Department of Neighborhood Empowerment

DONE Newsletters 2009

April 29, 2009

Provide Input at the City Budget and Finance Committee Special Meetings This Week
The City Council's Budget and Finance Committee Special Meeting on the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment and NC funding will be on Thursday, April 30, 2009. We encourage you to provide input on the funding for your NC and our department as well as other City departments. Please review the schedule and make sure to contact the Budget and Finance Committee's Legislative Assistant, Lauraine Braithwaite at 213.978.1075 or e-mail lauraine.braithwaite@lacity.org as the time and department presentations listed in the agendas may change.

The full City Council review of the budget will be on May 15, 2009, and the deadline for City Council to submit the budget to the Mayor is June 1, 2009.

If you can't make it to the meetings, please use the COUNCILPHONE -- a telephone system that allows the public to listen to live coverage of City government meetings from any phone-can be accessed by dialing the following numbers from the listed locations:

Downtown (213) 621-CITY (2489)
San Pedro (310) 547-CITY (2489)
West Los Angeles (310) 471-CITY (2489)
Van Nuys (818) 904-9450

To view the Budget Hearings live from your personal computer, click here for the Budget and Finance Committee live on demand streaming video.

Valley Regional Congress- Registration and Workshop Information Now Available!
Networking, workshops, alliance building and the Neighborhood Council Recognition Ceremony will take place at the Valley Regional Congress on Saturday, May 30, 2009 from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., at Panorama High School, 8015 Van Nuys Blvd., Panorama City, CA. A series of Empowerment Camps will be available to Neighborhood Councils which will provide all an opportunity to engage in active discussions on such topics as Report Cards for Elected Officials, Sunshine Ordinance and Issue Driven Alliances. A wiki site has been created for active participation on congress topics.

A Neighborhood Council Recognition Ceremony will also be part of the event which will allow Board members to nominate peers for Recognition Awards. Nominations are now being accepted and will end May 9th. Voting begins May 10th and ends May 22. For more information and to register, please visit www.lacityneighborhoods.com and http://valleyregionalcongress.org.

Please don't forget to support the food pantries by bringing a non-perishable item to the event. See you all on the 30th!

City Clerk's 2010 NC Elections Updates
After receiving feedback from the Neighborhood Councils around the City, the City Clerk - Elections Division has released the default values for the final version of the 2010 NC Election Procedure Stipulations Worksheet. The Stipulations Worksheet needs to be completed and approved by your Board before being submitted to the City Clerk - Elections Division by 5 p.m. on June 1, 2009. If the City Clerk - Elections Division does not receive your NC's Stipulation Worksheet by the due date, default values for the Stipulation Worksheet will be applied to your NC's elections. Even if your NC made changes to your bylaws to accommodate the changes in the Plan regarding City Clerk run elections, your NC will still need to submit the Stipulation Worksheet as the worksheet contains further clarifying information necessary for your NC's elections. To meet the requests of NC's, we will be holding a workshop to assist NC's with the Stipulations Worksheet on Thursday, April 30, 2009. Please call (213) 485-1360 if you are interested in attending.

Lottery for the 2010 NC Elections on Saturday, May 9th
In preparation for the 2010 Neighborhood Council Elections, the City Clerk, Election Division invites you and your Neighborhood Council (NC) Board members to meet with the members of your region so as to vote on the day of the week on which all NCs in your region will hold your regional election.

The purpose of the event is to provide Neighborhood Councils in each region the opportunity to meet, discuss, and identify the order in which Regional Neighborhood Council Elections across Los Angeles will be implemented. Immediately following the Regional Election Week Lottery, the City Clerk - Election Division will hold its random alphabetical drawing to establish the order in which candidates will be listed on the ballot for the 2010 NC Election.

Location:
555 Ramirez Street
3rd Floor, Space 300
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Lottery begins at 11:00 a.m. (immediately following NC EDG meeting)

If you need language assistance at the Regional Election Week and Random Ballot Placement Lottery, please contact the City Clerk - Election Division by calling (213) 473-6805 at least 48 hours before the event. Si necesita asistencia en otro idioma, por favor comuniquese con nuestra oficina con 48 horas de anticipación llamando al (213) 473-6805.

City Clerk's NC EDG Continues on Saturday, May 2nd
In preparation for the 2010 NC Elections, the City Clerk - Election Division invites NC's to provide feedback on the NC election processes and materials by participating in the Neighborhood Council Election Development Group (NC EDG), which will be a series of meetings on various election topics. These meetings are opened to all stakeholders. See the schedule here or on the NC Election Unit website.  For more information, please feel free to call the Election Division Election Unit at (213) 473-6804 or via email at Isaias.Cantu@lacity.org.

If you need language assistance at the NC EDG meetings, please contact the City Clerk - Election Division by calling (213) 473-6805 at least 48 hours before the event. Si necesita asistencia en otro idioma, por favor comuniquese con nuestra oficina con 48 horas de anticipación llamando al (213) 473-6805.

NC Bylaw Amendment Time Schedule
Any bylaw amendments that address election issues NOT already covered by the City Clerk's 2010 NC Election Procedures Stipulation Language Worksheet must be submitted to us by May 15, 2009. Bylaw amendments that are not election related may be submitted to us from June 1, 2009 to September 1, 2009. After this date, we will have a moratorium on processing bylaw amendment applications until after the 2010 NC elections. Please contact your NEA if you have any questions or need assistance with your bylaw amendments.

BOARD OF NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSIONERS NEWS

The Commission's Next Meeting
The Commission's next meeting will be on Tuesday, May 5, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. at the Community Magnet Charter School - Auditorium, 11310 Bellagio Road, Los Angeles, CA 90049 in the Bel Air Beverly Crest NC area.

The Commission will dedicate a portion of the May 5th meeting to conduct a Town Hall in order to receive input on and to discuss the proposed 2009-2010 budget as it affects the NC system and NC funding program. Letters and testimonies are also requested to support the Commission's efforts to have City Council revisit its recent adoption of Financial Disclosure Form 54 to be filed when Neighborhood Councils submit a Council File.

The Commission Meetings Are Accessible Via the Telephone
You can now listen to a Commission meeting live via the telephone. This service is available only when the Commission is meeting at City Hall by calling CityFone -- 213-621-CITY.

CITY NEWS

LA City Tax Penalty Amnesty 2009 Begins May 1st
The City of Los Angeles is offering a penalty waiver for the following: business tax, telephone, electricity & gas users tax, commercial tenant's occupancy tax, transient occupancy tax, and parking occupancy tax for businesses who have unpaid taxes, under-reported gross receipts, and who are not registered. This offer is good between May 1 - July 31, 2009. Call the Tax Amnesty Hotline for more information M-F at (213) 978-1555 or go online to www.lacity.org/finance.

City Council's Ad Hoc Committee on Gang Violence and Youth Development in the Valley Next Week
The City Council's Ad Hoc Committee on Gang Violence and Youth Development will be holding a community meeting on Thursday, April 30, 2009 to receive community suggestions on the City's gang violence reduction strategies and its impact on the San Fernando Valley. The meeting will be at 6 p.m. at the Fernangeles Recreation Center located at 8851 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Sun Valley CA 91352.

Bureau of Street Services Updates Cost Sheet for Neighborhood Councils
The Department of Public Works Bureau of Street Services offers its services to the Neighborhood Councils through the Personal City Services & Repairs Program. Please see the updated price list for NC's and the flyer for more information.

LADWP Seeking Student Workers for Summer
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) is seeking applicants for their Student Worker Program for the summer. For more information and the application, please see their flyer.
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NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

Memorial Service for DLANC Founding Member, Lesley Taplin, on Thursday, April 30th
Last Tuesday, Leslie Taplin, a longtime volunteer and founding member of the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council (DLANC) was tragically killed in an accident on the freeway. She was involved in the creation of Gallery Row and Artwalk as well as the provision of low-income housing and the DLANC Education Committee. A memorial service to celebrate her life will be held on Thursday, April 30, 2009, 6:30 p.m. at the Vibiana, 210 S. Main St. Los Angeles CA 90012. For directions to the location, please see the Vibiana website.

Get Ready for Citrus Sunday on Sunday, May 3rd
Northridge East, Northridge West, Granada Hills North, Granada Hills South, West Hills, Porter Ranch, North Hills West and Chatsworth Neighborhood Councils as well as the San Fernando Valley Jaycees have agreed to "adopt" Fire Stations that will serve as fruit drop-off locations. Volunteers from the Neighborhood Councils will be on hand to assist people arriving to drop off citrus fruit picked on Citrus Sunday, and ensure that the operation goes smoothly. For more information, please see the flyer.

Community Garden Opens in Highlight Park on Saturday, May 9th
Bring you family, friends, neighbors to grand opening of Milagro Allegro, a community garden in Highland Park. The program will include a blessing of the land, guest speakers, activities for kids, tours of the garden and refreshments. For more information, please see the flyer.

Learn about 21st Century Modes of Transportation for Los Angeles on Friday, May 1st
Come learn more about opportunities, obstacles and how you can play a role in Los Angeles' transportation future. For more information, please see the flyer.

Bring Music to Your Neighborhood!
Get Your Chops Back, an Active Arts at the Music Center program, is looking for neighborhood site to host exciting and fun summer music-making projects - "Jazz Combo" and "Snare Drum Choir" - for non-professional musicians. If Neighborhood Councils would like to bring music to their neighborhoods by providing a site, contact Active Arts at activearts@musiccenter.org no later than May, 10, 2009.

Extended Registration at Discounted Rate for NUSA!
The 2009 Neighborhoods, USA (NUSA) Conference on Neighborhood Concerns just around the corner, the City of Spokane, Washington is in the process of preparing our neighborhoods for 1,000 community and grassroots leaders from the U.S., Canada, and Japan. This years conference is jam-packed with collaborative forums, beautiful neighborhood tours, and innovative workshops. Join them on May 20-23, 2009, and take a hands-on approach in the building of stronger, healthier communities!

The City of Spokane is pleased to announce that the deadline for the discounted $225 registration has been extended until May 1! After May 1, registration is available for $325 through May 6. One-day registration is available at a discounted rate, and additional events, such as winery tours and rafting on the Spokane River, also are available. Don't miss this great opportunity to network and brainstorm with 1,000 leaders who share your passion for community. To register online and for additional information on tours and workshops, visit www.nusaspokane.org. You may also contact Katrina Miller at 509-625-6733 or krmiller@spokanecity.org.