Welcome to the March 2023 edition of the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council's (SONC) newsletter, the Ziff Flyer.

email: lindsay.imber.sonc@gmail.com

Three years ago, SONC held its last in-person meeting before the COVID-19 pandemic. A subsequent emergency declaration enabled us to meet virtually beginning in May of 2020, and, now, that declaration is expiring.

March is a transition month, meaning that SONC Committees and the Board itself have the option to resume in-person meetings in March or to soak up one more virtual meeting before returning to in-person meetings in April. As of this letter, Chairs have the option to schedule in person or virtual meetings from March 1 through 29. After this date, all meetings must return to an in-person format.

A lot has happened in those three years since SONC last met in person—Council District 4 elected a new council person in 2020, the country elected a new president, the state gained a new senator, we welcomed new board members to the neighborhood council in 2021, and redistricting took effect just months ago, giving Sherman Oaks a new state assemblymember. SONC itself has changed, with the creation of the Government Affairs and Human Services Committees, which until this month have not met anywhere but online.

Though several questions remain pertaining to how we go forward from here—for instance, the hybrid meeting format has not yet been made available to any of the neighborhood councils—it is safe to say that a reliable constant is change. As we return to an in-person format, the candidacy filing period for SONC elections is now open. If you are interested in running for the Board, visit the 2023 NC Elections page on the SONC website. Board members generally serve four year terms and undergo several training programs to comply with City requirements and best position candidates for success in local government.

The next SONC Board meeting is scheduled for the evening of Monday, March 13. As the date gets closer, precise location, format (virtual or in-person) and agenda information, health and safety protocols or requirements, etc. will be posted to the website. Whether the Board ultimately returns to an in-person format in March or April, I look forward to welcoming you back to in-person proceedings, my first in-person Board meeting as SONC President; my last in-person SONC meeting in 2020 was served in the capacity of Secretary.

Whether virtual or in-person, we invite the Sherman Oaks community to attend and participate in the peaceful process of local government.

As always, stay safe and please be kind to one another,

Lindsay

please visit the SONC calendar.

Human Services Meeting

March 20th, 2023, 6:30 PM

March 22nd, 2023, 6:30 PM

March 28th, 2023, 7:00 PM

page links for meeting agendas and to confirm exact locations, dates & times.

The City of Los Angeles has recently announced the resumption of in-person meetings effective March 2023. During the month of March however, the Zoom video-teleconferencing platform is still allowed to be utilized at the discretion of the Neighborhood Council to conduct its full council and individual committee meetings and keep operating and interfacing with the community via the Internet and/or via standard telecommunications technology.

During March, information about the locations where meetings will be conducted if held in-person, or instructions on how to join them from your personal computer, smartphone app, or telephone if conducted virtually, can be found on the SONC website: www.shermanoaksnc.org.

Special guest for this meeting will be Capri Maddox, Executive Director & General Manager of the City of Los Angeles Civil + Human Rights and Equity Department (LA Civil Rights).

The full agenda for this meeting will be available on the SONC website by Friday, March 10th. A physical copy can always be found on display at the Sherman Oaks Public Library. The agenda will indicate whether this will be an in-person or virtual meeting.

All SONC Monthly Board meetings and many committee meetings that are conducted using the Zoom Video-teleconferencing platform are recorded for playback. All recorded meetings are playable by clicking the published meeting date links found on the associated committee page on the SONC website.

Susan Collins, Chair

Email: Susan.Collins.sonc@gmail.com

The Public Safety Committee meets the 2nd Tuesday of every month. This month we will be meeting (virtually) on Tuesday, March 14th at 6:30 PM. Please see the log-in details below and on the SONC website.

During our March meeting, our guest speaker is a Certified Wildlife Specialist with Los Angeles Animal Services. Most of us will encounter wildlife living here in Sherman Oaks, so it's best to be prepared. The Wildlife Specialists will provide us with the information we need to be able to safely co-exist with the wildlife around us. There's time set aside for you to have your questions answered from the experts so bring your concerns and curiosity!

Note, conversations will always be uploaded to https://www.shermanoaksnc.org.

To Join Online: Click or Cut and Paste into your web browser https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84270408817

Press “Enter”

By Telephone: Dial 1-669-900-6833, Enter Webinar ID 842 7040 8817, and Press #

Or on Zoom join meeting screen enter Webinar ID: 842 7040 8817

If you have any questions, please email us at: SoncPScommittee@gmail.com.

For more information please visit the SONC Public Safety Committee web page

Jeff Kalban, Chair

Email: Jeff.Kalban.sonc@gmail.com

The Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council Planning and Land Use Management Committee (PLUM) and our Vision Committee are continuing to study various proposed regulations and ordinances that will greatly impact Sherman Oaks and our quality of life.

This month we will be starting a discussion addressing opportunities brought on by increased density. Including planning principles that will bring forth affordable housing, reduce carbon emissions, create workable transit, community benefits, landscaping, shade, revitalizing communities, walkable streets and gathering areas. Points to discuss include economic realities of infrastructure and private development. Communities must be planned. Housing must be designed. We do not warehouse people.

Join our meetings and give voice to the future of Sherman Oaks.

Vision meets at 6:30 PM on the first Thursday of each month and PLUM meets at 6:30 PM on the third Thursday at the Sherman Oaks Library. For more information, please visit our PLUM/Vision web page.

Harold Shapiro, Chair

Email: Harold.Shapiro.SONC@gmail.com

As mentioned above in SONC President Imber's message, the candidate filing period for the 2023 Neighborhood Council elections began last month on February 22. Candidate filing ends next month on April 8th, at midnight.

4 years ago I ran for the position I currently serve in as Community Interest advocate for SONC Area 6 as a result of a desire to be involved with the decisions that were being made by local city entities that impacted me, but that I had no say in and was powerless to control. I knew that by getting involved, I could ensure that my voice was heard, and that the voices of my neighbors could also be heard. Many call this activism. Some call it civic duty. I like to think of it as a way to watch out for my community, and as a way to protect the investment I have made in my home.

The past 4 years have been very educational for me. I now have a much better understanding of how city government functions and how the community has the ability to influence city council decisions using the Community Impact Statement (CIS) mechanism.

If you feel frustrated about things that are happening around you in the world that you wish you had better control of, and that you would like your voice to be heard about, this is your opportunity to get involved to change the situation. Your community needs interested, informed and caring individuals to run for office on the Neighborhood Council. Being involved and making a difference can be a rewarding and exhilarating experience, especially if you can work with others and succeed in bringing about change. The Neighborhood Council provides participants with the opportunity to contribute toward that goal in several different ways.

Further down in this issue of the Ziff Flyer you will find a plethora of information about the 2023 Neighborhood Council Elections, and how to become a candidate. This includes links to access the City Clerk's website for obtaining the details on how to file for candidacy. If you truly care about what impact local government has on your personal life, and you would like to have a say and see a change, please consider a run in the upcoming election.

I will be more than happy to answer any questions that you might have regarding the role of a council member on SONC. Please feel free to contact me at the email address listed above.

The SONC Outreach Committee meets on the third Tuesday of each month. Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 21st and it will be held virtually using the Zoom video-teleconferencing platform. Please join us. For more information, to view meeting minutes and meeting agendas, and for instructions on how to join the virtual Outreach Committee meetings visit the Outreach Committee web page. Please follow SONC on our Social Media pages.

Jeffrey Hartsough, Chair

Email: Jeffrey.Hartsough.SONC@gmail.com

Thank you for being an engaged and supportive member of our Sherman Oaks community and of the San Fernando Valley. Please share your interest in SONC with your friends and neighbors. Working together we can focus on improving our community and the valley.

In last month's Ziff Flyer I mentioned how SONC funds programs for schools and non-profit organizations to improve the Sherman Oaks community through awarding of Neighborhood Purposes Grants or NPGs. SONC has allocated a large portion of its annual budget to provide NPG's to qualified projects in the community. NPGs are a way for neighborhood councils to partner with and support non-profit organizations and public schools on projects that provide a public benefit to the community. Eligible organizations include 501(c)(3) non-profits as well as public schools. (Please note that grants cannot be issued to religious organizations or to private schools.) Guidelines for NPGs and application forms can be found on the SONC website here.

The SONC fiscal year ends in June 2023. Funding for qualified grant requests is still available. These grants, which are typically between $500 and $5000, are awarded from the neighborhood council’s fiscal budget. While there is a process to roll-over some unspent funds in the fiscal budget to the next fiscal year, the amount permitted for roll-over is limited by the City Office of Finance. This means that towards the end of the fiscal year, especially during the months of March, April, and May, neighborhood councils often try to redirect unspent funds to the community through the Neighborhood Purpose Grant process. Please let us know if you have any ideas to help the community and that might qualify for receiving funds from a SONC NPG in this fiscal year.

A Neighborhood Purpose Grant must provide a demonstrable benefit to the community. An NPG activity should build community, enhance the neighborhood, and be open, accessible, and free to the general public. Projects may encompass a wide range and can include, but are not limited to:

The SONC Finance Committee meets on the 4th Wednesday of each month. The next meeting will be March 22, 2023, at 6:30 PM. Please visit the Finance Committee page on the SONC Website for more information.

As we continue to confront the ongoing daily challenges and complexities of life in Los Angeles, please be respectful and kind to others. Kindness is important.

Stay safe. Pray for Ukraine.

Jeffrey Hartsough

Treasurer

Howard M. Katchen

Email: hkatchen@shermanoaksnc.org

The Neighborhood Council Budget Advocates met with City of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass at City Hall on February 14th to discuss and exchange thoughts on the current and next fiscal year budgets.

We covered an array of topics and budget priorities: homelessness, affordable housing, pensions, infrastructure, ethics, emergency management, Neighborhood Council funding and the 2028 Olympic games to be held in Los Angeles.

Mayor Bass was very cordial and generous with her time with us, which well exceeded the one hour time allotted for the meeting. I have had the occasion to meet and discuss budget and other issues with a number the city's Mayors and find Mayor Bass to be quite different than her predecessors. Her approach is to align City, County, State and Federal resources, funding and people with whom she has developed close relationships and friendships, including President Biden, to help meet the aims she has for the city.

This was an introductory meeting and there will be more to come in the future. The line of communication is now open between the Mayor and the Budget Advocates.

Mayor Bass is preparing her first budget that must be submitted to the City Council on or before April 20. As of now, her budget team and the office of the City Administrative Officer are reviewing Departmental budget requests that were submitted in November 2022.

The 2023-24 budget will benefit from Measure ULA which is expected to generate between $600 million and $1.1 billion from taxes on the sale of properties that are equal to $5 million or more, primarily from the sale of commercial properties and apartment complexes. On sales of properties valued at between $5 million and less than $10 million, the tax will be 4% of the total value of the transaction. At $10 million or greater, the tax increases to 5.5%. The ULA funds will be used to reduce homelessness, create affordable housing, and provide financial aid and eviction protection to Angelenos at the risk of homelessness. Currently, the impact on other parts of the budget, including existing homeless initiatives, is unknown as is the outcome of litigation alleging that Measure ULA violates the City Charter and State Constitution.

In June, the City was projecting that revenues for the upcoming year beginning July 1, 2023 would be about $7.6 billion, representing a 2.3% increase from the adopted budget and that the City expected a surplus of $40 million.

On the revenue side, leaving aside ULA, there may be some weakness because of economic changes resulting from higher interest rates. The documentary transfer tax will most likely take a hit because of fewer transfers which may also impact the growth rate in property taxes.

There may also be some weakness in other economically sensitive taxes (hotel, sales, gross receipts business, and utility). There also appears to be pressures on expenditures. This may include increased funding for the Police Department, higher pension contributions because of the lower investment returns for the last two years, new labor agreements, higher costs associated with the delay in the Human Resources Payroll project, and the impact of higher-than-expected inflation on operations.

The City’s reserves are $740 million as of December 1, representing almost 10% of General Fund revenues, and are for use in the case of emergencies. There is the concern that the City will tap the reserves to balance the budget.

Please save the date for Neighborhood Council Budget Day on June 17. We expect this to be our last zoom Budget Day and plan to return to in-person next year.

The 2023 Neighborhood Council elections are taking place now. SONC is seeking interested Sherman Oaks community members to run. There are 9 council seats across areas 2, 4, and 6 that will be on the ballot. Please refer to the Area map and area boundary descriptions that appear below to determine if you live in an area of Sherman Oaks that will have open seats on the 2023 ballot.

Area 2 Residential

Area 2 Business

Area 2 Community Interest

Area 4 Residential

Area 4 Business

Area 4 Community Interest

Area 6 Residential

Area 6 Business

Area 6 Community Interest

The purpose of neighborhood councils is to promote public participation in City governance and the decision-making process so that government is more responsive to local needs and requests. Neighborhood Councils will advise the Mayor, City Council and City Departments on the City budget and will give local residents greater say over the decisions that affect our lives.

The Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council is an official government entity of the City of Los Angeles and the community's gateway to Los Angeles City Council. Board members are elected officials who volunteer to serve their community. The elected Sherman Oaks Board members serve four-year terms of office. The current term period will begin on July 1, 2023 and run to June 30, 2027.

Eligible candidates can be residents, business owners, property owners, or community interest advocates who are key participants in local non-profit/service organizations. Candidates need not be US citizens or legal residents to qualify. Participation is also open to the formerly incarcerated. The minimum age to run for a council seat is 18.

If you are interested in becoming a candidate for an open position on the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council, you can submit an application using the online Candidate Filing Portal or by completing a paper candidate application. You will need to create an Angeleno Account prior to submitting an online candidate application.

Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on deadline days.

The Department of Neighborhood Empowerment (DONE) is hosting a Candidate Info Session via the Zoom platform for prospective candidates to learn tips for candidate filing, running a successful campaign, and connecting with voters. The session is free and will be conducted on March 18, 2023 from 10 AM to 12:00 noon. Recordings of the session will also be available for viewing. If you are interested in attending a session please RSVP to get info to join online or by phone at:

In 2023, the City Clerk will be using a hybrid election model for NC elections that provides for both in-person polling place voting as well as the option to Vote-By-Mail. The minimum voting age is 16. Voters can only cast their ballots for candidates that are running in their respective area of Sherman Oaks. This means that only eligible certified voters associated with Areas 2, 4 and 6 will be voting in the 2023 election for candidates running for open positions in those areas. Participation to vote is open to those who live, work, or own property or a business within a specific area. The certification process to receive a ballot will require voters to attest to qualification via written documentation (California driver's license or ID, property tax statement, paycheck, City of LA issued business license, etc.).

As candidates are certified by the City Clerk's Office, their bio's and candidate statements will be published on-line. To view candidate information for stakeholders who filed an application, visit the Candidate Statements page on the City Clerk's website. The Official List of Certified Candidates will be posted on the website 60 days prior to Election Day.

The voting deadline for SONC elections will be Thursday, June 22, 2023, with official results released on July 6, 2023. Newly elected council members will be officially sworn in and seated at the July 10th, 2023 SONC board meeting.

Sherman Oaks stakeholders can submit a Vote-By-Mail(VBM) Application to obtain a ballot using the online VBM Application Portal or by completing a VBM paper application to request a NC ballot.

Applications to obtain a ballot are reviewed to ensure stakeholders meet the NC voter requirements, and once approved, ballots are mailed to the voters. Voted ballots can be returned by mail using the postage-paid envelope provided or dropped off at the polling place on Election Day. The deadline to submit an application to vote-by-mail is 19 days prior to the election. Completed NC ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received no later than ten (10) days thereafter.

Like with the candidate application, you will need to create an Angeleno Account prior to submitting an online VBM application.

The in-person polling location for the 2023 Sherman Oaks NC Election will take place at the Sherman Oaks East Valley Adult Center (SOEVAC), 5056 Van Nuys Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA 91403, in Building C, Back Division. Voting hours will be 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM.

In accordance with any current City policy, proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within the previous 72 hours may be required to enter a polling location. Any voter who cannot provide the required COVID-19 documents will be able to vote curbside or in front of the poll location. COVID-19 requirements are subject to change based on City policy.

Learn more about the 2023 Neighborhood Council Elections at: empowerla.org/elections

SONC Area 2 is bounded by:

SONC Area 4 is bounded by:

SONC Area 6 is bounded by:

Still not sure what area you live in or who your

current Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council representative is? Email SONC.Newsletter@gmail.com with your address or cross-streets with the navigational direction -- and we will help you out!

In response to the recent winter storms, an additional Augmented Winter Shelter Site has been opened in Sherman Oaks/Van Nuys.

The location is the Van Nuys/Sherman Oaks Recreation Center located at 14201 Huston Street, Sherman Oaks, 91423. There are 105 available beds.

People experiencing homelessness can access the shelter by going directly to the site or by calling 211 for transport. Placement is on a first come first serve basis.

Before I entered office, our District had experienced six consecutive years of increases in unsheltered homelessness in the annual Homeless Count. The suffering on our streets was growing. But with concerted effort and a range of new approaches, we were able to show a decrease in unsheltered homelessness in our first year.

Since then, so much of our work has been about continuing that progress — and I’m so excited to have a truly committed partner in Mayor Bass. When the new Mayor took office in December and immediately declared a state of emergency on homelessness, I saw a new commitment to investments in shelter in the city.

What are the elements of a successful strategy to address unsheltered homelessness? You need consistent outreach to build trust with people, and you need decent shelter to offer them - ideally beds or units that offer individuals some privacy.

In February, I issued a joint letter alongside my colleague Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky urging our City departments, especially the Planning Department, to find ways to improve the enforcement of the Home Sharing Ordinance (HSO).

While the city has made significant progress in cracking down on short-term rental listings that violate the Ordinance, the process of actually removing listings and enforcing fines can be lengthy and cumbersome. That’s why I (along with many of my colleagues) submitted a motion asking for improved enforcement, which passed the full Council in April of last year. However, to date, the departments have still not responded to our motion.

The consequences of insufficient enforcement are significant. On January 28, 2023, three people were killed and four wounded outside of a short-term rental in Benedict Canyon. Last year, a shooting occurred outside a short-term rental in Studio City after what was described in news reports as an out-of-control party, and another individual was shot and killed at a short-term rental in Encino, to name a few.

Short-term rentals also have destabilizing effects in communities by removing units from the long term rental housing market (especially rent stabilized units), and creating quality-of-life issues for neighbors related to noise and parking. I believe that the city can and should take much faster action on this issue, and I will continue to be at the forefront of pushing for urgent change.

As always, our office is available for questions and additional assistance at contactCD4@lacity.org and (213) 473-7004.

The Office of District 4 Councilmember Nithya Raman provides Sherman Oaks with a dedicated field deputy to handle resident and business owner issues at the city level. Ryan Ahari is the Sherman Oaks Field Deputy, and also services Van Nuys. If you need assistance with City services, agencies, and departments (graffiti, trash, abandoned properties, and more), you can always reach Ryan through his CD4 web page here or call (213) 424-2412 and Ryan's email address is:

In addition to contacting Ryan, for any issues related to homelessness anywhere within Council District 4, you can contact Senior Homelessness Deputy Sarah Tanberg (sarah.tanberg@lacity.org) or Homelessness Deputy Josh Scarcella (josh.scarcella@lacity.org)

Metro continues to plan in its attempts to discover viable transit option solutions that will make it easier to get from/to the San Fernando Valley and LA's Westside. The natural barrier created by the Santa Monica Mountains makes traveling between the Valley and the Westside challenging and as we all know, the 405 freeway is one of the worst places to be in your car during morning and evening rush hours. Metro is working to evaluate the impact of a high-quality, reliable transit service option using a high-speed rail system connecting the San Fernando Valley and the Westside.

There's still time to tell Metro where you think the potential station locations and entrances should be. Before you do, check out the station location considerations guide and spend some time with the Station Location StoryMap so you can understand the locations being considered. The online feedback form can be accessed here.

We encourage you to provide your feedback on station locations by Friday, March 10. After that date, the online feedback form will be taken down, but you can always continue to share your thoughts about the Project with Metro through their Project email.

This Project is still in environmental review, which is the second of five major phases in the project development process, followed by final design, construction, and operations. There are 6 options being reviewed as part of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The environmental review phase consists of two components: 1) preparation of a draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and 2) preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Metro has created a video which can be viewed here to explain the environmental analysis process.

As part of the environmental review process for the Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project, Metro’s technical contractors and consultants are performing field work to evaluate and gather information on existing geological conditions throughout the project study area. This work includes bore drilling, installation of groundwater pressure sensors and water pressure testing.

Field work is currently ongoing at the following locations below. Click on the links below to view active field work notices.

If you would like to be notified via email regarding upcoming field work, you can sign up here.

Depending on which of the 6 plans under review is chosen, there can be significant impact to the residential hillsides and surface streets in the Sherman Oaks area. During the environmental review phase, Metro is working with two private-sector teams, LA SkyRail Express and Sepulveda Transit Corridor Partners, under a first-of-its-kind pre-development agreement to develop a design for the project alternatives.

Video recordings of the Virtual Open House have been posted in English and Spanish on Metro’s YouTube channel. The Open House began with a project overview, then broke into two separate webinars for focused station information. One webinar focused on Valley stations (Van Nuys Metrolink to Ventura Bl), and the other on the Westside stations (Getty Center to E/Expo Line). Videos for all three webinars and the general Q&A session are listed below.

We recommend watching the videos in the following order:

For more information visit the Metro Sepulveda Corridor website.

Metro will release the first Visionary Seed Funding Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) after the Innovation Forum on March 8, 2023. Metro seeks to fund innovative mobility pilot projects that test and assess strategies that return ridership on public transportation to pre-COVID levels and beyond. Metro will fund up to six (6) pilot projects that demonstrate through measurable outcomes whether and how they contribute to increasing public transportation ridership in Los Angeles County.

Metro, municipal operators, and local operators are eligible to apply for funds, but applicants may team with private, public, and non-profit partners to deliver the proposed pilot project. Each applicant should include at least one research partner in their proposal.

The Metro Visionary Seed Fund is funded by Measure M. Detailed information can be found on this website.

The LA County Dept. of Public Works is still offering its series of free webinars to beautify your home and garden through April 2023. The Smart Gardening Webinars are approximately 45 minutes long followed by a 15-minute period to answer questions and take orders for compost bins. For those who are unable to attend, they have posted videos of the sessions. There are four core subjects being offered:

Intro to Composting: Learn about backyard and worm composting to create a rich soil amendment to nourish your garden.

Water-wise Gardening: Create a beautiful drought-tolerant landscape and learn about grasscycling to fortify your lawn.

Organic Gardening: Build healthy soil, grow herbs and vegetables, and address plant pests and diseases using organic methods.

Small-space Gardening: Learn to grow plants in containers and set up a small-space worm composting system.

For more information and to register online, visit their website: https://pw.lacounty.gov/epd/sg/webinars.cfm

Los Angeles Dept. of Water & Power is Offering Free Landscaping Design Services to Transform Your Turf

Are you interested in saving water and money on your bill? The LADWP turf replacement program has now increased its offering to homeowners of rebates in the amount of $3.00 per square foot for up to 5,000 square feet of converted yards per year to $5.00 per square foot. As an LADWP customer, you can get free landscape design services for transforming your landscape to be more drought tolerant. The design can be submitted along with your turf replacement rebate application. Planting and irrigation plans are provided at no cost to LADWP customers who wish to remove turf and replace it with low-water use California Friendly® and native plants. The rebates for removing lawns and water-hungry plantings are still in effect. With the coming hot summer months, and new watering rules going into effect, the time is right to replace.

The provided plans can be given directly to a licensed contractor for installation and also included is a simple guide on how to best hire a landscape contractor. The plans will include a stormwater capture feature, such as a rain garden, in the design. Irrigation plans include the use of water-efficient drip irrigation systems.

Your newly installed garden will capture and reuse stormwater, recharge groundwater, prevent polluted runoff from flowing into the rivers and ocean, and provide food and habitat for birds, butterflies, and other wildlife. Once your newly installed plants have been established, you will see the savings on your water bill.

To learn more about this free design program and to apply, visit the LADWP website at:

To sign up, please visit: https://nhifp.org/

If you are interested in volunteering with the LA Regional Food Bank, please visit this link.

amartinez@lafoodbank.org

Facebook - @laworks 

Twitter - @LAWorksNow 

Instagram - @laworksnow

Please visit LAWorks.com

Email Contact:

Get Involved In Your Community

If you are interested in becoming a Block Captain and starting a Neighborhood Watch Program in your neighborhood, please contact your Senior Lead Officer at the email addresses or phone numbers listed below to obtain further details. There are 4 senior lead officers assigned for all of Sherman Oaks:

email: 30853@lapd.online

(818) 731-2565

9SL89

email: 40229@lapd.online

(818) 731-2563

9SL63

email: 36816@lapd.online

(818) 731-2560

9SL41

email: 32914@lapd.online

(818) 731-2562

9SL37

Please sign up on Nextdoor.com to receive current updates about crime trends and events in your community.

You can contact Alan Scher for more information about the Neighborhood Watch Program.

The February edition of the Van Nuys Neighborhood Watch News is available to read online here. The LAPD Van Nuys Community Police Station website is accessible by clicking here. The website features links to file an on-line police report or to obtain a traffic collision report. This station services the communities of Sepulveda, Sherman Oaks, Valley Glen, Van Nuys, Ventura Business District, and West Van Nuys. It is located next to Van Nuys City Hall at 6240 Sylmar Avenue, Van Nuys, CA 91401. The non-emergency phone number is 818-374-9500.

Make a difference as an LAPD volunteer and be the change you want to see in your community. Volunteers represent a broad range of ages, from teenagers to senior citizens. As a volunteer, here are some of the available opportunities:

For information on volunteer opportunities with the LAPD, email Officer Jason Jimenez in the Community Relations Office at 38903@lapd.online, or call (818) 374-5420. You can also get more information about the LAPD Volunteer Program by visiting this link.

Today Sherman Oaks is a bustling area made up of a unique combination of small shops, tree-lined residential neighborhoods, busy freeways, and a diverse population. Sherman Oaks was once blanketed by citrus groves, as was most of the San Fernando Valley. By the 1950's, the area had emerged as one of the first commercially and residentially developed neighborhoods in the city of Los Angeles.

In 1909 the Los Angeles Suburban Homes Co. bought 47,500 acres of land in the Valley for $2.5 million from Isaac Van Nuys. General Moses Hazeltine Sherman, was a partner in the company and purchased a 1,000-acre parcel that would eventually become the birthplace of Sherman Oaks as well as his namesake. Other partners were Harrison Gray Otis, Harry Chandler, Otto F. Brant, and Hobart J. Whitley. In 1927 Sherman developed and subdivided his parcel, entered an agreement with real estate promotors Thomas Bundy and Charles Albright, and began to sell the land for $780 an acre.

The construction of Mulholland Drive, the famous road snaking along the crest of the Santa Monica Mountains and offering terrific panoramic views of the San Fernando Valley and the mountains to the north, was a great way to promote the vast potential of the area and spurred rapid development of the Sherman Oaks area.

Ventura Boulevard became the primary route across the Valley flowing all the way from the Cahuenga Pass to the west. It's the oldest continuously traveled route in the Valley. It was laid out to follow part of the Spanish El Camino Real, and was known first as Camino de las Virgenes, and then Ventura Road before becoming the famous thoroughfare we all know as Ventura Boulevard.