Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6/8F met both in-person at 250 M St. SE and online via Zoom April 22. On the dias were Commissioners Nic Wilson (6/8F01), Vice Chair Markita Bryant (6/8F02), Chair Brian Strege (6/8F03), Secretary Edward Daniels (6/8F04) and Treasurer Liam Goodwin (6/8F05).
Councilmember Christina Henderson (D-At Large) said DC Council is preparing for “a very ruckus time over the next few months.” As the DC Council discusses the District’s FY2026 budget, she said Congress will be putting together a recession package to make cuts to the federal FY2025 budget and starting the budget reconciliation process for FY2026, which, Henderson noted, is likely to impact the District. She said as a result, the DC budget discussion will likely take longer than the usual 70 days. That work is likely to include supplementary budget work in the fall to address whatever emerges from the Congressional reconciliation process, expected to conclude in August.
Asked about a Friday situation where youth overwhelmed The Wharf and then Navy Yard, Henderson said that her parents were not likely to have allowed her to be out on a Friday at an unknown location. But, she said, that was a privilege not all DC kids have. She said that the situation was illustrative of the consequences of cuts to the budget, noting that the Mayor is poised to cut about $630 million in funds allocated for the year. That money, Henderson said, will have to come from places where it has not yet been spent —including summer camps and programs, libraries and recreation centers.
As Chair of the DC Council Health Committee, Henderson said a big priority for her is ensuring people maintain their health insurance coverage. The District has near universal coverage —97 percent of residents have insurance of some type— and she hopes to maintain that. The District will also need to repair the situation that will be created when and if the federal government makes cuts to Medicaid, SNAP and TANF. There are unlikely to be newly-funded programs, she said.
Henderson said that it was not clear if there is a majority of for I-83, the Ranked Choice Voting initiative, on DC Council. The Mayor is very unlikely to fund the initiative in her budget, likely to be introduced in early May. If it is going to be funded, Henderson said, council must do it. “So I’m encouraging people,” Henderson said, “if Initiative 83 is really important to you, you’ve got to talk to some of my Democratic colleagues.”
Out of Control Youth
Captain Adam Crist said MPD estimates more than 300 juveniles descended into The Wharf and Navy Yard late Friday, April 18, resulting in a significant police presence. He said the group of youth initially met at National Harbor, then, coordinating via social media, moved to The Wharf. While officers were expecting some sort of youth convergence, the numbers were higher than anticipated. Officers were pulled from other districts and areas of the department for the response, which cleared the crowds from the area, pushing them into Navy Yard.
Some kids found their way into residential buildings, having parties in those private spaces and discouraging residents from reporting them. Crist said that when one person gains unpermitted access to private spaces, a resident might alert a concierge. When it is 20 or 30 kids, there is a possibility of retaliation. Crist said buildings would need to tailor security solutions to their resident’s needs.
Crist said there was a reported youth-on-youth robbery and an unlawful discharge of firearm, both in Southwest. The latter was not associated with injury or property damage. Six arrests were made, four in Southwest and two near the Navy Yard metro. The group was largely dispersed by about 9:30 to 10 p.m., he said. The Captain acknowledged that while many of the crimes committed might be misdemeanors if the youth were charged, the overall effect is to make the neighborhood feel less safe, although overall crime is down in the neighborhood and the city.
Commissioners expressed bafflement and dismay at the event. Secretary Daniels said that a lack of youth programming was no excuse for this type of behavior and encouraged parents to be aware of their children’s activities. Bryant spoke directly to the youth: “I want our young people to know one thing. I’m a big advocate of you, but I’m disappointed. I want you to do better, because you can do better.”
Speaking separately, Ward 8 Mayor’s Office of Community Relations MOCR Eugene Kinlow said DC now has a Juvenile Investigative Response Unit (JIRU), an initiative dedicated to preventing youth crime and fostering community partnerships. JIRU addresses serious offenses but prioritizes intervention using targeted data driven processes. It is designed to provide at-risk youth with alternatives to crime while at the same time holding repeat offenders able, partnering with schools, youth organizations and service providers and collaborating with the agencies that serve youth.
The Mayor also recently introduced the My Out of School Time (MOST) DC Portal, which will show events happening all over the city, including after school, summer and spring break programs opening to Kindergarten through 12th Grade. https://most.dc.gov/en-US/
The ANC voted to:
- protest the renewal of an alcohol license for The Cove (25 Potomac Ave. SE) citing concerns with crowds and noise. A separate group of residents is also protesting the license.
- send a letter to the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) in of the Saturday, May 3, March of Dimes Walk route to Nationals Stadium through Navy Yard
- the renewal of the Class C liquor license for Osteria Marini (301 Water St. SE) and Silver Diner (1250 Water St. SE).
The Mayor’s Office of Community Relations and Services (MOCRs) has an office in the Washington Gas building on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. You can meet with MOCR Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 3 p.m. until the building is closed.
ANC 6/8F meets on the Third Tuesday of the month.The next meeting is May 20. Find more information and how to at anc8F.org
An earlier version of this report referenced Edward Daniels as the Chair of ANC 6/8F. The Chair is Brian Strege. The Hill Rag regrets the error. An earlier title also referred to Council member Christina Henderson (At-Large, I) as a commissioner. She is a duly elected at-large member of the Council of the District of Columbia. Hill Rag regrets this error.
