Department of Neighborhood Empowerment
Newsletter

June 10, 2005

Re: SPECIAL EDUCATION AND NEIGHBORHOODS COMMITTEE MEETING JUNE 14.

SPECIAL EDUCATION AND NEIGHBORHOODS COMMITTEE MEETING JUNE 14.

A new Hahn-LaBonge motion (CF 04-0547) wiill be discussed in a special meeting of the Education and Neighborhoods Committee on Tuesday, June 14 at 2 p.m. in City Hall.

The motion reads: “I therefore move that the DWP report to the Education and Neighborhoods and related Council committees on their proposed rate hike and, specifically, DWP's efforts to reach out to the Neighborhood Councils and to seek their input prior to proposing said rate hike.”

COOL IDEA #11 – START A PYRAMID SCHEME

There is no question that the best way to get more involved in a Neighborhood Council is through one-on-one contact. It takes a bit of a effort to explain to people why they should get involved. It's a more complicated “pitch” than you can accomplish with billboards or signs on buses. You have to understand that the vast majority of people don't know what Neighborhood Councils are.

There are 1627 Neighborhood Council board members. Imagine what the result would be if each one wrote a personal letter or e-mail message to 10 people who live in their neighborhoods, with whom they work, who they know from youth sports leagues, etc. Each letter would explain the reasons for the person to get involved, and perhaps list some of the needs that the Neighborhood Council has for leadership or assistance.

There are 20 people on an average Neighborhood Council board. That's 200 personal letters. Suppose that the effort produces only 10 new active and productive people. Wouldn't that be worth it?

Then there would be a larger pool of people to send out the next set of 10 letters.

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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