Minutes Detail
Wednesday, June 7th, 2006

I. Call to Order at 7:05
Roll Call:
Attending: Borstein, Kohler, Rivera, Hradec, Choi, Millar, Le Vin, Rothe-Kushel, Gold, Dickstein, Dake, Lopez L, Lyon, Miller, Bougart-Sharkov, Hittelman
Absent: Daddio, Lopez M, Wentzel, Nason, Kells
About 50 stakeholders present

II. Approval of Minutes: Motion (Lyon) to approve minutes of May 3, 2006 with revisions to show 18 stakeholders present and to correct typographical errors, adopted by unanimous voice vote.

III. Correspondence:
a. Sunland Tujunga Neighborhood Council – Subject: Community opposition to a Home Depot opening at 8040 Foothill Blvd, Sunland
b. Board of IT Commissioners – Subject: Announcing a set of meetings of Cable Television Franchise Renewal
c. Copy of a letter to Councilmember Garcetti from Descanso Neighbor about the Regency Manor

IV. Public Comment on Non-Agenda Items:
Mitchell Eisenberg: SLNC should require the use of microphones to help everyone hear eachother.
LAFD Battalion 2 Coordinator Ruben McDavid: Described the Fire Department’s plan for enforcement on Red Flag Days, as provided for in LA Code 80-72. The problem is that big fire trucks can’t enter narrow streets. On the night before Red Flag days, which have a known high fire risk, the media will announce that towing will be done on designated streets, cars will be flyered, and cars will be towed if necessary.

V. Special Presentations & Reports
a. Thomas Starr King Middle School: Students from the Leadership Class along with their faculty advisor, Emmanuel (Manny) Olmedilla.
b. Hollywood Beautification Team (HBT): Sharon Romano: Presented the green building design for HBT’s new headquarters by Gruen Associates. Their next step is to go to structural engineering.
c. CD 4 Update: Patricia Malone, Councilmember Tom LaBonge: described current issues including the anti-“mansionization” ordinance, transportation corridor planning, Griffith Observatory re-opening.
VI. Reports of Officers:
a. Co-Chair (Lopez/Rivera): Lopez: Attended CD13 NC leadership meeting. Announced the Great Hollywood Walk-about. Rivera: Reminded board members to be cordial and respectful of the members in email.
b. Vice-Chair (Daddio): no report
c. Treasurer (LeVin): Budget for 2006-07 will be presented next month, asked to hear requests for funding from committee chairs.
d. Secretary (Dake): reported the recording device is operating.

VII. New Business
a. MOTION [Beautification] Tabled: To purchase a steam cleaner for Hollywood Beautification Team (HBT) in exchange for quarterly steam cleaning services in our business districts. This service will improve our pedestrian walkways, bolster businesses and support HBT, a group that has improved Silver Lake stakeholders’ quality of life in a myriad of ways.
MSP (Dake) to table, by unanimous voice vote.
b. MOTION [Beautification] MSP: The SLNC agrees to adopt and pay for an ArtCan to be placed at 2898 Rowena, in front of the SLNC office, and the Beautification Committee will create a schedule for all SLNC committees to be responsible for servicing the can each week. Adopted by unanimous voice vote.
c. MOTION [GA] MSP: To accept volunteers from the Board who plan to attend the Congress of Neighborhoods to serve as the SLNC’s Electors at the East Area Caucus to Select Nominees to the Neighborhood Council Review Commission. If more than five Board members plan to attend the Congress and wish to act as Electors, we will hold a lottery by drawing slips of paper from a hat, only five of which will indicate the bearer is an Elector. (Note: Board members and members of the public may attend the Caucus and make nominations for the Commission, but only Electors may vote on the nominees.)
AYES: Borstein, Kohler, Rivera, Hradec, Millar, Le Vin, Rothe-Kushel, Gold, Dickstein, Dake, Lopez L, Lyon, Miller, Bougart-Sharkov, Hittelman, Kells
NEAS: none
ABSTAINING: Choi
5 SLNC Board members state they wish to act as electors: Miller, Millar, Lyon, Lopez L, Bougart-Sharkov; and several other board members state that they plan to attend.

d. MOTION [Lyon] MSP: To instruct the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment (DONE) to direct all official email correspondence, such as newsletters, updates, financial reports, and requests for action to the board@silverlakenc.org address, which includes all current Board members and committee chairs. AYES: Borstein, Kohler, Rivera, Hradec, Choi, Millar, Rothe-Kushel, Gold, Dickstein, Dake, Lopez L, Lyon, Bougart-Sharkov, Hittelman, Kells
NEAS: Le Vin
ABSTAINING: Miller

e. MOTION [Elections] MSP: That the SLNC Governing Board approves the Election Committee Procedures for 2006, and asks DONE for clarification on the number of Election Committee members, and asks the Election Committee to correct the contact info for Laura Dwan and Rusty Millar.
Public Comment:
Milt Rosenberg: the number of election committee members is not the number shown in the bylaws, so there may be a violation of bylaws.
AYES: Borstein, Kohler, Rivera, Hradec, , Millar, Le Vin, Rothe-Kushel, Gold, Dickstein, Dake, Lopez L, Lyon, Miller, Bougart-Sharkov, Hittelman, Kells
NEAS: none
ABSTAINING: Choi

f. MOTION [EC] MSP: The Governing Board requests that each Committee Chair offer to the Secretary, if they desire, a piece of writing, such as a one page summary, about their work from November 1, 2005 to May 31, 2006 that will be used in combination with the Governing Board minutes to prepare the SLNC mid-year report. Adopted by unanimous voice vote.

Le Vin Departed
g. MOTION (Dake) Tabled: The Silver Lake Neighborhood Council supports the second phase of the implementation of the Silver Lake Reservoir Master Plan: Silver Lake Blvd Improvement. The project as proposed by the Los Angeles Department of Public Works is a walk constructed on the west side of Silver Lake Blvd from Armstrong St to Van Pelt Place.
Public Comment:
Ruth Ross: Presented a plan for the trees that she had received in the mail.
Paul Apostle: Objects to the construction impacts on existing trees, and prefers that a new walk like that on W. Silver Lake Dr be constructed.
Dion Neutra: The path segment north of Earl could be moved into the reservoir because there is space, and south of Earl it can be placed in toward the road from the wall to save trees. Also that the brush is valuable.
Motion to Table (Hittelman) adopted by unanimous voice vote.
h. MOTION (GA) MSP: The SLNC GB approves the attached letter from the GA Committee to Council President Garcetti pertaining to illegal vending. Motion (Hittelman) MSP to adopt the letter with these amendments: delete the paragraph beginning “There are areas within…”, and amend the final paragraph change ‘curtail’ to ‘address’, change ‘problem’ to ‘concern’.
AYES: Borstein, Kohler, Rivera, Hradec, Choi, Millar, Rothe-Kushel, Gold, Dickstein, , , Lyon, Miller, Bougart-Sharkov, Hittelman, Kells
NEAS: Dake
ABSTAINING: Lopez L

June 7, 2006

Honorable Eric Garcetti
Los Angeles City Council President
200 N. Spring St
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Dear Council President Garcetti:

The Silver Lake Neighborhood Council requests that your office take the necessary steps to enforce the existing municipal codes regarding illegal street vending. There are several areas of violation in our neighborhood, which have been brought to your staff’s attention over the past 2 ½ years. Of particular concern is the intersection of Silver Lake Blvd and Bellevue, where a virtual flea market has sprung up. This and other areas constitue a nuisance to the community. They are also a cause of traffic congestion, as well as accumulation of trash and bulky items which are left behind by many of the vendors, and which require repeated pick-up by the neighboring residents and business owners.

We urge you and your office to take a proactive approach to address this concern, which affects the entire community.

Sincerely,

Rusty Millar
SLNC Region 4 Representative

Jeff Hradec
SLNC Region 3 Representative

i. MOTION (UD&PAC) MSP: A) The SLNC adopts the UD&PAC recommendations regarding the proposed restoration, rehabilitation and conversion project on 918-928½ Maltman Ave. B) / The SLNC Gov. Board approves the UD&PAC Letter to City Planning Department - AA, regarding 918-928½ Maltman Ave.
Public Comment:
Erika Sellin: lives on Maltman. Supports the restoration of the Bungalow Court, but is troubled by the process and uncertainty of development caused by the provisions of the small lot ordinance. Recommends Item 4 as a recommendation rather than suggestion.
Joan Mead: Long time resident of the project, appreciates the process undertaken by the developer.
Michael Perrick: lives adjacent to the project. Recommends the SLNC vote against the UD&P committee recommendations.
Janet Tubbs lives at 922.5 Maltman: Neighbors to the project did not get flyers. Tenants rights should be in the SLNC’s recommendations, and the Fire dept requirements are not addressed adequately. Does not support the project.
Bohdon Zachery, lives in Region 6, and supports the project
Gale Jaffe: lives next door to project: and supports the project.
Marybeth Herbener: Supports the project
Barbara James: Lives in the project and supports the project.
Allen Cox: Lives in the Project and supports the project
Mick McCollough: Lives next door to the project and is supportive of the project
Lisa Schwartz: Supports the project
Michael Couto: Says the Bellevue Park Neighborhood Association supports the project
Glenn Gritzner: Supports the project
Paul Gleason: Supports the project
Mott Smith: Member of the development team. Distribution of flyers extended to the whole block, the fire dept approved the design, the tenants are protected by the Rent stabilization ordinance and are provided more notice prior to possible eviction than required, and he committed to allow all the tenants to buy at below market prices.
Matt Allen: supports the project
Carl Cade: supports the project
Steve Clark: supports the project
AYES: Borstein, Kohler, Hradec, Choi, Millar, Le Vin, Rothe-Kushel, Gold, Dickstein, Dake, Lopez L., Lyon, Miller, Bougart-Sharkov
NEAS: none
ABSTAINING: Hittelman

j. MOTION (Beautification) MSP: To replace verbal Committee Reports with 1-minute Committee Introductions to be presented at the earliest position on the agenda.
AYES: Borstein, Kohler, Hradec, Choi,Rothe-Kushel, Gold, Dickstein, Dake, Lopez L, Lyon, Miller, Bougart-Sharkov
NEAS: Millar, Hittelman
ABSTAINING: none

k. MOTION (Borstein/Dake) MSP: To request SLNC to send letter to Western Realty (company that manages Ralph’s Shopping Center). Letter includes a set of recommendations agreed upon by subcommittee that already met and discussed above with Ms. Arroyo (rep. from Western Realty) that would improve safety and will also create healthier environmental conditions in the shopping center. A more functional and more esthetically pleasing shopping area in turn will appeal to a wider customer base and will also result in more repeat business. And ask authors of the letter to amend it to address the back of the center. Adopted by unanimous voice vote.

May 17, 2006

Western Realty
Att: Laurie Arroyo
2760 E. Spring St, Suite 200
Long Beach, CA 90806-2257

Ms Arroyo:

Thanks very much for taking the time to meet with Glen Dake and I to discuss the potential for esthetic and safety improvements of the shopping center you manage at Fletcher and Glendale Blvd. We appreciate that you undertake the effort and expense to maintain and clean the sidewalks once each week, and that a security guard is on duty from 2pm to 10pm. The 40,000 residents of Silver Lake who enjoy shopping your center, you and your merchant tenants are each Silver Lake Neighborhood Council stakeholders so we appreciate that your customers and ours are the same. We can work in partnership to make Silver Lake a better place, and a good place to do business.

The Silver Lake Neighborhood Council would like to ask you in partnership with your tenant merchants consider taking these additional steps to strengthen the shopping environment for your customers:
• Post a security guard for all night hours during which shops are open.
• Conduct more frequent trash handling and litter removal, so that trash cans are not overflowing and litter is not on site.
• Add more trashcans, in particular you can participate in the SLNC’s “ArtCan” program.
• Steam clean the parking lot and sidewalk quarterly.
• Repaint the buildings and the wall between the parking lot and Glendale Blvd, and the sign posts in attractive colors and in high quality paint.
• Increase enforcement to reduce vagrancy in the parking lot.
• Improve the appearance and function of the parking lot entry near KFC.

We’d also suggest that we collaborate to add many more trees to the parking lot. We know that extending irrigation to planting areas is expensive, but not in comparison to the cost of managing an employee to hand-water the plants. There are several places in the existing parking and circulation pattern where a tree in a planter could be placed without deleting a parking spot. Existing Rapheolepsis planted near Starbucks are an example of a hardy, flowering, small tree that could be planted in more places around the center.

Thank you very much for your time,

Sincerely,



Judy Borstein
Silver Lake Neighborhood Council

xc. Council President Eric Garcetti

l. Consent Agenda Motion (Dake) to adopt, adopted by unanimous voice vote:
a. MOTION [EC]: To ask DONE for a standardized format through which to submit the required self-assessment (and for a sample completed assessment) and to complete our self-assessment only after receiving such a template and sample assessment.
b. MOTION [EC]: That the SLNC will engage in a review of its goals by convening a goals review meeting on June 24, 2006 from 10am to 12pm.
c. MOTION [UD&PAC]: The SLNC Gov. Board approves the UD&PAC letter to the Office of ZA/ City Planning Department, regarding proposed conversion of the “Bates Motel” into “Silver Lake Hotel”.
d. MOTION [Lyon]: To create a new Standing Rule designating the SLNC website as an ninth required public posting location, therefore ensuring that all agendas and minutes are noticed there in accordance with the Brown Act.
e. MOTION [GA/UD&PAC]: To submit Councilmember LaBonge’s call for a comprehensive traffic study on Hyperion St. and Rowena Ave., and to call for its expansion to include other major corridors in the region: Griffith Park Blvd. between Hyperion and Sunset; Silver Lake Blvd. between Sunset and Glendale Blvd. and Glendale between Rowena and the SR2 terminus.

m. Committee Reports [1-minute report by each committee]
a. Arts &Culture (Dujon)
b. Beautification (Johnson/Magana)
c. Budget & Finance (LeVin)
d. City Attorney’s NC Roundtable Representative (Choi/Kolher)
e. Community Liaison/Outreach (Dickstein) Thanks Bea, Dorsay, Genelle, and Dorit for helping out at recent fair.
f. DWP Task Force Representative (Millar) There will be a meeting room at the Congress of NC’s.
g. Election Committee (LeVin)
h. Governmental Affairs (Lyon): will be addressing DWP water rate hike. Issues meeting will be on Election Kick-off.
i. History Collective (Gold): Camera purchase is done, meeting is on Sunday at Bea’s house.
j. LANC Congress Representative (Miller/Nason)
k. Mayor’s Budget Task Force Representative (Levin/Dawn)
l. Neighborhood Pride Initiative (Revkin)
m. Parks & Green Space (Kells)
n. Planning MOU Task Force Representative (Bougart-Sharkov/Lyon): June 11 meeting will cover the responsibilities of NC’s.
o. Public Safety & Crime Prevention (Miller)
p. Silver Lake Reservoir Master Plan Phase II Representative (Dickstein/Gold)
q. Transportation (Millar): Lots of work going on relative to Apex cut-through traffic
r. Urban Design & Preservation (Bougart-Sharkov)
s. Youth & Families (Kells)
n. Agenda Items for Next Meeting: none
o. Announcements: none
p. Adjournment: MSP (Rivera) to adjorn 9:55