Chairman Phil Mendelson

DC Mayor Launches New Initiatives That Include Training for Inmates – Although Bowser stressed that only working misdemeanor offenders would be eligible for pretrial release, D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) said that misdemeanor suspects being held at the D.C. jail are there because a court has already determined that they are a danger to society or a flight risk.  “Nobody is automatically held pretrial,” Mendelson said in a phone interview.  [The Washington Post]

DC, Wizards to Announce Deal on Practice Facility in Southeast – “I think it’s an intriguing proposition, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the details are,” DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said.  [NBC4]

DC Mayor to Present $23 Million Supplemental Budget to Council – Because the budget involves fiscal 2015 funds, the District government will have to spend it before fiscal 2016 starts on Oct. 1.  That leaves the council with little time to hold hearings or to make changes to the document before sending it back to the mayor. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) said that he met Tuesday with Bowser and told her that he would support council action on the document next week but that he would not guarantee support for all of her proposed measures.  [The Washington Post]

Could More Tax Abatement Be in Play in the District?  Mendelson Says It’s ‘Case-by-Case’ – “I think we have to look at it very carefully on a case-by-case basis,” he said. “There is a difference between The Advisory Board and, say, ACME Pest Control. There’s just a lot of aspects to this that are unique.”  [Washington Business Journal]

Amid Weekend Violence, DC’s Homicide Count Surges Past 100 – “People want to know why there has not been a clear answer given, and that’s not to say that there is an easy answer,” DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson recently said, the Post reports.  [DCist]

DC Mayor to Ask for Expanded Police Powers Amid Homicide Spike – “Before there is violence, I believe there are things we can do to deter someone from even picking up a gun,” Mendelson said. “If they do, they will know immediately that they have made their decision” to potentially return to prison.  [The Washington Post]

Mayor Bowser to Announce Plan to Fight Crime Spike – “The idea behind it is that we have to step up the pressure on gun violence,” DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said.  [NBC4]

Surge in Deadly Violence is Dictating the Agenda for DC’s Mayor – “People want to know why there has not been a clear answer given, and that’s not to say that there is an easy answer,” DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) said. “But first we were told by the mayor that it might be synthetic drugs or domestic violence, then it was illegal guns. Homicides are up. Not just up, but up by 30 percent. Layer over that changing explanations and it gives people cause for real concern.”  [The Washington Post]

Phil Mendelson Gives in, Joins Twitter – “Yes, I have succumbed,” Mendelson writes in an email to LL.  [Washington City Paper]

Council Financial Disclosure Amendment Act of 2015

This bill modifies the District’s Ethics Act to clarify and strengthen the financial disclosure requirements as they relate to the Council.  Creating bright lines in the law the legislation will increase compliance, and bolstering the requirements for the financial disclosure will make the information obtained more meaningful.

Building Service Employees Minimum Work Week Act of 2015

This bill would require a minimum 30-hour workweek for janitorial and building maintenance workers in office buildings over 350,000 sq. ft.  This will allow these workers to access employer-based healthcare and enable them to earn sufficient income without working multiple jobs.

click the titles above to view the legislation

DC Officials Defend Management of School Modernization Projects – “They are providing quality work and oversight on these projects,” Bonvechio said, pointing to the 75 renovations that have been completed as evidence of their effectiveness.  DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) challenged him on that: “Based on how pretty a building looks, they are doing good work?” he asked. “You can’t say ‘on budget and on time.’ ”  The audit report, released last week, says that the Department of General Services and D.C. Public Schools have not provided basic financial management, allowing the cost of programs to skyrocket.  [The Washington Post]

Are Plans for Whole Foods in Shaw Running Into a Roadblock? – The sale price could be why Council Chairman Phil Mendelson hasn’t brought the issue up for a vote. During a hearing in early June, Mendelson and Councilwoman Mary Chehexpressed concerns with the proposed sale price of $1.4 million, citing a D.C. government appraisal of the property at $27 million.  [Washington Business Journal]

Questions Remain About DC School Modernization Funds – D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said the system was “rigged against accountability,” as the council has a small window each year to review and approve school modernization projects.  [Education Watchdog]