Meeting Summary: January 10 - Collaborative Business Meeting

The Anacostia Park and Community Collaborative hosted its first meeting of the decade on January 10 at THEARC. Members reviewed our progress in 2019 and brainstormed next steps for our work in 2020. You can download the full meeting notes here, or review a summary below.

Recap of 2019

The Collaborative made a lot of progress in 2019, the third and final year under our Capacity Building Grant from the Chesapeake Bay Funders Network. We: 

  • Agreed to create a shared Vision for the river corridor, and agreed on Launched the Programming, Outreach and Events working group under Akiima Price, leading to a new cohort of organizations focused on “authentic engagement” in Anacostia Park. 

    • Hosted 6 events in Anacostia Park, attended by 2000+ people!

  • Established Network Principles (how we agree to work together)

  • Established Vision Principles (overarching values)

  • Drafted a new policy vision booklet document layout

Preparing for our Shared Vision and Policy Agenda Booklet in 2020

We are creating a document that will be used to organize our collective advocacy to policymakers and help us work together on shared projects. The booklet (final title yet to be determined) will include an explanation of what it means to be an APACC member, a list of our shared values, and a list of what we are working on together.

Members are invited to submit a “white paper” to be included in this booklet. A “white paper” is a policy or project that you would like to see completed, either through advocacy to the government, or through collaboration with other partners.

You can view the “white paper” template here. The current categories for white papers include:

  • Arts and Culture

  • Transportation and Access

  • Environment and Health

  • Equitable Neighborhood Development

  • Equitable Economic Development

  • Programming, Outreach & Events

There are other ways to inform the booklet in addition to submitting policy proposals. Contact Danielle Burs,. Stacia Turner or Michael Bochynski to discuss. 

Brainstorm: possible white paper / policy proposals

  • (DC Appleseed) Include $100,000 in the DC budget to fund outside groups to do outreach for DOEE

  • (Urban Waters Federal Partnership) Improve the underpasses to Anacostia Park to feel safer and more inviting

  • (Georgetown Policy Innovation Lab) use a Human-Centered Design approach to our own community engagement 

  • (Clean Water Action) Create a set of recommendations on safer procurement policy for chemicals, including “chemicals of concern” like PFAS and BPAs. 

  • (Washington Parks and People) Create a standard that every child in the watershed has safe access to safe, vibrant green and blue spaces. Also, advocate for less siloing of park management in DC government. 

  • (Groundswell) Increase legibility of government and nonprofit sustainability initiatives (including APACC’s own initiative). 

  • (Riverkeeper) Re-invigorate the fish advisory working group. Create more living shorelines. 

  • (Citizens Climate Lobby) Expand basic training about climate resilience and how climate change impacts neighborhoods and what to do about it. 

  • (Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens) Encourage “human-centered design” approaches to improve the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. Advocate for a comprehensive site master plan for Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. 

  • (East River Family Strengthening Collaborative) Develop safe passages to schools for children east of the river. 

  • (Casey Trees) Build more accountability around the “green area ratio” and stormwater guidelines with new development. Equip residents with resources to advocate for trees. 

  • (Anacostia Coordinating Council) Encourage participation by environmental groups in community meetings like the monthly Anacostia Coordinating Council meetings at Martha’s Table. 

  • (The Conservation Fund) Encourage “people-focused park programming.”

  • (Fairlawn Civic Association) Increase access to the parks and encourage stewardship of green spaces. Increase education around employment opportunities related to parks. Advocate for a swimmable, fishable river. 

  • (11th Street Bridge Park) Create a dashboard on our website that tracks progress related to our top concerns. 

  • (NatureBridge) Increased coordination between environmental education and outdoor adventure providers

Meeting Schedule in 2020

APACC’s bimonthly business meetings will be held at 10:30am-12:30pm on the second Friday of every other month in 2020, located at THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave SE, unless otherwise announced:

  • January 10

  • March 13

  • May 8

  • July 10

  • September 11

  • November 13

Working group meetings will be held on the 2nd Friday of the month between these meetings, with locations and agendas to be determined. 

Reminders:

  • If you received any grant funding through APACC for any activities in 2019, please submit a brief summary of activities funded to bbolin@cleanwater.org. 

  • If you received an email request to fill out a Google Form from a company called “Ad Astra,” please fill it out - this is a consultant who has been assigned to assist APACC. 

Anacostia Park and Community Collaborative