Dear Neighbor,

February has been a busy month so far, with events across the ward, numerous oversight hearings, a thorough legislative meeting, and more to come. Each has been an opportunity for me to hear from constituents and bring their concerns forward to improve the daily quality of life for Ward 3 residents. In recent weeks, I have asked DC agencies direct questions in performance oversight hearings. This week, I sent a letter to Mayor Muriel Bowser calling on her administration to advance the Connecticut Avenue Multimodal Safety Improvement Project with the concept plan she has previously embraced.

I have also taken a moment to look back on my first year in office, reflecting on what progress has been made and focusing on what more can be done this year. I am grateful to hold this position of service, and I will continue to deliver on my commitment to achieve a Ward 3 for all. 

My next newsletter should be released on Thursday, March 7. While that will be full of important information, I also provide timely updates over social media. Make sure to follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for real-time posts.

Best,

Matt Frumin

Ward 3 Councilmember

This week, I sent a letter to the mayor expressing the critical need for the administration to put forward a refined plan to advance the Connecticut Avenue Multimodal Safety Improvement Project, including its call for protected bike lanes. In this letter, I directly address concerns I have heard about the bike lanes and highlight how this plan can slow vehicle speeds, increase the flow of traffic, and help businesses. 

We are not in an on/off switch moment, but rather a transition period. Over time, we must move away from reliance on single-occupancy cars. The administration rightfully prides itself on leading a city in the vanguard of climate and safety initiatives, as well as a commitment to Vision Zero. To be true to our goals, we must move toward a less car-dependent, more multimodal future. That requires us to include protected bike lanes in the Connecticut Avenue Multimodal Safety Improvement Project.

We have less than two weeks left of Performance Oversight Hearings, during which government officials and the public testify about the work of our city agencies. At recent hearings, I addressed DDOT about safety improvements for Connecticut Avenue, WMATA about the Tenleytown-AU Metro Station and the agency’s budget cliff and strategy, and the DC Housing Authority about rent reasonableness.

If you would like to engage in the remaining hearings, I encourage you to sign up to testify. Following performance oversight, we will begin the budget process. I held my second-annual Ward 3 Budget Listening Session last month. You can also share your priorities with the Mayor’s office.

Last week, DC Public Schools released its initial budgets for the school year 2024-25. While I understand it’s a difficult budget year citywide, our schools are vital, and the initial school budgets are unacceptable. I am pushing DCPS, the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education, and the mayor to make schools whole through the petition process. Once the Council receives the mayor’s budget on March 20, I will work with the Chairman of the Council and my colleagues to restore school funding.

I encourage parents, guardians, students, and staff to sign up to testify at the DCPS/DME/OSSE hearing on Wednesday, February 28, to express concerns about the initial school budgets. 

WMATA is asking for your input on its FY25 budget, which includes a worst-case scenario of service cuts and fare hikes. This proposed plan is what service could look like without the recent funding commitments from DC, Maryland, and Virginia, and it is critical that WMATA receives as much public opinion as possible. 

At last week’s hearing with the agency, I asked General Manager Randy Clarke about the Better Bus network redesign, which will be revealed this spring for public comment. Clarke said that rollout will be the last part of the public engagement process, showing the contrast between what we have today, what they would like to do, and what they are going to do. The difference between the latter two is funding. For the first time in decades, WMATA is taking a detailed look at bus service to better serve residents with the stops, routes, and hours and days of week for service. I hope they will work toward the best options in this redesign.

Review Metro’s FY25 Budget today. If you have any feedback about anything proposed, particularly related to bus service, it is critical you voice your opinion by Tuesday, March 5.

Since August, the Department of General Services and the Department of Parks and Recreation have been working on necessary repairs at the Wilson Aquatic Center. The agencies have been general about the likely schedule for reopening the Wilson Aquatic Center, at different times suggesting the target reopening date was the end of 2023, then this winter, and more recently, DGS has told us it should be open this spring. From DGS and DPR:

“The Department of General Services (DGS), in partnership with the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), is pleased to provide an update on the HVAC replacement project at the Wilson Aquatic Center. This $2.5M project is steadily progressing, with all necessary HVAC components arriving and construction beginning in January. The scope will include new rooftop units, fans, and ductwork. DGS is also redesigning the HVAC system to allow for more efficient and timely maintenance and inspections. In addition to the HVAC replacement and redesign, DGS is evaluating additional repairs before a spring 2024 reopening. DGS and DPR will announce a planned reopening date as we get closer to completion.”

Once reopening happens, let's hope the problems that have dogged the pool for years will be permanently and sustainably remedied and the pool will perform at least as well as the day it first opened. If not, pool users and I will be on DGS and DPR about further repairs.

In the meantime, UDC has opened its pool to the public.

DPW is collecting holiday trees through Sunday, March 2, from DPW-serviced households, which include single-family homes and apartment dwellings with three or fewer units. Holiday trees and greenery will be collected within five days of being placed at the front of the residence at the curb. For missed collections, residents can call 311 and make a “Christmas Tree Removal - Seasonal” service request through March 2.

Residents may also drop off trees and greenery at Guy Mason Recreation Center (3600 Calvert Street NW) from 8 am to 4 pm, Monday through Friday.

I watched two great basketball teams play Saturday when the nationally ranked Jackson-Reed High School won 66 to 52 against Cardozo to capture the D.C. Interscholastic Athletic Association title for the fifth time in the past seven years. Congratulations to the Tigers!

Last week I attended MPD Second District’s community safety walk in Woodley Park. These regular walks are opportunities for residents to discuss safety issues with MPD, other government agencies and fellow neighbors. I will post future walks on social media and in the newsletter.

I was also able to take part in Lunar New Year festivities at Child’s Play Toys & Books, where crafts, a lion dance, and more filled Chevy Chase.

It is an honor to serve my neighbors in Ward 3, and as I look back on my first year in office, I am proud of the work my team and I have accomplished. In 2023, my office:

• Helped nearly 1,300 residents with constituent services
• Attended an average of three community safety walks per month
• Held six Workdays in the Ward, where residents can visit with me, my team, and city agencies as we set up office at a neighborhood business for the day 
• Attended more than 60 ANC meetings
• Introduced key legislation:
• Universal Out-of-School Time: to expand out-of-school time programs, such as after-school and summer programming, to universal access by 2035 for every student in a DC Public or Public Charter School. Out-of-school time programming improves academic performance and economic mobility, and is the most effective strategy for reducing juvenile crime, according to 69% of police chiefs surveyed nationally.
• Addressing Legacies of Housing Segregation: to void exclusive pre-1938 covenants that prohibit multi-family housing on lots originally subdivided by the Chevy Chase Land Company if multi-family housing could otherwise be built on those lots under modern planning and zoning laws. I also introduced a broader companion bill to similarly void exclusive covenants in the Rock Creek West planning area.
• Rent Stabilization Protection: to ensure the housing voucher program can thrive without jeopardizing existing rent stabilization policies.
• Friendship Heights BID: to create DC’s 12th Business Improvement District, a step in ensuring sustainable funding for the first-of-its-kind, cross-jurisdictional organization to support the economic revitalization of Friendship Heights.
• Co-introduced more than 150 bills, including legislation related to improving public safety, roadway safety, economic opportunity, and education.

This year is underway with more important work at hand. I thank my team for their commitment to serve, and I thank you all for the privilege I have to work every day to better our communities.

Advisory Neighborhood Commission Meetings

• ANC3A: Tuesday, March 19, 7 pm, at the McLean Gardens Ballroom and Zoom
• ANC3B: Thursday, March 14, 7 pm, Zoom
• ANC3C: Monday, March 18, 7 pm, Zoom
• ANC3D: Wednesday, March 6, 7 pm, Zoom
• ANC3E: Thursday, March 14, 7:30 pm, Zoom
• ANC3F: Tuesday, March 19, 7 pm, Zoom
• ANC3/4G: Mondays, March 11 and 25, 7 pm, at Chevy Chase Community Center and Zoom

Save the Date: My next monthly Workday in the Ward will be from 8 am to 5 pm on Thursday, March 28, at Compass Coffee, 4850 Massachusetts Avenue NW.

Thank you for taking the time to read this week’s newsletter. If you have thoughts about what else you would like to see in these email updates and our social media, please directly contact tcogan@dccouncil.gov.

Councilmember Matt Frumin

1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Suite 408

202-724-8062