March 2020

Coronavirus Update

Dear Neighbors,

Every day, I join a conference call with my Council colleagues and Mayor
Bowser's executive team, with the Mayor often joining, to discuss the
District's status and response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) public health
emergency. These calls have provided opportunities to offer ideas, seek
clarity on new policies, and to advocate on issues that residents have
brought to the Council amid the COVID-19 response (for those who have
asked, unfortunately, the deadline for filing property taxes will not be
extended).

During today's call, Mayor Bowser alerted the Council that she has sent a
letter to the President to request that he issue a [1]Major Disaster
Declaration for the District of Columbia as a result of the impacts of the
virus. If approved, the Declaration would provide assistance to the
District’s Emergency Response Services and to residents and businesses that
have been severely impacted by COVID-19. At a time when Congress
shortchanged the District in the historic [2]$2 trillion relief package,
this additional federal support is critical.

On a final note, today was a particularly somber day for those of us in the
District government. This morning, Mayor Bowser shared the news of the
passing of George Valentine, a longtime and dedicated public servant, who
died from coronavirus. Mr. Valentine spent 16 years fighting for District
residents in the Attorney General's Office and joined the Mayor's legal
team last year. His loss is deeply felt. Please join me in extending
condolences to Mr. Valentine's family and loved ones, to Mayor Bowser and
Attorney General Karl Racine, and to all those who had the honor of working
alongside him.

Regards,

Mary

Please see [3]coronavirus.dc.gov for the latest District updates &
resources on COVID-19

Volunteer for our Ward 3 Seniors

The Cleveland & Woodley Park Village is working hard to keep our seniors
safe and connected during the COVID-19 emergency. As time goes on, so many
of our homebound, quarantined, and vulnerable seniors will become further
isolated and in great need of our help. And the Village is calling on us to
help.

If you are, or know a senior who is in need of help with essentials, such
as deliveries of groceries and prescriptions or trips to the doctor, please
call the Village at (202) 615-5853 or email at:
* [4][email protected]

If you would like to volunteer your time to drop off groceries or other
essentials for seniors who are homebound, please call the Village at the
number above or submit a volunteer application at:
* [5]Cleveland Park & Woodley Park Village - Volunteer

Senior Meal Deliveries - The Department of Aging and Community Living
(DACL) is coordinating weekly grocery deliveries for seniors in need. At
the moment, DACL is conducting around 2,000 deliveries a day and is
focusing on our most vulnerable seniors and those who normally rely on the
agency for meals; however, the call center will do a quick assessment with
the caller and connect them to meal or other programs.
* To register, please call (202) 724-5626 between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm,
Monday through Friday

Supporting District Students in Need

DC Education Equity Fund - On Tuesday, Mayor Bowser launched the DC
Education Equity Fund to assist with providing resources and support to
students, educators, and schools during the distance learning period. The
fund will be used to increase internet access and will help in the purchase
of digital devices for vulnerable students who need access to this
technology while learning at home.
* For more on this effort, please see: [6]dcequity.org

The Ward 3 School Meals Site is Open! - The closure of school buildings
during COVID-19 has put some of our students who depend on free school
breakfast and free and reduced meals at risk of hunger. Free meals sites
have opened across the District to distribute free grab-and-go meals for
children. Ward 3's new free meals site is located at Wilson High School
(3950 Chesapeake Street NW) and will be offering meals Monday through
Friday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.
* For a comprehensive map of all meal resources in the District
(including meals for seniors, students, and free groceries ), please see:
[7]Meal Resource Map

Online Student & Family Resources - The [8]State Board of Education has
created several new online resources for families as they navigate school
choice options for the next school year, including:
* [9]A Dyslexia Handbook
* [10]Race, Equity, and Inclusion Toolkit
* [11]Don’t Mute Mental Health Podcast
* [12]Navigating School Choice

Demanding Fair COVID-19 Relief Funding from Congress

Federal Coronavirus Relief Fund Shortchanges DC - The Congressional
Coronavirus Relief Fund package has [13]severely under-allocated funding
for the District of Columbia. While funding amounts will predominantly be
determined by the previous census data, every state is guaranteed a minimum
of $1.25 billion in relief funding. The District, however; will only see
about $500 million in relief funding as Congress has grouped the District
together with the five U.S. territories in the funding package. To put that
into perspective, the District will receive significantly less than Wyoming
and Vermont, both of which have smaller populations. While there was no
opportunity to modify this particular funding package, the District must be
treated as a state in future relief packages. The Council and Mayor
detailed this urgent need in a [14]letter to Senate leadership.

Moving forward, we will not be alone in advocating on the District's
behalf. Attorney General Karl Racine has garnered the support of [15]36
other Attorneys General across the country, including ten republican
Attorneys General, in protest of the funding allotment for the District of
Columbia. We also have a number of representatives speaking out against
this unfair treatment and Delegate Norton will, of course, continue to
fight for representation in the next spending package.

This is not a partisan issue. It is a public health, safety, and economic
imperative.

If you would like more information on the relief package and what is
happening at the federal level, you may find this recent New York Times
piece to be a helpful source: [16]F.A.Q. on Stimulus Checks, Unemployment
and the Coronavirus Plan.

Vote By Mail with an Absentee Ballot

Avoid voting in-person - The DC Board of Elections (BOE) is working on ways
to more safely hold elections amidst the COVID-19 public health emergency,
should it continue through the summer or return in the fall.

To do this, BOE is looking at ways to minimize crowding at voting precincts
and encourages voters to vote by mail using an absentee ballot. Absentee
ballots do not require a reason or explanation for their use and may be
requested online or through BOE's app. BOE will soon also open a call
center for requests by phone.
* Absentee ballots will be distributed on May 1st
* To request an absentee ballot online, please go to:
[link removed]

Utilities & Public Service Commission Resources

New Consumer Resource Website - The Public Service Commission (PSC) has
launched an [17]online resource page to provide up-to-date information
regarding government operations, utility response efforts, and PSC actions.

Here is a brief reminder for residents on consumer utility rights during
the public health emergency:
* Utility Disconnections - The Council passed the COVID-19 Response
Emergency Amendment Act of 2020 prohibiting the disconnection of utility
services for non-payment of fees during, and 15 days after, the COVID-19
public health emergency.
* Utility Reconnections - Pepco and DC Water will reconnect residential
customers who had their service disconnected prior to the public health
emergency.
* Waiver of Late Fees - Pepco, DC Water, Washington Gas, and Verizon are
waiving late payment fees and offering new payment arrangements. Pepco is
also identifying energy assistance options for eligible consumers.
* Energy Suppliers Door-to-Door Marketing Moratorium: The PSC has
requested that all electric and natural gas suppliers and their third-party
marketing companies immediately discontinue all door-to-door solicitation
and marketing efforts.

For more information on utilities, please visit the PSC's COVID-19 resource
page at [18][link removed].

If you suspect that you may have been contacted by a utility scam, please
see the PSC's website for tools, updates on the latest utility scams, and
the consumer empowerment guide: [19]Fight Utility Scams.

Public Transportation Updates

[20]

The Circulator - Starting tonight, the Circulator will [21]suspend late
night weekend service on the Georgetown-Union Station, Rosslyn-Dupont
Circle and Woodley Park-McPherson Square routes.

WMATA - Metro will operate significantly reduced rail and bus service this
weekend, maintaining a core network of [22]26 “lifeline” bus routes and
providing twice-hourly rail service for our region’s essential travel
needs. Essential travel includes medical providers and hospital staff,
first responders, critical government functions, individuals involved in
helping the community respond to COVID-19, grocery and pharmacy trips,
among others.

On Tuesday, Metro announced 17 station and entrance closures across the
District, [23]including the closure of the Cleveland Park Station.

Our Office is Open!

Connect with our staff - While Councilmember Cheh's physical office is
closed during the public health emergency, staff are teleworking and will
remain accessible for residents.

You may continue to [24]email the office directly or reach us via phone
through our main line at (202) 724-8062 with legislative ideas, budget
requests, and constituent services requests.

[25]Facebook [26]Twitter

FOLLOW MARY

References

1. [link removed] Mayor Bowser Letter to WH.pdf
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12. [link removed] English Parent & Family Go-To Guide.pdf
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14. [link removed] Senate Letter re Coronavirus (1).pdf
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Mary Cheh
Mary Cheh Ward 3
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NWSuite 108
Washington, DC 20004
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