Rumsey Pool Updates, Plazas for People & a New Year-Round Market

It's nearly time for the holidays! No matter how you celebrate, I hope that means a little downtime for you. Here at the Wilson Building, we wrapped up Council Period 25 on Tuesday. The Council operates in two-year legislative sessions, meaning any legislation not passed by the Council will need to be re-introduced in 2025. If you have a bill you care about that didn't advance, don't worry – plenty of legislation gets picked up again. It's also been announced that I've been asked to continue chairing the Council's Committee on Transportation and the Environment for the next term.

At our final Legislative Meeting on Tuesday, we took time to honor Ward 7 Councilmember and former Mayor Vince Gray, who has had an incredible career in public service as an agency head, Ward 7 Councilmember, Chair of the Council, and Mayor. Councilmember Gray has stepped back from public service, and for the first time in many years, will not hold elected office. We sat next to each other on the dais and I've known him for more than 20 years. It has been an honor to serve with him across many different issues, ranging from improving healthcare facilities east of the river to supporting our childcare industry (more on that below) to partnering on many public safety initiatives. He will be missed, and I wish him all the best in his retirement.

QUICK LINKS: Rumsey Modernization | Public Safety Updates | Plazas in the Future | Market Goes Year-Round | Fake Tags | Regulating Delivery Services  | Keeping Out Flavored Tobacco | A New Stop Sign | Sidewalk Improvements | Site Visit with DOB | J.O. Wilson Leads the Way | Filing ABCA Complaints | Southwest Survey | Councilmember Trayon White | Holiday Hours 

First Meeting for Rumsey Pool Redevelopment

Thursday night, we kicked off the first community planning meeting for the reconstruction of the Rumsey Pool on Capitol Hill. I've worked hard to secure $37M in the city budget to rebuild this crucial facility for our community. The building is on its last legs and is getting harder and harder to maintain in between forced closures. The funding will allow us to completely rebuild and reimagine this vital space. When I asked neighbors to join me in the community process, they did not disappoint! More than 150 people attended the first meeting!

I've met with representatives from DC Wave, the Water Wizards, lap swimmers, neighbors, water aerobic classes, and more. Far and away, the No. 1 thing people want to see more of in the new pool is more lanes and more water. With more lanes, we will also reduce conflicts and competition for the many uses of the pool – swim team practices, laps swimming, water aerobics and bikes, swim lessons, free play, and more. We also heard great feedback about the need for better and different locker rooms and changing rooms, how the pool could once again host swim meets, how this project could help improve and activate the dead spaces in the alley and on C Street, whether a zero-entry area would be good for kids and seniors, and much, much more.

Next steps: Around February, DPR and the design team will launch a community survey to gather more feedback. That will be followed by another community meeting in the spring to share initial designs for feedback. There will be several more meetings to review and finalize designs over the summer, with the goal to have construction kick off around this time next year.

This is a major project that I think is generational in scope. It's in the heart of Capitol Hill, nestled right next to the historic Eastern Market, and has a lot of history itself. I'm excited to work with you all on this project to make it the very best and something we will be very excited about.

Public Safety Updates

• Barricade Resolution in Navy Yard: MPD safely resolved a barricade situation inside an apartment complex in the 1100 block of First Street SE on Thursday, Dec. 12. Four suspects were arrested and charged with armed burglary and kidnapping after holding an occupant against their will. Seven weapons and illegal drugs were recovered from inside the unit, leading to additional charges against the apartment’s occupant.
  
  
• Suspect Sought in Southwest Shooting: MPD is investigating a shooting that happened the morning of Saturday, Dec. 14, on the 1100 block of 4th Street SW. Anyone with information should call 911 with Incident No. 120240647126.
  
  
• Arrest Made in NE Armed Robbery: Just after noon on Sunday, Dec. 15, First District officers responded to the unit block of H Street NE for the report of a robbery. Shortly afterward, MPD arrested and charged a 16-year-old male with armed robbery.
  
  
• Illegal Pot Shop Closed Down Next to Legal Medicinal Shop: ABCA announced the closure of two more illegal pot shops. The reason I'm noting this one here is because of what MPD and ABCA found at one of them: pounds of cocaine, meth, and firearms. As I emphasize every time I highlight one of these closures, these illegal shops are totally unregulated in the product they are selling, the cannabis sold or gifted is often laced with dangerous drugs, and many closures have firearms found alongside them. These closures are happening now because of legislative action I led the Council on earlier this year. We need to get to a place where we have well-regulated, good businesses that aren't competing with illegal shops. 
  
  
• New Chief Judge Raises Alarm on Judge Shortage: Last Friday, I attended the investiture of new Chief Judge Milton Lee, who is now tasked with leading the DC Superior Court, which handles local criminal and civil cases in DC. I've known Chief Judge Lee for a number of years and was honored to join him for this important ceremony. The role of the Chief Judge is a significant one, as the smooth operation of the DC Superior Court plays a critical role in holding people accountable who cause harm, as well as delivering fair and timely justice for defendants awaiting their day in court. They also process everything in the civil system from evictions to probate to divorces to child custody, so having strong leadership is incredibly important for keeping our city going day to day. And I'd be remiss without noting DC's Superior Court continues to have a large number of vacancies because they have not been confirmed by the Senate. This impacts every DC resident, delays justice in our city, and hurts public safety efforts. Vacancies at the Court mean every judge and function of the court has to do more work with fewer hands to help.

Council Passes My Bill to Create Three New Pedestrian Plazas, Help Seniors Park at Home

This week, the Council unanimously approved my legislation to create three new plazas that will modernize and expand how public spaces support active communities, civic life, and small businesses. Some of the most memorable destinations worldwide are plazas where people can gather easily and safely without car traffic competing for that space. We’ve lost some of that over time, and I want us to reclaim it. This bill will identify three areas where opening a street to people and closing a street to traffic will bring people together, allow businesses to open their doors and put out tables, and create space to enhance civic life.

The bill was an omnibus bill with several other elements: 

• Making it easier to hold a block party on your street (we know Ward 6 loves a block party!);
• Covering the cost of installing a parking pad on the property of a senior homeowner as part of the Safe at Home program I created to help seniors age in place; and
• Requiring that when DDOT evaluates a street's performance, it looks at all road users on the street, not just traffic.
  

Read more about the PLAZA Act and these other provisions.

ICYMI: Watch my video recapping Tuesday's meeting.

H Street Farmers Market Celebrates 20 Years, Now Open Year-Round

Speaking of spaces that are closed to cars and welcoming to pedestrians, on Saturday, I was glad to stop by the H Street Farmers Market to help celebrate 20 years of this H Street destination, which is now going to run year-round (I grabbed my weekly produce while I was there)! Whether it's there, Eastern Market, Southwest, or Mount Vernon Triangle, we know that farmers markets don't just connect us to fresh food – it's where we gather and feel welcome. Congrats to those who make the market special every weekend and create a place we all look forward to visiting as part of our weekend.

Council Strengthens Laws on Fake License Plates

A key part of getting people to drive more safely is ensuring accountability. It's far too common right now to see a car drive dangerously that has a fake license plate, expired temporary tags, or has otherwise obscured the ability of the city to track down the driver of the vehicle. These are clear efforts to get away with driving recklessly, and it’s, frankly, a hole in our efforts to get people to drive slower and follow the rules of the road. This bill, which now heads to the Mayor’s desk for her signature, takes the same approach as my STEER Act in prioritizing ways to immobilize and tow vehicles that are breaking the law. It also includes a point system for safety-related parking violations and vehicles with expired tags. The goal here is not to take away people’s cars. It’s to get people to recognize we all benefit when people drive safely and follow the law. That requires accountability. I’m glad to see this legislation from Councilmember Brianne Nadeau move forward.

Delivery Service Use Has Skyrocketed. New Law Brings Standards to Protect DC Residents.

At our final Legislative Meeting, the Council passed an expansive bill that brings greater regulation and enforcement to food delivery services, which you might have noticed have skyrocketed in usage, particularly with a major increase in the number of moped drivers. I like getting my food delivered quickly and hot as much as anyone else, but we need to ensure there are safety standards. This bill gives the Department of For-Hire Vehicles greater authority to respond to the changing marketplace and ensure the industry benefits the workers and the customers.

Three Years Ago, DC Made a Modest Increase on Taxes for Highest-Income Earners to Save Our Childcare Industry. It's Working.

DC is standing out across the nation for a very good reason: We're stabilizing our childcare industry and making sure our childcare professionals can earn a living wage doing so. Ask any parent: Childcare is outrageously expensive. It's probably the second-highest monthly expense, right after a mortgage or rent. And yet, childcare worker wages aren't nearly enough to be a true living wage. That disparity is almost entirely related to the necessary ratio of teachers to infants and toddlers. People need to earn a living wage, but for safety reasons, you can't scale up too high the number of children being cared for. That gap between cost and salary was threatening to undermine our entire childcare industry, and for the majority Black and Brown women who do the work, it was undermining their ability to stay in their chosen profession. And I'll just state the obvious: We want to attract the very best workers to our childcare facilities here in DC. We're talking about the folks who take care of our youngest children and who get them started on their path to adulthood.

As part of the debate on the 2021 budget, I led the Council to pass a discrete and focused package that asked individuals (not combined family income) earning more than $250,000 to pay a small amount more, and in doing so, we put funding into the Council's landmark Birth to Three legislation to stabilize and protect our childcare industry. I write all of this to say that the steps we took are working. NPR has a great feature piece looking at how my amendment is impacting people and the industry more broadly. For those whose taxes were raised, thank you for chipping in a little more. I don't take it for granted nor did I suggest this path forward lightly. I hope we can all see the impact this decision has had.

But there are also warning signs that we may have to fight for these gains again. Last spring, the Mayor's proposed budget slashed pay for childcare workers before the Council was able to restore it. This week, Washington City Paper reported that the Mayor is planning to eliminate these pay increases for childcare workers and destabilize our childcare centers again. I hope this isn't correct and that the Mayor changes her mind – but if not, I'm ready to fight again for working families.

You Can't Do That: Flavored Tobacco Company Hit with Steep Fine

Last week, Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb announced that the makers of Zyn nicotine pouches will pay $1.2 million to resolve allegations the company facilitated the sale of tens of thousands of flavored products in DC, violating the District’s 2022 ban on flavored tobacco and nicotine products. 

In 2021, I was proud to co-introduce the bill that would create this ban, and as the Chair of the Council's Judiciary Committee, I shepherded it through the Council despite lobbying by Big Tobacco. We knew then that flavored tobacco products were hooking a new generation onto smoking, and it was leading to major health inequities. The companies didn't seem to care then, and they certainly don't now without enforcement, so I'm glad to see AG Schwalb holding them accountable. 

Common-Sense Safety Improvements Coming to 5th and Independence SE

For years, neighbors and I have known the crossroads of 5th Street and Independence Avenue SE to be dangerous, with numerous traffic collisions at the two-way stop intersection.

A few weeks ago, I sat down with DDOT Director Sharon Kershbaum and pushed once more for this intersection to be converted into an all-way stop with a stop sign added to the one-way Independence Avenue, and she agreed.

DDOT says this stop sign should be installed in March, and I'm glad this overdue safety improvement is finally happening. Thanks to neighbors for all their advocacy!

Lincoln Park Gets Some Much-Needed Maintenance

Last week, the National Park Service shared that the north playground at Lincoln Park has reopened! This followed more than two months of the playground being closed for work (weather delays) to replace the retaining wall, fix the gate latches, and complete other minor repairs such as power washing the equipment and touching up paint.

However, I've also heard from residents that the lights along the south side of the central lawn haven't worked for weeks. I reached out to NPS, and repairs have been made to almost all of the lights. They are all back on except for one, which needs some additional electrical work. Thank you to ANC 6A04 Commissioner Amber Gove for continuing to work with my office and NPS on this issue.

Safer Walks Ahead: Sidewalk Repairs Underway

DDOT is tackling four big sidewalk repair projects in Ward 6. While I know this construction can be inconvenient, these improvements mean safer and smoother paths for pedestrians are ahead. Work was scheduled to begin already, with all projects planned to be complete by Friday, Jan. 3:

• I Street from South Capitol Street to Half Street, SW
• I Street from 7th Street to 3rd Street, SW
• East Capitol Street from 11th Street to 17th Street, NE (pictured)
• Maryland Avenue from 8th Street to 10th Street, NE

Crews are contracted to work from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Curbside parking could be restricted: If that’s the case, you’ll see emergency “No Parking” signs displayed.

Taking Action on a Neglected Vacant Home on 12th Street SE

When residents told me a vacant property on 12th Street SE had been causing concerns, I decided to check it out firsthand with my staff member Kimberly. We brought the Department of Buildings to come along as well, given their key role in assessing violations as a first step. As we approached, we could see construction debris, and as we got closer we found the building was unsecured and structurally unsound. It also had expired permits. DOB is securing the property and addressing the issues. If you believe there's a vacant property near you and are worried about its condition, file a complaint here.

Big Congrats to J.O. Wilson Elementary!

The DC Ed Fund recently honored J.O. Wilson Elementary with the School Improvement Award at its annual Standing Ovation event! The school community earned this award for outstanding academic growth, cutting absenteeism, and fostering a thriving school culture. Kudos to the students, teachers, and the entire school community for this well-deserved recognition!

Have a Complaint for ABCA?

Residents can file complaints about both licensed and unlicensed alcohol and cannabis establishments with the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration in two simple ways: 

1. Online Complaint Portal (Recommended)
   This portal is mobile-friendly, and you can attach supporting files, such as photos. Submissions receive a tracking number for follow-up.
   
   
2. By phone at 202-442-4423
   Callers can use the virtual auto attendant, select their preferred language preference, and request a callback instead of holding.

Find more information on ABCA's website, or email [email protected].

Help Shape Southwest

Share your thoughts on the Southwest neighborhood in this quick, anonymous survey. Just a few minutes of your time can help shape the Southwest Business Improvement District's priorities for the coming year.

Council Determines Appropriate Punishment for Councilmember Trayon White is Expulsion; Vote in 2025

Finally, I want to share an update on a serious action taken by the Council on Monday, on a very serious issue. On Monday morning, the Council held a public meeting of what's called an "ad hoc committee" – essentially a special Council committee – to review an independent investigative report commissioned by the Council into whether Councilmember Trayon White violated District ethics laws and the Council's Code of Conduct in allegedly accepting bribes in return for contract steering. And, if so, what actions the Council should take in response. I'm mentioning this in the newsletter because the allegations are very serious, and I want Ward 6 residents to know my position. 

The Council’s internal process for discipline is separate from a criminal trial, and ours isn't about determining guilt in a Court, but rather if there’s enough evidence to show that a Councilmember violated District law and our own Council ethics code to warrant expulsion. And in this case, the evidence against Councilmember Trayon White met that standard. I told The Washington Post over the weekend that I believed the only course of action the Council could take was expulsion – and all of my colleagues agreed when it came to a vote this week.

Councilmember Trayon White remains in office for now and will have the opportunity next month to present to the Council any evidence in his defense at a hearing. A vote to expel him would take place sometime after Jan. 28, the soonest date the Council can act. This is a sad day for the Council and the District. An expulsion also means the residents of Ward 8 will not have Ward-level representation on the Council during the vacancy, although I and my at-large colleagues will continue to step up to make sure constituent cases are addressed. However, we can't jeopardize the public trust, and taking government funds in exchange for using your position to contract steer couldn't be more serious. When someone breaks the law, they must be held accountable for their actions.

Happy Holidays

As the year winds down, I hope you find time to celebrate with loved ones. Our office will be closed over the next few days, but we’ll still be checking email for urgent issues — just allow a bit more time for responses. We’ll be ready to dive into the new Council Period starting Jan. 2!

See you around the neighborhood,

Charles Allen