Department of Neighborhood Empowerment
Newsletter

September 29, 2005

Re: BUDGET DAY SNEAK PEEK.  COMMISSIONER DIANE MIDDLETON CONFIRMED.  NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL REVIEW COMMISSION.  TIMES ARTICLE - A MILESTONE.

BUDGET DAY SNEAK PEEK

One of the changes that will be made to this year's budget process will be that the Mayor will be looking for not just official input from each Neighborhood Council, but from each and every Neighborhood Council board member as well.  The surveys forms for providing this input will be released on Budget Day, Saturday, October 1.  It will be easier for each board member to provide well-informed opinions by attending this event.  Click here for the agenda.

COMMISSIONER DIANE MIDDLETON CONFIRMED

OnWednesday, the City Council confirmed Diane Middleton as the newest member of the Board of Neighborhood Commissioners.  Click here to read her profile.

FIRST STEPS TAKEN TOWARD ESTABLISHING THE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL REVIEW COMMISSION

The City Charter requires that by the middle of next year, the City Council and Mayor must approve an ordinance that establishing a special commission to review the entire Neighborhood Council system.  At Wednesday's meeting of the Education and Neighborhoods Committee, Councilman Bill Rosendahl recommended that the committee put this matter back on the agenda in 45 days so that the Neighborhood Councils could have time to meet and discuss the many issues that will ultimately have to be decided.  It is possible that the committee may have an "update" meeting before then.  It is possible that the committee may extend the deadline past this point.  The exact date of this next meeting will be announced.  The report of the Chief Legislative Analyst that lays out what they believe should be the discussion points can be found on our home page, or by clicking here .  There was also an article written about this meeting that can be found on our website by selecting Newsroom>Articles

TIMES ARTICLE - A MILESTONE

Hope you saw the article that was in the Sunday Times a couple of weeks ago.  There was something truly remarkable about it.  Something that probably is an important milestone in the evolution of Neighborhood Councils.  The story was about the Mayor's first few months in office.  Of the seven non-City Hall people who were quoted, one was a political advisor to the mayor, another edits a political blog, and the five were Neighborhood Council people.  It seems clear to me that the Neighborhood Councils, in the eyes of reporters, are emerging as knowledgable, informed, and involved enough to add credibility to their stories. 

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Greg Nelson
gnelson@mailbox.lacity.org

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