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Friend –

Let's start with some good news: our own Washington Capitals' Alexander Ovechkin broke the NHL goal-scoring record last weekend! It's an exciting time for DC sports. Alex was drafted by the Caps in 2004, and he's been a mainstay of the franchise and the city since then. Congratulations to him and the team!

Back in Ward 6, over the months of April and May, I'll be attending every ANC meeting to provide updates from the Council. Typically, these updates are informed by the Mayor's proposed budget and a chance for me to offer a lay of the land at the Council. But with the congressional damage to DC's budget still left unresolved, that timeline to submit next year's proposed budget has been delayed, and we've yet to begin the Council's deliberations.

In the meantime, I announced a new bill protecting live entertainment fans on stage at The Anthem, have been on multiple alley walks across the Ward, and we had a great Ward 6 Spring Clean last weekend, where nearly 300 people helped pick up litter. The Spring Clean was a good reminder that we can all do this regularly (even if just for 5 minutes on our blocks). In fact, if you plan a cleanup in your neighborhood, the District will even provide supplies and pick up the trash.

There's plenty more to update you on, so let's get to it!

Miss the last newsletter? Read it all here.

Here's What to Know About the State of Our Local Budget

As I shared on Thursday, my concern only grows as the US House of Representatives has yet to act to restore $1.1 billion in local dollars they cut from DC's budget. And now, they're on recess for another two weeks. This entire process shows why DC needs to be a state with full representation in Congress. We simply aren't ever going to be a priority for Congress and will remain a punching bag for members who want to score political points. The freeze is already causing major disruptions, including the ongoing delay to the start of our FY26 budget process. The clock has been ticking, and we're close to running out of time before the House cuts to your local budget take effect, jeopardizing public safety, public schools, transit, and core city services. I was on the Hill this past Monday with dozens of families and students continuing to meet with offices to urge them to fix this before truly drastic cuts to schools, police, fire, parks, and more take place. More coverage from NBC 4 and Hill Rag.

And again, and I cannot stress this enough, none of this will reduce federal spending. It's just making it much harder to run a clean, safe city. A reminder of facts to keep handy about our budget:

Like any other state, DC’s budget is mainly funded through local tax revenue and fees. About 25% of our budget is from federal programs, primarily Medicaid and Medicare, which are in line with or lower than most US states.
The DC Council and Mayor have collaborated to pass 28 consecutive balanced budgets.
DC continues to have one of the strongest bond ratings of any municipality in the country and has fully funded its pensions.
DC is the only jurisdiction in the nation that budgets out four years on operations and six on capital projects to ensure responsible spending.

Protecting Music Fans from Price-Gouging Digital Scalpers

If you've been to a concert or a live show recently, there's a good chance you were frustrated at how expensive tickets were. That's because you're trying to buy tickets in a marketplace skewed against you by digital scalpers and resale platforms like StubHub, Vivid Seats, and Ticketmaster. These are essentially middlemen who scoop up as many tickets as they can from the venue itself, almost always using bots, and sell them at a steep markup. These middlemen aren't performing on stage or running a venue. They're just making everything a little bit worse and a lot more expensive for residents trying to enjoy DC's fantastic live entertainment scene. That's why this week, I introduced a new bill to cap the outrageous prices digital scalpers and platforms charge when reselling tickets.

My bill - the "RESALE Act" - would cap how much a ticket can be resold for, ban the sale of speculative tickets (tickets that the seller doesn't possess yet, often marketed as a "pre-sale"), and require digital scalpers to register with the city and meet specific requirements to ensure consumers are protected.

If the ticket is listed for $55, but you have to pay $355, that increased cost isn't going to the artist or the venue. And if it's that expensive to see a local show, you’re probably not going to as many shows as you’d like, and you’re less likely to pay that much to discover new music. It doesn’t have to be this way.

A big shoutout to I.M.P. and 30 local venues (!) and music industry organizations who stood with me to launch this effort, including the National Independent Venue Association, local musical artist CJ Johnson of Oh He Dead, and the Office of the Attorney General. Together, we took the stage at the Anthem to end anti-consumer practices in ticket resales, and seven of my Council colleagues supported us by co-introducing the bill.

Read more from the Washington Post, WUSA9, Washington City Paper, WUSA 9, ABC 7, Washingtonian, and Fox 5.

Council's Vote on the Open Meetings Act

In this month's Legislative Meeting, I voted against an overly broad legislative proposal to limit the District's Open Meetings Act, which will ultimately reduce transparency and trust in our government. The Open Meetings Act ensures the public can access government proceedings and that deliberations and action about important public business takes place in public settings. In essence, the emergency legislation exempted the Council from the Open Meetings Act altogether, but for a handful of situations.

I've heard from many people also disappointed in the Council's actions here. I had proposed an amendment to narrow the proposal and address the very real need to allow the Council to deliberate internally on certain confidential matters, but also remain open to the public for everything else. That amendment didn’t pass (see more in the Post). The Council will hold a hearing on a permanent version of the bill on April 22, and this is one to keep an eye on and consider testifying about. Thankfully, the changes are only in effect temporarily while the permanent version is debated.

Listen to City Cast's episode on the issue to dive in more.

Public Safety Updates

MPD Makes Significant Arrest of Possession of Synthetic Marijuana, Three Weapons – Good work by First District officers in making a large bust of an individual alleged to have 214 pounds of suspected synthetic marijuana and in possession of multiple firearms in a residence on the 1300 block of E Street SE. These are dangerous substances that do real harm. Following the arrest, this person is now facing charges related to possession with intent to distribute and possession of unregistered firearms.
Commercial Break-In: Sweet Crimes Gluten-Free Bakery on Pennsylvania Ave. SE experienced its third robbery. MPD shared at ANC 6B this week that it has increased visibility on Pennsylvania Avenue SE and Barracks Row, particularly from 1 to 5 a.m., that the investigation remains ongoing, and that they're working closely with the owners.

World Pride in DC

The Washington Post had a comprehensive story Friday about how different people and organizations are approaching World Pride, which will be taking place in DC this coming June. This comes on the heels of World Pride leaders noting that international travel for the celebration is lower than anticipated, and they may even caution against international visitors coming to DC due to the White House's anti-gay and anti-trans actions and rhetoric.

As I said to my regional colleagues in Wednesday's Council of Governments Board of Directors meeting, fear is being used as a weapon of hate, and it's shameful. World Pride should be an opportunity to demonstrate our shared values of love, friendship, and unity, especially in a time when so many feel hopeless. For all those from the LGBTQ+ community here, across the country, and abroad coming to World Pride, DC welcomes you, and I can't wait to celebrate with you.

Safer Commuting for Education Hill

Last month, I met with residents and school leaders from Wards 5, 6, and 7 to discuss commuting concerns around 26th Street and Benning Road NE. They shared their experiences of unsafe driving, double parking, and the lack of adequate sidewalks in this area known as Education Hill, where we walked with Councilmembers Parker and Felder and representatives from DDOT, DGS, DCPS, and the charter school board. I'm also glad we had parents from the three schools nearby: JO Wilson's swing space, Browne, and Two Rivers.

This summer, expect to see upgrades as DDOT develops a plan to enhance safety in the area to make driving, biking, and walking safer for everyone.

Young People Demand a Voice in Climate Policy

Last week, the Committee on Transportation and the Environment held a hearing on two bills:

Youth Advisory Council on Climate Change and Environmental Conservation Establishment Act of 2025
The bulk of the witnesses testifying were young people sharing their feedback on how to create a 17-member council to provide a youth perspective on climate issues. I was especially excited to hear from Ward 6 student and neighbor Elsa Boehm. Great job, Elsa!
Solar Shade Expansion Amendment Act of 2025
We also discussed my bill to designate 20 sites around the city that could benefit from the installation of solar panels to provide shade and generate clean energy. On the hottest days, our playgrounds and parks without tree cover are unusable due to heat and direct sun exposure. I was, I will admit, underwhelmed with the response from DGS, which suggested we should just continue planting more trees as a way to provide shade. I don't disagree that I want more mature trees casting shade on a hot day over our parks, but I want that shade sooner than 10-15 years from now. We can, and must, do both.

Sign My Petition to DPR! Rumsey Pool Needs a Second Story

Rumsey Aquatic Center is a beloved community asset in the heart of Capitol Hill. It's also one of the most heavily used Department of Parks and Recreation facilities in the District, and it's sorely in need of modernization.

In last year's city budget, I secured an additional $15 million to add a second floor in the $36 million modernization project. While respecting that Rumsey's core function must remain an aquatic center, the second floor is a major community priority, adding space for seniors and other programming while opening up more space on the ground floor level to deliver the community's top priority of more water for aquatic uses. A second floor is critical to ensure that there will be more pool space to protect and expand what Rumsey offers – from water aerobics, to lap swimming, to swim teams, and more. However, when DPR unveiled its initial design concepts to the community last month, none of the three proposed designs included a second floor. That's a major problem, and it has to change.

In response to community pushback against a limited vision for this once-in-a-generation project, DPR will soon be coming back to the community with revised designs. I'm sending a letter to DPR urging them to ensure the funded second floor is reflected in those designs, and we need to show the community's strong support.

Sign on to my letter for Rumsey

Need Help with Rats?

Last week, I joined neighbors between 11th, 12th, I, and G Streets, SE, for an alley walk, where it looked at first blush like every trash and recycling can in the Ward had rolled on over for its last rites. We saw numerous bins piled up at one end, riddled with holes and attracting critters for a buffet of trash and food waste. DC Health's excellent rodent control team joined the walk, and they equipped neighbors with the petition for the Rodent and Vector Control Division staff to bait private properties for rats. As a reminder, we all need to corral food waste in our bins, or better yet, compost food scraps responsibly so vermin can't get to them. And remember that neighborly behavior like taking your bin back to your house after pickup goes a long way to keeping DC clean and rat-free – and keeps you from getting a violation from DC Health and side-eye from your neighbor!

Calling on DDOT to Address Alleyway Safety

After several community walks with neighbors across SE Ward 6, I sent a letter to DDOT this week calling on the agency to address safety issues in three alleyways: Gessford Court, the alley between 11th, 12th, G, and I Streets (see above), and Watkins Alley. Neighbors in and around each alley are concerned about dangerous speeding and lack of visibility, and given that some of these alleys are quite wide, they end up functioning like de facto uncontrolled intersections. A few years ago, my team and I worked with DDOT to address similar safety concerns in an alleyway connecting H and G Streets, NE. The result was installing speed bumps that made a significant improvement in slowing vehicle speeds and making it safer for pedestrians. I hope to see DDOT come back with similar recommendations here.

Four-Way Stop Coming to 5th and Independence SE

After years of work, we're getting much closer to a safer intersection at 5th and Independence SE. I shared in an earlier newsletter that DDOT was making the change to a four-way stop this spring, and they've now issued a notice of intent to convert the two-way stop to all-way. New stop signs and a new stop bar will be installed on Independence, and all drivers approaching the intersection will have to stop before proceeding. This will establish a clear route when crossing the intersection, improving visibility and addressing conflicting movements.

Have comments about this for DDOT? Email [email protected] by May 14.

Almost Time to Play at Sherwood

The Department of General Services has been resurfacing the basketball and tennis courts at Sherwood Recreation Center, and they expect to be finished by Friday, April 25, without any weather-related delays. While many of us would've liked this work to be done yesterday – at one point we thought it would be done mid-January – I'm glad it's looking like it'll be wrapped up in time for people to enjoy outdoor sports in the warmer weather.

Garfield Park Is Almost Ready!

I got some more good news from the Department of Parks and Recreation this week: we're in the homestretch of the Garfield Park capital project!

As of right now, DPR believes they'll reach completion by the end of April. For those who have asked about the tennis courts: the new surface was installed and has been undergoing a necessary curing period. The final step is to paint the courts, which requires consistent temperatures in the 40s and 50s (another reason to welcome spring). There's a brief curing period after that.

Years ago, I funded this project, including playground improvements, and it's great to see it finally become a reality. I'll be sure to share the news as soon as DPR has an official reopening date for the park.

NPS Closing Lincoln Park Grassy Area, Again

Here we go again: The National Park Service has announced it will close the central "turf" area within Lincoln Park to try to re-grow the grass. This is, at this point, what feels like a Sisyphean effort, but as it's NPS's decision, note that the grassy area will be closed from April 21 through July 7.

Water Service Alert for Apartment Building Residents

The Office of the People's Counsel (OPC) has learned that DC Water has begun sending disconnection notices to tenants in apartment buildings where property owners have failed to pay water bills. If you've received one of these notices through no fault of your own, it's important to act immediately.

OPC is working with the Office of the Attorney General, the Office of the Tenant Advocate, and DC Water to avoid these disconnections and protect tenants from losing water service because a landlord hasn't paid the bill. If you receive a water disconnection notice, call OPC at 202-727-3071 and have a copy of your notice ready.

New Organization Providing Animal Control in DC

As of January, the Brandywine Valley SPCA has taken over most of the District's animal control, care, field, medical, and stray services and adoptions. I met with their leadership team this week to hear how their first few months have gone and how they're building out their programs for DC. The organization has a 94% release rate and has placed 20,000 pets with homes this year. Learn more.

Modified Government Services for DC Emancipation Day

On Wednesday, April 16, the District Government will observe DC Emancipation Day. While some services will be affected, many District employees will continue serving to maintain essential District operations.

All low-barrier shelters for people experiencing homelessness are open year-round.
The Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) outdoor parks, playgrounds, athletic courts, and fields will be open. All previously permitted events on these outdoor spaces will take place as scheduled.
DPR recreation centers, community centers, and indoor aquatic centers will be closed Wednesday.
DC Public Library will open the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Select locations will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., including Southwest Library (900 Wesley Place SW).
The Department of Public Works will not collect household trash and recycling on Wednesday. Collections will happen as usual through Tuesday, April 15, and then beginning Wednesday, trash and recycling collections will “slide” for the remainder of the week into Saturday.
The District Department of Transportation will suspend construction and work zones for non-emergency work in roadways, alleys, and sidewalks within the District’s right of way. This includes manhole access and construction-related deliveries. Approved construction activities may resume Thursday, April 17, during permitted work hours.
All parking enforcement will be suspended on Wednesday except for Streetcar ticketing and towing. Parking enforcement will resume on Thursday, April 17.  
DC Public Schools will be closed for spring break Monday through Friday.
All Department of Motor Vehicles locations will be closed Wednesday.

Composting Works to Reduce Waste

If you hadn't heard, it's Food Waste Prevention Week! Zero Waste DC shared that an estimated 13.8% of DC's trash is food waste – that's food that could be going to compost but is instead falling to landfills and releasing methane, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. But we can avoid this, for the sake of the environment, rodent control, and our own wallets. Here are a few tips from Zero Waste DC:

Consume what you have by trying a new recipe.
Freeze ingredients or whole leftover meals.
Try dehydrating, pickling, or canning (one of my staff members frequently uses her electric canner for this!)
If you don't have a use for food that's still good, share it with friends and/or neighbors.
If you have packaged food that's still good, consider donating it to an organization.

Already have food that's past its prime? Composting is pretty easy in DC now, thanks to new bins popping up around the District: Learn more in my recent video!

Welcoming a New ANC Commissioner

Last week, I had the honor of swearing in Sam Alhadeff to his new role as ANC Commissioner for Single-Member District 6E01, where he represents neighbors living along 4th Street NW in Mt. Vernon Triangle. Thank you for your service, and I look forward to working together! Kudos, as always, to all these exceptional (and unpaid) public servants.

Plenty of New Businesses Open in Ward 6

It's always a great day when we can welcome new local businesses to our neighborhoods. Earlier this week, I toured Empire Racquet on Barracks Row, just one of several businesses to open recently in the Ward. Local businesses are a key part of what makes our neighborhoods special. Glad to have some new spots to enjoy, including:

Dolcezza (600 H St. NE)
Empire Racquet (419 8th St. SE – pictured)
Rail Records and Books (inside Union Station, 50 Massachusetts Ave. NE)
Whitlow's at the Wharf (949 Wharf St. SW)
Tango Pastry (408 H St. NE – opens this Sunday!)
Lost Sock Roasters (1100 4th St. NE – opening a permanent home in NoMa this summer)

Upcoming Events

Taxpayer Support – Saturday, April 12, 8 a.m. to noon by phone
The DC Office of Tax and Revenue will have a special customer call center this morning to support taxpayers before the filing deadline. A representative can be reached at 202-727-4829.
Emancipation Day Celebration – Sunday, April 13, 2 to 9 p.m. (1455 Pennsylvania Ave. NW)
The District celebrates the 20th anniversary of the declaration of Emancipation Day as a District holiday this year! Sunday will include a parade, festival, concert, and fireworks.
Small Business Summit & Expo – Tuesday, April 15, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Water E. Washington Convention Center (801 Allen Y. Lew Place NW)
This annual event by the DC Chamber of Commerce brings together entrepreneurs, industry experts, and local leaders to discuss challenges and opportunities for small businesses, providing actionable insights and strategies for growth. Register.
MetroLive! Busking at the Metro – Tuesday, April 15, 4:45 to 5:45 p.m. at L’Enfant Plaza (7th Street & Maryland Ave. SW)
The Southwest BID and WMATA bring live music and performances to L’Enfant Plaza Metro Station. April 15, join the fun with Washington Conservatory of Music, a nationally accredited, nonprofit community music school serving children, teens, and adults in the DMV. This 60-minute busking event will transform the Metro Station into a stage for emerging local artists, filling the space with music, creativity, and joy for commuters at entrance A in L’Enfant Plaza.
Day of Play at RFK – Wednesday, April 16, noon to 4 p.m. at the Fields at RFK (401 Oklahoma Ave. NE)
Events DC hosts this Day of Play for DC residents to have some playtime outdoors during spring break. This is a free, community-based event with competitive field games, music, food trucks, and fun activities for all ages. Registration is required, and all youth must be accompanied by an adult older than 18.
Household Hazardous Waste, E-cycling, & Document Shredding – Saturday, April 19, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at RFK Parking Lot 3 (2400 E. Capitol St. NE)
Safely recycle or dispose of household hazardous waste, electronics, and securely shred documents at this twice-quarterly event by Zero Waste DC.
Welcome Home Expo – Wednesday, April 23, 10 a.m. at Stadium Armory, Drill Floor (2001 East Capitol St. SE)
As part of Second Chance Month, the Mayor’s Office on Returning Citizen Affairs is hosting this resource fair for returning citizens, including job training providers, treatment programs, housing resources, legal assistance, employers looking to hire, and more. Panel discussion topics will include parole and probation, family reunification, and child support. Register.
Hill Family Biking's Second Birthday – Saturday, April 26, 4 to 6:30 p.m. starting at 12th and K Streets NE
Join Hill Family Biking for their second birthday with a ride to celebrate the new protected bike lanes on Florida Avenue NE and honor Dave Salovesh, a DC bike advocate and my friend who passed away six years ago after being struck by a driver on Florida Ave. The ride starts at 12th and K Streets NE and ends at Lincoln Park with free pizza, cupcakes, face painting, Nolan the Magician, and more.

What's on Your Calendar for May 24?

Just for making your way to the end of this newsletter, you scored the chance to get tickets to see DC United play the New York Red Bulls Saturday, May 24 – just reply to this email!

See you around the neighborhood,

Charles Allen

Councilmember Charles Allen · 1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Suite 110, Washington, DC 20004, United States
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