CITY HALL
Greg Nelson

Last year’s year-end column listed 20 “empowering things that City Hall should do in 2010 … but likely won’t.” (Link)

Half of one of the recommendations got implemented, so this year’s list will offer some suggestions that are even more urgent.

â—� Create an online two-way communication system

The first step is that the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment (DONE) and the Board of Neighborhood Commissioners (BONC) need to create a system, using simple and free programs, so people can have their voices heard with having to do endure the pain and disruption of going to an in-person meeting.  L.A. is a huge city, not a village.

This will make it easier for city officials to respond to questions and comments from the public, because everyone deserves an answer.

â—� DONE should post its rules

DONE has posted the rules of the funding program on its website, but it has not posted any of its other rules making it difficult for everyone to be on the same page.  As a result, DONE has opened up itself to complaints that its staff gives contradictory advice, and is “making it up as it goes along.”

â—�Support the development of a Sunshine Law

It remains highly unlikely that DONE or BONC will take the lead on too many initiatives that are empowering to neighborhood councils.  A recent survey [LINK ] showed that over 68% felt that BONC and DONE spend too much time restricting and hindering neighborhood councils as opposed to empowering and assisting them.

And if they were to focus on some empowerment projects, they would likely limit themselves to the time-consuming, disenfranchising, and inconvenient method of face-to-face meetings that ensures poor diversity among the participants.

Therefore, the two agencies should encourage and support the efforts of the council members themselves to finish the goal of the Neighborhood Council Review Commission (NCRC) to find a more enforceable and effective replacement for the state’s Brown Act.

â—� Support improvements to the Early Warning System

Similarly, the agencies should support populist efforts to add more definition to that part of the City Charter that guarantees neighborhood councils have adequate advanced notice before decisions are made at city hall so they can weigh in …. a provision that is routinely ignored by city officials.

â—� BONC needs more fairness and openness

The commission should adopt a rule that it won’t schedule any item for discussion until neighborhood councils have had a reasonable amount of time to know about the issue, read the staff report, and be part of the discussion.

It should remember the NCRC recommendation that it not impose any rule on councils that it doesn’t apply to itself, and either post its agendas in five physical locations or reduce that requirement on councils.

BONC should encourage councils to submit Community Impact Statements to it so they can be printed on its agendas, thereby setting an example for other commissions.

BONC should welcome input from the handful who come to its meetings by ensuring that speakers are able to comment both before discussion begins on an item and again before the members are ready to vote.

â—� BONC and DONE should be stronger advocates for neighborhood councils

DONE’s general manager, the official spokesperson for the department’s positions on legislative matters, backed up by BONC, should impress upon the mayor and City Council the importance of:

1.  Restoring the practice of printing neighborhood council Community Impact Statements on its agendas. 

2.  Respecting the special responsibility that the City Charter gives to neighborhood councils regarding the city budget and return to the practice of encouraging neighborhood councils, not just individuals, to respond to the mayor’s annual budget survey, and publish the results in the budget.

3.  Allowing councils to submit a limited number of “motions” to the City Council without burdening these advisors with filing unnecessary financial disclosure statements.

4.  Holding general managers accountable for how their departments engage neighborhood councils.

â—� Develop a meaningful leadership training program

Good leaders aren’t grown by limiting their education to the things they must do or can’t do for fear of becoming criminals. 

At one time, DONE offered more than 40 sessions that didn’t cost a penny.  If DONE won’t revive those efforts, it can search for those who can provide the training to the councils wishing to pay for it.

(Greg Nelson participated in the birth and development of the LA Neighborhood Council system and served as the General Manager of the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment. He also served as Chief of Staff for former City Councilman Joel Wachs. Nelson now provides news and issues analysis to CityWatch. He can be reached at:    
This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
) –cw

CityWatch
Vol 8 Issue 101
Pub: Dec 21, 2010