Department of Neighborhood Empowerment
Newsletter

September 30, 2003

Re: Funding Program Update. Office Space Guidelines Update. Elestion Procedures Update. Early Notification System Improvements. Conflict of Interest Code/Form700s. Van Nuys Neighborhood Council Update. Survey Question. Congress of Neighborhoods Update.

FUNDING PROGRAM UPDATE – Good news!

Three to four weeks ago, we made two changes to the Neighborhood Council Funding Program. One is that we asked the bank to unblock about 30 codes that we felt were causing problems when Neighborhood Council tried to use their Commercial Prepaid Cards for legitimate purchases. We were also able to begin hiring the first of the employees whose job it will be to oversee the program and ensure its smooth operation. Until that point, the city’s hiring freeze kept use from hiring anyone.

Since that time, we haven’t received any new complaints about the program. Still, we know that there will be some unforeseen problems, and we urge you to notify your Project Coordinator ASAP so that we can get to work on them right away.

By this time, you should have received notice about the proposed guidelines for how Neighborhood Councils will be able to lease or acquire office space. As mentioned, those guidelines will be on our home page after midnight tonight.

OFFICE SPACE GUIDELINES UPDATE – Good news!

We are preparing a proposal for the City Council to consider which would significantly streamline the amount of time that it will take for Neighborhood Councils to lease office space if they wish to do so. Those guidelines can be found on our home page (see below), and it is not too late for us to receive your comments and suggestions.

ELECTIONS PROCEDURES UPDATE – Good news!

Our home page has included a copy of the possible Neighborhood Council election procedures for your review and comment since July 14. At a recent meeting of the City Council’s Education and Neighborhoods Committee, the committee chair, Janice Hahn, expressed dismay at the fact that we have received responses from only 14 individuals, and no Neighborhood Councils. As a result, a Working Group is being created that will include city election experts and some Neighborhood Council leaders. They will pour over the possible procedures, add some specific information as needed, and make recommendations. Eventually, the Board of Neighborhood Commissioners will decide which should be enacted as citywide policies, and which should be recommendations to the Neighborhood Councils. Added to the mix may be legal issue regarding the ability of any City government body to enact certain rules given the City Charter guaranty that Neighborhood Councils be able to determine their own method of selecting or electing their leaders.

EARLY NOTIFICATION SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS – Could be better news!

Some time ago, the Education and Neighborhoods Committee approved 6 of 16 suggestions to improve the city’s early notification system. If you look at the list on our home page, those are the first six listed. I have been lax in updating this document. Those six were sent to the Rules and Elections Committee, but have not yet been scheduled. The remainder of the proposals will be taken up later by the Education and Neighborhoods Committee. It isn’t too late to suggest additional ideas by e-mail me, or Councilmember Janice Hahn, the chair of the E&N Committee, or Council President Alex Padilla, chair of the Rules and Elections Committee.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST CODE/FORM 700s - So-so news!

Our department’s revised Conflict of Interest code is in Rules and Elections Committee. From there it goes to the City Council. When passed, the Neighborhood Council board members who make money decisions will have 30 days to file their Form 700.

Thanks to an action of the City Council at the end of last year, Neighborhood Councils do not have to each adopt their own code, and they don't have to disclose at the highest level, such as a mayor would have to do. But they still have to file. There is talk among some Neighborhood Councils about trying to amend the state law to allow a different treatment for Neighborhood Council board members.

VAN NUYS NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL UPDATE – Good news!

For those of you who have been following this saga, the Van Nuys Neighborhood Council, last Thursday, elected its officers. Following a tie vote by the Board of Directors, the new president, Robert Kanter, was “elected” by a coin flip.

SURVEY QUESTION – Great opportunity!

The Education and Neighborhoods Committee has asked that our department survey the Neighborhood Councils to determine what support they feel they need from city departments in order to be successful.

Initially, we had hoped that we could craft a questionnaire that would make it easier for the Neighborhood Councils to reply, but that had the disadvantage of being too limiting. Instead, we are just going ask the open-ended question.

The committee is seeking official positions from Neighborhood Councils, not responses from individuals, so you may have to put this on a future agenda. Please respond to Jackie Mendez at jmendez@mailbox.lacity.org or by fax to (213) 485-4608. We will collect the responses and provide them unedited to the committee, and they will be included in the official City Council file. Feel free to use this an as opportunity to speak bluntly and freely about the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment also.

The deadline is whenever the committee decides that they want to put the item on its agenda, and we don’t know when that will be.

CONGRESS OF NEIGHBORHOODS UPDATE – Good news! The next Congress of Neighborhoods will be held on November 1 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Because previous Congresses have simply worn out people, we’re going to try a morning session this time.

The schedule looks like this:

As we did before, the elected board members will receive the first opportunity to pre-register for the classes, and then it will be opened up to the public. If you’d like to just come by and take your chances, that’s fine too. It’s a public event.

At the request of the Neighborhood Councils, we’d like to make rooms available for those interest groups who would like to have a special room or place for them to meet, discuss, or network before the training starts. We will make those rooms available from 8:25 to 9:25 a.m. We just need to know rather quickly which groups want a room or space. For instance, the Alliance of Neighborhood Councils has asked for a room. Those Neighborhood Council leaders who believe that the arts play an important part in the world of Neighborhood Councils would like a place where they can meet each other and discuss common interests. Let me know soon, we’ll include your group in the program that goes out and we’ll see how many pre-register.

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Greg Nelson

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