COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20004

 

MEMORANDUM

 

TO:                       Nyasha Smith, Secretary to the Council

               

FROM:               Phil Mendelson, Chairman

                                                               

DATE:                 June 2, 2022

 

RE:                       Request to Place Measures on the Agenda for the June 7, 2022 Legislative Meeting

 

This memorandum is to request that the following measures be placed on the agenda for the June 7, 2022 Legislative Meeting:

 

▪        Advisory Neighborhood Commission Boundaries Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2022

▪        Advisory Neighborhood Commission Boundaries Emergency Act of 2022

 

Bill 24-700, the Advisory Neighborhood Commission Boundaries Act of 2022 is set to be adopted on final reading by the Council on June 7, 2022.  The underlying legislation redraws Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) and Single Member District (SMD) boundaries, consistent with the Ward Redistricting Amendment Act of 2021.  The new boundaries reflect neighborhood populations as included in the 2020 Census.  The permanent measure was approved by the Subcommittee on Redistricting on May 20, 2022 and was adopted by the full Committee of the Whole and the Council on first reading on May 24, 2022 following amendments addressing concerns over some Ward ANC 7 Boundaries.  Additional changes to balance populations in Ward 7 West-of-the-River SMDs will be reflected in an Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute that will circulate on Monday, June 6, 2022, and in the filed version of this emergency.

 

The Ward 3 Redistricting Taskforce recommendations, which are largely reflected in the bill as adopted on first reading, included centering ANCs around population centers, even where those boundaries may split existing neighborhoods.  Concerns were raised to the Committee of the Whole with respect to the Ward 3 ANC Boundaries after the Subcommittee vote, however those concerns could not be addressed in the four days between the Subcommittee and full Committee markups.  I intend to address these concerns in the Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute and filed version of this emergency act.  The primary concerns about the Ward 3 map, including concerns raised at a Ward 3 community meeting held on May 31, 2022, can be summarized as follows:

 

§  The Westover Place, N.W. neighborhood being isolated from adjacent ANC 3E and 3D.

§  A small residential triangle south of Tenley Circle being included in a new ANC 3A.

§  The Woodland Normanstone neighborhood being split between to SMDs.

§  The Cleveland Park neighborhood being split between two ANCs.

 

This draft emergency reflects the engrossed version of Bill 24-700.  However, the emergency bill will be filed on Monday reflecting an Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute that will be circulated on Monday.