Today Councilmember Grosso, along with the entirety of the D.C. Council, co-introduced a bill to remove "qualifying conditions" from the medical marijuana program. As noted by the Director of the Department of Health, the decision should be made by physicians and patients, not by politicians.
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Blog Post
By David Grosso
Published April 3, 2014, The Washington Blade
My commitment to human rights predates my time in office and a human rights framework is interwoven into all of the work I do here on the D.C. Council. I was disturbed when I read a report released last month on relations between the LGBT community and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). A task force of experts who investigated MPD’s handling of hate crimes drafted and released the report. The report documents a number of problems and makes recommendations for how to address the way MPD interacts with the LGBT community. What I found most troubling was the task force’s finding that “the mistreatment of transgender individuals — and particularly transgender women of color — by police officers is among the most frequently cited and egregious examples of bias and misconduct.” Unfortunately, that is not news to many in the LGBT community.
The recommendations in the report from the hate crimes assessment task force are directed to MPD and should be implemented quickly. Outside of the task force, seven community-based organizations (Casa Ruby, The D.C. Center, D.C. Trans Coalition, GLAA, GLOV, HIPS and Rainbow Response) came together and issued additional recommendations for both MPD and the D.C. Council. Chief Lanier is already moving forward with the reforms, in close collaboration with the community groups and the task force. To continue this effort, the D.C. Council must also act quickly. I have decided to implement one of the coalition’s recommendations immediately by introducing a bill to repeal “prostitution free zones” in D.C.
This provision of the D.C. Code permits MPD to declare a particular location as a prostitution free zone for a 20-day period. Police officers can then ask any group of two or more people who an officer “reasonably believes” is in the prostitution free zone for the purpose of sex work to vacate the area. If the people do not leave the area then they can be arrested. According to the task force report, transgender women (African Americans and Latinas in particular) express that MPD officers regularly view and treat them as criminals. This stereotype—that all transgender women are always engaging in sex trade—is damaging and results in their human rights being violated. This happens when police stop or arrest someone based on who they are rather than what they are doing. The prostitution free zones reinforce this bias.
The task force, along with previous research, found that this bias also means that when transgender women approach police for help, they all too often face hostility and don’t receive assistance. It is important for police officers to not stereotype transgender women in this way. But it is also critical that police officers help someone who is assaulted or raped, even if they were involved in sex work. MPD is responsible for the safety of everyone, including sex workers.
Repeal of the prostitution free zones is long overdue for several reasons. First, the statute is likely unconstitutional—the Attorney General’s office testified in January 2012 that, “we have substantial concerns about [the law’s] constitutional soundness.” Second, MPD has not initiated any prostitution free zones since 2012—indeed, officials told me that they do not oppose repeal of the prostitution free zone section of law. Perhaps most importantly, the prostitution free zones, and the inevitable profiling that happens within them, violate affected residents’ human right to be free from discrimination.
Just as we are reconsidering other laws that have been found to be discriminatory, I think it is time that we open up the conversation regarding how we handle commercial sex. We need to consider changing from a framework of criminalization to a framework that emphasizes the health and human rights of those involved. Meanwhile, let’s make the easy decision to take a constitutionally suspect law off the books and repeal the prostitution free zones.
This morning Mayor Gray presented his his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2015 to the D.C. Council. Over the next month, Council committees will hold hearings on the budget, with opportunities for the public to testify, as well as hearing from government agencies. Here we present the presentation the Mayor made to the Council about the budget (a broad overview); the Budget Support Act (authorizing legislation that will be amended and eventually passed); and the Supplemental Budget Plan (re-allocation of funds for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2014). Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have questions, including on Twitter!
Here is the Budget Support Act--it's big! It is subject to amendments and approval by the Council:
Here is the Supplemental Budget Plan--it outlines how the Mayor plans to re-allocate funds from the Fiscal Year 2014 budget, to spend unspent funds and cover cost overruns.
Introduced by: Councilmembers David Grosso, Mary Cheh, and Tommy Wells
Co-sponsored by: Councilmembers Muriel Bowser, Kenyan McDuffie, and Phil Mendelson
Referred to: Committee of the Whole and Committee on Finance and Revenue
What are the major components of the D.C. Urban Farming and Food Security Act of 2014?
This legislation establishes an initiative that first identifies and then leases certain District-owned vacant lots to independent farmers and farm cooperatives to be used for successful urban farming ventures. It also creates tax incentives to encourage more individuals and businesses to farm locally and donate locally farmed vegetables, fruits, and grains to D.C. food banks or shelters.
Why should the District lease its vacant property to local farmers?
Activating vacant unimproved properties owned by the District and owned privately is important. Not only would this effort help to ensure that these properties are environmentally safe, but also that they are a welcomed, safe attraction in communities.
What would be the process for individuals or organizations looking to lease land?
If approved and signed into law, by February 2015, the Mayor would need to identify 25 District-owned vacant lots that can potentially be used for successful urban farming ventures. The Mayor would then develop a Request for Proposal process for applications.
How long would leases last for under this initiative?
All lease agreements entered into under this initiative would be for a term of at least 3 years.
Will farmers be able to sell produce on the property?
Yes. Any lease entered into pursuant to this initiative with an independent farm or farm cooperative may permit the sale of fresh fruits and vegetables on the leased land, off the leased land, or both.
Is it true that your bill would provide property tax abatement for leasing vacant land to farmers?
Yes. Under this legislation, if an owner of unimproved real property enters into a lease with an unrelated party for the use of its real property for the purpose of producing food commodity through small-scale urban farming, there shall be allowed a 50% deduction from the real property tax imposed on the portion of leased real property actually used for small-scale farming.
What are the eligibility requirements for the property tax abatement?
In order to be eligible for the tax abatement under this section, any lease agreement shall include, but is not limited to, all the following provisions, and the parties thereto shall be in compliance therewith:
- An initial term of not less than three years;
- Active use and cultivation of at least 5,000 square feet of the real property;
- A requirement that the entire property subject to the lease shall be dedicated toward agriculture use; and
- A prohibition against any dwelling units (as defined in § 47-813(d)(3)) on the real property.
What kind of tax incentive does the bill provide to individuals who donate to D.C. food banks or shelters?
A taxpayer may claim a nonrefundable credit against income taxes for food commodity donations made during the tax year to a District of Columbia food bank or shelter. The credit claimed shall equal 50% of the value of the contribution and shall not to exceed $2,500 per taxpayer per tax year.
What kind of tax incentive does the bill provide to businesses who donate to D.C. food banks or shelters?
A business may claim a nonrefundable credit against business taxes for food commodity donations made during the tax year to a District of Columbia food bank or shelter. The credit claimed shall equal 50% of the value of the contribution and shall not to exceed $5,000 per taxpayer per tax year.
How will these tax incentives be monitored?
Individuals and businesses claiming the tax credit or property tax abatement will need to provide documentation supporting the claim in a form and manner prescribed by the Chief Financial Officer.
Why is this legislation important?
D.C. residents at all times have access to sufficient safe nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life. Food security is built on three pillars: food availability; food access; and food use. By the District leasing its unused vacant property throughout the city to independent farmers and community farm cooperatives it allows our residents to claim direct access to healthy food by growing, harvesting and processing it themselves. By incentivizing more individuals and businesses to proactively donate to local food banks or homeless shelters we can support organizations like Miriam’s Kitchen that manages to make wonderful meals for our most vulnerable residents out of very little, day-in and day-out.
In October, Councilmember Grosso sent a letter to Mayor Gray outlining Grosso's priorities for the fiscal year 2015 budget.
Councilmember Grosso was pleased to submit a poem that he authored entitled “Poblanos from Seed” for D.C. Scores as they kicked off National Poetry Month
Yesterday, Mayor Vince Gray signed into law a bill to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana. Grosso was pleased to join Mayor Gray with the Council in signaling his support for ending the racial disparities with regard to marijuana related arrests in the District of Columbia. The repercussions of even misdemeanor marijuana possession charges or convictions are anything but minor, effecting employment, housing, and even federal financial aid. Although passage of this bill was a good first step, Grosso believes that the government must do more to reduce the barriers for those convicted with a marijuana possession charge. Out of concern for the 60,000 D.C. residents with a criminal history whom are unemployed, Grosso introduced the “Record Sealing for Non-Violent Marijuana Possession Act of 2013” last September and urges the Council to pass this important legislation.
The bill requires that criminal records be sealed by the Metropolitan Police Department and D.C. Superior Court for all persons convicted of a non-violent possession of marijuana. The sealing of records will include criminal history of notation of arrests, detentions, indictments, sentencing, correctional supervision, rehabilitation and release. Another provision in the legislation will block employers from asking if an applicant previously had their records expunged or sealed.
“Our city is negatively impacted because of the stigma associated with an individual who has a criminal record,” said Grosso. “As we have seen over many decades with the War on Drugs – society can be unforgiving. Government policies should not create road blocks that deny an individual a second chance. This bill is important because it will create an opportunity for individuals with a non-violent possession of marijuana record to become productive members of society without barriers to becoming gainfully employed.”
The legislation was co-sponsored by Councilmembers Bonds (D-At Large), Bowser (D-Ward 4), Cheh (D-Ward 3), McDuffie (D-Ward5), Alexander (D-Ward 7), Barry (D-Ward 8), and Chairman Mendelson. Councilmember Wells (D-Ward 6), Chairman of the Judiciary Committee held a hearing on this bill in December.
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A runoff system would improve the District’s democratic process
By The Washington Post Editorial Board
Published: March 27
AMONG THE calculations some District voters are weighing in advance of Tuesday’s Democratic primary is whether to bypass the person they most want elected in favor of a candidate whom they think might have a better chance of winning. Underscoring that dilemma is an expected low voter turnout and a large field of candidates that could produce a winner with a meager plurality. Not exactly the best recipe for democracy.
That is why there is much merit to a package of reforms being championed by D.C. Council member David Grosso (I-At Large) that would overhaul how elections are held in the District. Legislation introduced this month by Mr. Grosso would solve the problem of candidates winning without a majority of votes. He favors an instant-runoff system that casts and tabulates votes by ranked choice. He also would allow registered voters to change their party affiliation all the way through Election Day, which could increase turnout.
The current primary system effectively disenfranchises a swath of District voters who don’t identify with a political party. The number is growing, with an estimated 76,000 voters — some 17 percent of the city electorate — registered as independents. Removing the barriers to their participation in the democratic process would be a healthy move. So would ensuring that people elected to public office have a mandate from a majority of voters.
None of these changes would take place in time for this year’s elections. The legislation — along with a third measure that would require candidates to show they or their previous campaign committee have no outstanding fines or other debts to the city — has been referred to committee. Their prospects are uncertain, since it’s hard to focus interest on election reform once an election is past. That, though, is exactly when the changes must be enacted so as not to change the rules midstream, during a pending contest.
A more serious hurdle is likely that the people who need to enact these measures are the ones most liable to see their self-interests hurt, because current election methods favor and protect incumbency. We would urge them to follow the lead of Mr. Grosso. He understands that if the new rules are in place in 2016, as he hopes, he might be standing for reelection in a more competitive field and having to appeal to more voters. But he told us the purpose of being on the council shouldn’t be about protecting one’s seat but rather “trying to do things better in the long run.” Let’s see which of his colleagues agree.
The winter weather has decided to stick around a little while longer and as a result of the snow, the Committee on Transportation and the Environment rescheduled the performance oversight hearing of the Bicycle Advisory Council (BAC), Pedestrian Advisory Council (PAC) and the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) several times. Finally, on Friday, March 21, the hearing got underway, and ran for six hours.
Bicycle Advisory Council (BAC):
- In FY13, the BAC was unable to access the $10,000 budgeted for them due to a lack of clarity on the process to access the funds.
- Frequently, the BAC makes recommendations to DDOT as it relates to bike safety and infrastructure. BAC’s facilities committee is working to develop a mechanism to track their recommendations and whether or not DDOT has made progress to implement them. The BAC noted that there is still not strong follow-through on the part of DDOT.
Pedestrian Advisory Council (PAC):
- In FY13, the PAC created the Enforcement & Education Committee as well as the Walking Environment Committee. These committees work to increase awareness around pedestrian safety.
- The PAC is continuing their efforts to advocate for more traffic control officers and expressed support for photo enforcement.
- The PAC still has concerns with the slow progress of DDOT on addressing sidewalk gaps.
District Dept. of Transportation (DDOT):
- For residents living within the District’s 68.3 square miles, parking can often be a challenge. DDOT is reviewing the District-wide residential parking program (RPP) and making changes to the wards that were re-districted, as well as updating their files. The review process is 95% complete.
- Wouldn’t it be nice to tweet confusing parking signage to DDOT and get a response immediately? Well Councilmember Grosso recommended this and DDOT explained that they currently receive pictures and complaints via Twitter and emails, as well as, receiving calls through 311. DDOT officials noted that there is a 311 mobile app that allows users to upload pictures, which are then submitted to DDOT’s work order management system and assigned a ticket number. DDOT continues to make improvements to streets signs, working block-by-block to fix confusing signage.
- Food truck advocates expressed that while few signs do exist for street vendors, more are needed and all signs should specify the times for which vendors can park. DDOT explained that the rollout of the Mobile Roadway Vending (MRV) locations has, overall, been good; however, they are trying to work out a few kinks. Specifically, DDOT explained that there is a challenge with creating permanent signage (currently they provide temporary signs) because once a permanent sign goes up, it is increasingly more difficult to go back and make any adjustments to them.
- Safety is always a priority and each year DDOT works to identify 50 dangerous intersection locations, a process that tends to take 2 years to address with the first year dedicated to design plans and the 2nd year devoted to construction. This year, DDOT is working to provide pavement markings, high visibility signs and more.
- More construction is on the way! Councilmember Grosso explained that the intersection located at 4th Street, Massachusetts Avenue and H Street NW is extremely dangerous and confusing. The Councilmember requested that a traffic control officer be placed at this location; however it won’t happen. DDOT expressed their concerns with this intersection but stated that in a few weeks massive construction will be taking place at this site. To assist residents with their daily commutes, DDOT stated that they will be able to produce some site maps informing residents of where major construction is taking place and offering alternative routes.
Thank you, Chairman Evans. And thank you to the witnesses who are here today to testify for the annual oversight hearing for the Commission on the Arts and Humanities.
When a city has a thriving arts community, it signals support for, and recognition of, the value that a creative economy brings to a city. A creative economy exists when the ideas of individuals generate public ideas, products, and services through financial assistance. A creative economy integrates multiple artistic and entrepreneurial disciplines. Investment in all stages of creation fosters innovative and artistic benefits for our homes, schools, offices, and streets.
To cultivate a creative economy, the government must play a larger role because while we have the funding, we lack the mechanisms to support the distribution of funds. Our city will have a thriving, artistically expressive, and vibrant community if it collectively supports all of the sectors that make up the creative economy. There are at least four steps we need to take in order to do this successfully:
- First, we need to have plans in place to fund the space where an artist works. This means funding for studios, living quarters, theater space, galleries, and public outdoor spaces that can house large installations.
- Second, we must cultivate relationships with new artists and maintain on-going relationships with established artists in the city. We must insist that art is present everywhere and in order to do this we must support the artists and musicians. We should be able to easily track the artists in our city and what projects they are working on and what support they need. There should be an identifiable connection between our community and the networks of artists in D.C.
- Third, we must support the institutions that are already serving our city and have been for decades. These theater companies and music and dance studios are already executing the production process. The support they need is with capital projects, infrastructure, and wrap around services in order to sustain their businesses. We should broaden our idea of what supporting the arts means and not only invest in the finished product, but also invest in what is necessary to sustain ongoing production.
- And lastly, we need to finance finished products. We have acres of government owned, unused or underutilized land throughout the city, particularly in neighborhoods that would greatly benefit from public art pieces. We need to be financing music, dance, and performing art schools so that all of our residents can access it, learn about it, and participate in it organically. Again, this should be the responsibility of the government and not the people of District.
In order to accomplish all of the categories that I mentioned, we need a strong, capable, and willing Commission that can think broadly about how we can create these opportunities and will take on the burden to grow the creative economy in the District. We need creative minds at the Commission, those who are thinking about ways to spend funds with vision and efficiency. If DCCAH can execute a strong plan then it will be in the position to be a recognized leader in how arts and humanities support should look. There is no reason why our jazz festival cannot compare to New Orleans’, our film festivals to Sundance, or our public art shows to Basel or the Biennale.
I am interested to hear the Commission’s plans for its future and to know what they are doing in the community. I look forward to the witness testimony and engaging with you in the discussions that follow it. Thank you.
by Anne Robinson
This week, Councilmember Grosso along with Councilmembers Catania, McDuffie, and Wells introduced the Fair Leave Act of 2014. The bill was referred to the Committee on Government Operations. The intent is to provide government employees up to 6 weeks of paid leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or fostering of a child, or the care of a family member who has a serious medical condition. By offering 6 weeks of paid leave for a government employee, we actively invest in families by supporting early childhood development, the health and welfare of residents, the retention of women in the workforce, and the vital role that parents play. I think that 6 weeks of paid leave is a very small price to pay for outcomes that have such a diverse impact.
Currently, the District of Columbia Family Medical Leave Act (D.C. FMLA) allows for all persons working for businesses with 50 employees or more to receive up to 16 weeks out of a continuous 24 month period of unpaid leave to care for a family member in the event of a birth, adoption, fostering, or illness. A family member is a person related to the employee by blood, legal custody, or marriage; a child who lives with the employee; or a person with whom the employee has shared a home with in the same year. The D.C. FMLA unpaid leave allows for 4 weeks longer than the federal FMLA. The definition of “family member” is inclusive and reflective of whom we label and identify as family here in the District. The law includes safeguards for the employee’s position and benefits during a period of unpaid leave and also protects the interests of the employer.
We believe that amending the D.C. Code to allow for 6 weeks of paid leave will have positive impacts on education, health and welfare, and human rights in our city.
Education
Councilmember Grosso serves on the Committee on Education and he hears the testimony from parents and teachers alike about their concerns for the educational development of children. He is also involved in analyzing the District’s need for universal pre-kindergarten programs that start as early as three years of age to ensure that we are reaching the children who are not getting basic skills at home that help them to be school-ready. Studies have shown that beginning at birth, care-takers in the home foster the necessary development of communication, empathy, curiosity, creativity, and confidence. These are just some of the fundamental traits that children need to develop prior to beginning pre-school and kindergarten programs. When parents can nurture language and literacy starting from birth a child is better prepared both physically and emotionally when they enter school. When we provide parents with the tools they need to teach their children we set into motion foundations for a child’s future success.
Health
Councilmember Grosso also serves as a member on the Committees on Health. From meetings with nurses, health care providers, and patient advocates we are constantly discussing ways that we can broaden and ease the recovery process for those who are ill and in need of care. One way to do this is to offer paid leave for a new mother to stay at home with her infant child so that she can recover from the delivery without the fear of the financial burdens that an individual or family faces when they must take leave from work. The average time to heal from the birth of child is 6 weeks, but that is under the best of circumstances. Recovery from a surgical cesarean delivery, complications from the delivery, or post-partum depression can increase the need for leave time. It is vital that our city provides high quality health care and assistance to low-income residents of the District who need it. If a parent has to choose between working and staying home with a new child it can delay regular well-baby checks-ups or immunization schedules, which is a serious public health concern.
Gender Roles and Balance
As gender roles in our society shift, the roles of men and women in the household are also changing. Positions and opportunities for women in the workplace are evolving while at the same time women must strive to be perceived as equal to their male counterparts. Women do not want to face employment setbacks for being pregnant or taking time off. This legislation gives either parent the benefit of taking time off to care for a family member without the fear of lost positions or wages. The legislation also promotes the necessary role that fathers and secondary caretakers play in their child’s development. When the government supports fathers to stay home with a newborn, studies have shown that this solidifies their involvement in the long-term care of the child. This bill acknowledges that not only is the man’s employment position or salary relevant, but also his involvement and concerns as a parent. We recognize that there is a great diversity of families and this bill is designed to be inclusive of all family structures.
Economics
The United States ranks second from the bottom, runner up to Pakistan, for paid maternity and paternity leave. Norway and Canada top the paid leave charts with four months of paid government leave for both parents. Even though our economic structure and system of government do not function the same way as these countries, it might be time to consider the economic benefits that can be gained from providing paid leave. California, New Jersey, and Rhode Island all offer 6 weeks of paid leave for all employees, which is funded through a payroll tax. The state of Washington passed paid leave legislation and is currently working on their budget for the program. In July 2013, the U.S. Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee approved a fiscal year 2014 spending measure that includes $5 million to support a new State Paid Leave Fund. The fund will provide planning and implementation grants to states wishing to establish paid leave programs and provide benefits to workers who need to take time off for reasons covered under FMLA.
Mayor Gray indicated in his State of District speech that he would also be introducing similar legislation that would allowed for 4 weeks paid leave for the primary caregiver and 2 weeks for the secondary caregiver. These are all signs of progress and we hope the District of Columbia will be next on the list to offer a similar benefit.
To offer District government employees 6 weeks of paid leave is economically sound. By having this policy in place, we will attract more qualified employees to work here and we will encourage the mothers to return to the workplace. By granting flexibly and time to recover and bond, parents will feel less pressure about their financial situation. And by having parents who are able to stay at home with the concern of financial burdens lifted they will be able to focus on the child. This concept loops us back to better public health, stronger families, and promoting the basic education and skills a child needs starting from birth to be healthy and school ready.
*All posts are approved and endorsed by Councilmember Grosso.
In response to recent policy developments negatively targeting the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities domestically and around the world, Councilmember Grosso introduced this Sense of the Council Resolution.
Our Nation’s Capital Becomes America’s 5th ‘Open Law’ City with New Online Platform that Makes the District’s Laws Accessible and User-Friendly for All
WASHINGTON, DC (March 19, 2013) – The non-partisan, non-profit OpenGov Foundation and the Washington, D.C. Board of Ethics and Accountability’s Office of Open Government today announced the launch of DCdecoded.org, a free software platform that empowers all District residents to discover, access, and use local laws when they want, and how they want. Washington, D.C. becomes the 5th “open law” city in the United States, joining the nationwide America Decoded network of user-friendly, online and restriction-free municipal and state legal codes.
Click Here to Access DCdecoded.org
“DCdecoded.org is a necessary resource for District residents” said Traci L. Hughes, director of the D.C. Office of Open Government. “The value of a transparent government is limited unless the public has the ability to access, and easily navigate its laws. Greater access will inevitably lead to more people becoming engaged with our lawmakers and the legislative process – and that is open government at its best.”
DCdecoded.org lifts and ‘liberates’ the District’s Municipal Code from unalterable, often hard to find online files —such as PDFs—by inserting them into user-friendly, organized and modern website formats. This straightforward switch delivers significant results: more clarity, context, and public understanding of the laws’ impact on D.C. citizens’ daily lives. For the first-time, DCdecoded.org allows unrestricted reuse of municipal laws and legal data by everyday residents so that they can use, share, and interact with it as they see fit. Simply, DCdecoded.org gives citizens the information they need, on their terms.
“I am thrilled to finally have the District’s Municipal Code in a user-friendly format,” said D.C. Councilmember David Grosso. “Residents will now be in a better position to engage with me and my colleagues on the D.C. Council because they will be able to understand how the laws we pass impact their lives on a daily basis. I am very impressed with the hard work of both the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability’s Office of Open Government and the OpenGov Foundation, who together made this possible here in our nation’s capital.”
As the website evolves to meet the growing needs of citizens, stakeholders, and government employees, D.C. residents will soon have access to municipal regulations at their fingertips in real-time. Much like Google, DCdecoded.org offers the ability to search city existing and proposed laws by section, topic, and tags.
DCdecoded.org and America Decoded network are powered by the The State Decoded, an open-source software platform and API used to display states’ law codes. The free platform was originally developed by Waldo Jaquith in 2010, thanks to a generous grant from the Knight Foundation. The America Decoded network has since grown to include the legal codes of Maryland, Virginia, and Florida, as well as the municipal laws of Baltimore (MD), San Francisco (CA), Philadelphia (PA), Chicago (IL) with more states and cities in the process of joining. Committed to using taxpayer dollars effectively and efficiently, the OpenGov Foundation and State Decoded teams have partnered to ‘liberate’ the law online in every state, city and town in America…at absolutely no cost to taxpayers.
D.C. Office of Open Government, http://www.bega-dc.gov/office-open-government
The Open Government Office, an independent office within the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability, enforces the Open Meetings Act, monitors the District's Freedom of Information Act compliance and aids agencies with implementing open government practices.
CONTACT
Traci Hughes, Director
D.C. Office of Open Government
Email: traci.hughes@dc.gov
Phone: (202) 481-3411
The OpenGov Foundation, http://opengovfoundation.org/
The OpenGov Foundation is dedicated to developing and deploying technologies that support every citizen's ability to participate in government, and hold it accountable. The State Decoded is a project launched by Waldo Jaquith and built upon by the OpenGov Foundation, both with funding by a grant from the Knight Foundation.
CONTACT
Seamus Kraft, Executive Director
OpenGov Foundation
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With a court set to hear arguments this week regarding the D.C. government's use of rec centers to shelter homeless families, we thought we should share this letter from Councilmember Grosso to Mayor Gray from Friday:
In addition to posting our summaries of agency performance oversight hearings over the past weeks, we also want to share with you the follow-up oversight that happens in this process. After a hearing, Councilmembers often send letters to agencies with further questions. Here is Councilmember Grosso's letter to the D.C. Department of Employment Services, and the Office's response:
In addition to posting our summaries of agency performance oversight hearings over the past weeks, we also want to share with you the follow-up oversight that happens in this process. After a hearing, Councilmembers often send letters to agencies with further questions. Here is Councilmember Grosso's letter to the D.C. Department of Small and Local Business Development, and the Office's response:
In addition to posting our summaries of agency performance oversight hearings over the past weeks, we also want to share with you the follow-up oversight that happens in this process. After a hearing, Councilmembers often send letters to agencies with further questions. Here is Councilmember Grosso's letter to the D.C. Office of Motion Picture and Television Development, and the Office's response:
This preliminary report from the D.C. Office of the Tenant Advocate was shared with Councilmembers after the Office's oversight hearing, which included discussion of the impact of the District's rent control laws on affordable housing in the city.
In addition to posting our summaries of agency performance oversight hearings over the past weeks, we also want to share with you the follow-up oversight that happens in this process. After a hearing, Councilmembers often send letters to agencies with further questions. Here is Councilmember Grosso's letter to the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Department's response, and David's follow-up letter:
In addition to posting our summaries of agency performance oversight hearings over the past weeks, we also want to share with you the follow-up oversight that happens in this process. After a hearing, Councilmembers often send letters to agencies with further questions. Here is Councilmember Grosso's letter to the D.C. Taxicab Commission and the Commission's response: