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The following opening statement was presented by Councilmember Silverman at the Committee of the Whole Hearing on October 10, 2017 to discuss five new paid family leave proposals:

Late last year, this Council passed a comprehensive paid family and medical leave program that would give our businesses a competitive advantage while helping our city’s workers, particularly our lower-wage employees, take care of their loved ones. The legislative process was in some ways unprecedented and certainly extraordinary: It included an extensive economic impact analysis, 14 months of discussions, 3 formal hearings, and countless meetings. After two votes, the program went through Congressional review without a peep and is now our law.

Our goal—both then and now—should be to ensure that the District has a paid leave program that works for everyone.  That means no matter who you work for or what you get paid, you have guaranteed access to leave and you can actually use the benefits. That also means a paid leave program that does not unduly burden our businesses—either big and small.

Councilmember Elissa Silverman, Chair of the Committee on Labor and Workforce Development, will hold a hearing at 10 a.m. on Monday, October 16, 2017, in Room 123 of the John A. Wilson Building (1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW) on the following items:

• B22-68: Deferred Compensation Program Enrollment Act of 2017
• B22-128: Jobs for District of Columbia Public School and Public Charter School Graduates Amendment Act of 2017
• B22-212: District Government Employee Residency Amendment Act of 2017

The draft agenda and witness list are available here.

The Committee on Labor and Workforce Development will hold a public roundtable on the resolution to approved the recently negotiated Collective Bargaining Agreement between the Department of Behavioral Health and the Committee of Interns and Residents/SEIU, CTW, CLC (PR 22-0429). The roundtable will be on Friday, October 13, at 1:00 p.m. in Room 123 of the John A. Wilson Building (1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW). The draft agenda and witness list is available here.

Earlier today, D.C. Councilmember Elissa Silverman (I-At Large) introduced two bills which will aid struggling D.C. senior homeowners and incentivize D.C. businesses that support working families. The two pieces of legislation are part of her increased effort to help residents afford to live, work, and stay in the District long-term.

The first bill, the Reverse Mortgage Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2017, will create an assistance program for District seniors who are facing foreclosure under a reverse mortgage. The program would pay overdue property taxes and insurance for reverse mortgage borrowers who might lose their homes because of nonpayment of taxes. The program would be income-based.

“We see better health outcomes when our senior residents stay in their homes and more stable neighborhoods when properties are continuously occupied,” said Silverman. “The city also saves money: providing a subsidy is much less costly than providing replacement housing for residents who might lose their homes.”

On Tuesday, September 26, the Committee on Labor and Workforce Development will hold a public hearing on the Workforce Development System Transparency Act of 2017. The meeting will be in Room 123 of the John A. Wilson Building (1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW) at 11:00 a.m.

A draft witness list is available here.

Dear Resident,

It’s been a busy week, kicking off our fall legislative agenda. More on this below. DC Auditor Kathy Patterson released a report this week on another policy area we are working hard to improve: vacant and blighted properties. As our loyal readers know, we introduced a bill that became law last year trying to streamline putting vacant properties on the list and adding more manpower resources to enforcement of the law. We were asked by the Auditor to share our knowledge of this policy area as her team began their investigation, and we will continue to work to make sure these properties are not a blight on our neighborhoods.

This past week also welcomed a new year, 5778, for me and others who observe Rosh Hashanah. L’shanah tovah and best wishes for a healthy, happy, and peaceful year ahead for all of us whether you celebrate the holiday or not.

D.C. Councilmember Elissa Silverman (I-At Large) today introduced three bills to help make the District more accessible, affordable, and transparent by proposing a Small Business Advisory Council, a housing subsidy for severely rent-burdened seniors and disabled residents, and a searchable public grants database that tracks District spending.

Councilmember Silverman introduced the Small Business Advisory Council Act of 2017 to provide a forum for businesses to advise the D.C. Council on ways to improve the city’s regulatory processes and address systemic issues with District agencies. The Advisory Council would include one small business community member nominated by each Council member, in addition to a representative from the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, the Office of Tax and Revenue, the Department of Employment Services, and the Department of Small and Local Business Development. It is modeled after the successful pedestrian and bicycle advisory councils.

The legislation was co-introduced by Councilmembers Robert White (D-At Large), Brianne Nadeau (D-Ward 1), Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3), Brandon Todd (D-Ward 4), and Charles Allen (D-Ward 6). Councilmembers David Grosso (I-At Large) and Trayon White (D-Ward 8) were co-sponsors.

“Better supporting small businesses means being better listeners and troubleshooters. A Small Business Advisory Council helps us do that,” Silverman said.

On Wednesday, Councilmember Silverman, as chair of the Council's Committee on Labor and Workforce Development sent a letter to the District's Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, asking for more information on Yelp's plans for hiring and training District residents.  Yelp recently announced it will be opening an office in the District, bringing 500 new sales and marketing positions to the city over the next five years.

Dear resident,

Where did the summer go?

As we head toward Labor Day weekend, many of you are back to your non-summer routines, as both our DCPS and public charter school students are back in class. Here at the Wilson Building, the DC Council is more than two-thirds through our summer legislative recess; our first official meeting will be Tuesday, Sept. 19. Our office has been using the summer to work on legislative proposals, do a lot of site visits, and meet with residents and businesses.

Dear Resident,

There's still time to enjoy some summer fun! This year, The Shakespeare Theatre Company's free community summer series returns with performances of Othello. We have 45 free tickets for the show happening next Saturday, August 26 at 2:00 p.m. at Sidney Harman Hall (610 F Street NW). You can learn more about this year’s production here. Please email Ashley Fox in my office at [email protected] if you would like tickets (two per person limit).

I hope to see you there!

Elissa.