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Department of Neighborhood Empowerment
Newsletter
May 9,
2005
Re: CONGRESS
– PRESIDENTS’ AWARD? “NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL MOTIONS”
PROPOSAL PROGRESSES. NC MEMBERS MAY JOIN CITY CREDIT UNION. COOL
IDEA #8 – LET THE PUBLIC SPEAK.
CONGRESS –
PRESIDENTS’ AWARD?
When the Neighborhood
Council leaders gathered to discuss how to shape the next Congress
of Neighborhoods on June 25, one idea that wasn’t completely
resolved was that of starting the process of giving special recognition
to the most outstanding Neighborhood Council.
The idea was
that the presidents of each Neighborhood Council would nominate
and then vote on the winner, which would be recognized at the Congress.
Having the presidents do the voting means that it could be done
rather quickly, because we’ve never yet been able to figure
out a way that all Neighborhood Council boards could meet, nominate,
and vote.
What thinketh
you about the idea?
“NEIGHBORHOOD
COUNCIL MOTIONS” PROPOSAL PROGRESSES
At the last
meeting of the Education and Neighborhoods Committee, the idea (initiated
by Jason Lyon of the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council) of allowing
City Council files to be created after a Neighborhood Council has
taken an official position on a citywide initiative is expected
to be discussed at the June 7 of the meeting after several city
agencies prepare reports. It is Council File #05-0575, and it can
be found on our home page.
NC MEMBERS MAY
JOIN CITY CREDIT UNION
As you probably
know by now, Neighborhood Council board members, heads of committees,
and their families are eligible to join the Los Angeles City Federal
Credit Union. Once you are a member, you are a member for life.
For further
information, please call 1-800-252-4009 or visit the Credit Union’s
website at http://www.lafcu.org.
COOL IDEA #8
– LET THE PUBLIC SPEAK
Thanks for all
those of you who submitted cool ideas for increasing public participation
in your Neighborhood Council. Keep those cards and letters coming.
The Brown Act
requires that there be a period of time at each meeting during which
members of the public are allowed to speak on any item that isn’t
on the agenda, but which is within the jurisdiction of the group.
In the case of Neighborhood Councils, that’s just about any
subject. Our commission calls it Public Forum time in order to distinguish
it from the public comment time that must be allotted for each item
on the agenda.
Your Neighborhood
Council should decide if it wants to encourage people to come and
speak their minds at their minds. If so -- if it wants to encourage
public participation – you may want to schedule this part of
the meeting first so that people can come, say what they have to
say, and get on with their lives. That’s the way the Board
of Neighborhood Commissioners does it. They don’t view this
as a necessary evil.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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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