Brianne K Nadeau's Official Website

The Ward One Redistricting Task Force has voted to propose a revised 4-ANC Map as the preferred map and a 5-ANC map as the alternate. To view the maps that will serve as the recommendation to the Council go to http://ward1ancredistricting.shutterfly.com/pictures. You will need to create a Shutterfly account if you do not already have one. A preferred map and an alternate are due to the Council next week.

The Council’s Subcommittee on Redistricting has not yet announced its next steps. Hopefully they will be announced here soon.

I arrived at 7pm due to work obligations, but it appears I hadn’t missed much. Anyone who can fill in the first 30 minutes of the meeting should feel welcome to do so in the comments.

I did gather that the Chairman had put forth a resolution with the 4-ANC map as the primary proposal and the 5-ANC map as the alternate. This was meant to represent what he had ascertained was the consensus of the task force.

When I sat down the chairman was reiterating his point that he hope the task force can start out by taking each plan one at a time, see if there are any amendments they would make to boundaries, and that there can be debate on which should be primary and which should be secondary. Ultimately they have to submit to the Council a primary and a secondary plan. Wants make sure the task force can agree on two plans in order to fulfill its duties.

The Chairman called for amendments to the 4-ANC map. Shelore Williams wanted to make sure all understood what that map was. She walked over to the map on the wall and pointed out that the version they are discussion honors the requests of all 4 ANCs that their boundaries not change dramatically (she identified the changes) and allows 1D 5 seats, allows 1C 8 seats, and puts 1A and 1B at 12 seats each. The Chairman added that it meets the SMD size guidelines, although some do push the limits. He commended the task force on their work on this map. No amendments were offered.

The Chairman called for amendments to the 5-ANC map. Shelore Williams offered an amendment in the form of a substitute to provide for a 5-ANC map that draws a hard boundary down 16^th street and a boundary down Sherman Avenue. Shelore explained that she had convened a group of the task force and community members at her home on Saturday morning at 7 am to work towards a 5-ANC map that provides the least intrusion possible.  It was not easy. They had to recognize that there is an interest for a 5-ANC map, but that this would mean splitting 1A and 1B, who had resolutions expressing no wish for boundary changes. The Chairman summarized by saying that the 5-ANC map proposed last week would take most of the area of 16^th and 17^th in the north and put it in 1A, leaving three ANCs in Mount Pleasant. He asked how SMDs would be drawn in 1D. Shelore indicated the SMDs would have the same boundaries as the 4-ANC map. In the amended 5-ANC map, the SMD boundaries in 1A and 1B would be the same as the SMDs in the 4-ANC map for the parts that remain in those ANCs.

The Chairman opened the floor for anyone who would like to speak in opposition to the amendment. Thomas Boisvert rose to discuss the two versions of the 5-ANC map, specifically the 16^th street boundary. He indicated that the map that has the border jumping west east of 16^th street will provide the opportunity to empower those residents who would be redrawn into 1A, while allowing those remaining in 1D to have a more effective ANC. There are two parts of Mount Pleasant that have been in a relationship for a long time, and the eastern part identifies more strongly with Columbia Heights and would be more politically empowered by joining 1A. The western part wishes to continue associating with the eastern part, but if one party wishes to reassociate, the western part should not keep hanging on.

Commissioner Dottie Love Wade indicated she had looked through the guidelines of redistricting and found nothing about political ramifications or how a neighborhood feels about its association. She asked, if 1A annexes Mount Pleasant Street, will the area remaining in 1D no longer be associated with Mt. Pleasant? But her bigger problem is 1E annexing parts of 1A, and adding part of 1D to 1A does not resolve this issue. She added, she as a 1A commissioner, does not wish to inherit the problems of 1D. It’s not realistic to think that by joining 1A residents of the eastern part of Mount Pleasant will get everything they want.

ANC1A Chairman Bill Brown said he sees problems with having the Mount Pleasant corridor coming over to 1A, because those remaining in 1D will have what is happening in the Mount Pleasant commercial district impact them the most. In terms of what’s happening with high rises versus single-family homes, 16^th street has always been a boundary. Leaving 1D with 3 commissioners makes it too small. Maybe there is more unity or cohesion between the apartment dwellers along 16^th and Columbia Heights, but moving the boundary west would be very radical. He is more comfortable with the map being proposed in the amendment than the 5-ANC map proposed last week.

Beverly Wheeler spoke, noting that she is one of the people who worked on the 5-ANC map proposed last week. Initially she believed that 16^th street boundary should be maintained. But then she started talking to members of the community and found that in addition to the residents living around Georgia Avenue not having a voice, the people along Mt. Pleasant Street were not having their voices heard. That is why they proposed moving the boundary east.

ANC1D Chairman Gregg Edwards spoke about the process. He suggested that the amendment as proposed does not meet the guidelines set out for making the SMDs as equal as possible and is against the law. Further, 16^th street need not be a hard and fast boundary, as there is plenty of traffic back and forth and fluidity between those parts of the ward. He further pointed out that the 5-ANC map proposed last week does indeed allow for great weight for those to the west remaining in 1D due to the 500 feet proximity. He also does not believe reducing 1D to 3 ANCs makes it too small.

ANC1C Chairman Wilson Reynolds said he has been guided by two basic things throughout this process – make the least amount of changes as possible, and honoring the resolutions from 1A and 1B asking that they be permitted to maintain their boundaries. He strongly supports the 4-ANC map and jokingly indicated he’d be willing to support it twice as the primary and secondary map. He feels the 5-ANC map, while designed in good faith, goes against these two basic principles. But he is trying to listen to fellow task force members in other parts of the ward he doesn’t reside in to see if they want something different. He is hearing that they don’t want change.  He hasn’t heard strong support among the task force members supporting the 5-ANC map.

ANC1B Chairman Juan Lopez reiterated concerns that shrinking 1B would also shrink its budget and make it more difficult to operate.

Chairman Roth said that although Mount Pleasant represents 1/7^th of the ward, it has taken up 6/7ths of this discussion. He likened the current situation in Mount Pleasant as a couple in a rocky marriage that has stayed together for the children and should have gotten divorced long ago with one partner still hanging on.  He called for a vote on the amendment. Shelore asked for one last opportunity to defend the amendment. She said that if you believe the husband and wife’s problems will be solved through the divorce, the child will still be on Mount Pleasant Street, and this will not solve the problems. She finds it sad that Mr. McKay and Mr. Edwards cannot resolve their issues and that they have brought them to this process.  1E would benefit from either proposal, but it is sad to think they the leaders in 1D cannot sort it out through a meeting of the minds.

The Chairman called for a vote on the amendment.

Boisvert – no

Boyd – yes

Brown – yes

Edwards – no

Lopez – yes

Norman – no

Reynolds – yes

Wade – yes

Wheeler – no

Williams – yes

Roth – no

The amendment in the nature of a substitute passed and Shelore’s map became the 5-ANC map that the task force works from moving forward.

Commissioner Dottie Love Wade offered an amendment that the task force offer no alternative that includes a 5-ANC map. The Chairman asked if she wished to propose another 4-ANC map. She said she would if this was adopted. The Chairman said that in the absence of a substitute that would have a different alternate plan, he ruled her amendment out of order because the law requires an alternate plan.  Dottie argued that the task force was not given an opportunity to generate other 4-ANC options. The Chairman indicated she had been given every opportunity to offer one. She could have come this evening and proposed one, and still could do so in opposition to what the task force adopts. Her motion is ruled out of order.

The Chairman asked if there were any amendments to tinker with SMD lines on either map. None were offered.

Gregg offered a motion to keep the language that says the 4-ANC map is the strongly preferred version and that they offer two versions of the 5-ANC map noting the vote count. Commissioner Tony Norman seconded the motion.

The Chairman spoke to say he thinks they are getting down in the weeds. He indicated there is strong consensus for the 4-ANC map. He would like the task force to move ahead with a motion that is likely to actually be considered by the Council. Tony said he feels strongly that we have a map with a Georgia Avenue corridor, and he doesn’t necessarily support the motion but wants to make sure there is discussion. Gregg withdrew his amendment with unanimous consent.

The Chairman reviewed the primary resolution, which put forth the 4-ANC map as the primary map and the 5-ANC map as the alternate. He asked for amendments.

Thomas offered a motion proposing the priority of the two maps be switched. Gregg seconded. Thomas went on to explain he thoughts on this process as an opportunity. He believes the 5-ANC map is good for 1A, 1B and especially for the proposed 1E. He does not feel Georgia Avenue is neglected by 1A or 1B. But he believes the commercial development that is in progress it would be invaluable for the community to be united in one ANC that can spotlight the needs of the corridor. This is not change for change’s sake. This is change that would be for the good of our community.

The Chairman asked to hear from those who wished to speak in opposition to Thomas’ amendment. Shelore commended the work of the task force. But to put the 5-ANC map as the primary would be a valiant effort just for change’s sake. She cited the primary reason for the lack of development of the Georgia Avenue corridor as lack of government funding. She said that the last time she took a count of the task force members there was primary support for a 4-ANC map. She believes the 5-ANC map is a radical change, and though it will move forward, it should not be the primary recommendation. Four ANCs will still look out for Georgia Avenue. She does not believe switching to a 5-ANC map at the last minute, when there is a 4-ANC map available with minimal disruption, is the right thing to do.

Tony said he thinks the task force has come full circle, and that the 4-ANC map is the proposal that best represents the sentiments of the task force.

Thomas rebutted that another goal initially set out was to keep the ANCs manageable, and that in the 4-ANC map 1A and 1B become unwieldy.

The Chairman called a vote on Thomas’ amendment to switch the priority to the 5-ANC map.

Boisvert – yes

Boyd – no

Brown – yes

Edwards – yes

Lopez – no

Norman – no

Reynolds – no

Wade – no

Wheeler – yes

Williams – no

Roth – no

The amendment failed 4-7.

Wilson offered a friendly amendment to add the word “strongly” to the recommendation of the 4-ANC proposal. There was some discussion about whether everyone would feel comfortable supporting the proposal with that language. The amendment was withdrawn.

The Chairman called for a vote on paragraph one, which makes the 4-ANC map the primary plan.

Boisvert – yes

Boyd – yes

Brown – yes

Edwards – abstain – said he believed the proposal was illegal

Lopez – yes

Norman – yes

Reynolds – yes

Wade – yes

Wheeler – yes

Williams – yes

Roth – yes

The Chairman called for a vote to make the 5-ANC map proposed by Shelore Williams the alternate map.

Boisvert – yes

Boyd – yes

Brown – yes

Edwards – abstain – said he believed the proposal was illegal

Lopez – yes

Norman – yes

Reynolds – yes

Wade – yes

Wheeler – yes

Williams – yes

Roth – yes

The chairman called for a vote on the resolution as amended.

Boisvert – aye

Boyd – aye

Brown – aye

Edwards – abstain

Lopez – aye

Norman – aye

Reynolds – aye

Wade – aye

Wheeler – aye

Williams – aye

Roth – aye

The task force continued some housekeeping and the meeting was adjourned.

I’m hoping the chairman will post the final maps up on the shutterfly site, but I took some photos of the southern SMDs in 1B along U Street in the 4-ANC map, which were of great interest to me.

1A-1B boundary

1B01 & 1B02

1B12

Redistricting Task Force Meeting 9/27/11

Opening

Chairman Roth reiterated that there does not seem to be a majority in favor of a 5-ANC proposal, but there may be a majority in favor of a 5-ANC alternate plan. There is another 5-ANC map now circulating that was created by Thomas, Gregg and Beverly.

Community Input

The community presentations began with Sylvia Robinson, of the Georgia Avenue Task Force. They have been advocating for development and a common vision around Georgia Avenue. Right now there are 8 major development projects coming up, and a lot of change happening. They as a community are very concerned about how they can shape that development along Georgia Avenue corridor. The current ANC configuration has Georgia Avenue split between 2 ANCs. They’ve been working with that, but since they as a community have been trying to have a common focus, it has been difficult to navigate the different visions of the 2 ANCs and have them understand the vision of the Georgia Avenue Task Force. They believe this is a good time to have a Georgia Ave ANC, with all the decisions coming up. They’re concern is that the current configuration dilutes the focus. Georgia Avenue is a developing area, and really needs the same kind of focus that U Street and 14^th Street got as they were being redeveloped. The Task Force has come up with recommendations that they want for the corridor that will be beneficial to the community. They are looking for a way to get that focus not just from the residents that have been meeting twice a month for the last few years, but filtering that vision up to our ANC commissioners. That is largely what their vision is for having an ANC focused on the Georgia Avenue corridor.

Patrick Nelson has lived in his house for 22 years and has seen a lot happen on 14^th street and U Street and up and down Georgia Avenue. The Task Force has done a tremendous amount of work to get some cohesion on the strip itself. Two projects they worked on that had great bearing on the neighborhood include the park at the Bruce Monroe site (which was a huge fight and took a year to implement) and the streetscape work that has been in the works and proposed for Georgia Avenue for six or seven years. The city was trying to reallocate funds from the Georgia Avenue streetscape project to a program on New York Avenue. If the Task Force hadn’t lobbied to reinstate the funds, the money would be gone.  He believes it is important to have both a 4 and 5 ANC option, and it’s important to him that the Task Force adopt a 5 ANC plan.

Darren Jones noted that there are 8 major proposals for the Georgia Avenue corridor. That will take a lot of work, and having an ANC focused on that work will help get things done. He hopes that the Task Force will consider the new 5 ANC map proposed by the 3 redistricting task force members.

EJ Green-Young is a 10-year resident of the Howard Manor apartments at Georgia and Girard. She spoke on behalf of the 40 residents of her building, asking, should the ANCs remain split with 2 ANCs sharing representation of the Georgia Avenue corridor, who will address the issues facing the growing area?

Elizabeth McIntire, former 1A Commissioner and lives on Park Road, asked that the Task Force not take into consideration preserving SMDs for the benefit of sitting commissioners. The Georgia Avenue focus appeals to her a lot, in that it would give the area that has been marginalized and overlooked more attention and focus.  She believes 16^th Street should remain the boundary between east and west. She’d be interested to hear what Mount Pleasant thinks about becoming a 3-member ANC (as would happen with the new 5 ANC map).

Commissioner Gabriela Mossi, representing ANC1C04 said she doesn’t care if her SMD changes, and if she is drawn out of it, she’ll run in her new district. She believes it’s most important for the residents to speak about how they feel about their neighborhoods. It is important to be mindful of boundaries that create challenges for people to access resources.

Commissioner Myla Moss of 1B01 commended the work of the Georgia Avenue Task Force, but believes just because there are different personalities to work with while Georgia Avenue is split, does not warrant another ANC. In fact, having another ANC may even lead to another layer of bureaucracy. She advocates for keeping the ANCs as they are with a 4 ANC map.

Mack Thompson from Columbia Heights Village Apartments asked if his building would stay in its current SMD. Commissioner Dottie Love Wade indicated that it is unclear because so many versions of the map floating around. She also said that ANC1A voted that its boundaries remain the same. Commissioner Thomas Boisvert also mentioned that in the most recent version of the map it would remain in 1A. All agreed nobody knew yet if it would remain in 1A11. Mack Thompson continued by explaining that the Columbia Heights Village complex, which has 1,000 residents is actually split by 1A and 1B.  Any further division, for example of making 14^th street a boundary, would make this even more confusing. Chairman Roth explained at this point that the latest version of the map moves the boundary between 1A and 1B down to Girard, which would put the whole complex into 1A.

1A08 Commissioner Kent Boese commented that the resolution 1A passed expressed the desire to keep the boundaries as stable as possible, not that no boundaries would shift. Kent is a strong advocate of the 4 ANC configuration, and his constituents most affiliate with Ward 4 and the community to the west. He believes if you have a commissioner who is active and attends all the meetings, you can get some good things done for Georgia Avenue.

Commissioner Jack McKay of the Mount Pleasant ANC believes the iteration of the map where the Mount Pleasant ANC jumps the 16^th Street boundary does not work. He talked a bit about the 2,000 person SMD requirement causing a problem in 1D. He proposes that 1D take on population from Lanier Heights. He is sympathetic to the fact that ANC1C would prefer its boundaries not to change, but something has to give. He hopes the people of Adams Morgan can recognize that.  Then ANC1C would have to make up some population from 1B, but crossing that boundary further south makes more sense than up north. Thomas noted that the maps Jack has sent around has the least amount of change, and is worth acknowledging.

The Chairman jumped back in and corrected Jack’s point that ANCs have to be a multiple of 2,000 people  an integral multiple of 2,000 residents. What the law actually says is that SMDs should be approximately 2,000 +/- 5% with a deviation that means they must be between 1900-2100 people, that they be as equal as possible, and there are exceptions allowed for public policy justifications. After this there was an outburst from Jack a request from Jack that he be permitted to clarify his statement, which was denied through some loud gaveling from the Chairman. As well as a threat from the Chairman that he would call the police if Jack didn’t sit down. That moment was kind of like attending an ANC1B meeting during the Hunter regime.

Denis James of Kalorama responded to Jack’s description of his proposal, and said that he would like to see the least amount of change possible. The places to look for changes should be the places with the most population change.

Commissioner Vickey Wright-Smith from 1A02 said she feels it makes no sense to move the boundary of Mount Pleasant across 16^th Street, when nobody in that area identifies with Mount Pleasant.

William Jordan introduced himself as former commissioner for 1A05 and “community pest.” He is concerned that once we get to the SMD level there will be some problems for the residents of 1A04 and 1A05. What the Task Force should do is draw things so that if you look at the core areas, various districts touch so everyone has an interest, and people are forced to work together. He also believes that boundaries should be drawn in a way that assures checks and balances. He has an issue that 1A, which is the area with the least area necessary, is being chopped up.

I stood up and spoke then, but I said the same thing I always say, which is a Georgia Avenue corridor is the way to go. Oh, and keep the park in the same SMD as 15^th Street residents. You can see my arguments in more detail about halfway through this prior post.

Commissioner Adian Miller of 1C05 said that her community in Lanier Heights identifies with Adams Morgan because of the natural physical boundary there.

Task Force Response

Beverly Wheeler said she has worked on a 5 ANC map, but asks The Georgia Avenue Task Force, what can we say to Kent and residents that don’t want to be in the Georgia Avenue ANC to make this happen?

Darren Jones indicated that they’ve been reaching out to help people identify with the corridor, and they can continue doing that to broaden their reach. Sylvia added that part of the problem is people don’t have a reason to identify with Georgia Avenue, but if they start the visioning process it will help.

Gregg  Edwards said ten years ago he pushed hard for the Georgia Avenue ANC and it lost by one vote. He is concerned that if ten more years go by, the opportunity will pass. He believes there are some transportation solutions and other amenities that would unify the corridor.  The reasons discussed ten years ago are even more important now, and he believes the Georgia Avenue piece is the most important thing to be looked at because it is the most important thing for the future of the Ward.

Dottie Love Wade took issue with people claiming that 1A and 1B are not working hard on behalf of Georgia Ave. She went on to outline developments the ANCs have worked to bring to Georgia Avenue as well as ones they had worked to prevent. Georgia Avenue has been on the back burner, but it hasn’t been because of 1A or 1B, it has been because of developers not wanting to come into the area. She mentioned 14^th Street as an example of a corridor that hadn’t come along until the metro development happened. She also outlined concerns about the city needing to provide additional funding and resources, should a 5^th ANC be created. The easiest thing to do, she said, was to change the boundaries as little as possible. Change for the sake of Change, to change 3 commissions to create a new one, does not make sense. It is making this process a lot more complicated than it needs to be.

Tony Norman pointed out that nobody is going to die if you group the north and south of Georgia Avenue. Most of them don’t even know what ANC they live in. He also called for a working meeting where the task force sits down and works out the maps over some beer. They cannot be limited by the time they have the space in the community center reserved.

The Chairman talked a bit about procedure and the opens meeting act. He expressed concern that having 6 of the task force members in the same place meeting would require public notice. He asked that the task force do what they need to do so that they have proposals to vote on by Monday night.

Ms. Janie Boyd objected to anyone dealing with this city’s future over a glass of wine or anything else. They need to be real serious about everything they’ve been assigned to do.

Thomas Boisvert referred to the maps he had worked on. He explained that he does not think Georgia Avenue is neglected by 1A or 1B. He looks at it more as an opportunity to spotlight Georgia Avenue. In his map, the only thing that changes from last week’s discussion is the boundary between 1A and 1B.  He said he thinks of this version of the map as creating a Columbia Heights ANC that puts the commercial strip as the hub. Part of the idea was to unite some communities.  This version of the map puts the commercial corridor in 1A, but all the establishments in proximity to Mount Pleasant within the 500 feet needed to give their concerns great weight with the agency of jurisdiction. He indicated his wish that the task force present two options to the council, and that one should be a 5 ANC map and one should be a 4 ANC map.  He also noted that no matter what the task force recommends, the Council will make the final decision.

Shelore Wiliams took a moment to talk about Georgia Avenue. She noted Georgia Avenue is not neglected because of any ANC. Forty years ago DC had a riot. 14^th Street looked like a war zone. The reason 14^th Street got developed is because the lot sizes were easier to develop. Georgia Avenue has small, narrow lots that are less desirable for development. She added, Howard University is the biggest landlord—slumlord—that has held up development.  If people buy the argument that it’s alright for 1C not to change based on lack of meaningful population growth then, don’t change 1A either. Everyone needs to change here. She wants to work on a 4 ANC map, but also present a 5 ANC map to the Council. Nobody will be happy with 5 ANCs and she wants to make sure that plan is enacted for the sake of Georgia Avenue at great cost to the other ANCs.

The Task Force will continue working in small groups on using the following two maps as the blueprints:

4 ANCs – Draft 1 from 9/22

5 ANCs – the new map proposed by Beverly, Gregg and Thomas

As promised:

Guthrie-James-Lyden map proposed for Adams Morgan

Comm. Thomas Boisvert’s Roadmap for a Successful Redistricting Report for Ward 1

Last night’s meeting was captured in this guest post by  Wallach Place resident and ANC candidate Alexandra Lewin-Zwerdling. Thanks for the recap, Alex! 

Ward One Task Force for ANC/SMD Redistricting Meeting – August 25, 2011

At 6:30 there were only a few of us so the meeting got off to a slow start.  Around 6:45 there was quorum and the meeting could officially begin.  Task force attendees include Chairman Alan Roth, Janie Boyd, Wilson Reynolds, Gregg Edwards, Thomas Boisvert, and Shelore Williams.  Tony Norman showed up a bit later, and Juan Lopez after that.

Last night’s meeting was the third in a series of redistricting meetings intended for the Task Force to hash out the major issues, hear from community members and ultimately produce a report to the City Council with recommendations. The report is due Tuesday October 11^th, and the last public meeting will be held October 3^rd (same place).  This particular meeting was a result of Shelore Williams’s suggestion to hold an additionally meeting.

The meeting went like this:

-          The proposed maps pasted along the wall were the same maps as the last redistricting meeting

-          The Task Force began by hearing from community members and from any commissioners attending

-          Kent Boese, commissioner from 1A08, suggested keeping the boundaries as close as possible.  Suggested moving 1B10 northern-most census block to 1A10, and moving the 1A10 southwestern-most block to 1B.  Then move the three northernmost blocks in 1B to 1C.

-          Tony Norman also spoke about trying to keep boundaries as close to current 1B boundaries as possible.  He would like to see 12 commissioners and thinks the NW corner of 1B could go to 1A or possible 1C (this is closer to Columbia Heights where most residents associate themselves with anyway).  This would give up about 1,000 residents and still allow for 12 commissioners.  Then move census tract 242 to 1B3.  This would keep the neighborhood in tact while trying to keep the balance between students and residents.

-          Residents of Adams Morgan also spoke about a proposed map of ANC1C with altered SMD boundaries, where the external boundaries of 1C remain unchanged.

-          Juan Lopez then noted that ANC1B voted to keep the lines as close to the current ones as possible, and that their proposed map for 1B was based on the GA Ave taskforce.  There is a strong preference, he noted, for 4 ANCs rather than 5.

After this first phase, Chairman Roth noted that he was about to talk “redistricting reality.”  Here it is:

-          There isn’t enough support for 5 ANCs so let’s focus on 4 (but not rule out 5)

-          Not enough support to grow 1B to 13 commissioners

-          Not possible to maintain status quo

-          Not enough support to move 1D to 9 commissioners

-          Any changes MUST abide by legal statute and therefore must start considering actual maps that are legal

-          He will NOT vote for any redistricting that’s not legal

So, that left the Task Force with next steps…the Chairman noted that you cannot draw a district based on the type of population (students, military, etc), and that justification would have to be made for any SMD with fewer than 1,900 residents or more than 2,100.

Task Force member Boisvert announced the “Roadmap for a Successful Redistricting Report for Ward 1” which appeared to be appreciated by most if not all the Task Force members.  Basically the group needed to move forward and hadn’t gotten very far.  This report was a next step.  Boisvert’s roadmap outlined four necessary steps before the report’s complete: 1) determine how many alternatives will be presented in the final report and how many ANCs each will entail; 2) determine the political boundaries of Ward 1 in each alternative; 3) create subcommittees and appoint chairs to determine SMD lines for each predetermined ANC; 4) utilize the recommendations from the subcommittees as the draft final product for review and discussion during the public hearing meeting; 5) incorporate appropriate public comments into draft final revisions before the Task Force’s final October 3 meeting and vote to approve final maps and designate primary and secondary alternatives should the task force so desire; and 6) designate task force members who will create final report based upon final votes taken by the task force and create report.

Task Force members then started drawing out different maps that could work, and in the last minutes of the meeting, developed what I think are ultimately 4 doable scenarios that will be presented at the next meeting.  So, all in all, frustration about not getting much done and then it started to gel and the Task Force ended up with some concrete options.  Stay tuned for updated maps.

editor’s note: Alex picked up some handouts that better explain these suggestions and we’ll be posting them tomorrow. 

Last night the Ward One Task Force met to discuss the Chairman’s Mark, which included 2 versions — A map with 5 ANCs and a map with 4 ANCs. This meeting was primarily an opportunity to hear from each task force member not only what they thought of the two maps, but also what they had been hearing from the community and where they were each coming from in general.

The two maps have been posted at Shutterfly, which does require you to create an account to view the files. The chairman spent some time walking through each map, and I’ll admit I was late to the meeting, so I didn’t hear his full descriptions. The essence, which you can see from reviewing the maps, is that the 5-ANC map creates a Georgia Avenue ANC, and downsizes 1B to 7 SMDs. It actually leaves LeDroit Park in 1B, with the explanation that it identifies more with U Street than Georgia Ave. In this map there are two versions of 1D, both with 5 Commissioners but using two different formulas to divide up the total population. The 4-ANC map moves away from having 16th street as the boundary between the east and west sides of the ward and tinkers with census tracts on that border. I’ll add my thoughts on these maps at the end.

The Chairman asked for comments from the ANC Chairs. Bill Brown from 1A was not present. Juan Lopez of 1B indicated briefly that 1B wishes to retain its boundaries. My understanding of this posture from what I heard about the public meeting of ANC1B is that the commission is concerned about having too few monetary resources to manage the business of the ANC, should they be reduced to 7 commissioners. The thinking here is that they’d be losing per capita funding, but retaining all of the businesses and liquor licenses they manage in the U Street corridor, which is what takes up most of the Commissioners’ time and paid staff time.There is also a concern from 1B commissioners that should their territory be broken up, they will lose the synergy and momentum that has allowed them to become a highly functioning ANC with committees that engage the public in the review process.

I sort of zoned out for this next part (sorry Wilson), but I gather that 1C is not particularly up in arms about either proposal. This makes sense considering its boundaries are not likely to change much in either iteration. Gregg had much to say about wanting a larger 1D, with an argument similar to the one I outlined for 1B above. He also maintains his interest in boundaries that bring the latino community together in one commission. This idea has alternately raised eyebrows and outright rage in public meetings so far.

I found the comments from the at-large task force members to be the most insightful and interesting. Thomas Boisvert was the first to make the point that most members of our community don’t identify by or care about ANC boundaries. In fact, the boundary lines will mainly impact ANC Commissioners, and those who come before the ANCs for business. He would like to see the decision-making process focused around commercial corridors.

Shelore Williams said she believes the best plan is the one with the least disruption to the community. But, since there will be some disruption, if nobody’s happy, then they’ve done their job. She indicated she could be convinced that a 5th ANC is okay, but if the task force is going to mess with one ANC boundary, they ought to mess with them all to share the pain. She said she’d have no patience with those who thought they could get through this process with no changes to their own ANCs if others were accepting changes.

Beverly Wheeler said she shared Thomas’ views on neighborhood identity. She also believes this process is an opportunity to come together as a ward. She is leaning towards the 5-ANC plan because it gives us an opportunity to talk about neighborhoods. She said she could be convinced to go with the 4-ANC plan, but we really need to look at the population shifts. 1B probably has to change. We need cohesive neighborhoods, not gerry-mandering. The size is not what should guide us, and is not part of the mandate. If you lose a seat, she said, too bad!

Tony Norman, who I noted in my tweet earlier was FIRED UP, laid out his main concerns as equity and fairness. Some sacrifice may have to be made, but it needs to be fair. He said he could support either plan, but prefers as little intrusion as possible. He added, we already have a 4-ANC map that puts us within the legal limit. He then indicated he likes the 5-ANC map, but that to have a meaningful Georgia Ave ANC you need to go all the way down to the southern boundary of Ward One and include LeDroit Park. He said LeDroit has always been associated with Howard University (which is a counterpoint to something the Chairman said in his opening remarks) and that all the new development happening down there should be an anchor for a Georgia Ave ANC. He concluded by saying we need to listen to the neighborhoods about who they say they are.

Dottie Love Wade also thought the focus should be on the neighborhoods. But then she seemed to contradict herself. She talked about having grown up in Ward One, and believes that some of the neighborhoods being discussed are fabrications by realtors. There is no such thing as South Columbia Heights and North Columbia Heights, she said. She continued on by listing all the neighborhoods that existed historically, Pleasant Plains, Mount Pleasant, Columbia Heights, Shaw, LeDroit…. (editor’s note — which is it? Do the people decide what neighborhood they live in, or do we have to go by what existed in the past? Did she inadvertently leave out U Street, or does she believe that’s just part of Shaw?) She believes the task force should keep the ANC boundaries as close as possible to what they are now. She is strongly opposed to a boundary that crosses back and forth over 16th street and talked about a strong history along 14th and 16th street rooted in socioeconomics and race. She then said that we have moved beyond that to a degree, but economics will always play a part, and she doesn’t want certain parts of our ward grouped away from more prosperous areas. She is concerned that a Georgia Avenue ANC would do that because the area east of Georgia Ave does not have the same strength as the area to the west. This at first confused me, and then annoyed me. She seemed to be saying that because one area wasn’t prosperous, rather than reallocating or refocusing resources, we should do what we can to maintain the prosperity where it is. She noted that the population in 1A hadn’t changed much and she’d like the boundaries to remain. She prefers the 4-ANC configuration.

The Chairman then opened it up for comments from the community.

1A Commissioner Kent Boese, who has sent out various maps on the community list serves indicated that upon further discussion with his constituents he prefers the 4 ANC configuration. He indicated his constituents in the NE corner of 1A associate more with Columbia Heights than Georgia Ave.

Sylvia Robinson spoke in favor of a Georgia Ave ANC, noting that vision, attention, and focus are needed with the new developments coming to the Georgia Ave corridor. Right now, issues here are addressed mainly by ANC1B, whose focus tends to get monopolized by the U Street and 14th Street commercial corridors. She also noted that Pleasant Plains is currently divided between 1A and 1B and the 5-ANC map would resolve this.

Patrick Nelson gave some background on Howard University’s plan to relocate all the students in satellite dorms back to the main campus. This was a counterpoint to something the Chairman mentioned in his explanation of why he kept the 16th Street Howard Dorm in 1B in both iterations of the map.

The Chairman concluded by asking the task force whether they should begin working from these two maps or if they wished to submit other versions, in preparation for the September 27th meeting intended mainly for public input. Thomas indicated they needed to get more work done as a task force before that meeting when surely there would not be enough time to work with all the comments. Wilson suggested that all members of the task force and the community bring their versions of maps to that meeting. Tony suggested they be circulated in the interim. Shelore then requested that the task force meet in person again before that meeting and after some back and forth they settled on September 22.

It went on for a few more minutes, but I got antsy and had to get out of there at that point. For those who wish to attend a meeting and offer comments the best opportunity is September 27th, 6:30 pm at the Columbia Heights Community Center, 1480 Girard Street, NW. That’s right on the border of North Columbia Heights and South Columbia Heights, if you’ve never been there.

My Thoughts

On the maps: I really really prefer a 5-ANC configuration because I believe Georgia Ave deserves the focus and resources that will help it to thrive. Not doing this is a majorly missed opportunity, and if the task force had the guts to do this 10 years ago, chances are this corridor would already be well on its way to a bustling commercial district (with smart growth and balance of course). If we end up with the 4-ANC configuration, the world will not end. But we will have missed a chance to do something very important for the future of the ward.

At a more micro level, the 4-ANC map actually puts a part of 1B into 1C that I personally feel identifies with U Street more than Adams Morgan, and also includes my old apartment so I’m a little sensitive about it. “It” being the idea that if it were 2 years ago I would have been drawn into 1C when I strongly consider myself to be a U Street girl. The 5-ANC configuration extends 1B further west into territory I’ve always thought could easily be considered part of the U Street Corridor. Both maps keep Meridian Hill Park in 1B, which I believe is important to the neighbors along 15th street who live on its border and have been involved its development and maintenance. The Meridian Hill Neighborhood Association has worked hard to forge a relationship with NPS and the Park Police and keeping it all together in 1B is a good idea.

What wasn’t discussed at this meeting, and hopefully will be at future meetings, is how the SMDs are drawn in the commercial districts. For example, 1B02 grew immensely and needs to be divided up. We can’t just look at population in this case. We need to review where the liquor establishments are, and which streets might  make better boundaries than others. The majority of licenses now are all in one SMD, which is not only an incredible burden for that Commissioner, it’s a raw deal for those being served by that Commissioner. I don’t have the answer to where those lines should be, and unfortunately when 1B Chairman Juan Lopez tried to hold a meeting about this with U Street stakeholders, nobody showed up. But that conversation, and similar ones in the other commericial districts need to be had. And the feedback needs to be taken very seriously.

Regarding the size of each ANC, I hear the concerns about financial resources. The ability to have a paid staff person and office space is what has allowed ANC1B to get itself to back in good standing with the auditor, and to organize highly functioning committees that engage community members in leadership roles. These are things I worked hard for as ANC1B Chairperson. It’s unclear if the budget for a 7-person commission would allow them to continue paying staff and renting office space in the Reeves Center. That said, one might consider this process an opportunity to bring all the ANCs together in a way that puts them on a path toward pooling their resources. Shared office space and shared staff would lead to economies of scale and better collaboration. Wouldn’t that also be a positive thing for Ward One?

on the process: I believe these lines need to be drawn as if they are a blueprint for the development of Ward One over the next ten years. This is a real opportunity to make sure proper attention and resources are allocated throughout each commercial corridor. I mentioned Georgia Ave as a commercial corridor that needs a vision, but it’s not only there. U Street is approaching a tipping point that requires community collaboration and focus to help its commercial district continue to grow in a positive way. Columbia Heights is exploding with growth and there is a lot of work ahead to make sure its growth balances the needs of the commercial and residential neighbors. And of course, Adams Morgan, which has become the boogeyman of commercial districts (if we do THAT, we’ll turn into Adams Morgan!) needs the resources to resolve its ongoing issues in the commercial district and return the focus there to its rich cultural history and strong residential community. I’m still learning about the challenges that face Mount Pleasant, but I know that there is change happening in that commercial corridor now that requires determination and would be best accomplished without the distractions of serving a population that doesn’t associate itself with Mount Pleasant. This is not a commentary on the local leadership in these areas, which I believe does very well with the resources available. What I’m saying here is that if we can draw these boundaries to focus on each of the 5 distinct commercial districts then we will better serve our neighborhoods in the short term and the long term.

This should not be just a process mandated by law to make sure our population is even throughout the ward. Sadly, right now there isn’t anyone in Ward One with a larger vision — a 10-year plan for the ward or for each community. Maybe what I’m asking for here is beyond the scope of this task force. Maybe this is too tall of an order for a short turnaround and from people with day jobs. But is definitely something we need in Ward One, and its an incredible opportunity that we should not let pass us by.

I had a chance to meet Alexandra Lewin-Zwerdling tonight at a community meeting. She’s running in the special election to replace Aaron Spencer. Some would say 1B02 is the heart of the U Street Corridor. It also has the highest density of liquor establishments than any of the single member districts, is both the western and southern border of ANC1B and Ward One, and will be host to several new developments in the coming years. Selecting a commissioner for this seat is a big deal. That’s why I’m so pleased that Alexandra is running. She is smart, dedicated, and is already working hard to hear the concerns of our community. I’m supporting her, and I hope you will too. Check back for the election date, TBD.

She provided me some information on her platform, below, in her own voice.

I’m Alexandra Lewin-Zwerdling. My husband Alex and I live on Wallach Pl in the heart of the best neighborhood in town.The U street area is an exciting place to live. We chose to live and one day raise a family here because of all it has to offer. But, our community faces tough choices about how to grow. I will take seriously the responsibility of representing you by:Encouraging regular communication between residents, law enforcement, and business leaders;Supporting smart growth policies that enhance our community; Working with police and first responders to improve public safety; and Promoting innovative initiatives for a healthy neighborhood.

My priority is for all our neighbors to have a voice in how we grow.

Today I channel my inner Carrie Bradshaw as I tell you the story of how I got “dumped by disappearance” last week, and ask for your advice. I don’t date a lot. Which is to say, I go on a lot of first dates, but most of them don’t go anywhere. I’m not into him, he’s not into me, whatever. A second date is rare, a third date happens almost never. I don’t have particularly high expectations when I meet someone I seem to have a connection with, because most of the men I meet aren’t looking for a relationship. This year in particular I’ve had a run of men who are actually in relationships and either don’t disclose that or disclose it nonchalantly as if that’s not  a problem. Note to those men: it is a problem. There’s a sisterhood. And I do my research. Note to women: If you’re in a relationship, lock in the relationship status on facebook and help other women help you.

I also don’t believe in signs when it comes to relationships. I have learned to believe in actions, not words. And yet, here I am, blogging about a guy I met last month through a very dear friend, who caught me off guard and made me forget all these lessons.

Our friend set up a happy hour for us to meet, so that we wouldn’t have to do the awkward blind date thing. Everyone else at the happy hour knew why they were there, so it was sort of like we had a bunch of extras on a first date. For some reason, that wasn’t weird, and we spent the evening talking, he walked me all the way home (10 blocks out of his way), and then I figured, either I’d see him again or I wouldn’t. Now, I’ve read “He’s Just Not That Into You,” (thanks mom) so I rarely follow up after a first date. I wait and see. But, this guy filled out the checklist, to be sure. Into politics and journalism, from the midwest, Jewish, smart, funny, cute. But I also noticed right away that he had a great energy. That’s not something I could have ever put my finger on before, but I knew when I saw it that it was what had been missing in so many other dating scenarios. I couldn’t let that go, and I knew he had a super busy week at work, so I made a move. This is one of the upsides of dating in the era of facebook. I messaged him, and the next day he friended me, and wrote back. Don’t worry, I limited his access to my profile. A girl can’t be too careful these days.

I won’t get into all the details here, but within 10 days we had 4 date-like experiences, had some good conversations about important and not-so-important things, and I had determined that we had things in common that ranged to the very big and important to the very small and insignificant. Our fourth and last time hanging out we went out to dinner, he met my friends, he stayed over, we hung out the next day….and then boom: I never saw him again. Pretty unoriginal if you ask me. But also, wtf?

I’ve played the whole thing out in my head and I wouldn’t change anything I said or did.  I didn’t say or do anything crazy. I followed his lead. I was my awesome self, and he….what? freaked out that it was moving quickly? Has a girlfriend who was on vacation for 10 days? Is an asshole? I don’t know, friends, but I fell hard for this guy. And I. was. crushed. I’ve done the fade out before, and it’s been done to me, but usually after one date, maybe two. Definitely not after meeting friends, etc.

Once the shock and hurt wore off, and I realized I’ll probably never know what the hell happened (this is the worst part, obviously), I thought about some things I might do, you know, just to get some closure. Men out there who like to disappear, this is a good lesson. Women like closure, and in the absence of that, some of us turn to vindictive measures. Here were my top ideas:

1. Egg and/or TP his house. He lives very nearby in a rowhouse, so this idea immediately popped into my head. The extreme heat is the main deterrent, but also, he has housemates and I’m sure they’re very nice. Or at least, this is not their fault.

2. Mention him in a tweet that indicates he is a cowardly bastard who couldn’t even tell me it was over to my face (or phone, or e-mail account, or hell, even my facebook wall). He has like 15 times the number of followers I do, so this was really tempting. I’m just not sure what the burden of proof is in twitter-slander cases these days.

3. Let my friends handle it. This mainly would have involved a) finding him and then b) at least a dozen people taking turns punching him in the face. I don’t really like violence. Although I appreciate that my friends were so pissed on my behalf.

4. Write a blog post about him. Well, here we are. After drafting this I contemplated whether to post and ultimately decided that you all would have the best sense of justice. And that hopefully you wouldn’t mind me taking a little break from blogging about community issues. Do you even read those posts?

Now, I’m only 30 years old. I have lots of good years left, and frankly, I’m not sure meeting Mr. Right in my 20s, when I was still trying to get a handle on who I was and wanted to be would have even been a good idea. But I’m definitely ready now, and this type of b.s. really pisses me off. So, my dear readers, I am crowdsourcing my heartache to you. Tell me in the comments below what you would have done. And because I’m too busy to actually be as vindicative as may be called for here, and frankly — SO over it at this point, we’ll just let your suggestions serve as a warning to those to come.