News Archives - Mission Hills Neighborhood Council

L.A.’s Neighborhood Councils Flex Their Muscles

Jan 25

From the L.A. Daily News, January 24, 2013

A recent fight over a proposed $3 billion bond issue for street repairs illustrated the growing influence of neighborhood councils in Los Angeles City government, as they exerted enough influence to keep the measure off the ballot for now.

The success in that case represents an evolution for the councils, which at their inception a dozen years ago were seen as potentially powerless because they held no real voting authority in city matters. But through wider participation and exerting a louder voice, observers say, they are now fulfilling the influential role envisioned for them when voters revised the City Charter in 1999.

“This is what it was meant to be,” said Raphael Sonenshein, executive director of the Pat Brown Institute at California State University, Los Angeles, and who served as the top aide to the appointed Charter Reform Commission.

“They were meant to be a strong community voice and weigh in on major issues. It might be annoying (to the City Council, but the whole idea was to create a different form of review and allow the community to weigh in.”

The street bond proposal from Councilmen Mitch Englander and Joe Buscaino provided the perfect vehicle for neighborhood councils to weigh in.
Englander and Buscaino proposed on a Friday afternoon to have the council vote the following week to place the bond on the May 21 ballot, without any formal staff reports and only sketchy details on the cost for the public.

Neighborhood council groups, starting with the Los Angeles Alliance of Neighborhood Councils, and supported by the Valley Alliance and others, called for a 60-day delay to allow time for review of the proposal. City Council offices began receiving telephone calls of protest from homeowners. The public outcry forced the council to (more…)

Tags: angeles city, bond proposal, california state university, city charter, community voice, council groups, councilmen, englander, los angeles city government, neighborhood councils, raphael sonenshein, strong community

Comments (0)

TOP

Preliminary Results for Mission Hills NC Elections

Aug 05

From http://empowerla.org/mhnc/mission-hills-nc-elections/

At-Large Directors	JESSE M. MARTINEZ CLINT C. SCOTT
Residential Homeowner Directors *	OTTO KLINGER RAYMOND X. GARCIA
Residential Renter Governors	DEBRA DALTON
Business Owner Governors	CRAIG B. FORRY
Youth Governor	ROBERTO MARTIN
Employee Governor	VACANT – no candidates
Business Property Owner Governor	VACANT – no candidates

*Residential Homeowner Directors is a Tie.Tie votes shall be resolved by drawing straws immediately after the canvassing of votes if all candidates or their designated representatives are present or within 2 calendar days with notice provided on the Department website. The IEA or other Department staff will conduct the tie resolution in public view and candidates or their designated representatives will be requested to be present. ~ NC 2012 Election Procedure Sec. XIV.
Click here to download Canvass of Votes (pdf)

Comments (0)

TOP

Paper or Plastic (or Reusable)? Weigh in on the L.A. Bag Debate

Sep 24

The City of Los Angeles is proposing to adopt and implement an ordinance to ban the use of single-use plastic carryout bags, charge a fee on paper bags, and promote the use of reusable bags at specified retailers within the City. A six-month grace period would be provided for large retailers and a one-year grace period would be provided for small retailers, which would include a public education component.

The City of Los Angeles has completed an Initial Study which indicates that the proposed project may result in significant impacts and therefore an Environmental Impact Report will be prepared.

The Notice of Preparation and Initial Study are available for public review from September 20, 2012 to October 19, 2012. If you would like to comment, please send your written comments so that they are received no later than October 19, 2012 to:

Daniel Hackney, Program Manager
Bureau of Sanitation,
1149 S. Broadway, 5^th Floor
Los Angeles, California 90015

The City of Los Angeles, Bureau of Sanitation will hold meetings to receive public input on the proposed project and the Initial Study, as follows:

October 2, 2012, 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm – Ronald F. Deaton Auditorium (in Police Administration Building), 100 W. 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
October 3, 2012, 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm - Wilmington Recreation Center (Multi-Purpose Room), 325 N Neptune Ave, Wilmington, CA 90744
October 4, 2012, 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm - Cheviot Hills Recreation Center Auditorium, 2551 Motor Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90064
October 10, 2012, 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm - Van Nuys City Hall, 14410 Sylvan Street, Van Nuys, CA 91401

The Initial Study is available for review at the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation at 1149 S. Broadway, 5^th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90015, www.lacitysan.org under What’s New…, and at the following public libraries:

Central Library, 630 W. 5^th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071
Van Nuys Branch Library, 6250 Sylmar Ave., Van Nuys, CA 91401
West L. A. Regional Branch Library, 11360 Santa Monica Bl., Los Angeles, CA 90025
San Pedro Regional Branch Library, 931 S. Gaffey Street, San Pedro, CA 90731

Thank you for your participation.

Comments (0)

TOP

Neighborhood Council Elections: Beyond the Ballot Box

Aug 10

From http://empowerla.org/neighborhood-council-elections-beyond-the-ballot-box/

Voters in the Northeast Valley turned out for the first of 11 regional Neighborhood Council elections, exceeding expectations and raising the standard for participatory democracy.

It was just two months ago that the City Council passed the ordinance that empowered the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment to partner with Neighborhood Councils in conducting their elections. Sylmar, Pacoima, Foothill Trails District, Sunland-Tujunga, Panorama City, Mission Hills, Arleta, and Sun Valley Area Neighborhood Councils worked together to engage voters and stir interest in the elections and in the greater goal of regional connectivity.

At the end of the polling day, five Neighborhood Councils had exceeded their 2010 voter participation and two had historic high turnouts. Arleta failed to muster the necessary candidates to warrant an election and will be conducting a Board Affirmation in late August.

photo by Glenn Bailey

Statistical highlights include a Candidates per Open Seat ratio that was up 42.09 % and a Voters to Open Seat ratio that was up 29.84 %. There were 39 contested seats and 39 volunteer poll workers, stirring voter participation and demonstrating community support.

EmpowerLA’s approach to the elections was to move beyond the Ballot Box, aiming for greater regional connectivity, long-term outreach strategies, significant voter engagement, and opportunities to participate beyond polling day.

On all counts, participating Neighborhood Councils can say they went beyond the Ballot Box.

The eight participating Neighborhood Councils grew tighter as the election day grew closer, covering for each other and allowing successful strategies to resonate.

Outreach strategies include the Rally in the Valley, Candidate Workshops, Leadership Academy, Daily News and LA Times editorials, and a wide variety of traditional Direct Mail and Print campaigns complemented by everything from lawn signs to handbills to Candidate Corrals filled with passionate candidates and supporters.

photo by Glenn Bailey

Voters were given the opportunity to go beyond the ballot box with an EmpowerLA survey that yielded a 38% success rate and allowed voters to weigh in on the issues that drew them to the polls.

The issues that are most important to voters are Public Safety (58%), Zoning & Land Use (40%), Planning & Development (29%), and Youth Programs (24%).

Voters indicate that they heard about the elections from the Candidates (56%), Board Members (31%), Council meetings (30%), and Council Newsletters (18%).

Volunteers, Election Hours, and Polling Locations all received high marks (52%, 54%, 67% respectively) while 22% called for better outreach and 13% wanted more signage.

Voters at several polling places were given an opportunity to engage beyond the polling place, by signing up for Neighborhood Council committees, by enlisting as participants on community projects, and by joining the EmpowerLA elections team as volunteers.

The Official results for Sylmar, Pacoima, Foothill Trails District, Sunland-Tujunga, Panorama City, Mission Hills, and Sun Valleycan be found at EmpowerLA.org.

Comments (0)

TOP