Minutes Detail
Wednesday, May 4th, 2005

CITY OF LOS ANGELES
SILVER LAKE
NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL
OFFICERS

Roberto Haraldson
Jason Lyon
CO-CHAIRS
Michael Locke
VICE-CHAIR
Laura Dwan
TREASURER
Gena Nason
SECRETARY CALIFORNIA
SILVER LAKE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL

2898 Rowena Avenue, Suite 101
Los Angeles, CA. 90039


TELEPHONE: (323) 661-SLNC (7562)
FAX: (323) 661-7564

GOVERNING BOARD
Regular Meeting Minutes
Wednesday, May 4, 2005 7 PM
Micheltorena Street Elementary School
1511 Micheltorena Street
(just North of Sunset Blvd.)

Our meetings rely on input from the stakeholders of Silver Lake. Stakeholders are requested to fill out a “Speaker Card” to address the Board on any item of the agenda prior to the Board taking action on that item. Comments from the public on Agenda items will be heard only when the respective item is being considered. Comments from the public on other matters not appearing on the Agenda, but which are within the Board’s subject matter jurisdiction, will be heard during the Public Comment period. Public comment is limited to 2 minutes per speaker, unless waived by the presiding co-chair of the Board.

Agenda is posted for public review at City Council District 13 Field Office and throughout Silver Lake. Internet users can sign up to receive agendas and minutes via the city’s Early Notification System at http://parc3.lacity.org/ens/index.cfm?dept=ensnc.

As a covered entity under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Los Angeles does not discriminate on the basis of disability and upon request, will provide reasonable accommodation to ensure equal access to its programs, services, and activities. Sign language interpreters, assistive listening devices, or other auxiliary aids and/or services may be provided upon request. Interpreters are also available in seven languages. To ensure availability of services, please make your request at least 3 business days prior to the meeting you wish to attend by contacting the SLNC Secretary Gena Nason at (323) 660-8472 or via email at genanason@yahoo.com. Si necesita un interprete en español, favor de communicarse con Jacqueline Rivera al telefono (213) 483-4625 o por correo electronico jacqueejr@aol.com, tres dias antes de la junta que se lleva a cabo cada mes.


I. Call to Order & Roll Call at 7:13
Stakeholder attendance: approximately 50
Boardmembers in attendance (absences over last 12 months): Locke (0), Haraldson (0), Rivera (2), R. Dakin (4), Hradec (0), Millar (0), LeVin (0), Gold (0), Willis (3), Dwan (2), Nason (0), Bougart-Sharkov (0), Choi (2), B. Dakin (1), Hittelman (0), Kells (0), Lyon (1), Renahan (5)

Absent: Borstein (2), Lopez (2)

II. Approval of Governing Board Meeting Minutes
a. March 2, 2005 -- approved
b. April 6, 2005 -- approved
c. Special Town Hall Meeting – April 9, 2005 – draft only

III. Correspondence
a. Commission for Children, Youth & Their Families - Children’s Data Report
On record at SLNC office, 2898 Rowena Avenue
b. Personnel Dept. – Survey on Qualities for Director of City Planning
City is hiring – surveys available, please take one
c. Price Listings of City Services that NCs may fund – at SLNC office
d. Expansion of Silver Lake Parking Meter Zone brochure issued by LADOT
e. Sunland-Tujunga NC letter re: local discretion
f. SLRA: Neutra (content attached to end of these minutes)
g. Parking meters letter from stakeholder Michael Perrick
h. Hosts introduced – Cherie Miller, Donna Locke

IV. Public Comment on Non-Agenda Items
Charlie Meyerson and guest from Global Green USA – Renewable energy advocates. Encouraging lower solar power costs. Encouraging SLNC to adopt a motion in which LADWP reaches a goal of 1% of all energy to be generated by solar photovoltaics by the year 2017.

Nora Wright – parent in SL, son is 7th grader at King Middle School. Her son was threatened and sliced with a blade by another student. Wright has learned that many weapons are brought into the school by students. Verbal attacks are frequent as well. Wright met with ACLU, suggested educational programs re: tolerance, Also concerned about slow response from school.

Barnsdall Art Park (Alicia Beach & Eva Hedberg) – Art instructors. Appealing to NCs for support – denied cost of living wage increase by City. They are only looking for a minimal increase. Letter to be presented to Exec Committee in 2 weeks.

V. SPECIAL BUSINESS: PROPOSED BYLAWS AMENDMENTS
(OR IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER, UPON ACHIEVING QUORUM OF 100 STAKEHOLDERS)
The SLNC Bylaws require approval of a majority of at least 100 stakeholders (including Governing Boardmembers). Vote is by show of hands. A “Yes” vote would APPROVE the amendment, thereby changing the SLNC Bylaws. A “No” vote would NOT approve the amendment, thereby leaving the SLNC Bylaws unchanged.

NOTE: QUORUM NOT REACHED – BUSINESS NOT ADDRESSED

Proposed Amendment 1. Would remove the word “unexcused” from the following passage, making it possible, but not mandatory, to remove a Board member for any four absences in a one-year period of time. Currently, a Boardmember may only be considered for removal for four “unexcused” absences within a one-year period.

“Article VII. E.3 Removal by Board: Removal is a grave matter but may be considered for the following:
a. Embezzlement of NC funds.
b. Misappropriation of NC funds
c. Buying or selling votes in Board Member elections.
d. Making or soliciting bribes for votes on particular issues.
e. Four unexcused meeting absences within a one year period of time.
f. No longer a Stakeholder.
g. No longer a Stakeholder in the Region from which one was elected.”

Arguments for:
It really doesn’t matter to the functioning of the Governing Board whether an absence is “excused” or “unexcused.” It is the missing of meetings that is important to the working of the Governing Board – not the cause. Board members are adults, not children, and should not be required to provide excuses for not attending. Board members miss meetings when they have to. Giving reasons for being absent is questioning the loyalty to the SLNC and is not appropriate to an unpaid board. If a member does not attend meetings regularly, he or she may be considered for removal from the Board, as representation is not being provided. Even if the reasons for missing more than four meetings are valid, stakeholders are not being fully represented during those meetings. The Bylaws do not define which absences are excused, and which are unexcused.

Arguments against:
The community deserves to know whether a member missed a meeting because he or she was required to by some circumstance or if the member was just shirking his or his duties. If a member is truly shirking his or her duty by missing meetings without excuse, he or she should be removed from the governing board. As under the current system, if a Board member notifies the co-chairs in advance of an absence, then he/she should be excused and the absence should not be counted against him/her.


Proposed Amendment 2. Would create two new officers on the SLNC Governing Board, a Parliamentarian, and an Archivist/Historian. These officers would be elected by their fellow board members, as current officers are, but would not become members of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee, which supervises administrative responsibilities for the SLNC, will continue to consist of the Co-Chairs, Vice-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer.
“Article IX. A
5. Parliamentarian:
The Parliamentarian shall offering guidance on points of order as requested by the presiding chair.
6. Archivist/Historian
The Archivist/Historian shall be responsible for maintaining a record of the activities of the SLNC and its committees. The primary task of the archivist is to establish and maintain control, both physical and intellectual, over records of enduring value concerning the SLNC.”

“Article X.C.1. Executive Committee: comprised of the Officers Co-Chairs, Vice-Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer of the Governing Board. The Executive Committee plans and organizes Board meetings, and performs other duties as may be prescribed by the Board.”

Arguments for:
These are important responsibilities and should be formalized in the Bylaws. Questions often arise that require a third party to settle questions of proper procedure, which is the function of a Parliamentarian. Robert’s Rules of Order offers specific guidance for when and how to refer to the Parliamentarian. As the SLNC develops more experience and more positions, its activities will need to be clearly recorded for future Boards and stakeholders; an Archivist/Historian will maintain and accurate accounting the Board’s activities during each year.

These roles are not of the level and variety that they should be included in the Executive Committee, which has administrative responsibilities over the day to day operations of the SLNC. Also, making these positions a part of the Executive Committee could mean that a majority of a quorum of the Governing Board would be members of the Executive Committee, giving undue voting power to the committee – something that the SNLC has avoided with all of its committees.

Arguments Against:
The Board can agree to have people do these responsibilities without cementing them into the Bylaws. The Presiding Chair should know Parliamentary procedure and no further guidance should be necessary. The Secretary could also assume responsibilities of Archivist/Historian. There are no firm rules for when/how the Parliamentarian is consulted. If these positions are officers, they should be part of the Executive Committee, even if that gives the committee more voting power on the Governing Board.


Proposed Amendment 3. Would require each Board member to belong to at least one SLNC committee and would grant the Co-Chairs authority to assign committee membership. This amendment would add a new line to the Bylaws.
“Article VII. Governing Board
G. Each Board member is required to serve on at least one committee, as assigned by the SLNC Co-Chairs.”

Arguments for:
Only about half of the 2003-2004 Board members belonged to a committee, despite a desperate need for members on both the Outreach and Community Liaison Committees. The Bylaws require these committees to exist and yet they struggled to make a quorum each month. Committees are the lifeblood of the SLNC, where the real work of the Council happens. Boardmembers who do not belong to a committee may not be engaged in the community between board meetings. Without a close, working knowledge of the work of at least one committee, it is difficult for Board members to really understand or be in touch with the issues of the community. It is also difficult for them to understand the volunteer hours that are required to make committees function successfully. Though every effort will be made to allow Board members to self-assign their committee membership, the Co-Chairs must have the option of assigning membership to insure that committees do not suffer or fail. In addition to the need for more members of the Outreach and Community Liaison Committees in 2003-2004, the Arts & Culture committee had no members and held only one or two meetings.

Arguments against:
This is an all-volunteer Board. No Board member should be required to do anything he or she does not want to do. A Board member may have valid reasons for not belonging to a committee, or may only have time to attend one meeting a month. Volunteer work that is not freely given will not be very successful. Requiring membership will create resentments and fatigue. The Co-Chairs should not have the authority to compel a member to belong to a committee he or she does not want to attend. If a committee fails to exist, its mission may not be very important to stakeholders. Committees may also be consolidated if membership lags.

VI. Special Presentations & Reports
a. Department of Transportation: Proposed Installation of Parking Meters on Sunset, Silver Lake, Glendale and Hyperion Blvds. (NOTE: SLNC Governing Board may take action on this item.)
Brian Gallagher, Sr. Transportation Engineer, LADOT, gave background on meter installations in general, they support businesses, do not go in front of residences unless all agree. Rates are determined by studies. Look at turnover, duration, average occupancy. Silver Lake study requested by Chamber. Found enforcement ineffective, high demand and low turnover. Several areas of recommendations: installing new meters, longer limits and hours of operations.

Choi recuses himself.

Questions from stakeholders:
Are you asking residents as well as businesses about these receommendations? That’s why we are here –to get to residents via the NC, which represents you.
How close to the park are you planning on going? On the south side on West Silver Lake Drive, and Van Pelt.
Could we incorporate permit parking into these recommendations? That is kept separate, but meters do help set up the situation.
How do 4-8 hours time limits help? They give p
What goes into installation? The actual meter, the signs, the markings on the street. Will the dept. fix a sidewalk that is unsafe before sticking a meter in? That is handled by a different division.
Is there marking of cars? Yes, but hasn’t helped compliance.
Can we follow money collected by our meters to stay in the area? That is how it is supposed to work.

Public Comment:
Michael Perrick, stakeholders: against parking meters, will be a negative factor in our neighborhood.
Teresa Padua, Hollywood-Sunset Free Clinic – clinic would be affected by meters – the counselors and the doctors work long hours for no pay, at risk for getting ticketed – please consider issuing some sort of permit for them.
John Patterson – Sunset Orange owner, Chair of SL Chamber of Commerce. Businesses are suffering due to low turnover of cars in the area.
Peter Choi – Sunset Junction business owner. The problem is enforcement. The time limits have always been there, but enforcement does not work. Businesses are closing. We will fall victim to big-box developers.
Dorit Dowler-Guerrero, stakeholder – Open this discussion up to the neighbors, get our opinions, both in English and Spanish. Our input is vital.
Michael Couto, stakeholder: Meters are going to dissuade you from stopping into businesses.
Stephanie Vendig, president SL Seniors – please consider different study for park. Seniors use the park a lot, Meters will act as a barrior for class attendance.

VII. Reports of Officers
a. Co-Chair (Lyon) Boardmember activity in April:
Lyon and Millar spoke in front of City Council Education & Neighborhoods committee to support our motion to create a mechanism to assign a file # to our actions on City Council agenda – this motion has received the greatest # of Community Impact Statement of any motion yet. They will support this to the Council.
Levin – SLIA board meeting
Millar – LaBonge breakfast, GGPNC Transportation Mtg, 5K Race for breast cancer research
Gold – DASH – SL did not rate high on list of communities
Hradec – Rampart CPAB
b. Co-Chair (Haraldson) Region 4 Boardmember vacancy due to resignation of Alvin Hopkins, Bylaws say a new rep can be appointed, or we can hold off until next election. Exec recommends we hold off filling position until next election (October)

M/S/P (Hittelman) To not appoint a rep to fill position.
Abstains: Choi, Haraldson, Rivera. No: R. Dakin
c. Vice-Chair (Locke) June 5th – SL Appreciation brunch hosted by Bea Gold. October 22 – Ivanhoe Elementary School and Chamber to co-host next issues meeting.
d. Secretary (Nason) – no report
e. Treasurer (Dwan) Approval of revised budget – was sent out via email and distributed at meeting. Funds will indeed roll over from last year.
M/S/P (Dwan) approve revised budget and use of unspent funds from last year.
Renahan, Choi abstains

VIII. Committee reports
a. Urban Design & Preservation (Bougart-Sharkov) – Angus development: Testified in front of Planning & Land Use Management Cmte to historical significance of this area. LaBonge and Garcetti submitted motion to support our pleas. Goes now to Cultural Heritage Cmte. Town Hall mtg – April 9 – conducted a survey to be the basis of design guidelines for overlay zone on Sunset Blvd. as well as for future growth for all of Silver Lake. UD moved to set up task force to deal with parking and public safety issues only pertaining to urban design.
b. Governmental Affairs (Lopez) -- Absent
c. Community Liaison (Willis) – Held 1st joint Outreach mtg. Training for website admin. Voted to continue meeting jointly with Outreach.
d. Outreach (Le Vin) – Pleased about joint mtgs w/ CLC. Election Cmte: we still need Region 1 rep. Volunteer from audience: Kristin Abraham. Thanks to Milt Rosenberg for consulting.
e. Neighborhood Pride Initiative (Revkin) – waiting for motion to report.
f. Public Safety (B. Dakin/Feinerman) – Compiled incident reports, met with LADOT to discuss actions.
g. Beautification (Blanchard/Johnson) – April 30 was Beautification Day 130 bags of trash, hit all regions, 12 sites, 149 participants, 19 businesses donated food, 8 new trees. All for $149 $200 under budget! ArtCans are here, you will see them on Sunset Blvd. Next month’s projects: Beautification Cmte tags for projects, storm drain screens, new lampposts, new ArtCans. Will miss Tom Blanchard, original co-chair, moving to SF.
h. Parks & Green Spaces (Blanchard/Kells) – Gateway to Silver Lake project has received 10K in Neighborhood Matching Fund, has begun much work at Triangle Park.
i. Youth & Families (Kells) – Participated in the April 9 town hall and community fair. April 17 – National Service Day, students helped clean stairways around SL.

R. Dakin and B. Dakin leave the meeting

IX. Consent Agenda
a. M/S/P (Elections) to approve election timeline
b. M/S/P (Elections) to request that Jerry Kvasnicka of League of Women Voters serve as SLNC’s Independent Election Administrator
c. M/S/P (Gold) to approve creation of Silver Lake History Collective (committee), which will work with interested individuals and Silver Lake organizations to collect information and pertinent material including photographs, articles and documents as it relates to the history of Silver Lake.
d. MOTION (P&GS) That the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council fund the preparation of two archival copies of the Sunset-Triangle Master Plan – must be pulled as Renahan cannot vote,
Lyon will fund independently.
e. MOTION (Executive Committee) In order to aid compliance with the SLNC Bylaws, absences shall be deemed “excused” with prior notice to the Secretary in the event of (a) Boardmember’s or family member’s illness; (b) a death in the Boardmember’s family, or (c) attendance at an alternate function as an official SLNC representative. PULLED – Choi
M/S Choi to add d) work/school conflict
M/S/P (Gold) – add “civic” to d) work/school conflict
M/S/P (Exec/Choi/Gold) 11-6 In order to aid compliance with the SLNC Bylaws, absences shall be deemed “excused” with prior notice to the Secretary in the event of (a) Boardmember’s or family member’s illness; (b) a death in the Boardmember’s family, (c) attendance at an alternate function as an official SLNC representative, or (d) work/school/civic conflict.
Yes: Locke, Haraldson, Rivera, LeVin, Gold, Willis, Nason, Bougart-Sharkov, Choi, Hittelman, Renahan
No: R. Dakin, Hradec, Millar, Dwan, B. Dakin, Kells
f. M/S/P (Exec. Cmte.) to remove Standing Rule 8.02, thereby allowing “friendly” amendments and not requiring a Board vote if the maker of the motion to amend accepts the amendment
g. M/S/P (Exec. Cmte.) to approve purchase of a portable PA System and additional microphones for the use of the SLNC, its committees and community events, at a maximum of $1100 (note -- pulled from consent agenda as Renahan cannot vote.)
h. M/S/P (Millar) to recommend that the City Council include in Council File #05-0801 the category “sexual orientation” in record-keeping of bias complaints against the Los Angeles Fire Department


X. New Business
a. M/S/P (Sharkov on behalf of SLIA) WHEREAS the housing developed by Gateways Hospital and Mental Health Center ("Gateways") and A Community of Friends ("ACoF") at Hoover and London Streets is nearing completion; and
WHEREAS the Memorandum of Understanding (the "MOU") between the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council (the "SLNC"), Gateways and ACoF calls for establishing a Gateways Housing Community Relations Committee, and
WHEREAS there is no date currently set for the initial meeting of the Committee,
THE SILVER LAKE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:
• We request that Gateways and ACoF work with the City Human Relations Commission and the SLNC to set a date for the first meeting of the Community Relations Committee.
• We also request that this meeting be held prior to or in close conjunction with the opening of the new housing at Hoover and London Streets.
• We further request that the date be set far enough in advance so that Associate Members of the Committee (as described in the MOU), including neighborhood residents and business people, are given the opportunity to become involved.
b. RESOLUTION CARRIES (Lyon) WHEREAS California is home to over 90,000 same-sex couples, who are providing loving, stable homes for over 70,000 children, according to the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center; and
WHEREAS the civil contract of marriage includes over 1100 state and federal benefits which are not granted to couples in domestic partnerships or civil unions; and
WHEREAS a California Superior Court judge has ruled that denying civil marriage licenses to same-sex couples is unconstitutional; and
WHEREAS, traditionally, American courts have had the responsibility of protecting the civil rights of minorities even over the objections of the majority; and
WHEREAS many Americans have nonetheless expressed concern about changing laws through judicial rather than legislative processes; and
WHEREAS the California legislature is currently considering Assembly Bill 19, the "Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act,” to address that concern; and
WHEREAS AB-19 is sponsored by a coalition of elected officials, including Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez and Silver Lake’s Assemblymember, Jackie Goldberg; and
WHEREAS the Assembly Judiciary Committee has approved the bill, and the Appropriations Committee must now schedule it for hearing; and
WHEREAS the Los Angeles City Council has remained silent on the issue of civil marriage equality for same sex couples, despite the City’s status as the largest in California; and
WHEREAS Silver Lake is the historic birthplace of the American gay rights movement, having been home to the Mattachine Society from its founding in 1951; and
WHEREAS Silver Lake continues to be home to a large population of gay and lesbian individuals and families; and
WHEREAS the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council supports equality under the law for all citizens; and
WHEREAS Silver Lake celebrates its traditions of diversity, innovation and harmony,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council
(a) Supports civil marriage equality for same-sex couples
(b) urges the Assembly to hear and pass AB-19 during this legislative session, and
(c) urges the Governor to sign the bill.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council
(a) calls upon Councilmembers Garcetti and LaBonge to introduce a motion to add support for AB-19 to the City’s State Legislative Agenda, and
(b) calls upon the Mayor to concur with this position.
c. M/S/P (NPI) to approve $11,000 for fabrication and installation of the SLNC sponsored permanent metal medallions with the Silver Lake statement: “Silver Lake celebrate our traditions diversity, innovation and harmony” translated also into Tagalog and Spanish on the medallion. These medallions also have written on them: “Silver Lake Neighborhood Council” on each set of two, double-sided pieces. The request is for 9 sets (2/set) of medallions to be placed on light posts in key areas of each of the 7 Silver Lake districts.
Renahan, Choi abstains

d. M/S (P&GS) That the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council fund two medallions for the Sunset-Triangle Median, in the amount of $1300
Choi and Renahan abstain

e. M/S/P (P&GS) The Governing Board approves10,000.00 to match the Neighborhood Matching Fund Gateway to Silver Lake grant, for a total project budget of 20,000.00,
Friendly amendment: add “subject to board approval of conceptual design phase prior to subsequent phases.”

Hittelman leaves the meeting.

Renahan and Hradec abstain

f. M/S/P (Beautification) to approve funds of $1405.21 to complete the Art Can Project.
Renahan abstains

XI. Agenda Items for Next Meeting -- none
XII. Announcements
EBS: The General Plan map for SL is on display at our office – take a look.
Choi: MTV Reality Show casting 18-25 year-olds, referrals please
Gold: I’ll be emailing you regarding the brunch, think about what dishes you would like
Lyon: Please keep Judy Borstein in your thoughts, her husband was hospitalized and now her mother is, and she is gravely ill.
XIII. Adjournment 10:00



NEXT REGULAR MEETING: Wednesday, June 1 7:00 PM
Process for Reconsideration – The Board may reconsider and amend actions listed on the agenda if that reconsideration takes place immediately following the original action or at the next regular meeting. The Board, on either of these two days, shall: 1) make a Motion to Reconsider and, if approved, 2) hear the matter and take an action. If the Motion to Reconsider is to be scheduled at the next meeting following the original action, then two items shall be placed on the agenda for that meeting: 1) a Motion to Reconsider on the described matter and, 2) a [Proposed] Action should the Motion to Reconsider be approved. A Motion to Reconsider can only be made by a Board Member who has previously voted on the prevailing side of the original action. If a Motion to Reconsider is not made on the date the action was taken, then a Board Member on the prevailing side of the action must submit a memorandum to the Secretary identifying the matter to be reconsidered and a brief description of the reason(s) for requesting reconsideration at the next regular meeting. The aforesaid shall be in compliance with the Brown Act.

April 25, 2005

Mr. Robert Janovici, Zoning Administrator
City Hall, Room 763
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Re: 2434 Earl St., Los Angeles 90039
No ZA #

Dear Mr. Janovici:

The Silver Lake Residents Association does not object to the City of Los Angeles granting Mr. Neutra a Certificate of Occupancy for the existing 3 unit property at 2434 Earl St. The property in question has not been a problem for all the years it has operated in its existing configuration and we don’t anticipate that these circumstances will change.

We understand from Mr. Neutra that he has obtained letters of support from virtually all the adjoining neighbors and others in the immediate area. The fact that this property has not generated complaints from the neighbors, has ample parking, is part of the architecturally significant Neutra Colony and is on the track toward becoming a HPOZ prompts us to not object, and because of these factors, see no need to require a public hearing on this issue.

The only caveat we have is that this waiver does not in any way become a precedence for any other property attempting to “grandfather” in an additional unit. We generally do not support violation of zoning requirements being granted a waiver “just because they have operated for years in this way.”

We appreciate your taking into consideration our support when making your decision.

Sincerely,


Maryann Kuk, President
Silver Lake Residents Association

Cc: Councilmembers Garcetti & LaBonge
Silver Lake Neighborhood Council