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Department of Neighborhood Empowerment
Newsletter
June 14,
2004
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To:
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Neighborhood
Council Leaders |
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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 |
Good
News Re: Funding Program / Encumbering
As the result of a meeting this morning with those in the City family
who are part of the Neighborhood Council Funding Program, all were
in agreement that it is possible to eliminate the requirement that
Neighborhood Councils must use all of their $50,000 before June
30, or lose it.
Therefore, it is NOT necessary for Neighborhood Councils to spend
or encumber the balance of their $50,000 by June 30. Money will
not be lost at the end of fiscal year.
We realize that many Neighborhood Councils have been holding special
meetings to encumber their unspent funds. We apologize and wish
that we could have solidified the details of the Funding Program
earlier. If you have been around long enough to remember the start
of the Funding Program, we never wanted to be forced into a situation
in which Neighborhood Councils would have to make rushed spending
decisions.
If you are a Neighborhood Council that has met recently to encumber
funds, your work was not wasted. We know which programs and projects
you intend to fund, and we will ensure that the money is available
when you need it. Understand that because this money is not tied
up in the City’s formal encumbrance process, you do have the ability
to change your mind and redirect the money later on.
I don’t want this to sound like an excuse, but in the development
of programs and procedures for the Neighborhood Councils, we always
try and design them so that Neighborhood Councils aren’t treated
exactly like city departments. Neighborhood Councils are special,
and they should be treated that way. That involves the time-consuming
process of creating new systems. And the uncertainties of the City’s
fiscal crisis did not help to bring clarity to our choices.
It is easy to understand that some of you may think that the constant
changes to this program have been unnecessary. But we were faced
with a choice -- leave the program the way it was, or make the changes
necessary to improve it.
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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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