June 26, 2020

Ward 3 Update: Committee Budgets Advance

Dear Neighbors,

Committee markups concluded this week, and the Council's budget work
session will be held on Monday, June 29th. For those who unfamiliar with
the District's [1]budgetary process, it begins when the Mayor releases her
draft budget to the Council for individual committee evaluation. The
committees then hold hearings on agency and programmatic funding priorities
and will often make changes to the original budget as proposed. This
evaluation process provides Councilmembers with the opportunity to restore
funding to vital programs as well as fund legislation and new community
projects. All budgets must be balanced, and Councilmemebrs will advance
their committee budgets to the full Council through the markup process. The
Council, led by Chairman Mendelson, will soon host a budget work session to
consider the budget in its entirety before it advances to the Committee of
the Whole for the first of two votes by the entire body (scheduled for
[2]July 7th).

Below are some budget highlights, links to the full reports, and my initial
analysis from the committees I'm assigned to: the Committee on
Transportation & the Environment (which I Chair), the Committee on the
Judiciary & Public Safety, the Committee on Health, the Committee on
Business & Economic Development, and the Committee on Facilities &
Procurement. These committee budgets may be modified between now and the
final budget vote, and more details may be provided in future updates.

Regards,

Mary

Please see [3]coronavirus.dc.gov for the latest District updates &
resources on COVID-19

If you know someone who would like to receive these updates directly, he or
she may sign up through [4]marycheh.com or by
emailing [5][email protected]

Committee on Transportation & the Environment

Budget Report Analysis - This report reflects my Committee’s commitment to
ensuring that the District reaches its goals of providing safe, reliable,
and equitable transportation options; that we create and maintain
high-quality infrastructure; that we invest in sustainability and protect
the environment; that the health and well-being of residents is protected;
that there are strong investments in public health and education; and that
we support economic development and our small business community. Important
developments for Ward 3 include funding to establish a new Main Streets
program and new Small Area Plan for the Chevy Chase neighborhood.

Link to the Full Committee Report - [6]Transportation & the Environment

Report Highlights -
* Funds the Transportation Benefits Equity Amendment Act, which ensures
that employees who walk, bike, or take transit to work receive an equal
incentive as those who drive
* Commits over $30,000,000 to the 11th Street Bridge Park project to
transform the aged, unused span of the 11th Street Bridge into a signature,
elevated park in the District
* Maintains $17,849,000 for the Bus Priority and Efficiency Initiative.
This initiative supports improvements such as painted bus lanes and bus
lane enforcement, prioritizing bus travel, and improving accessibility
* Provides $539,000 to fund the preliminary design study for the Arizona
Avenue connection to the Capital Crescent Trail
* $283,000 for Environmental Literacy grants to support organizations
that provide environmental education programs to District elementary
schools
* Fully funds the Urban Farming Land Lease Amendment Act that allows the
Office of Urban Agriculture to issue grants to urban farmers in the
District for infrastructure and operating support, and to perform soil
testing
* Restores funds for school breakfast reimbursements and increases
subsidies to improve the quality of and access to school meals
* Restores $844,400 to the Healthy Tots program, which subsidizes healthy
meals served at District childcare facilities
* Increases access to the federal Supplemental Nutrition program for
Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) through outreach activities
* Provides $1,920,000 over four years to permanently increase the Healthy
Schools Act Fund and $440,000 to support the Healthy Schools Act wellness
grants
* Reinstates funding to the District's wildlife rehabilitation services
grant (this funding currently supports the work done by City Wildlife)
* $215,000 for senior financial intervention services for adults 60 years
and older with memory loss and other cognitive impairments
* Provides $200,000 for senior center programming (with a focus on
serving seniors who speak a language other than English)

Committee on the Judiciary & Public Safety

Brief Analysis - The time has come for a fundamental reimagining of
policing and public safety in the District of Columbia and our country. For
weeks, ordinary citizens from every state and across the world have marched
in the streets—largely peacefully—using their collective voice to call
for change. And we are at the start of a change that is appropriate and
desperately needed. We know that there are too many people in prisons, that
we criminalize too much, and that we rely on police officers to do too
much, and this leads me to the conclusion that responsible reinvestment is
not just appropriate, but necessary.

Many will be disappointed that the Judiciary Committee's budget did not
make more [7]fundamental changes to MPD. But it is important to remember
that this is not the end of the conversation. In fact, it is just the
beginning. Just as we cannot dismantle racist systems by passing one bill,
we’re not going to be able to reimagine public safety in the District with
one budget or within one agency. This budget makes vital reinvestments in
violence interruption and restorative justice, and continues the work that
the Council has already begun in addressing systemic racism and the legacy
of slavery in our public safety agencies and our criminal justice system.
And this is all part of a continuing effort to move to a point of true
equity, fairness, and safety in our community. It is a first and
responsible step.

Link to the Full Committee Report - [8]Judiciary & Public Safety

Budget Report Highlights -
* Creates a new Gun Violence Prevention Director position to spearhead
the District’s inter-agency strategy for preventing gun violence
* Restores all $675,000 in cuts to violence prevention and intervention
contracts at the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE)
* Creates a new program at ONSE – the Restorative Justice Collaborative
– to coordinate and foster restorative justice programming and practices
within the District government in partnership with District community-based
organizations, with a focus on the 18-to-35-year old population
* Makes the Criminal Code Reform Commission – which had been funded to
sunset halfway through FY21 – permanent, thereby ensuring an independent
agency will pursue criminal code reform and best practices in criminal law
* Restores funding for the Office on Returning Citizen Affairs’
successful Paralegal Training Program
* Increases staff at the Office on Human Rights to support hate crimes
education and coordination
* Restores $1.9 million in net cuts to the victim services program at the
Office of Victim Services & Justice Grants and adds an additional $3.4
million enhancement, for a total of $27.5 million for victim services
grants
* $3 million funding for a new domestic violence shelter
* $500,000 for a new wrap-around workforce development program for
transgender, non-binary, and gender-nonconforming District residents
* Invests $86 million over 6 years to support the Department of Fire and
Emergency Service’s apparatus needs, including $13.5 million to purchase
new ladder trucks and $23 million to purchase new ambulances
* Restores the proposed reduction of Maternal Mortality Review Committee
staff at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to improve maternal
health outcomes
* Increases staffing at the Board of Elections to implement Councilmember
Cheh's paid leave to vote legislation

Committee on Health

Budget Report Analysis - The agencies under this Committee's oversight are
vital to the health and well-being of our residents, particularly our most
vulnerable: children, seniors, those who are financially unstable or
homeless, or those living with chronic health conditions. And, amidst a
global pandemic, the funding of our public health agencies becomes that
much more important. This was a particularly difficult budget process for
the Mayor and the Council. The Mayor had to account for over $700
million in lost revenue due to the economic disruptions caused by the
coronavirus pandemic. And the Committee faced a difficult challenge in
providing sufficient moneys for many needs but also accounting for
substantial cuts to major agencies. I do believe, however, that
this Committee has put forth a number of good investments and proposals,
some of which are listed below.

Link to the Full Committee Report - [9]Health

Report Highlights -
* The budget preserves funding for critical healthy food access programs,
including Produce Rx, Produce Plus, the Healthy Corner Stores Partnership
Program, and Joyful Food Markets
* The Committee proposed to move Produce Rx from DC Health to the
Department of Healthcare Finance (DHCF). Produce Rx is a “food as
medicine” program that enables doctors to prescribe fresh fruit and
vegetables to patients experiencing diet-related chronic illnesses. By
moving the Produce Rx Program to DHCF, we will be better able to integrate
access to healthy food with public health management and healthcare
delivery for our residents. This cutting-edge program, supported and
nurtured by DC Health, will continue to be a strong asset to the District
inside of DHCF, supporting their efforts to integrate social
determinants of health into primary care for Medicaid patients
* Preserves funding to the Women, Infants, and Children Amendment Act of
2018 to expand access to WIC as well as accepted a transfer from my
committee of $75,000 in one-time funds to support the development of a
strategic WIC Outreach Plan

Committee on Business & Economic Development

Budget Report Analysis - During this public health crisis, which has also
become an economic crisis, it is key that the District continue to make
investments that support our small and local business community and help
them dig out from the economic collapse wrought by COVID-19. I was pleased
by the work the Committee did on its agency budgets and am particularly
supportive of the Committee's steadfast commitment to racial equity, led by
Councilmember McDuffie, that you will see reflected in their report.

Link to the Full Committee Report - [10]Business & Economic Development

Report Highlights -
* The inclusion of a Budget Support Act (BSA) Subtitle to advance the
“Racial Equity Achieves Results Amendment Act,” as well as the necessary
funding for implementation
* Expansion of the Department of Small and Local Business Development's
authority to issue loans and grants for business operations disrupted by
District infrastructure projects
* Investing in two new Clean Teams (Clean Teams provide a number of
services, including cleaning up litter, recycling, graffiti removal,
landscaping, and other neighborhood improvements while providing jobs to
District residents at a living wage, often to those who otherwise have
difficulty in finding employment)
* The creation of an Equity Impact Fund, which is dedicated to providing
funding to small, local minority and women-owned businesses that lack
access to conventional commercial lending and financing options
* Improving the BSA Subtitle named the “Tax Abatements for Affordable
Housing in High-Need Areas,” by removing the 350 unit project size minimum,
so that smaller developers may be included

Committe on Facilities & Procurement

Budget Report Analysis - The agencies under this Committee’s jurisdiction
include the Department of General Services (DGS), which I oversaw for a
number of years. The services provided by DGS are integral to the
successful operation of our schools, parks, and District-owned facilities
across the District. I was very pleased to see the increased investments in
the Committee budget for the important services that DGS, as well as our
Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, the Office on Returning Citizens, and
more, provide. There were also some very creative and generous investments
in our LGBT+ community that I'm very happy to support.

Link to the Full Committee Report - [11]Facilities & Procurement

Report Highlights -
* Subsidizes the employment of returning citizens through a new program
at the Office on Returning Citizens Affairs that connects returning
citizens and interested employers who can offer a long-term career
* Continues housing support with 20 housing vouchers for returning
citizens
* Creates a new funding source to support Advisory Neighborhood
Commissions with audio-visual technology, printing, website support, and
remote meetings as well as adding a Technical Support Director to offer
enhanced assistance to Commissioners
* Allocates $100,000 for community dining supports for LGBT+ seniors to
combat social isolation
* Expands violence prevention efforts with $200,000 for the Cure the
Streets Initiative at the Office of the Attorney General
* Proposing an amendment to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit
Authority Compact to establish an Independent Police Complaints Board to
ensure police accountability
* Provides an additional $100,000 for outreach to the homeless to connect
those in need with support services
* Retrofits District government buildings to reduce energy usage with an
additional $1,400,000 investment
* Increases funding for lead abatement by $2,000,000 to address the
sources of lead recently identified at parks and playgrounds across the
District
* Accelerates $1,141,000 in the capital budget for Eastern Market to
improve the operations, safety, and appearance of the Eastern Market
building

Our Office is Open!

Connect with our staff - While Councilmember Cheh's physical office is
closed during the public health emergency, she and her staff are
teleworking and will remain accessible for residents.

You may continue to [12]email the office directly or reach us via phone
through our main line at (202) 724-8062 with legislative ideas, budget
requests, and constituent services requests.

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Mary Cheh
Mary Cheh Ward 3
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NWSuite 108
Washington, DC 20004
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