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Friend --
I think this is the week when everyone really started to feel like
the end might be in sight. The cherry blossoms in full bloom, Opening
Day(-ish) for the Nats, and some 70 degree days... and I'm here to be
the wet blanket and remind you we aren't out of the woods yet with
this pandemic. With the combination of warm weather and having spent
an entire year living with pandemic restrictions, I know we all so
badly want to get back to life as we know it.
But everything from in-person learning to meeting friends for
dinner at a favorite restaurant to simply getting back to work depends
on getting people vaccinated and suffocating
new variants of the virus. We are going to need to wear masks
still and be smart about gathering near others. And I know more and
more people want to know why other areas are expanding access to
vaccines while DC has remained the same. I'm going to provide an
update on the city's response and try to answer some questions, and
then I'll share more updates from around the ward.
But first I want to pause and mourn the tragic incident at the US
Capitol just yesterday where a man rammed a car into two US Capitol
Police officers at a checkpoint. I’m heartbroken that U.S.
Capitol Police Officer William “Billy” Evans died protecting the
Capitol. We don’t yet know much about the incident, but we do know an
officer who reported for duty won’t be coming home. That is a terrible
tragedy, and I offer my deepest condolences to his family and loved
ones. Another officer remains in critical condition as of writing
this, and I am sending my best wishes for a full recovery. Today is
painful and traumatic for every member of the U.S. Capitol Police and
the staff and members of Congress they protect. Your Ward 6 neighbors
surround you with support.
Quick Links: COVID-19 Update | Hill East Seniors Vaccinated | Internet for All | Construction Protection | New Police Chief | Police
Reform | Hateful Symbol Investigation
| New Laws | New SW
Library | Recycling | Farmers Markets |Heritage Trees
Loss
COVID-19 Vaccine Update
 Let's start with some updates on DC's vaccination
efforts. First, who is eligible? Quite a few people:
- Any DC resident 65 and older;
- Any DC residents 16 and older with a qualifying medical
condition;
- Anyone part of an eligible workforce (recently expanded, click the
image to the right to view).
All DC residents, whether you are currently eligible or not, are
encouraged to pre-register on the District's portal: https://coronavirus.dc.gov/vaccinatedc
**Important: If you've pre-registered with DC for
a COVID-19 vaccine, but you've already been able to get vaccinated,
please contact the Call Center at 1-855-363-0333 or email
[email protected] and let them know you can be removed from the
waitlist. This is very important to help make the system reach the
folks still waiting faster. Otherwise, when it is your turn, the
system will still offer you an appointment.
Understanding DC's Vaccination Data
This is probably the biggest source of confusion or concern I'm
hearing from constituents right now. There's a lot of confusion about
how to interpret DC's numbers in comparison to other states -- both to
evaluate how well DC is doing and help people predict when they might
become eligible. It's only more urgent as other states are starting to
expand eligibility. It is something the Council has asked about for
several weeks during our weekly oversight calls with DC Health and the
Mayor's leadership team. Let me walk through a few different questions
and try to give you some answers.
Q: How well is DC administering its vaccine?
 The first question is usually a variation about
how effectively DC is moving its supply of vaccines from the CDC to
putting shots into the arms of residents. As of Monday, after weeks of
fielding questions, DC is finally
reporting publicly more precise data (select 'Supply' within that
link to see what I'm referring to here). DC Health has administered
85.3 percent of the supply of nearly 329,000 doses it has directly in
it's control - a pretty effective rate compared nationally. A separate
allotment of nearly 56,000 doses has been allocated much more poorly,
with only around 21 percent of their supply administered -- through
pharmacies and community health clinics that have a partnership with
the federal government and work somewhat independently of DC Health.
This
Washington Post article raises serious concerns about DC Health's
communications with these pharmacies and how we're coordinating to get
patients to the vaccines. I'll be pressing to find out more what's
going on with these pharmacies.
Finally, in data reported by the CDC (and used in most national
news outlets trackers), the CDC does not break out vaccines sent to
federal agencies within DC from the supply it sends to DC Health. The
District of Columbia doesn't have any control over this federal supply
of vaccines or their administration (which includes, for some reason,
the Pentagon). Keep this in mind when browsing a national news site
tracking vaccine administration. If they are pulling their data from
the CDC to compare states, it isn't separating those doses that DC
does not have any control over and it makes it look like DC has been
given way more vaccine than it actually has.
Q: How many DC residents are getting vaccinated?
This one is a little more straightforward. To this point, roughly
40 percent of DC's total vaccinations (again, not including federal
allotments) have gone to people who live outside of the District,
largely because early on the priority was on health care workers,
first responders, teachers, and other employees essential to the
critical infrastructure of the District's operations regardless of
where they lived. For example, about 75% of police officers and fire
fighters live outside of DC, but we need them vaccinated. That has led
to DC having a lower rate of vaccination for our residents compared to
most states - in other big cities, if someone lives in the suburbs of
the city, they're still in that state. Now, roughly 90 percent of
weekly vaccinations are supposed to be reserved for DC residents in
different eligible categories, so I expect we will see that
vaccination rate improve. DC Health officials have twice asked for
additional vaccines, given the large amount that needed to go to
out-of-state employees, but have had both requests turned down by the
federal government.
Q: I have younger, healthy friends/ family in other states
getting the vaccine. When will DC open it up to everyone?
As production of three different vaccines has ramped up, it's
likely everyone will be eligible by May - just a little more than one
month away. I can't speak to other states' approaches, there's simply
too many variables. I will say between the three categories of
eligibility above, a lot of DC residents are currently eligible. We've
seen here locally that demand for the vaccine is very high, while in
other states there might be less demand at this point (and they may
have gotten more vaccine than we did proportionally). This is all, of
course, frustrating to see. Opening up more eligibility doesn't mean
there's enough vaccine to match. As a reminder, Council oversight is
where significant improvements to DC Health's approach have come from
-- particularly creating priorities to try to address racial
inequities in vaccine access, and transitioning from an awful mass
release appointment system to the much improved waitlist system. We
are on weekly calls asking questions and asking for better
answers.
I realize we're all ready to get vaccinated and get back to some
semblance of a normal life. Stay patient, we're getting there as fast
as we can. As you'll see below, the I've been working in partnership
with DC Health to get vaccines to Ward 6 neighbors who aren't nearly
as plugged in and able to understand how they can get a vaccine --
that has included vaccine clinics onsite at several public housing
complexes in Ward 6, and just last week, a clinic in Hill East.
Getting Hill East Seniors Vaccinated
 Last Friday, my office helped organize a vaccine
clinic targeting hard-to-reach seniors and other vulnerable neighbors
living in Hill East. We did this in partnership with Howard University
College of Medicine, Mt. Moriah Baptist Church and several community
groups working on the ground including Capitol Hill Village, Ward 6
Mutual Aid, Hill Havurah, and ANC representatives Allison Horn (6B09),
Sandra Phillips-Gilbert (6A07), and Brian Alcorn (6A08). This clinic
came out of conversations that began with DC Health two weeks ago
around a big disparity in vaccinations within zip code 20003, which
stretches from Hill East near RFK all the way to Eastern Market.
That's a big area and within that space we were seeing a major
disparity in vaccinations between white and black seniors. After
talking through it with DC Health, the zip code was added as a
priority zip code (because there isn't a more precise tool yet) and we
started working with Howard University on a planned, targeted clinic
for seniors and eligible residents in the neighborhood. Mt. Moriah
Baptist Church was quick to agree to host.
 Because this is a group who are generally not as
online or plugged in, we did not advertise the registration on social
media or listservs. Instead, my staff and volunteers with several
groups went door-to-door in the neighborhood and in senior apartment
buildings to sign people up for appointments. In just two days, we
registered 170 seniors or otherwise eligible neighbors, mostly in the
eastern end of Ward 6 where vaccination rates are some of the lowest
in the city and made travel arrangements for many of them with Capitol
Hill Village's assistance. On
Friday, we were able to give those folks a dose of the Johnson &
Johnson vaccine to help protect them from COVID-19!
It was so gratifying to meet so many
seniors who wanted to get vaccinated, but had no idea how to do it and
were nervous to even leave their home to find out. While I am working
to ensure every Ward 6 resident to be vaccinated as soon as possible,
I also don't want it to happen at the expense of our seniors and
vulnerable neighbors who aren't able to keep up with a confusing and
fast-moving vaccine rollout. And with what I saw on Friday, while some
folks were a little nervous about getting a shot, there was A LOT of
clapping, cheering, and excitement at being able to safely see
grandchildren and family after so long. The demand is there. Let's
meet people where they are if they can't easily keep an eye on social
media and watch for an email from DC Health. I hope to do another
clinic soon and reach more neighbors who need a little help finding an
appointment.
It's Time to Ensure Every DC Resident
Has Access to Reliable Internet Service
This week I introduced legislation that will increase the urgency
for the District to ensure every household has access to affordable
and reliable high-speed internet. The Internet Equity Amendment
Act would require the District to identify households or areas
where there is slow internet service (some neighborhoods in DC only
have the option of DSL) or households that are paying too much for
reliable internet, and take steps to get those homes connected. It
would require OCTO to take interim measures to make this to happen
within one year six months of the bill passing. Then OCTO will have to
create a longer-term plan to ensure reliable, affordable high-speed
internet for all District residents. I am not convinced about what our
long-term effort should look like to guarantee every DC resident
access to high-speed internet -- - but I am convinced we can no longer
view access to high-speed internet as a luxury. That was true even
before the pandemic. And as we mark more than one year of living with
much of life moved online, it is incredibly obvious that any disparity
in access to the internet is a serious hinderance to success in
school, job searching, or even accessing government benefits. I will
share more as the bill hopefully moves toward a hearing and I am
grateful to have nine of my colleagues signed on as
co-introducers.
Protecting Neighboring Homes During Construction
This week, I filed the Construction Management Agreement
Amendment Act of 2021. This bill is a response to years of
complaints from neighbors who have had their homes damaged by large
construction projects next door. Generally, the bill requires
developers of medium to large residential and commercial projects to
take precautions to protect neighboring homes—including things like
vibration monitoring, providing notice for after-hours work, and
setting up a dispute resolution mechanism on the front end. This would
happen through a “construction management agreement” that would be
enforceable by DCRA, the homeowner, or potentially the Attorney
General, depending on the circumstances.
Chief of Police Nomination Passes
Committee
Yesterday, Acting Chief Robert Contee
received unanimous support from the Committee on the Judiciary and
Public Safety during a Committee Mark-Up (that's when we vote on
legislation/nominations at the committee level). You can watch the
full mark-up on my Facebook page, it's around 17 minutes total.
Mr. Contee, if confirmed by the full Council, would be stepping into
the role at a critical moment as our national conversation on the role
of policing in our society continues and we deal with an increase in
violent crime, a trend we see across the country. Mr. Contee, who is
serving as Acting Chief, is a native Washingtonian and has had a long
career with the Metropolitan Police Department. I recommended approval
of the nominee because he has experience in nearly every aspect of
policing, including both discipline and training, and has been candid
about the department's need to be more transparent and willing to be a
participant in the conversation about the future of policing.
Public Safety Related: I know
many Ward 6 neighbors were incredibly saddened and alarmed by the
tragic death of Mr. Mohammad Anwar during an attempted carjacking near
Nationals Park while he was delivering food. I'm including a statement
I shared with the press at the time here: "The alleged
carjacking last week left one man dead and many other lives forever
altered. It was a complete tragedy. From everything I’ve read,
Mohammad Anwar was a loving father and grandfather. I extend my
deepest condolences to Mr. Mohammad Anwar’s family for their loss – a
loss that can never be fully healed. District juvenile confidentiality
laws prevent me from sharing information relating to any ongoing
investigation. However, I can say that any time children are involved
in a serious incident like this, we must understand what more can be
done to prevent it from ever happening again. Mr. Anwar should be
alive today."
Police Reform Commission Completes Work,
Releases Recommendations
Last summer, as part of the emergency
police reform bill I led the Council to pass with a number of
important provisions, a Police Reform Commission was formed to study
the issue and make recommendations to both the Council and the Mayor
on what the future of policing should look like and what changes
should be made. Those recommendations were released yesterday. You
can read the report here. And read my
statement on where we go from here.
MPD Investigation into the Noose Found
at St. Mark's Ongoing
I know Ward 6 residents were disgusted and horrified when
a noose was found at St. Mark's church the morning of Friday, March
26. I've been in contact with First District Commander Morgan Kane
about the investigation, which remains in progress. Hate is not
welcome here and this is a hateful and cowardly act, meant to
intimidate. It is a reminder we are never that far from our country's
shameful past and we all must be willing to come to the table to be a
community where every person is loved and treated with dignity as a
valued member of our neighborhood. If you live in the area and have a
security camera which may have captured whoever did this, please get
in touch with the First District at (202) 698-0555.
New Laws You Probably Didn't Hear
About
This tweet
thread I did two weeks ago was well-received and I wanted to share
it here. So often we are flying around from one issue to the next, but
I wanted to slow down long enough to acknowledge a few bills I helped
pass at the end of the year that finally went into effect. You
probably haven't read about these bills anywhere, but I think they're
pretty great and will make a difference in our community.
I Got a Sneak Peak at the New Southwest
Library
 I don't want to brag, but I was able to go on a
behind-the-scenes tour of our nearly-renovated Southwest Library. And
let me tell you...I cannot wait for the community to see it. It is
absolutely stunning and a perfect place for our community to gather
together in a shared public space. I'll let you know once we have a
date for the ribbon cutting.
Recycling Reminder
Just a quick reminder - when you are recycling, please do not put
any plastic bags into your recycling bin. Because we do a commingled
system with every type of recyclable material together, the machines
cannot process plastic bags. If you have a bag full of plastic bags in
your home like I do, you can take them to local grocery stores (I know
the Harris Teeter in NoMa for one) who in turn take the bags to a
specialized recycling plant.
For more tips, DC maintains a very helpful Zero
Waste website with a tool to guide residents on what can be
recycled and what cannot.
Farmers Markets Return
With spring is full bloom, Ward 6 farmers markets at Mt.
Vernon Triangle, H St, NE and SW DC return this weekend. Eastern
Market and the surrounding farmer's market will continue to operate
year-round. And since we're still in a pandemic, please continue to
follow all guidance and wear your marks -- even if you've been
vaccinated. Help maintain a strong culture of smart, safe ways to
operate until we've gotten everyone vaccinated.
Finally, as a reminder, there are special deals and opportunities
for residents on fixed or modest-incomes to afford fresh vegetables
and fruits and other important staples at these markets. Just check in
with the Info tent at any of these markets to learn more.
Loss of Heritage Trees in Southwest is Unacceptable
Finally, I know many Southwest neighbors are upset at the damage
and loss of six Heritage Trees during construction by a DDOT
contractor who broke the rules. I wanted to share a quick update.
First, I've gotten DDOT to commit to reclaiming as much of the wood as
possible from the trees and putting it to use in Southwest. And
second, I'm pushing for the maximum fine that can be levied against
Fort Myer Construction. We know from research that tree canopy in
cities is a critical way to get cleaner air and lower the temperature.
And obviously, while we can't replace big, ancient trees and their
work pulling carbon out of the air, we have to send a strong message
that companies carrying out work in the District can't view destroying
trees as a minor inconvenience.
Charles Allen
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