Advisory Neighborhood Commission Awareness Week on CHOTR

[Congress Heights On The Rise Community Connection]

The Advoc8te is always getting emails from frustrated residents (and
an ANC Commissioner or two) about the poor state of some of the
Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANCs) in River East.

Most of these emails are from concerned citizens who want to vent
about the misbehavior or mismanagement of their ANC, some are specific
requests for information on the Advisory Neighborhood Commissions
themselves (such as responsibilities, election process, reporting
structure, etc.) and a few are tips about suspected questionable
activities (FYI- The Advoc8te always suggests that those tips are
forwarded to the Office of the Inspector General and/or the DC
Auditor).

Therefore the Advoc8te has decided to proclaim this week on Congress
Heights on the Rise "Advisory Neighborhood Commission Awareness Week".
The purpose is simple - to expand awareness of River East Advisory
Neighborhood Commissions; their functions; encourage residents (black
and white, new and old) to get involved in their ANC; and to
distribute relevant and important information regarding specific ANCs
and ANC Commissioners.

Expect to see a lot of articles on Advisory Neighborhood Commissions,
ANC reform, ANC success, ANC audits and community feedback on how
effective their ANC is in their community.

The Advoc8te invites River East residents, Non River East residents,
ANC Commissioners (both in and outside of River East) to please share
information, perspectives and news about their ANCs here on Congress
Heights on the Rise. The Advoc8te would love to see comments on the
posts and would be even happier to receive some reader and ANC
Commissioner submissions on the subject of Advisory Neighborhood
Commissions.

Every single resident (new or old, black or white, homeowner or
renter) has a right to an organized, transparent and productive
Advisory Neighborhood Commission.

The Advoc8te would love to see the other River East bloggers get
involved to bring attention to the Advisory Neighborhood Commissions
in their area. Let’s work together to spread the word about successful
and challenged ANCs in our community (feel free to use the graphic in
this post). Let’s all work together to bring much needed attention to
this unfortunately underutilized resource. We need to rebuild our
Wards, one Single Member District at a time.

The time is over to stop sticking our heads in the sand. The time is N-
O-W to get involved, ask questions and demand more.

If we won't demand more for ourselves who will?


Reader article submissions can be emailed to
congressheig...@gmail.com. Articles can be posted
anonymously to protect privacy.

[William Ellis]

I'm not sure how involved you would like a Commissioner in this
process but if I could be of any assistance, an interview, a write up
or any thing I would love to help.

William Ellis
wre...@gmail.com
Iphone

On Sep 6, 2009, at 2:23 PM, Congress Heights On The Rise Community

[Congress Heights On The Rise]

I would LOVE for ANC Commissioners to be involved. Below is the ANC
Commissioner Questionaire. Please complete and email it back to
congressheig...@gmail.com along with a photo to be included
in the post. The questionaires will be posted in full on the blog
once I recieve them. Please feel free to forward the questionaires to
any other ANC Commissioner who would like to be involved. This
questionaire will also be posted on the blog today. If you need a
Word version let me know and I can email it to you.

CONGRESS HEIGHTS ON THE RISE
Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Questionnaire
Please email the completed questionnaire and a photo to
congressheig...@gmail.com
Questionnaires will be posted in full on the CHOTR blog


BACKGROUND & QUALIFICATIONS
1. Name:
2. Age:
3. Occupation:
4. Educational Background:
5. What ANC and Single Member District do you represent?
6. Do you hold an officer position if so what and for how long?
7. How long have you been an ANC Commissioner?
8. Why did you choose to be an ANC Commissioner?
9. What are your qualifications to be an ANC Commissioner? Do you have
any special skills?
10. Do you consider yourself to be a progressive, moderate or
conservative person?

ANC COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH
1. How can you be reached if someone has a community concern, an idea
or a suggestion for the ANC or your Single Member District?
2. Is your ANC currently holding monthly meetings? Does it always hold
monthly meetings?
3. When and where does your ANC have its monthly meetings? If your ANC
has paid office space how much is the rent per month?
4. Below is posted the law on the notice and notification of ANC
meetings. Is your ANC currently following the law regarding the
length of notice (at least 7 days) and the type of notice (at least
two from the list below)? How does your ANC notify residents of ANC
meetings? Is it effective?
a. Each Commission shall give notice of all meetings or convocations
to each Commissioner, individuals with official business before the
Commission and residents of the Commission area no less than 7 days
prior to the date of such meeting. . . . Notice of regular and
emergency meetings must include, but is not limited to, at least 2 of
the following:


(1) Posting written notices in at least 4 conspicuous places in each
single member district within the Commission area;
(2) Publication in a city or community newspaper;
(3) Transmitting or distributing notice to a list of residents and
other stakeholders in the community; and
(4) In any other manner approved by the Commission.
5. Do you have a Single Member District meeting for your residents and
if so when and where?
6. Do all of the commissioners for your ANC attend monthly meetings?
If not why?
7. ANCs are supposed to be a collaborative effort between the ANC
Commissioners and the community they were elected to represent. The
ANC should be listening to the concerns and needs of their community
and use that knowledge to effect change and progress. Do you think
your ANC currently encourages residents to ask questions and to be
actively involved in the operations of the ANC? Please explain.
8. Residents have long complained about the ineffectiveness and
dysfunction of Advisory Neighborhood Commissions which is why they no
longer attend meetings. What specific steps (if any) have you and/or
the ANC taken to address this issue and to engage residents (old and
new) to attend meetings and to be actively engaged in their ANC?

ANC OPERATIONS
1. Does your ANC file their quarterly reports on time with the DC
Auditor? If not why?
2. How much money is currently in the ANC bank account?
3. Do you feel that the ANC’s financial house is “in order”. Are ANC
funds being used effectively and appropriately?
4. Does your ANC currently have an approved budget? Is your ANC
currently participating in the ANC Security Fund?
5. Name two (2) specific things that your ANC has accomplished in this
term.
6. Name at least two (2) challenges facing your ANC and what steps (if
any) you and your fellow commissioners have made to solve them.
7. What are your hopes for your Single Member District and your ANC
this term?
8. If you had to grade your ANC today what would be its grade and
why? (Example of grades, A,B,C,D,F)

On Sep 6, 6:38 pm, William Ellis <wrel...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I'm not sure how involved you would like a Commissioner in this  
> process but if I could be of any assistance, an interview, a write up  
> or any thing I would love to help.
>
> William Ellis

> wrel...@gmail.com

> > congressheightsonther...@gmail.com.  Articles can be posted
> > anonymously to protect privacy.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -