Ward 1 Update | We can do both.


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Hello Neighbors:

Last week, we added one more tool to the public safety toolbox with our final vote on the Secure DC omnibus public safety bill. Secure DC will make it easier for police to make arrests and the US Attorney to prosecute and it clarifies and broadens the definition of carjacking to better reflect the severity of the offense.

While the legislation allows police to establish temporary drug-free zones, it includes provisions I and my colleagues added to protect individuals who need support, not arrest, for their substance use disorder. We can address underlying societal issues and combat criminal activity. We can do both.

In addition to voting to support the overall bill and working to ensure protection of civil liberties as we give law enforcement more tools, I introduced an amendment – which passed unanimously – to require an evaluation of witness assistance programs. This will pave the way to giving police and prosecutors a tool to close more homicide and other cases by ensuring greater safety and support for witnesses to crimes.

The study is one element of a larger bill I introduced last November – the Case Closure and Witness Support Amendment Act of 2023 – which would substantially increase rewards for witnesses who provide information leading to conviction in homicide cases and provide substantially more support to witnesses, including relocation assistance, housing expenses, childcare, and other supports.

Giving testimony in a murder case comes with significant risks and costs – a reason that so many people decline to testify, and why we need to support witnesses who come forward. Information provided by witnesses is highly valuable to law enforcement as they work to solve homicide cases, and we need to close more homicide cases.

Some people have presented the Secure DC vote as a choice between cracking down on crime and rolling back commonsense police reforms we enacted in 2020 that were similar to those in many cities across the country that did not see a crime surge in 2023. Let me be clear: last week’s vote does not represent a dichotomy between cracking down on crime and reversing police reforms. Rather, it signifies a nuanced approach aimed at empowering law enforcement while upholding fundamental rights and public safety community values.

I and others have said this many times, but it bears repeating: no one bill is going to solve this. While the passage of the Secure DC omnibus bill is an important step forward, it is but one component of a multifaceted strategy to ensure public safety. With careful consideration and collaborative efforts, we are poised to navigate this complex landscape and continue our trajectory toward a safer, more secure community.

My thoughts on public safety and current crime rate trends

COUNCIL UPDATE

FY25 Budget Priorities and Challenges

On March 20, I and fellow councilmembers will be joined by the Mayor at MLK library to be briefed on her proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2025, which begins on October 1, 2024.

Last year, we were presented with a challenging budget that included significant cuts. Working together with my fellow councilmembers, we passed a budget that restored many of those cuts and delivered a lot for District residents, including 24-hour bus service and $5 million in public safety programs across Ward 1, such as the new outreach and intervention program on 7th and T streets and more substance use disorder social workers. Read more about last year’s budget wins.

This year’s budget will almost surely be much tighter, presenting a challenge to existing and planned programs.

In my meetings with the Mayor and her team this year, I have emphasized the importance of preserving investments in trash collection, leaf collection, street sweeping, and parking enforcement, booting and towing, critical to traffic safety enforcement. I hope to see continued funding of those positions, some of which I had to fight to get back into this year’s budget.

I will also be working to continue to grow our investments in public safety across the District, and in Ward 1. As noted above, I have three public safety bills before the Council, each of which will require funding, as well. I strongly support the Mayor’s $200 million commitment to WMATA for this coming fiscal year – public transit is non-negotiable and must be frequent and reliable.

By law, the Mayor must present the Council with a balanced budget. The question on everyone’s mind is where that money will come from, as we face what could be an $800 million gap. The solution will almost certainly include a tax increase or other “revenue raiser.” Our job will be to make sure those come from the right places and are equitable.

Progressive policy, fiscal responsibility, and economic growth can be achieved all at once, as long as we have the right approach, do good work, and have some courage.

I strongly encourage you to participate in the budget process. Sign up to testify or give written testimony at the many budget oversight hearings that will be held by committees, including my own Committee on Public Works and Operations.

My thoughts on FY25 budget priorities and challenges

Bruce Monroe Project Moves Forward

After seven years in federal court, we can finally move forward with hundreds of units of affordable, beautiful, dignified housing units and a community park at the site of the former Bruce Monroe School, the original “build-first” site for the Park Morton public housing project.  

This week, I made remarks at a public hearing of the Committee on Business and Economic Development in support of legislation that will allow the District to move forward with the project.

The Bruce Monroe Disposition Extension Approval Act of 2023 will help bring hundreds of units of affordable, beautiful, dignified housing units to Ward 1, that were first envisioned years ago and approved in 2008. We will now deliver on the promise I made from the start of my term in office: to build more affordable housing in the neighborhood, and specifically for the residents of Park Morton, who were promised this project so long ago.

I will continue to work on this until we have built every one of the affordable units and senior housing units, and all of our families have a chance to return.

In addition to the permanent park on the Bruce Monroe School site – it’s not going away! And neighbors will get to weigh in on what it looks like – there will be a brand new one-acre park on the Park Morton site. And we’re beginning the process for a $15 million modernization of the Park View Recreation Center. I’m excited about the many park and recreation amenities in the works in this area of the ward.

I am working with the Department of Parks and Recreation to expand the planning process to encompass park planning on a neighborhood level, and I hope you will get involved! To stay informed about updates, please fill out the form on my website.

BRIANNE IN WARD 1

Councilmember Nadeau gestures as she speaks with a man with bicycle helmet and another person at the edge of a road with cars parked across the street.

Last week, I joined project staff from the District Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes to School program to tour the Oyster-Adams Bilingual School Meyer campus. We discussed how to improve safety for students who bike or walk to school, to encourage healthy habits while also reducing pollution and traffic congestion. I look forward to continuing to work with DDOT and D.C. Public Schools so that we can make journeys to school safe for all of our children.

Councilmember Nadeau, wearing a yellow safety vest, digs a hole for a tree to be planted. Others, including her young daughter are also helping to dig.

As spring blooms, I joined Casey Trees, D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Washington Wizards to help plant 40 trees at the Banneker Recreation Center. Casey Trees aims to restore, protect, and enhance the District’s tree canopy by planting over 6,000 trees a year across the city. And I got to do it with my daughters! Zoe took this great photo.

CALENDAR

Committee on Public Works & Operations
Monday, March 18, 1:30 pm | online
Public hearing on project labor agreements and movie open captioning

Advisory Neighborhood Commission 1D
Tuesday, March 19, 7 pm | hybrid – in person and online

Mayor-Council Breakfast
Wednesday, March 20, 9 am | in person, MLK Library

Briefing on Mayor’s Budget
Friday, March 22, 11 am | in person and online

Advisory Neighborhood Commission 1E
Wednesday, March 27, 7 pm | online

Advisory Neighborhood Commission 1B
Thursday, April 4, 6:30 pm | online

Advisory Neighborhood Commission 1A
Wednesday, April 10, 7 pm | online

Committee on Public Works & Operations
Tuesday, March 26, 12 pm | online
Budget Oversight Hearing: Mayor's Office of Community Affairs, Department of For-Hire Vehicles

Committee on Public Works & Operations
Thursday, March 28, 12 pm | online
Budget Oversight Hearing: Office of Risk Management, Office of Administrative Hearings

IN THE NEWS

DC NEWS NOW
Five Portable Free Public Bathrooms Coming to DC

“People experiencing homelessness who don’t have access to public restrooms actually end up using the street, the alley, wherever they can find,” said Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau. “And so this space will be welcoming and accommodating to anyone who needs it.”

COMMUNITY UPDATES

Healthy Homes Fair flyer with white lighting bolt graphics against dark blue background with illustration of home in the middle and red electrical outlet. Displays date of fair in large red letters and logos of sponsors.

Discover how to combat climate change while improving health at the Healthy Homes Fair on April 6

Visit the Healthy Homes Fair and explore the products, services, and incentives available to use in our homes to combat climate change, while increasing health and comfort. The fair will feature over 50 exhibitors, an appliance “petting zoo,” an e-bike testing party, a bouncy castle for the kids, food trucks, and more.

The jam-packed program will include induction cooking demonstrations, caulking workshops, and incentives calculator demos, equipping both renters and homeowners with the knowledge and tools they need to decarbonize their homes. Attendees can also participate in a scavenger hunt for a chance to win prizes, such as state-of-the-art induction cooktops, and portable plug-in versions.

Apply for HumanitiesDC grant funding

Cycle II of HumanitiesDC grant opportunities are now open. Applications are due May 1, 2024 by 5:59 pm. If you have any questions about these grants or the application process, please reach out to [email protected].

Capacity Building: a $25,000 grant to fund capacity-building projects for DC-based humanities-focused non-profits
Youth in the Humanities: a $25,000 grant to fund general operating expenses for DC-based humanities focused non-profits serving young people ages 11 to 24

More info and apply

Blue flyer with QR code and photos of students speaking to one another at college fair. Displays application criteria and scholarship benefits in white text against dark blue background.

Apply for a 2024 Abramson Scholarship

The Abramson Scholarship Foundation gives Washington, DC public high school graduates the opportunity to attend college and the tools to succeed once they get there. Scholars receive four years of funding - $2,000 in their freshman year, $3,000 in their sophomore year, $4,000 in their junior year and $5,000 in their senior year.

The deadline to apply is 11:59 PM (EST) on Monday, April 1. The Foundation’s board of directors will review applications and a select number of applicants will be invited for interviews by the end of May. Scholarship awards will be determined, and applicants will be notified by June 2024.

More info and apply