Congress of Neighborhoods
May 22, 2003 - at the Los Angeles Convention Center
Invitation

April 30, 2004

Re: Congress of Neighborhoods on May 22, 2004, LA Convention Center

Here is the schedule of events at the next Congress of Neighborhoods on May 22, 2004.

You may begin signing up for this events immediately by faxing your name, Neighborhood Council (if any), and contact information to (213) 485-4608, or e-mailing the information to done@mailbox.lacity.org.

Or you can wait a couple of days and sign up quickly and easily online through our Web site at www.lacityneighborhoods.com. Changes to the program will be listed on our home page.

Please let us know if you need translation (if so, which language), childcare (if so, how old are your children), or transportation.

In order to provide us time to prepare for your visit, the deadline for registering for the sessions is noon on May 14. Of course, if you just want to come by, meet people, and visit the departments' booths, you are more than welcome to do so.

As you will notice, most of the workshops involve Neighborhood Council leaders sharing their experiences and best practices with each other. This is because the more structured classroom training is now provided through the Empowerment Academy throughout the year, and at locations convenient to you. You can register online for the Empowerment Academy courses at www.lacityneighborhoods.com. You'll be impressed.

Notice: Some of you may receive this identical message twice.

BOTH SESSIONS:

ELECTION PROCEDURES DISCUSSION
(The afternoon session WILL be a repeat of the morning session. Pick only one.)

The Election Procedures Working Group is comprised of 10 Neighborhood Council leaders, four City staff and the League of Women Voters. They have completed a draft of proposed citywide procedures for Neighborhood Council elections. Before the proposals are finalized and sent to the Board of Neighborhood Commissioners, the Working Group wants to hear from you. There will be a brief presentation of the proposals, and then it's your turn to ask questions, discuss, and express your opinions on this important effort. The proposals can be found on the department's home page at www.lacityneighborhoods.com.

THE MORNING SESSION:

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS: WILL YOU AND YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD BE READY WHEN THE "BIG ONE" COMES? (ROUNDTABLE)

Preparing individuals and entire neighborhoods for "the big one" is something that Neighborhood Councils can do that truly involves issues of life and death. Learn what CANNDU, Harbor Gateway South, Harbor City, and others been doing. The Emergency Preparedness Department will be on hand to provide help to those want to start their own preparations. "First you find your family. Next you find your courage. And then you find your neighbors."

COMMUNICATING WITH STAKEHOLDERS (ROUNDTABLE)

It's more than an old saying. Communication IS power. Being able to communicate directly with your stakeholders is critical to your ability to influence governmental decision-makers. Learn how other Neighborhood Councils do it through phone trees, newsletters, automatic dialing equipment, the Internet, and good old-fashioned face-to-face communication. For more training on subject are welcome to attend the Empowerment Academy Course Number 601B on Saturday, May 8th at the West Los Angeles Public Library.

HOW CAN THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD EMPOWERMENT AND THE BOARD OF NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSIONERS BETTER HELP NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCILS? (ROUNDTABLE)

As the system of Neighborhood Councils continues to evolve, the role of the department and the commission is certain to change. You are welcome to share your thoughts about issues such as who should enforce violations of laws and bylaws, and how should they do it. How should we deal with Neighborhood Councils that refuse to have elections? Is your training adequate? You pick the issues.

EARLY NOTIFICATION/UNEARTHING THE INFORMATION (ROUNDTABLE)

A blue ribbon group of Neighborhood Council leaders and city staff proposed 16 improvements to the way the City ensures that Neighborhood Councils have adequate notice about important matters that City Hall is about to vote on. Half of the recommendations were approved by the Education and Neighborhoods Committee and were sent to the Rules and Elections Committee. The other half are still in the Education and Neighborhoods Committee. Should other recommendations be added? The proposals can be found on the department's home page at www.lacityneighborhoods.com.

As part of this session, the City Clerk's office and others will show you where and how to find the information that is waiting for you inside City Hall.

BUILDING A NETWORK TO INFLUENCE CITYWIDE ISSUES (ROUNDTABLE)

If there was ever any question about the ability of Neighborhood Councils to get involved in citywide issues, the recent debate over the proposed water rates provided the answer. What's the best way for Neighborhood Councils to take positions at the Congress of Neighborhoods, and thereby speak with a formal voice on issues that affect the entire city at all levels of government? There are issues that affect everyone in the city, and everyone in the School District, the State, and the nation.

NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL GAY AND LESBIAN CAUCUS GLBTQ

Neighborhood Council board members and stakeholders, and their supporters, are invited to attend. A presentation is planned, as well as an opportunity for the attendees to share their experiences and learn from each other. Discussions will focus on GLBTQ issues within individual Neighborhood Councils and across Neighborhood Council boundaries.

SOLVING OUR OWN GRIEVANCES (ROUNDTABLE)

A blue ribbon committee of Neighborhood Council presidents has been formed to develop a wide variety of methods through which Neighborhood Councils can resolve their own grievances and complaints. In the interest of empowerment, the Neighborhood Councils have the first opportunity to solve their own formal complaints. Several of the presidents will be present to share the types of complaints they experience, and how they handle them.

WE NEED OUR SPACE!

You are a Neighborhood Council, you have access to your annual funding allocation, but you don't have a place to work, store your records, connect a telephone, or hold small meetings. Who do you call and what do you do if you have found a place to hang your shingle?

Department of Neighborhood Empowerment experts, Donya Plazo and Assistant General Manager Claudia Dunn will walk you through the newly-streamlined process for sharing City space, occupying donated space, and leasing space. This new process, recently approved by the City Council and Mayor, is significantly more efficient and includes a new ordinance that will reduce the lease approval time from 6-12 months to 20-45 days, exclusively for Neighborhood Councils. Details can be found on the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment home page at www.lacityneighborhoods.com.

INVOLVING BUSINESS LEADERS IN NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCILS (ROUNDTABLE)

Neighborhood Council leaders will share ideas on ways to involve more business leaders in Neighborhood Councils. Are businesses fairly represented? What are the impediments to their participation? Can we design a plan to encourage greater participation?

DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND POWER Discuss the latest Department of Water and Power issues with them.

THE AFTERNOON SESSION:

NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS: GETTING THEM DONE (ROUNDTABLE)

Community bulletin board kiosks, playground equipment, tree plantings, welcome signs, beautification projects, children's reading projects, murals - hear from others about what they have been doing, and learn what it takes to start adding projects to your list of accomplishments. Facilitated by Parker Anderson, the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment's Director of Field Operations, and former General Manager of the Community Development Department, and Delphia Jones, Director of the Neighborhood Matching Grant Program. You may also want to sign up for the Empowerment Academy classes in June entitled "Tree People Citizen Forestry Leadership Program."

HOW NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCILS CAN INFLUENCE SCHOOL BOARD DECISIONS

Staff from the Los Angeles School Board, including the office of the President, Jose Huizar, will help you understand how to best allow your voice to be heard by the Board of Education.

ASK DONE

It's become a tradition. There's no presentation. No handouts. No slides. It's your opportunity to have at the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment General Manager Greg Nelson. Complain. Ask questions. Make recommendations. It's your dime.

Additionally, the Neighborhood Council Funding Program staff will be present respond to your questions about the program and listen to your suggestions for improving it.

OUTREACH/CIVIC ENGAGEMENT (ROUNDTABLE)

Ensuring that your Neighborhood Council represents the diversity of your area is critical to achieving credibility. If your governing board members all look the same and share similar values, you may have a problem. The first words of the City Charter explain that the purpose of our system of Neighborhood Councils is to promote public participation in government. Hear from other Neighborhood Council leaders the unique and effective events and methods they have used to add active members to their ranks.

NETWORKING IN ALLIANCE

Join other Neighborhood Council leaders in continuing to establish a citywide Neighborhood Councils networking system. Meet the leaders of the Citywide Alliance of Neighborhood Councils and the many Neighborhood Council leaders who meet regularly to assist each other. Learn the best ways to increase the collective strength of Neighborhood Councils. Visit their Web site at www.allncs.org.

BRING HOME LA: ENDING HOMELESSNESS

The city's Director of Homeless Services, Armen Ross, invites Neighborhood Councils to join in a discussion of the City's plan to end homelessness in Los Angeles in 10 years.

FILMING IN LOS ANGELES

The Entertainment Industry Development Corporation (EIDC) has had its fair share of time in the media of late. If your neighborhood is one that experiences location filming, you probably know them well. The EIDC has a new board of directors that includes several Neighborhood Council leaders, but the exciting part is that it's new executive director, Steve MacDonald wants to meet you, understand your concerns, hear your compliments, respond to your questions, and receive your suggestions. Did we mention that Steve is the president of the Mid City WEST Community Council. You may want to visit their Web site at www.eidc.com.

LOS ANGELES NEIGHBORHOOD INITIATIVE: BRINGING COMMUNITY VISIONS TO FRUITION

The workshop will introduce Neighborhood Councils to the Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative (LANI) program, and the services they offer. There will be a discussion about partnerships with the City, and an explanation of LANI's community engagement process. Attendees will be encouraged to attend LANI's Annual Community Forum.

CITY BUDGET AND STATE BUDGET: TOUGH DECISIONS TO BE MADE

The Mayor's "Sacramento expert" will be present to give you the latest information about how Sacramento's decisions may affect our City budget. Additionally, there will be an opportunity for you to express your opinion on the controversial proposal to consolidate five of the City's human services departments into one.

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Greg Nelson

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