Mayor Fenty Comes to Chinatown Tonight! (Chinatown Revitalization Council)

I’ll be there. Great opportunity for a Q&A with Mayor Fenty himself.

This is a good opportunity — but I am getting a bit of organization fatigue. In the Mt. Vernon Triangle, we are asked to attend the DNA, MVSNA, CRC and PQNA. We’ve got to reduce this so we can be more effective and respect people’s time. Or the organizations should focus on more distinct areas and stop the huge overlaps.

i agree with anon..it seems that anybody who has any type of issue…starts a new organization..
its exhausting…

#2: It’s much worse than that. In Penn Quarter, a typical resident has the following meeting demands:

* ANC 6C monthly meeting
* ANC 6C Committee meetings (Planning and Zoning)
* ANC 2C monthly meeting
* PQNA Breakfast monthly meeting
* DNA monthly meetings
* Mount Vernon Square monthly meeting
* Chinatown Revitalization Council monthly meeting
* Chinese Steering Committee monthly meeting
* MPD PSA 101 West monthly meeting
* Condo board monthly meeting

I know I’m missing some other meetings, but already, that’s TWO SOLID WEEKS of meetings and it doesn’t even include any special hearings, protests, or Coincil meetings.

All of these meetings exist, but one still has to read the DC Register and DCRA permit applications to stay informed. Worst of all, the “leaders” of all of these organizations chastise you for not attending *their* meeting where [insert important issue here] was discussed.

You forgot the ANC and PSA meetings too. But I think these diverse associations are necessary, there are alot of issues out there that need attention. Having one meeting going for 5 hours wouldn’t be a good alternative either.

I do not see alot of overlap at these meetings, except with the homeless issue. Can we get a Homeless Neighborhood Association going so we can cut the other meetings by 50%?

And all of the meetings are attended by the same 15 people.

Does anyone have a recap or highlights of the mayor’s comments?

It was a big turnout that packed the room. It was very kind of the CRC to invite all neighbors to attend their meeting. Gallery Place residents then invited the Mayor to come back and visit them in their community room at a later date; the Mayor accepted.

Most of the neighborhood issues had been discussed and assigned ownership to all of the other city officials BEFORE Mayor Fenty arrived. But when he arrived, he was very energetic. Noted the growing statistics of Penn Quarter (5 new retail clothing in the past 5 years) and the population growth of PQ and Mt Vernon (2000 new housing units, 5000 new residents in past 5 years). Acknowledges there are new challenges in a mixed-use community, but is very proud of the development.

We recapped several of the issues that were brought up earlier in the meeting. He definitely has a closer mentality to resolve community issues.

I wish I had been able to make it to the meeting. Has anyone brought up the public nuisance of the McDonald’s at 7th and G Street at any of these meetings?

we never chastise anyone for not coming to an MVSNA meeting besides, we have an excellent recording secretary who takes good notes:

http://lifein.mvsna.org/index.cfm/2008/2/19/February-Meeting-Minutes

I hear you all about meeting fatigue…runs me ragged. next census in 2 yrs, we may get some relief then…