Community Cheers “Very Major” Council Vote to Improve Neighborhood Empowerment

That big sigh of relief you heard this morning was from the city’s 91 neighborhood councils, who cheered a vote by the City Council Wednesday on a motion to they say will strengthen community empowerment.

The motion, by Councilmember Paul Krekorian, chair of the Education and Neighborhoods Committee, restored five positions to the embattled Department of Neighborhood Empowerment (DONE) and transfered $1.3 million to it from the Community Development Department (CDD).

“This is a budget-neutral action that does not cost taxpayers a dime, but still allows the department to function in support of neighborhood councils,” Krekorian said. “DONE’s budget and staffing have been decimated of late, so this fiscally prudent move was an important step to strengthen community participation in governance.”

In fact, DONE itself was close to decimation after the mayor proposed rolling the department into CDD during this year’s budget negotiations. Neighborhood councils railed against that proposal, fearing it would be the death knell for the community empowerment department after its funding – and staff positions – had been steadily siphoned off.

Community empowerment: Alive and well in L.A.

Council Nixes DONE Consolidation

Today, at the behest of Councilmember Paul Krekorian, the City Council voted 12-0 against the mayor’s proposal to consolidate the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment and the Community Development Department.

Councilmember Paul Krekorian during a Los Angeles City Council meeting.

This action followed months of debate in the Education and Neighborhoods Committee, which Krekorian chairs, and will be followed by many more meetings throughout the city to determine the future of neighborhood councils. Read more about this ongoing debate from our past live-blogs: here, here and here.

In addition to opposing the consolidation, Krekorian introduced an amendment that instructs the city’s Chief Administrative Officer to ensure DONE can continue serving neighborhood councils:

A proposal to reorganize DONE and improve support to the Neighborhood Councils is going to require additional time to work with the City staff and receive input from stakeholders.

To ensure continued support for the Neighborhood Councils, I move to instruct the CAO to report back in 15 days to the Education and Neighborhoods Committee and the Budget and Finance Committee with a proposal to continue operating DONE as a standalone Department for up to six months while the Council and Mayor develop a new organization structure for DONE. It should be the goal of this proposal to ensure cost neutrality, but the CAO should report, in any event, on any budgetary impacts.

Stay tuned to CD2Policy for updates on what lies ahead for neighborhood councils and, as always, let us know your thoughts.

What Lies Ahead for the Proposal: Live-blogging the E & N Committee meeting

Councilmembers Paul Krekorian and Janice Hahn listen as residents chime in on the consolidation proposal, June 4, 1010

1:47: Councilmember Paul Krekorian, head of the Education and Neighborhoods committee, kicks-off the meeting, apologizing for the late start due to the conclusion of today’s City Council meeting. There is one item on the agenda, and on everyone’s mind today: Whether the council should adopt the mayor’s proposal to consolidate the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment (DONE) and the Community Development Department (CDD). First up is mayoral aide Aaron Gross.

1:51 Gross: “I think we established the need to look at the future of neighborhood councils (NCs)…we need to figure out the next steps to best serve NCs.” [During last week’s committee meeting, about two-dozen NC members spoke against the proposal. No one spoke in favor of it.]

1:56: Gross and, by extension the mayor, signal a willingness to go back to the drawing board. “We will put a halt on the 45-day clock and discuss with the community when is the appropriated place to start a new process.” Per the city charter, the council has 45 days to act on the consolidation. If no action is taken, the consolidation would go into effect.

2:00: Krekorian, who has been driving the debate, agrees and says he wants to develop a “consensus vision…for how we can move forward, more effectively.” He goes on to say he wants to work with the mayor’s office to develop a broader vision with NCs and wants to set up a dialog across the city “in the coming weeks and months…before we have a complete architecture on the larger policy.”

2:03 Committee member Councilmember Janice Hahn speaks of her trepidation about the proposed consolidation. “I feel like we’re doing this backwards,” she said. “We should have been getting the input of NCs…to focus on the future of NCs. I think we’ve wasted a lot of time and money working on a proposal that was not well thought out.”

2:09 Hahn said, “If we don’t have a positive, good thought-out plan, NC funding will run out.” Krekorian clarifies that NC funding is not part of the discussion and will not be affected by this proposal.

2:13 Mayor isn’t rescinding the consolidation idea, Gross says, but it’s one proposal and there are a number of other ideas out there. What are yours?

2:15 Krekorian proposes disapproval of mayor’s proposal. “That will be the end of that,” he says. Going forward, he vows to work with the mayor on a new proposal, but will start with input from NCs, other council offices, etc. “We will drive the policy making, but will do so with the mayor.”

2:18 Gross vows mayoral participation with the council, in general, and with this committee, specifically.

2:25 It’s public comment with those in attendance hoping NCs remain part of the discussion to shape their future and one resident calling for outgoing DONE GM, BH Kim, to stay on to oversee whatever transition takes place.

2:36 Krekorian officially recommends the committee deny the mayor’s proposal and, going forward, “draw input from the 91 NCs.”

2:48 Committee continues to hear public comment…

2:53 Meeting is adjourned. Stay tuned for how the committee intends to work with NCs throughout L.A. to ensure they remain viable, efficient and important stewards of local democracy. Thanks for following this live-blog and, as always, we welcome your comments.

Neighborhood Council Elections Today – Find Out Where to Vote

Hello and welcome to neighborhood council election day. In this morning’s Daily News, Councilmember Paul Krekorian had this to say in an opinion piece:

THROUGHOUT the San Fernando Valley today, neighbors will be coming together to select their community’s leadership in neighborhood council elections. The results of this latest step forward toward neighborhood empowerment will impact our communities for years to come.

Neighborhood council members play an active role in shaping the present and future of our community. The neighborhood councils are critical partners for me and my staff as we serve the people of the Valley, and they help inform my thinking about development, transportation, quality of life and public safety in my work in City Hall.

Every Valley resident who wants a say in shaping the future of our community should participate in these neighborhood elections.

Read the whole piece by clicking here.

If you live or do business in Reseda, Tarzana, Lake Balboa, Encino, Van Nuys, Sherman Oaks, Greater Valley Glen, Mid-Town North Hollywood, Valley Village, Studio City and/or Greater Toluca Lake, you may vote from 2 to 8 p.m.

A complete list of polling locations is after the jump:

Live Blogging the Education and Neighborhoods Committee Meeting

Councilmembers Paul Krekorian (l) and Dennis Zine (r) take questions from neighborhood council members during the Education and Neighborhood Committee meeting, May 26, 2010.

3:30 Hello and welcome to another live blog from the office of Councilmember Paul Krekorian. For information on this website, click here or visit cd2.lacity.org.

3:43 Mayor’s office detailing consolidation proposal and touts “interactive” new website they say are the direct result of collaboration b/n neighborhood councils and city.

3:45 Mayor’s office now describing problems DONE is having. The “perfect storm” consists of: economy; controller’s audit that “spoke to lack of accountability, lack of controls…that didn’t paint NCcs in the light they deserved to be painted.”; DONE is almost entirely made up of work staff not protected by union agreements. i.e., they could be fired.

3:50 Mayor’s office says CDD is doing some of the same things DONE has done. “CDD would be a good partner,” he said, “Because we are  already in the community.”

3:54 As staff continues to sing the praises of consolidation, let us introduce ourselves. This is a live-blog from the staff of Councilmember Paul Krekorian. We do this in an attempt to increase transparency and accountability. Today’s meeting will take up the proposed consolidation of DONE, the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment, into CDD. Check the agenda of the meeting here. (.pdf).

3:58 Krekorian asks: What is the anticipated cost savings the mayor expects to realize?  The answer: $1.5 million annually. Krekorian presses for more specificity. “I’ve heard that number, but I have not seen the breakdown,” he said.

4:01 Most of the cost reductions come from the drastic cut in staffing – from 36 to 18 – of DONE.

4:04 Before I can consider supporting something like this, “I wanna have a high level of confidence the budget savings are real,” CM Krekorian said. i.e.: Prove to us we will actually save money.

4:07 Mayor’s office says best use of DONE staff, with consolidation, would not be to attend NC meetings but to “sit in an office and provide answers.” Says that many NC’s are high functioning and don’t need city staff there to watch, “except to observe the amazing projects they are doing.”

4:11 Councilmember Zine, a member of the committee, is skeptical that the city will realize a robust amount of savings. “How much of it is real money, how much of it is fluff money?” he asks. “The $1.5 million doesn’t seem like much. I thought it would be a substantial cost savings.”

4:15 Krekorian calls the proposed consolidation a “roll of the dice” and says it could “endanger” the future of neighborhood councils. “That’s a risk I’m not willing to take,” he said.

Tell Us What You Think About the Future of Neighborhood Councils

Mayor Antonio Villaraiogsa has proposed consolidating the Community Development Department into the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment, which many of you know as DONE.

This is a potentially historic moment for neighborhood councils as it could prove to be a monumental fork-in-the-road for the future of neighborhood empowerment. Tell us what you think of the proposal by taking this poll and feel free to give us your ideas in the comments section on how to reform DONE.

Neighborhood Elections Approaching

Neighborhood Council elections are fast approaching for many communities in CD2, including Mid-town North Hollywood, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Valley Glen and Van Nuys. The elections, slated for Thursday, May 27, from 2 to 8 p.m., will allow you to have a say on issues that affect your neighborhood on a daily basis. For more information, email our office and please don’t forget to vote!

City Receives Slight Boost from Council Funds

On April 14, 2010, councilmembers Bernard Parks and Paul Krekorian led the charge in the City Council when they pushed to transfer nearly $4.5 million in council funds to L.A.’s General Fund. The motion was part of a series of steps each council district is taking to share in the sacrifice of this recessionary period to balance Los Angeles’ budget.

As noted, in addition to the $455,140 in CD2 funds due to be transfered, Councilmember Krekorian is also in the process of transferring $340,860 to the general fund. In total, $800,000 in funds alloted to CD2 – money that had been reserved for specific projects in our district – will now be used to ease the heavy fiscal burden under which Los Angeles sits right now.

(Note that the reference to AB 1290 refers to a 1993 Assembly Bill that reformed the process by which city’s can apply for redevelopment funds. More info on that can be found here.)

The motion, which was passed without dissent, reads, in part:

I MOVE that the matter of the communication from the City Administrative Officer on the Fourth Financial Status Report for Fiscal Year 2009-10 and the Budget and Finance Committee report relative to the Fourth Financial Status Report for Fiscal Year 2009-10, Item 3 on today’s Council Agenda (C.F. 09-0600-S203), be AMENDED by substituting Recommendation 4 of the Budget and Finance Committee report with the following:

4. INSTRUCT the Community Redevelopment Agency (Agency) Chief Executive Officer, or designee, with regard to the use of Assembly Bill CAB) 1290 funds as part of the $12 million transfer in Council Funds pursuant to Council File 09-0853, to:

a. TRANSFER $4,497,382.72 in available AB1290 funds to the City’s General Fund. The funds will come from the project areas within the following Council Districts, to be determined by the Councilmember. (After the transfer amount is incorporated into the City’s General Fund, the AB1290 funds will not be transferred back to the Agency)

Paul on Which Way L.A.?

On April 7, Councilmember Krekorian appeared on KCRW’s Which Way L.A.? with Warren Olney. On the program, he shared his thoughts on ways the city can move forward collectively without denigrating our core services. Paul proceeded the mayor, who offered his thoughts on the budget as well.

Selected quotations from Paul include:

Which Way L.A.?

“The [DWP] rate increase proposal that was put forth was not acceptable to begin with. It had not been sufficiently transparently proposed and wasn’t defensible, in my view, on the merits.”

“In the three months I’ve been here, I’ve been trying to have a dialog with general managers and others about what this city’s core services are and have us focus, not on picking a number of employees to lay off or picking some other way we as a council should compel a reduction in cost, but rather turning to our general managers – smart people who know how to run their departments – and saying, We need to reach a certain level of cost reduction, what’s the best way to do that? That hasn’t been the process that’s going on.”

“There is a need for an immediate solution…but we need to focus on what the core services of this city are…to keep this city functional.”

Listen to Councilmember Krekorian on Which Way L.A.? and chime in below with your thoughts on the budget.

Streamlining DONE, a Live Blog

4:18: Meeting adjourned with more discussion to come next week. In the interim, please feel free to contribute your thoughts in the comments section. Thank you for following.

4:08: CDD will  get a chance next week to weigh in on this issue.

4:02: Modernizing the way NCs pay for their goods and events, while ensuring maximum accountability, is on the table here.

3:55: On to item #4 (item #3 was skipped), concerning NC bank cards, which CM Zine just called a “fail safe solution.”

3:49: CM Krekorian responds to angst of some NC members who complain that their funds are being used to pay down the city’s deficit: “Neighborhood Councils  are of immense benefit in terms of energy, eyes and ears and many other aspects. The city of Los Angeles benefits from their vitality. Whatever we do that causes a reduction in rollover [and] detracts from their ability to do what they’re doing, hurts our constituents and hurts our city. Sadly, that’s true of most everything in our budget, but we’re doing our best to wade through.”

3:40: Committee moves to item #2, which concerns the subject of NC rollover funds.

3:27: With public comment over, CM Krekorian looks to ensure details of the transition are finalized. He wants the staffing requirements needed for the transitional period formalized as well as the time line for when CDD will take over DONE.

3:11: The first public commenter is Mike O’Gara from Sun Valley NC. His message is clear: “DONE needs a general manager.”

3:03: Al Abrams, of the Board of Neighborhood Commissioners: A lot of the ‘problems’ DONE has had comes from the fact that residents have not had the ability to weigh in. “The systemic failures can be traced back to that…but there is tremendous value in this potential merger.”