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Brickie Awards, Recreation for Kids & a New Cannabis Bill

Congratulations to the winners, and thank you to everyone who nominated!

The DC Council will vote on Councilmember Charles Allen’s (Ward 6) emergency and temporary legislation to make immediate changes to the cost and design restrictions for DDOT’s streateries rules.

Today, DC Councilmember Charles Allen (Ward 6) introduced emergency legislation to make immediate changes to the cost and design restrictions for DDOT’s streateries rules, with the goal of ensuring streateries remain a viable tool for restaurants and an opportunity to enliven street life. The Council will vote on the legislation on Tuesday, Dec. 2. The emergency bill makes two changes DDOT’s rules.

Ward 6 Update: The Brickie Awards, Electric Bills & Shopping Local

This morning at 10:30 a.m., DC Councilmember Charles Allen, Chair of the Council’s Committee on Transportation and the Environment, will join a bipartisan group of state legislators to announce the “Protecting Ratepayers Proposal,” calling on PJM to require data centers to reduce their true cost to a grid, impacting millions of residents and businesses.

Fall's taking shape all across Ward 6 neighborhoods, as bright reds and oranges fill the trees (and leaf collection season is upon us). I hope you had a great Halloween -- if you missed it, we took a stroll through the Ward to capture some of the best decorations, and here's how you can compost that carved pumpkin before it morphs into some sort of metaphor for the state of the world.

On more serious matters, the federal government shutdown has become the longest in history. A lot of Ward 6 neighbors, as well as across DC and our region, are missing paychecks and are furloughed from work. But the bills keep coming, and day-to-day costs don't take a break. In addition, more than 140,000 DC residents are struggling with the Trump administration's refusal to provide food assistance (aka, SNAP) benefits. Even after a judge ruled this week that they must disperse funds to all states, the cruelty is clear as the President is refusing to follow the court's decision and appealing it in an effort to avoid helping those in need now. More on this below, but in short, the DC government has decided to tap into emergency reserve funds to ensure we can cover these federal costs for the short-term and get people help now. I've shared resources available previously and maintain a running list here, but feel free to reach out to my constituent services team if you need more assistance.

I also wanted to update neighbors on a big challenge we're seeing across the Ward: missed trash collection. We've heard from so many neighbors about DPW failing to get to your block (sometimes repeatedly) or getting to your block but missing your bins. I've spoken to DPW leadership, and they shared acute challenges they're having around staffing shortages. But it's a really unacceptable situation for neighbors, so I've been escalating calls that come into our office for them to prioritize. If you need our help getting service, please contact my team. I'll share updates as I have them on DPW's actions to fix the situation.

Finally, November also means we're about one month out from our annual Ward 6 "Brickie" Awards! This is our office's annual community celebration, completely free for Ward 6 neighbors, where we have some great food and drink, and we take time to celebrate wonderful neighbors that make Ward 6 such a great place to call home. But you help pick the people, businesses, and community organizations we recognize. Nominations are now open -- we have five categories for Ward 6 neighbors, businesses, organizations, and public servants! I need to hear from you about who deserves a Brickie, so click here!

There's plenty to get to in this newsletter, so let's jump in.

QUICK LINKS: SNAP & WIC Update | Public Safety | Working Families Get a Raise | WMATA's Brighter Future | DDOT's Streateries Plan Could Close Most | Southwest Town Center Parks | Randall Rec Final Design | A Peek at Cobb Park | New Street Safety Improvements | Solar Insta-Permits Now Available | Nominate Neighbors for the Brickie Awards! | There's an App for That | Time to Rake | Events

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Today, the DMVMoves Task Force completed 18 months of work to recommend a plan for the region’s future investment in public transit, in particular WMATA, committing to $460 million annually beginning in 2028, with annual growth at a 3% rate. The recommendations also include aligning the region’s 14 transit services on accepted payment methods and fares, installing bus lanes in interjurisdictional corridors, and adopting VRE and MARC expansion plans.

Ward 6 Update: Reining in Scalpers, Protecting Tenants, & Leaf Season Begins

Bill creates clear rules and timelines for disconnections, particularly in large apartment buildings where the landlord has not paid the water bill