The ANC Executive Committee met on Tuesday, night, November 30.
by Larry Janezich
ANC Commissioners present: Chairman Garrison, Commissioners Campbell, Glick, Green, Jarboe, Oldenburg, Patterson.
Others: Commissioners-elect Frishberg, Pate; EMMCA Secretary Janezich.
Commissioners agreed on the agenda for the next ANC meeting on December 14. That agenda can be viewed on the ANC6b website under “Next Meeting.” http://www.anc6b.org/nextmeet.html
There are several items on the agenda of interest to residents.
New liquor licenses for Barracks Row establishments
A Special Call Meeting of the ANC has been scheduled to consider licensing for the 8th Street Bar and Grill, at 727 8th Street. The license application has garnered considerable opposition from neighbors adjacent to Barracks Row. The meeting will be held on December 9 at the Southeast Library at 6:00pm, and will precede the regularly scheduled ANC ABC Committee meeting at the same location.
That ABC Committee meeting will consider a new license application licenses for Pacifico at 514 8th Street, and Bavarian Beer Garden, at 720 L Street. Details on these applications can be found under “Next Meeting” on the ANC6b website.
Marathon planning
The Commission will hear a presentation from representatives of the 2011 National Marathon Race and the 2011 Cupid Undie Run. Recently, affected ANC’s have undertaken to minimize the street closings and disruptions in traffic flow occasioned by these races.
Lower 8th Street Vision Process
The Commission will hear a presentation from the Michael Stevens, Executive Director, Capitol Riverfront BID, on the Lower 8th Street Vision Process Report to the DC Office of Planning. He is seeking a letter of support from the ANC.
The Maples
The Maples, the new condo complex replacing Friendship House, is coming before the Commission as part of the historic preservation review process for their project.
Issues not on the agenda, but discussed by Commissioners:
Reform of ANC procedures
Commissioner Green brought up the list of issues raised by Barbara Riehle at the past two ANC meetings during public speak out.
Chairman Garrison said that he was not going to bring any of them up, but if any individual commissioner would like to, he would be glad to hear them.
Commissioner Green cited four of Ms. Riehle’s points.
1) Posting the time and location of the Executive Committee meetings.
Chairman Garrison replied that this had been done, and that information is currently posted on the ANC6b website.
2) Posting reports concerning ANC business prior to meetings.
Chairman Garrison said he had been “fussing” with this for some time, and hoped that a process for posting information would be in place prior to the December meeting.
3) Recording committee meetings.
Chairman Garrison replied that this would be easier if the ANC had better equipment. He said he was thinking about this issue but needed time to sort it through.
Commissioner Oldenberg said that she did not see the rational – “we have a report.”
4) Recording the votes of individual commissioners for the minutes.
Commissioner Oldenburg responded that with the November minutes, she has started listing by name, those commissioners who dissent or abstain. “By the process of elimination, you can tell who voted for” (an issue).
Chairman Garrison noted that they were not trying to be obscure.
(Editor’s note: EMMCA website editors believe residents should easily be able to see exactly how commissioners voted. To that end, EMMCA will record in its summaries of ANC meetings how each commissioner voted and post the summaries on the EMMCA website within a day or so of the meeting.)
Possible move of ANC6b Office
The Executive Committee discussed the possibility of moving the ANC6b office to a less expensive venue. ANC6b currently pays BRMA head Tip Tipton $1800.00 a month for a 12X12 office and access to a small conference room. One commissioner reported that a Councilmember was “shocked” to learn how much rent they were paying. Incoming Commissioner Ivan Frishberg has informed the board of space available in a building which hosts non-profit organizations across from Brent school. The rent would be some $450 a month for office space and access to a much larger conference room.
The consensus was that commissioners would take it upon themselves to view the proposed space, get what information they could from The Hill Center, look at the options, and report back at the next Executive Committee meeting.
CAPITOL HILL CORNER 