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Thomas Announces Council's Selection
of Special Counsel to Investigate DPR Contracts—Ward
5 Councilmember Harry "Tommy" Thomas, Jr.—Chair of the Council's Committee on Libraries, Parks and Recreation
and Chair of the Council's Joint Public Oversight Roundtable on the Contracting Process Related to Parks and Recreation Roundtable—announced
today that the Council has retained Robert P. Trout of the law firm Trout Cacheris to serve as special counsel regarding the
inquiry into the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) contracts.
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Thomas Thanks President Obama for Paving Way for
Federal Aid to Supplement the Recovery Efforts from District Snowstorm—Ward 5 Councilmember
Harry “Tommy” Thomas, Jr. today extended his heartfelt thanks to President Obama, who yesterday declared that
a major disaster exists in the District of Columbia and ordered Federal aid to supplement the District’s recovery efforts
in response to the snowstorm that occurred between December 18 and 20, 2009
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Work on New Playground Facilities at Arboretum
Recreation Center Now Underway: Thomas Credits
Role of Civic Leaders and Community Residents at Groundbreaking—Ward 5 Councilmember Harry “Tommy” Thomas, Jr., Chair of the Council’s Committee
on Libraries, Parks and Recreation, participated yesterday in the groundbreaking ceremony for new playground equipment at
the Arboretum Recreation Center, located at 2412 Rand Place, NE.
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Council
Approves Measure Shifting Parks and Recreation Projects to the Office of Public Education Facilities Modernization—Councilmember Harry “Tommy” Thomas, Jr., Chair of the Council’s
Committee on Libraries, Parks and Recreation, thanked his colleagues today for voting unanimously to support legislation he
submitted at the Council’s December 15, 2009 legislative session shifting management responsibility of Department of
Parks and Recreation (DPR) projects from Banneker Ventures to the District’s Office of Public Education Facilities Modernization
(OPEFM).
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Thomas Bill Establishing 51st
State Commission Voted Out of Committee—Ward 5
Councilmember Harry “Tommy” Thomas, Jr. announced today that the Committee on Aging and Community Affairs voted
unanimously to forward Bill 18-177, the “51st State Commission Establishment Act of 2009,” to the Council
for a full vote.
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Thomas Introduces Bill Restricting Issuance of Government
Contracts to Firms Failing to Comply With Council Subpoenas and Strengthens “Public Land Surplus Standards Act
of 2009” at First Reading—At the Council’s
December 1, 2009 legislative session, Ward 5 Councilmember Thomas introduced legislation to restrict the
District government’s ability to contract with firms that fail to comply with Council subpoenas. He also successfully
amended Bill 18-76, the “Public Land Surplus Standards Act of 2009,” to require the District Department
of Real Estate Services create and make available on its public website a database of all real property owned by the District
of Columbia.
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Thomas Introduces Bill Strengthening
Penalties for Crimes Committed Within 50 Feet of Public Transit Stops—Ward 5 Councilmember Harry “Tommy” Thomas, Jr. yesterday introduced legislation to increase
the penalties for crimes committed within 50 feet of mass transit stops. The bill has been referred to the Committee on Public
Safety and the Judiciary.
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Thomas to Issue Subpoenas
to DMPED Staff Members David Janerone and Jackie Glover to Appear Before Council on the Transfer of DPR Funds to DCHA—Ward 5 Councilmember Harry “Tommy” Thomas, Jr., Chair of the Council’s
Committee on Libraries, Parks and Recreation, today announced that he will issue subpoenas to Office of the Deputy Mayor for
Planning and Economic Development staff members David Jannarone, Director of Development, and Jackie Glover, Program Manager,
requiring their appearance before the Committee regarding the transfer of Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) funds to
the District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA).
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Thomas Issues Subpoena to DPR Interim Director Hartsock
to Appear Before Council on the Transfer of Agency Funds to the DC Housing Authority—Ward 5 Councilmember Harry “Tommy” Thomas, Jr., Chair of the Council’s Committee
on Libraries, Parks and Recreation, today issued a subpoena to Dr. Ximena Hartsock requiring her to appear before the Committee
at 10 am on November 16, 2009 to testify regarding the transfer of Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) funds to the District
of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA). DPR representatives failed to appear at the joint hearings held on Friday, October 30,
2009 and Thursday, November 5, 2009 inquiring into the transfers. Dr. Hartsock had received letters preceding each hearing
requesting participation.
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Council
Passes Thomas Bill to Restrict Payments of DPR Funds to DCHA and Require Council Notification of all DPR Transactions of $75,000
or More—Ward 5 Councilmember Harry “Tommy”
Thomas, Jr., Chair of the Council’s Committee on Libraries, Parks and Recreation, today
introduced emergency legislation to restrict payments of the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) funds to the
District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) and require Council notification of all DPR transactions of $75,000 or more.
The Council passed the bill by a vote of 10 to 3.
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Thomas Requests the Testimony of CFO Dr. Natwar Gandhi
at Council Roundtable on the Transfer of DPR Capital Improvements Funds to DCHA—Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Tommy” Thomas, Jr., Chair of the Council’s
Committee on Libraries, Parks and Recreation, announced today that he has requested that Dr. Natwar Gandhi, the District’s
Chief Financial Officer, testify at the Council’s October 30, 2009 roundtable regarding the transfer of Department of
Parks and Recreation capital improvement funds to the DC Housing Authority.
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Council Disapproves Dr. Ximena
Hartsock as Director of the Department of Parks and Recreation: Thomas Pledges to Work with Executive to Rebuild Agency—Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Tommy Thomas, Jr.,
Chair of the Council’s Committee on Libraries, Parks and Recreation, announced today that the Council, following the
recommendation of the Committee, voted at its legislative session to disapprove the nomination of Dr. Ximena Hartsock
as Director of the Department of Parks and Recreation. The Council’s vote was seven to five in support of the
disapproval resolution.
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Thomas Praises MPD and US Attorney’s Office
for Todd Place Crew Indictments: Allocating Resources
to Grass Roots Initiatives Is How We Can Best Prevent Crime, States
Thomas—Ward 5 Councilmember Harry “Tommy” Thomas, Jr. today praised the diligent work of the
DC Metropolitan Police Department and US Attorney’s office in investigating a spate of gang-related shootings that occurred
in the Lincoln Road/North Capitol Street area last spring. Law enforcement efforts
led to a Superior Court grand jury returning on September 23, 2009 a 92-count indictment charging four alleged members of
the “Todd Place Crew” with conspiracy and first degree murder while armed. If convicted, the defendants face a
maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
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Thomas Bill Requires Analysis of DPR Day Care
Programs Prior to Privatization—Executive’s Request for Offers May Have Bypassed Procedures Outlined in DC—Ward 5 Councilmember Harry “Tommy” Thomas, Jr., Chair of the Committee
on Libraries, Parks and Recreation, introduced emergency legislation at the Council’s May 5, 2009 legislative session
requiring the Executive to conduct and submit to the Council a comprehensive analysis of child day care services, particularly
services for children with special needs, prior to issuing a request for offers to operate Department of Parks and Recreation
(DPR) day care programs. The vote on the bill was unanimous.
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