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Department of Neighborhood Empowerment
Newsletter
September
27, 2004
Re: USC WORKSHOP, SPECIAL TREASURER TRAINING, FUNDING PROGRAM REPORT.
USC WORKSHOP
Don’t forget
that USC’s Neighborhood Participation Project is asking for
each Neighborhood Council with an elected board to appoint one person
and an alternate to join them in their workshop at the Congress
of Neighborhoods, October 9 at 8:30 a.m. for a high-level think
session entitled “The Congress as a Decision-making Body?
The question
is whether or not the representatives feel that future Congress
events should become, at least in part, a place where Neighborhood
Council delegates discuss and take positions on issues of importance
to them.
If your president
is empowered to make such appointments, that’s fine. Let us
know so we can tell USC who to expect.
SPECIAL TREASURER
TRAINING
Normally, the
Ask DONE session in the afternoon at the Congress is a place where
people can drop in and ask whatever questions they have of management,
commissioners, or our Funding Program staff.
It has become
apparent to us that some of the veteran treasurers and second signatories
are struggling with some information that they learned in their
mandatory orientation. Therefore, in a attempt to be ever helpful,
this will now become both a drop in room, and a place for the Funding
Program staff and the Neighborhood Councils’ money people to
get together all at once.
SPEAKING
OF THE FUNDING PROGRAM
We are just
about ready to release our report to the City Council on the Neighborhood
Council Funding Program. This report will incorporate all of the
comments and suggestions that you have made to us, and it will give
the City Council an opportunity to change the program.
It is our feeling
that, as a whole, the Neighborhood Councils have done an excellent
job is caring for the taxpayers’ money, and therefore the modifications
should be made to the program to make it easier still to spend the
money in a way that benefits each Neighborhood Council.
We want to ensure
that we’ve covered all of the important issues. Here’s
what we’re reporting on. Let us know if we’ve missed anything.
Transferring
funds to city departments in order to purchase services or support
programs.
Same for sending
money to other governmental agencies such as the School District.
Streamlining
the contracting process.
Paying for personal
services. Level at which this can be done without a contract.
Granting money
to groups for public purposes, beyond using the money for operating
expenses or public improvement projects.
Gifts of public
funds.
Mileage reimbursements.
Rolling over
unused money.
Making advance
payments to vendors.
Checking accounts.
The Commercial
Prepaid Card. (The “credit card.”)
ATM withdrawal
limits.
Time it takes
to get checks cut.
Acceptable and
unacceptable uses.
Remedies for
Neighborhood Councils that violate the rules.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Greg Nelson
gnelson@mailbox.lacity.org
866 / LA HELPS
213 / 485-1360
213 / 485-4608 fax
done@mailbox.lacity.org
email
www.lacityneighborhoods.com
website
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