Department of Neighborhood Empowerment
Newsletter

January 7, 2005

Re: “SAFER COMMUNITIES MEASURE” MEETINGS UPDATE.

A location has been secured for the Jan. 13 meeting in Westchester. (See the calendar below.)

The Harbor Area meeting was last night. It went very well. Good participation. Good questions. Good answers. Lots of input that has been sent to the CAO.

One point that bears repeating is to remind everyone that this process is brand new.

For the first time, the public is being involved in helping to design and shape the ballot measure options that will go to the City Council. In the past, some people at City Hall would get together, design a proposal, and ask the public to comment on it at the last minute.

At the Harbor Area meeting, many people began their question or comment with "Does the proposal ……..?" And the answers from the city staff began with, "There is no proposal yet. That's why we're here."

If you look at the information sheet that is on our home page, you will see several options listed, and if you've been reading the newspapers, still others are being offered. This is the kind of document that normally wouldn't see until it went to the first City Council committee. Now you're seeing it first.

Judging from the Harbor Area meeting, people embraced the process regardless of their point of view on the substance. They want to be involved as early as possible in the decision-making process. They want to be heard in a meaningful way.

Later today, the survey that was distributed at last night's meeting will be available on our home page. We are asking that it faxed directly to the CAO. Their number is on the form. CAO will be working throughout this weekend, and all of next week to incorporate your opinions into their report to the City Council.

If you subscribe to the agendas of the Public Safety Committee through the city's Early Notification System, you'll get the official notice of the meeting at the same time everyone else gets it. It could be as early as Tuesday, January 18.

Saturday, January 8, 10:00 a.m.
Valley Areas
Kaiser Regional Lab
11668 Sherman Way, North Hollywood

Monday, January 10, 6:30 p.m.
East Area
Ramona Hall
4580 N. Figueroa St.

Tuesday, January 11, 6 p.m.
South Area
Mark Ridley-Thomas Constituent Service Center
8475 South Vermont Avenue

Wednesday, January 12, 6:30 p.m.
Central Area
National Council of Jewish Women
543 North Fairfax Ave.

Thursday, January 13, 6:30 p.m.
West Area
Covenant Presbyterian Church
6323 West 80th Street (At Sepulveda)
Westchester

This newsletter and all subsequent ones regarding these meetings will be on our home page at www.lacityneighborhoods.com.

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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