Council Committee of the Whole Public Roundtable on Appointments to Metro Safety Commission, COST, and Citizen Review Panel - March 30, 2026
Council Committee of the Whole Public Roundtable on Appointments to Metro Safety Commission, COST, and Citizen Review Panel - March 30, 2026
On March 30, 2026, at 3:55 PM, Chairman Phil Mendelson convened a public roundtable of the Committee of the Whole in Room 123 of the John A. Wilson Building. The hearing considered four resolutions: PR 26-575 (Brad Belzak appointment to WMSC Board), PR 26-576 (Laura Hankins reappointment to COST), PR 26-577 (Whitney Miller reappointment to Citizen Review Panel), and PR 26-578 (Carolyn Woods reappointment to Citizen Review Panel). The record will close at 5:00 PM on Monday, April 20, 2026.
Discussion Items
Board of Directors of the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission – Brad Belzak Appointment
- Brad Belzak, a 25-year Ward 2 resident and current alternate commissioner, testified. He brings 23 years of experience in transportation safety and government oversight, including roles at TSA, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, and the Export-Import Bank. He committed to rigorous safety oversight, transparency, and strengthening relationships with WMATA. He estimated a time commitment of 5–10 hours per month, had no conflicts of interest, and no outstanding tax liabilities. He noted the commission’s dedicated staff and commissioners, and highlighted the need to leverage technology (e.g., AI) for safety oversight.
Commission on the Selection and Tenure of Administrative Law Judges (COST) – Laura Hankins Reappointment
- Laura Hankins, a current COST member, testified virtually. She reported 100% meeting attendance and robust deliberation. She noted the commission’s limited mandate (appointment, reappointment, discipline, removal of ALJs) and the importance of staying in its lane. She observed that OAH may have three or four current vacancies and raised the issue of no mandatory retirement age for ALJs (a potential legislative consideration). She had no conflicts of interest and confirmed she has time to serve.
Citizen Review Panel – Whitney Miller Reappointment
- Whitney Miller, a DC resident of 25 years and adoptive parent through CFSA, testified. He described the panel’s role as oversight but noted it has not reached its full potential for driving systemic change. He advocated for stronger structure to prioritize and track recommendations, clearer feedback loops with CFSA, and direct input from mandated reporters and community stakeholders. He saw no conflicts of interest and committed to serving.
Citizen Review Panel – Carolyn Woods Reappointment
- Carolyn Woods, a licensed resource parent and panel member since October 2024, testified. She emphasized her passion for helping youth aging out of foster care find housing and resources. She identified housing availability and vouchers as the biggest challenge. She stated she would handle conflicts by consulting the chair or attorney and recusing if needed.
Key Outcomes
- No votes were taken at this roundtable; it served as a public hearing for the four resolutions.
- Written comments may be submitted until 5:00 PM on April 20, 2026.
- The Council will consider adoption of the resolutions at a future legislative meeting.
- Chairman Mendelson noted that some pre-hearing question responses were incomplete (Carolyn Woods stopped at question 8; Whitney Miller had not submitted answers) and requested they be submitted before the record closes.
Meeting Transcript
I'm calling to order this hearing or round table. This is a public round table of the committee of the whole of the Council of the District of Columbia. I'm Phil Mendelson, Chair of the Council and Chair of the Committee of the Whole. Today is Monday, March 30th, 2026. The time is 3 55 p.m. We are in room 123 of the John A. Wilson Building. This hearing or round table is being recorded and will be available on the Council's website, which is WW.dccouncil.gov. The subject of this hearing is consideration of four resolutions that are council appointments to three different boards or commissions. More specifically, PR 26-575 entitled the Board of Directors of the Washington Metroil Safety Commission, Brad Belzak Appointment Resolution of 2026. PR 26 576, Commission on the Selection and Tenure of Administrative Law Judges of the Office of the Administrative Hearings, Laura Hankins Reappointment Resolution of 2026. PR 26 577 Citizen Review Panel, Whitney Miller Reapointment Resolution of 2026, and PR 26 578 Citizen Review Panel, Carolyn Woods Reapointment Resolution of 2026. All four of these resolutions were introduced by me earlier this month of March. The stated purpose of PR 26-575 is to appoint Mr. Brad Belzak to the Board of Directors of the Washington Metro Safety Commission. The Washington Metroil Safety Commission is the independent entity with oversight and enforcement authority to ensure continual safety improvements in the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Metro Rail System. The WMSC Board of Directors is comprised of six commissioners and three alternates who serve four-year terms. The District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia each appoint two commissioners and each appoint one alternate. Each member must have expertise in transportation safety or related fields. Mr. Belzak was previously nominated by the mayor, confirmed by the council as an alternate member of the Metro Safety Commission. And with this resolution, he would become, assuming it's adopted by the council, would become a full member of the Metro Washington Metro Rail Safety Commission. The stated purpose of PR 26-576 is to reappoint Ms. Laura Hankins as on the Commission on the Selection and Tenure of Administrative Law Judges of the Office of Administrative Hearings, otherwise known as COST, COST, Commission on the Selection and Tenure. This measure was introduced by me earlier this month. It do uh cost was established by law in 2002 to appoint, reappoint discipline and remove administrative law judges of the Office of Administrative Hearings. COSC's mission is to ensure the recruitment and retention of a well-qualified, efficient and effective core of administrative law judges at the Office of Administrative Hearings. The cost is comprised of three voting members who serve three-year terms. The stated purpose of PR 26-577 is to reappoint Ms. Whitney Miller to the Citizen Review Panel. The stated purpose of PR 26-578 is to reappoint Ms. Carolyn Woods to the Citizen Review Panel. With historical roots stemming from the Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, the Citizen Review Panel was codified into district law in 2004. The panel serves as an independent oversight body for the district's child welfare system to evaluate the district government agencies involved in child protection as well as services provided by vendors. The panel consists of 15 members, all of whom must be district residents. The panel is required to be broadly representative of the community and must include members who have expertise in the prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect. Panel members serve three-year terms. Today is March 30th. The record in this matter for some reason is is open for longer than three weeks. The record in this matter will close at 5 p.m. on Monday, April 20th, 2026. So anyone who is watching and wants to submit comments or anyone else, welcome to do so. We have to follow record with all legislation. And so the record will close Monday, April 20th at 5 p.m. The way we've organized this hearing is uh we we have one witness who is not a nominee, and then we will take up the Metro Royal Safety Commission, followed by the Commission on Selection and Tenure, followed by the Citizen Review Panel. So let me ask if Lucusha Spencer is here. She is not here. All right. Well, then the first uh witness will be Mr. Belzak.
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