Tuesday, August 11, 2015

About Tonight's ANC 5D Meeting

Screen Shot 2015-06-03 at 7.07.10 AM
Screenshot of a video by Edward Milton

If you haven't been attending ANC 5D meetings (or at least following what's been happening) you might not quite grasp all of what could happen tonight. This is particularly true for things that are not on the agenda. Below are two topics that could come up.
  1. Bank Account Access: Not on the agenda, but previously discussed and likely to come up again. The DC Auditor recommends that all Advisory Neighborhood Commission Officers (Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, and Parliamentarian) be authorized signatories on the account. Currently only Chair Kathy Henderson and Treasurer Keisha can sign checks (all checks require TWO signatures). Henderson wants to keep it this way and has refused to sign papers granting the ability for other ANC Officers to become authorized signatories. The reason the Auditor recommends that all Officers become authorized signatories is to prevent gridlock. In a case where the ANC has approved an expenditure, but for whatever reason, one signatory refuses to sign off you have a serious problem if you only have two authorized signatories. I would say that given the history of ANC 5D, a disagreement between the Chair and the Treasurer, or between the Chair and any or all of the Officers is quite likely. Because Chair Henderson has repeatedly refused to sign the papers, the other Commissioners have forwarded the appropriate papers on to the DC Auditor without Henderson's signature.
  2. The Recall Efforts: To my knowledge, there are currently efforts underway to recall four Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners across the District. Three of those Commissioners are on ANC 5D. They also happen to be the three Commissioners who have most strongly opposed certain of Chair Henderson's actions. Those Commissioners are Yvonne Buggs, Adam Roberts, and Keisha Shropshire. I've read two of the three recall petitions for ANC 5D and I am told that the third is very similar to the first two. In my opinion, the allegations contained in those petitions are either largely or entirely baseless. I've been told that Kathy and India Henderson have been out collecting signatures in support of recall efforts. I strongly suspect that these recall efforts are politically motivated payback for opposing Kathy Henderson. Bottom line with these efforts:
    1. These efforts are intended to embarrass and undermine the public authority/credibility of these Commissioners, who I think have been generally doing a great job. These Commissioners have all held regular Single Member District meetings, attended training, and spent hours of their own time (unpaid) working to make our community better.
    2. These efforts are intended to distract these Commissioners. Recalls are stressful for incumbents who find themselves forced to defend themselves and run campaigns while they should be focusing their attentions on their very full plates of ANC duties. 
    3. These efforts, should the organizers succeed in gaining enough signatures, are expensive. The Board of Elections has to verify signatures and if there are enough (10% of properly registers voters in an SMD) the Board has to call and hold a a formal special election. Not cheap folks. 
Please go to tonight's ANC 5D meeting. 7-8:30pm at the 5th District Police Station. 1805 Bladensburg Road. Here's the agenda.

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the considerable, factual and comprehensive summary of the recall issue for these three commissioners. It is very evident that the chair does not want leadership, progress or improved neighborhood communication for this ANC. It is evident the "the fish stinks from the head". Neighbors, please get involved and demonstrate your desires.

poo poo said...

i'm always amazed at how so many well intentioned, intelligent, motivated and upstanding people are held hostage by this kathy henderson person.

it's mind boggling.

AND, i thought she was religious. aren't religious people supposed to be good people? arent'they supposed to live 'as examples to be followed'?

so many questions.

i guess i would go crazy with power too, if people let me. or... if they were powerless to sopt me...

Anonymous said...

This link has photos of all 3 recall petitions:http://trinidadneighborhood.org/2015/08/06/anc-recall-election-process/. The allegations are pretty outlandish.

inked said...

9:10,
Good link! I hope to write more about these recall efforts soon. Just didn't have time this morning. Two things to note: George "Action" Jackson is a former ANC and has aspired to candidacy for other office. Darlene Miles-Harrison is a buddy of Kathy Henderson and a Minister who allegedly gave MPD an alias after she allegedly punched an owner of Bardo (the alias & punching reports are per the victim who provided a letter from the U.S. attorney regarding a simple assault committed 11/30/13 by one April T. Thomas).

inked said...

I just noticed I wrote that the alleged assault took place in November. That's a mistake. The letter is from November. The alleged assault took place earlier. You can find the case record online here if you search Darlene Harrison. 2013 CMD 019108. Please note that at trial she was found not guilty of the assault, but the alias bit is clearly in there.

Anonymous said...

If 1) the bank account requires two signatures and 2) per the Chair, that must be the Chair and Treasurer, why did Commissioner Henderson try back in January to become both Chair and Treasurer? Asking for a friend.

Anonymous said...

She does not represent the community and is a true embarrassment. She has major power trip issues and insults the general public at meetings when she doesn’t like the question asked. I’ve never seen someone take 3 plus hours of an ANC meeting to tell the community how wonderful she and how hard she is working while blaming other commissioners for her failures and obstructions. She is so aside herself she actually thinks the community supports her. No, they just don't want to deal with her. I am happy that these commissioners are making strides to stand up to a neighborhood despot and bully. I hope we can have more concerned, vocal citizens attend these meetings to voice their disdain of her antics, distractions and disrespectful behavior in public.

Neighbor said...

What can we do to stop or prevent the recall other than not signing the petitions?

Thanks for sharing all of this news! Sorry to have missed the meeting last night.

inked said...

Neighbor,
For now talk to your friends & neighbors. Tell them what is happening & ask them not to sign the petitions. I am working on something that I hope can be ready late tonight or tomorrow morning. Just have to figure out a few details first.

It's also possible that the Commissioners might have ways supporters can help them later on. The petition circulators have up to 60 days to get their signatures.

Anonymous said...

Why is ANC5D even meeting in August? I thought all the ACC's skipped meetings in July and August.

Anonymous said...

such monkey business

Robin said...

Are we in agreement that the 45 minute presentation by Pepco and KH's new insistence on prompt and timely meetings that end as scheduled were a ploy to keep the ANC from discussing business? It's a business meeting. Community forums and outreach presentations are great, but not at the cost of conducting business.

The attempted ramrodding to present, discuss, and vote to pay the cell phone bill in under 2 minutes was absurd.

Anonymous said...

A special message to my community and neighbors! Stand up for those commissioners that have demonstrated fairness,trustworthy and ethical behaviors. It is time to do the right thing for our community. Support those commissioners that portray these qualities.

Anonymous said...

In theory, the Chair requires that meetings follow Robert's Rules of Order. However, the agenda is opposite what should be done to hold an efficient meeting and to not defeat discussion on pertinent/serious issues. See http://www.roberts-rules.com/parl02.htm

Anonymous said...

Can we get a story explaining who all had these telephones for those of that don't know everybody that had phones on and off the council. Also, is this the only bill that the ANC is not paying for because people on the council bought things for the ANC prior to a vote? Also, this phone bill seems kinda high. We have the right to know the following before bringing this to vote:

Where is the itemized breakdown of the charges?
Were they downloading premium apps?
Have they downloaded any songs from iTunes?
Were they paying for in game currencies?
Were they been calling family in Haiti?
Were they viewing porn online?
Where they sexting with each other?
Were they contacting their dealers to re-up?
Have they taken nude selfies with the phones and used an Instagram filter to improve their appearance?
Have they ever submitted emails to have Roberts Rules amended to include rules that reflect current ANC 5D practices?
Have they ever texted any anti-gay slurs or any other hate speech about other members of the community or the council with the phones?

A full investigation is required be for we approve funds for the unauthorized purchases with ANC funds. If they have nothing to hide they should put this information out on the listserve immediately. Also they should send the information to the other commissioners a week before the next meeting and if they don't we should vote to postpone the vote to pay the bill until they come to the meeting prepared. Just like we would have anyone developing property or asking for the ability to build a place for the grandparents to stay.

I am dead serious! We can postpone the vote month after month after month just like we do for folks that want permission from ANC 5D to make our community better via development. If this information is not disclosed, Do Not Vote to Fund the Phones!

Anonymous said...

Say NO to the phones!!! TMobile, cut em off!!!

Anonymous said...

Getting rid of Kathy Henderson as head of the ANC will be the first step in improving the neighborhood. Can't stand that lady.

Adam Roberts has actually be making a difference in our area, so the recall petition against him is laughable.

Anonymous said...

Hilarious! Postpone the vote month after month! Theach these guys exactly what it feels like to be a citizen of 5D who needs something reasonable from the ANC.

Don't let us down other council members! Vote to postpone a vote on paying the phonebill until next mont every month! Beat them at thier own game!

Anonymous said...

Can someone post the phone numbers with the name of the person who has it for the phones they want the ANC to pay for?  This should be public info.  Also, I want to check to see if they are cut off yet.

Anonymous said...

why no petition to recall kathy henderson?

Anonymous said...

@12:08 - If you know anyone in her SMD that would be willing to start a recall against her, help them do it! She needs to go for the neighborhood to experience a new paradigm that underscores a need for peaceful order outside the zone of chaos she creates.

Anonymous said...

@7:45 I think you just won KH bingo

Anonymous said...

@10:21 I believe I did. I believe that we will win, too, with KH chased out by upstanding citizens. The 3 Commissioners being recalled do far more than many others to make our community a better place. Please be active in opposing this.

thomas said...

How about a outside source handle the checks and the account that's not afraid of KH game playing.