Welcome back, DC Council

The DC Council is back from recess and according to their calendar, they have a busy early-Fall.   Some of the highlights of what to expect:

• Committee of Whole: The COW will meet Wednesday, September 19 at Noon (Note new day.).   The agenda was not online as of 7:45 pm September 14.   You can watch the DC Council in action by using the council's online tool Granicus or the OCT council link (Channel 13).
• Legislative Meeting: The council's next Legislative Meeting is Wednesday, September 19 at 1:00 pm or immediately following the COW (Note new day.).   The 42nd leg meeting agenda is online (PDF).
• Upcoming hearings and roundtables: Selected events include the September 20 roundtable on Department of Parks and Recreation Summer 2012 Programs at Fields, Aquatic Centers, and Recreation Centers; and the Department of Parks and Recreation Permitting Process & Residency Requirements for Facility Use (PDF), September 24 oversight hearing on Department of Employment Services’ Summer Youth Employment Program (PDF), and the October 29 Implementation of the Healthy Schools Act of 2010 and the District’s Environmental Literacy Plan (PDF) public roundtable.
• Ward 2 CM Jack Evans: According to his September 14 newsletter,

  Next week, I intend to introduce a bill that would require each public school to have a full time librarian, art teacher and music teacher. It is hard for me to believe that we continue to invest nearly $2 billion a year into our public schools (yes, that's "billion"), with the highest per-pupil funding formula in the nation, and yet have the worst educational outcomes in the nation. This suggests to me that our money is not being spent in the right places.

  The CM will also introduce legislation to limit the extent to which the council may intervene in the contracting process.   Again according to the newsletter,

  Too often we have seen allegations of ethical violations by members of the Council who are seen as advocating for or against a particular vendor that may have personal or campaign involvement with the member. Some of these contracts are for large amounts of money. I believe contracting should happen through a merit-based selection process that is insulated from political pressure.

  CM Evans will also take on campaign finance reform and the commuter tax.