Ward 3 Update: First Budget Vote

Dear Neighbors,

Yesterday, the Council preliminarily approved our budget proposal. I'm very proud of the work my committee has done to invest in critical services for the District, and I'll highlight a few programs here.

Ward 3 Investments:

$625,000 in additional funds for continued design and construction of the Palisades Dog Park at the Palisades Community Center
$500,000 to plan and design a senior wellness center in Wards 2 and 3, which would provide essential programming and services for older adults in the only Wards currently without senior wellness centers
$250,000 for a renovation of the Hearst Cottage at Hearst Park, to ensure that it can fully accommodate future uses with the upcoming opening of the Hearst Park Pool
$250,000 to promote economic development and support small businesses in Ward 3 not served by a Main Street Program through a grant to District Bridges
$150,000 to support economic development efforts and neighborhood revitalization in Friendship Heights through a grant to the Friendship Heights Alliance
$20,000 to allow Tenleytown Main Street to extend its service area boundaries, expanding its ability to retain and recruit businesses, improve commercial properties and streetscapes, and attract consumers

District-Wide Investments:

$4,431,790 for the Department of Public Works to undertake a curbside composting pilot at 10,000 District properties, greatly increasing access to composting for residents and providing a model for the launch of universal curbside composting in the near future.
$1,399,650 over four years to hire three additional Environmental Protection Specialists to undertake mold inspections and remediation to better protect the health of District residents, especially those of low- and moderate-income.
$1,238,832 over four years to support a new transportation planner in the Safe Routes to School program and a new roadway safety engineer to facilitate and implement improved traffic infrastructure around schools.
$988,150 over four years to increase DPW’s boot crew staff by 4.0 FTEs, to ensure this program has the staffing necessary to enforce the District’s traffic safety laws.

The second (and final) vote on the budget will take place in two weeks, on Tuesday, May 24th.

Regards,

Mary

Wednesday, May 11th at 7pm: ANC 3D
Wednesday, May 11th at 7pm: MacArthur High School Information Session
Thursday, May 12th at 7:30pm: ANC 3E
Monday, May 16th at 7:30pm: ANC 3C
Tuesday, May 17th at 12pm: Committee of the Whole Meeting
Tuesday, May 17th at 7pm: ANC 3F
Wednesday, May 18th at 6:30pm: Canal Road NW Slope Stabilization Project Meeting
Thursday, May 19th at 12pm: T&E Public Hearing on B24-666, B24-668, and B24-730
Thursday, May 19th at 7pm: ANC 3B

Historic Investments

Over my 16 years on the Council, I have been proud to fund a number of essential projects for Ward 3 through the budget process. These include:

Modernization or expansion of every public school in the Ward, including the rehabilitation of the historic Rose Reno School
Modernization of every recreation center in the Ward (Hardy Recreation Center, Palisades Community Center, Friendship Recreation Center, Glover Park Community Center, Guy Mason Recreation Center, Macomb Recreation Center, Hearst Recreation Center, Chevy Chase Recreation Center, and Chevy Chase Community Center—in process)
Construction of both Wilson Aquatic Center and Hearst Pool
Modernization of every library in the Ward (Tenley-Friendship, Palisades, Cleveland Park, and Chevy Chase—in process)
Modernization of firehouses in the Ward (Engine House 20, 28, and 29)

I look forward to my successor taking up the mantle and continuing to prioritize this important work.

DC Transportation Equity Network

I was delighted to speak to the DC Transportation Equity Network to discuss transportation, infrastructure, the environment, and health and nutrition priorities

DCPS School Meeting

Tonight, Wednesday, May 11th, from 7pm-8pm, DCPS will hold a virtual information session about the proposed school at 4530 MacArthur Boulevard NW.

To join the meeting, click here or call (202) 539-1291 and enter Conference ID: 326 776 572#. For more information, click here.

DDOT Canal Road NW Slope Stabilization Project Meeting

On Wednesday, May 18th, from 6:30pm-8pm, DDOT will hold a virtual public meeting to review the current preliminary design for the Canal Road Rock Slope Stabilization project.

To join the meeting, click here or call (202-860-2110) and enter access code 2302 737 8959. More meeting details are available here.

For more information on the project generally, click here.

Van Ness Main Street Spring Pop-Up

For more details on this event, click here.

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 reach us via email or phone through our main line at (202) 724-8062 with legislative ideas, budget requests, and constituent services requests.