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

email: lindsay.imber.sonc@gmail.com

For the first time in three years, the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council conducted an in-person Board meeting, which took place April 10 at the Louis Armstrong Middle School library. We thank Council District 4 for facilitating a presentation on the City's composting program and for providing free composting pails for meeting attendees.

During April's meeting, we also heard from the newly formed Airport Committee, which successfully presented a motion to the board seeking to address concerns about a potential influx of non-essential helicopter and jet charters. We look forward to our Airport Committee successfully working to review Los Angeles World Airports' proposed programs so that SONC can partner with LAWA to best meet both of our needs regarding aviation issues in Sherman Oaks and the South San Fernando Valley. As a reminder, SONC is here for your benefit and any stakeholder can reach out to us via e-mail or the SONC website.

The Board also approved a co-sponsorship event with the Council and Sherman Oaks school to be determined to serve seniors in need, reviewed several state housing bills, and supported Assembly Constitutional Amendment 5 to overturn Proposition 8 and protect marriage equality in California, affirming that Sherman Oaks remains a community dedicated to inclusion and fairness for all.

On Earth Day, April 22, we held our annual Spring Tree Adoption Event at Van Nuys Sherman Oaks Park. We were thrilled to see a lengthy queue before the event began and hope all who attended walked away with a shade or fruit tree I am sure is so thankful for your care (and watering!).

For our May 8 board meeting, SONC will consider emergency homeless shelter notification requirements, a potential democracy vouchers program for local elections, and LAPD's diversion and recidivism programs to reduce crime in our city. We will also welcome the Pandemic Reflections Initiative team to hear about their work. We would love your feedback and invite all stakeholders to attend.

After a successful test run in our Outreach and Government Affairs Committees, we hope to offer some measure of hybrid capability at the May 8 board meeting so that you can choose to either attend the meeting remotely (similar to how it has been for the past three years) or in-person, and thus stay engaged with our Council's business no matter your circumstance.

Finally, it is also Neighborhood Council elections season, with seats in Areas 2, 4, and 6 up for election. The vote-by-mail application period has already begun, and will close June 3. Applications can be filled out online via an Angeleno Account on the city clerk's website, or via paper form. Election Day itself is Thursday, June 22, with in-person voting taking place between 2pm-8pm at the Sherman Oaks East Valley Adult Center on the west (Van Nuys) side of Van Nuys Sherman Oaks Park. If you are voting by mail, your ballot can be dropped off at the park on Election Day, returned via postal service (postmarked by June 22), or deposited in an official Los Angeles County vote-by-mail bin. Visit the SONC Elections page for more information.

Thank you for your continued interest in Sherman Oaks and SONC. Stay safe and be kind to one another.

With pride and determination—

Lindsay

To view details, please visit the SONC calendar.

Human Services Meeting

May 15th, 2023, 6:30 PM

Government Affairs Meeting

May 23rd, 2023, 7:00 PM

May 24th, 2023, 6:30 PM

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

In May 2020, the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council began to hold virtual meetings by way of video teleconferences using the Zoom platform, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Zoom platform allowed the Neighborhood Council to conduct its meetings and keep operating and interfacing with the community via the Internet and/or via standard telecommunications technology during that time. The City of Los Angeles announced the resumption of in-person meetings effective March 30th, 2023.

All SONC meetings will now take place in-person. The monthly Board Meetings will be conducted at the Louis Armstrong Middle School, 5041 Sunnyslope Ave, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423. Most committee meetings will be conducted at the Sherman Oaks Martin Pollard Branch Library, 14245 Moorpark Street, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423. Other meetings will be conducted at the L.A. City Council District 4 Field Office, 14930 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 210, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403.

At the discretion of each SONC Committee Chairperson, and for the Board meetings, an attempt will be made to facilitate a hybrid meeting format. This means that some SONC meetings will still be conducted with a remote access feature enabled, so that the Public and Community Stakeholders can still participate and comment on agenda items utilizing the Zoom video telecommunications platform. For information on specific times and locations for each meeting please consult the SONC website calendar page:

For the details on which meetings will be conducted using a hybrid format, you will need to consult the posted meeting agendas, when they become available.

The Neighborhood Council system enables meaningful civic participation for all Angelenos and serves as a voice for improving government responsiveness to local communities and their needs. We are an advisory body to the City of Los Angeles, comprised of stakeholder volunteers who are devoted to the mission of improving our communities.

Many of the SONC Monthly Board meetings and many committee meetings that were conducted and recorded using the Zoom Video-teleconferencing platform are posted and available for playback. All recorded meetings are viewable by clicking the associated meeting date web links found on the various SONC committee web pages.

The 2023 Neighborhood Council elections are taking place now through June 22. SONC has secured 21 stakeholders to run for the 9 council seats across areas 2, 4, and 6 that will be on the ballot. Please refer to the Area boundary map below and the area boundary descriptions that appear here to determine if you live in an area of Sherman Oaks that will have open seats on the 2023 ballot. As a Sherman Oaks community stakeholder you are only entitled to vote in the elections if you reside in one of the 3 areas that has candidates currently running for office.

The 9 seats in contention are:

SONC Area 2 is located within the 91401 and 91423 zip codes and is bounded by:

SONC Area 4 is located within the 91403 and a small portion of the 91423 zip codes and is bounded by:

SONC Area 6 is located within the 91403 and a small portion of the 91423 zip codes and is bounded by:

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. You can view a brief video explaining what Neighborhood Councils do and what it means to be a Neighborhood Council member here.

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.

Vote-By-Mail Ballot Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on deadline days. The Office of the City Clerk administers Neighborhood Council elections, while the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment (DONE) – which serves as the primary support agency for LA’s Neighborhood Council system – oversees elections outreach and education.

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.).

Now that all the candidates are certified by the City Clerk's Office, their bio's and candidate statements are 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 remain posted and viewable on the website through 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 request and obtain a Neighborhood Council Elections ballot using the online VBM Application Portal or by completing a VBM paper application. The Department of Neighborhood Empowerment (DONE) is also planning to mail out the paper versions of the Vote-By-Mail ballot request form to resident and business stakeholders in the 3 Sherman Oaks areas for which they have valid mailing addresses contained in the city's records system.

Applications to obtain a ballot are reviewed by the City Clerk's Office to ensure stakeholders meet the NC voter requirements. Once the ballot applications are approved, the Vote-By-Mail ballots are mailed to the voters who have submitted ballot request forms. The deadline to submit an application to request a Vote-By-Mail ballot is June 3, 2023 (19 days prior to the election).

Voted/completed mail-in ballots can be returned by mail using the included postage-paid envelope or can be dropped off at the polling place on Election Day (June 22, 2023). Completed NC ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received no later than ten (10) days thereafter.

You will need to create an Angeleno Account prior to submitting an online VBM ballot application. However, no Angeleno Account is needed if you are requesting a Vote-By-Mail ballot by submitting the paper ballot application form.

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 on June 22, 2023. If you intend to vote in-person, you do not need to apply online or submit a paper ballot request form to obtain a VBM ballot. At the polling place, you will need to provide paper documentation that clearly attests to your stakeholder status, identity, and area participation to establish and confirm your eligibility to cast your vote.

In accordance with any City policy in place at time of in-person voting, 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.

For questions about filling out your ballot request form, how Vote-By-Mail works this season, or Election Day/ballot drop box details, you may contact the City Clerk’s Neighborhood Council Election Section directly, by calling (213) 978-0444 or writing to Clerk.ElectionsNC@LAcity.org. For additional information about the 2023 Neighborhood Council Elections visit: empowerla.org/elections

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!

Jeff Kalban, Chair

Email: Jeff.Kalban.sonc@gmail.com

We are very pleased to let everyone know that District 4 Councilmember Nithya Raman is working with the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council (SONC) and the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association (SOHA) to protect our single-family and rent-stabilized multi-family areas from being up-zoned in the LA Department of City Planning's Community Plan Update and in the implementation of the Housing Element. The SONC Vision Committee is continuously working with the District 4 Council office and the City Planning Department to add the required housing along our commercial corridors where there is the economy of scale and the infrastructure to build meaningful amounts of affordable, equitable housing for all income levels with a variety of housing options. As Councilmember Raman states, focusing on our boulevards is where we get “the most bang for the buck!”

Our goal as always, is a greener, more walkable, more vibrant, and enjoyable Sherman Oaks. To that end, last month our Vision Committee reviewed and passed a motion in support of two new landscaped medians on Van Nuys Boulevard north of Moorpark. These medians, being sponsored by the Sherman Oaks Business Improvement District (BID), will not only enhance the beauty of our community, but have safety benefits, traffic calming benefits, carbon capture benefits, and storm water retention benefits.

We are also fighting two State Senate Bills, SB 423, and SB 4, that would diminish the quality of life in Sherman Oaks and all of California. Details of both bills are in the April Ziff Flyer.

Please join us each month at the Sherman Oaks Martin Pollard Branch Public Library for Vision Committee meetings taking place at 6:30 PM on the first Thursday of the month and the Planning, Land Use and Land Management Committee (PLUM) taking place at 6:30 PM on the third Thursday of the month. For more information, please visit our PLUM/Vision web page.

Harold Shapiro, Chair

Email: Harold.Shapiro.SONC@gmail.com

To celebrate Earth Day on Saturday April 22nd, the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council, in partnership with City Plants, CD4, LADWP, and the Los Angeles Conservation Corps, conducted a free Fruit & Shade Tree Adoption event at the Van Nuys Sherman Oaks War Memorial Park.

Over 100 healthy young fruit and shade trees in 5 gallon liner pots were distributed to the fortunate residents of our city who began to line up as early as 9:00 AM in anticipation of receiving a tree. Fruit tree types given out included Avocado, Apple and Guava. Shade tree varieties included Sumac, Fruitless Olive, Bay Laurel and Jacaranda.

City Plants envisions a Los Angeles in which people in every neighborhood have equal access to trees and their benefits: clean air, energy efficiency, better health, cooling shade, and friendlier, more vibrant communities. They distribute and plant over 20,000 trees annually.

Ryan Ahari and his crew from the Council District 4 Office were on hand to distribute free composting pails. These kitchen countertop pails are designed to help facilitate separation of organic waste materials for recycling purposes. Since the organics recycling program took effect in January, the CD4 office has been working in partnership with LA Sanitation to conduct outreach and education regarding the new requirements, including hosting giveaways in neighborhoods across the district to pass out the organics recycling pails. In just three months, they have given out over 2,500 pails – more than any other organization in the City!

A big shout out and thank you to SONC, City Plants & CD4 Spring Tree Adoption Event Coordinators/Contributors. From SONC: Howard Katchen, Lindsay Imber, Christy Adair, Susan Collins, Jeffrey Hartsough. From CD4: Field Deputy Ryan Ahari and Katsura Uthus, Hannah Jaeger, Tanaz Toufighi, and from City Plants: Cody & Bennick (in their colorful vests). Not pictured but participating from SONC: Jeff Kalban, Stacey Segarra-Bohlinger, Neal Roden, Penny Johnson, & Harold Shapiro

Please join us on Saturday, June 24th as we kick off our Summer Movies in the Park series with a free alfresco screening. These family-friendly summer evening outdoor events typically have fun activities for the kids, community information booths, and some available refreshment options. A specific film title has not been finalized as of yet, but names of recent releases like "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" have been discussed in committee meetings. "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" is a 2023 computer-animated adventure film based on Nintendo's Mario video game franchise. The ensemble voice cast includes Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogen, and Fred Armisen. 

As soon as film titles are secured and agreements have been finalized, we will be sure to publish all the detailed information. The other 2 film screening dates this summer are Saturday July 22 and Saturday August 25th. These movie screenings are held at the Sherman Oaks War Memorial Park, outdoors on the softball field in the evenings once the sun sets, and its dark enough (typically around 7:30 or 8:00 PM). If there is a specific film title that you would like to see shown email: sonc.newsletter@gmail.com.

The SONC Outreach Committee meets on the third Tuesday of each month. Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 16th. Please join us. For more information, to view meeting minutes and meeting agendas, and for details on where the monthly meetings will be conducted visit the Outreach Committee web page.

Bob Bramen, Chair

Email: b.bramen.sonc@gmail.com

The newly formed SONC Airport Committee held it’s inaugural meeting on April 3rd. There are seven members of the Committee, chaired by Bob Bramen, with Lisa Petrus and Tom Materna serving as Vice Chairs. Other members are Joe Cappelletti, Tom Capps, Roslyn Dahl, and Llyswen Franks.

Discussions centered around Van Nuys Airport (VNY) and its affects on Sherman Oaks residents and businesses. A motion was passed unanimously by those present which calls for the rejection by the LA City Council of a proposed development project lease that would include expansion of private jet operations at VNY. The motion was sent to the SONC Board for filing a CIS.

Also discussed were:

Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) Vision Study for VNY that is an initial step in updating the 2006 Airport Plan; and,

The status of potential VNY departure track changes that were recommended by the Southern San Fernando Valley Airport Task Force to the FAA for further evaluation and implementation.

The next Airport Committee meeting will be Wednesday, May 17th at the Sherman Oaks Martin Pollard Branch Public Library. For more information visit the SONC Airport Committee web page.

Susan Collins, Chair

Email: Susan.Collins.SONC@gmail.com

Congratulations to SONC Board Member and Public Safety Committee Lead, Christy Adair

Board Member Adair, has been chosen to be the Valley Honorary Fire Chief on Fire Service Day which is May 13, 2023. The honorary fire chief award is given to someone who has gone above and beyond in service to the LAFD and community. The City Fire Chief will be presenting Christy with an award at FS88 on Sepulveda on May 13th.

Christy works tirelessly to educate our community members about public safety and how to survive after an earthquake. She leads The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program, which is an all-risk, all-hazard training. This valuable course is designed to help you protect yourself, your family, your neighbors and your neighborhood in an emergency situation. Classes are once a week for 7 weeks. The next series of classes starts this Tuesday May 2, at 6:30pm at the Sherman Oaks Galleria. Classes are free, but space is limited.

Use this link to reserve your CERT Training Class space:

Please refer to the SONC website calendar to verify meeting date, time and location of our Public Safety Committee meetings. Since we are no longer meeting via Zoom these meeting days may change each month. We're looking forward to being able to meet in person again. Please remember to check the SONC calendar for meeting details.

The SONC Public Safety Committee meets on the second Tuesday of each month. Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 9th. Please join us. For more information, to view meeting minutes and meeting agendas, and for details on where the monthly meetings will be conducted visit the Public Safety Committee web page.

To protect lives and properties along hillside communities, LAFD provides a thorough and comprehensive brush program to prevent fires in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. If you live in a hillside community, you may have received notice from LAFD to maintain and clear brush located on your property. Unmaintained properties are subject to fees and penalties. To avoid the assessment of an inspection fee, brush clearance shall be conducted and completed within the requirements defined in L.A.M.C Section 57.322 by May 1, 2023.

For general questions or concerns, please contact the Brush Clearance Unit at (800) 994-4444 or lafdbrush@lacity.org or visit www.lafd.org/brush. For billing questions please contact the LAFD Accounting Department at lafd.brushacctg@lacity.org.

Dear Friends, 

Two years ago, in the Ralph’s parking lot where the Sherman Oaks Homeowners’ Association (SOHA) was having their holiday toy drive, SOHA Board Member and honorary Mayor of Sherman Oaks Jules Feir walked over and handed me a thick manila envelope. Inside was documentation of a problem that he had been trying to solve for years: newsracks. 

Across the city’s sidewalks, the once-vibrant newspaper industry had placed newsracks so that residents could grab their favorite papers. As the print news industry withered away, the papers’ unused newsracks became covered in graffiti and spilled over with trash, sullying our main business corridors. Jules wanted to find a way to get rid of them, once and for all. 

Now, after years of sitting idle and in disrepair, the newsracks lining major commercial corridors from Ventura Blvd to Van Nuys Blvd are finally on their way out! 

Council District 4’s Sherman Oaks Field Deputy Ryan Ahari, Small Business Liaison Su Lee, and other staff members drove around the district and used Google Maps to identify unused newsracks, and submitted individual 311 requests for each location. Initially, the Bureau of Street Services couldn’t remove them - pandemic related staffing shortages and funding cuts prevented the department from being able to respond. 

But now, thanks to a push from our team and more resources available at the department, the newsracks are slowly disappearing! All in all, our team flagged 50 newsracks for removal at 33 different locations including Ventura Blvd, Van Nuys Blvd, Burbank Blvd, and Sepulveda Blvd. To date, 60% of these have been removed and the Bureau of Street Services is working on removing the rest. 

Also, in case you haven't noticed, through the efforts of the CD4 office, the DOT has repainted the red curbs indicating 'no parking' zones all along Ventura Blvd. from the 405 Freeway to Coldwater Canyon.

Most of the work that we end up talking about in our newsletter or social media has to do with the big issues we’re dealing with in our district and in LA: power outages, homelessness, housing costs. But our office tries to help constituents with issues both big and small. Navigating the city’s bureaucracy is time-consuming, and even simple things can take years to resolve. But we’re here to help. 

If you are experiencing any issues in your neighborhood such as graffiti, illegal dumping, or street light problems please submit a service request by calling the city’s 311 hotline, or by filing a report using the 311 app, and reach out to our office at contactcd4@lacity.org or 213-473-7004 for further assistance. 

Warmly, 

Nithya

During the month of May, the CD4 office will be participating in several events taking place across the San Fernando Valley where they will be handing out free kitchen countertop compost pails for recycling food waste.

The free compost pails are provided by the Los Angeles Sanitation Dept. (LASAN) to help you separate your food waste at home. As of January 16, 2023, Angelenos are now required to place food waste and food-soiled paper in their green trash bins to be composted by the City, alongside the landscaping waste that already goes in this bin.

Our Council Office is enthusiastic about working together to combat climate change. Keeping food out of landfills where it decomposes is a simple way to reduce harmful greenhouse gasses. Upcoming events where a free pail can be obtained:

Register/reserve your pail at this link. We hope to see you soon!

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)

Mayor Karen Bass has proposed a $13Billion budget. For the next two weeks, the City Council will be discussing LA’s proposed budget for the coming fiscal year (which begins July 1), so now is the time to weigh in! Check out this guide below on how to participate in the 2023-2024 City of Los Angeles budget process. 

The Budget, Finance, and Innovation Committee’s hearings to review the budgets proposed for each City department and program began on April 25 and run through Friday May 12. You can find the information below on how to watch and listen online; write a letter; or attend in person at City Hall if you would like to publicly make your opinions, feelings and position on how your taxpayer dollars should be spent heard by your elected officials. 

Visit the schedule of departmental hearings to learn when the hearings that you’re interested in will take place: https://ens.lacity.org/clk/committeeagend/clkcommitteeagend18171042_04272023.htm. Hearings are happening now through May 12. Even if the department you would like to comment on has already appeared before the Committee, your letters may be submitted until this hearing series closes. 

Discussion at these hearings will center on the Mayor’s budget proposal and the requests submitted by departments, so your arguments will have more impact if you frame them within the context of what appears in these Mayoral or departmental proposals. Is there an existing part of these proposals that aligns with something you would like to see funded next year? Links to all important Budget documents are in the “Budget Links + Documents” article below.

Watch the hearings broadcast live on Cable Television Channel 35, on the internet live online at:

https://clerk.LAcity.org/calendar or listen to the live audio of the hearings by dialing one of these numbers: 

(213) 621-CITY (Metro)

(818) 904-9450 (Valley)

(310) 471-CITY (Westside)

(310) 547-CITY (San Pedro Area)

The Budget, Finance and Innovation Committee is accepting public comments in person only at City Hall on Tuesday May 2, and Thursday May 4. There will be no public comment by teleconference. If you’re attending a hearing, enter City Hall via the public entrance at 200 N Main Street, just south of Temple, and go through security to get a visitor’s pass. Take any elevator to the 3rd floor City Council Chambers. Please allow plenty of time to find parking or travel to City Hall from transit stops, and go through the checkpoint. 

You can submit a question for the Budget, Finance, and Innovation Committee to ask during the hearings, via this online form: https://bit.ly/LABudgetQuestions. Questions may be about specific departments or the programs and services a department oversees. 

Send your letters to the members of the Budget, Finance and Innovation Committee. The Committee is chaired by Bob Blumenfield and members include Curren Price, Katy Yaroslavsky, Tim McOsker, and Monica Rodriguez. 

You may also want to copy your communications to the full City Council, as the full Council will consider the Committee’s recommendations before deciding whether to adopt them. City elected official contact info is available at https://LAcity.gov/directory. 

Make sure to note, in your letter, that this is for Council File 23-0600. Letters may also be submitted directly to the Council File via the Internet to Council File 23-0600 by clicking the button at the top of the webpage that says “NEW.” The city also provides an on-line comment form submission capability for the Council File System at this web page:

In addition to communications from the public, you will notice that the City of LA Council File System contains Community Impact Statements that have been submitted by city organizations, including Neighborhood Councils. In addition to contacting City Council directly with your comments, you may wish to contact your local Neighborhood Council and urge your neighborhood's elected representatives to draft, discuss, approve and submit a Community Impact Statement on behalf of the entire neighborhood. City Council members typically attribute more weight to Community Impact Statements that have been vetted by the local neighborhood elected officials, than they attribute to individuals who submit comments directly. Note that Neighborhood Councils’ budgets are also discussed during the City Clerk’s hearings on the budget.

While it’s good to submit letters as early as possible, you can still send a letter about a department or program even after their hearing has passed, until these budget sessions close.  

The schedule is likely to change as the hearings progress, as there is not a set amount of time allotted for each department. To stay up-to-date on when the items you care about are scheduled for discussion, subscribe to the Budget, Finance, and Innovation Committee’s agendas, to receive updates via email. Visit:

https://tiny.cc/CityCouncilAgendas to sign up. 

The City Council File for the 2023-2024 City of Los Angeles budget is CF 23-0600. Included there are submissions from City departments as well as opinion letters from individuals and organizations: https://cityclerk.lacity.org/lacityclerkconnect/index.cfm?fa=ccfi.viewrecord&cfnumber=23-0600 

The Proposed Budget 2023-2024 from Mayor Bass is actually a set of documents, all of which can be found at https://CAO.LAcity.org/budget/. 

The Mayor’s documents include a primary Proposed Budget, as well as an illustrated, shorter Budget Summary that provides a quick overview of what’s in this year’s proposal. 

Details regarding the Mayor’s proposals for each City department and City program are in two separate “Blue Book” volumes, which are also available on that webpage.

View the full schedule of Budget hearings for every City department here:

Watch the hearings live online at:

https://clerk.LAcity.org/calendar or listen by dialing one of these numbers: 213) 621-CITY (Metro), (818) 904-9450 (Valley), (310) 471-CITY (Westside), and (310) 547-CITY (San Pedro Area).

There is currently pending legislation in the California State Senate (Bill 411) which would amend the State Brown Act to allow Neighborhood Councils to opt-in to holding some or all of our Board and/or Committee meetings virtually. This bill was introduced by Senator Portantino, and Coauthored by Senator Menjivar, and Assembly Member Luz Rivas).

This important bill is scheduled to be heard by the State Senate Judiciary Committee tomorrow Tuesday, May 2, 2023 after 1:30 PM. It is the seventh bill on the agenda (linked here). If you would like to weigh in by phone, here are the details:

The public participation line for the May 2 hearing is:         877-226-8216, and the access code is 6217161.

Listen for instructions. Once prompted for SB 411 comments, you will be given a caller number. Once your line has been opened, state your name, your affiliation(s) and your position on the bill (for example: support or support if amended).

To listen only, but not testify, for this hearing in Senate Committee Room 2100, please dial 1-888-808-6929 and use Access Code 7362833.

  

Please note: Senate Bill 411 has been amended (view here) since its original introduction on February 9, 2023. These amendments include:

There are other amendments -- please review the bill text for the exact wording of all of them.

There are at least three members of the Judiciary Committee who represent portions of Los Angeles and their names are highlighted in yellow below. If you are a constituent, please consider contacting your Senator directly before tomorrow afternoon.

Senate Judiciary Committee Members:

Senator Thomas J. Umberg (Chair)

Senator Scott Wilk (Vice Chair)

Senator Angelique V. Ashby

Senator Anna M. Caballero

Senator John Laird

Senator Dave Min

Senator Roger W. Niello

Senator Scott D. Wiener

Thanks to everyone who previously submitted comments via the State Senate online portal and who called in and spoke during the first hearing on April 19th.

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 May edition of the Van Nuys Neighborhood Watch News is available to read online here.

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.