Council Member Pinto Outlines 2022 Top Priorities
By • December 13, 2021 0 1006
At City Center DC’s annual holiday Christmas tree lighting celebration this past Saturday, Nov. 27, Ward 2 Council member Brooke Pinto spoke warmly about the deeper meanings of Christmas this year to a TV reporter.
“You can just feel the energy,” Pinto told ABC7 News, with the 75-foot decorated and sparkling tree behind her in the cool night air. “People are so ready for the holiday season and to be together this year to celebrate. There’s such a holiday spirit and such enthusiasm… to really celebrate what the holiday means. It’s not about the excesses and toys and gifts, necessarily, but celebrating family and looking out for each other as neighbors.”
We checked in with Council member Pinto about her governing priorities in the new year and how she’ll be helping look out for her Georgetown neighbors from her position on the D.C. Council.
“Throughout my time on the Council, I have been steadfastly committed to recovery for our small businesses – introducing and getting passed an expansion of the Great Streets Program into Ward 2, designing grant programs in the budget for hotels and hotel workers and rent relief for brick-and-mortar businesses, and supporting our Main Streets and women and minority-owned businesses,” Pinto told The Georgetowner. “As we head into another year with the continuing effects of the pandemic, I will continue to champion the issues that help our small businesses most. Support for our small businesses and our residents is multi-layered and includes not only grant funding and streamlining regulations but also, improvements in public safety, transportation safety, and protections for the environment.”
As winter sets in and hypothermia season reminders abound, Pinto is particularly concerned about addressing issues of housing and homelessness in Georgetown. “I remain committed to helping neighbors experiencing homelessness move into safe and sustainable housing expeditiously – a major focus of this winter,” she said.
She wants to ensure equal access to Ward 2’s recreational facilities. “I’ll soon introduce legislation to ensure that there’s fairness in the use of license agreements at all recreational facilities owned by the District. These amenities are public resources and all residents deserve access to [having] fun!”
Pinto’s commitment to women’s rights will also be reflected in her priorities for young female students in her district’s public and charter schools and beyond. “I’m also committed to expanding my support for women and girls and menstrual equity,” she said. “Legislation I introduced to provide free period products in all DCPS schools was funded in this years’ budget and I’m committed to getting the legislation passed and enacted. But, there’s still more work to be done to extend this basic human necessity to more District residents and I’ll be fighting to do just that.”
On the D.C. Council this year, Pinto has helped deliver major funding initiatives along her priorities to Ward 2 and Georgetown. On Twitter (@ CMBrookePinto), she pinned an Aug. 5, 2020 overview of major budgetary goals for FY/22. She’ll be fighting for $40 million for the “HOTEL Bridge Fund” to “support the hospitality industry and another $40 million for “small business rent relief.” She’ll be supporting more spending for a Georgetown Livability Study as well as the renovations of Volta Park and Jelleff Recreation Center. And, to address issues of housing and homelessness she’ll support $400 million in city expenditures for the Housing Production Trust Fund, $95 million to house around 2,200 “neighbors experiencing homelessness,” and $50 million for public housing repairs, including “Ward 2 properties at Horizon House and Claridge Towers.”
In the holiday spirit, Pinto shared how much she’s inspired every day by her Georgetown neighbors: “Our Ward 2 residents inspire me every day. I invite neighbors to continue to reach out to me with ideas and to join me in working to make our communities stronger.”
