The Ward 5 Report: Office of Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie (dated 06-28-2013)

From: Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie <dcdocs@dc.gov>
Sent: Friday, June 28, 2013 3:39 PM
Subject: The Ward 5 Report: Office of Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie

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The Ward 5 Report: 
Office of Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie
June 28, 2013

Ward 5 Highlights:

Moving Ward 5 Forward

This week, Councilmember McDuffie delivered his State of the Ward Address at the Luke C. Moore Public High School. During his address, Councilmember McDuffie reflected on the past year and outlined his vision for the Ward.

“Together, we have made great strides towards bringing economic development to our major corridors, developing a collaborative structure for modernizing our industrial land, and improving the quality of life for all residents,” said Councilmember McDuffie. “Over the past year, we have made some progress, but we have a lot more work ahead of us. Together, we can build on the progress we’ve made and continue to move Ward 5 forward.”

Thank you to all of the residents who joined us for the State of the Ward Address. Copies of the PowerPoint presentation and the First Year Progress Report distributed during the address can be found here.

                     

Councilmember Secures Funding for Ward 5 through the Budget Surplus

In addition to previous Fiscal Year 2014 Budget successes, this week, Councilmember McDuffie secured funding through the budget surplus to resurface Taft Field and the Edgewood Field. Through the Budget Support Act, the Councilmember was able to allocate $1.5 million for the Taft Field and $1 million for the capital improvements to the Edgewood Field. Additionally, Councilmember McDuffie worked with his Council colleagues to send $4 million in surplus funds to the Community College of the District of Columbia’s Bertie Backus Campus for capital improvements, and roll back the District's sales tax rate from 6 percent to 5.75 percent.

             

Councilmember McDuffie Hosts Community Walk-Through in Brentwood

On June 22, Councilmember McDuffie held a community walk-through in Brentwood. The Councilmember was joined by the District Department of Transportation, the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, the Department of General Services, the Department of Public Works, the Metropolitan Police Department, the District Department of the Environment, the Brentwood Civic Association, the Brookland Manor Tenant Association, and other community stakeholders to address quality of life issues and to give residents the opportunity to engage various District agencies. The walk-through also provided an opportunity to identify areas where residents wanted to see heightened security and environmental concerns addressed.

Councilmember McDuffie’s office will conduct a follow up walk-through in the coming weeks to monitor what progress has taken place and address any additional concerns. See additional pictures from the Brentwood community walk-through here.

                                    

Ward 5 Nats Night Out

We are looking forward to your presence at the Ward 5 Nats game, on Sunday, July 7th at 1:35 p.m., against the San Diego Padres. We are asking all ticket recipients to arrive at 12:30 p.m. for the pre-game activities. There are no additional tickets available at this time.

For your convenience, we have arranged for the tickets to be picked up on Sunday, June 30^th, at Flip It 2 Restaurant, located at 1544 Rhode Island Avenue, N.E. from 2-4 p.m. During this time, Jon Mandel will be on hand to distribute the tickets. Otherwise, tickets can be picked up (excluding weekends) at the Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 506 from now until Wednesday, July 3rd from 9-5pm.

If you have any questions, please contact Fatimah Wilson at 202-724-8028.

                  

Legislative Update:

Councilmember McDuffie Introduces Bill Requiring Transparency in Affordable Housing

During this week’s legislative meeting, Councilmember McDuffie introduced legislation designed to improve how the District measures the affordability of housing units. The “Truth in Affordability Reporting Act of 2013” requires the District to measure the affordability of housing projects against the District’s Median Family Income (DCMFI) in addition to the federal Area Median Income (AMI) standard. Currently, the District evaluates whether a housing unit is affordable by determining the cost of the rent or mortgage compared to the AMI.

“Although there is a vast gap between AMI and DCMFI, we still measure the affordability of our D.C. housing units against the AMI,” said Councilmember McDuffie. “But what is affordable in Northern Virginia is not always affordable for many families here in the District.”              

Additional information about the bill can be found here.

Councilmember McDuffie Takes Legislative Action to Improve Air Quality

This week, Councilmember McDuffie introduced legislation to strengthen air pollution enforcement and engage residents in the air quality complaint process. The “Air Quality Amendment Act of 2013” requires the District Department of the Environment (DDOE) to develop a written plan for investigating, analyzing and responding to air quality complaints. Additionally, the bill improves communication between DDOE, residents who make complaints, and affected Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners through required complaint status updates. The bill also strengthens penalties for violations. Additional details about the bill can be found here.

             

Announcements:

McKinley Middle School Hard Hat Tour

Please join McKinley Technology Education Campus, located at 151 T Street, N.E., for a Hard Hat Tour of the new middle school wing of the campus on Saturday, June 29^th, from 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Space is limited. For more information contact McKinley Technology at 281-3950.

Free Summer Meal Sites in D.C. for the Summer

D.C. Free Summer Meals Program is FREE to all children ages 18 and younger. There is no application necessary to receive a meal. Children ages 18 and younger can show up at a D.C. Free Summer Meal site during meal time. To find a site near you, residents can call 311 or text 202-6565-EAT. For more information, visit www.dcsummerfun.dc.gov.

Heat Advisory for Seniors

Summer is upon us, and temperatures could approach 100 degrees, with higher heat indexes. The D.C. Office on Aging has a few helpful tips to help seniors beat the heat:

• Make contact with homebound or at-risk senior clients to let them know of the heat alert and air quality alert.
• Ask seniors to stay at home or reduce outdoor activity.
• Ask neighbors, friends and relatives to check on frail or isolated elderly individuals.
• If you discover the temperature is too hot when checking on a homebound senior, assist the senior in trying to keep cool.
• Advise seniors to stay indoors and not to go out between the hours of 10am and 3pm.
• Tell seniors to stay cool by taking frequent baths and showers, drinking water, wearing light clothing, turning on air conditioners and fans, and go where they can cool off.

Here’s a list of the Senior Wellness Centers that are designated cooling centers. Each center is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.