Department of Neighborhood Empowerment

DONE Newsletters 2007

October 23, 2007

Re: Congress of Neighborhoods Event

SUPPORT YOUR FELLOW NC MEMBERS!

Attend Congress this SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2007 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. If you have not registered, please do so on our website:
www.lacityneighborhoods.com. You don’t want to miss out on the workshops:

Mayor’s Address 9:05 A.M.
Room 502A

First Session Workshops
9:30-10:45 A.M.

Power Meet and Greet
Room: 502A

Stop by room 502 A in the Convention Center to chat with Board of Neighborhood Commissioners, DONE’s Acting GM and other folks taking part in this Congress. Take the time for an extra nosh and something to drink; and enjoy a spirited conversation. The Power Meet and Greet will continue through both Congress sessions.

BongHwan Kim, Acting DONE General Manager, Board of Neighborhood Commissioners Daniel Gatica and Tsilah Burman

Outreach Perfection: Taking Neighborhood Councils to the Next Level: (Part 1)
Room: 505

Learn what NC’s utilizing a variety of outreach tools do to pack their meetings, elections and events. This best practice workshop is worth every minute of your time if you want to make your NC a household name in your area. By participating, you will be on the path to power, and you can let the presenting NC’s (East Hollywood Neighborhood, South Robertson, Sunland Tujunga, and Venice) know how much you appreciate the work they do. (Part 2) of this workshop is Outreach Perfection: When Minds Meet, A Lot Can Happen

Panelists:

Elson Trinidad, NC Chair, East Hollywood NC
Victoria Karen, Outreach Chair, South Robertson NC
Cindy Cleghorn, Chair, Sunland-Tujunga NC
Mike Newhouse, Community Officer, Venice NC

Knowing Your P’s And Q’s When It Comes to Media Strategy: (Part 1)
Room: 506

Have you ever wondered why your perception of what went on at your neighborhood council changes when the media represent it (think You Tube or the Daily News)? Here’s your chance to become more media savvy and meet media personalities like Bridget Johnson of the Daily News or rub shoulders with community organizers from the National Association for Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO). These are the experts who know how to get the attention of your stakeholders and shape your message. (Part 2) of this workshop will offer the same information.

Panelists:

Bridget Johnson, Reporter Daily News
Javier Angulo, National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO)

Youth Are L. A.’s Future: But NC’s Can Help Youth Now: (Part 1)
Room: 504

Whether you want to help youth stay out of gangs and/or become leaders of our community in the future, this workshop will make a difference to your approach to youth in your area. Community experts and representatives from schools, and community-based organizations will take part in the workshop to provide new information and resources for youth development that you can use right now to improve young peoples’ lives. (Part 2) of this workshop will offer the same information.

Panelists:

Mark Mariscal, Dept. of Recreation & Parks
Jamiko Bell, Commission for Children, Youth & their Families
Joey Freeman, Youth Council President
Lisa Salazar, Community Development Department

An Interactive Dialogue with City Department Managers: (Part 1)
Room: 503

You may think it’s a breeze to run the City, but these dialogue events with Department Heads in the First and Second Session of the Congress could change your mind. City Department Heads will lay out challenges our City faces and some opportunities NC’s may want to take advantage of. Neighborhood council leaders are sure to suggest better ways for City Departments and neighborhoods councils to communicate and work together. The dialogue events will lead to a better understanding of City and community needs and to effective action that will position Los Angeles as a global leader in the future. (Part 2) of the Dialogue will feature Department Managers who are not represented in this workshop.

Panelists:

Regina Adams, Executive Officer, Dept. of Recreation & Parks
Bruce Gillman, Public Information Director, Dept. of Transportation
Robert Sainz, Asst. General Manager, Community Development Dept.
Chi Ming Gong, Acting Superintendent I, Bureau of Street Services
Robert Rozanski, Interim General Manager, Dept. of Water & Power
Cecilia Estolano, Chief Executive Officer, Community Redevelopment Agency
Randi Levin, General Manager, Information Technology Agency
Laura Trejo, General Manager, Dept. of Aging
Stan Horowitz, Senior Engineering Manager, Bureau of Street Lighting

Fighting Crime at the Local Level: The L.A.P.D and the City Attorney Are Important Resources (Part 1)
Room: 507

Everyone wants to eradicate crime. Everyone wants to make their community a safer place in which to live. This workshop certainly won’t pull any punches as members of L.A.’s finest and a city attorney’s office will clue you in on how they can help you prevent crimes from happening or criminals from taking over your neighborhood. (Part 2) of this workshop is: Fighting Crime at the Local Level: Safer Streets Now !

Panelists:

Sergeant Gena Brooks, Los Angeles Police Department
Kevin Gilligan, Deputy City Attorney

Know the Planning Process, and They Will Come to You
Room: 501B

As we know, NC’s are playing an ever more important role in the Land Use and Planning processes of the City. More and more, developers and city planners are vetting their projects through neighborhood council committees and boards, and asking for neighborhood council approval. This workshop will help prepare you for the decisions about new developments and land use issues that your council has to make. This workshop will be repeated in Session 2.

Panelists:

Tom Rothman, City Planner, City Planning Department
Eva Yuan-McDaniel, Deputy Director of Planning, City Planning Department

Know the Planning Process, and They Will Come to You: Zimas Training
Room: 501C

Now that you’re ready to conquer the world because you know something about the planning process (if you attended Part 1 of this workshop), you are no doubt ready to learn how to use ZIMAS. No, it’s not a planet from outer space. Rather it’s a cool tool that you can use to find parcels of land or community addresses and maps that will make the involvement of your neighborhood council in the planning process so much easier. Try it. You’ll like the hands on experience. This workshop will be repeated in Session 2.

Panelists:

Eva Yuan-McDaniel, Deputy Director of Planning, City Planning Department

Those Darn Bylaws Amendments and Elections!
Room: 508A

This workshop is a must for neighborhood council members and stakeholders who have held down the fort during elections and bylaws amendment periods. Mark Lewis from the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment is the presenter. Mark has helped steer DONE and NC’s through the nuts and bolts of many years of bylaws and elections processes, and he has dodged a few missiles on the way. Join Mark as he discusses what’s happening now and what we can look forward to in the future in terms of changes that will further the democratic process and improve the NC system.

Presenter:

Mark Lewis, Senior Project Coordinator, Dept. of Neighborhood Empowerment

Mayor’s Workshop on the Community Budget Survey
Room: 508C

This workshop is a follow-up to the successful Community Budget Day held on October 13. As Neighborhood Councils grow in sophistication, the budget survey must also grow more sophisticated to capture Neighborhood Council input. Although it will take a little more time, the need for a better survey tool was most evident on Community Budget Day, where insightful Neighborhood Council comments inspired the Mayor’s Office to push the budget survey to the next level. To deliver a community budget survey equal to the budget challenges facing our City and to the maturity of our City’s Neighborhood Councils, the Mayor’s office must hear from you. Please join Larry Frank, Deputy Mayor of Neighborhood and Community Services and Ben Ceja, Associate Director of Finance and Performance Management for a sneak-peek at the community budget survey.

Panelists:

Larry Frank, Deputy Mayor & Ben Ceja, Associate Director of Finance and Performance Management

Second Session Workshops
11:00-12:15

Outreach Perfection: (Part 2): When Minds Meet a Lot Can Happen
Room: 505

Members of the Sunland Tujunga Neighborhood Council, Op-Ed columnist D.J. Waldie, and public relations expert Victor Griego didn’t exactly team up to make big box giant Home Depart change its plans for building a new store in the Sunland Tujunga area, but they did raise the stakes to a new level. This workshop will show you how to make a similar difference for your community and foster not only your own power and authority, but that of other neighborhood councils, as well.

Panelists:

Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas
Cindy Cleghorn, Chair, Sunland-Tujunga NC
Victor Griego, Public Affairs Consultant
DJ Waldie Op-Ed Writer

Knowing Your P’s And Q’s When It Comes to Media Strategy: (Part 2)
Room: 506

This workshop offers the same information that was presented in the first session.

Panelists:

Bridget Johnson, Reporter, Daily News
Javier Angulo, National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO)

Youth Are L. A.’s Future: But NC’s Can Help Now: (Part 2)
Room: 504

This workshop is a repeat of the First Session workshop on Youth.

Panelists:

Mark Mariscal, Department of Recreation & Parks
Jamiko Bell, Commission for Children, Youth & their Families

Joey Freeman, Youth Council President
Lisa Salazar, Community Development Department

An Interactive Dialogue with City Department Managers: (Part 2)
Room: 503

You may think it’s a breeze to run the City, but these dialogue events with Department managers in the First and Second Session of the Congress could change your mind. City Department managers will lay out challenges our City faces and some opportunities NC’s may want to take advantage of. Neighborhood council leaders are sure to suggest better ways for City Departments and neighborhoods councils to communicate and work together. The dialogue events will lead to a better understanding of City and community needs and to effective action that will position Los Angeles as a global leader in the future.

Panelists:

Regina Adams, Executive Officer, Dept. of Recreation & Parks
Bruce Gillman, Public Information Director, Dept. of Transportation
Robert Sainz, Asst. General Manager, Community Development Dept.
Chi Ming Gong, Acting Superintendent I, Bureau of Street Services
Robert Rozanski, Interim General Manager, Dept. of Water & Power
Cecilia Estolano, Chief Executive Officer, Community Redevelopment Agency
Randi Levin, General Manager, Information Technology Agency
Laura Trejo, General Manager, Dept. of Aging
Stan Horowitz, Senior Engineering Manager, Bureau of Street Lighting

Fighting Crime at the Local Level (Part 2): Safe Streets Now !
Room: 507

We know how Los Angeles sets trends and changes the way the nation goes; but there are a few things we can still learn. Information about the Safer Streets Now! program is one of them. Brian Biery, former Safe Streets Now! Liaison with Pasadena’s Neighborhood Connections Office and a veteran of street wars and neighborhood action, talks about a program that is making waves in Oakland, San Diego and other California Cities. Also, one of our own NC’s, the South Robertson Neighborhood Council (SORO), has come up with a program to prevent crime at the local level. Leaders from SORO will give you the scoop on a program that really works, and tell you what they’ve done to make their area safer.

Panelists:

Jonathan Cristall, Deputy City Attorney, Jon Liberman, South Robertson Neighborhood Council and Brian Biery, Safe Streets Now!

Know the Planning Process, and They Will Come to You
Room: 501B

As we know, NC’s are playing an ever more important role in the Land Use and Planning processes of the City. More and more, developers and city planners are vetting their projects through neighborhood council committees and boards, and asking for neighborhood council approval. This workshop will help prepare you for the decisions about new developments and land use issues that your council has to make. This workshop will be repeated in Session 2.

Panelists:

Tom Rothman, City Planner, City Planning Department
Eva Yuan-McDaniel, Deputy Director of Planning, City Planning Department

Know the Planning Process, and They Will Come to You: ZIMAS Training
Room: 501C

Now that you’re ready to conquer the world because you know something about the planning process (if you attended Part 1 of this workshop), you are no doubt ready to learn how to use ZIMAS. No, it’s not a planet from outer space. Rather it’s a cool tool that you can use to find parcels of land or community addresses and maps that will make the involvement of your neighborhood council in the planning process so much easier. Try it. You’ll like the hands on experience.

Panelists:

Eva Yuan-McDaniel, Deputy Director of Planning, City Planning Department

DWP Rate Hike Panel Discussion:
Room: 508A

A topnotch panel comprised of NC leaders, Department of Water and Power representatives, and experts in the field of financial policy will engage in a spirited and even-handed discussion of water and electricity rate hikes proposed by the DWP. Bill Christopher, former President of the Board of Neighborhood Commissioners and founder and Principal of Urban Concepts, will facilitate. The City Council will consider the proposed DWP rate hikes within days of this Congress of Neighborhoods discussion.

Panelists:

Robert Rozanski, General Manager of the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment
Jeff Jacobberger, Mid-City West CC
Soledad Garcia of Coastal San Pedro NC
Jack Humphreville, NC/DWP Oversight Committee.

Power Meet and Greet:
Room: 502A

Stop by room 502 A in the Convention Center to chat with Board of Neighborhood Commissioners, DONE’s Acting General Manager and other folks taking part in this Congress. Take the time for an extra nosh and something to drink; and enjoy a spirited conversation. The Power Meet and Greet will continue through both Congress sessions.

BongHwan Kim, Acting DONE GM
Commissioners Daniel Gatica & Tsilah Burman

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Carol Baker Tharp, General Manager
done@lacity.org

Department of Neighborhood Empowerment
334-B E. 2nd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012

866 / LA HELPS
213 / 485-1360
213 / 485-4608 fax
done@mailbox.lacity.org email
www.lacityneighborhoods.com website