December 6, 2013
Empower LA Newsletter header

General Manager's Update 

 

I hope this newsletter finds you well and that you had a very meaningful Thanksgiving. We entertained international visitors from Malaysia on Monday, including an Assemblyman from their youth democratic party, who were interested in how the Neighborhood Council system worked. As usual, they left impressed with Los Angeles' commitment to civic engagement. I also received a request from our sister city, Nagoya, with follow up questions about Neighborhood Councils as they fine tune their own system based on our process. So we are spreading our EmpowerLA love around the world!

   

Congratulations to Commissioner Karen Mack of our Board of Neighborhood Commissioners for chairing her first meeting as President this week! I know she has a strong interest in doing more outreach about Neighborhood Councils so I am looking forward to working with her and the Commission on this important task.

 

This week, the City Council also sent the new grievance policy to the City Attorney's Office to write up the changes to the ordinance. I'm looking forward to implementing this new peer grievance panel system to provide the Neighborhood Councils with another tool for an open and transparent system of self governance. Expected date of implementation is July 1, 2014.

 

Save the date: Monday, December 16th, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm for the presentation on our budget submission for next fiscal year. Like last year, we'll be partnering with the Neighborhood Council Budget Advocates so more information to come soon!

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to watch Neighborhood Council asset mapping presentations from Professor Paul Ong's class at the UCLA's Luskin School of Public Affairs. For the past quarter, his students worked with seven Neighborhood Councils around the City to assess the communities in order to provide the Councils with data about their stakeholders. I was so impressed with their presentations that I am now looking into how we can complete such studies for each of the Neighborhood Councils. A big thank you to Paul and his students for collaborating with us on this project!

 

If I don't see you at the LANCC meeting tomorrow, have a great weekend! Keep warm!


 

 

Best,

 

Grayce Liu,

General Manager

Department of Neighborhood Empowerment  

 

Empower Yourself.

Empower Your Community.

Empower LA.

    



 

Mayor Garcetti asks "What can we do to make your life better?" Mayor Eric Garcetti took City Hall to the streets in a neighborhood walk through Pacoima where he asked members of the community "What can we do to make your life better?" Krystee Clark was there and has these photos  to share of the Mayor and the stakeholders who brought the streets to life with civic engagement on foot...

 

 >>> continue reading 



 

"....opportunity to provide input before decisions are made."

- L.A. City Charter Sec. 907

 

Community Impact Statements are official statements or positions adopted by a Neighborhood Council on issues pending before the City's decision makers. The Community Impact Statement process was created specifically for Neighborhood Councils so they can publically express their support, opposition, or suggestions about any matter pending before the City Council, its committees, or City commissions...

 

 >>> continue reading 



Get Connected With Planning!

 

One of the hottest issues in our neighborhoods is land use and the Planning Department is your ally in staying informed of everything from new permits to development plans to changes in LA's planning code to the ongoing revision of our community plans.

If you want to know what's going on, you have to get connected!...

 

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Take the Community Impact Statement Challenge

 

Los Feliz (8), Lake Balboa (7), Historic Highland Park (5), Greater Wilshire (4), Studio City (4); Bel Air - Beverly Crest (3). Are these numbers the rankings for a Neighborhood Council Intracity Fantasy Football League??? Nope. (Although that could be fun.) The numbers represent...

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Granada Hills North Neighborhood Council Member Bill Hopkins Honored as Environmental Citizen Of The Year by North Valley Coalition

Bill Hopkins' list of civic engagements reads better than a college applicant's resume: he is the elected Emergency Preparedness (EP) Chair of his Neighborhood Council, a charter member of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power's and Bureau of Sanitation's Recycled Water Advisory Group, and...

 

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The Board of Neighborhood Commissioners is requesting input from Neighborhood Council board members and stakeholders on eight motions it will be considering. To make your views known to the commission, take their survey at surveymonkey.com/s/8motions. The deadline to take the survey has been extended to...


 >>> continue reading 



 

Calling all future Neighborhood Council Election candidates! Now is the time to begin the road to 2014 NC Elections. This is the year for more candidates, more voters, and more voices heard than ever before from every corner of Los Angeles to City Hall. Jose Sandoval, Independent Election Administrator for Region 1, created a great...

 

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UCLA Collaborates With Neighborhood Councils

 

EmpowerLA was back in school this week, sitting in the front row of Professor Ong's Urban Planning class and surrounded with planning, public health, transportation, and public policy students who were busy presenting the neighborhood profiles that they had developed in collaboration with seven Neighborhood Councils...

 

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TEDx EmpowerLA   

 

EmpowerLA's Kathleen Quinn had the opportunity to present the EmpowerLA mission to the folks at TEDxPCC, a nice wrap to the Leadership Academy winter season where Kathleen was joined by Fipe Leilua, Nancy Fuentes, Jose Galdamez, Sevak Paramazian, and Glenn Bailey in presenting ELA's Outreach 7 x 7 strategies. (7 people, 7 topics, 7 minutes each!)...

 

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Neighborhood Council Expenditure Report by Regions

The latest round of NC Viz Data takes an overview of the Neighborhood Council expenditures for the current fiscal year (July 2013 through November 2013) and breaks them down by region, and then by four spending categories, Operations, Outreach, Improvements, and Grants. The fifth category is Elections, but there were no expenses YTD...

 

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Rick Orlov, writing for the Daily News, notes the City Departments that have reached out to the City of LA's Neighborhood Councils in an effort to engage the community and gain insight into the priorities of their stakeholders. "There's a new buzzword at City Hall these days: metrics. Our wonkish Mayor Eric Garcetti, with his admitted mobile-phone addiction, has been pressing city agencies to quantify the level of service they provide to the public...


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EmpowerLA Hosts
Malaysian Guests

 

LA's reputation as the Capital of Civic Engagement is recognized far beyond the city limits and this week, guests from Malaysia stopped by City Hall to spend some time with General Manager Grayce Liu, Field Director Leyla Campos, Neighborhood Empowerment Advocates Thomas Soong and Melvin Canas, and Commissioner Olivia Rubio...

 

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Reseda Replaces Black Friday
With Shop Small Saturday


The Reseda Neighborhood Council introduced a healthy and enjoyable alternative to Black Friday, one that was entertaining, good for the community, and great for the local economy - Shop Small Saturday. It started with a scavenger hunt that took shoppers throughout the neighborhood where all they had to do was check in and share some Thanksgiving cheer to qualify for great prizes and excellent deals from local merchants...

 

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Greetings Neighborhood Council Board Members and stakeholders! Hoping you had a great Thanksgiving Holiday weekend. We have big news on the NC Checking Account System. We're coming to your areas to sign up the Treasurers and Signers for the NC Checking Accounts!...


 >>> continue reading 




I hope our newsletter finds you well. With the holidays fast approaching, I want to let you know that some staff will be taking some very much needed time off and will be back at the beginning of the year re-energized and ready to go.

With Neighborhood Council elections just a few months away, I would like to encourage you to work with your assigned staff member and the Elections team to ensure that your efforts to conduct outreach are successful. I hope you implement some of the tools you might have picked up from our Connectivity sessions. Remember that nothing replaces the face to face contact as you go out to inform and organize your community around any issue. At the start of 2014, we will be rolling out additional training for the Winter quarter of the year, so more to come on that...


 >>> continue reading 



 

When does candidate filing begin?  

Candidate filing begins 75 days prior to your region's Election Day. Please refer to your Election Region and timeline for specific filing dates.

Where can I get my candidate filing form?

The candidate filing form will be available online through the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment's website at: EmpowerLA.org

Will I need to provide documentation to file for candidacy?...

 

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DEADLINES


10 days after your
December NC Board Meeting
 
November Monthly Expenditure Reports due

  

SURVEYS

 

Let the Fire Department know what services are most important to you

LA Rec & Parks Community Budget Discussion Input Form/Survey

 

NC Plan Review #2 - Eight Motions

Let the Commission know your opinion about the final eight NC Plan Review Committee motions

 

 EmpowerLA

FY 2012-13 Review 

Provide your feedback about how you think we did this past year

 

PARKING PASS LINK:

 

Neighborhood Council Parking Passes

UPCOMING
 EVENTS

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NC-DWP MOU Oversight Committee

Sat, Dec. 7 
Time 8:45 - 10 am

Hollywood City Hall 
6501 Fountain Ave. 
Los Angeles 90028

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Sat, Dec. 7 
Time 10 am - 1 pm

Hollywood City Hall 
6501 Fountain Ave. 
Los Angeles 90028

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Valley Alliance of Neighborhood Councils (VANC) Holiday Mixer 
Thurs, Dec. 12
Time 5:30 - 9:00 pm


CBS Studios
4024 Radford Ave.
Studio City 91604

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PlanCheckNC Holiday Meeting


Sat, Dec. 14

Time 10 am - 12 noon

Boyle Heights Neighborhood City Hall

2130 E. First Street

Los Angeles 90033

  

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Board of Neighborhood Commissioners Regular Meeting

Mon, Dec. 16
Time 1 - 3 pm

City Hall Room 1060
200 N. Spring St.
Los Angeles 90012

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Education and Neighborhoods Committee Meeting

Tues, Dec. 17
Time 1 - 3 pm

City Hall, Room 1010
200 N. Spring St.
Los Angeles 90012

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Email City Hall at
  Council File
Hot Sheet

 

Active Council Files that affect Neighborhood Councils citywide, which your Neighborhood Council may want to weigh in on:

  

Neighborhood Council System:

 

11-1017-S1 Investigate Allegations of Discrimination and Harassment; Training of NC Board Members

11/19  Education and Neighborhoods Committee  continued to date TBD  

   

12-1682-S1 New Neighborhood Council Stakeholder Definition

Pending in Education and Neighborhoods Committee  
 

12-1682 - Neighborhood

Report from E&N Committee;
Approved by City Council 10/1; City Attorney to draft ordinance
 
11/19 Education and Neighborhoods Committee continued to date TBD

11/19 Education and
Neighborhoods Committee continued to date TBD; Department report dated 11/19 received

11-1018  Neighborhood Council Grievance Policy and Process
Approved by City Council 12/3; City Attorney to draft ordinance to be effective 7/1/14 

Citywide Issues:


13-1374 Prohibit growth of genetically modified crops within City

Referred to Arts, Parks, Health, Aging, and River

Committee

 

11-0923-S2 Allow Art Murals on Single Family Residences in Council Districts
1, 9, and 14
 City Council approved as amended 12/3; second
reading 12/10

 

13-1513 Increase Number of Cats Allowed Per Residence From Three To Five 

11/19 Personnel and Animal Welfare Committee

continued to date TBD 

 

13-0025-S1 Rewards for Hit-and-Run Crimes 

Referred to Budget and Finance and Public Safety Committees

Scheduled in Planning and Land Use Management Committee 12/10

08-2020 Sign Ordinance Revision
Proposed ordinance pending in Planning and Land Use Committee; 10/17 Planning Director's and City Attorney's reports received 

13-0046 Consolidation of Planning and Building and Safety Departments, etc.    

Approved by City Council 5/29; Motion to delay consolidation introduced 9/13; Approved by City Council 11/6; Planning and Land Use Committee approved as amended 12/3; scheduled in City Council 12/11
 

13-1300-S1  Street Repair and Safety General Obligation Bond Program 

 24 recommendations approved by City Council 8/21; CLA and CAO report approved by Council 9/17; Mayor signed 9/27 

 

13-0953 Citywide Municipal WiFi Initiative

Approved as amended by City Council 11/5

 

 13-0941  Sidewalk Repair Adjoining Property Owner  Fee Elimination  

 Public Works and Gang Reduction Committee approved as amended 12/4; referred to Budget and Finance Committee

 

13-0909  DWP Unlimited
Sick Pay Policy

Referred to Energy and Environment Committee  7/26

 

13-0650 Removal of Obstructions in the Street or Sidewalk Penalties

Approved by City Council 11/5; signed by Mayor 11/8; ordinance effective 12/16

  

09-2645 - Cell Tower (AGF) Regulations in Public
Right of Way

Approved as amended by  Planning and Land Use and Public Works and Gang Reduction Committees 10/8; City Attorney requested to prepare ordinance

 

 

Five year effort underway; updates at recode.la

    

11-0262 - State Licensed Facilities/Community Care Facilities

Referred to Ad Hoc Committee on Community Care Facilities on 1/30

 
 
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City Council Files

  

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Management System


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Los Angeles, CA 90012