Department of Neighborhood Empowerment
Newsletter

January 5, 2003

Re: NC Liaisons. Treasurer Training. Doing Business. New School Construction. Next Congress of Neighborhoods.

ADDITIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL LIAISONS

As City departments give us the names of people who will serve as liaisons to the Neighborhood Councils, we will pass along that information to you. We realize that some of these departments may be ones with which you will have infrequent contact.

Human Relations Commission
Rabbi Allen I. Freehling, Executive Director
Phone: (213) 978-1670
Fax: (213) 978-1671
E-mail: rabbiallenf@mailbox.lacity.org

Cultural Affairs
Will Caperton y Montoya
Director of Marketing and Development
Phone: (213) 473-8482
Fax: (213) 473-8351
E-mail: wcaperto@cad.lacity.org

Commission For Children, Youth and Their Families
Neighborhood Networks4Kids
Jennifer Pippard Webb, M.S.W. Program Coordinator
Phone: (213) 978-1860
Fax: (213) 978-1871
E-mail: Jwebb@mailbox.lacity.org

Los Angeles World Airports
Sheryl Thomas
Phone: (310) 417-1080
Fax: (310) 641-0643
E-mail: sthomas@lawa.org
Note however that for Barbara Yamamoto represents LAWA on the Board of the NC of Westchester-Playa del Rey.

TREASURER TRAINING

On December 20,2002, DONE, the City Controller, the City Treasurer, and the Bank of America conducted the first training session for the NC Treasurers and whichever other people will be approving expenditures. The session was attended by 15 Neighborhood Councils: Coastal San Pedro, Woodland Hills Warner Center, Northwest San Pedro, Westchester Playa del Rey, Mid City, Glassell Park, Central Hollywood, Pacoima, Central San Pedro, PICO, Park Mesa Heights, Greater Griffith Park, Canoga Park, Reseda, and Wilmington.

We are in the process of scheduling convenient times and locations for the next sessions. More to come.

DOING BUSINESS

Many Neighborhood Councils that have been certified, but haven't had their elections have complained that the City departments are swamping them with requests for meetings, briefings, input, etc. As these NCs have pointed out, they are still just the organizing committee members, and they have their hands full trying to get their election put together. Without committees and people to do the work, they just aren't ready to start "doing business." Besides, they point out, their bylaws don't give them, the interim committee, any authority to conduct business.

Therefore, we'll be reminding the City departments to check our lists and concentrate their activities on those NCs that have had their elections.

NEW SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION

We have encouraged the L.A. Unified School District to include the Neighborhood Councils at the earliest stages of new school construction plans. The District is responding, and shortly you can expect to hear a proposal from them regarding how they will involve the Neighborhood Councils that are within the areas where new schools are expected to be built.

Therefore, this is an "early warning" to the Neighborhood Councils that have a governing body that they should begin thinking about who among them should represent them and "take the point" on these projects. It reasonable to expect that the District will establish a decision-making schedule and involve the Neighborhood Councils at step one. I advise that this involve more than one person, because the process may involve lots of fast moving fact finding and reports to the governing board.

The City of Los Angeles is not a decision-maker in this process, but it can use its staff to advise and support the Neighborhood Councils.

More to come as they say.

NEXT CONGRESS OF NEIGHBORHOODS

The next Congress will be held on Saturday, April 5 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. We're going over your comments and suggestions from the last Congress, and it should go without saying that we're going to try and make the next one even better. The Convention Center is one of the few places that will give us the room we need at a reasonable cost to our department's budget. The Convention Center is part of the city family, and their graciousness on Budget Day went well beyond the call of duty. It may already be possible to say that there is no other city in the nation that provides an event of this quality for its neighborhood councils, but we're not stopping to rest on our laurels. If you have additional thoughts that will make this Congress better, please let us know.

Greg Nelson

213 / 485-1360
866 / LA HELPS toll-free
213 / 485-4608 fax
done@mailbox.lacity.org email