The current roster of ANC 4C Commissioners (courtesy of anc4c.com)

Advisory Neighborhood Commission 4C has set a special public meeting on Monday, July 12th at 7pm, two days before their normally scheduled monthly public meeting on Wednesday the 14th. The unusual purpose of Monday’s meeting is to bring the commissioners together to vote on removing 4C07 Commissioner Paul Johnson from his officer role as Chair of the 4C commission.

According to conversations with ANC 4C commissioners, their reason for the vote in a change of leadership is based on how the commission meetings have been run, as well as heated interactions between Commissioner Johnson and the other commissioners. Six commissioners sent a letter to Johnson in June, requesting the special meeting for the vote. From off-the-record and on-background conversations with more than half of the commission, it appears the commissioners feel the decision to remove Commissioner Johnson from his role as Chair will be a unanimous decision. (A vote to remove Commissioner Johnson from the role of Chair of the Commission would not affect his elected position as Commissioner for Single Member District 4C07.)

The current 4C Commission has only been seated for 7 months, with almost a year and a half remaining in their term (ANC Commissioners are elected to 2-year non-partisan positions). Several current commissioners discussed their reasons for the leadership change with Petworth News, saying they based their decision on the challenges of how Commissioner Johnson has run the ANC, feeling bullied and afraid of him.

Commissioner Johnson refutes the claims being made, and said he feels the vote is a “draconian, heavy-handed action and an over-the-top reaction to vague, unsubstantiated accusations.” He stated that he does not believe the commission has the basis to remove him for cause, as required by the ANC’s Bylaws.

Some of the issues expressed by the commissioners include accusations of personal attacks by Commissioner Johnson during their private executive meetings as well as their monthly public meetings, over-extension of authority as Chair, a belittling attitude toward dissenters or those of differing opinions, and an intense polarization of the commission.

According to one Commissioner, “Paul’s leadership style has been to be a bully, and toxic to running an effective meeting.” That sentiment has been repeated in conversations by other ANC 4C commissioners.

In responding to questions from Petworth News, Commissioner Johnson said he felt the accusations were without merit, and that no cause for the vote had been presented. Johnson said the ANC 4C Bylaws do not provide the commission the right to vote him out of his officer’s position without cause, of which he states there is none.

The ANC 4C Bylaws state in “Section 3.05 Removal”: “An officer may be removed for cause by a majority vote of the Commissioners. ‘Cause’ is defined as misconduct, wrongdoing or neglect of duty in office.”

The ANC Standards of Decorum and Conduct could also come into discussion.

Commissioner Johnson said he believes the current tension is partly due to his efforts to provide greater transparency with ANC procedures and policy, including the commission’s prior actions in asking developers for financial support of affordable housing initiatives in return for approving Zoning Board exception requests. He alleges a lack of disclosure of financial interests by a commissioner impacted by the proposed redevelopment of Engine 22’s now closed firehouse on Georgia Avenue in Single Member District of 4C01. Johnson believes the commissioner has property that abuts the proposed redevelopment of the firehouse.

Update 7/9: Commissioner Vanessa Rubio, 4C01, clarified that her house is across the alley from the proposed new apartment building currently being proposed by Neighborhood Development Company on Georgia Avenue. She said in October 2019, the developer approached her and two other neighbors about selling their garages that are on the alley, thereby giving the apartment building more space to increase the alley size and accommodate parking. Rubio states she and her neighbors declined to sell their property to the developer. The developer also reached out again in May 2020, and they all declined again to sell. She states that is the complete set of financial-based interaction she’s had with the developer.

In a letter responding to the six ANC commissioners requesting Monday’s special meeting, Johnson wrote that “current complaints against me reflect in part a racial bias and pursue long-established negative stereotypes cast upon black men.”

Johnson points to the successful results the ANC has had under his leadership as Chair (a role he sometimes refers to as “Chief Executive Officer”), such as organizing Petworth Porchfest, the commitment for a Petworth Main Street initiative, and other community-benefiting projects.

Johnson said he deserves due process to respond to any allegations, and that he believes he is not getting that. He said any meeting held by the commissioners to decide to remove him from the Chair role should have been done at a public meeting — he said the fact that he received a letter signed by six commissioners who did not hold a public meeting to draft that letter is not in alignment with ANC procedures.

“The language of fear-based tropes are highly problematic and inflammatory,” Johnson said, responding to some of the commissioners’ claims they were afraid of him. He referenced what he described as “racial language” in a letter to the ANC by Commissioner Vanessa Rubio, who was upset that Johnson went door-to-door speaking with her constituents offering to assist them as Chair of the ANC, demanding in the letter that he resign as Chair. She describes a phone call she received by a constituent in her letter:

“Do you know what it feels to receive a phone call from a constituent asking you if you are no longer their ANC commissioner, because a African American man along with another person… walked the SMD 4C01 hosted in-person meetings, passed out flyers and engaged with neighbors on assisting them with community concerns such as parking, traffic, rodents, construction, and safety. All of which I have worked the past 5 months solving the constituents' concerns. I would have respected the fact Commissioner Johnson would have ONLY passed out Surplus Hearing Information on the Old Engine 22 Firehouse, but instead he took it a step further by using his title and presenting himself as ANC Chair and promising my constituents assistance on their concerns.” [sic] (Section of the letter from Commissioner Rubio to the ANC, dated 6/11/2021)

“I’m offended by the personal attacks on me and the fear-based racial tropes,” Johnson said. “This action doesn’t serve the community, is unfair and not substantive.”

Johnson also shared with Petworth News emails he’s exchanged with Joshua Turner, an Assistant Attorney General in DC’s Office of the Attorney General, asking for the OAG’s guidance that the ANC’s Bylaws don’t provide for his removal without cause.

On June 29th, Turner responded with a letter that confirms the ANC may remove an officer from their role “at will.” This negates the need for “cause,” and only requires a vote by the ANC commissioners at a special public meeting called by at least half the commissioners.

“Some fights are worth having,” Johnson said, about why he will not preemptively resign his role as Chair to resolve the conflict. “It’s about respecting the public and engaging with the community.”

The prevailing opinion of the commissioners seem to be that they want the discord resolved, and for their meetings to be run more professionally, with less vitriol and more respect. They believe with Johnson as Chair they are not effective and that the stress is causing some of them to want to quit. As one commissioner told me, after only six months into the job, they find themselves not wanting to do the volunteer role anymore, due to the intense personal conflicts and stress. Another stated a hope that the vote removing Johnson from Chair alleviates some of the difficulties, and provides Johnson with a message that a unified decision might influence him to be more collaborative during the remaining time left in their term.

One 4C commissioner said of the effort to replace Johnson as Chair, “We want to work with Paul as we move forward, and keep him fully engaged in the future. We just can’t continue like this.”

Monday’s meeting is public and will be virtual. According to the agenda, the ANC will allow for public comment both before the vote and after. While the meeting is in public, the commissioners stress that like all ANC meetings, this is not a “community meeting,” but an opportunity for the public to witness the transactions of the commission.

The special ANC meeting will begin at 7pm on Monday, July 12th via Webex. The meeting agenda and Webex link are on the ANC 4C website.

The meeting information is:
https://dcnet.webex.com/dcnet/j.php?MTID=m1355fa2a05e05dc3bdd14c51c26a71b3
Meeting number: 172 114 8483
Password: qC5x9JCJbg8

Join by phone
+1-202-860-2110 United States Toll (Washington D.C.)
1-650-479-3208 Call-in number (US/Canada)
Access code: 172 114 8483

(*Article updated to reflect correct date of receipt of OAG’s letter and a statement by 4C10 Commissioner Vanessa Rubio.)