Councilmembers Evans and Wells Have Heated Exchange Over Redistricting

The Council Subcommittee on Redistricting released its proposed new Ward maps Wednesday night and passed the proposed plan out of committee Thursday. The afternoon meeting Thursday was attended by not only the subcommittee members, but also by other members of the District Council. The exchange became heated between Councilmember Wells (Ward 6) and Councilmember Jack Evans (Ward 2).

Evans is on the subcommittee, Wells is not. Wells' constituents have been holding protests and voicing their opposition to being moved from Ward 6 into Ward 7, which is ultimately what the redistricting committee recommended.

A line was draw down 17th Street in Southeast, making everything east of that line part of Ward 7. Wells said though the committee stated that they were observing the principle of creating clear and simple boundary in his ward, the members were "selective" in applying it elsewhere, namely in Ward 2.

Wells will gain the Shaw neighborhood from Evans in the process.

Wells blasted Evans for gerrymandering Ward 2 to include the National Building Museum and the Convention Center.

Evans called Wells' remarks "snarky" and said the museum had been in Ward 2 previously. "It's not like it's been in Ward 6 forever," he added.

An amendment Evans successfully offered adjusted the boundaries for Ward 2 in Penn Quarter, moving the dividing line from 4th Street, NW to 2nd Street, NW for three blocks. Evans said the change came after he received a notice from the Penn Quarter Community Association that those blocks were a part of their community.

Wells fired back that Evans would make a change over one email, but not for his constituents, who offered thousands of signatures on a petition and a organized a rally. Wells added that the decision was suspicious since it would now give Evans control of the I-395 Air Rights project.

Evans maintained that the goal in Penn Quarter was to keep a neighborhood together.

On the Convention Center, Evans said, "no one in this government has worked harder to get the convention center built than myself."

Ultimately, the subcommittee passed the plan with amendments. There will be a public hearing June 1 at 6 p.m. for any citizen wishing to testify for or against the plan.