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MAYOR BOWSER RESPONDS TO COUNCILMEMBER WHITE'S OPEN LETTER
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This week, the Council did not hold a legislative meeting but several committees did hold roundtables and hearings. On Tuesday, October 17, the Committee of the Whole held a hearing which included several notable nomination resolutions: Arington Dixon to the Office of Employee Appeals, Peter Winkler to the Public Employee Relations Board, and Dr. Ayanna Bennet as the Director of the Department of Health. The Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting is the first opportunity for the entire Council to vote on measures that have been marked up by the Council’s standing committees, and the COW vote precedes the final voting at official legislative meetings. Often, the COW meeting is the first opportunity for members and the public to hear debate by the entire Council on a legislative proposal.
On Wednesday, October 18, the Committee of the Whole held another hearing on legislation confirming several officials at the Department of Buildings: Keith Parson is nominated to be the strategic enforcement administrator, Kathleen Beeton is nominated to be the zoning administrator, Nicole Rogers is nominated to be the chief building official, and Brian J. Hanlon is nominated to assume the directorship of the agency. The Department of Buildings is responsible for regulating construction activities in the District, which includes permitting, inspecting, and enforcement of laws relating to construction.
On Thursday, October 19, the Committee on Executive Administration and Labor will hold a public roundtable on the District’s job training programs. Job training programs are part of the Department of Employment Services (DOES) administration, and a critical part of any plan to improve economic opportunities for residents. To sign up for this hearing, please fill out the form here. Even if you cannot testify at the October 17TH hearing, the record for the hearing will remain open until November 6th, and testimony can be submitted until then. If you or anyone you know has an experience with the District’s job program, please consider testifying. The next legislative meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 7, at 12 p.m.
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Wednesday, October 18, 2023 | 11:00 am
PR25-0281 - Director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services Sam Abed Confirmation Resolution of 2023
PR25-0421 - Director of the Department of Parks and Recreation Thennie Freeman Confirmation Resolution of 2023
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The Committee on Recreation, Libraries, and Youth Affairs held two confirmation hearings for Director Sam Abed of DYRS and Director Thennie Freeman at DPR. These hearings had several public witnesses and were attended by Councilmembers Lewis-George, Henderson, Frumin and Parker.
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Councilmember White hosts an Atonement Panel at the DC Jail.
October 17, 2023
Councilmember Trayon White hosted an “Atonement Panel” with some of the young men in the Young Men Emerging Unit (YME) at the DC jail. Edward Ford and Antone White joined as panelists and spoke about their story and road to reconciliation. The full taping of the conversation is coming soon.
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Councilmember White joins Van Ness Elementary School for its festival.
October 15, 2023
Councilmember Trayon White joined Van Ness Elementary School for its Annual Fall Festival. It was an afternoon of face painting, games, prizes, and appearances from the National's mascot, Screech, DC United's mascot, Talon and Howard University's Softball team.
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Councilmember Trayon White's Constituents Service staff organizes a public safety walk with Councilmember Brooke Pinto, local business owners, ANCs, residents, and more.
October 18, 2023
Councilmember Trayon White's constituents services team organized a public safety walk with dozens of community organizations, local business owners, ANC commissioners, violence interrupters, and government officials.
The group assembled at 16th & Good Hope Road SE and continued down Good Hope Road towards Martin Luther King, Jr.
Unfortunately, Councilmember White was unable to attend as he was holding public hearings for the Committee on Recreation, Libraries and Youth Affairs.
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The online portal to apply for ERAP was unavailable for multiple periods of time after it opened, including on Oct. 4 and 5. On Oct. 6, the site began displaying a graphic saying it was under maintenance. That same day, Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White issued an open letter to Mayor Muriel Bowser, saying some residents had been having difficulty with the portal since it opened on Oct. 1. In the letter, he called on Bowser to ensure the system was back up and running.
Click to read the full article here.
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