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Northridge Community Council Meeting Minutes United Methodist Church September 19, 200. Note the numbers match the agenda numbers
1. Acting Chair, Dorothy Boberg, called the meeting to order at 7:45 p.m. with a moment of silence for the victims and families of the terrorist attack in New York City. She then introduced Kimberly Hlaing, Deputy to Mayor Hahn. A full staff in Van Nuys is available to assist citizens. Kimberly can be reached at (818) 756-8505. The Constituent Service Coordinator for the North Valley is James Birkhart.
A. Dorothy reported on the September 6 meeting with DONE. This meeting was called in an attempt to resolve issues between our Steering Committee, and the Sherwood Forest Homeowners Association and the Old Northridge area who had submitted a second set of bylaws at the August Community Council meeting. Sherwood Forest has elected a set of directors and have been having private meetings. Harry Coleman refused to give specific information to DONE or Dorothy. They intend to implement their own Neighborhood Council with a Board of Directors who will vote on all issues. The Chair's full report is posted on the website: http://www.northridgecouncil.org/../done/010906done.htm.
2. Minutes of the July 17 and August 15 meetings approved and seconded with no additions or corrections
3. Clean Money In Public Elections Will Forthman presented information and printed literature on the California Clean Money campaign. Four states have such laws offering alternatives to private financing with public financing of campaigns. California organizations continue to develop a similar initiative for our public elections. Printed materials were available for all.
A number of questions written by Mr. Jay Sugarman following the August meeting were reviewed by Dorothy and responses given by Charles Brink.
1. Q Neighborhood Councils will be held, legally, to the public notification standards of the Brown Act
A: Yes, the Brown Act, under the auspices of the LA City Charter, will be followed by us. The public must be informed in advance of all public meetings. Governing bodies are forbidden to vote secretly and the public must be participants in meetings and the voting process.
2. Q The Brown Act extends to the membership of the Neighborhood Councils. Could any breach of the strict requirements of the Brown Act result in criminal and civil penalties?
A If you intentionally conspire to defraud the Stakeholders that could result in criminal charges No group in the history of the brown act has ever been criminally accused. The remedy is if you violate the brown act and actions are set aside and you have to properly notice the meeting and redue the action. If you do it wrong you have to do it again
2a DONE will be monitoring the activities of the certified Neighborhood Councils to assure compliance with the Brown Act. More likely than criminal and civil penalties, would be intervention by DONE and possible "involuntary decertification" as outlined in the DONE Plan.
A The council would looses creditably if in continues to violate the law. It is possible that dome could take action
3. Q In the event someone in the Council is sued or must answer to charges that the Brown Act has been violated, the City, will or will not, pay for legal representation? In the event civil penalties are assessed, will the City represent the Council, or member of the law suit?
There are no Civil penalties for violating the brown act and if you agree to redo the action no legal action or lawyers are needed.
As to other liability once we are certified if a member, of the Council Board, is acting in the official capacity of the Neighborhood Council, conducting relevant Council business, then the City will represent the Council or member in a law suit and pay if the damages.
4. Q If all stakeholders are to be notified in advance of meetings of the Neighborhood Council, and receive minutes of the meetings, will the City guarantee payment of the estimated $1.00 per month per resident for mailing and postage?
A DONE and everyone else would like to see a lot more outreach and organizing conducted, as well as appropriating funds to assist Neighborhood Councils in their efforts. A new head of DONE is yet to be announced. In the meantime, there remains many unanswered questions and constant changes.
5. Could the cost of community outreach be offset by sharing the mail of the DWP? Some groups have already made agreements with DWP to include notices in bills, but there is not yet a DONE/DWP agreement that would facilitate this citywide?
A Good idea which will be pursued. This issue was brought up at recent meeting for consideration as well as LAUSD schools now directed to provide meeting space, free of charge, to Neighborhood Councils and, also, the sending home of Council meeting information with all LAUSD school children.
4. OLD BUSINESS Walter Prince explained proposed bylaws as a Town Hall organization where all meeting attendees vote on issues presented versus a Board approach where the Board makes the decisions and votes. According to this set of proposed by laws, Board members would be liaisons, coordinators, organizers who do not control what happens. The community drives the Northridge Council by each persons individual, single vote.
As established at the August meeting, written amendments were submitted. A ballot form listing each proposed amendment was explained. Each amendment was discussed by the group with the amendment author explaining reasons for the amendment. Prior to voting each person attending the Council meeting was asked to complete a Northridge Community Council Membership/Registration Application to Become a Voting Stakeholder form. This completed form was then turned in for a voting ballot. Stakeholders then reviewed each proposed amendment and marked their ballot yes, no or abstained by leaving it blank. See ballot.
5. NEW BUSINESS Item 9 on the ballot addressed the request from DONE to merge the two Northridge factions; our group with the Sherwood Forest - Harry Coleman, Don Larson - Old Northridge groups. After much discussion of pros and cons by at least half a dozen Stakeholders'''' as to the appropriate placement of this item, a hand vote was taken to "table Item #9" or to "vote." Hand count resulted in decision to "vote" on #9 as written. Ballots were placed in the ballot box and counted by the Inspector of Elections Chair and Committee. While count was being conducted a break was taken.
A. Website was discussed by Charles Brink and all encouraged to send NR information, suggestions, amendments, agenda items electronically to be posted and then placed into agendas.
B. Board Elections next month. Anyone who wants to be a member of the Board should be prepared to speak for two minute at the next meeting prior to the elections of Board members.
6. Treasurer's Report Acting Treasurer, Andy Anderson, gave his report that $73.15 was in our account. The hat was passed for contributions. Amount verified. Total in Council account is now $125.00.
7. Public Comment Jane Lowenthal requests that future meetings be held at LAUSD school, possibly Andasol. Meetings have been scheduled for October and November at Northridge Hospital which has been gracious and accommodating.
8. Announcements Next meeting on Wednesday, October 17, Northridge Hospital, 7:30 p.m.
CSUN Academy EIR to be released soon it was erroneously reported as October 1 at our meeting. Watch for announcement of public hearing information. Contact Basam Raslam at (213) 633-8267 for information.
Darby School, Tree Planting, 9am to 12 noon on September 29, 2001. Public welcome.
Voting results on proposed amendments to the by laws announced by the Chair.
See ballot at http://www.northridgecouncil.org/bylaws/010919vote.htm for results
Ballot Items
1 Delete LA City Ethics Yes and 2 Add our Ethics Yes
3 Add to boundaries Yes
4 Stakeholder expansion No
5 Grammar Yes
Remove Roberts Rules of Order No
7 Adopt proposed bylaws & amendments Yes
8 Adopt Alternative bylaws No
9 Merge with other new NR Council No
Meeting adjourned at 9:45 p.m.
Patricia LoPresti Acting Secretary