Code of the District of Columbia

Chapter 14C. Office on Caribbean Affairs.

§ 3–1451. Establishment of the Office on Caribbean Affairs.

(a) There is established an Office on Caribbean Affairs ("OCA"), which shall monitor the delivery of District services and make policy recommendations to the Mayor and Council regarding housing, health, education, employment, social services, public safety, and business opportunities for the District's Caribbean community.

(b) OCA shall be headed by an Executive Director, who shall be appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the Council pursuant to § 1-523.01(a). The Executive Director shall be a full-time position, for which annual compensation shall be fixed in accordance with subchapter X-A of Chapter 6 of Title 1. The Executive Director shall have such staff as is appropriated in an approved budget and financial plan or provided through federal or private grants.

§ 3–1452. Duties of the Executive Director.

(a) The Executive Director shall:

(1) Serve as an advocate for the needs of the District's Caribbean community, as those needs relate to housing, health, education, employment, social services, public safety, and expanding business opportunities;

(2) Assist community organizations in developing and submitting grant applications;

(3) Provide information and technical assistance on programs and services for the Caribbean community to the Mayor, the Council, Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, other District government agencies, and the community;

(4) Respond to recommendations and policy statements from the Mayor's Advisory Commission on Caribbean Community Affairs ("MACCCA"), established by Mayor's Order 2012-127;

(5) File with the Mayor and Council, no later than December 31 annually, an annual report on the operations of the Office of Caribbean Affairs ("OCA") based on the previous fiscal year;

(6) Identify areas for service improvement and make recommendations to the Mayor and MACCCA for improving services; and

(7) Ensure the necessary control, evaluation, audit, and reporting on programs funded through OCA.

(b) The Executive Director may:

(1) Accept volunteer services and funds from the public and private sectors to supplement the budget of OCA in carrying out its duties and responsibilities;

(2) Apply for, receive, and expend gifts or grants of money to carry out the duties and responsibilities of OCA; and

(3) Issue grants, in accordance with the requirements set forth in part B of subchapter XII-A of Chapter 3 of Title 1, to organizations that provide housing, education, health, workforce development, employment, criminal justice reform, and economic opportunity-related services to the District's Caribbean community.