Thursday night’s Burleith Citizens Association meeting featured an appearance by Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans, who answered residents’ concerns about Georgetown’s 2010 campus plan.

While standing between two of the BCA’s ubiquitous “Our Homes, Not GU’s Dorm” lawn signs, Evans voiced his support for Burleith residents. However, he also told the crowd that he has little control over the D.C. Zoning Commission, the judicial body that will rule on the plan.

“It’s not something I can make happen for you, or make happen for anybody,” he said. “I wish I could solve your problem with a magic wand, but I can’t.”

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Monday’s Advisory Neighborhood Committee meeting was short on entertainment, but awfully long on just about everything else.

Topics included how to ease the traffic jams at the intersection of M Street and Wisconsin Avenue, a monthly public safety report, some complaints about the Alcohol Beverage Control Board’s moratorium, and a University’s ten-year plan—but sadly, it wasn’t Georgetown’s 2010 Campus Plan. Let’s get to the wrap:

Ed Solomon: Private Eye

In what we can only imagine was a long-gestating dream, Commissioner Ed Solomon delivered the evening’s public safety report after MPD Lieutenant Jon Hedgecock couldn’t attend the meeting.

“As far as crime in our area, it’s still basically what we reported last month,” Solomon said as he presumably imagined himself chasing down petty crooks and arresting bank robbers. “It’s trending down but there’s been some high-visibility crime in our neighborhood.”

According to Solomon, who we hope dons a mask and fights crime on the streets of Georgetown, MPD plans to move extra police officers from Friday and Saturday nights to “other higher crime nights.”

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With current City Council Chairman Vincent Gray having confirmed that he will challenge Adrian Fenty for mayor in 2010, Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans (D), who represents over a dozen nearby neighborhoods along with Georgetown, where he resides, has said that he will run against At-Large Councilmember Kwame Brown (D) to fill the chairmanship that Gray will leave vacant. On Wednesday, when WTOP reported his decision, they said that Evans would get support from Fenty.

Evans is usually credited with the commercial revival that Ward 2 has seen over the last decade. He has been involved in national politics, serving as a delegate at the Democratic National Convention in Denver in 2008, an election cycle where he was initially a member of Hillary Clinton’s D.C. steering committee. As the councilmember for Ward 2 for nearly two decades, Evans enjoys a strong relationship with Georgetown University President John DeGioia.

“In Ward 2, we have worked very closely with Councilman Evans over the course of his career, and there are few men for whom I have higher regard. [Jack’s] been an extraordinary colleague to us,” DeGioia has told campus press.

Although Brown has demonstrated city-wide appeal, and already has the endorsement of Councilmember Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3), Jack Evans, who has represented one of D.C.’s wealthiest wards for the past 19 years and enjoys good relationships with the business community, will be a fundraising powerhouse.

“I know how to do it, I’m good at fundraising,” Evans told Voice reporter Juliana Brint in 2008 when he was running for reelection to the Council against his first significant challenger in over a decade. In the course of their brief interview, which took place at a fundraiser for his campaign at the house of Kevin Bacon’s sister, two people slipped into the room to hand him checks.

While Gray cannot return to his chairmanship if he loses his bid for mayor, Evans can continue to represent Ward 2 if he loses to Brown, as he is not up for reelection until 2012. Brown will also resume his At-Large chair if he loses.

This month’s Advisory Neighborhood Commission meeting lacked the kind of heated debate that can often break out on the second floor of the Georgetown Visitation School, but it did feature an appearance from Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans that spiced things up a little.

Evans’ appearance gave the crowd on hand an opportunity to ask some greater-D.C.-related questions, which touched on the District of Columbia’s current budget issues, the city’s response to the massive snowstorm in February, and the possibility of statehood—all in all, more civic-minded questions than the ones residents asked of Evans last year, such as a question about getting those infernal trolley tracks taken out of P Street.

Evans seemed uninterested in pursuing statehood at the moment. Why?

“It’s not in the cards right now. I hate to say this about one of my colleagues, but every time Marion Barry does crazy things it feeds right into Congress’ view that he could be elected mayor again and God forbid if they had control over their affairs what could happen then? I was talking with Northrop Grumman about relocating and his name came up, and that’s a problem,” Evans said.

The meeting also included a brief presentation from Georgetown Energy, a Georgetown student-run not-for-profit organization that is advocating the implementation of rooftop solar technology across the District.

Anthony Conyers (COL ’12), Peter Nulsen (COL ’12) and Jessica Robbins (SFS ’12) accompanied Mike Meaney (SFS ’12), who directly addressed the ANC about Georgetown Energy’s campaign.

He emphasized the financial sense of installing solar panels on roofs, noting that the typical Georgetown home would receive a net profit of $30,000 over a 30-year period by installing solar panels.

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Having already replaced the principal of Hardy Middle School in a much-criticized attempt to make the school more appealing to local families, D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee is eyeing the Duke Ellington School of the Arts—that’s the one on 35th Street with the big green chair—for possible conversion from an illustrious performing arts-centric high school into a public high school that would serve Ward 2 families.

Rhee and school construction czar Allen Lew say that they have no concrete plans to convert the school yet, but the Washington Post‘s Bill Turque reports that Lew’s office has developed a cost estimate for moving the Duke Ellington school into the vacant Logan Elementary School in Northeast D.C., near Union Station.

Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans (D) is also strongly in favor of the conversion, as Ward 2 is the only ward in the District that does not have a neigborhood high school.

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D.C. Councilmember Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), whose ward includes Georgetown, had Jack Evans bobbleheads made for some reason using campaign money.

WTOP’s Mark Segraves reports that Evans spent $2,000 of his campaign money on 100 bobbleheads. Segraves notes that Little Jack has more hair and fewer wrinkles than his living counterpart.

Since the bobbleheads were bought with campaign funds, Evans’s opponent in the 2008 election Cary Silverman wasn’t pleased:

I’m confused. According to DC law, surplus campaign funds must, within 6 months of an election, be: (1) donated to a political party; (2) used to retire campaign debts; (3) returned to donors; or (4) transferred to an authorized constituent services fund. I missed (5) used to purchase bobbleheads with the Councilmember’s likeness.

Photo by Mark Segraves/WTOP

Last Thursday, the Burleith Citizens’ Association held its annual meeting.  Yes, annual.

“One per year? I love it!” exclaimed guest of honor Mayor Adrian Fenty (D). “That’s unprecedented, at least in D.C.”

With only one meeting per year, the agenda was pretty packed, with Burleithers (Burleithians?) discussing everything from 61-D citations to the University’s ten-year plan, parking changes, D.C. Public Schools and cracking down on neglectful landlords.

MPD and 61-Ds: Lieutenant John Hedgecock, who has been in charge of West Georgetown and Burleith since early August, talked about the neighborhood’s crime stats and how the Metropolitan Police Department has been using 61-D citations.

When Hedgecock announced that issuing 61-Ds has been “very effective in quelling parties,” the crowd broke out in applause.  According to Hedgecock, once MPD receives a call, they assume that there’s been a breach of the peace.  If they observe a party and the noise “is too much for a residential area,” they will issue a 61-D citation to the person on the lease of the house or in charge of the party.

Hedgecock says while last year there were six “problem houses” in the area (four in West Georgetown and two in Burleith), this year there is only one.

“When we see a party starting, we put an end to it or advise them what will happen,” Hedgecock said.

One neighbor voiced concerns about the citations saddling students with a criminal record; Hedgecock replied that those who receive 61-Ds can contest them in court.

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Bye bye blue bus?

It’s been a banner month for the Circulator: after the Wisconsin Avenue portion of the Georgetown-Union Station loop was saved from elimination in in the 11th hour by Mayor Adrian Fenty, plans are in the works to create a new line connecting Georgetown with Rosslyn.

According to the Washington Examiner, local officials are pushing for the creation of a new Circulator route that would replace the Georgetown Metro Connection “Blue Bus,” which is currently run by the Georgetown Business Improvement District.

The Blue Bus was conceived of as a way to demonstrate the demand in Georgetown for public bus service to a nearby Metro stop, and currently serves between 35,000 and 40,000 riders per month.  But the Blue Bus was only designed as a temporary solution, and the BID is hoping that the District Department of Transportation will take over the route.

Last week, D.C. Councilmember Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), whose district includes Georgetown, introduced a bill to change the rule preventing the Circulator from running outside D.C. city limits.

Although the BID says D.C. leaders have pledged financial support and Rep. Jim Moran (D—Va.) secured federal money for new buses, DDOT spokesman John Lisle said they “have no plans for a new route at this time.”

This week’s ANC meeting was low on excitement and high on references to the “historic nature” of the Georgetown neighborhood. Ward 2′s DC Councilmember Jack Evans was scheduled to make an appearance at the meeting, but was forced to cancel due to an “unavoidable conflict.” ANC members speculated the Evans could be at tonight’s Capitols game, but these charges were vigorously denied by one of Evans’ staff members.

After a healthy fifteen minute discussion over the restoration of Georgetown light poles, the Commissioners turned to serious business. The District Department of Transportation, or DDOT, is evaluating whether commercial “sandwich signs” should be allowed on DC streets. ANC members expressed their strong opposition to the proposal and passed a resolution that was designed to keep our streets signage free.

GERMS Director of Public Relations Breanda Maggiore also stopped by the meeting to inform residents of the group’s services. Maggiore was a hit with the ANC Commissioners, who hailed his community comment as among the most successful ever. Commissioner Tom Birch was extremely surprised that GERMS services were free.

Finally, a representative from the ITU World Championship Triathlon appeared before the Commissioners. Amateur contestants in the triathlon will be biking primarily on Whitehurst Freeway, but the route briefly touches Georgetown’s own Canal Road. Commissioners seemed skeptical of the proposal, but no one was willing to stand in the way of an event that serves as an Olympic qualifier. If you’re in DC on June 21st, the Dextro Energy Triathlon might be worth checking out.

This meeting may have been low on excitement, but look for a full recap next month with (fingers crossed) an appearence by Vox favorite Jack Evans.

In the first of what will be regular ANC 2E wrapups, we’re proud to bring you the events of last night’s ANC meeting. (But between Issue Rundowns, GUSA Roundups, and ANC Wrapups, it grieves me to report that we’re running out of summary nouns.)

Last night’s local government rumble had a considerable many high points:  the ANC’s communal chastisement of WASA Director Louis Jarvis, the Dixie Liquor owner’s truly pathetic request for an exception to the singles ban, a resolution of gun stores in Georgetown, Apple’s store redesign, and a visit from the wardmaster himself, Jack Evans.

Details to follow, but the Safeway on Wisconsin will be closing for construction for over a month this Spring.

WASA: Jarvis felt the fury of the ANC when he admitted that 30% of Ward 2 hydrants, still need maintenance nearly two years after bum hydrants stymied firefighter’s efforts to rescue the burning Georgetown Library.

Ed Solomon, who recently watched from his tuxedo shop as a dumpster fire at Addison School required a second pumper truck (the nearby hydrant, tagged as “needing maintenance” but still supposedly in working condition, was in fact a dud), noted that this amounted to 59 hydrants and called the situation “unacceptable.” Later in the meeting, Jack Evans agreed.

Dixie Liquors: Next, Dixie Liquor’s Jody Kurash stopped by to request an exception to Ward 2′s singles ban, saying the store projected a $38,000 loss in sales for this year based on 2008 figures.

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