ITEM

The Committee urges the District government to review this computer arrangement to determine whether needed data can be obtained by the Pretrial Services Agency without reimbursement to the Metropolitan Police Department, as is the case for other law enforcement agencies with reciprocal agreements.

The Committee urges school officials to further review the need for buildings under their jurisdiction and to make every effort to consolidate schools. Buildings that are excess to the school system's needs should be removed from the Public Schools inventory and returned to the city government for appropriate disposition.

The Committee suggests that regulations on the use of school facilities during non-school hours be issued by the Mayor.

ACTION TAKEN

The primary reason for the need of the special appropriation language
is to liquidate valid obligations which otherwise could not be paid.
Since its first year of operation in fiscal year 1975, the Criminal
Justice Act program has been under-appropriated to the extent that on
a cumulative basis it is deficient an estimated $2,500,000 through
fiscal year 1980. If the requested special appropriation language is
not included in future appropriations acts it would mean that approx-
imately $2,500,000 in valid obligations could not be paid.

The Police Department does not have sufficient funding to provide services to Pretrial Services Agency without reimbursement.

The Board of Education is currently considering a proposal to close down 10 schools in light of the current budget deficit forecast.

The

14. The Board of Education sent a letter to Congressman Wilson dated
October 3, 1979, and a letter to Senator Leahy dated December 6, 1979,
addressing the use of school facilities during non-school hours.
Board of Education believes that the rules and procedures established
by the Board are appropriate.

1.

ITEM

3.

In its report on the fiscal year 1979 appropriations bill for the District of Columbia, the Committee requested a report from the city on the compensation policy for individuals who serve on advisory boards or commissions. This report was to accompany the fiscal year 1980 budget. No such report has been received to date, and the only information provided the Committee was that the compensation policy was under review by the Mayor. The Committee feels that sufficient time has passed since this request was made to conduct a review, and therefore requests the Mayor provide this report to the Committee not later than August 15, 1979.

2. Also included in the amendment is funding to establish a citizens participation unit under this Office to make citizens more aware of the city's planning process and to encourage contributions that groups and individuals may wish to make. The Committee notes with interest the fact that capital improvement projects have been exempted from the referendum process by recent action of the Council and the Mayor. This action seems to be in direct conflict with the proposal to establish a citizens participation unit in the Office of Planning and Development. While the Committee has not included funding in the bill for this initiative, it recommends that the Mayor establish liaison with the Advisory Neighborhood Commissions to accomplish the same citizen input.

The budget amendment also includes a request for 18 positions and $665,400 to fund the Office of Business and Economic Development. Until this year, the office has been funded entirely with Community Development Block Grant funds diverted from the Department of Housing and Community Development. The Committee has denied this request and directs that the functions of the office be assumed by the Department of Housing and Community Development, the agency that provided the grant funding used to staff the office in the past. Within available resources, the Department should allocate sufficient resources to conduct programs consistent with overall priorities. The Committee requests that the Department report on efforts to accomplish this directive by September 15, 1979.

ACTION TAKEN

The status report on the compensation policy for members of boards and commissions was submitted to the Subcommittee on August 14, 1979.

The Mayor's Office of Community Services serves as the liaison with the Advisory Neighborhood Commissions and receives citizen input from the ANC'e

3.

A report was forwarded to the Subcommittees on September 14, 1979, which indicated that decreases in Federal funds for Community Development Block Grants makes it infeasible to continue funding economic development activities in general and specifically the Office of Business and Economic Development.

Since action taken by the Committee will require changes to the proposed budget and programs for fiscal year 1980, the Superintendent of Schools and the School Board are directed to submit a report explaining exactly how the adjustments will be made for the upcoming school year and what cost saving measures are contemplated for future years, in terms of both program and facility management. This report should be forwarded to the Committee no later than September 15, 1979.

The Committee feels compelled to again recommend that the library institute an annual book inventory to determine the extent of lost or stolen books. Increases in future years for acquisition of new books will be contingent upon the status of an annual book inventory.

The Committee is observing with interest the current summer youth jobs program, and plans to conduct hearings in the fall to assess the program with an eye toward making necessary improvements prior to the start of the 1980 effort. Bill language has been included limiting the availability of funding for the summer youth jobs program, pending approval of a plan by both the Senate and House Appropriations Commissions. The Committee also plans a thorough review of the jobs for adults with dependents program during the next series of routine budget hearings.

The Committee was disturbed to learn of the wasteful and foolish use of
personnel assigned to identifying and removing ineligibles from the wel-
fare roles. The conference report on the appropriations bill for the
District for fiscal year 1972 (H. Report 92-755) Congress specifically
added 45 positions and $203,800 to the budget of the Department of Human
Resources only for the purpose of hiring investigators to identify and

· eliminate ineligible welfare recipients. The Committee learned that the
positions were being used as social caseworkers. The Committee directs
that the Director of the Department report quarterly to the Committee the
number of vacancies in this office and the savings generated by its work.

8.

A letter dated February 12, 1980, from Calvin Lockridge, President, Board of Education, to Hon. Patrick Leahy, Chairman, D. C. Subcommittee on Appriations, stated that final programmatic reductions will be determined prior to the organization of school for September, 1980, and that a detailed report would be submitted after that determination is made.

9. The Library has moved forward to institute an annual book inventory system which was begun in June, 1979.

10. The Senate Subcommittee on Appropriations conducted hearings in December, 1979. The plan for the FY 1980 summer jobs program will be submitted to the Subcommittees for review and approval.

11. Quarterly reports are being submitted to the Subcommittees.