Los Angeles neighborhood resources

To ward off secession of the San Fernando Valley, LA created a set of Neighborhood Councils.

They are comparable to DC's Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, but much larger--many of the neighborhood councils have more than 20 members. (Scary! if they are not committed to deliberation and quality. And this is counter to my experience in DC, where I think the larger and more spread out is the ANC, the more it is ineffective. E.g., Ward 5 isn't that dense, so ANC Single Member Districts are very large, and there are 3 ANCs, where there probably should be 5 or 6, smaller ones, ensuring that the ANC doesn't span the entire ward, often bringing together SMDs with wildly varying interests and needs.)

So the city has a Department of Neighborhood Empowerment which "manages" and provides resources to the Neighborhood Councils, and provides training and other resources. I like that one of the training areas is on ethics.

In a couple weeks, they will have the first "regional" assembly, bringing together multiple Councils in South Central LA, to consider common issues.

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Unlike in DC, where I don't think you even hear of ANCs in a single ward coming together for regular meetings, although generally Commissioners connect one ANC to another through more personal contact, especially when their Single Member District abuts another in an adjoining ANC, there is more connection between the Neighborhood Councils in Los Angeles, such as with the LA Citywide Alliance of Neighborhood Councils and the Valley Alliance of Neighborhood Councils representing the Councils in the San Fernando Valley -- there are 34!

Also see the LA Neighborhood Councils issues website, and the CityWatch website is a good resource for following neighborhood-oriented issues in Los Angeles.
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10 Things Neighborhood Councils can do for Los Angeles
by Los Angeles City Councilman Eric Garcetti
(edited: see the document for the full discussion)

1. Build power through knowledge. Bring the Government 101 curriculum to your community and teach your constituents how City Hall works. Start a Neighborhood Leadership Institute and bring some of the city wide curriculum we have developed (Planning 101, Planning 102, Planning 103, Housing 101, etc.) to your neck of the woods. These graduates will help your neighborhood have a more powerful voice throughout the city.

2. Use a blog to communicate with your constituents.

3. Welcome new residents to your neighborhood and get them involved.

4. Empower young people in your community. If you do not already have a youth representative on your neighborhood council, get one! Adopt a local school and work with the social studies or leadership teachers to help identify or elect a student representative on your council.

5. House Los Angeles.

6. Clean up your neighborhood. Bring UNTAG (Uniting Neighbors To Abolish Graffiti) to your neighborhood. This initiative reduced graffiti by 62% in a single year in CD13 and can work in your neighborhood, too. We recently expanded this program to go citywide, and all we are waiting for is you.

7. Clean up your city. Los Angeles has the country’s dirtiest air and water. We consume disproportionate amounts of resources and contribute to global warming. Assess your own neighborhood by measuring your environmental footprint nd see what you can do to reduce your footprint.

8. Clean up your government. Join the Clean Money Campaign to take special interest money out of politics. By implementing a full public financing system for municipal elections, Los Angeles can join other states and cities around the country that are returning democracy back to our communities.

9. Prepare for emergencies.

10. Make policy. Help get final passage of the proposal to trigger the opening of council files when a critical number of neighborhood councils weigh in onpolicy proposals. This will help open a new chapter in neighborhood empowerment and build on many of the policy successes initiated by neighborhood councils, from cable policy to water rates.

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Separately, there is the Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative, which is a more grassroots oriented organizations, providing technical and financial support to more gournd-up neighborhood initiatives. LANI has their annual training conference next week.

Look at the array of workshops:

GET A CLEAN AUDIT!
HOW TO COMPLY WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL FUNDING PROGRAM
Understand the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment’s guidelines for Neighborhood Councils with respect to its Funding Program accountability.

DILEMMA: HOW TO BRING FRESH, HEALTHY GROCERIES TO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
Hear professionals describe the myths and realities associated with attracting supermarkets to urban neighborhoods and discover the steps involved in bringing fresh food to your community.

BEYOND CACTUS: CALIFORNIA FRIENDLY LANDSCAPE AND IRRIGATION
Cultivate more beauty with less water through the use of drought tolerant native plants. Discover water wise guidelines and techniques to grow a vibrant garden while reducing your water bill.

LIVING ON THE MEAN STREETS: GANGS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
Learn how mitigation measures such as removing graffiti, adding lighting and community policing, can prevent or reduce the impact of gangs in your neighborhood.

BICYCLING IN LA: WHAT EVERY CYCLIST NEEDS TO KNOW
Find out how Los Angeles’ Bicycle Plan affects you. Plus, get tips and tools for integrating cycling into your daily routine.

LOTS: NEIGHBORHOOD ASSET MAPPING MADE EASY
Be the first to hear about UCLA’s exciting new Land Opportunities Tracking System. Learn how to utilize the internet to map local opportunities and challenges in your own neighborhood.

NUISANCE NO MORE: HOW TO RID YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD OF PROBLEM BUSINESSES
Find out what you can do to clean up or close down nuisance establishments, paving the way for
new businesses offering quality jobs and services.

BRINGING BACK BROADWAY: REVITALIZING L.A.’S HISTORIC THEATER DISTRICT
Learn how the largest theater district west of the Mississippi will be returned to its former glory
while maintaining the vibrant cultural character of present-day Broadway.

I'd like to attend myself.