General Manager's Update 

I hope this newsletter finds you well. This week has been filled with some great meetings. I met with senior staff of Councilmember Rosendahl as well as with Councilmember Alarcon to provide updates and to discuss possible collaborations. Both Councilmembers are big supporters of Neighborhood Councils. Councilmember Alarcon even gave each of the councils in his district $10,000!

 

On Tuesday, I attended the Board of Neighborhood Commissioners meeting in beautiful Chatsworth to celebrate their 10 year anniversary along with Arleta, Foothill Trails District, Granada Hills North, North Hills West, Porter Ranch, Sunland-Tujunga and Sylmar Neighborhood Councils. It was inspiring to learn about their hard work and achievements for their communities over the many years.

 

On Wednesday and Thursday nights, the Neighborhood Council Plan Review & Reform Initiative Committees started in the Central/East and in the Valley, tackling the stakeholder definition.  There was lively debate with one group agreeing to citywide factual basis positions for all councils, and another recommending that each council should decide whether they'd want to have other types of stakeholders outside of live, works (including volunteers) or owns (real) property. The next committee for the West, South and Harbor will meet next Tuesday, the 12th, so if you haven't weighed in yet, please join us!

 

We're getting into budget time, and CAO Miguel Santana released the mid year Financial Status Report and his overall report on the City's fiscal health called City at a Crossroads this week. If you haven't already, please take a moment to take the Budget Challenge and see what hard choices you'll have to make to balance the City budget. Many thanks to the Mayor's budget team and to our Budget Advocates for all their hard work on the survey.

 

Lastly, the City came out with a new website this week at LACity.org. Check out the Top Ten Most Popular Council Files under the City Government tab. Pretty neat!

 

Stay dry and safe this weekend!

 

  

Best,

                                  

Grayce Liu, 

General Manager

Department of Neighborhood Empowerment  

 

Empower Yourself.   

Empower Your Community. 

Empower LA.

    

Stakeholders - Who are they?

Neighborhood Council leaders have opened the NC Plan Review and Reform Initiative process by tackling one of the most hotly debated elements in the Plan, the definition of a Stakeholder. Some people believe that there should be a...

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Why Is Taking the Mayor's Budget Survey Important?

When I announce that it is time to take the Mayor's Budget Survey to my fellow Neighborhood Council board members, the most frequent response I hear is "what difference does it make?"  Up until last year, the same question was on my mind as well. But having now served as a NC Budget Advocate for a full year, here are my top six reasons for everyone to take the Mayor's Budget Survey this year:...

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VANC Candidates' Forum on Saturday, February 23

please click here for info 

DLANC partners with CD14 and LADOT to bring Parklets Downtown

It felt like a political rally. "Don't Stop Thinking about Tomorrow" was blaring from the speakers. One speaker at the microphone, LADOT Pedestrian Coordinator Valerie Watson, proclaimed, "It's the dawn of a new day!" from the podium. Roughly 100 people gathered in a circle, hooting and hollering at the applause lines ("Let's hear it for UCLA!")...

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The Library Department's Strategic Plan Survey

What is your vision for the library of the future? Your answer will help the Los Angeles Public Library to create a strategic plan that will shape the library's services and programs over the next five years...

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Union Station Master Plan Survey

Metro is underway with Master Planning efforts to create a careful blueprint for development that will make LA Union Station a 21st century transit station. Building off the great feedback we received at last month's LA Union Station Master Plan Community Kick-off, we would like to hear from you about preferences for...

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Housing is a Basic Human Right! They Count, So We Count.

The West Adams Neighborhood Council joined the 100,000 Homes Campaign, as a Count PLUS Community in partnership with the 2013 LAHSA Homeless Count. A Count Plus Community means that we conducted an in depth homeless survey, Volunteers worked in teams to interview homeless individuals for the National Registry, and handed out box lunches to the homeless they come across for the survey...

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Funding Update 2.7.13

IMPORTANT DATES / DEADLINES

* February 28, 2013 - Treasurer's Training
* May 15, 2013 - Last Day to Submit Complete Demand Warrants and Neighborhood Purpose Grants

The Funding Unit will hold the next Treasurer's Training on Thursday...

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News from Field Operations 2.7.13 

In last week's update I shared with you that we were welcoming back to the field division, Neighborhood Empowerment Analyst, Amber Meshack. Amber will be assigned to work with regions 11 and 12 (West & Harbor). View the updated...

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Town Hall on Prop A
on February 19th

Valley Neighborhood Councils partner to host Town Hall Forum to discuss the pros and cons of the proposed ballot Proposition Ato increase LA City Sales Tax by .5% on Tuesday, February 19, 2013 at 6:30pm - 8:30pm. at...

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Zoo Drive to be Closed
through June 2013

LADWP Water System crews are installing a large diameter water pipeline, known as the River Supply Conduit Improvement Project Lower Reach - Unit 1B, to connect the new pipeline recently installed inside Griffith Park to the new Headworks Reservoir under construction just north...

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