Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Retail Incentive Act of 2004 to expand designated "Retail Priority Areas" in four specific neighborhoods: Mount Vernon Triangle, Eastern Market, Barracks Row, and Georgia Avenue. It updates the geographic boundaries for these areas to include new parcels and streets, making retail businesses in these zones eligible for incentives like tax credits and streamlined permitting. The changes take effect February 4, 2025, and require congressional review as an emergency amendment. This directly affects property owners and small retailers in those designated neighborhoods by expanding access to existing retail support programs.

Maddy summaryThis resolution declares an emergency to extend the temporary "Great Streets Program Expansion Neighborhood Retail Priority Emergency Amendment Act of 2024" until the permanent "Great Streets Program Expansion Neighborhood Retail Priority Amendment Act of 2024" (Bill 25-488) completes its required 30-day congressional review. It ensures small businesses in designated neighborhoods - Mount Vernon Triangle, Eastern Market, Barracks Row, and Georgia Avenue areas - can continue accessing retail grants without interruption. The resolution does not change the program’s policy but maintains temporary access during the legislative review process.

Maddy summaryThe Safe Neighborhoods Amendment Act of 2025 establishes the Office of Neighborhood Engagement and Safety Agency (ONES), an independent agency to coordinate the District’s existing violence prevention efforts, including the Neighborhood Engagement and Safety Offices (NEAR Offices) created under the 2016 law. It creates a dedicated Office of Neighborhood Engagement and Safety Administration Fund, funded by District appropriations, grants, and public/private donations, to support program operations without annual budget restrictions. The bill amends several related laws to align with ONES’ structure, including updating roles for the Director (requiring 5+ years in violence prevention) and revising police recruitment and housing benefit provisions for first responders. This bill directly affects District agencies managing violence prevention, public safety funding, and police workforce programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Historic Preservation Review Board to add Historic African American burial grounds to the District's official inventory of historic landmarks and districts. It defines these sites as pre-1955 burial locations for African Americans owned by public or charitable entities, mandating inclusion of their location, ownership, and any disputes in the inventory and city maps. The Mayor must also report annually on the preservation status of these burial grounds, including efforts to register sites not yet listed in official historic records. The bill directly affects the Historic Preservation Review Board, the Mayor's office, and city planning departments. It focuses on formal recognition and documentation of these culturally significant sites.