TESTIMONY PRESENTED BEFORE THE TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE
OVERSIGHT HEARING OF THE DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES
By Ellen Opper-Weiner
February 20, 2018
Good afternoon, Chair Mary Cheh, and members of the Committee. My name is Ellen Opper-Weiner and I have lived within a few blocks of Eastern Market for 40 years, where I am a nearly daily shopper because I love to have fresh food. As you all know, Eastern Market is the last remaining urban fresh food market in Washington, DC, and it has been in continuous operation since 1873.
I am testifying today in order to raise my serious concerns about the survival of Eastern Market, including the South Hall on the inside and the Farmer’s Line on the outside which provide the fresh food for purchase at Eastern Market. Last week on February 13th, I testified before the Business and Economic Development Committee, Department of Small and Local Business Development, and I would like to incorporate that testimony with attachments into today’s testimony.
First of all, since about 2008 after the tragic Eastern Market fire, the District of Columbia has been managing Eastern Market contrary to the provisions of the Eastern Market Management and Regulation Act., Section 37-105. This section states that the CPMO, “shall contract, in accordance with provisions of this chapter ….., with one not-for-profit association or corporation having experience operating an historic urban fresh food or famers’ market, or experience relevant to the management of the activities described in subsection (c) of this section”. In fact, Eastern Market is currently managed by Department of General Services (DGS) employees led by a Realty Program Specialist and others who do not have the management experience required in the law as stated above. For example the position description for the Realty Program Specialist states that the “This position serves a technical authority on acquisition of real property; preparation for disposal;, and disposal of real property'” There is no mention of responsibility for the management of an urban fresh food market, farmer’s line and outdoor vending. The major duties for this position also make no mention of responsibility for the Realty Program Specialist to manage Eastern Market., nor is knowledge about managing an urban fresh food market with other activities a part of the Realty Program Specialist’s job description. See Exhibit #1, Realty Program Specialist Position Description obtained from a FOIA request.
This management structure was not intended when the legislation was drafted. I can attest to that fact as one of the major contributors and drafters of the original Eastern Market legislation. There is general agreement of the stakeholders and the public that the current management is not performing to the benefit of Eastern Market. In fact the current management takes a punitive approach to the operations of the South Hall Merchants, the mainstay at the market, rather than attempting to determine how the market manager can be of help to the existing businesses both inside and outside the market. There has been nearly no advertising and promotion of the South Hall Merchants and according to the current manager, there is no written Advertising and Marketing plan for the market. That fact may contribute to the recent significant reduction in the income of the South Hall merchants
Further, there has been no public discussion about various decisions made by DGS with regard to issues related to Eastern Market, such as continuing the closure of the 200 and 300 blocks on the weekends to traffic and parking. These decisions have been made without any studies and competent data to support these decisions, and in some cases behind closed doors.
There has been no cost/benefit analysis performed for many of these decisions, which have had a direct and substantial impact on the businesses operating inside and around Eastern Market. Therefore, no reliable evaluation of these decisions can be made.
The Market Manager has issued rules for the market operations even though the manager has no authority to do so under the current Eastern Market statute since DGS employees cannot be the designated Market Manager as contained in the statute. It is essential that this entire management issue be resolved as soon as possible because the current situation is destructive to the operations of Eastern Market and threatens the survival of Eastern Market, and its small family-owned businesses.
It is my hope that this situation will change in the very near future so that Eastern Market is preserved and does survive.
I will be happy to answer any questions that you may have. Thank you.