Advisory Neighborhood Commission 8F (ANC 8F) met on March 19. Commissioners Nic Wilson (treasurer, 8F01), Rick Murphree (vice chair, 8F02), Brian Strege (secretary, 8F03) and Edward Daniels (chair, 8F04) and Clayton Rosenberg (8F05) were in attendance. This was the commission’s first hybrid meeting.
Secretary Strege briefed the commission on the Initiative Amendment Act being sponsored by DC Council Chair Phil Mendelson (D) and At-Large Councilmember Anita Bonds (D). The new legislation, Strege said, adds language forbidding initiatives requiring Council appropriations to be implemented as law. This makes any framing of a legal initiative impossible, he argued, since all laws require some appropriations in order to be implemented.
Commissioners concurred in Strege’s analysis. They unanimously resolved against it.
Public Safety
Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Lieutenant Kenneth Taylor briefed the commission on public safety. In the past 30 days there were two armed assaults, three burglaries, 41 motor vehicle thefts, 44 thefts from autos, 62 general thefts and one arson, he reported. Crime is down significantly from last year, he said.
Secretary Strege asked whether MPD had contemplated declaring Capitol Quarter’s L Street Courtyard a “drug-free zone” under the recently ed Secure DC Act. At the moment, MPD is limiting it to three at a time, responded Taylor. Perhaps the department might increase that number in the summer. MPD selects locations based on a combination of calls for service, drug arrests and intelligence, he said. The only one in the First District is located in Chinatown, he said.
Other Matters
Secretary Strege updated his colleagues on the vacant DC Housing Authority (DCHA) lots in his Single Member District (SMD). These include two Nationals parking lots and one fenced, weed-filled space. The commission has secured a meeting with DCHA about temporary uses for these parcels later in the month, he said. Commissioners are in favor of using the Nationals lots for resident and District employee parking.
ANC approved unanimously the Community Agreement with Whitlow’s on Water.
ANC 8F’ s next meeting is scheduled for April 16 at DDOT Headquarters at 250 M St. SE at 7 p.m. For more information, visit anc8f.org.
