July 28, 2020

Hello Commissioner,

As we near the end of the budget process for Fiscal Year 2021, I am proud to report that the Council is investing in significant new resources to support you in your work as ANCs. In my second year as chair of the Committee on Facilities and Procurement, which has jurisdiction over the OANC, I continue to listen to your needs as elected officials and push for more resources to meet those needs. 
 
I’m excited to share the new investments below that come from your requests at our hearings and in your Resolutions:
 
·     Created a Technical Support and Assistance Fund  to help pay for services you requested, like audio-visual technology, printing services, website assistance, remote meeting technology, and community outreach and engagement;
 
·     A new full-time Technical Support Director  in the OANC to assist Commissions. This new staff member, along with the planned hiring of a second new employee over the next couple of months, should substantially improve the capacity of the OANC to meet increased ANC needs; and
 
·     Funded Implicit Bias Training  for Commissioners as they enter office. This training responds to Commission requests and our engagement as city officials in important racial justice and equality work.
 
In last year’s budget, I worked hard to find funding to:

  • Increase the stipends to ANCs, bringing you closer to the historic level of funding, which meant expanding your ability to serve your community;

  • Expand sign language interpretation and computer-aided real-time transcription so that people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing and people with disabilities can serve as Commissioners and participate fully in Commission meetings;

  • Fully fund a bill that provides non-English speaking residents translation of meetings and written documents; and to

  • Procure a mobile application to help residents and Commissioners communicate more effectively.
 
I want to thank you for your service as Commissioners, and for engaging my Committee and me. These new programs and funding come from your requests and engagement. We still have work to do to strengthen your positions as ANCs. My goal is to make progress each year.
 
If you have any questions about our work, please feel free to contact my Committee Director Shawn Hilgendorf or me at (202) 724-8077 or  [email protected] .
 
In service,
Robert White