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: March 2, 2023

RE: Request to Agendize for the March 7, 2023 Legislative Meeting

This memorandum is to request that the following measures be placed on the agenda for the March 7, 2023 Legislative Meeting:

▪ Commission on the Arts and Humanities Acting Executive Director Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2023

▪ Commission on the Arts and Humanities Acting Executive Director Emergency Amendment Act of 2023

▪ Commission on the Arts and Humanities Acting Executive Director Temporary Amendment Act of 2023

Emergency legislation is necessary to allow the Commission (“Commission”) on the Arts and Humanities to appoint an interim or acting Executive Director in the absence of a Council-confirmed Executive Director. Under current law, the Mayor may appoint interim or acting agency heads for subordinate District government agencies. However, no such authority exists for independent agencies with governing bodies that appoint their agency head.

Last fall, a vacancy arose in the position of Executive Director of the Commission. The Commission appointed an internal senior leader to lead the agency in anticipation of the Commission nominating a permanent Executive Director. The Commission has identified a candidate for the Executive Director position, and it seeks to allow that nominee to serve as Acting Executive Director for up to 180 days in anticipation of Council confirmation. That is the purpose of this emergency legislation: to enable the Commission to move forward now.

I plan to hold a hearing on permanent legislation accompanying this measure as well as on the confirmation of the Commission’s Executive Director nominee later this month.

The draft measures are attached. Please call me or Mr. Evan Cash if you have any questions at (202) 724-7002.

cc: All Councilmembers

Council Officers