Board of Neighborhood Commissioners (BONC)
Department of Neighborhood Empowerment (DONE)

2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2005 - 2006 - 2007 - 2008
(see below for an explanation of BONC and DONE)

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BONC Members & DONE Staff

Connect here with YOUR Neighborhood Council

City's Grassroots Guide to Neighborhood Councils

NC Funding - Press Release 12/12/02
Announcing: Stored Value Card Funding Program

DONE Newsletter 12/16/02
List of Neighborhood Council Meetings. Old Northridge NC Party.

DONE Newsletter 12/03/02
Budget Day Evaluations. Housing Summit Invitation.

DONE Newsletter 12/02/02
NC Funding Program Update. Board of Education Motion Update.
Planning Department’s Early Notification.
On Power and Influence. Roberts Rules of Order.

DONE Newsletter 11/27/02
The Raise Summit - Participate in the largest gathering
of Los Angeles nonprofit Leadership

DONE Newsletter 11/25/02
David Tokofsky School Board motion.

DONE Newsletter 11/20/02
Need Accomplishments. Want Best Practices.
Mayor’s 10-Point TeamWork LA Plan.

LA Citywide Alliance of Neighborhood Councils forum - Report
Saturday, November 16, 2002 - Los Angeles City College

DONE Newsletter 11/07/02
School Board Motion, Best Practices, Doing Business

Neighborhood Council Cable Television Workshops
Workshops regarding cable television franchise renewals
and the future of cable communications in Los Angeles

DONE Newsletter 11/01/02
Funding Program Approved by City Council.
Parking Passes and Free Computers for Certifieds.

DONE Newsletter 10/25/02
Early notification of planning applications, Need for e-mail and
mailing addresses, David Tokofsky School Board motion

DONE Newsletter 10/22/02
NC Funding Program, Workshop Transcripts, Neighborhood
Council Staff Reports Online, Public Works Liaison, Bureau of
Sanitation Liaison, Official City Telephone Directory Available Online

DONE Newsletter 10/4/02
NC Funding Program, New Search Engine, Disability, Broadband Testing,
Airport Security Screeners Wanted, L.A. River Committee Meeting,
Mayor’s Safety Club, Job Opportunity with the Youth Opportunities Program

DONE Newsletter 9/27/02
Funding Program Advances/CAO Report, Free Internet Training, other Events

DONE Newsletter 9/24/02
Contact Information Needed, Budget Day, Community Impact Statements, Trust,
Funding Program, Web Site, Congress Workshop Transcripts, Attending Conferences,
Sharing Information and Talent, Early Notification System,
Free Computers, Secession and the Neighborhood Councils

Letter from the Mayor 9/13/02
Invitation to the Neighborhood Council Budget Conference
Saturday, October 5th - LA Convention Center

DONE Newsletter 9/13/02
Neighborhood Council Funding Program;
The DONE Website

DONE Newsletter 9/11/02
Town Hall in Committee; DONE Staff;
Early Notification System; Council File Index

DONE Newsletter 9/04/02
LA Remembers; Bike Power; Best Practices;
Building the Vision Together; Need addresses

DONE Newsletter 8/21/02
Free email addresses; Free websites; Congress of Neighborhoods;
Brown Act and the ethics laws; Accomplishments

DONE Newsletter 8/20/02
Response by BONC President Bill Christopher to a
Daily News editorial, "Sharing Powerlessness"

DONE Newsletter 8/19/02
Website; Congress of Neighborhoods; Using the City Seal;
NC Funding Program; Addresses and emails; Best practices

Common Legal Questions 8/12/02
20 Common Legal Questions about Neighborhood Councils

DONE Newsletter 7/19/02
Opinion on Town Hall System

Ethics Commission Info for Neighborhood Councils

Meet the Mayor - several opportunities

$25,000 Grants Available for Children's Programs

REPORT on 1st "Congress of Neighborhoods" - Aug 3rd

The C-PABs and DONE; Public Safety in the Neighborhoods

LAPD Directed to Provide Crime Reports

Mayor's Executive Directive NO. AP-1

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Neighborhood Councils - what's a BONC? ... what's a DONE?

If you're new to the concept of Neighborhood Councils we wish to encourage you to look into them.

Essentially the Neighborhood Council system was instituted by City Charter to give the LA resident, referred to as a "stakeholder" (someone who lives, works or owns property in an area), a bigger voice in local decision making.

A proposed Neighborhood Council committee submits an application to the Board of Neighborhood Commissioners (BONC) which is their plan for how they wish to establish their own specific council. The staff of the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment (DONE) is charged with assisting the BONC in any number of ways ... helping groups prepare applications, interacting with other City Departments, helping to set guidelines, and facilitating meetings, etc.

You may find the DONE website (Department of Neighborhood Empowerment) interesting and informative.

While Neighborhood Councils will have no legislative ability themselves, they will certainly act in an advisory capacity to the City of Los Angeles in helping understand the needs and desires of local communities, thereby having a powerful voice which will help shape communities they serve.

A limited amount of financial support is to be provided each Neighborhood Council, through a pool of money set aside in the LA city budget.

As of this writing, some 38 Neighborhood Councils have been "certified" by the City, meaning they officially exist, with at least 30 more applications pending. Beyond this are another 30 or so groups who have expressed a desire to apply by sending BONC, through DONE, a "letter of intent."

It is possible that after the dust settles we may have over 100 local Neighborhood Councils, each serving the needs of the stakeholders in the geographic area they represent!

The residents of Los Angeles are understandably hoping this works ... giving them a meaningful voice and a much bigger say in what happens in their local neighborhoods.

So are we ...