February 23, 2018

The Honorable Muriel Bowser

Mayor of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20002

Re: Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Proposal

Dear Mayor Bowser:

As you prepare your Fiscal Year 2019 (“FY19”) proposed budget, I would like to highlight a few
Ward 5 priorities, and request that you consider funding them in Fiscal Year 2019.

1. W Street Trash Transfer Station

Closing the W Street Trash Transfer Station has long been a priority for Ward 5 residents,
particularly those living within the Brentwood neighborhood. As you know, the Council has taken
steps to support this important effort by authorizing the use of eminent domain. The placement of
the new Archives facility at this site is clearly a far superior government use. I request that funds
be allocated in your FY19 proposed budget for the acquisition of this site. If you determine that
acquisition of the site is not possible, then I would urge you to exercise your full authority under
the law, including use of eminent domain.

2. Circulator Bus

The New York Avenue corridor has evolved into a vibrant area with new housing and businesses,
including retail, restaurants, and distilleries. While residents living in and around the Ft. Lincoln,
Woodridge, Arboretum, Ivy City, Eckington, and Union Market neighborhoods enjoy new the new
amenities, they frequently lament about the challenges of accessing the area. The lack of public
transportation options along New York Avenue limits residents’ ability to commute to and from
work as well as restrict opportunities for visitors to patronize area businesses. As you are aware,
the businesses are doing their best to continue operating, but will have a very difficult time
continuing to do so without help from the District to create reliable transportation to and from this

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area. I request that you include in your FY19 porposed budget funds to establish a dedicated, rapid
bus line along New York Avenue from the NoMa-Gallaudet University Metrorail station to the
Shops at Dakota Crossing, which would include stops at the Union Market area and Ivy City/Hecht
Warehouse area.

3. Senior Resources

Facilities like Model Cities Wellness Center (“Model Cities”) provide quality programming and
enable District seniors to remain active and engaged. However, Model Cities requires renovation
and expansion in order to adequately support the many senior residents with the resources they
need and alow for greater utilization of such essential services. I request that you include funds to
renovate and expand Model Cities in your FY19 proposed budget.

4. Bladensburg Road Main Street and Clean Teams

I also request that you fund in your FY19 proposed budget the creation of a new Main Street and
clean team along Bladensburg Road, NE between New York Avenue, NE and Eastern Avenue,
NE. Main Streets revitalize communities, support existing neighborhood-serving businesses, and
help to attract new businesses. A new Main Street program would support the residents and
businesses in Gateway, Langdon Park, Woodridge South, Ft. Lincoln and the surrounding
communities.

5. Industrial Advocate

Shortly after entering office, in the fall of 2012, I introduced the Ward 5 Industrial Land
Transformation Task Force Act. As a result, the Ward 5 Industrial Land Transformation Task
Force was announced in January 2013 to develop a strategic plan for the modernization and
adaptive use of industrial land in Ward 5. In 2014, the Task Force released Ward 5 Works, a
strategy to transform 1,000 acres of industrial land in Ward 5 and create a hub of green, food, tech
and creative businesses that creates jobs, community amenities and better environmental
performance for District residents. One of the recommendations listed in Ward 5 Works is to
designate an industrial advocate. Per Ward 5 Works:

The District would benefit from an advocate who promotes industrial land and
users, and links businesses to District programs and other resources. The Advocate
role could be initiated as an industrial sector manager at a District agency such as
the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. The industrial sector
manager could begin to immediately undertake priority actions identified in Ward
5 Works and commence coordination with District agencies and other stakeholders
on implementation.1

1
Government of the District of Columbia, Ward 5 Works: The District of Columbia Ward 5 Industrial Land
Transformation Study, Office of Planning, Available at:
https://planning.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/op/publication/attachments/W5_07142014_FINALfinal
Smallest.pdf (2014).

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I renew my request for funding and hope that you will include in your FY19 proposed budget
funding for a new position of Industrial Advocate (an additional FTE) within the Office of the
Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development.

6. Education Resources

I request significant capital investment in Ward 5 educational resources including funding for
library and school rennovations. Ward 5 is served by only two of the District’s 26 library facilities.
Accordingly, I would like to ensure that the Lamond Riggs Library project remains on track. This
includes ensuring that the Design Team Selection Panel is assembled in Fiscal Year 2018 and that
the $15 million slated for this project in FY19 remains available.

I am requesting that you prioritize Burroughs Education Campus, Langley Elementary School, and
Browne Education Campus’s (“Browne”) position in the Capital Improvement Plan as schools
scheduled for a modernization in FY19. Specifically, I am hopeful that your FY19 Budget will
allocate additional funding for Browne in Fiscal Year 2019. Your FY18 budget allocated
$3,622,000 to Browne in 2023. During consideration of the FY18 budget, the Council added
$6,400,000 to Browne for FY23. Many Ward 5 residents would benefit from advancing this project
to FY19 and I would appreciate your support in doing so.

7. Legislation

I am requesting that your FY19 proposed budget fully fund the following bills:

Enacted

1. B21-0152, the “Prohibition Against Tobacco Products to Individuals Under 21

Amendment Act of 2016”

i. B21-0152 was passed by the Council on November 1, 2016 and became

effective February 18, 2017. This bill prohibits individuals under the age
of 21 from purchasing or possessing tobacco products. This bill is important
for creating a safe and healthy space for District residents, and more
specifically, young adults. Furthermore, decreasing the use of tobacco is a
public health goal that I share with many of my constituents.

2. B21-0683, the “Comprehensive Youth Justice Amendment Act of 2016”

i. B21-0683 was passed unanimously by the Council in fall 2016 and became
law in April 2017. The bill achieves several goals including the following:
1. Prevents children from entering the criminal justice system;
2. Reduces over-incarceration;
3. Provides age-appropriate sentences for children;

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 4. Improves the conditions of confinement; and
5. Expands oversight of services.

The Council funded several provisions of the bill in the FY18 budget, but the
provision that transfers juvenile custody from the Department of Corrections to the
Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services remains unfunded.

3. B21-0003, the “Rail Safety and Security Amendment Act of 2016”

i. B21-0003 enables the District to participate in the State Rail Safety

Participation Program (SRSPP). The SRSPP would engage safety
inspectors in one or more of the five rail safety inspection disciplines.2 The
advantages of joining this program are the increased number of safety
inspections that can occur.3 The bill also established a Rail Advisory Board
to provide guidance to your administration and the Council on railroad
matters. With the recent increase in railroad accidents across the nation, it
is important that we prioritize funding this bill.

4. B21463, the “Incarceration to Incorporation Entrepreneurship Program Act of 2016”4

i. The bill creates the Incarceration to Incorporation Entrepreneurship

Program within the Department of Employment Services and operated in
collaboration with the Department of Small and Local Business
Development. The program will provide investment, training, and
education scholarships to … returning citizens... The program is authorized
to:
1. Provide direct investment in businesses or non-profits operated
by returning citizens;
2. Offer classes and training to enhance skills of returning citizens
and assist them with obtaining a general education development
diploma;
3. Provide mentorship and support to returning citizens, including
placement in established businesses, and monthly networking
meetings with business leaders; and
4. Provide scholarships or grants to returning citizens to enroll in
business classes at the University of the District of Columbia or
the University of the District of Columbia Community College.
Introduced

5. B22-0235, the “Managing Outdoor Work for Seniors Amendment Act of 2017”

2
There are five Railroad Safety Inspector occupational disciplines: hazardous materials, motive power and
equipment, operating practices, signals and train control, and track. (Overview, FRA,
https://www.fra.dot.gov/page/p0369 (last visited Nov 6, 2016)).
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Id.
4
Dewitt, Jeffrey, Chief Financial Officer, Fiscal Impact Statement – Incarceration to Incorporation
Entrepreneurship Program of 2016, Office of the Chief Financial Officer (2016).

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 i. B22-0235 would create a District government program to provide outdoor
yard work services for seniors. The Office on Aging would be tasked with
setting up the program, which consists of connecting seniors who wish to
take part, with contractors who will provide basic outdoor services. Services
offered would include lawn fertilization, seeding, aeration, and mowing.
Additionally, contractors could also provide weed control, leaf removal,
gutter cleaning, and snow removal.

6. B22-0346, the “Charles Hamilton Houston and Other Diverse Washingtonians

Commemorative Works Amendment Act of 2017”

i. B22-0346, would direct the Commemorative Works Commission to erect

statues in each of the City’s eight wards that highlight native
Washingtonians who are women and minorities. Furthermore, the
legislation would make the inaugural statue a memorial to honor Charles
Hamilton Houston, a native Washingtonian and graduate of Dunbar High
School. As two native Washingtonians, you and I know that the District of
Columbia has been the birthplace for many unsung figures who had an
impact on, not just the District of Columbia, but the entire nation. This bill
is designed to memorialize them, educate residents and visitors about them,
honor their legacy, and increase representation of native Washingtonian
women and minority historical figures lauded throughout the city.

I welcome the opportunity to discuss the budget requests and appreciate your thoughtful
consideration of each of them. For your convenience, I have dirtected my staff to gather estimates
for each of my requests. I am happy to share these estimates with the staff you deem appropriate.
Should you have any questions, please contact my Legislative Director, Barbara Mitchell, at
bmitchell@dccouncil.us or 202-724-8028.

Sincerely,

Kenyan R. McDuffie