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Neighbors,
As we wind down this year, I’m so grateful for the partnership and support of our community in Ward 1 and beyond. We’ve taken on so many tough challenges in recent years, and the only way through them has been together. Thank you for allowing me to serve as your Councilmember for the past eight years and the next four.
Over the past six years, I have had the honor of serving as the Chairperson of the Committee on Human Services. During that time, I was able to expand cash benefits for families, expand rights and resources for those with disabilities, establish the independent Ombudsperson for Children, create financial stability for children exiting our foster care system with housing and savings accounts and fund housing vouchers for thousands of people experiencing homelessness. I’ve included a link to our Council Period 24 activity report here so you can
see the latest. I’ve already got a whole stack of bills in the queue for next year, so stay tuned!
With the end of Council Period 24 come some big and not-so-big changes. While you’ll still find us on the first floor of the John A. Wilson Building at 1350 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, we’ll be moving to suite 108 right around the corner. Please visit in the new year.
I’m also thrilled to announce that in Council Period 25, I will be moving on to chair the Committee on Public Works and Operations. On this committee, the Department of Public Works will be the centerpiece as I tackle waste reduction, keeping our streets and neighborhoods clean, and addressing parking enforcement challenges across the city. We know how dedicated the DPW workforce is and how hard their work has been throughout the pandemic.
I look forward to working with a new director to lift up this agency for all our residents. The committee also includes the new Dept. of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Office of Contracting and Procurement, Department of For-Hire Vehicles, Department of Human Resources, Office of Administrative Hearings, Office of Risk Management, Contract Appeals Board, and shared oversight of the Deputy Mayor for Operations and Infrastructure. It’s a hefty assignment, but I’m up to the task and excited to get started.
On January 2, the Mayor, Attorney General, Council, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners, State Board of Education, and Shadow Representatives will be sworn into our positions. I’ll host an open house in our new office from 4-6 pm. I hope you can join us to see our new space and meet our newest team members—the invitation is below, and the RSVP link is here. In the new year, we’ll be sharing an update on all our new team members.
After such a hectic year, my team and I are taking time to recuperate next week. We will be monitoring our email periodically for any urgent issues. Like always, please be sure to utilize our 311 system for city services.
Finally, I want to honor my colleagues Mary Cheh and Elissa Silverman for their service on the Council as they leave this year. Both have been great partners on issues that impact the people of Ward 1, and they will be greatly missed. I look forward to welcoming new colleagues Matthew Frumin and Zachary Parker.
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