PR 26-0514 — Friends of Wangari Gardens Grant Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2026

2ENROLLED _____________________________ORIGINAL Councilmember Zachary Parker 5 7 A PROPOSED RESOLUTION 926-337 ______________ IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA __________________February 3, 2026 To declare the existence of an emergency with respect to the need to provideamend grantthe authorityDepartment toof theTransportation DistrictEstablishment DepartmentAct of Transportation2022 to Issueauthorize the Director to issue a Grantgrant to ImproveFriends Waterof AccessWangari atGardens for the assessment, design, and installation of a water meter and potable water source directly on the Wangari Gardens.Gardens property with a spigot for gardeners’ free use.

RESOLVEDRESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this resolution may be cited as the “Friends of Wangari Gardens Grant Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2026.” Sec.

(a) In the Report and Recommendations of the Committee on Transportation and the Environment on the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget for Agencies Under Its Purview (Report),(“Report”), the Committee on Transportation and the Environment (Committee)(“Committee”) identified $75,000 in the capital budget of the District Department of Transportation (DDOT)(“DDOT”) for the “the assessment, design, and installation of a water meter and potable water source” at Wangari Gardens, a community garden-park located on DDOT property bordered by Kenyon St.Street, NW, Park Place, NW, and Irving Street, NW.

NW, Park Pl.

NW, and Irving St.

NW.

https://dccouncil.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/FY2026-DRAFT-TE-Committee-Budget-Report-with- Attachments-Circulation.pdf.

As the Report details,details: The treasurer for the Friends of Wangari Gardens, in communications with the Ward 1 and Ward 5 Council offices, shared with the Committee, notes that the 2025 bill for the meter and backflow preventer rental totaled $5,525, which is considered “commercial use.” This means Wangari Gardens pays the same rate as a developer demolishing a building.

TheIn largestcommunications portionwith ofthe thisWard bill1 isand theWard refundable5 depositCouncil foroffices, the metertreasure ($2,750)for and the dailyFriends rentalof feeWangari ($15/dayGardens totalingnoted $2,700that for the season),2025 whilebill for the actualmeter waterand usagebackflow amountspreventer torental lesstotaled than$5,525. $1,000.

ThisThe feelargest structureportion hasof ledthis tobill is the depletionrefundable ofdeposit for the Friendsmeter of($2,750) Wangariand Gardens'the bankdaily accountrental infee recent($15/day, years,totaling requiring$2,700 personalfor fundsthe toseason), coverwhile the billactual inwater 2025.usage amounts to less than $1,000.

(c)This Fundsfee werestructure allocatedhas led to DDOTthe becausedepletion thatof agency is the custodianFriends of theWangari propertyGardens’ wherebank Wangariaccount Gardensin isrecent located.years, requiring personal funds to cover the bill in 2025.

FundsENROLLED couldORIGINAL not(c) beFunds appropriatedwere allocated to D.C.DDOT because it is the custodian of the property where Wangari Gardens is located.

Funds could not be appropriated to DC Water because D.C.DC Water is an independent self-financing authority.

Water is an independent self-financing authority (d) The Council adopted the Committee’s recommendation and included $75,000 in capital funds for a water source at Wangari Gardens in the FYFiscal Year 2026 Local Budget Act of 2025 and FYthe Fiscal Year 2026 Local Budget Emergency Act of 2025.

(e) In conversations between DDOT staff, officers of Friends of Wangari Gardens, and councilCouncil staff, it has become clear that the best path to expeditious completion of this project is for Friends of Wangari Gardens to manage the project directly and for DDOT to transfer the funds to them.

While DDOT is the custodian of the property, it does not have staff capacity or expertise to engage with D.C.DC Water on the unique needs of Wangari Gardens.

Water(f) onEmergency thelegislation uniqueis needsneeded to provide DDOT with authority to make this grant to Friends of Wangari Gardens.

Id.

at 51 (f) Emergency legislation is needed to provide DDOT with authority to make this grant to Friends of Wangari Gardens.

Official Code § 50-921.02(c)(1))50-921.01 et seq.), provides DDOT with the authority to make grants under $1 million dollars, that authority is constrained by language requiring that those grants “achieve the District’s transportation goals, including safety objectives and to support streateries and the streatery program.” The emergency legislation clarifies that DDOT has the authority to make a grant to establish a water source at Wangari Gardens even though such a grant is not related to achieving the District’s transportation goals.

The Council of the District of Columbia determines that the circumstances enumerated in section 2 constitute emergency circumstances,circumstances making it necessary that the FidelityFriends in Compliance of ContractingWangari andGardens ProcurementGrant Emergency Amendment Act of 20212026 be adopted after a single reading.