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Department of Neighborhood Empowerment
Newsletter
June 7,
2004
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To:
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Neighborhood
Council Treasurers and Presidents |
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From:
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Department
of Neighborhood Empowerment
Neighborhood Council Funding Program |
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E-mail:
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gnelson@mailbox.lacity.org |
Congress
of Neighborhoods Recap. Opinion Survey
CONGRESS OF NEIGHBORHOODS RECAP
We sincerely welcome any suggestions you might have for making the
next Congress of Neighborhoods even better.
You don’t need to mention that parking fiasco. All of the planets
lined up wrong. Normally, we would have 60 volunteers helping us
with the event. We ended up with 15, and they showed up late. One
group never showed up at all. Their instructions were to stand at
the gates and give free parking passes to anyone attending the Congress
of Neighborhoods. As it turned out, there was another event there
at the same time that also had the word “Congress” in it. The volunteers
quickly ran out of passes.
Immediately, the general manager of the Department of Transportation
offered to help us prepare better for this the next time. With his
help and some other fixes that we will employ, this shouldn’t happen
again. We are most apologetic.
For those who will suggest another location for the next Congress,
there are two reasons that this becomes difficult. First, there
are very few places in the city where we can fit enough people into
one main room and have enough breakout rooms nearby. Second, everything
but the food at the Convention Center is free. And DWP donated the
water. At other locations we’d have to pay for room rental, parking,
audio visual set-ups and hook-ups, and other expenses.
OPINION SURVEY
Here is the opinion survey that attendees at the Congress were invited
to fill out. It you were not able to attend, here is an opportunity
for you to express your opinion before the results are announced.
The deadline for responding by e-mail, fax, or postal mail is this
Friday at 11:18 a.m.
1. Do you personally have the ability send and receive e-mail messages?
Yes
No
1a. If no, is there anyone who can send and deliver messages for
you?
Yes
No
2. The Election Procedures Working Group, the majority of whose
members have been nominated from the Neighborhood Councils, is finalizing
a list of recommendations that may be enacted into citywide polices
or laws. Do you feel that there are some rules regarding Neighborhood
Council elections that should apply to all Neighborhood Council
elections?
Yes
No
Don’t Know/No Opinion
3. Neighborhood Council board members must abide by the state’s
financial conflict interest laws, but as yet, they do not have to
fill out financial disclosure statements. Should Neighborhood Council
board members be required to fill out financial disclosure statements
(better known as Form 700)?
a. Yes
b. No
c. Yes, but only for decisions that they make regarding financial
transactions such as the spending of money, hiring staff, and entering
into contracts, and not for votes on community issues.
d. Don’t Know/No Opinion
4. The state’s Brown Act (the “open meetings law”) applies to Neighborhood
Councils, and the City Charter requires that Neighborhood Councils
do their business in an open and fair manner. Which best reflects
the way you would like to see it apply to Neighborhood Councils?
a. Keep it the way it is.
b. Exempt the Neighborhood Councils from it.
c. Change or eliminate certain parts that apply to Neighborhood
Councils.
d. Don’t Know/No Opinion
5. The Department of Neighborhood Empowerment sent a proposed Code
of Civility to each Neighborhood Council in the event they want
to adopt it as a guide for the action of its board members. Recently,
a motion was introduced into the City Council that would make the
Code a requirement for Neighborhood Council board members. Do you
feel that a Code of Civility should be a requirement for all Neighborhood
Council board members?
Yes
No
Don’t Know/No Opinion
6. Are you being offered the training you feel you need?
Yes
No
Don’t Know/No Opinion
7. Has your Neighborhood Council attempted to engage specific city
departments concerning the delivery of services?
Yes
No
Don’t Know
8. Has your Neighborhood Council included business representatives
in its board or committees?
Yes
No
Don’t Know
9. Are we better off or worse off with Neighborhood Councils?
Better
Worse
Same
Don’t Know/No Opinion
10. Please give a letter grade, like in school, to:
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Department
of Neighborhood Empowerment____
Board of Neighborhood Commissioners____
City Council____
Your Neighborhood Council____
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- End –
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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
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