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DC USA, LSDBE Roundtables, Taxi Insurance Rates, DHCD Hearing on Action Plan, DOES Unemployment Claims, Arts and Economics Study, E-Notification for LSDBE Opportunities, DC Supply Schedules, Firefighter/EMT Exam Applications
The National Capital Revitalization Corporation (NCRC) and its subsidiary, the RLA Revitalization Corporation (RLARC), closed on a deal to bring DC USA, a 500,000 square foot retail center to Columbia Heights. The transaction was completed between NCRC and the developer, DC USA Operating Co., and makes use of $42 million in tax increment financing (TIF) revenue bonds. TIF has become a valuable tool in DC's economic revitalization. "Using tax increment financing, the District has spearheaded $1.2 billion in targeted development over the last four years. TIF will benefit many more neighborhoods in the future," said Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Stanley Jackson. Past TIF projects include the Mandarin Hotel, Gallery Place, and the International Spy Museum. "With the financing tools used for DC USA, we can access new markets to provide innovative capital sources and structures for community-based investments," said Anthony C. Freeman, president and CEO of NCRC. NCRC issued the bonds to finance the construction and acquisition of the DC USA parking garage, and the funding of a Columbia Heights small business assistance program. Citibank purchased the bonds and provided the construction financing for the project. "The deal is closed, financing is in place, the site is cleared, and construction is just around the corner," said Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham. "This is great news for residents who have been excited about this shopping center and for local businesses that will participate in the small business assistance program." "When we looked at NCRC's proposal for bonds to finance the garage, we saw a strong retail market in the District and a competent partner in NCRC," said Priya Jayachandran, vice president with Citibank. "Citibank decided to invest in the retail center because we see a lot of opportunity for investment in other neighborhoods and are pleased to develop a working relationship with NCRC." NCRC will own and operate the garage. Once the bonds are paid, revenue from garage operations will be retained by NCRC to support its economic development initiatives. DC USA will be a 500,000 square foot urban retail and entertainment center that will be anchored by Target and include Bed, Bath and Beyond; Washington Sports Club; and Best Buy. DC USA is expected to generate more than $12 million in new tax revenue per year for the city. This project will create more than 1,000 permanent and 700 construction jobs. It is located adjacent to the Columbia Heights Metro station off of 14th Street, NW, between Park Road and Irving Street. Visit NCRC. For more information on TIF and other incentives, visit Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development.
2. OCP Announces LSDBE Roundtables for March, April and May Office of Contracting and Procurement (OCP) has announced three local, small, and disadvantaged business enterprises (LSDBE) Roundtables for the months of March, April and May. Representatives provide guidance to assist vendors with positioning their businesses for contract awards with the DC government.
All roundtables will include discussions about the procurement process, the DC Supply Schedule Program, and an overview of the OCP website. Visit OCP.
3. District Taxis to Pay Lower Insurance Rates with Six-Month Policy
Acting Commissioner Thomas Hampton of the District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB) announced that the new taxicab insurance policy has effectively reduced insurance rates for the District's taxicabs. "The lower rates reflect a more competitive marketplace for the District's taxicab insurance premium," said Hampton about the policy duration, which was changed from two weeks to six months. "This is exactly what we wanted to see-a taxicab insurance industry that is more competitive and comparable to the rest of the country and the industry standards." Hampton said he had anticipated a reduction in the rates under the six-month policy. For decades, the District of Columbia's taxicab insurance industry used the two-week policy. This meant that District taxi drivers had to pay a rate based on a biweekly basis. As the District was the only jurisdiction still using this, it was difficult to competitively price the insurance rates or attract more insurance companies to provide insurance to District taxicabs. On December 15, DISB issued two bulletins that changed the duration of insurance policies from two weeks to six months and prohibited insurance companies from paying sticker or collection fees to taxicab companies. It also required insurers to submit premium rate filings based on their own loss and expense experience. The bulletins were issued based on a series of meetings with insurance companies, taxicab companies and the taxicab driver community. After a year of meetings with the insurance companies that provide coverage to taxicab drivers, it was decided that January 2006 would be the implementation date for the six-month policy provision of the rulemaking. DISB has allowed the insurers until July 2006 to develop a plan for offering the additional coverage required by the bulletins. As a result of the changes, the insurance providers lowered their rates to stay competitive. Among the four taxicab insurance providers in the District-Amalgamated, Crown, Columbia Federal and Equitable Liability, three filed lower rates under the six-month policy than under the two-week policy (on a biweekly basis). Crown, as a captive insurance company, is not required to file rates and its rates remain the same. "This is an important first step in reforming the industry," said Causton A. Toney, chair of the District of Columbia Taxicab Commission. "In the end, taxicab owners will see wider options for providing better coverage at an affordable rate." Hampton added, "Taxicabs provide a vital service to the District's businesses, residents and tourists. As insurance regulators, we want to make sure our policy is in line with the changing needs of this important industry." Visit DISB. Visit DC Taxicab Commission.  
4. DHCD Director Greene Announces Public Hearing on 2007 Action Plan Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development Jalal Greene invites the public to a Public Hearing on the "Draft Consolidated Plan for the District of Columbia Fiscal Year 2007 Action Plan." The hearing will begin at 6:30 pm on Tuesday, March 7, 2006, at 801 North Capitol Street, NE, Washington, DC, in the Ninth Floor Board Room. The purpose of the hearing is to provide the public with an opportunity to express views on the "Draft Consolidated Plan for the District of Columbia Fiscal Year 2007 Action Plan" and budgets to be submitted to the Mayor and Council of the District of Columbia for approval to transmit to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The Action Plan addresses the following federal entitlement programs:
The department will utilize this input from the public, consistent with the District's economic development strategy, citywide strategic plan, and identified strategic target areas, to finalize the "Proposed Consolidated Plan for the District of Columbia Fiscal Year 2007 Action Plan." The DC Council will announce and hold a public hearing on the plan before approval. The "Draft Consolidated Plan for the District of Columbia Fiscal Year 2007 Action Plan" document will be available for review after February 7, 2006, at the department (Eighth Floor), all public library branches, all Advisory Neighborhood Commission offices, and at the following community-based organizations:
If you wish to present oral testimony, contact Pamela Hillsman-Johnson, Community Development Resource specialist, at (202) 442-7256, no later than close of business Monday, February 27. Please provide your name, address, telephone number, and organizational affiliation, if any. For Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) relay service, call (800) 201-7165. A sign language interpreter and Spanish translation services will be provided. Written statements may be submitted for the record at the hearing or until close of business, Tuesday, March 14. Written statements may be mailed to: Mr. Jalal Greene, Director, Department of Housing and Community Development, Attention: Office of Strategy and Communications, 801 North Capitol Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002. Visit the Department of Housing and Community Development.
5. DOES Announces New System for Filing Unemployment Claims by Phone The District of Columbia Department of Employment Services (DOES) announced the implementation of a new Unemployment Insurance (UI) Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system that promises to make filing claims for unemployment insurance benefits easy and convenient. Through the use of the telephone, claimants can file for unemployment benefits, enroll for direct deposit of benefits, access information for the last four weeks of their claims, and access tax data on the preceding calendar year's Form 1099. This information is available 24 hours per day, seven days a week. Director of the Department of Employment Services Gregg Irish noted that the new IVR system is part of an ongoing effort to ensure that unemployed workers encounter a seamless process in returning to the workforce. The District of Columbia is one of the few UI systems in the country to offer claimants access to unemployment information through the Internet, telephone and mail. In 2005, DOES enhanced its automated Benefit Systems to generate notices of review, interviews, appeal hearings, overpayments, and interstate claim records; and its automated Tax Systems to generate timely notices to employers who were delinquent in paying taxes and penalties or filing quarterly reports. The Office of Unemployment Compensation operates under the Workforce Development Bureau of the Department of Employment Services. To access the Department of Employment Services IVR system, claimants can dial (202) 724-7000 or (877) 319-7346 and then make the appropriate selection from the menu of services. Visit the Department of Employment Services.
6. DC Arts Commission Participates in National Arts & Economic Prosperity Study The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities announced its participation in Americans for the Arts' second National Arts and Economic Prosperity Study. Americans for the Arts, the nation's leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America, enlisted more than 100 communities across the United States to participate in the study, which will review the economic impact of nonprofit arts organizations in each community. Americans for the Arts' economic impact studies continue to be among the most frequently cited statistics used to demonstrate the impact of the nation's nonprofit arts industry on the local, state and national economy. Americans for the Arts' next Arts and Economic Prosperity Study will be conducted during 2006 and presented in June 2007. The District of Columbia is among more than 100 diverse communities across the country ranging in population (50,000 to 3,000,000), geography (Homer, Alaska to Miami, Florida), and type (rural to large urban). Local arts agencies-public and private organizations working to increase community access to and participation in the arts-will serve as local research partners, collecting detailed expenditure data from nonprofit arts organizations and audience members. The project economists from the Georgia Institute of Technology will customize input/output analysis models for each of the communities to provide specific and reliable economic impact data about their nonprofit arts industry. As a local partner, DC Arts Commission will receive a detailed report describing the economic impact of spending by nonprofit arts organizations and arts audiences in Washington, DC, a series of potent advocacy tools that support the case for private- and public-sector arts funding, and a significant national and local visibility opportunity for the local arts industry. For more information about Americans for the Arts or the Arts & Economic Prosperity study, email Beth Olsen or call (212) 576-2700 ext. 243. For more information about the role of the DC Arts Commission, email Lionell Thomas or call (202) 724-5613.
7. OCP Begins Electronic Notification for Certified LSDBE Businesses of New Business Opportunities and Subcontracting Requirements Deputy Mayor for Operations and Interim Chief Procurement Officer Herbert R. Tillery announced that businesses certified by the Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD) as Local, Small, and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (LSDBE) will receive email notices of new business opportunities. When businesses view the business opportunities (solicitations) on the OCP website they also may view the list to identify subcontracting opportunities. Certified businesses are required to use relevant National Institute of Government Purchasing (NIGP) codes to identify the goods and services that they provide. When a solicitation is identified by a code, the businesses listing that code will be notified of the new opportunity. Visitors to the OCP website interested in business opportunities may view the solicitations by category, subcontracting opportunities, solicitation number, and view all opportunities. To assist businesses registering online, the OCP website contains a link to the NIGP codes. For businesses without email addresses, information about business opportunities is available on the OCP website. Information about becoming an LSDBE is available on the DSLBD website.
8. District Announces Reopening of Three DC Supply Schedules and Encourages Certified LSDBEs to Apply Herbert R. Tillery, deputy mayor for Operations and Interim Chief Procurement Officer for the District of Columbia Office of Contracting and Procurement (OCP), announced today the reopening of three schedules on the DC Supply Schedule (DCSS). The schedules, which are set aside for Local, Small, and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (LSDBE), include the following:
"We encourage certified LSDBEs to apply for the recently reopened schedules," said Tillery. "It is important for companies to submit their applications early to ensure prompt consideration. The District is operating under a new LSDBE law that requires agencies to consider DCSS vendors as a first source for procurements under $100,000." The DCSS is the city's multiple award schedule procurement program for providing commercial products and services to District government agencies. An overview of the schedules includes the following: "
Businesses are encouraged to visit OCP for more information about this and other opportunities. To obtain paper copies of the solicitation application, please call (202) 727-0252 or visit our office at 441 4th Street, NW, Suite 700S, Washington, DC 20001. To review eligibility criteria for LSDBE certification, please visit the Department of Small and Local Business Development website or call (202) 727-3900.
9. Applications Are Available for Firefighter/EMT Entry-level Exam The DC Fire/EMS Department and the DC Office of Personnel (DCOP) will administer the next Firefighter/EMT Entry-level Exam May 20. Applications are now available. Representatives from Fire/EMS and DCOP will accept completed applications on March 25 only. Applications must be submitted in person on March 25 to any of nine locations in the District of Columbia. Only one application may be submitted per person. The first 1,500 qualified applicants will be invited to take the Firefighter/EMT Entry-level Exam on May 20. Qualified applicants for the Firefighter/EMT Entry-level Exam will be notified by mail by DCOP and will receive study materials in their notification packages. All applicants to become a firefighter/EMT must take the written Firefighter/EMT Entry-level examination, pass a physical abilities test, pass psychological and medical examinations, and submit to urinalysis before being eligible to join a recruit class at the DC Fire/EMS Training Academy. For more details about how and where to apply, please visit DC Office of Personnel.
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