August 21, 2013
 
Hello Neighbor!
Do you have what it takes to be on the ERNC?

The Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council is seeking a few new board members. We already have some great candidates, but we're looking for more. Read on for details.
3 Resignations = 3 Empty Seats
They say things come in threes...

We've had 3 resignations from the ERNC board in the past month, and as sad as we are to see some wonderful board members leave, we're excited about getting more thoughtful, motivated, and dedicated Eagle Rockers on the ERNC.

First, a big thank-you to Michael Larsen, Dr. Jose Posada, and Ethan Weiss, our "retiring" board members, who have all served Eagle Rock so very well. If you haven't been paying attention to what the ERNC has been accomplishing over the past year, take a look around you: Our safer neighborhoods, human-friendly street improvements, up-and-coming public schools, new unique shops and restaurants, and traditional, small-town-in the-big-city feel have all been improved and protected by your ERNC, and these three board members played a big part in it.

Here are the 3 openings, and the general qualifications needed to apply for the seat:

Public Safety Director - Any Eagle Rock stakeholder, as defined in our current bylaws. In addition to the requirements laid out in our bylaws, the Public Safety director is expected to attend monthly Eagle Rock Neighborhood Watch meetings, give a report at each ERNC meeting, and maintain a good working relationship with our Senior Lead Officer.

Sub-District 6 Director - An Eagle Rock stakeholder who lives, works, or is significantly involved in Sub-District 6, as defined in our current bylaws. Sub-District directors are expected to serve their Sub-District, by holding stakeholder meetings, and being a point person for residents' concerns.

Past President/General Stakeholder - Any Eagle Rock stakeholder, as defined in our current bylaws. Because our Past President has resigned, we have an open voting seat; since we are required by our bylaws to have 19 voting members and a quorum of 10, the Past President will be replaced with an Eagle Rock stakeholder, who will serve as a general member of the board. Whomever fills this seat will not be on the Executive Committee of the ERNC.

Some important notes:

- The requirements and deadlines for applying for these 3 seats are available on our website, www.eaglerockcouncil.org. You must visit the website, and follow the instructions there carefully.

- To be considered at our Sept. 3 board meeting, you must apply by Tuesday, August 27 at 5:00 pm. No incomplete or late applications will be accepted. If there are any empty seats after our Sept. 3 meeting, we will invite another round of applicants.

- Please note that the current ERNC will appoint all new board members -- this is not an election. It's possible that only some or no seats will be filled, if there are not enough satisfactory applicants.

- You will be asked a lot of tough - but fair - questions at the meeting when we vote on your candidacy. Even if you're the only one who's applied for the seat. No free passes!

- All 3 seats above will be up for re-election in Spring of 2014 (along with the rest of the ERNC).

Good luck!

But What Does the ERNC Really Do?
We work hard for Eagle Rock. And we're too busy to take credit. (Until now.)

If you're wondering what the big deal is with the ERNC, and why anyone would want to be on the board, consider these recent developments and improvements in Eagle Rock since the "new" ERNC was elected in October of 2012:

- The promised new Vons improvements:
As part of their re-construction, Vons has promised us a "Welcome to Eagle Rock" monument modeled on the current Wiota monument; new and better street-side landscaping; and an improved, higher-quality Vons facade and store interior similar to "higher-end" neighborhoods. All of these ideas were suggested, and lobbied for, by your ERNC representatives. Without the ENRC, they would not be happening -- period.

- Bike racks throughout Eagle Rock:
Have you noticed that a whole bunch of shiny new bike racks magically appeared in front of your favorite stores and restaurants, seemingly overnight? It wasn't magic. The ERNC did that. We walked the boulevards, spoke to business owners, and pushed the project through city bureaucracy.

- The upcoming bike lanes and street safety improvements on Colorado Boulevard:
We worked hard - very, very hard - to make sure everyone's voice was heard when it came to the bike lane issue. And when a handful of powerful people tried to hijack the discussion, pull political strings, and thwart the will of stakeholders at the last minute, we made sure the powers-that-be at the City knew that the vast majority of Eagle Rockers wanted safer streets, calmer traffic, and above all -- progress.

- Minimalls, Massage Parlors, and 7-11s: Eagle Rockers don't seem to like them.
The ERNC has made sure to let you know when new developments were coming, and what you can do to voice your opinion on them -- and then we've made sure the City listens to you. For years, developers have seen Eagle Rock as a sleepy bedroom community where no one pays much attention (especially on the fringes of town), and they can sneak in undesirable - yet profitable - businesses that appeal to residents of neighboring cities that have  regulated them away from their "nicer" neighborhoods. We'd like to change that perception, and put both developers and the L.A. Department of City Planning on notice that Eagle Rock is paying attention - and that we like nice things, too.

- We throw money around. We bought a sweet new PA system for Dahlia Heights school. We pitched in to help buy Eagle Rock Elementary a new library. We paid for all that nice new landscaping outside the Eagle Rock public library. Those Concerts in the Park at Eagle Rock Rec? We paid for one of those. How about the Eagle Rock Music Festival? We tend to put our biggest chunk of change into that, every year.

And there's more to come. You like trees? We're gonna get you some trees. How about street banners? We can do that. You say you want a dog park? Well, we're working on it. Stay tuned.
But I Like Minimalls and 7-11s.
And I'm not so crazy about bikes, either.

Then all the more reason to join the ERNC. We love having a diverse, convivial group like we've got on the ERNC right now. Not everyone agrees on everything - not by a long shot. But we all have the same goal in mind: To make Eagle Rock better. If that's your thing, too, then you should join us.

If the commitment of being on the ERNC board is too daunting, consider joining one of our committees:

The most important, and in a sense most powerful, is our Land Use and Planning Committee. Today's ERNC is watching out for you, and we've got our eye on the long-term health and prosperity of Eagle Rock. And that's where the LUPC comes in, as the gatekeeper for all new development applications that affect Eagle Rock. And we're hiring! If you want to be on the LUPC, send our Co-Chairs an email or come to a Land Use meeting. We'd love to have any and all motivated Eagle Rockers on board. Contact landusechair@eaglerockcouncil.org

We've got lots of other committees that are open to general stakeholders, too -- like the Elections Committee. The Department of Neighborhood Empowerment and City Clerk will be running Neighborhood Council Elections in spring of 2014, about 6 months earlier than normal (due to budget reasons). This means we have to get our act together to make sure Eagle Rock has a good, fair election. The current ERNC was elected during the infamous "pot election" of October 2012, when hundreds of Eagle Rockers came out and voted for their friends and neighbors to represent them -- while hundreds of outsiders drove up to our sleepy town and voted, too. It was a 3-ring circus of democracy, both exciting and fun -- but we never, ever want to do it again. Volunteer for our Elections Committee, and you can make sure we have a boring - but well-attended - election this time around. To learn more or volunteer, contact ERNC Secretary Michael Blanchard, secretary@eaglerockcouncil.org.
Okay, So We Forgot One Thing...
You know all the bragging we did above? Well, we had help.

No one does anything in Eagle Rock alone. The ERNC is only one organization, with a specific mandate and a limited budget. But we're doing the best with what we have -- and we can't do it without the help of the rainbow of wonderful people and interest groups in Eagle Rock, from The Eagle Rock Association and Take Back the Boulevard, to the Eagle Rock Chamber of Commerce.

But the biggest force for good on our side are the fine folks of City Council District 14. The ERNC's job is to connect citizens with their City government, and to make sure the City listens to what Eagle Rock wants -- even when they don't want to hear it. But 95% of the time, we're on the same page (or, we end up there). Everything we do on the ERNC is made better -- and often, made possible -- with the advice and assistance of the hard-working staffers in Councilmember Jose Huizar's Eagle Rock and Downtown L.A. offices. We couldn't do what we do without them.

Next time you swing by Eagle Rock City Hall, poke your head in the office and say Hi -- and give them a big thanks from us.


Contact:
If you have any questions about the ERNC, please contact the ERNC Communications Team, and we'll get back to you within 24 hours:  info@eaglerockcouncil.org

ERNC Vice President David Greene writes the newsletters. If you have a content-related question or comment, contact him at: vicepresident@eaglerockcouncil.org
Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter       
Copyright � 2013, Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council. If you wish to reprint all or part of this newsletter in your
for-profit blog, newspaper, or other publication, you must give prominent written credit to the ERNC.

You're receiving this email because you signed up on our website or at an ERNC election, or we just thought you'd enjoy it. If you want off the list, just click "Unsubscribe" below and you're done. Thanks!