Department of Neighborhood Empowerment

DONE Newsletters 2009
August 12, 2009

EMPOWER LA NEWS

EmpowerLA 2009 Congress of Neighborhoods Planning Meeting Tomorrow Night

The Congress Planning Committee will be meeting Thursday, August 13, 2009, at 6:30 p.m.  The location for the meeting will be at the Parker Center Auditorium, 150 N. Los Angeles Street , Los Angeles , CA 90012 .  Please R.S.V.P. to Daniel Ruiz by phone at (213) 485-1360 or via e-mail at daniel.ruiz@lacity.org  to confirm your attendance at the meeting and to provide a description of your vehicle (make, license number, model, color) so that we may confirm parking for you.  Parking is available at City Hall East in the P-2 level on Los Angeles Street , between Temple and 1st Street . 

The Save the Date flyer for the upcoming EmpowerLA 2009 Congress of Neighborhoods event, scheduled for Saturday, October 10, 2009, is now available for distribution.  We would greatly appreciate your assistance forwarding this  Save the Date flyer  to all of your contacts and hope that you will have the opportunity to share this information with other members of your community to let them know that all are welcome.

Select Your Neighborhood Council's Representatives for the Mayor's Community Budget Day

This year's Community Budget Day will take place at the Citywide Congress of Neighborhoods event to be held on Saturday October 10 th , 2009 at Los Angeles City Hall .  Please select or elect two persons to represent your Neighborhood Council's budget concerns in the Mayor's Community Budget Process.  Your Council may select either board members or stakeholder members to serve as budget process representatives.  Please submit budget representatives' names and contact information to Ms. Rose Ibañez at: rose.ibanez@lacity.org no later than September 30 th , 2009.  You may also call 213-485-1360 for more information.

The Mayor's Community Budget Process is an important way for Los Angeles communities to empower themselves by affecting decisions about our City's budget, which is heavily impacted by the downturn in the economy. Your participation is strongly encouraged.

Help Us Help NC's by Completing Our Survey

Our department is in the process of defining our strategic priorities for the future. The result will position us
to be more efficient and effective in fulfilling our mission of supporting LA's system of Neighborhood Councils. Especially in this current economic climate, we need your input.  Please take a moment to complete a brief survey asking your opinion about different aspects of our support to Neighborhood Councils.  Additionally, given the hard reality of budget cuts and decreased staff, this survey asks you to help prioritize the services your NC needs most so that we can allocate its resources accordingly.

Your participation helps ensure that our department positions itself to best support the creation of an empowered and robust Neighborhood Council system. Your perspective is extremely valuable, so please answer to the best of your ability and be as honest and complete as possible in your responses. The survey takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. Thank you in advance for your participation!

The theme of this quarter's Regional Roundtable and Training focuses on public safety both for your community and your NC.  Our roundtable will be with the Mayor's Gang Reduction and Youth Development (GRYD) Department to discuss GRYD's work in your community and their partnerships with NC's.  The trainings will be on Board member liability and safety and will be conducted by members of the City's Department Threat Assessment Team:  Vivienne Swanigan, City Attorney - Labor Division, and Ann Phelps, Ph.D. of Prince & Phelps Consultants. 

Even as volunteers, Board members' actions may leave them subject to personal liability.  Vivienne will review the relevant laws affecting NC Boards so you can protect yourself from lawsuits.  If you've ever had to deal with a challenging Board member or stakeholder during a public meeting, you'll appreciate Ann's training on assessing people and assertive leadership.  Learn tools and techniques that help you identify which people may pose a threat to safety as well as how to effectively interact with Board members and stakeholders who are just challenging to work with.  Through examples and role playing, Vivienne and Ann will provide valuable information to be successful NC leaders and for maintaining a welcoming and safe environment for your NC meetings.

South/West/Harbor - Saturday, August 15th
8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Flyer - English Spanish

Co-Hosted by Harbor Gateway North Neighborhood Council

Valley - Saturday, September 12th
8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Marvin Braude Building
6262 Van Nuys Blvd.
Van Nuys, CA 91401

Please RSVP for materials and refreshments by calling (213) 485-1360.

Save the Date for the 2010 Election Outreach Planning Session on Thursday, September 10th

For Outreach Chairs and interested Board members and stakeholders, you are invited to collaborate on the creation of an Outreach Plan for the 2010 NC elections on Thursday, September 10, 2009, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.  Location to be determined.  Come learn and share outreach strategies, resources, and best practices.  To RSVP and arrange for parking, please contact Betty Wong Oyama at  Betty.Wong@lacity.org  or by calling (213) 485-1360. 

City Clerk Requests Polling Place Suggestion Forms Due This Friday, August 14th

The City Clerk - Election Division is accepting Polling Place Suggestion Forms . Each NC can submit a ranked list of five (5) suggested Polling Places in their Neighborhood Council.  The City Clerk - Election Division Staff will use submitted lists to contact the facilities and recruit Polling Places. In making the final decision, the City Clerk's Office will consider the following criteria (Policy No. 17 - Polling Place Selection):

* Availability on the date and time of the election
* Sufficient size to accommodate the voter sign-in and voting process
* Access to public transportation
* Sufficient parking, lighting and restroom facilities for Polling Place staff
* Compliance with American Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements
* Cost for use of the facility (for each election-related event
* Neutrality of the location for stakeholders and candidates

The deadline to submit these forms is 5:00 p.m. of Friday, August 14, 2009.  Please submit this form via fax to (213) 978-0376 or via email to Niesha.Louis@lacity.org .  Should you have any questions regarding this form, please contact the Precincting Section at (213) 978-0434.

Bylaw Amendment Moratorium Starts September 1st

If you have any non-election related bylaw amendments, please submit them to us by September 1, 2009.  After this date, we will not be processing any bylaw amendments until after the 2010 NC elections.

Commission in Recess for August

The Board of Neighborhood Commissioners (Commission) is in recess during the month of August and will resume their meetings in September.

CITY NEWS

Carmen A. Trutanich Holds City Attorney Neighborhood Forum on Thursday, August 13th

Please join the new City Attorney Carmen A. Trutanich and his team to learn about the first weeks of the new administration and the legal issues facing your neighborhood. The Forum will be on Thursday, August 13, 2009, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the John Ferraro Council Chambers, 200 N. Spring St., 3rd FL, Los Angeles. Refreshments will be in the City Hall Rotunda. For free parking, RSVP by August 10, 2009 to atty.rsvp@lacity.org or call (213) 978-1575.

New City Council Committee Meeting Assignments

The new assignments for City Council Committees have been made. Please click here to see the assignments.

Community Development Department Offering Free Classes in the Fall

The City of LA's Community Development Department is offering a series of free classes on capacity building. Please see the flyer for more information.

Animal Services Offering 50% Off Adoption Fees from August 14th to August 23rd

LA Animal Services will be offering 50% off adoption fees and free microchips from August 14-23, 2009. For more information, please go to www.laanimalservices.com

LA City Human Services 2009 Women's Job Training Resource Fair on Saturday, August 22nd

Looking for a job or retraining in a high demand career field? Join the LA Human Services Department and the LA Derby Dolls as they host the 2009 Women's Job Training Resource on Saturday, August 22, 2009 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Derby Dolls Stadium located at 1910 W. Temple St., Los Angles, CA 90026. Light breakfast and lunch will be provided to those present. Over 35 local business and community based organizations will be in attendance. Workshops on various career opportunities will also be available. RSVP immediately at hsdfd.fair@lacity.org or call (213) 978-0300.

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

NHNENC Board Member Loretta Luse Remembered

It is with profound sadness that the North Hollywood North East NC (NHNENC) reports on the sudden passing of Loretta Luse on August 5, 2009.  Loretta had been a Board Member of NHNENC since its inception in August 2003.   She was also active in the Briarwood Homeowners' Association in North Hollywood as well as being a member in the Neighborhood Watch Precinct 1518 group in Sun Valley , where she participated also in the annual Christmas and National Night Out potluck dinners and events of that group.  Loretta also served on the NHNENC ad hoc Elections Committee (2006) and the By-Laws revision committee.   No committee meeting was complete without her serving cookies!  Loretta is survived by her husband, Randal Luse, President of the North Hollywood North East Neighborhood Council and by her daughter.  Loretta's s ervices will be on Thursday, August 13, 2009, 11 a.m. at the San Fernando Mission Mortuary, 11160 Stranwood, Mission Hills , CA.

Remembering Community Activist Norma Clifton

Ms. Norma Clifton, one of the neighborhood activists from South LA who was also an early supporter of the NC system, passed away last week.  For residents of Leimert Park - Norma Clifton was the feisty little lady whose house sat perched watching over the community on the corner of Degnan and Martin Luther King Blvd.   She was a strong advocate for the arts, culture, peace & education and never let age define or limit her.  Norma never minced words - and was passionate about helping the next generation.  She never hesitated to give her opinion or stand up to anyone but always followed it up with a kind word of encouragement.  

Ms. Clifton truly epitomized community service, generously giving of her time for the good of the neighborhood.  She played an active role in the early days of the neighborhood council system first with the West Adams Neighborhood Council and then after moving - the board of the Empowerment Congress West Area Neighborhood Council.  She is survived by her daughters, Dyran Golden and Malaika Kusumi.  While Norma will be missed and no one will ever be able to fill her shoes - there is no doubt we need more Ms. Cliftons - thank you Norma.

NECA Meets on Next Wednesday, August 26th

NECA - the North East Central Alliance of Neighborhood Councils - meets next on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at 7 p.m.  Special guest, City Controller Wendy Greuel, will make a presentation and answer questions.  The meeting will take place in the community room at 3750 Verdugo Rd. in Glassell Park (where Councilmember Eric Garcetti's Satellite Office is located).  Since NECA was founded a couple of months ago, representatives of about 15 neighborhood councils have participated, and more are heartily welcomed at each meeting.  So please mark your calendar, even if this will be your first NECA meeting!  For more information, contact Paul Michael Neuman at pmneuman@yahoo.com  or (323) 662-3123 or michelabedard@gmail.com .  

Free Health Care Services from August 11th to August 18th in Inglewood

The Remote Area Medical will provide free medical, dental and vision care to thousands of needy individuals in the Los Angeles area from August 11-18, 2009.  The free clinic will be held at the Forum in Inglewood and will treat an estimated 1,200 people a day- possibly more depending on the final number of volunteers and participating organizations.  For more information, please go to www.ramusa.org .

Neighborhood Councils invited to join Park[ing] Day LA 2009

On September 18, 2009, Los Angeles will be celebrating the third annual Park[ing] Day LA - a nationwide event that highlights the importance of parks and urban green space to our communities.  Each year, small, temporary parks are installed in parking spaces and streets for a day of awareness, public education, and community engagement.  This year, the Neighborhood Councils are looking to band together by participating in Park[ing] Day LA to increase awareness about public parks and their maintenance, reach out to our community about the work of Neighborhood Councils, and provide positive exposure for the NC system as a whole. To make participation as easy as possible, we will provide various resources to help you host your own temporary park. Whether a single parking space or a block party, this is a fun outreach opportunity and a great way to support the Neighborhood Council Program.  If your Neighborhood Council is interested in participating or if you would like more information, please email the NC Park[ing] Day LA Coordinators Shawn Simons and Ashley Zarella.

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BongHwan Kim, 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