Reflecting on 2022

Dear Neighbor,  

As we begin 2023, we can reflect on the past year, celebrate all we have accomplished together, and look forward to the work to come in the new year. At the beginning of 2022, we grappled with a phase of COVID that met us with great uncertainty. During the summer, our kids became eligible for the vaccine and our COVID Centers throughout the city have made vaccinations, boosters, and flu shots accessible to all residents. Our schools remained open, visitors returned to the nation’s capital, festivals and conventions gathered us together to celebrate, stadiums roared with fans once again, and our restaurants and small businesses embarked on the path of recovery.

We have made great strides and I know that together we can continue to work to support our workers, families, and businesses. We have seen far too much crime in our city this year and I will continue working every day to improve the quality of life and safety for all District residents.

During my tenure, I have advanced legislative ideas for affordable housing, downtown recovery, women’s rights and equity, increasing voting rights, safer streets, environmental protections, supports for our neighbors experiencing homelessness, reducing gun violence, and supporting our hospitality and tourism industries, among others. In this newsletter, I will share about some of the progress we’ve made on these pressing issues.  

I am excited by the promise that 2023 holds and the progress we will continue to make on the issues that matter most our communities. I am enthusiastic to report that I will be serving as the Chairwoman of the Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety. I am looking forward to this opportunity to improve public safety, government accountability, emergency preparedness, and serve residents and businesses in all eight wards.  My experience and training, including by the Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy, have prepared me well for this responsibility and my team and I look forward to the important work that lies ahead. You can see my statement on this assignment here.

Serving as your Ward 2 Councilmember is my greatest privilege. I continue to be inspired by your dedication and commitment to our communities and I am grateful for your engagement with me and my office. I also want to thank my hardworking team and the tens of thousands of DC government workers who strive every day to serve our residents. This coming year, my devotion to the work of making our communities stronger remains steadfast. I know together the work of strengthening this great city is possible.  

Yours in Service,  

Brooke

• Community Engagement
• Public Safety
• Economic Development
• Seniors & LGBTQQIA+ Community
• Supporting Students & Families
• Affordable Housing & Homelessness
• Transportation & the Environment
• Ward 2 ANC Redistricting

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Councilmember Pinto and her team have maintained direct community outreach and engagement as their top priority. During our second year, Team Pinto expanded opportunities for Ward 2 neighbors and residents to stay connected and share their ideas and concerns. Some of the public events we hosted this year included:

• Third Annual Telephone Townhall: Dozens of Ward 2 neighbors shared their concerns and discussed opportunities to improve public safety, alleviate homelessness, advance transit equity and safety, and reduce rodents. The telephone townhall is an important way to reach residents who are not connected to our office by the internet.  
• Community Office Hours: Team Pinto met with hundreds of neighbors one-on-one in office hour events throughout the year to hear neighbors’ pressing concerns and ideas all across the ward, including at Mitchell Park, Shaw Library, Volta Park, and the Wilson Building. Councilmember Pinto looks forward to finding creative ways to connect with even more neighbors next year.
• Public Safety Forum: Councilmember Pinto hosted and moderated a public panel discussion on efforts to improve public safety with Attorney General Karl Racine, US Attorney Matt Graves, MPD Police Chief Robert Contee, and Founder/CEO Tia Bell from the TRIGGER Project. Councilmember Pinto will continue to work in partnership with our public safety agencies and community organizations to implement new strategies so all residents can be and feel safe in DC.
• Second Annual Ward 2 Community Bike Ride: Team Pinto cycled across Ward 2 with dozens of neighbors to discuss ideas and locations to improve safety for all road users. The team is working with the District Department of Transportation to advocate for and move forward with needed changes.
• School Readiness Tours: Councilmember Pinto visited each Ward 2 DCPS school in order to identify facility and safety needs of our students, faculty, and families.
• Open Streets: Thousands of residents were invited to reimagine our commercial corridors with Councilmember Pinto as they walked, cycled, and skated along car-free roadways at Georgia Ave and 7th Street Open Streets events.  
• Ribbon Cuttings and Groundbreakings: Councilmember Pinto attended ribbon cuttings for impactful organizations like the Washington Literacy Center and groundbreakings at Parcel 42 and 1700M, initiatives that ensure District residents have the tools, resources, and homes they need to thrive.
• 60th Anniversary of the National Cherry Blossom Festival: Throughout the year, Councilmember Pinto celebrated 60 incredible years of the National Cherry Blossom Festival in DC, including kickoff events and parades that highlighted Japanese arts and local businesses.
• Fresh Farm Farmer’s Market, Rose Park Farmers Market, Downtown Holiday Market: Local and small businesses are the heart of the District, and Councilmember Pinto met with neighbors, small business owners, and entrepreneurs to hear their ideas and support shopping local.
• Earth Day Cleanup: In partnership with the Dupont Circle BID and District Cleanups, Team Pinto hosted an Earth Day Cleanup where they were joined by dozens of residents as they beautified our streets and parks.
• On-Site Visits to Local Organizations: Councilmember Pinto visited with various community organizations to learn more about their contributions to allow all residents to thrive, such as the DC Diaper Bank, Suited for Change, Charlie’s Place, and DC Central Kitchen.
• Ward 2 Advisory Neighborhood Commission Meetings: Team Pinto attended dozens of monthly ANC meetings to share office updates and initiatives, as well as ensure ANC and neighborhood concerns are heard and represented in the Council.
• Meetings with Community Groups, Advocacy Organizations, and Residents: From community concerns to legislative ideas, Team Pinto attended thousands of meetings in person and via Zoom to ensure community and resident needs, opinions, and ideas are heard and acted upon.

PUBLIC SAFETY

All people in the District deserve to be and feel safe, which is why public safety continues to be Councilmember Pinto’s top priority. Throughout the last year, Councilmember Pinto has worked with government agencies, community organizations, residents, and colleagues to better understand challenges on the ground, as well as creative, whole-of-government approaches to improve public safety.  

• Public Safety Panel Discussion: Councilmember Pinto hosted and moderated a panel discussion at Studio Theatre to discuss public safety with Attorney General Karl Racine, US Attorney Matt Graves, MPD Chief Robert Contee, and Founder/CEO Tia Bell of TRIGGER Project. This dynamic discussion included our city’s most visible leaders on public safety all together on the same stage. Councilmember Pinto lead the conversation on efforts to improve public safety in our communities, Council investments in public safety in the FY23 budget, and needed solutions moving forward.  
• Building Relationships with Public Safety Agencies: Councilmember Pinto continues to work hard to ensure and encourage more community policing, bike and foot patrols, and opportunities to increase stronger community and police engagement. Councilmember Pinto enjoyed joining neighbors and officers at the Kennedy Recreation Center in Shaw for National Night Out. Councilmember Pinto continued this engagement with ride along bike rides with 1D, 2D, and 3D MPD officers who serve Ward 2 to see their work up close, hear about challenges, and collaborate on public safety strategies.
• Filling Judicial Vacancies: Judicial vacancies are a challenge contributing to a backlog of cases in the courts because there are not enough judges appointed by the federal government. Councilmember Pinto authored a letter to U.S. Senate leadership urging the Senate to take action on eight judicial nominees that need a vote to be approved. Councilmember Pinto also lead a letter with her colleagues urging the White House to nominate more judges for Senate consideration. The Senate subsequently confirmed seven district judges filling vacancies that Councilmember Pinto fought to have filled. There are still more vacancies in DC Courts that need to be filled and Councilmember Pinto will continue to work on this urgent issue.    
• Budget Investments: Councilmember Pinto supported investments to expand our Department of Behavioral Health Community Response Team, extend the Office of Neighborhood Safety & Engagement Violence Interruption Team to the Shaw neighborhood, and increase out of school time programming to provide youth with opportunities for success. Additional investments Councilmember Pinto supported in the Metropolitan Police Department allow for the hiring of hundreds of new officers, including dozens of new Cadets from our communities.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Our downtown core is key to our city’s resiliency and recovery from the pandemic. Councilmember Pinto continues to work with the stakeholders including the Downtown BID, Golden Triangle BID and the executive to establish supports and incentives to revitalize downtown, welcome back workers, encourage visitors, and build housing.  Councilmember Pinto also continued her work with small businesses to streamline regulations and ensure DC is the best place to do business.  

• Housing Downtown: Councilmember Pinto included the Downtown Housing Tax Abatement in the budget as one mechanism to catalyze development. This program will accelerate conversion of commercial office buildings to residential housing Downtown –– a major idea Councilmember Pinto put forth in the RECOVERY Act and a critical component of rebuilding a resilient downtown core.
• Supporting Small Businesses: Councilmember Pinto’s Business and Entrepreneurship Support to Thrive Act (the “BEST Act”) was passed unanimously by the Council last year. The bill encourages entrepreneurship, lower costs and regulation, and streamlines business licensing & renewal so it's easier to open and operate a business in DC.  The BEST Act sends a clear message that our city values the contributions of our small business community and takes an important step forward in removing barriers that have made it more difficult for women and people of color to own and operate a business in the nation’s capital.
• Downtown Resiliency: Councilmember Pinto’s RECOVERY Act received a hearing this past year and she will reintroduce the bill in 2023 to advance this legislation forward. This act’s primary purpose is to provide a comprehensive and inclusive economic recovery package for downtown. Key components of this act include: (1) Incentivizing mixed use property (2) Attracting businesses to the CBD and (3) Encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation.

SENIORS & LGBTQQIA+ COMMUNITY

Councilmember Pinto meets regularly with senior neighbors to ensure our seniors receive the resources and support they need and deserve to thrive in our communities.  

• Senior Villages and Senior Center: Councilmember Pinto continues to work closely with Ward 2 Senior Villages to support their mission serving our seniors. In the budget this year, Councilmember Pinto included investments for programming for seniors through dedicated staff at Kennedy Rec Center and funding to determine a location of a new Senior Center to serve Wards 2 & 3.
• Consumer Protection: Councilmember Pinto advanced important legislation to provide greater consumer protections especially for senior residents. The Consumer Protection Procedures Amendment Act of 2022 introduced by Councilmember Pinto, received a hearing and will be reintroduced this year. This legislation would strengthen the existing Consumer Protection Procedures Act by prohibiting unfair, deceptive, or misleading charitable practices; clarifying protections for vulnerable adults and the elderly; enhancing penalties for violators; and ensuring that the District’s enforcement agencies have the tools necessary to enforce these protections.  

Our LGBTQQIA+ friends, family, coworkers and neighbors are an integral part of our city.  

• LGBTQ+ Resource Center: Councilmember Pinto is excited to welcome the LGBTQ+ resource center to Ward 2 on Wiltberger St. NW. The resource center will open this year and will also house the DC Center and the Capital Pride Alliance. DC has a rich LGBTQQIA+ history and Councilmember Pinto is committed to providing support, protections, and funding to ensure DC remains a welcoming home for our LGBTQQIA+ neighbors.
• Events celebrating our LGBTQQIA+ Community: Again this year, Councilmember Pinto participated in the 17th Street High Heel Race and celebrated the announcement of World Pride taking place in DC in 2025.  

SUPPORTING STUDENTS & FAMILIES

Councilmember Pinto has supported our families and teachers during the transition back to in person learning knowing the best place for students to learn is in the classroom. Students now have greater access to menstrual products in schools because of the passage of Councilmember Pinto’s legislation. Ensuring our kids read on grade level is a critical part of student success in the classroom and beyond and Councilmember Pinto continues to champion this cause. Councilmember Pinto has also continued her commitment to ensure Duke Ellington teachers are paid fairly and also ensure kids are safe in school and traveling to and from school.

• School Readiness Tours: Councilmember Pinto continued her annual school readiness tours at all DCPS schools in Ward 2 meeting with staff, students and families at the beginning of the school year to ensure teachers and staff are prepared and equipped with what they need to successfully serve students. Whether it is ensuring the boiler is working or a substitute teacher is in place, Councilmember Pinto and her staff have worked diligently with students, families and administrators to address and solve concerns.  
• Free Period Products for Students: The Expanding Student Access to Period Products Act introduced by Councilmember Pinto is currently being implemented this school year and requires that free period products be provided in District public, public charter, and private schools and post-secondary institutions. This legislation also requires that the District of Columbia’s State Office of the Superintendent of Schools develop and implement comprehensive menstrual health education standards.  
• Literacy Taskforce: Councilmember Pinto included funding in the budget to establish a literacy taskforce to expand structured literacy training to all DCPS and DC Public Charter School teachers so they have to tools they need to effectively teach reading. The taskforce has begun its work and is making progress towards establishing as strategy to dramatically expand training opportunities.
• Support for Duke Ellington Students and Teachers: In the budget, Councilmember Pinto included requirements for Duke Ellington and DCPS to propose a new funding model that would better support teachers and ensure the continuation of a world-class arts institution. Councilmember Pinto is closely following the working group tasked with this requirement and is committed to ensuring future generations of DC students are able to benefit from exceptional arts education provided at Ellington.  
• School Work Order Dashboard: Councilmember Pinto has worked with the Department of General Services to expedite outstanding maintenance requests and pushing for transparency in the work order tracking system. As required by the Council, DGS established a public work order dashboard where school communities can track progress on maintenance issues.
• Safe Travel to and From School: Councilmember Pinto worked closely with DDOT to make transportation safety improvements around our schools including additional crossing guards, raised crosswalks, and curb bump outs. She also looks forward to the implementation of several school transportation safety bills she co-sponsored this fall. Councilmember Pinto also participated Walk to School Day at Garrison Elementary and Ross Elementary.
• Access to Recreational Space: Councilmember Pinto’s legislation to ensure all residents have fair access to District owned recreational property received a hearing this past year. The “Fairness in Use and Negotiation for All Recreational Property Act of 2021” requires meaningful public engagement and Council oversight of all exclusive use or license agreements for District-owned recreational property that cover a period of one year or more. Councilmember Pinto will be reintroducing the bill and working towards its passage this year.  

AFFORDABLE HOUSING & HOMELESSNESS

Increasing affordable housing and moving neighbors experiencing homelessness continues to be an important part of Councilmember Pinto’s work. Councilmember Pinto worked with executive, advocates, developers and agency contractors on this important work.  

• Supporting Homeownership: Councilmember Pinto secured investments in the budget to support homeownership retention for our veterans who are disabled––through the Homestead Exemption––and for our seniors––by lowering the cap on real property taxes from 5% to 2%.  
• Alleviating Homelessness: Councilmember Pinto also secured 400 targeted affordable housing vouchers to ensure that families that need it have continued housing assistance when they exit the Rapid Rehousing program. Building on the historic investments made in 2021r to end chronic homelessness, this investment is––for the first time––fully funding the request from housing advocates for Permanent Supportive Housing vouchers to meet the needs of our unhoused residents. With Councilmember Pinto, outreach workers, advocates, DHS, and DCHA continue to make progress moving residents into housing and Councilmember Pinto continues to work to expedite this process for residents and move residents off the streets and into housing.
• Strengthening the DC Housing Authority: Councilmember Pinto introduced permanent legislation to reform, rebuild, and restructure the DC Housing Authority in order to comprehensively address the extraordinary failures at the DC Housing Authority Our public housing residents, voucher holders, and constituents deserve transparency, input, and our sustained commitment to comprehensive reforms that make certain our public housing authority delivers safe and decent housing to extremely and very low-income residents. The failure to house residents in available housing units is a direct cause of displacement and homelessness for our District residents. Councilmember Pinto will be reintroducing legislation this year for the new Council Period – this is an important step towards meaningful reform.

TRANSPORTATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Making our streets and sidewalks safe for pedestrians, bikers, and drivers continues to be an important part of Councilmember Pinto’s policy and constituent services work.

• Transportation Safety: Councilmember Pinto is particularly proud of work to expand bike lanes across Ward 2 including the 9th Street bike lane. Councilmember Pinto also supported budget investments to ensure safety and compliance with District traffic laws by expanding the Automated Traffic Enforcement program with 170 new cameras and tripling the Department of Public Works booting team capacity. In addition, Councilmember Pinto supported legislation that passed to direct revenue from automated traffic enforcement to fund Vizion Zero programs,
• Environmental Projects and Sustainability: Councilmember Pinto took important votes this past year to require that new District owned buildings have the highest green building standards, and to advance our climate goals through locally generated solar energy. Expanding electrical vehicle charging is also an important part of our city’s plan to help combat climate change. Councilmember Pinto secured funds to acquire an old gas station in Georgetown and convert it into an EV charging site. In addition, Councilmember Pinto secured investments in stormwater management for the Mt. Zion and Female Union Band Society cemeteries, the oldest Black cemeteries in the city, which will stop erosion and honor those who are buried there.  
• Investments in Infrastructure Projects: Councilmember Pinto helped secure important investments including hiring 25 additional staff to assist with sidewalk repair & maintenance, expediting the S Street Revitalization Project in Shaw and the Pennsylvania Avenue West Streetscape Project, and installing the Dupont Circle Tree Plaza and the Chinatown Green Street Demonstration Project. The median along New York Avenue between 9th and 12th St. will also be renovated through partnership with the Downtown BID.
• Supporting Small Businesses and Addressing Waste: Councilmember Pinto continued her work to make our communities greener, cleaner & more sustainable with the installation of a new continuation of the Trash Compactor program for small businesses, expansion of the Shaw Main Street Clean Team to 11th St., and expansion of the Dupont Circle & Glover Park Clean Teams. These trash compactors also help reduce rodents that are far too prevalent in our commercial corridors.

WARD 2 ANC REDISTRICTING

Councilmember Pinto expresses her sincere gratitude to the Ward 2 ANC Redistricting Taskforce for championing a robust, transparent, and inclusive redistricting effort. Chaired and spearheaded by the inspirational leadership of Austin Naughton, the Ward 2 Taskforce included the following dedicated neighbors:

• Chair - Austin Naughton
• ANC 2A - Barbara Kahlow and James Harnett
• ANC 2B - Anthony Musa and Paul Cadario
• ANC 2C - Howard Marks
• ANC 2D - Kindy French and Donald Friedman
• ANC 2E - Monica Roache and Eric Langenbacher
• ANC 2F - Austin Naughton (Chair) and Evelyn Boyd Simmons
• ANC 6E - Gretchen Wharton and Ankit Jain
• Appointee of Councilmember Anita Bonds: Robert Meehan (ANC 2B)

The Taskforce volunteered hundreds of hours engaging in public meetings, interviewing neighbors and businesses, and drawing and re-drawing maps to ensure this once-in-a-decade redistricting process honored both codified requirements and community interests. Thanks to Councilmember Pinto’s hard-fought efforts and a plethora of public testimony, the Shaw neighborhood was reunified into Ward 2 and joins as the newest ANC to the Ward, ANC 2G.  

Ward 2 is now home to seven ANCs, and Team Pinto looks forward to engaging with and serving all neighbors old and new in another productive year ahead.