brewery Manufacturer’s Tasting Permit Amendment Act of 20ll”. I have attached a copy for your review. This bill would give us the same tasting rights as grocery stores and other off premise accounts.

As a new business we are doing everything we can to succeed. We know having a tasting room will allow us to appeal to a broader market, generate beer tourism interest and give us the same chance to succeed as our counterparts in the surrounding states.

The hearing for bill (B19-118) will be March 31st at 10am in room 412 of the John A. Wilson Building (1350 Pennsylvania Ave, NW 20004). DC Brau will come to testify. Please put out the word – Anybody who wants to testify or submit testimony should contact Benton Heimsath at [email protected].

Thank you for your support.

Cheers!

Brandon Skall
CEO
DCBrau Brewing Company LLC

We took a look at DC Brau back in early March.

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