The Council recently went into summer recess from July 15th through September 15th. Recess means that, with rare exceptions, the Council may not take official action. It is not however "time off" as my Council office is abuzz with constituent work and research and preparation on reports and bills for action in September. This week, I will be sending a “recess recap” to highlight some of the major activities that have been concluded and to discuss a few projects yet to come. Recess notwithstanding, it's been a busy time at the Council.

Power Outages
Yesterday's storms knocked out power for 28,000 residents in the District of Columbia, and large portions of Ward 3 are still without power. My office is working with PEPCO to make sure that power is restored as quickly as possible. To report a power outage, contact PEPCO at 1-877-PEPCO-62 (1-877-737-2662). To report downed wires and life-threatening emergencies, please call 202-872-3432. If there is some other assistance we can provide, please call my office at 202-724-8062.

Board of Elections and Ethics
As you may have read, the Chairman of the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics gave notice on July 23rd of his impending resignation from the Board to accept a position as a magistrate judge at the D.C. Superior Court. As the Chair of the Committee on Government Operations and the Environment, I worked with members of the Council and the Mayor to help ensure that the vacancy was promptly filled with a highly qualified and impartial Board member. I was pleased that Mr. Togo D. West, Jr., has been nominated for the position, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure that the vacancy is filled. A hearing on his nomination is scheduled for this afternoon.

While on the subject of the District’s elections, I also want to note that the Board of Elections and Ethics is seeking volunteers for polling place workers and legal monitors. If you are interested in volunteering, I encourage you to do so. Also, the Board will be holding a “mock election” today and tomorrow to test out the District’s new voting equipment and to give polling place workers an opportunity to conduct a “dry run” on same-day voter registration. This event is open to the public and, if you are interested, you can simply show up any of the three sites that will be used. I have asked the Executive Director of the Board to give the Committee an “after-action” report on the trial.

Solar Thermal in the District
Last Wednesday, I joined Councilmember Jim Graham and Skyline Innovations at Crosstown Properties for a ribbon cutting for the largest Solar Thermal installation in the District. The project consists of 32 solar roof panels that work in conjunction with tanks in the basement of the building to heat 1600 gallons of water. Once it is fully operational, natural gas usage at the site will drop 70%. Click here to view pictures of the event.

Visitor Parking Passes
The District Department of Transportation has advised me that new visitor parking passes for the 2010-2011 pilot program are currently being mailed out and should arrive at homes with a current Residential Parking Pass by the end of the month. DDOT will provide a 2-week grace period for the old passes in the event that the new passes do not arrive in time. If, for any reason, you have problems receiving your pass, please do not hesitate to contact my office.

CAPA and Small Business Awards
Last week, Connecticut Avenue Pedestrian Action (CAPA) released the results of its audit of Connecticut Avenue from Calvert Street to Western Ave. Toole Design, which was engaged as a consultant to CAPA, has put together a PowerPoint presentation, which you can view here.

Finally, this Wednesday, the Washington, DC Economic Partnership (WDCEP) will be holding a ceremony to honor the recipients of the 2010 Small Business Awards. These awards aim to encourage entrepreneurship and to help foster small business growth in the District. In addition, the WDCEP will announce the winner of the “$100,000 Business Plan Competition.” Click here for more information.

Thanks as always for reading these updates. You can always reach my office at (202) 724-8062, or contact me directly via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . I look forward to hearing from you. Have a great week!

Regards,
Mary