DC Government

“AG Racine Sues Washington Sports Club for Charging Gym Members During COVID-19 Shutdown”

By Prince Of Petworth

From the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia:

“Attorney General Karl A. Racine today filed suit against the parent company of Washington Sports Club (WSC), Town Sports International, LLC (TSI), for failing to abide by promises made to gym members while its facilities were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In mid-April, responding to a letter sent by AG Racine and other state Attorneys General, TSI had agreed to freeze memberships, credit consumers for dues paid while their gyms were inaccessible, and process requests for cancelations. Since reopening on June 22, however, the company has neither issued those credits to account holders, nor processed all membership cancelations. In response, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) is seeking a court order forcing TSI to follow through on its agreement to credit consumers and process cancelations, along with civil penalties. This is the second consumer protection lawsuit OAG has filed against the company. (more…)

“DC Tax Return in Limbo”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by Eric P.

“Dear PoPville,

I have not received my DC tax return yet. I submitted on June 17. I did receive a letter from DC Government in late June about additional verification steps needed. I went to the website and completed all the steps. I have not received a payment or any further follow up from DC Government. Is anyone else experiencing this?”

“Any advice out there on how we should handle this?”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by Olaf Zerbock

“Dear PoPville,

I’m wondering if any of your other readers have encountered this situation. My girlfriend and I recently (July 1) moved into a new apartment and we’ve started getting mail addressed to an LLC at our address, including some tax paperwork and bank statements. I did some searching on DCRA’s website, and the company was incorporated on July 23rd, so it doesn’t seem like it’s something that belongs to a previous resident. I reached out to DCRA and basically they gave me the paperwork from the incorporation and said good luck. Any advice out there on how we should handle this?”

“Swampoodle Park Gate – 9 months trying to get it fixed…”

By Prince Of Petworth

After tweeting earlier, DC Department of General Services replied “Thanks for the tag, we have forwarded this concern to our Facilities team to address.” to which OP replied:

“We have been told this repeatedly for over 9 months since we first attempted to report the issue. Can we actually get a maintenance ticket number for this? A timeline of when it can be fixed?”

“Dear PoPville,

I realize there are actually serious life and death issues happening these days. But, for the last nine months, we have been trying to get the city to fix the gates to the Swampoodle Dog Park because they no longer latch and swing open, allowing dogs to escape. Over the last nine months we have sent over 30 emails, (more…)

“something doesn’t seem right here…”

By Prince Of Petworth

Jared writes: “Hey PoPville, something doesn’t seem right here…How does DC Board of Elections know the address that the person doesn’t live at if it’s not on the side with the return postage? Am I missing something?”

Jacob replied: “Same concern. The barcodes are not identifying by my understanding. I just taped it with my info on the inside so they could unseal it and find my original address. This is a terrible time to move on so many levels lol”

and Garret: “Had the same question yesterday. To everyone saying “it’s the barcode,” there are only three on the half you return, and those don’t identify you, they just get it back to BOE. Jared’s are the exact same as mine, and yours.”

and Charles: “I have the exact same question. My wife and I got our own notices, plus the notices for five people who must have lived here sometime in the past. We’ve been here since 2016”

Charles also notes a Councilmember Charles Allen Tweet:

“Well, this tweet didn’t age well. Now that I look at the design for anyone with an incorrect address or needing their ballot forwarded, it doesn’t seem this mailer works for those voters. I’m already on the phone with the Board of Elections to find out more & will follow-up.” (more…)

“Who is Responsible for Tree Roots Clogging Sewer Line?”

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

Last weekend our showers, etc backed up. The plumber was only able to clear the sewer line to the street by using a larger-than-usual snake. See the picture of the tree root that was pulled out. The tree is between the street and the public sidewalk. The tree root is under the public sidewalk. Is the city responsible for fixing this? If yes, who do I contact? What experiences have people had in this type of issue.”

Ed. Note: I am dealing with almost exactly the same issue and believe I need to contact DC Water. Has anyone else gone through this situation?

DC Health Releases Updated List of High-Risk States requiring 14 day self quarantine. Three States including Delaware removed, Five States added

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by Eric P.

From the Mayor’s Office:

“Today, DC Health released an updated list of high-risk states where the seven-day moving average of daily new COVID-19 cases is 10 or more per 100,000 persons. Mayor Bowser issued Mayor’s Order 2020-081 with requirements for all people traveling into Washington, DC from high-risk states.

Anyone coming into Washington, DC from a high-risk state (within the prior 14 days) who was traveling for non-essential activities will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days from their arrival in the District. Individuals traveling from high-risk states after essential travel or arriving in the District for essential travel are required to self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 for 14 days and, if they show signs or experience symptoms of COVID-19, they are to self-quarantine and seek medical advice or testing.

Travel to and from Maryland and Virginia is exempt from the Order. This list should be used until Monday, August 24, when an updated list will be posted on coronavirus.dc.gov.

States that were added to the updated list include: Alaska, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Minnesota.

States that were removed from the updated list include: Delaware, Ohio, and Washington.

High-risk states that require 14 days of self-quarantine: (more…)

“By September 1, residents will have nearly 22 miles of DC Slow Streets to practice safe social distancing while walking, biking, and rolling in neighborhoods across the District.”

By Prince Of Petworth

From DDOT:

“Mayor Muriel Bowser and the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) announced that by September 1, residents will have nearly 22 miles of DC Slow Streets to practice safe social distancing while walking, biking, and rolling in neighborhoods across the District.

“We have already heard great feedback about the initial five miles of Slow Streets that were installed earlier this summer,” said DDOT Director Jeff Marootian. “The approximately 17 miles that we will add over the next several weeks are critical to Mayor Bowser’s vision to reimagine public space during the COVID-19 public health emergency.”

All DC Slow Streets are installed on local streets (typically with no centerline marked); without any bus routes and are generally linked to parks or other places to bike and walk. Once installed, DC Slow Streets are restricted to local traffic and the speed limit is set at 15 miles per hour to support neighborhood-based safe social distancing while walking, running, rolling, or cycling.

Installation will begin the week of August 10, and is expected to be completed by September 1 in the following locations: (more…)

“Outdoor Pools to Remain Closed for the Remainder of the Summer Season”

By Prince Of Petworth



Ed. Note: You can learn about renting a pool by the hour here.

From DPR:

“Today, August 5, the Bowser Administration announced that outdoor pools will not open this summer due to coronavirus (COVID-19).

“We understand residents look forward to escaping the summer heat at our pools. Out of an abundance of caution, and in consultation with the District’s public health experts, we have decided to prioritize the health and safety of residents,” said DPR Director Delano Hunter.

DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) operates 21 outdoor pools throughout the District, which have been closed since a public health emergency was issued on March 16, 2020 and will remain closed for the summer season. The pools will undergo the winterization process which includes draining and covering.

All spray parks and all indoor aquatic centers will remain closed until further notice. (more…)

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