I hope you are well. I wanted to give you a quick update on everything before I head out of town tonight.

Neighborhood Council Checking Account System

I am happy to say that there is a light at the end of the checking account tunnel though we aren't getting there by September 1st as I'd hoped. We have identified a bank that will provide the necessary services, and the City Attorney's Office is in the process of working out all the legal details to get everything in place. Our new implementation date is October 1st.

In the meantime, we will continue to process demand warrants for the Neighborhood Councils, and you will still have the use of your purchase cards.

Monthly Reconciliation Forms

Please remember though that we have moved to the monthly reconciliations of all Neighborhood Council expenses and not just the purchase card expenditures. Staff will be following up with your Neighborhood Councils if you have not turned in the monthly reconciliations within 10 days after your general Board meeting. We have started reviewing the reconciliations and will be posting them to our website in September along with your budget, strategic plan and outreach/marketing plan documents.

Here is the link to the modifiable Monthly Reconciliation Form (in excel).

Board Vote on Funding Request Form

Some Neighborhood Councils are already using the Board Vote on Funding Request Form to record their Board vote on funding requests. With the implementation of the September 1st Board member training deadline in order to vote for funding items, we are asking all Neighborhood Councils to use the Board Vote on Funding Request Form to document their funding actions starting in their September meetings. This form will take the place of any Board resolution or minutes for funding forms.

Here is the link to the modifiable Board Vote on Funding Request Form (in excel).

September 1st Board Member Training and Budget Package Deadlines

Thank you to all the Board members who have completed their funding and ethics training! We will be sending a list to all the Neighborhood Councils on Friday, August 30th, which shows the Board members we have for your Neighborhood Council and whether they have completed the trainings or not. After September 1st, those Board members who have not completed their funding or ethics training will be ineligible to vote on funding agenda items, which will be noted on the Board Vote on Funding Requests Form.

Also, your Neighborhood Council's full budget package must be submitted in order to maintain access to your funds. Please let your Neighborhood Empowerment Advocate know if your Neighborhood Council is having problems with meeting this deadline or email NCSupport@lacity.org.

Thank you very much for working with us to make our Neighborhood Council system more efficient, more transparent and more accountable to our stakeholders!

We'll be moving into Neighborhood Council election mode in September so expect to see emails from our elections team on next steps as we prep for the 2014 spring elections with the City Clerk.

As always, I so appreciate the fantastic work you do for your Neighborhood Council and to Empower LA. Have a great Labor Day weekend, and I'll see you at the Congress of Neighborhoods on September 28th!

Best,