My team and I wanted to highlight some great DC programs that are already in place but go underutilized because not enough people know about them. This CM Corner article offers a ton of DC programs and services, with a brief description and link to more information. I hope it is a useful resource for you and your families as we begin spring in DC!

For many years now, our community has been steadily advocating for the facility to reopen without the harmful fumes of diesel buses. As recently as 2021, WMATA had committed that Northern Bus Barn would become its first all-electric bus garage with "infrastructure and equipment needed to run 100% electric vehicles."

As we gear up to celebrate Halloween, I wanted to share some of the many amazing Halloween events happening across our community. Chances are that you won't have to go far from home to get your frights and treats this weekend.

Today, DC faces a staggering affordable housing crisis. The workers who serve this city are priced out of living in most of our neighborhoods, and homeownership is a distant dream for many lifelong DC residents. The skyrocketing cost of living here is fueling our homelessness crisis, eviction crisis, foreclosure crisis, and displacement crisis.

The core DC value of being a welcoming city is undermined by housing prices that systematically push people out and keep people out.

No one goes all in on Halloween quite like Ward 4! I'm excited to see our community joyfully and safely celebrating this weekend, and for our youngest Ward 4 residents to stock up on delicious treats. Look out for me around Ward 4 in a very topical Halloween costume!

Our communities are reeling from the devastating gun violence that our city is experiencing. From the shootings by Nationals Park and 14th Street to the tragic killing of 6-year-old Nyiah Courtney in Southeast DC and the public safety incidents in our own neighborhoods, it’s clear that DC and Ward 4 have not been spared from the nationwide surge of gun violence. These crimes are senseless and catastrophic.

We cannot afford for this situation to continue and for more lives to be claimed by gunfire.

Yesterday I stepped forward to be vaccinated because I believe it’s important for me as a Black woman and as a community leader to persuade my Ward 4 neighbors to do the same through the power of my example. I also took this step so I can better serve our community. My role requires me to respond in person to emergencies, visit local businesses, and interact with constituents on a daily basis. Although I take every precaution possible by social distancing and wearing a mask, being immunized will add an extra layer of protection for all the people I encounter as your Councilmember.

Like many of us, newly elected Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George is shaped by her environment. Her visions, aspirations and policies are a product of Ward 4, the community she grew up in. And as of January 2nd, she’s now representing her community on the DC Council, sharing Ward 4’s and Petworth’s ideals and aspirations with the rest of the city. Here’s our first interview with Janeese as the Ward 4 Councilmember.

I firmly believe that government should promote youth entrepreneurship. The legislation I introduced supports and encourages the entrepreneurial ambition of children across the District and will allow our future tycoons-in-the-making the opportunity to begin their enterprising path to becoming business owners.

All across Ward 4, from Petworth to Shepherd Park, from Chevy Chase to Riggs Park, parents tell me that they want expanded dual language immersion education options for their children. After visiting every Ward 4 school and engaging with parents, educators, and administrators, I consistently hear from families who are frustrated by long wait lists and are unable to get their children enrolled in these highly sought-after multilingual programs.

On Thursday, October 31st, the Council’s Committee on Education held a public hearing on the Parent-led Play Cooperative Amendment Act of 2018. This legislation, temporarily enacted in emergency form last month, would fully exempt parent-led play co-ops from the regulatory requirements imposed on formal child care facilities. I voiced my full and enthusiastic support for the legislation. We cannot allow this critical service for families to be regulated out of existence.

One significant but often overlooked component of maternal and infant well-being is mental health. According to the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, at least 20% of mothers suffer from pregnant and postpartum mood and anxiety disorders.

After studying the problem more closely, I knew something had to be done. I am proud to report that legislation I introduced in 2017 to improve maternal mental healthcare has recently become official law in the District of Columbia.

I am making a concerted effort to double down on our sanctuary city policies and reaffirm that all people, regardless of immigration status, are welcome and worthy of protection in the District of Columbia.    

From education and recreation, to public safety, to human services, housing, infrastructure, and beyond, this budget makes the strategic investments necessary to build a thriving, safe, and inclusive District.

Earlier this month, after meeting with members of the Ward 4 and DC blind community, I introduced legislation that would improve Braille education for blind and vision-impaired students in DC public and public charter schools.

While the District remains a leader in gun control, boasting some of the nation’s strictest gun laws, a gaping and deadly systemic flaw remains – assault weapons illegally brought into DC from other states with looser restrictions. To address this, I introduced a “Sense of the Council” Resolution earlier this month calling on Virginia and Maryland to join the District of Columbia in fully banning assault-style weapons.

Last year, the Petworth Community Market came to me with an urgent concern. Due to a District-wide increase in parking meter fees, the Market faces an 800% increase in their meter costs that threatens the sustainability of their future operations.

As soon as I heard, I knew I had to act, and I'm asking for your help.

Last week at City Hall, I chaired a Public Roundtable on the subject of Net Neutrality. The goal of the roundtable was to better inform District residents on what net neutrality is and what the repeal might mean for customers, students, and small businesses. We heard testimony from a number of witnesses, including members of the public, subject matter experts from a range of institutions, and government officials.

The deadline to prepay your real property taxes and claim a deduction on your 2017 return is coming up quickly -- you have until midnight on December 31, 2017.  Here's some information on how to do it, including a letter from DC's Chief Financial Officer.

I understand that the Clean River Project must be completed, and reducing the funds that cemeteries contribute leaves a hole that must be filled. It wouldn’t be fair to push those costs on to other ratepayers. That is why I am calling on the DC Government to make up the difference.

During the summer recess of the DC Council, my staff and I listened carefully to Ward 4 neighbors about your concerns and your hopes for the future. I repeatedly heard how as the cost of living in the District rises, families feel increasingly financially squeezed. So I took that input back to City Hall and got to work on concrete legislative solutions. At the September 19th meeting of the DC Council, I introduced three bills that would save DC families money and enhance their quality of life.

As more and more of our personal and professional lives are centered around the internet, privacy protection has become an issue at the heart of life in a digitally-connected era. It is imperative we have robust protections in place, and a new bill in front of the DC Council sees to that. 

This past January, Petworth captured the attention of the District and animal lovers around the nation when a pit bull named Momma was left outdoors in extreme cold. The inhumanity with which Momma was treated, and the insufficiency of existing laws to address her abuse, sparked a grassroots movement to strengthen the District’s animal welfare laws to ensure that no animal suffered the way Momma did. Since then, I have been hard at work with advocates and the Humane Rescue Alliance crafting comprehensive animal welfare legislation. I am proud to report progress on this endeavor.

Welcome to the first column of “Councilmember’s Corner,” a deeper dive into the matters important to Petworth residents. As you may know, on Tuesday, June 13th, the DC Council approved the finalized Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 budget. After considerable community outreach and substantial advocacy on behalf of Ward 4, I am pleased to report that Petworth will see a number of high-priority items funded in this year’s budget...

(Editor's note: We're pleased to have Ward 4 Councilmember Brandon Todd as a new contributor to the Petworth News blog. The Councilmember will have a regular column on the site, sharing pertinent news and information about things happening at the DC Council that impact a Ward 4 audience)