Neighborhood leaders say loss of agency liaison could slow response to construction problems
By: Michael Neibauer
Examiner Staff Writer
May 7, 2008
WASHINGTON — Mayor Adrian Fenty’s 2009 budget proposal eliminates a government position that neighborhood leaders say was critical in their fight against illegal construction and scofflaw businesses.
The Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs’ liaison to D.C.’s advisory neighborhood commissions has been vacant since January. The job is being dropped as part of Fenty’s move to purge the government of unfilled positions.
But by killing that slot, the mayor has stripped a vital tool used by ANCs to tackle quality-of-life issues in their communities, from noise to zoning and permits, said Joseph Fengler, chairman of ANC-6A, which includes H Street Northeast. The ANCs are the neighborhood watchdogs, Fengler said, and the issues they raise should not be dumped into DCRA’s exasperatingly long line.
"We have very few tools to begin with," Fengler said. "So when we lose a tool it really impacts our ability to solve problems on behalf of residents. Instead of being proactive, now we’ll be in a reactive mode."
Ward 3 D.C. Councilwoman Mary Cheh, who has oversight of DCRA, did not approve funds for that position when her committee on Wednesday adopted the agency’s 2009 budget.
"My impression from [DCRA] is they could do all the stuff they’re doing with the personnel they now [have]," Cheh said.
Bryan Weaver, chairman of the Adams Morgan ANC, said DCRA’s customer service is historically awful, so any instrument to break through the bureaucracy was welcome. Nancy Macwood, chairwoman of ANC-3C, said a single point of contact for ANCs should be hired for every agency.
"There are people in the government who are simply nonresponsive," Macwood said. "If there is a single person who is willing to be the facilitator and to make sure you get a response, that is enormously helpful to an ANC commissioner."
The former liaison, Eric Rogers, will continue to serve as a link between ANCs and "other community groups," said DCRA spokesman Michael Rupert.
"ANCs are an invaluable resource for DCRA to stay on top of what’s going on in the neighborhoods and we look forward to continuing these relationships," Rupert said.
mneibauer@dcexaminer.com
