65
I Street SW ·
Washington, DC 20024 ·
202/554-1795
March
8, 2004
Present:
Commissioners Assalaam, Hargrave, Litsky, Moffatt, Siegel Williams. Absent:
Commissioner Johnson
The meeting was convened at 7:10 pm by Commission
Vice Chair Moffatt. The Commissioners
introduced themselves.
4
Agenda
Commissioner Hargrave asked that a report from the Administrative Assistant be added. Commissioner Williams asked that a discussion about the Hazardous Waste transport legislation be added. The agenda was approved as amended. Commissioner
Assalaam assumed the chair.
A motion to approve the construction of a lay-by and
redesigned courtyard for the Holiday Inn was postponed from the previous meeting
to see whether a community employment agreement existed with Donohoe
Construction from the original construction of the building, and neither
Donohoe or the ANC had any record of the agreement. The construction plans were reviewed. Commissioner Hargrave said that he wanted the record to show that
the agreement was looked for, and not found.
Motion: A motion was made to support Donohoe Construction’s
request to construct a lay-by and redesigned courtyard at the Holiday Inn at 5th
and C Streets SW. It was approved
5-0.
6
WASA Update
Commissioner Williams
announced that a regularly scheduled meeting of the Southwest Neighborhood
Association on March 22 would be
devoted to the issue of the lead levels in the water. Representatives of WASA will be present, and it will be focused
on the problems in Southwest. She
requested ANC sponsorship of the meeting.
Commissioner Williams also
said she was working with a citywide group called LEAD on the issue, and she is
working on a citywide meeting to be held in Southwest because the city has not
been responsive. The group is also
looking into seeking an emergency hearing from WASA on the issue, in order to
keep community residents informed on what is happening. There have to be other ways than the media
to keep citizens informed. Commissioner
Hargrave expressed his hope that there would be information disseminated before
the March 22 meeting, because people still were not aware whether they were
affected by the lead pipes.
Commissioner Williams responded that the existence of lead pipes was
more widespread than WASA had originally announced, and there were modern
townhouses and even apartment buildings that were now being identified as
having lead service pipes. And according
to testimony at a Congressional hearing, It could be a citywide problem, and
may even extend to schools. There is
lead throughout the system, and it is artificial to focus only on the old
pipes..
Commissioner Williams said
that she would be out of town for the March 22 meeting, and a discussion ensued
about the fact that she was the expert on the issue. She vouched for the expertise of those who would be at the
meeting, and said she had materials about the problems she could share with the
commission. Motion: Commissioner
Assalaam made a motion that the ANC co-sponsor the March 22 SWNA meeting on
lead in the water. It was seconded by
Commissioner Moffatt. It was approved
6-0.
7
Transportation of Hazardous Materials Legislation
Commissioner Williams said
she was asked by Tom Dougherty of the Sierra Club to bring to the ANC
legislation, called the Terrorism Prevention and Safety in Hazardous Materials
Transportation Act of 2003, introduced by Carol Schwartz that would reroute the
train transportation of hazardous materials around the District because of the
threat of terrorism. This has
particular relevance for Southwest because of the location of the train
tracks. Commissioner Hargrave inquired
as to the timing of the legislation and said that if there was time the ANC
should invite Dougherty to present to the Commission. Commissioner Williams responded that Mr. Dougherty was out of
town, and that her understanding was that the DC Department of Transportation
has taken a stand that it is a federal issue, because CSX, which is the affected
railroad is federal. She said, however,
that as city residents we should support the legislation, then take it to
Congress. Commissioner Moffatt said
that he is totally unready to consider the legislation, a point reinforced by
Commissioner Litsky who said it is a complex issue and he has questions to ask
Mr. Dougherty. It was agreed to move
the discussion to the April meeting.
8
Chairman’s Report
a)
The
Coalition for Non-Profit Housing is requesting support for a resolution in
support of the DC Housing Production Trust Fund. He stated that because the information had not been circulated,
he would defer the discussion until the next meeting.
a)
He
reported on his appearance at the ANC oversight hearing, and said it flowed
smoothly. Councilmember Catania asked a
few questions about the ANC questionnaire.
It provided an opportunity to speak out about the issues facing the
ANC. Commissioner Hargrave said he had
watched the hearing on television, and that it was repeated over and over,
giving people an opportunity to see it.
Commissioner Williams asked whether it was possible to request a copy of
the tape, and said the ANC should attempt to get hold of a copy.
9
Administrative Assistant’s Report
a)
The
Administrative Assistant reported that she had purchased a new tape recorder.
b)
She
reported that she had looked for the community agreement with Donohoe
Construction and was unable to find it, nor was Donohoe. She consulted with Gottlieb Simon, but was
unsuccessful in locating any document.
c)
She
also reported that the Office of Property Management had contacted her to
resolve the question of space. Their
file on the ANC’s original correspondence was still open, and they wanted to
close their paper trail. She reported
that she had said we were located for the present. Commissioner Assalaam said that we should not shut the door on
their continuing search for space in case the ANC has to move. Commissioner Williams stated that she had spoken
with Marge Francese in Councilmember Ambrose’s office and she stated that the
ANC may have to move.
d)
Commissioner
Hargrave raised the issue that the Administrative Assistant had not reported on
the DC Register, and the Administrative Assistant said that the ANC had not
received its copy of the DC Register for a month. Commissioner Assalaam said
that the ANC’s new address should be faxed to the Office of Documents and all
City agencies to be certain that the mail was coming to the MAC address.
e)
Commissioner
Williams raised the issue of ANC Commissioner parking permits, which Gottlieb
Simon had raised at the ANC Assembly, and inquired whether the AA could make a
blanket request for permits.
f)
He
also raised the issue of getting the flyers out early if there is general
information.
Commissioner
Assalaam stated that when he became Chair he developed a plan that would give
the public more time at the meetings.
He stated that he feels the Commission is moving further backwards on
the goals that were set. He stated that
a re-focus on the goals of the Commission was necessary because there were
things that should be done for the community, and he wanted to see things
accomplished before the year is out.
Commissioner
Hargrave suggested that an administrative meeting of the Commission be held to
discuss the Commission’s goals. It was
decided to hold the meeting on March 30th
at 6:30 pm.
10
Friendship Baptist Church
Commissioner Assalaam stated
that the applicant, Steven Tanner, had a hearing at the Board of Zoning
Adjustment tonight on a procedural matter, not a public matter. Mr. Tanner is meeting with Ahmed and people
from the church the next day. There
will be a complete reort at the April meeting.
There was discussion of process, and the nature of Mr. Tanner’s
appearance at the Zoning Commission.
11
Treasurer’s Report
Commissioner Siegel reported
that there was $18,339.90 in the ANC’s checking account, and $5,067.90 in the
savings account, for a total of $23,407.88.
There are five checks outstanding, including the Administrative
Assistant’s salary, the rent for MAC, and three checks covering the cost of ink
cartridges, a tape recorder with batteries and tapes, which will bring the
balance to $17,394.61. He said that the
$32 in the petty cash box, which is not included in the total.
The DC Auditor has
recommended the release of the ANC’s allotment for the first quarter of
2004. He raised the issue of the false
item in the Southwester implying that the ANC’s payment would be withheld. He also said that the Auditor required the
Chairman’s address information and requested that the Administrative Assistant
mail it to the Office of the Auditor.
At Commissioner Moffatt’s
request at the Finance Committee meeting, the Treasurer inquired about the cost
of a post office box at the Southwest Post Office. The rates are, for six months: $80 for a 4’ x 4’ mailbox; and
$150 for a 5’ x 5’ box.
He received correspondence
from the IRS has no record of the W2 and W3 forms from previous years, when
Dick Westbrook was Treasurer.
He again requested that a
budget be developed for the ANC.
Commissioner Assalaam inquired about the status of the current budget,
which the Treasurer reiterated is quite old.
Commissioner Assalaam
inquired about the item in the Southwester, which Commissioner Siegel
read. He suggested that a response be
written. Commissioner Assalaam
suggested that the Administrative Assistant draft a letter. Commissioner Williams suggested that the
report was accurate, and Commissioner Siegel explained that all documents were
filed by required deadlines.
Commissioner Litsky suggested that the column was unsigned gossip, and
the letter be a clarification of the issues. A discussion focused on the facts
of the situation, and that the filings were late because of the need to have
approved minutes attached, and the ANC’s meeting schedule was not consonant
with the deadlines. Commissioner Williams again pointed out the accuracy of the
item, and that the ANC was not meeting its deadlines. Commissioner Assalaam said that a letter should be written clarifying
the facts, and it would be approved at the administrative meeting,
Commissioner Siegel answered
questions about several items in the Treasurer’s Report.
12
Committee Reports
a)
Zoning Committee: Commissioner Litsky spoke about
the Anacostia Waterfront Development Corporation hearing, saying that he was
there with Commissioner Johnson for what was a very long hearing. He stated that Commissioner Johnson had to
leave for a meeting with the residents of Waterside Towers before he could
testify, and Commissioner Litsky read parts of Ed’s testimony for the ANC, as
well as his own personal testimony which was focused on the Banneker Overlook
as a potential site for a baseball stadium, as was that of several residents of
Capitol Park Homes.
He
said that the legislation is not moving as quickly as was previously
indicated. He said there would be
further hearings, and the ANC was promised that it could testify again when it
came up. He said that Andy Altman was
“trashed” by everyone, and while there was support for the AWI projects, there
was little support for his potential heading of the agency.
Commissioner
Hargrave said that Commissioner Litsky had not read all of the ANC’s testimony,
and asked about it. Commissioner
Litsky, in response to a statement by Commissioner Williams, stated that he had
read the key portions of the ANC’s testimony, as well as testifying on behalf
of the residents of his SMD. He said he
separated the two testimonies clearly, but the television will show that he did
indeed read the ANC’s points.
13
Minutes
Several corrections were
made to the minutes. A motion was made by Commissioner Hargrave to approve the
minutes, as amended. It was seconded by Commissioner Siegel. The motion was passed 5-0-1, with
Commissioner Litsky abstaining.
14
Commissioner Concerns
Commissioner Moffatt raised
the issue of the post office box, and suggested that if the ANC continues to
have mail problems, the Commissioners should seriously consider getting a
box. Commissioner Assalaam said that if
there’s big mail or too much mail, the post office will place in a large
box. Motion: Commissioner
Moffatt moved that the Treasurer be authorized to rent a post office box. It was seconded by Commissioner Siegel. Commissioner Litsky raised the point that it
will mean changing the ANC’s mailing address, check, etc. once again. Commissioner Williams said that she and
Commissioner Hargrave serve on the Southwest Regional Post Office Advisory
Committee, and they should be able to handle any problems with mail delivery. Mr. Moffatt withdrew his motion, saying that
he would wait until next month, so it could be discovered whether there are any
implications for checks, etc. The Administrative Assistant reported that there
was no problem in getting the mail, just that the mail wasn’t there. She said that didn’t know whether it was the
fault of the city agencies, or the postal service and said that there was
inconsistency in city agencies, with some people having the ANC’s new address
and others still using the old address.
It was suggested that a letter be written informing all agencies of the
correct address.
Commissioner Siegel
commented that the ANC’s web site has not been updated in several months. Commissioner Assalaam said that the
pressures of Commissioner Johnson’s new job kept him from doing extra work, and
suggested that perhaps another person can be found to undertake the job.
Commissioner Hargrave asked
about the status of the cut through on 4th Street, and inquired
whether the City Council had to take action.
Commissioner Litsky pointed out that the Council has nothing to do with
it, and that the Zoning Commission had made the decision that it was going to
happen, and it was a question of when the developers began working on the Mall.
Commissioner Williams
announced that there would be a Great American Clean-Up kick-off weekend the
last weekend in March. Locations will
be announced, with M Street and South Capitol Street being the one in
Southwest. Also along New Jersey and M
Street SE. She also called attention to
the number of lampposts in the community that need lamps replaced, and urged
the ANC Commissioners to identify them and call them in.
Commissioner Assalaam called
attention to the condition of school doors, saying that his grandson had been
injured by a jagged metal bar on the door at his school. Commissioner Williams talked about Save Our
Schools, and its potential meeting with
Tommy Wells.
15
Community Concerns
Bob Mittendorf spoke on
behalf of R.H. Mihatra, who runs Harry’s Liquors, and said that about three
months ago, NCRC expressed interest in giving him a space to build a liquor
store on a pad between the Channel Inn and Zanzibar on the waterfront, and
asked him for a letter of intent. He
said he was bringing it to the Commission to get an informal sense of support
for the plan to relocate a store from the Mall to the waterfront, possibly with
the sandwiches and cheese they used to have.
Commissioner Litsky stated that if anything should be built on a
waterfront pad it should be services that the local people need, and a liquor
store would be inappropriate, and it would be things like a dry cleaner. Commissioner Hargrave asked what the timing
was, and Mr. Mittendorf said that he has no idea whether NCRC would enteretain
the idea, and he did not know what the response to the letter of intent would
be.
Ms. Coles spoke about public
officials being barred from public offices, such as the James Creek rental
office, which prohibited an ANC Commissioner from entering. She also spoke about lead testing, and
suggested that it would be a good idea to have testing in Southwest, perhaps at
the Southwest Health Clinic. She said that many people can’t get to DC General
and there is lead in the pipes in Southwest.
She requested that the ANC intercede.
Commissioner Williams suggested that Capitol Hill is well taken care of
at DC General, but that Southwest needs the same attention.
Commissioner Assalaam stated
that the Housing Authority has changed its rules, and with 90 percent of his
constituents living in public housing, he knows that DCHA is an independent
agency, but there is no excuse for restricting public access. Commissioner Williams cited the regulations
that any agency that receives federal funds must have open records. He said
that Councilmember Ambrose had told him the DCHA was now an independent agency
and could make its own regulations. A
discussion followed about the issue of public access to public housing.
Commissioner Assalaam raised
the issue of approving 3.5 hours extra salary for the Administrative Assistant
for meetings she attended. Commissioner
Hargrave reiterated that the AA should be able to report on her
activities. Motion: A motion was
made by Commissioner Litsky to approve the payment of $42 for extra hours. It was seconded by Commissioner
Moffatt. It passed by a vote of 5-0-1,
with Commissioner Williams abstaining.
The meeting was adjourned at
9:45 pm.
Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6D
65 I Street SW
Washington, DC 20024
554-1795
n
554-1774
office@anc6d.org