Save Our Safety Net Takes on Homeless Bill
• June 18, 2013

 

-With unemployment on the rise, an increasing number of homeless persons have migrated to the District seeking aid. However, citing a budget crunch, Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells has proposed a bill that will deny shelter to homeless residents from other jurisdictions. The bill will put an end to D.C.’s open-door policy, which makes it illegal to deny anyone access to a shelter once the temperature drops below freezing. Instead, those who can demonstrate proof of a legal D.C. address within the past two years or a record of receiving public assistance will receive preferential treatment.

Needless to say, groups such as Save Our Safety Net are rightfully outraged. While officials
have argued that those denied access would receive help in returning where they came from, the bill’s opponents hold that, as a symbolic home to all Americans, the District should not be refusing anyone. Furthermore, they point out that many homeless have no way of producing proof of residence, particularly those who bounce between D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. If the bill passes, many homeless will find themselves left out in the cold, regardless of their physical condition.

Save Our Safety Net has pointed out that there’s more wrong with the bill than just the residency requirement. The bill jeopardizes family health and safety by removing the limit on the number of families that can be housed in a single room. Also, the cost per client agencies serve will be increased. No doubt D.C. would be setting itself up for more than a few lawsuits.

Fall Fringe
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-Capital Fringe Festival’s fall programming is in its second year, and this November, The Shop at Fort Fringe is reprising 10 of its summer hits. Among the more popular shows still running are “Romeo & Juliet: Choose Your Own Ending” (Nov. 10-21), Ridgefield Middle School Talent Night (Nov. 12-21), “This is Your Brain on Rock and Roll” (Nov. 17-21), and “Do Not Kill Me, Killer Robots” (Nov. 17-21).

“Romeo & Juliet” is unique in that the audience aids in determining the course of the play. This summer, the show received the Fringe Awards for Best Overall Show and Best Comedy.

Another comedy, “Do Not Kill Me, Killer Robots,” began replaying this week. The show features
a solo performance by Ben Egerman in a sea of cardboard props. In it, the last living man attempts to survive amongst an unseen enemy.

Also restarting this week is “This is Your Brain on Rock and Roll.” Ed Hamell received Fringe’s Director’s Award in 2009, and now the excitable singer-songwriter has put together a new comedic routine to entertain audiences.

If you missed any of these performances this summer, you’ve been given a second chance. Be sure to dress warmly when attending, because The Shop is an outdoor venue.

Instant DC
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-November 18, 19, and 21, Fathom Gallery is showcasing its first mobile photography exhibit. Hosted by Fathom Creative, the show will feature the work of 10 local mobile photographers. Additionally, there will be several giveaways and plenty of refreshments provided by Church Key DC over the course of the weekend.

Thursday evening, doors will open at 6 p.m. with the official opening ceremony at 7 p.m. Free beer will be offered through the night, and there will be free souvenirs for all in attendance. On Friday, a slideshow and live feed will take place downstairs while the gallery exhibit will be upstairs. The exhibit will run from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. that night and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.

Tickets will cost $5 on opening night, $3 Friday, and $2 Sunday. Proceeds will offset the cost of the space and produce and frame the photographs. Invitations can be purchased on instantdc.com. DC-area mobile photographers are encouraged to contact Instant DC through the website if they wish to have their work included in the next show.

D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities 2011 Grants
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Starving artists throughout the city are catching their big break as the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities distributes its yearly grants.

The 310 recipients were given a total of $3.9 million, with the funds benefiting both individuals like Alex Pergament, an up-and-coming photographer, and organizations like the National Cherry Blossom Festival Committee, Inc., the group that organizes one of D.C.’s most beloved celebrations.

Other recipients in the DowntownDC BID area include CityDance Ensemble, The Shakespeare Theatre and the National Building Museum, among others.

While still a significantly large sum of money, $3.9 million seems small in comparison with last year’s total of $7.25 million in grants distributed to the artists of D.C.

CoStar Building Flip
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In what is being called the most profitable real estate flip since the recession, CoStar Group recently announced that it is selling its downtown D.C. headquarters for a profit of $60 million.

CoStar originally bought the building, 1331 L St. NW, about a year ago for $41.25 million from the Mortgage Bankers Association and is now selling it to GLL Real Estate Partners, a Munich-based company, for $101 million.

The arrangement between the two real estate giants will be finalized at the end of the month. Although GLL will now own the 169,429-square-foot, LEED-certified facility, CoStar’s headquarters will remain in the building under a long-term lease in what CoStar is calling a “win-win” situation.

“This sale will enable us to unlock the value of this formerly distressed property and provide an attractive return on our investment,” said CoStar founder and CEO Andrew Florance in a press release. “At the same time, we were able to secure an efficient and environmentally responsible headquarters office for our Company at a tremendous downtown location for our employees, and create a valuable, fully leased long-term asset for the new owner.”

CoStar cites its professional insight in the real estate industry for being able to organize such a profitable flip in the midst of an economic recession.

Energy Benchmarking
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The D.C. government is taking steps to monitor and lower greenhouse gas emissions from municipal facilities, which are accountable for 74 percent of D.C.’s emissions. Using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR software tool, Portfolio Manager, the District can track buildings’ energy usage then compare D.C.’s results to others gathered across the country.

In 2009, 194 public buildings were benchmarked. The results, which are available to be viewed in full by the public, reported that public buildings and libraries perform somewhat below the national average while police and recreation facilities both use about 2.5 times more energy than their counterparts nationally. Fire stations also fall below the national average, consuming 60 percent more energy.

In addition to becoming greener, the District hopes that tracking energy use will help cut operating costs by pinpointing problem areas.

“…overall, public buildings in the District of Columbia perform below average compared to similar buildings nationwide,” states the official report. “This suggests many opportunities for saving energy through improvements. With an annual energy budget of $79 million for District buildings, even modest energy performance improvements can lead to significant budget savings.”

This benchmarking was prompted by the Green Building Act of 2006 and the Clean Affordable Energy Act of 2008, which establish legislative requirements for environmental performance in government buildings.
Beginning in 2010, similar requirements were also placed on privately owned buildings over 200,000 square feet.

Noise Task Force
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A Noise Task Force, established by the Alcohol Beverage Control Board last March, has been working to recommend amendments to local laws and procedures related to establishments with ABC licenses. Comprised of residents, community leaders and business members, the Noise Task Force aims to find solutions to educate DC residents and ABC licensees about noise laws and their rights, clarify the role of DC agencies in enforcing noise regulations, and work on the prevention and solutions to developing citywide noise issues. The task force has developed 10 proposals before the ABC Board since its conception. The proposals range from tracking noise complaints and creating an after-hours hotline for the Alcohol Beverage Regulation Administration, to developing an Introduction to DC Nightlife Course for licensees and mandating that developers and Realtors disclose noise laws.

Hiram Brewton, DowntownDC BID’s director of Environmental Services, recently gave a presentation to the ABC Board and recommended that ABRA create an Early Assistance Team made up of ABRA and Metropolitan Police Department staff and members of the public.

The team would work to help mediate and resolve disputes between establishments and the community, provide intervention services for problem establishments, and operate a peer mentoring forum.

The ABC Board will be finalizing its recommendations based on the Task Force’s proposals and will be forwarding a package to Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham for his consideration later this week. The package will include some of the recommendations, including one about the Early Assistance Tea, a transcript of the November 2010 pubic hearing and two additional recommendations that would require legislative changes. For more information visit ABRA.gov

DC May Face More Federal Budget Cuts; What Will Happen to Brown’s Cars?
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Under the proposed House Republican budget plan, the District would face $80 million in funding cuts from the federal government. District of Columbia Mayor Vincent Gray released a short statement calling the House of Representatives cuts “another serious blow” to the District and signaled potential tax increases to cover losses to local agencies.

“We already have revised our budget by hundreds of millions of dollars and face even more severe challenges as we look to Fiscal Year 2012,” Gray said in a press release. For the District that means potential cuts to key D.C. programs, including public transportation ($150 million), courts ($25.5 million) education ($15.4 million), and water and sewer ($10 million).

However, though the Mayor’s office and City Council are scrambling to figure out how to close the gap, The Washington Post raised questions about expenditures by D.C. Council chairman Kwame R. Brown, specifically, his “fully loaded” Lincoln Navigator L with a DVD entertainment system, power moonroof and polished aluminum wheels.

The legislation, though unclear as to if it would cut these cars, would spare some DC-specific programs, including the DC Tuition Assistance Grant program, a subsidy that pays the difference in tuition costs for DC students who attend out-of-state colleges and universities.

The legislation “is replete with substantial cuts to the small domestic part of the U.S. budget that the average American relies on,” congresswoman Norton told The Washington Times. “The House bill is only the first round in the [continuing-resolution] process. I have been rounding up Senate allies who, along with the Obama administration, are committed to preserving DC’s home-rule rights and dignity as a local jurisdiction.”

Tenant Association to Produce Bedbug Play
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The Norwood Tenants Association, an 84-unit rent-controlled Apartment near Logan Circle, is in the midst of writing a play on bedbugs.

“We don’t have a building-wide infestation anymore, but we do have flare-ups,” co-president Silvia Salazar told the D.C. government’s second ever Bedbug Summit last month. Norwood Apartment tenants went before Congress in November to testify about the growing problem of bed bugs not only in their apartment building, but in the District.

Norwood residents have created the website StopBedBugs.org, and they’re now applying for grants to provide it with more resources.

The play will be written, directed and performed by Norwood tenants and will feature reenactments of bedbug-related issues. They are still awaiting funding by the Commission on Arts and Humanities to put on the play.

“The first thing we did was we came out of the closet,” Salazar told TBD. Bedbugs “are way more organized than we are … let’s just accept that they are here.”

Historic Dupont East Church Raises Funds to Restore its Tower
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The Church of the Holy City’s tower, located at 16th and Corcoran St. NW, is deteriorating. Historic preservation contractors detailed the damage in 2010, which were from termites and a broken drain that deteriorated the 95-foot, 100-year-old tower. However, because of high resin content in the wood framing, the termites hadn’t done too much damage. The report, costing $20,000, has led to two matching grants by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Middle Atlantic Association of Swedenborgian Churches, who gave $5,000 each. But the church must raise $20,000 for structural work.