.capitol streets.
Why Not More Community Grants? ANC 6A REPORT by Nick L. Alberti Chair Amber Gove (6A04) convened the March 11, 2021 meeting of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6A via Zoom with Commissioners Keya Chatterjee (6A01), Phil Toomajian (6A02), Mike Soderman (6A03), Laura Gentile (6A05), Robb Dooling (6A06), Sondra Phillips-Gilbert (6A07) and Brian Alcorn (6A08) all in attendance.
Residents Say ANC Grant Funding Inadequate During last October’s ANC6A meeting, the Commissioners approved a proposed budget for the coming fiscal year that in-
cluded $5,000 for community grants. By the March 2022 ANC 6A meeting, this money had already been allocated to community organizations, but ANC6A had failed to communicate to the public, or even to the members of their own Community Outreach Committee who continued to field grant applications despite the lack of available funds. This breakdown in communication led to an application being considered for a local non-profit, Serve Your City, that, due to the zero balance in grant funding, had to be rejected, or at least tabled until further funds become available. During the ensuing conversation between Commissioners and the public, some referenced the healthy savings of ANC6A with an account balance north of $23,500 and questioned why more of this money has not been offered to community causes, especially in light of the overwhelming negative effects the pandemic has had on many 6A residents. Commissioner Alcorn, treasurer for 6A explained that the DC government has not yet released this year’s funding and has not confirmed when the ANCs can expect to receive their respective allotments. Because of this, ANC6A must currently fund all of its monthly expenses out of its savings and given the current budgetary delays within the DC government, Commissioner Alcorn suggested preparing for a worst-case scenario in which the ANC must pay for all expenses without additional funding for another 12 months. Multiple meeting attendees argued, however, that even if the ANC does end up paying it’s bills out of pocket for the next 12 months, it will still have many thousands of dollars that could be made available to the community during a time when residents need every bit of assistance. In response, Commissioner Gove committed the Commissioners to reexamining the ANC’s budget and grant allocations for the future and to readdress this issue soon.
Alcohol Beverage Licensing (ABL) Committee The Commissioners voted, unanimously, to send a letter to ANC 6A ABRA licensees via mail to physical addresses and/or e-mail regarding recent amendments to ANC 6A’s template settlement agreements as well as ANC 6A’s intent to cease enforcement of anti-loitering provisions in existing settlement agreements, and further authorize expenditure up to $150.00 for the costs of paper, printing, and postage. The Alcohol and Beverage Licensing Committee meets at 7:00 pm on the third Tuesday of each month.
Transportation and Public Space (TPS) Committee The Commissioners voted unanimously to send a joint letter with ANC6C to the District Department of Transportation, (DDOT) requesting a comprehensive review of safety and traffic concerns on H Street NE from North Capitol to 15th Street NE. 38 ★ HILLRAG.COM
