February 3, 2020

Updates from Adams Morgan

Click Here to see previous updates in our newsletter archive

For the latest from the DC government, refer to: https://coronavirus.dc.gov

Save the Date

AMPBID Annual Meeting: Tuesday, March 9, 2021

Adams Morgan Partnership Business Improvement District’s Annual Meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 9, 2021 at 5pm. The meeting will be held online via Zoom. Postcards were mailed to all commercial property and business owners in January.

IMPORTANT: To attend the annual meeting as a voting member (all commercial property and business owners within the AMPBID boundaries are automatically members) you must send us your email address via this form . Links to participate in the Zoom meeting and further details (including voting procedures) will be sent via email.

In addition to other business, we will hold elections for six positions on the Board of Directors (4 property owners and 2 business owners whose terms expire in March) at the meeting.

Please fill out the above form by February 15, 2021 so we can send your ballot. If you have questions, please call Brian at 202.536.9515 or email at bbarrie@admodc.org.

There also will be a special meeting of the AMPBID Board of Directors on Tuesday, February 9, 2021 to vote on a new Five-Year plan. Click here to register to attend the February board meeting.

All business improvement districts (BIDs) in the District of Columbia must be renewed every five years. The process for renewal is laid out in the law that establishes business improvement districts (DC ST § 2-1215.18). Before re-registering, the BID should develop a business plan for the next five years that includes a proposed budget. The board should approve the new business plan by a 2/3 vote at a meeting called for that purpose.

Also at the February board meeting, the nominating committee will provide a written list of the candidates for board membership to be voted on at the annual meeting on March 9, 2021.

The Return of Adams Morgan Date Nights!

After having to cut the event short last year due to the pandemic, Adams Morgan Date Nights will be returning next week with a familiar, but somewhat different format. We'll still be giving away fabulous date packages and offering great suggestions for staying close to your special someone while staying socially distant from others, but there will be takeout and even virtual options as well.

In light of the difficulties our members have had to endure over the last year we won't be asking businesses for prize donations -- instead, the prizes will be gift cards (purchased by us) to the Adams Morgan business chosen by the prize winner.

As in year's past, we will endeavor to include as many businesses as possible in our "Great Grid of Dates" but please send any ideas of a date night that involves your business to bbarrie@admodc.org . The web page is being updated but until it is you can still see last year's information at AdMoDateNights.com if you need inspiration.

Survey: Outdoor Dining and Retail during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Survey

The Office of Planning (OP) invites the public to complete this survey, which is designed to assess the experience of patrons of outdoor dining and retail establishments in Washington DC during the COVID-19 public health emergency. The District is assessing the outdoor dining and retail pickup program to determine how to potentially continue the implementation of some version of the program once the public health emergency ends. The information you provide in the survey will inform that assessment.

This brief survey should take you 5-7 minutes to complete, and will be available until February 14, 2021.

Valentine's Day Window Contest:

$500 for the winning business!

This year we are bringing back the Valentine's Day retail window decorating contest. All Adams Morgan businesses with sidewalk-facing windows in the business district are eligible to participate.

Businesses are encouraged to begin decorating their windows as soon as possible. Judging will take place on or around February 12. Winners will be announced on Valentines Day (February 14).

Judging will be based on originality, use of space, overall creativity, and other factors as determined by the judges.

Judging will be conducted by a panel consisting of residents and/or elected officials. None of the judges will have any direct affiliation with participating businesses or be members of the Adams Morgan Partnership BID. The community will also be able to vote on their favorites through an online poll on our website.

Prizes: 1st Place $500; 2nd Place $300; 3rd Place: $200

To participate in the contest, businesses must sign up using this form . If you don't sign up you will not be eligible to win prizes. A list of all participating businesses will be published on our website.

Last year's winners were:

1st Place: CenterPointe , 1802 Adams Mill Rd NW, B
2nd Place: Mintwood Place , 1813 Columbia Rd NW
3rd Place: Duplex Diner , 2004 18th St NW

National Cherry Blossom Festival: March 20 - April 11

The Cherry Blossom Festival is going to be mostly virtual this year, but there are opportunities for your business to participate and take advantage of the festival's marketing efforts and visitors to the city. The Adams Morgan Partnership will once again be decorating the neighborhood with Cherry Blossom decals in the weeks leading up to the festival.

Restaurants: Cherry Picks - Register by Feb. 19

The National Cherry Blossom Festival, in conjunction with RAMW is proud to support the vibrant, diverse restaurant scene in the District for the 1.5 M attendees throughout the Festival. Restaurants are encouraged to enroll in the program to highlight items from their seasonal, springtime menus. Please note: the use of cherries as an ingredient is not necessary to participate in this promotion.

Click here to sign up for Cherry Picks

Retail Window Competition - Registration deadline TBD

The Retail Window Competition celebrates what makes local

retail great by highlighting the creativity of the stores and

encouraging Washingtonians to check out these over the top

displays.

Why should you participate?

Increased exposure
Increased foot traffic
Brings joy

Winning Categories

Small Independent Business
Medium/Large Chain Business

Click here to sign up for the Retail Window Competition

Update from RAMW

From Kathy Hollinger, president, RAMW

Yesterday, DC Council held the first Legislative Session of the year. There were two pieces of legislation of interest that directly impact our industry and we want to share details on the bills as well as the work we have done to advocate on your behalf.

Councilmember McDuffie, who has continuously worked closely with RAMW and been one of the most fervent supporters of the restaurant industry introduced the “Fair Meals Delivery Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2021.” The bill requires a formal agreement to be in place between delivery services and local restaurants before the restaurant can be included on the third party app. This addresses many concerns we have heard from the restaurant community regarding unknowingly being listed on third party delivery apps. We worked with Councilmember McDuffie’s office to refine the legislation and to ensure that it is inclusive of our restaurant community. The bill was introduced and passed unanimously as an emergency, which means it takes effect immediately upon the Mayor’s signature and remains in place for 90 days. Assuming the accompanying temporary legislation is passed on second reading, (which it likely will) the law will remain in effect for 225 days. Depending on feedback from the local community there is an opportunity for this to be put in place permanently.

Councilmember Elissa Silverman introduced the "Workplace Safety During the COVID19 Pandemic Temporary Amendment Act of 2021.” This legislation passed as emergency legislation and thus is effective upon it being signed by the Mayor. RAMW was very concerned about the passage of this legislation and the burdens it places on operators as they attempt to survive the pandemic. However, through many conversations with Councilmember Silverman and other members of the Council, RAMW was able to have some changes made in the final version passed to make the legislation more palatable for our industry. The legislation does the following:

Clarifies that COVID-19 is compensable under workers compensation if contracted at work. We expressed concern that this could increase workers comp costs for the business, but through many conversations with experts it seems unlikely that this will occur. The legislation does not outline how it is traceable if a case is contracted at work.
Provides that an employee who refuses to work because of an unsafe work environment is entitled to unemployment compensation. Unsafe working conditions are defined as conditions which a reasonable or prudent person in the labor market would leave work over.
Requires that employers comply with all COVID Orders outlined by the Mayor in her Orders.
Prohibits the release of names of employees who have contracted COVID-19 except to government officials. As a result of RAMW’s efforts the identity of such an employee can be released, as long as they are not identified by name. This provides protection for the employer, and for the public, who understandably would want to know if they came in direct contact with someone infected with COVID-19.
Protects employees from being fired or facing other adverse employment, if the employee:
Reasonably attempted to prevent a violation of a Mayor’s Order (ex: telling people to social distance or wear a mask)
Filed complaints about workplace safety
Raised reasonable concerns about workplace health and safety practices related to COVID-19 to the employer, the government or the public
Tests positive for COVID-19 or had close contact with someone who did
Needs to quarantine consistent with CDC or DOH guidance
Contracts COVID-19
Employees’ rights may be enforced by the Attorney General or by private right of action
Lost wages and attorneys fees may be recovered by an employee for any violations
Employers must cooperate with official contact tracers and promptly respond to inquiries

As I previously mentioned, we worked closely with Councilmember Silverman’s office to remove unnecessary burdens and concerning language from the legislation, however we do still have outstanding issues that the Councilmember agreed to revisit, monitor and of course correct, if necessary. Specifically we remain concerned that employees can air their concerns in the public sphere (which includes media and social media), as we think concerns should first be raised with the employer or relevant government agency. Councilmember Silverman committed, on the record, to work with us and monitor this issue.

Finally, please take a few minutes to take our latest COVID operational impact survey. Your responses inform our advocacy and action, and it is critical that we have current impact data and information. Click here to take the short survey.

Important!

Attention all delivery drivers and motorists in Adams Morgan: please do not leave your car running and unlocked. Taking the key fob with you does not prevent the car from being stolen. Stolen auto theft has increased throughout DC and we want to be sure you (and your vehicle) are kept safe!

Chamber's Champion Program

The DC Chamber is launching its Chamber’s Champion Program , now through April 30, 2021. This program will allow current Chamber members to sponsor a small business of their choice for one (1) year of membership with the DC Chamber of Commerce.

Small Business Owners and Entrepreneurs interested in joining the Chamber are invited to apply for this program, which is designed to help them grow their business, cultivate new business relationships, and take advantage of educational seminars & programs throughout the year.

If you are a Small Business in the District and meet the qualifying criteria below, you may be eligible to take advantage of this unique opportunity valued between $605-$1,170.

Small business must meet the following criteria to be eligible:

Must be a registered business in the DC Metropolitan Area (must service the DC area)
Must have no more than 50 employees
Must be a new prospect (non-existing member)

Benefits of DC Chamber Membership:

Inclusion in the online Membership Directory as a current Chamber Member.
Assigned Member Ambassador who will help you navigate your new membership
Regular opportunities to meet and work with top business executives, owners, and entrepreneurs from the Washington Region
On-going opportunities for peer-to-peer learning
Access to exclusive members-only programs and events
Opportunity to participate in select Chamber committees & workgroups
Savings on office supplies, email marketing, and more through the ChamberPerk$ member discount program.

Small Businesses who are interested in the program must complete a Chamber application and submit it to ChamberChampions@dcchamber.org between now and April 30, 2021.

Click here to download the application.

Updates to COVID-19 Testing

DC Health and the Downtown and Golden Triangle BIDs are partnering to offer additional free COVID-19 testing to DC’s community of essential workers through a new pop-up testing site downtown. Tests will be PCR-based and provide a 3-5 day turnaround on results. Those eligible to get tested include: hotel staff, restaurant workers, building engineers, environmental service staff, janitorial staff, security staff, and any individual unable to perform their daily work from home. These essential workers can get tested on Mondays from 2:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m., Tuesdays from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m., and Thursdays from 2:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. at a pop-up testing site on I Street NW near the intersection of Black Lives Matter Plaza. The pop-up will kick off this Friday from 2:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m., and this site is in addition to the other free public testing sites.

For more information, visit coronavirus.dc.gov/testing .

PPP & Other SBA Funding Resources

Information session that will explain the specifics of the recently funded PPP and other SBA funding options.

The DC Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD) in collaboration with the DC Business Improvement District (BID) Council invite all BID stakeholder businesses to an engaging information session that will explain the specifics of the recently funded Payment Protection Program (PPP) and other Small Business Administration funding options and resources.

This information session will begin promptly at 12:00 PM (Noon) on Friday, February 5th.

Registration is FREE . Please register and share with fellow business owners.

Greater Voice for Small Business Working Group Meeting

Attention DC Small Businesses : Please mark your calendar and join us on Thursday, February 4 at 10:00 am for the Greater Voice for Small Business Working Group meeting. On the agenda, we discuss the future of the working group and how it should be restructured to better meet the needs of local businesses. We will also want to solicit your input on the upcoming agency performance hearing.

Link to join the meeting

Phone Numbers

(‪US‬)‪+1 617-675-4444‬

PIN: ‪483 377 259 4865#‬

moveDC 2021 Update Public Meeting

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is updating its long-range, multimodal transportation plan, moveDC, to determine the agency’s priorities over the next two decades. DDOT will host two virtual public meetings to review how the goals and policies identified in the first round of the survey released in October 2020 will be potentially implemented.

Tues, Feb. 9, 2021 at 6:30 p.m. or Thurs, Feb. 11, 2021 at 1:30 p.m.

The same information will be presented at both meetings.

Click here to join the meeting.

16th Street NW Bus Lanes Public Meeting

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) invites you to a public meeting on Monday, February 8, 2021 for a presentation about the 16th Street NW Bus Lanes project. DDOT will present an overview of the project, the construction schedule, and what to expect during construction.

Monday, February 8, 2021; 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Click here to join the meeting on Feb. 8.

Dial-in option (audio only): 1-202-860-2110, Access code: 180 946 7184#

The WebEx system will prompt you for an Attendee ID, this is not required. Press the # key to join the meeting. For more information about this public meeting, please email james.sellars@dc.gov .

DOEE Quarterly Environmental Stakeholders Meeting

The Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE) Quarterly Stakeholder Meetings have gone virtual!

Join DOEE Thursday, February 4 at 3:00pm for our quarterly environmental stakeholders meeting. Get updates on DOEE programs, services and initiatives. Use the link below to RSVP on Eventbrite and save your (online) seat!

All Upcoming Dates:

February 4, 2021, 3:00pm to 4:30pm
May 6, 2021, 3:00pm to 4:30pm
August 5 2021, 3:00pm to 4:30pm
November 4, 2021, 3:00pm to 4:30pm

Click here to RSVP

DC Citywide Business Calendar

February 2021 Events

Including:

FEATURED EVENTS + TRAININGS
Funding, PPP + EIDL Loans
Marketing/Selling to Government | Starting a Business |
DC Govt. Business Forums | Patent/Trademarks |
Legal Series | B2B Networking

Click to Review All Events

APPLY TODAY for the GWHCC Small Business MICRO GRANT

The GWHCC Small Business Micro Grant Program aims to aid small businesses affected by COVID-19 by providing immediate relief in the form of a micro-grant award between $500-$1,000.

The goal is to provide funds to assist in keeping the doors open through and beyond COVID-19. A small micro-grant may go a long way when a business is in need.

The funds for this program are limited and the following information must be provided:

Must be in business as of August 1, 2019
Must be able to share the last 90 days of financials demonstrating a 15-20% or more loss in revenue due to COVID-19;
Must have all relevant certifications up-to-date
Does Not have more than 10 full time employees
Does Not make more than $1 million in gross revenue
Documentation of expenses and forecast of funds will be required for grant to be awarded
At least two consultations with a GWHCC team member to review financials and business plan must take place.
A site visit must take place 6 months after the award has been granted

This microgrant may be used to fund creative or simple ideas to help a small business respond to the impact COVID-19. Grant proposals should support projects, equipment/supplies, or other needs that have an immediate impact on employees, production, or serving customers, clients, and vendors.

Applicants must be active GWHCC members with no membership dues pending.

Grants are one time only and awarded providing the applicant meets eligibility and award criteria. Eligible applications will be considered via a lottery system after the application period closes or until funds are exhausted.

We invite you to take part of this pioneer opportunity by applying today for the GWHCC Small Business Micro Grant Program.

Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan Portal is Open to all Participating PPP Lenders

Friendly reminder! The SBA has re-opened the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan portal to all participating PPP lenders. PPP provides loans to help businesses keep their workforce employed during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. SBA is currently offering:

First Draw PPP loans- for those borrowers who have not received a PPP loan before August 8, 2020.
Second Draw PPP loans- for eligible small businesses with 300 employees or less and that previously received a First Draw PPP loan. These borrowers will have to use or had used the full amount of their First Draw loan only for authorized uses and demonstrate at least a 25% reduction in gross receipts between comparable quarters in 2019 and 2020. The maximum amount of a Second Draw PPP loan is $2 million.

The Paycheck Protection Program remains open for First and Second Draw PPP loans until March 31, 2021, as set forth in the Economic Aid Act, or until Congressionally-appropriated funding is exhausted.

Learn more

Washington Business Journal Small Business Recovery Series: Finance

The 2021 Small Business Recovery series kicks off with a focus on venture capital, grants, nontraditional lending and all things finance.

Join the Washington Business Journal as they sit down with experts in traditional and nontraditional lending, venture capital and grants to discuss how small businesses across Greater Washington can recover, grow and innovate in the wake of Covid-19.

Hear from our panel of experts and our one-on-one with Revolutions David Hall, who will discuss the latest efforts of the Rise of the Rest Seed Fund.

Tuesday, February 23, 2021; 11:00am –12:00pm

Click here for more info and to register.

GWHCC Business Bootcamp

Feb 8: Pricing and Evaluating Vendors with Manny Cosme and Brandon Clark from CFO Services

Feb 10: Job Costing and Tracking with Manny Cosme from CFO Services and Luis Carrasco from CNC Accounting Services, LLC

Feb 17: Intro to Business and Personal Credit with Roderick Johnson from the SBA, Sean Chrysostom from Capital One, and Vicki Davis from Life Assets

Feb 22: Website Management with Ricardo Villalba from Washington Digital Media and Social Media for Business with Carlos Martin del Campo from SunnyNite

Feb 24: Capstone/Pitch Your Biz

All workshops start at 5:00 pm EST

Click here to register

Submit your events and specials!

List your Adams Morgan events and business specials on our webpage for free! Click here to go to the event submission form, fill it out completely, and click on "submit event." Event submissions are reviewed to ensure the events either take place within the Adams Morgan business district or are being put on by an Adams Morgan business, and once approved should appear on the website within 48 hours.

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Sponsor one of our community events! Partner with our community while reaching some of the city's most desirable demographics. For details, contact Kristen Barden at 202-997-0783.