General Manager's Special Bulletin - "Hot Topics for Neighborhood Councils"

City of Los Angeles, Dept. of Neighborhood Empowerment

Dear Neighborhood Council Leaders,

I hope you are well. I'm sending you this special bulletin because we have some time-sensitive issues coming up that I didn't want getting lost in our newsletter.
Before I do that, however, I want to thank you for your wonderful work as Neighborhood Council leaders.

Because of your growing influence at City Hall, we are receiving more requests from City electeds and departments for Neighborhood Council feedback. We are also sharing with them the best ways to get feedback from you, namely, give Neighborhood Councils sufficient time to respond with a goal of at least 60 days.

I can't stress how important it is that when such time is provided, Neighborhood Councils take action at your meetings to actually respond via a Community Impact Statement (CIS) if there is a Council File number or a letter to the electeds when there is not. In order to set a great foundation for a collaborative partnership between Neighborhood Councils and City Hall, everyone must do their part.

Here are some hot topics to be aware of:

MURALS - Councilman Mitchell Englander calls on Neighborhood Council members, alerting them to The Mural Ordinance (CF 11-0923) that was recently considered by the City of LA's Planning Land Use Committee, and urges them to take a position based on this new draft.

CM Englander's letter, the Mural Report, and Council File 11-0923

ELECTIONS - City Council approved the recommendations of the Education Neighborhoods Committee, instructing the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment and the City Clerk to merge their efforts towards conducting the 2014 Neighborhood Council elections. They also instructed the City Attorney to prepare and present a draft ordinance that would grant authority to both the Department and to the City Clerk to jointly conduct the 2014 NC elections as detailed in the attached elections report.

Election Report, Action, and Council File 11-1912-S1
Don't forget to weigh in how elections should be funded at Elections@EmpowerLA.org.

FUNDING - City Council is preparing to consider the recommendations of the Education Neighborhoods Committee, instructing the City Attorney to prepare ordinance language setting up Neighborhood Council checking accounts. There is also a request from the Department to create a Congress/Budget Advocate account in the Neighborhood Council fund for Neighborhood Councils to approve funds from the current fiscal year to help support the Congress of Neighborhoods and Neighborhood Council Budget Advocates work next fiscal year.

Funding Report and Council File 11-1020-S1

STAKEHOLDER DEFINITION - The Board of Neighborhood Commissioners considered recommendations from the Commission's Regional Plan Review Committees suggesting changes to the Stakeholder definition, currently defined as a person who "lives, works, or owns property in the neighborhood and any individual who declares a stake in the neighborhood and affirms the factual basis for it."

"Resolved, the Board of Neighborhood Commissioners recommends that sections of the city's Administrative Code which touch upon neighborhood council stakeholders be amended as follows:

remove the requirement that neighborhood councils provide governing board positions for factual basis stakeholders;
allow each neighborhood council to determine the number, if any, of governing board seats that be allocated to factual basis stakeholders;
remove the current definition of factual basis stakeholder; and
allow each neighborhood council to adopt its own definition of factual basis stakeholder."

The Commission delayed a vote on the stakeholder definition motion for 60 days to May 20, 2013 in order to give Neighborhood Councils time to weigh in on the issue.

Neighborhood Councils should take a position to send to the Commission for consideration in their April meetings if possible.

Please use these opportunities to act decisively to represent your community by polling your stakeholders, agendizing the issues and making recommendations based on Neighborhood Council Board actions.

As individuals, you can email or call your City Councilmembers and let them know your opinion on these hot topics.

As Neighborhood Council Boards, you can pass a resolution supporting, opposing, or recommending changes to the proposed motion. You can then file a Community Impact Statement on the Council Files so that your opinion is attached to the Council File.

In addition, you can combine your voice with the voices of others by participating with your regional and citywide alliances.

Los Angeles Neighborhood Council Coalition (LANCC)

1st Saturday - 10:00 am

6501 Fountain Ave

Hollywood, CA 90028

LANCC@EmpowerLA.org

Valley Alliance of Neighborhood Councils (VANC)

2rd Thursday - 6:30 pm

Sherman Oaks Hospital

doctor's conference room

4929 Van Nuys Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 91403