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Drew Ronneberg has been endorsed by former ANC6A Chair
joe fengler. Photo by Andrew Lightman.
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Long-time chair of ANC6A Joe Fengler resigned from his office because he had moved out of his district to another part of the Hill. Thus a special election to fill the ANC6A02 seat is scheduled for February 11.
With this resignation, the Fengler era has come to an end, a history of significant change being its legacy. Among the achievements Fengler points to are the “creation of an ANC where residents participate.” For example, there are 25 to 30 citizen volunteers working on issues or committees that are ordinarily the prerogatives of ANC commissioners. Fengler also points to a crowning achievement for the community on his watch -- the full “revitalization of H Street” which he attributes to persistence in dealing with the District government. Yet another of his significant legacies is his leadership on both the adoption of the ban on single sales of beer and spirits and its strict enforcement and policy of no exceptions by the full ANC, adding, many feel, to the improved safety of the community.
Two residents have announced their candidacy for the open seat, both with previous experience on ANCs: Robert Pittman, a transplanted former commissioner from ANC 1C, the Adams Morgan area, and Drew Ronneberg who has worked as a volunteer resident on ANC6A zoning matters. ANC Commissioners are generally elected every two years and represent Single Member Districts which are made up of roughly 2000 residents. ANC commissioners are unpaid public officials whose collective decisions must be given “great weight” by all city agencies and departments.
Drew Ronneberg
From Fengler’s deep bench of citizen participants, Drew Ronneberg, a Hill resident since 2001, has been Chair of ANC6A’s Economic Development and Zoning Committee for five years. Although appointed residents are allowed to play a role in ANC business, this is rare and one of the significant contributions of ANC 6A is that they have encouraged citizen involvement. In many ways Ronneberg has acted as a de facto commissioner and has considerable experience and knowledge of the issues facing ANC6A with a great deal of his work having been in cooperation with the District’s Office of Planning from zoning overlays to commercial uses of the newly revitalized H Street including its impending new trolley line.
Asked why he is running Ronneberg replied, “I have been involved with the ANCs intensely for six years. I like the changes ANC6A has brought to the community. I want to see that progress continue” especially concerning the continued revival of H Street and another project which involves the identification of vacant properties in the area. Ronneberg anticipates future challenges such as growing parking issues for residents that have come with the success of H Street.
Ronneberg, with a PhD from Princeton in Chemistry, thinks the work of Fengler and the presently constituted ANC should continue and he fully supports the ban on single sales of alcohol and notes “ there are still significant crime issues.” Ronnebery sees the upcoming challenges to the community “to make the community safer, to attract more retail to H Street and attracting people from other neighborhoods” at the same time protecting parking for residents. In an email to the community, former Chair Fengler has resoundingly endorsed Ronneberg.
Robert Pittman
Robert Pittman served on ANC1C until 1996. For the past two years Pittman has been the Citizen Coordinator for PSA 102 which works with the MPD in coordinating and monitoring crime in his neighborhood. Pittman is also President of the Linden Place Association.
Some controversy surrounds Pittman who ironically was discovered to be no longer living in his ANC district but allowed to serve out his term in 1996. According to news accounts at the time, when his term of office ended he refused to give up the keys to the ANC office to new commissioners and the police had to be called in to mediate.
Multiple efforts to reach Pittman for an interview to provide the community a sense of his views on issues that are important to ANC6A and the community were unsuccessful.
All registered voters of ANC6A02 ( see boundary map on www.anc6a.org) are eligible to vote. Voting will take place on Feb. 11, at Miner ES, 601 15th St. NE, between 7:15 PM and 8:15 PM with the winner declared during a regularly scheduled ANC meeting. |
