Dear Neighbor,
Every four years as Americans, we recognize and facilitate the peaceful transfer of power here in the nation’s capital. On Monday January 20th, the 60th Presidential Inauguration for President-elect Trump will be held in the District. We are working to ensure the safety and well being of all residents and visitors for all of the related events.
The District of Columbia has a unique and important responsibility as the local legislature for the nation’s capital and must maintain a working relationship with Congress and our federal partners to ensure the Council can continue to advance policies and opportunities that will be most beneficial to the lives and outcomes of and for District residents and businesses. I will be attending the Inauguration by watching from the viewing stand at the John A. Wilson Building.
District residents and visitors should be prepared for fencing, road closures, parking restrictions, and impacts on public transportation. To stay informed, you can text “DCINAUG” to 888777 for text updates, visitInauguration.dc.gov, or follow @dcinaug on X. You can also find information on WMATA here.
Residents downtown who live in a building should speak with their building manager to ensure they have information on how to access their buildings. If your building managers do not have this information or you live in a stand alone home, please reach out to Aukima Benjamin on my team at abenjamin@dccouncil.gov if you need assistance.
MPD is working in close coordination with all of our federal partners to ensure the safety and security of all residents and visitors. There will also be 3,800 law enforcement officers from around the country assisting our local law enforcement, including 7,000 from the National Guard. These officers will be sworn in on Sunday, January 19th and will be led by our MPD Chief Pamela Smith. Officers from outside the District will be stationed Downtown and around the Inaugural events and MPD will continue to have coverage throughout the District in all Wards.
For your planning, please be aware of these events that will likely disrupt travel in and around the District:
Saturday January 18th:
- 10:00am-3:00pm: The "People's March" will convene at Farragut Square, McPherson Square, and Franklin Park and end at the Lincoln Memorial
Sunday January 19th:
- 11am: Wreaths Across America ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery
- 1pm: "Make America Great Again” rally at Capital One Arena
Monday January 20th:
- Approximately 11:47am at the U.S. Capitol: Presidential Swearing-in
- 1pm: Signing Ceremony at the Capitol followed by a Luncheon
- 2:30pm-4:45pm: Inauguration Parade
- There are three balls that evening: two at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and one at Union Station
The Inauguration and the surrounding events will impact Amtrack, and trains could be held outside of the city when events are occurring at Union Station the evening of January 20th. There are road closures which will make it not possible for ride share and to secure a ride you may need to walk several blocks. Please contract Amtrak for more information.
All road closures are expected to be lifted by Wednesday, January 22nd. Again, please visitinauguration.dc.gov for all information regarding Inauguration. My team and I want to make sure you have all the information you need.
Yours in Service,
Brooke
This week, Councilmember Pinto held her annual Ward 2 Budget Forum, which allows her to hear directly from you about your budget priorities for the upcoming year. We are grateful to everyone who participated in the forum. From enhancing support for housing and recreation centers, to investing in public safety, we heard so many meaningful ideas about how to continue to support District residents and visitors. If you would like to submit ideas for the budget letter you can email Aukima Benjamin at abenjamin@dccouncil.gov.
Councilmember Pinto plans to send her budget priorities letter to Mayor Bowser in February and we will share it with you in a future newsletter.
The Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety – along with all other Committees at the Council – will be holding performance oversight hearings through the end of February. Performance oversight hearings allow the public to voice concerns, support, or ideas for District agencies and the Council to ask agency leadership about progress over the last year on achieving the goals and outcomes of each agency on behalf of the public.
The Judiciary Committee will hold seven performance oversight hearings including:
- January 29th with the Office of Victims Services and Justice Grants (OVSJG)
- February 3rd with the Sentencing Commission, Criminal Code Reform Commission (CCRC), and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice (DMPSJ)
- February 5th with the Office of Unified Communications (OUC), and the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability (BEGA), which is a new agency assigned to the Committee this year
- February 12th with the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC), the Mayor’s Office on Women’s Policy and Initiatives (MOWPI), Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME), and the Department of Forensic Sciences (DFS)
- February 19th with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the Office of the People’s Counsel (OPC)
- February 25th with the Office of Attorney General for the District of Columbia (OAG), the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE), and the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA)
- February 27th with the Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department (FEMS), the Corrections Information Council (CIC), and the Department of Corrections (DOC)
The Council Secretary’s office will be adding the hearings on the Council website and once added you will be able to find information on all upcoming hearings at the Council and sign up to testify here. Members of the public are invited to provide testimony and watch the hearings.
Witnesses who anticipate needing language interpretation, or requiring sign language interpretation, are asked to inform the Committee of the need as soon as possible but no later than five business days before a hearing during registration or by contacting Ms. Aukima Benjamin, Committee Manager to the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, at (202) 724-8058 or via e-mail at judiciary@dccouncil.gov.
MLK Jr. Peace Walk and Parade:
Councilmember Pinto invites you to join her Saturday January 18th when she will be taking part in the 20th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Walk and Parade to celebrate and honor Dr. King Jr.’s legacy and his commitment to freedom, justice, and equality for all. It will take place at the Entertainment and Sports Arena (ESA) in Congress Heights in Ward 8 from 9:30am-2pm.
You can sign up to register for the parade and peace walk here.
Update on 22nd Street NW Closure
We know many residents have had questions about the 22nd Street NW closure. In July, an underground sewer was found to have missing bricks that allowed a hole to form. The implementation of repairs for Phase 1 was completed in October, and DC Water conducted additional precautionary inspections and observed additional defects in the sewer pipe. The Phase 2 emergency repairs will take a considerable effort to complete. Under Phase 2, DC Water will be reopening a single north-bound lane to alleviate traffic issues during construction. The construction duration is estimated to be 120 days pending DDOT permit approval. Councilmember Pinto's office will continue to work with DDOT, DC Water, and ANC 2B to provide updates and communication to residents and road users.
Snow Removal
Councilmember Pinto and our team have been working to respond to constituent concerns about snow removal by remaining in regular communication with DPW and the Executive about areas that need snow removal and ice mitigation. The freezing temperatures have made ice and snow removal difficult.
Homeowners who are 65 or older/or residents with disabilities, access, and functional needs may get help with shoveling snow from Serve DC’s DC Volunteer Snow Team. Call Serve DC at 202-727-7925 to sign-up for the DC Volunteer Snow Removal Program.
For snow shoveling safety tips visit the District’s Snow Team website here.
Over the last two weeks, Councilmember Pinto and Team Pinto have been meeting with residents, advocacy groups, and District officials in Ward 2 and across the District, including:
- The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of Greater Washington Lox and Legislators breakfast to discuss public safety and shared legislative priorities.
- The Ward 2 Education Council to discuss our ongoing efforts to increase educational outcomes for students and ensure that all District students can thrive. Councilmember Pinto has worked to secure critical funding and resources for our schools including:
- Funding the Early Education Pay Equity Fund to ensure early childcare educators receive adequate compensation
- Funding training and coaching for teachers to address low reading proficiency rates and improve literacy and life outcomes for students
- Expanding support to help our kids get safely to and from school through the consistent presence and aid of trusted adults
- Special Olympics DC President and CEO Nicole Preston for an important discussion about our shared goals of supporting District residents. Special Olympics DC benefits thousands of DC children and adults with intellectual disabilities through sports, health, and inclusion programs.
- Attended ANC meetings for ANCs 2A, 2B, 2D, 2E and 2G to report to neighborhoods about what we are working on and hear from the community.
Councilmember Brooke Pinto, Ward 2
• Chairwoman, Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety
• Committee on Business and Economic Development
• Committee on Housing
• Committee on Public Works and Operations
• Special Committee on COVID-19 Pandemic Recovery
Address: 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 106 | Washington, DC 20004
Call: (202) 724-8058 | Contact Us: www.brookepintodc.com/help