(Photo by Mr.TinDC)

By DCist contributor Tim Regan

It wasn’t until I watched members of Dupont Circle’s ANC scold a downtown steakhouse over valet parking that I realized I truly loved attending ANC meetings.

The dispute revolved around whether a valet service at Claudia’s Steakhouse repeatedly blocked a sidewalk and bike lane along 15th Street NW. The restaurant sought to use two metered spaces near its entrance to load and unload cars. But the ANC’s then-chair, an avid cyclist, was not pleased. He said he personally witnessed the eatery improperly blocking bike lanes with valet parking.

“What you’re asking us to do is to support your valet parking permit,” he said. “But I’ve got to tell you, I’ve been severely disappointed with your use of public space since you’ve opened.”

The exchange lasted nearly a half hour and included photo evidence of the alleged transgressions, a sarcastic quip about Claudia’s $100 cocktail and even a clever pun about velodromes. (For the record, the steakhouse did eventually win the support of the ANC.)

Moments like these help dispel the somewhat pervasive belief that ANC meetings in D.C. are long, boring affairs that only attract NIMBYs, weirdos, suck-ups, tattletales, and know-it-alls. Granted, that’s not always wrong, and there’s plenty of evidence to back that up. But that doesn’t mean you should skip out on going to them.

Advisory Neighborhood Commissions are the lowest level of city government, with 41 spread across the District’s eight wards. ANCs—staffed by elected volunteers—discuss neighborhood-level issues such as zoning, liquor license applications, noise complaints, bike lanes, parking disputes, and litter.

A typical ANC meeting works like this: Once a month, commissioners gather in a public place such as a gym, library, or government building, hold a period for public comment, then dive into discussions on a number of neighborhood issues.

As the name implies, ANCs are meant to be advisory, and thus, don’t wield much power. When they want something done, they must urge city agencies like DDOT, DPR, or DGS to do the heavy lifting. ANCs do have something called “great weight,” which essentially means the city must give many of their suggestions extra consideration.

Despite their limitations, the neighborhood meetings are also a great way to meet the people who live and work near you. Establishing a rapport with your commissioner and your neighbors can help solve problems before they grow bigger and create a more tightly knit community.

It’s also a chance to weigh in on some of the more pressing neighborhood issues you might face, an important step in a city with limited autonomy. Instead of reaching out to the city agency that might be able to solve your problem, try contacting your ANC commissioner first. Sometimes, they have direct lines of communication you do not have.

ANC meetings can also be fascinating, if not downright entertaining. Watching elected officials hammer out complex policies and procedures can be a surprisingly fun way to spend your evening, even if you don’t always understand what they’re talking about. For example, when it looked as though the 14th Street building that once held Barrel House Liquors might lose its famous barrel facade, a member of Logan Circle’s ANC proposed making it a historic structure. Though that plan ultimately fell through (fear not, a developer eventually agreed to preserve the iconic barrel), it demonstrates the kind of creative problem solving that ANCs can undertake.

Additionally, in the absence of wonky stuff, you might catch wind of a proposed development, hear about a new business moving in, witness the birth of a new neighborhood agreement, or even catch some primo neighborhood drama like a Ward 1 resident yelling at Brianne Nadeau that she’d be a “one-term councilwoman.”

Above all else, though, is the fact that the system doesn’t work without participation and visibility from residents. It’s no secret that the District is lacking for reporters who can spend their time covering ground-level government meetings. Save for the efforts of a handful of outlets, such as the Northwest Current and several neighborhood blogs, normal ANC meetings regularly go unreported. Residents, armed with a Twitter or Facebook account, can do well to stimulate the free flow of local information and create jumping-off points for larger investigative stories.

Critics of the ANC system say it’s redundant and ineffective at best, obstructive and power-trippy at worst. But that can change if neighborhood residents want it to, and the first step is just showing up.