Neighbors,
This week, the District of Columbia Council held its second vote on
the Fiscal Year 2020 District of Columbia budget. The budget
reflects priorities raised by Ward 5 residents through months of
engagement, including public hearings, meetings with advocates and
stakeholders, and the Ward 5 Budget Engagement Forum. I am pleased
to share the following highlights, which I believe represent and
reflect the priorities of the Ward 5 community.
In service,
Kenyan
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Ward 5 Priorities:
- Allocates funding to create
a Biotechnology Academy within McKinley Technology High
School.
- Enhances the District’s Clean Team program
with an expanded Fort Lincoln Clean Team, a new
residential clean team in the Trinidad neighborhood, and a
roving Ward 5 clean team.
- Adds an additional $3.5
million in funding for the Arboretum Recreation Center,
which will include a new half-court gym and multipurpose room.
- Identifies $250,000 for lighting
at the Langdon Park Dog Park long sought by
the community and supported by ANC 5C.
- Protects $19.7 million in funding for renovation
of the Langdon Park Recreation Center, set to
begin in Fiscal Year 2023.
- Retains $4 million in funding for
improvements to Fort Lincoln Park and $13.18
million to renovate the adjacent Theodore
Hagans Culture Center.
- Keeps modernization of Browne
Education Campus on track with nearly $40
million in modernization funds that will become available in
Fiscal Year 2023.
- Invests $2.6 million in the
Brentwood Recreation Center in Fiscal
Years 2020 and 2021.
- Funds
reconstruction and redesign of the intersection of Florida Ave
NE and New York Ave NE (“Dave Thomas
Circle”), including acquisition of the private fast food
restaurant located at the Circle.
- Funds an additional $6.9
million in renovations for Burroughs Elementary School,
set to begin in Fiscal Year 2025.
- Includes $600,000 for replacement of the
playground at Bunker Hill Elementary School.
- Funds replacement of the football field
shared by McKinley Technology High School and Middle
School.
- Continues funding for planning, design, and
building of the Arboretum Bike and Pedestrian Bridge,
to connect the U.S. National Arboretum to the Anacostia River
Trail on the east side of the river.
Support
for Small Businesses:
- Supports small businesses and neighborhood
retail through expansion of the Main Streets program,
including new main street organizations for U Street and Upper
Georgia Avenue.
- Enhances
funding for the DC Anchor Partnership, an innovative
demand-driven initiative to connect DC's universities and
hospitals with District-based small businesses.
- Funds
Dream Grants, which support the growth of
micro-businesses in Wards 7 and 8.
Representation:
- Commissions
a statue of a native Washingtonian woman,
to memorialize and reflect the District's
diverse population.
Violence
Prevention:
- Funds
$3 million to support violence prevention and intervention
initiatives using the NEAR Act’s Cure Violence model within the Office
of the Attorney General. This funding, secured by Councilmember
McDuffie, will allow the public health-based approach to
violence prevention program to build on its early successes.
- Protects
victims of domestic violence, sexual abuse, or stalking, as well as their
family members against discrimination by employers or labor
organizations.
Education
and Health:
- Increases
the at-risk weight of the Uniform Per
Student Funding Formula.
- Fully
funds a new building for Banneker High School; the District’s
highest performing high school.
- Supports healthy development for babies and
toddlers by funding the Birth-to-Three for All DC Act.
Supporting
Seniors, Families, and Vulnerable Citizens:
- Funds Aspire to
Entrepreneurship Program which trains returning citizens
through a specialized curriculum on topics including financial
literacy, marketing, and business management and development.
- Funds implementation of the
Senior Strategic Plan, a comprehensive
ten-year plan to serve as a blueprint for the District’s
senior community.
Affordable
Housing:
- Directs $24.5 million in reserve funds from
DC’s convention authority, Events DC, to make much needed repairs
to the District’s public housing stock.
- Expands
funding for Schedule H vouchers, which assist low-
and moderate-income residents who face high property taxes or
rents compared with their income.
- Increases
funding for Permanent Supportive Housing, which provides
long-term housing and intensive case management to
individuals experiencing homelessness.
Protecting
our Environment:
- Funds a study to identify and
map District springs and streams that likely
have been covered or piped underground but still produce or
carry water. The report will also discuss the benefits and
feasibility of returning these springs and streams above
ground.
- Funds implementation of the
Clean Energy DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2018,
which puts the District on the path toward 100% sustainable
energy by 2032 and includes strong provisions for workforce
development and support for certified business enterprises
(CBEs).
- Maintains
funding to close the W Street Trash Transfer Station by eminent domain,
putting it on the path to closure and providing Brentwood
residents with relief from its detrimental impacts.
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In this
issue of the Ward 5 Report:
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March in the Capital Pride Parade - June 8
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You're invited to walk with
Councilmember McDuffie and your Ward 5 neighbors in the annual
Capital Pride Parade. All are invited and encouraged to attend this
fun and diverse event.
DATE: Saturday, June 8, 2019
TIME: 2:00 pm
LOCATION: Meet at the corner of 23rd Street NW and N Street NW
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DC Water Townhall - June 4
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Each year, DC Water conducts town
hall meetings in all 8 wards, which provide customers an
opportunity to learn about the water authority’s proposed rates and
fees for next year while allowing the public to share concerns,
comments, and ideas. The meetings are intended to provide customers
with an opportunity to comment on new rates for the fiscal year
that begins October 1. The Ward 5 town hall will take place on
Tuesday, June 4. Check the DC Water website for
additional details.
DATE: Tuesday, June 4
TIME: 6:30 pm
LOCATION: Trinidad Recreation Center, 1310 Childress St NE
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Lamond-Riggs Library Meeting - June 12
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Join friends and neighbors for a
community meeting about the new Lamond-Riggs Library project Wednesday, June 12 at 7
pm. The new library will be built at the current site of the
Lamond-Riggs Library. With a budget of $20 million, the new
building will be designed to support modern library uses and
achieve LEED Gold certification for environmental design.
DATE: Wednesday, June 12
TIME: 7:00 pm
LOCATION: Lamond-Riggs Library, 5401 South Dakota Avenue NE
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DC Community Health Needs Assessment Survey
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As part of the health improvement
planning process for the District of Columbia, DC Health in
partnership with the DC Hospital Association, created a survey to
better identify the needs and strengths of our city and residents.
The information collected in the survey will be used in creating
the 2019 Community Health Needs Assessment, as well as planning for
future services, programs, policies, and better coordination among
organizations. Please visit https://ourhealthydc.org/survey-community-needs/ to take the survey now.
Filling out the survey is voluntary, and your responses are
anonymous. You will not be asked for your name, address, or any
other information that can identify you. The survey will take about
10-15 minutes to complete. At the end of this survey, there is
information on how you can enter a raffle for three chances to win
a $100 gift card as a thank you for your time. Take the survey today!
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