United Neighborhoods - a Los Angeles neighborhood council

Official Bulletin September 2003

Sep 04, 2003

What is a Neighborhood Council?
The Neighborhood Council is you, your family, and your neighbors. It is composed of people who have some type of connection to the geographic area that the Neighborhood Council represents. Technically called ?“stakeholders?”, these are people who live, work, own property in the area, or who have a genuine concern for the community through their membership in a local organization, their affiliation with a school, a church, a non-profit organization, or who have some other similar involvement. The Neighborhood Council Is open to everyone.

What Area Does it Represent?
The United Neighborhoods of the historic Arlington Heights, West Adams and Jefferson Park communities Neighborhood Council serves the communities located between the south side of Pico Blvd and the north side of Rodeo Road and the east side of Crenshaw Blvd and the west side of Normandie moving inward to Arlington following the west boundary of Council district 10. (SEE Attached MAP). Our Council was certified in May 2002 and held its official election in October 2002.

What Exactly Does the Neighborhood Council Do?
The Neighborhood Council deals with issues covered by the City of Los Angeles. Through an open and democratic process, the Council holds public meetings to decide what matters most to the neighborhood. After a vote by the Governing Board, the Council takes a position and then expresses its recommendation to the City.

Are Neighborhood Councils New?
Yes! Neighborhood Councils were created as part of a sweeping reform package enacted by voters in 1999 to better connect residents with their City government. These reforms gave special powers to Neighborhood Councils, so that everyday people could have a stronger voice in the decision-making process. They are designed to bridge the distance between City Hall and our neighborhoods. And they have the potential to change how decisions are made for the better. But success depends on your active participation.

How is the Neighborhood Council Different than Other Community Organizations?
The Neighborhood Council is an official part of Los Angeles City government. Written into the new City Charter, it is a formal public entity and has special powers and duties that are very different than other community organizations. The Neighborhood Council must follow the same open-meeting laws that ensure public access to the Los Angeles City Council and other local governments. It must follow the rules regarding the expenditure and record-keeping of public money. Its Governing Board Members must abide by a Code of Ethics as a commitment to principled decision-making and a safeguard against conflicts of interest. All of this empowers the Neighborhood Council with the lawful authority to act on City issues in an official advisory capacity.

The United Neighborhoods Governing Board consist of 23 Board seats, 12 are designated for residents of the six region areas within the neighborhood council boundaries (See Attached Map) and 11 seats are for non resident stakeholders such as business, education, non-profit, cultural heritage and at large interests.

The United Neighborhoods Board Governing Board meets every other month. The next meeting is scheduled for September 4, 2003 at the Washington Irving Library, 4117 Washington Blvd. The meetings begin at 6:30pm and go until approximately 8:00pm.

There are seven standing committees which are actively seeking members at the moment. The Committees are:
Youth, Recreation and Parks, Economic Development, Outreach/Public Relations, Historic Preservation, Public Safety,
and Planning/Zoning.

This September meeting will mark the Board?’s 8th meeting. There is currently one vacancies on the Board for a non-resident stakeholder.