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Record of Proceedings

D.C. Council Committee of the Whole Markup Meeting - October 20, 2026

Council of the District of Columbia — Tuesday, October 20, 2026
BodyWashington, District Of Columbia
SessionCouncil of the District of Columbia
DateTuesday, October 20, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 3:03:48

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:08

I'm calling to order this meeting.

0:10

This is a regular meeting of the Committee of the Whole of the Council of the District of Columbia.

0:17

I'm Phil Mendelssohn, Chair of the Council and Chair of the Committee of the Whole.

0:21

Today is Tuesday, October 20th, 2026, the year 2026.

0:26

The time is 11 53 in the morning, and we are in room 500, the council chambers of the Johnny Wilson building.

0:33

This is a regular committee of the whole meeting, but it will be followed by an additional legislative meeting.

0:39

And uh because it's a regular meeting, we will shortly have a uh clearance of different bills as well as the um secretary's reports.

0:49

But first, we have to find out if anybody is

Speaker 2

0:52

here.

0:52

Mr.

Speaker 1

0:52

Cash,

Speaker 2

0:53

would you call the roll?

0:54

Chairman Mendelson.

0:55

Present.

0:55

Councilmember Allen.

0:56

Here.

0:56

Councilmember Bonds.

Speaker 3

0:58

Here.

Speaker 2

0:58

Councilmember Felder.

0:59

Present.

1:00

Councilmember Fruman.

1:01

Present.

1:01

Councilmember Henderson.

Unassigned speaker

1:02

Here.

Speaker 2

1:03

Councilmember Lewis George.

Speaker 3

1:04

Here.

Speaker 2

1:05

Councilmember Nadeau.

Speaker 4

1:06

Here.

Speaker 2

1:07

Councilmember Parker.

1:08

Here.

1:08

Councilmember Pinto.

Speaker 4

1:10

Present.

Speaker 2

1:10

Councilmember Silverman.

Speaker 4

1:12

Present.

Speaker 2

1:12

Councilmember Robert White.

1:14

Present.

1:14

Councilmember Tran White.

Speaker 5

1:15

Present.

Speaker 2

1:16

Mr.

1:16

Chairman McQorum.

Speaker 1

1:19

Thank you, Mr.

1:19

Cash.

1:20

We have the Secretary's Report of Committee filings.

1:22

I'm going to recognize the Chair Pro Tem, Councilmember Anita Bonds.

Speaker 3

1:27

Thank you.

1:28

Thank you, Chairman.

1:30

I move to waive the reading of the Secretary's report.

Unassigned speaker

1:33

Is there

Speaker 1

1:34

a motion to waive the secret reading of the Secretary's Report of Committee filings?

1:38

Is there discussion on the motion to waive the reading?

1:41

All those in favor say aye.

1:42

Aye.

1:42

Aye.

1:43

Aye.

1:43

Are there any opposed?

1:45

Hearing none, the ayes have it unanimously.

1:47

We also have the Secretary's log of introductions and referrals, which we could read, or I'll recognize the Chair Pro Tem Councilmember Bonds.

Speaker 3

1:56

Thank you, Chairman.

1:58

I move to waive the reading of the Secretary's log of introductions and referrals.

Speaker 1

2:04

Thank you.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Noise Enforcement██████████████14%
Rodent Control████████████12%
Public Education████████8%
Real Property Tax████████8%
Procurement████████8%
Procedural███████7%
Contract Procurement███████7%
Community Engagement██████6%
Parks and Recreation██████6%
Summary of Proceedings

D.C. Council Committee of the Whole Markup Meeting - October 20, 2026

The Committee of the Whole met on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, from 11:53 a.m. to 2:57 p.m. in Room 500 of the John A. Wilson Building. Chair Phil Mendelssohn presided. The committee marked up numerous measures for the subsequent Legislative Meeting, approving most unanimously and placing them on the consent or non-consent agenda.

Opening and Administrative Actions

  • Roll call established a quorum with all 13 members present.
  • The Council unanimously waived the reading of the Secretary's Report of Committee Filings and the Secretary's Log of Introductions and Referrals.

Reappointments and Confirmations

  • PR 26-808 (Citizen Review Panel): Reappointed Elizabeth Moeller as Vice Chairperson for a three-year term ending April 11, 2029. No hearing was held; no opposition was recorded. Approved unanimously and placed on the consent agenda.
  • PR 26-717 and PR 26-718 (Commission on Human Rights): Confirmed Naranjan Atakari and Monica Nemeth as commissioners, bringing the commission to a full complement of 15 members. Approved unanimously and placed on the consent agenda.

School Designation Bills

  • Bill 26-12 (Alma W. Thomas Middle School Designation Act): Designates the Ward 1 school at 800 Euclid Street NW as Alma W. Thomas Middle School. Councilmember Nadeau supported the name, describing community engagement; Councilmember Pinto voted no, saying the process was rushed and should be paused for fuller community input. The measure passed with only Pinto opposed and was placed on the non-consent agenda.
  • Bill 26-624 (Elizabeth M. Goodman Health School Redesignation Act): Renames the C. Melvin Sharp Health School in Ward 4 for educator Elizabeth Goodman. Councilmember Lewis George spoke in support, noting Sharp's opposition to school desegregation. Approved unanimously with a fiscal impact of $100,000 absorbed by DCPS; placed on the consent agenda.
  • Bill 26-698 (Malcolm X Elementary School Designation Act): Officially names the Ward 8 school at 1500 Mississippi Avenue SE as Malcolm X Elementary School, removing the "at Green" designation. Councilmember White spoke in support; Councilmember Henderson expressed concern about preserving Mildred Green's legacy, and White said he would work on honoring her separately. Approved unanimously with no fiscal impact; placed on the consent agenda.

Other Committee Markups

  • Bill 26-254 (Contractors' Right to Stop Work for Non-Payment): Prohibits contract clauses that bar contractors/subcontractors from stopping work when not paid, with a notice procedure (30 days, then 10-day stop-work notice). Councilmember Felder supported it; Councilmembers Lewis George and Bonds asked clarifying questions. Approved unanimously with no fiscal impact; placed on the consent agenda.
  • Bill 26-360 (Senior Tax Aggregation Amendment Act): Allows two or more seniors or disabled residents to combine ownership interests to meet the 50% threshold for property tax relief. Councilmember Lewis George introduced it; Councilmembers Bonds and Pinto raised related gaps. Fiscal impact: $119,000 in FY27 and $501,000 over the financial plan. Approved unanimously; placed on the consent agenda.
  • Bill 26-493 (Strong Homes Amendment Act): Strengthens tenant receivership; removes the $2 million cap on the abatement fund. Councilmember Robert White spoke in support. Approved unanimously with no fiscal impact; placed on the consent agenda.
  • Bill 26-689 (Alley Closing in Square 785): Closes 261 square feet of unimproved pedestrian alley in Ward 6; no opposition. Approved unanimously; placed on the consent agenda.
  • Bill 26-772 (Georgetown Boat House Street Closing and Transfer of Jurisdiction): Closes 7,426 square feet of 35th Street NW and transfers about 69,444 square feet from the National Park Service to the District to facilitate a Georgetown University boathouse. Councilmembers Pinto and Lewis George spoke in support. Approved unanimously; placed on the consent agenda.
  • PR 26-581 (Transfer of Jurisdiction over Reservations 360 and 639): Consolidates jurisdiction over Francis Field recreational facilities. Councilmember Lewis George questioned maintenance funding and dog park support; Councilmember Henderson asked about zoning. Approved unanimously; placed on the consent agenda.

Measures from Other Committees

  • Bill 26-523 (Medicaid Credentialing): Requires DHCF to create a single credentialing application and response timelines. Fiscal impact: $4 million in FY27 and $16 million over the financial plan, split between local and federal funds. Placed on the consent agenda.
  • Bill 26-588 (Captive Insurance Company Amendment Act): Updates captive insurance standards. Fiscal impact de minimis. Placed on the consent agenda.
  • Bill 26-707 (Remy/RAT Act): Combines rodent abatement bills; creates a commercial rodent-proof trash receptacle pilot, public rodent dashboard, abatement plans, penalties up to three times costs, and restricts anticoagulant rodenticides to certified applicators. Fiscal impact: $674,000 in FY27 and $2.4 million over the financial plan. Approved unanimously; placed on the consent agenda.

Deferred and Postponed Measures

  • Bill 26-100 (Deferred Retirement Option Program): Not moved because the fiscal impact statement was still pending; the print had been posted online.
  • Bill 26-369 (Nightlife Noise): Councilmember Nadeau presented a revised approach to nightlife noise enforcement. Members discussed decibel readers, complaint weaponization, and the 15-foot measurement standard. Nadeau agreed to work on amendments and the first reading was postponed to November 10, 2026; placed on the November 10 non-consent agenda.
  • Bill 26-594 (Contracting and Procurement Reform): Moves the procurement ombudsman to the Office of the City Administrator, consolidates procurement portals, and establishes pay-for-performance standards. Members asked questions about the ombudsman's independence and accountability. A technical amendment was circulated; after approval, it was placed on the non-consent agenda.

Key Outcomes

  • All measures except Bill 26-12 passed unanimously; Councilmember Pinto was the only no vote on Bill 26-12.
  • Bill 26-12, Bill 26-594, and Bill 26-369 were placed on the non-consent agenda (Bill 26-369 for November 10); all other approved measures were placed on the consent agenda.
  • Meeting adjourned at 2:57 p.m., with the Legislative Meeting scheduled to begin at 3:10 p.m.

Meeting Transcript

I'm calling to order this meeting. This is a regular meeting of the Committee of the Whole of the Council of the District of Columbia. I'm Phil Mendelssohn, Chair of the Council and Chair of the Committee of the Whole. Today is Tuesday, October 20th, 2026, the year 2026. The time is 11 53 in the morning, and we are in room 500, the council chambers of the Johnny Wilson building. This is a regular committee of the whole meeting, but it will be followed by an additional legislative meeting. And uh because it's a regular meeting, we will shortly have a uh clearance of different bills as well as the um secretary's reports. But first, we have to find out if anybody is here. Mr. Cash, would you call the roll? Chairman Mendelson. Present. Councilmember Allen. Here. Councilmember Bonds. Here. Councilmember Felder. Present. Councilmember Fruman. Present. Councilmember Henderson. Here. Councilmember Lewis George. Here. Councilmember Nadeau. Here. Councilmember Parker. Here. Councilmember Pinto. Present. Councilmember Silverman. Present. Councilmember Robert White. Present. Councilmember Tran White. Present. Mr. Chairman McQorum. Thank you, Mr. Cash. We have the Secretary's Report of Committee filings. I'm going to recognize the Chair Pro Tem, Councilmember Anita Bonds. Thank you. Thank you, Chairman. I move to waive the reading of the Secretary's report. Is there a motion to waive the secret reading of the Secretary's Report of Committee filings? Is there discussion on the motion to waive the reading?

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