New Council structure announced; Wells joins key committee

Government

New Council structure announced; Wells joins key committee

by David Alpert • December 24, 2008 1:13 am

Loose Lips just posted the new committee structure for next year's DC Council, chosen by Chairman Vincent Gray. Most of the committees stay the same, but there are some important changes, including a few in the key committee which oversees transportation.

The Wilson Building, home of the Council. Photo from the DC Council.

Jim Graham remains chair of the committee, whose name will change from Committee on Public Works and the Environment to Committee on Public Works and Transportation. That's because oversight of the Department of the Environment goes to Mary Cheh, who also gets the Government Operations responsibility formerly held by departing Councilmember Carol Schwartz. Cheh's new portfolio will presumably include the Board of Elections and Ethics, whose lapses during the primary Cheh investigated tenaciously. In turn, Cheh gives up her utility regulation and DCRA portfolio to Muriel Bowser. With Bowser's strength in constituent services, that seems appropriate.

Cheh will also give up her seat on the Public Works committee now that the Department of the Environment is no longer part of it, as ~~of course will Schwartz~~ will Yvette Alexander. Replacing the two are Phil Mendelson and, most excitingly, Tommy Wells. At the last two committee hearings I attended, on bicycle safety and parking rates, none of the other committee members were present save Chairman Graham, but Wells was. Putting him on the committee makes a lot of sense; he already had staff devoted to these issues even without a seat on the committee. And, of course, Wells has always been a strong ally of everything this blog advocates.

Mendelson is something of a wild card on transportation. He testified in favor of a curb cut, though one that may be appropriate. He voted against the parking fee increase, though he also suggested he'd support broadening performance parking. And he raised questions about a new bike lane-blocking fine, but once he got answers to those questions, praised and voted for the measure. Mendelson co-introduced, and spoke strongly in favor of, closing the parking tax loophole to improve our air quality.

Please chime in with your opinions of Phil Mendelson. My preliminary impressions say that his heart is in the right place, but he's not always up to speed on all the potentially counterintuitive implications of transportation policy, and sometimes he'd rather hold out for the right long-term solution than pass a short-term, politically viable but messy solution. I can certainly understand that sentiment, and look forward to working with Mendelson on these important issues.

The Post is also reporting that Gray will name newly elected Councilmember Michael A. Brown to replace Marion Barry as one of the alternate members of the Metro board. Alternates can't vote at board meetings, but do contribute on Metro board committees.

16 comments

Tags: DC, DC Council, Jim Graham, Mary Cheh, Michael A Brown, Muriel Bowser, Phil Mendelson, Tommy Wells

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David Alpert is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Greater Greater Washington and Greater Greater Education. He worked as a Product Manager for Google for six years and has lived in the Boston, San Francisco, and New York metro areas in addition to Washington, DC. He loves the area which is, in many ways, greater than those others, and wants to see it become even greater.

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"I can certainly understand that sentiment, and look forward to working with Mendelson on these important issues.

David, you're on the Council now? ;)

by Lance on Dec 24, 2008 6:26 am • link • report

So Mendelson is something of a wildcard because he raised questions about a new bike lane-blocking fine? Sounds like a good lawyer/legislator to me.

Phil Mendelson is often an ally to people concerned about poverty and the rights of residents. He's aware.

Like him. Keep him.

by Jazzy on Dec 24, 2008 6:39 am • link • report

I agree with you about being excited about Tommy Wells being on the committee that deals with transportation. I've always been bothered by the fact that Jim Graham who drives everywhere (and illegally parks everywhere)heads up this committee (as well as sits on the WMATA board). Hopefully CM Wells will bring a more balanced voice and an understanding that transportation doesn't just mean more parking spaces...it means safe places to bike and walk too... something CM Graham has no comprehension of whatsoever.

by Adams Morgan on Dec 24, 2008 8:46 am • link • report

Mendelson is very strong on traditional environmental issues. I believe he started in DC politics by opposing a road through Glover Archbold park, he was an ally in the fight against the Barney Circle freeway and to keep Klingle road closed. His most re-election campaign was heavily supported with volunteers from the Sierra Club and the gay community. At the time, he was facing an opportunist politician running largely on his race. Most pundits thought Mendelson would have dim re-election prospects but he ended up winning while getting more votes than anyone except Eleanor Holmes Norton; more voted for Mendelson than voted for Fenty or Gray.

One of his campaign pieces "mocked" himself as a "nitpicker" and he does have a reputation of being very careful with the specific language in legislation. But I don't know that he's provided much leadership on moving forward with good ideas--being on the short end of lopsided votes only does so much. While he's reliable in fighting to stop the bad, I'm not sure he has thought much about what sort of development would be good. He certainly listens, and is probably the favored politician of, the sort of generally anti-development activists. He opposed the project at 5221 Wisconsin, for example. But I believe he considers his credibility as the pro-environment candidate seriously, and if he hears from enough people about the environmental angle of smart growth, he could come around.

by thm on Dec 24, 2008 9:23 am • link • report

Jim Graham who drives everywhere (and illegally parks everywhere)

If you're a council-critter, there's no such thing as illegal parking. They've exempted themselves from the laws everyone else is supposed to obey.

by Paul on Dec 24, 2008 9:40 am • link • report

If you're a council-critter, there's no such thing as illegal parking. They've exempted themselves from the laws everyone else is supposed to obey.

Technically, they only exempted themselves from the parking regulations when they're performing their official duties, but in practice it seems everything they do is an official duty.

I'm actually more peeved by Congress's role in this. Carol Schwartz passed the Council's parking exemption by adding it to the parking exemption Congress had already voted for themselves (again, only in the course of their official duties, but, again, everything they do including picking up a carton of milk at the Safeway is an official duty). Given that there are 535 members of Congress before you get to the non-voting delegates, who presumably also qualify, but only 13 Councilmembers (12 if you leave out Tommy Wells, who as far as I know always parks his bike legally), the Congresscritters have a lot more potential to cause headaches for the rest of us.

by cminus on Dec 24, 2008 10:16 am • link • report

Cheh will also give up her seat on the Public Works committee now that the Department of the Environment is no longer part of it, as of course will Schwartz.

Schwartz wasn't on the committee; she formerly chaired it but left it entirely when she lost the chair. The other Councilmember who will be departing the committee is Yvette Alexander.

by cminus on Dec 24, 2008 10:24 am • link • report

Mendelson is as thoughtful and accessible as any member on the Council. Environmentalists should consider this a big victory, plain and simple. Every time there is an environmental issue, Phil is there to first ask detailed questions and then support the measure. I'm glad to have him on our side.

by Henry on Dec 24, 2008 12:15 pm • link • report

Grey is not taking the Metro board seat - it's Michael Brown according to the Post article you linked.

by DC on Dec 24, 2008 12:51 pm • link • report

That's what it says. I agree the sentence is worded in a way that's easy to misparse.

by David Alpert on Dec 24, 2008 12:53 pm • link • report

I've reworded the sentence to be clearer.

by David Alpert on Dec 24, 2008 12:54 pm • link • report

Wouldn't that be more clear? Sorry, just joshing....'tis the season! :)

by Adams Morgan on Dec 24, 2008 12:57 pm • link • report

Mendelson is awful to work with. An old curmudgeon of a politician who doesn't work for the citizens (unless they happen to agree with him- no sense of representing the will of the people) or compromise. I find myself disagreeing with him on every issue. Especially regarding development and public safety. I would go so far to say that he protects criminals and criminality. See this article if you don't believe

http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/people/8002.html

by SG on Dec 25, 2008 12:51 am • link • report

Anything that keeps Tommy Wells away from education is probably good. Wells is not a friend of charter schools, which frankly, are a critical component of any strategy for DC to retain middle class families.

by Ward 1 Guy on Dec 25, 2008 5:57 am • link • report

I would agree with Sg with respect to Mendelson. He is generally not easy to work with, nor is he approachable, unless you are one of the "particular" ANC Commissioners with whom he has a relationship or philosophical alignmnent.

He is basically the Committee of 100 member of the council, and how he keeps getting re-elected is beyond me.

by William on Dec 25, 2008 10:53 am • link • report

Agree on Mendelson, that link SG posted is a must read.

by FourthandEye on Dec 25, 2008 10:56 am • link • report