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Friend –

This week has obviously been dominated by Congress's fight over a potential government shutdown nationally and locally, and the District has once again been dragged into the federal government's dysfunction and carelessness. 

I want to thank the Ward 6 families, young people, and advocates who have been calling and showing up on the Hill, walking the halls, and sounding the alarm about the serious consequences of this senseless action. You are incredibly inspiring, and I'm so proud to call you my neighbors. And a big thanks, as well, to all the families and friends of Ward 6 residents who called their Reps and Senators from across the country – you really showed up for DC. And I want you to know that your action and advocacy changed what happened this week.

Here at home, we have been united in fighting back against what would be a devastating cut of your local tax dollars by Congress. Your Council, Mayor, and Attorney General have been working hard, planning for what comes next and how it could be mitigated or reversed. As of now, the Senate has passed a stand-alone bill to undo the damage to DC's budget in the now-approved Congressional Continuing Resolution. The White House has weighed in, now supporting the fix to what the House created. The problem, of course, is that it now needs the House to pass it as well, which is where this problem started. But the path to reverse their damaging cuts to DC is clear. We will need to be ready to continue the fight, and we will also need to continue to organize strategically to educate Congress members and Americans across the country about the District's lack of autonomy and statehood and the very real impacts of that vulnerability on taxpaying Americans.

I know these days have been incredibly heavy and hard. I've heard from so many of you who've lost your jobs or are otherwise impacted by the Trump Administration's decisions. I stand with you, and please let me know how my office can help.

This weekend, I hope you're able to take time to get outside, turn off the news and social media, and find joy with family, friends, and community. And if you're looking for a way to do good, plan to join me on April 5 for the fourth annual Great Ward 6 Spring Clean, a fun way to reconnect with neighbors. Details to RSVP are below.  

Let's dive in. 

QUICK LINKS: Great Ward 6 Spring Clean | Public Safety Update | What We Learned at the Rumsey Meeting | Video from Pennsylvania & Potomac | Progress at Randall Rec | Environmental Justice for All | Status of LIHEAP | Power Outages in Southeast | Local Biz Grant | You May Need to Move Your Car | When's the Last Day of School? | DC's New Comprehensive Plan | Mediation Help | H Street 🩵 | Recognizing DC's Bravest | Events | Come to Office Hours 

Miss the last newsletter? Read it all here.

The Great Ward 6 Spring Clean Returns April 5!

There's been a lot of HANDS OFF DC lately, but let's not forget how important it is to be hands-on. So, block off Saturday, April 5, from 10 a.m. to noon, and plan to join your neighbors for some spring cleaning across Ward 6. We had more than 300 neighbors volunteer last year at nearly 20 sites, and I hope you'll join us this time.

Please take 10 seconds to RSVP to volunteer, and email Kimberly Kennedy on our staff to host a site on your block (all you need to commit to is corralling a few neighbors!). Once we finalize the sites, you'll get a form to decide where you'll volunteer. This helps us plan for supplies and make sure we have coverage. And if you need them, our staff will be ready for you with trash bags, gloves, and grabbers at Eastern Market Metro Park the day before – April 4 – from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thanks for pitching in!

Public Safety Updates

Overall, crime numbers are trending lower than last year's, with violent crime down 27% year-to-date city-wide. This largely mirrors where we are in Ward 6, where violent crime is down 39%. These encouraging trends continue the downward push on crime we saw last year. Like many areas of our community that are seeing positive trends, I hope the damaging $1.1 billion cut won't set us back by requiring the furloughing of our first responders, including police officers and detectives, but how that plays out on a DC agency level remains to be seen.

Ward 6 Updates

• Remarkably, MPD announced the arrest of a man who unlawfully discharged a firearm in Northeast last May. At that time, the suspect had fired a handgun near 900 F St. NE and fled the scene – neither a victim nor damaged property resulted. On March 6, MPD stopped a 34-year-old man of Northwest DC for a traffic violation. He was charged with Endangerment with a Firearm and Unlawful Discharge of a Firearm, a new charge I worked to include in the Secure DC legislation the Council passed last year for exactly this kind of scenario. Good work by MPD.
  
  
• The second arrest was made from a November 2024 shooting outside of Eastern High School. This was a shooting just after school had started in the nearby neighborhood. MPD made an arrest in January and has now made a second arrest. 
  
  
• A man has been arrested and charged for twice shattering the windows at Pie Shop on H Street in recent weeks. This is good news, but it's incredibly frustrating that one of our local businesses has had to pay thousands to repair its storefront twice.
  
  
• MPD announced the arrest of one juvenile related to a series of robberies in Southwest this week. A different juvenile had already been arrested for participating in the robberies in January.
  
  
• Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger has announced he will retire this May. He has served as chief since shortly after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. I've always had a strong working relationship with Chief Manger, and I wish him all the best and thank him for his service!

Rumsey Aquatic Center First Designs Omit Second Floor. We’ve Got Work To Do.

On Wednesday, DPR hosted a community meeting to reveal “design concepts” for the modernization of Rumsey Aquatic Center. Frustratingly, and to the surprise of many people attending the meeting, the initial designs did not include a second floor. With strong support from the Eastern Market community, Capitol Hill Village, and others, I secured an additional $15 million for the project in the budget – increasing the project’s budget by 75% – specifically to take advantage of this once-in-a-generation opportunity to add a second floor and expand our vision for this important community space.

The project does face cost constraints, including limits due to historic preservation and laws requiring District government buildings be net zero. Those are legitimate and important factors, but they were also known at the time the additional funding was requested. Simply put, we can't pass up this opportunity. Adding a second floor would also relieve a lot of the space constraints around the pool on the first floor. We'll keep working on it, and I do want to emphasize that DPR repeatedly shared that we are still very early in the design process. Now is the time to push for what we know Rumsey can be. You can view all of the documents for the project here and specifically check out the presentation from Wednesday's meeting.

Read more about the meeting from Capitol Hill Corner. 

Video: Construction Underway at Penn and Potomac Ave SE

As I mentioned last time, construction has started at the Pennsylvania and Potomac intersection in Southeast. ICYMI, here's a video about timelines and what to expect.  Construction is never easy, but we're that much closer to a safer and more pleasant thoroughfare!

Things Are Looking Better at Randall Rec & Zimmerman Field!

Opening Day is right around the corner – not just for the Nats, but also for our DC State Champ Capitol Hill Little League. So now is the time for our local fields to get ready to play ball! I’ve been working with the Department of General Services and CHLL to make the repairs needed at Ryan Zimmerman Field and the Randall Rec baseball fields in Southwest Ward 6. One big issue was that the lights needed repair and adjustment around home plate to ensure safe play as practices and games take place in the early evening. Another was broken netting that had fallen onto the dugouts and wasn’t keeping the areas outside the field of play safe. I'm happy to share that I'm working with DGS leadership to complete those repairs. There’s still work to be done, but I appreciate the DGS leaders' quick response in addressing some of these issues, like the netting and helping to ensure our fields are ready for the new season!

Ward 7 Environmental Justice Town Hall Shows the Fight Continues

I'll state the obvious – among many things, I wish this federal administration made our environment and our climate a priority. But it just isn't that way, and wishing never got the air cleaner or reduced our carbon output. It takes action at every level. That's why I enjoyed talking local strategy with Ward 7 environmental justice advocates and neighbors who just want to breathe cleaner air, see less trash, and have a clean and healthy river. I was there to share some Council updates, along with my colleague Brianne Nadeau, and I had the chance to remind neighbors that now is a time to fight and also a time we stick together and focus on the good work we can continue to do in this uncertain time. Read more in the Washington Informer.

LIHEAP No Longer Accepting Applications

In an already difficult time, funding has been depleted from the FY25 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The program had to stop accepting new applications as of Friday, March 7; the Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) continues to process pending applications and take in-person appointments for applications made before March 7. To continue serving District residents, DOEE will also continue to process applications for the District’s Utility Discount Programs (UDP) and work with residents to direct them to other organizations that provide similar resources.

Pepco Fixes Problem Causing Power Outage in Southeast

In January, the area of 11th and C Streets SE experienced multiple power outages, and Pepco recently informed me that they had determined the cause. While they initially thought it might have been due to nearby construction, their investigation found that outages were caused by underground cable failures, which they could then repair. I appreciate Pepco for finding the root of the issue, fixing the problem, and keeping me informed. 

Small Biz Owners: Two Items to Help Your Bottom Line

Grant Applications for Retail Businesses Close March 31: The Department of Small and Local Business Development is accepting applications for its 2025 Robust Retail Citywide Grants through 2 p.m. on March 31. This grant is for existing DC-based retail businesses to maintain operations and viability. Get all the details here.

Don't Forget the Small Retailer Property Tax Relief Credit: A major win I secured in this year's budget is a doubling of a tax credit for most of our brick-and-mortar small, local businesses. It's now $10,000 you can get back on your taxes, and we expanded the eligibility, too. Get all the information you need here.

Street Sweeping Returns: Move Your Car (Please)

The Department of Public Works has moved into residential street sweeping this month. Take a moment to remind yourself if and when street sweeping takes place on your block – tickets will be issued starting Monday, March 17, and violators could get $45 fines and relocation, which has another $100 fee. So check those signs, and more importantly, move your car so we can get your street cleaned.

District Kicks off the First Comprehensive Plan Re-Write Since 2006

What's a "comprehensive plan"? DC 2050 is a planning document that will determine how land in the District can be used. Developing it occurs in five phases, all of which call for resident involvement. It's an important and foundational, but little known, government process, and it shapes what can be built where and more.

There will be three events for people to see the presentation and to engage with District leaders and urban planners. The first one is on March 22, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library (901 G St. NW). You can submit your thoughts here if you're ready to dive into the survey.

Have a Concern About a Business or Landlord?

The Office of the Attorney General's Mediation Program helps resolve consumer complaints without going to court. 

The OAG can help when the consumer is a DC resident or the business is located or headquartered in the District. OAG Mediation also tries to help resolve landlord/tenant disputes when the tenant is a District resident (under the District’s consumer protection statute, tenants are also consumers). Some common complaint categories include tenant building conditions, security deposit returns, social media account lockouts, contract/billing issues, and scams. If you have a complaint, you can submit it through the OAG Consumer Complaint Portal. That's a good link to save just in case, and share it with your DC friends.

ICYMI: Looking Ahead on H Street NE

A few weeks ago, an article came out that neglected to highlight all the incredible things happening along the H Street corridor, instead focusing only on the challenges. Neighbors, people who work there, others who dine there, and I knew otherwise: there's a lot to be excited about on H Street NE! From businesses we already love to new ones coming, more events, and improved public space, the future of H Street is bright. That doesn't mean we don't also need to intentionally turn challenges into opportunities, but it does mean it's a part of Ward 6 with rich history, culture, and life – and it's home to many. Catch up on my post about looking ahead on the corridor from last week.

Honoring Our First Responders

The DC and region experienced a horrible tragedy with the mid-air collision on Jan. 29 near DCA. In this week's Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments' board meeting, more than 130 responders were recognized for their extraordinary bravery and action. I wanted to make sure you also saw a thoughtful video recorded on Hains Point that remembers those lost that tragic night.

Upcoming Events

• Telephone Town Hall for the DC Federal Workforce: Tuesday, March 18, 5 to 6:30 p.m.
  Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton is hosting this town hall, where residents can dial in to 833-408-1990. It will also be live-streamed at norton.house.gov/live.
  
  
• Fix-It DC: Wednesday, March 19, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library (901 G St. NW)
  Take your broken items to this event, where volunteer coaches will guide you through repairing them. This will help create a culture of recovery and reuse while minimizing and diverting waste.
  
  
• Littles Bike Ride: Saturday, March 22, at 4 p.m. starting at Lincoln Park by the Lincoln statue
  Hill Family Biking is hosting its second one-mile ride for children ages 3 to 6 on trikes, balance bikes, training wheels, and first-pedal bikes.
  
  
• OTA Tenant Stakeholder Meeting & Open House: Tuesday, March 25, 6 to 8 p.m. at 899 North Capitol St. NE
  Join the Office of the Tenant Advocate team at its new office location, where you'll hear from Chief Tenant Advocate Johanna Shreve, and each branch of the office will provide community updates.
  
  
• Tax Filing Webinars: Tuesday, March 25, at noon, and Thursday, March 27, at noon, online
  The DC Office of Tax and Revenue is hosting a series of free, virtual webinars to ensure District residents have the information they need to file their taxes accurately and on time. The sessions will cover common tax filing mistakes, available tax credits, payment options, and more. Registration is required to attend.
  
  
• Save the Date: Bike to Work Day is Thursday, May 15!

Let's Chat in Southwest Friday

We're taking our office hours back to Good Company Doughnuts next week: We'll be at 1000 4th St. SW on Friday, March 21, from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Feel free to come by with questions or concerns or just to say hi to me and my staff.

RSVP today, and I'll see you there!

The Washington Spirit Is Back!

The Washington Spirit won its regular season opener last night! You can see them at home against Bay FC on Friday, March 28, at 8 p.m. – reply to this email, and we'll enter you in a raffle for two tickets.

See you around the neighborhood,

Charles Allen