Councilmember Allen and our team want to hear from you! As we begin annual oversight hearings, this is a great opportunity to make sure we are aware of issues that concern you the most. Let us know what you'd like to see improved from DC government agencies or what you'd like to see them focus on moving forward.
Councilmember Allen won't be able to ask about every question or topic, but it will help inform him on the big issues you care about as we try to make sure each agency is doing its best work.
You can sign-up to testify or submit written testimony for any agency. Here's the full schedule - all oversight hearings take place at the John A Wilson Building at 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.
Oversight schedule for a few of the agencies we are often asked about:
DC Public Schools: Tuesday, February 26 at 10 am in Room 500.
DC Public Charter Schools: Friday, February 15 at 10 am in Room 500
DC Department of Transportation (DDOT): Monday, February 25 at 10 am in Room 500
Metropolitan Police Department (MPD): Friday, February 7 at 9:30 am in Room 412
Department of Health: Friday, February 8 at 10 am in Room 412
Department of Public Works (DPW): Friday, February 15 at 11 am in Room 412 - covers trash/recycling collection, leaf/snow removal, and parking enforcement
Department of General Services: Thursday, February 28 at 10 am in Room 412 - includes all school modernization projects
DPR
Showing 20 reactions
Three years ago I was told that my alley was “next” in the queue for repair and clean up.
Trash collection, trash in tree boxes, and overflowing trash containers in alleys where residents illegally have lined them up.
Lack of responsiveness from Charles Allen’s office.
Instead of correcting or working on correcting problems ,He replies with a form email to tell us about meetings for Government Agencies .
This adds to Typical DC Bureaucracy ,nothing gets done about simple issues and we continue to kick the can down the street .
DC agencies could be great if we took care of the small things well.
Please Mr Allen it is your #1 job and responsibility to take care of your constituents problems with City services.
It seems you are spreading blame around instead of holding the city agencies feet to the fire and insist they do there actual jobs.
2. Dangerously poor road conditions (i.e. potholes, decaying asphalt, etc.) must be addressed and more traffic calming measures should be added.
3. Mail/package theft. This is NOT okay!
4. Inconsistent and careless trash collection. Trash in the alleyways, trash in the streets, trash everywhere.
5. Beautification – give our community something to be proud of, to contribute to, to cherish and protect. Improve sidewalks, expand bike lanes, increase green space. Our nation’s capital should be America’s jewel.
From 3:30pm until 4:30pm students who walk this block throw trash cans, rocks and other objects at cars driving by or cars parked. They are loud, destructive and there are often fights outside.
They destroy property, throw objects at homes, this makes it very uncomfortable anyone walking nearby. The two corner stores often deal with theft when large groups of students enter their stores.
There are always 2-3 MPD police cars that sit at the corner of O street NW near Kennedy Recreation center, that park their police cars next to each other but we never see any officers patrolling the area.
It would be a good use of resources to spread these officers out to minimize the damages to our neighborhood.
I interpret My Van as a Conversion Van but when I take out the seats and bed to go to Ft Totten they consider it a Cargo Van ?
DC DMV treats Cars/Vans/SUV/PickUps the same with no distinction.
Little backstory to the issue I am having.
I remember my first van when I was 16 ,it was a VW Van . I used it for farmers markets,auctions, hauling antique trunks and furniture, bikes ,dirt bikes,motorbikes ,camping ,helping friends and neighbors move things and occasionally going to the dump.
Almost all of the 35 years,(+25 in DC) since I have loved owning a Van for the same reasons.
Meaning for over 25 years I have been able to use a van to go to DPW citizen disposal !
This is my only personal vehicle and I can’t use it for its intended purpose.
I understand and sympathise with DPW with their desire to stop unwanted refuse ,but not at my personal expense,
We have are Neighborhood Cleanup coming up and would use my Van if only I was allowed to go to Ft Totten . I have used my pickup in the past years but no longer own one (the reasons are financial , smaller carbon footprint and helps with neighborhood parking issues)
It is not right that Van owners are a minority in our city that are being discriminated against.
Would like to have these new rules reverted back to allow Personal Cargo and or Conversion Vans.
If that seems too difficult ,then a letter from DC Govt. that I can use my personal van.
Everyone I speak to within DC Govt. agrees with me (Except DPW ? ) including your office but nothing ever seem to comes of it .
Thanks in advance for seeing this through personally and helping me with this matter. .
Oh, and another thing, the restauranteurs, and businesses on 8th Street SE, Between D St SE and E Street SE need to be able to legally tell the bums, druggies, alcoholics, and degenerates hanging outside their businesses that they need to move on. AND, when they call the police to help, they need to not be told (“hey it’s a public space they’re allowed to be there, we can only kick them out of the store itself if they’re being disruptive, but not tell them to take a hike”). I know that I do not speak for just myself that that section of the street needs to be cleaned up. I’ve personally spoken to the owner of the 7/11 and he’s asked for the city’s help on this (mostly from calling the cops) and no one seems to be lifting a finger. And I don’t want to hear any of this absurd “progressive” ultra-liberal BS about compassion for drug-heads and alcoholics who are sleeping outside, panhandling, and just generally being an awful nuisance to people outside when they’re walking by. Some dude got cold-cocked outside the Starbucks there for Christ’s sakes for no earthly reason (and yes it’s official because I got the public service announcement from it from the local police texted to my phone, and verified with two other neighbors). I’ve walked some of my female friends by there sometimes and thank God they aren’t alone, because even when I’m with them those folks get too close for comfort. That section of the block is mired in degenerates and the city and the businesses need to work together to clean it up. We’re tired of this. Some people have kids here. Believe me, it’ll matter when someone who’s actually important gets mugged there someday.
Also, I live across the street from Lovejoy park (1100 block) and routinely witness cars speeding down this street while kids are around. Is there not city rule that speed bumps be installed on streets bordering public playgrounds?
This place is basically dehumanizing. The clientele is needy and I see some that are mentally ill, and elderly. The guards are very rude to them when they are not socializing with each other. And would it hurt to start a numbering system??? I have held places in line for handicap and elderly people who cannot stand in line for over an hour like I can. It was depressing.
I am sure the office can be overwhelming, but working in nonprofit organizations that also serve the same people, professional and caring attitudes can go a long way. Treat your clients respectfully and more than likely they will be the same.
I shudder to think what happens to people who cannot take the long waits and poor professional behavior. Poor citizens deserve dignity too.