Date: March 1, 2004
Time: 7:00PM
Location: Vera Davis Center
DRAFT MINUTES – Minutes submitted by Vice President Greg
Fitchitt. Subject to approval by the
EC.
1. Call to Order: Sheila Bernard called
the meeting to order. Present: Sheila
Bernard, Greg Fitchitt, Alice Stek, Jim Smith, Tom O’Meara, Paul Ryan. Not Present: Elena Popp.
2.
Public Comment: Public Comment was heard from Ibrahim Butler, Peggy
Lee Kennedy, Joel Shields, Suzanne Thompson, and Jim Smith.
3.
Approval of Minutes: Tabled
(by consensus).
4. GRVNC
Administrative Items
4a. Report on Town Hall
Suzanne Thompson reported that the Town Hall was a success, was within budget, and also that Walking Man coverage appeared to be spotty. Paul Ryan asked about a firm number on attendance. Sheila Bernard reported that there were 250 chairs, all of which were taken at one point, so that with people coming and going 250-300 seemed like a reasonable estimate. Jim Smith requested that the Town Hall be on the upcoming Board meeting (approved by consensus). Tom O’Meara requested the group consider a date change for the next Town Hall to late May to coincide with the availability of a speaker on Solaris, Catherine Austin Fitts. Jim Smith suggested the Communications and Outreach Committee should start a regular newsletter and also begin planning the next Town Hall now. Jim Smith reported that the estimated total cost of the Town Hall was approximately $3,200, or about $1,150 under budget, due in large part to the use of Walking Man rather than a USPS mailing. Tom O’Meara stated that he is overloaded and would like someone to assume responsibility for the database and possibly the website as well. This was referred to the Communications and Outreach Committee.
4b. Upcoming Meetings
March 11: GRVNC Board
March 11: GRVNC EC (following Board meeting)
March 20: GRVNC Board Retreat/Workshop
March 22: GRVNC Board
4c. Agenda Policy
5. Old Business should be added as a regular category on the Board Agenda to assure that items do not get repeatedly tabled (approved by consensus).
6. A standard form for agenda item requests should be created, including the proposed motion, name of requestor, issues of timeliness, etc. (approved by consensus).
7. Bonnie Cheeseman has expressed concern that our agendas are too long. This will be discussed at the Board retreat on March 20.
4d. Communications Policies
David Moring has raised the need for a policy on press releases. Jim Smith suggested that a press release should be issued after every board meeting and that rules should be flexible to encourage people to issue press releases. Several members expressed concern that committees should not be issuing press releases since their actions are not official until approved by the Board. Dennis Hathaway suggested that a Media Relations Officer be appointed. This issue was referred to the Communications and Outreach Committee. Several members discussed the need for a similar clarification of policy regarding communications to governmental bodies. There was general consensus that Paul Ryan’s approach of drafting a letter and distributing to Board members for comment prior to issuance was working well. These policies will be discussed at the Board retreat on March 20.
4e. Committee Composition and Brown Act
requirements
Paul Ryan reiterated his concern that many GRVNC committees as currently constituted may be in violation of the Brown Act since committee membership and quorum are not defined. Paul will work with the committee chairs to establish rules necessary to be in compliance. Committee rules and policies will be discussed at the Board retreat.
4f. Petty Cash
Jim Smith presented a request for Petty Cash distribution to committees pursuant to DONE regulations, as follows: LUPC $150, EC $100, Ocean Front Walk $50, Children, Youth & Families $50, Conservation $50, Housing $50, Parking $50, and Poverty and Homelessness $50. After the initial disbursement, committee chairs may replenish their funds on a monthly basis by submitting receipts for expenses to the Treasurer. Additional funds will not be disbursed without receipts showing how previous funds were expended. This policy was approved by consensus. Ibrahim Butler and Peggy Lee Kennedy expressed that $50 was insufficient for their committee needs. Jim Smith explained that the amount available to all committees was limited by DONE regulations.
4g. GRVNC Policies and Procedures
Greg Fitchitt has prepared a draft document of Policies and Procedures for GRVNC. Board members are encouraged to review these and prepare comments/additions for the Board Retreat on March 20.
5.
Agenda Items for
March 11 Board Meeting
5a. Ocean Front Walk Committee – Grievance of
Joel Shields.
Joel Shields presented his grievance (previously submitted via e-mail, hard copies presented to EC at meeting) relating to the formation of the Ocean Front Walk Committee. EC members discussed how the grievance should be heard. Suggestion that the Grievant make a presentation to Board, then public comment, then board discussion (allowing for questioning of the Grievant), then board decision. Suggestion that a sub-committee be formed to hear the grievance be heard in advance of the board meeting and a recommendation made. Dennis Hathaway, Suzanne Thompson and Alice Stek volunteered to serve on such a tribunal. Grievance approved by consensus to be considered by the board at the March 11 meeting.
5b. Motion on Requests for funds from the
Venice Area Surplus Real Property Fund (Dennis Hathaway)
Motion:
GRVNC requests that the city council office direct any group, association,
organization or individual seeking funds from the Venice Area Surplus Real
Property Fund to present their application for such funds to the GRVNC board
for its consideration and recommendation for action to the Council office.
Supporting Matter: The present councilmember has publicly stated that she will seek input from GRVNC and affected neighborhoods before presenting any resolutions for funding to the full city council. This is proper, but leaves the details of how such input will be sought unanswered. For example, will the council office listen to a group present their case for funding, draft a council resolution and then send that resolution to the GRVNC board? This kind of “top-down” process isn’t in keeping with the spirit of neighborhood councils, which are empowered to be the voice of the entire community and not just a specific neighborhood, and to reach a consensus to communicate to the city council. The council member may intend to do exactly as the above motion states, but having it as a matter of board resolution will communicate more clearly and definitely the desire of the board to play its proper role in being the conduit between the entire community and the city council.
Approved by consensus for inclusion on the March 11 agenda.
5c. Motion on Brown Act (Dennis Hathaway and
Greg Fitchitt)
Draft motion of GRVNC on the Brown Act:
“Whereas the Brown Act is a California
state law created to enable and encourage public participation in governmental
decision making, and
Whereas the Brown Act, as currently
interpreted and applied by DONE and the City Attorney’s office, is having the
effect of discouraging public participation in GRVNC and other Neighborhood
Councils citywide, by limiting discussion of issues even in publicly-visible
forums such as open discussion websites, and
Whereas the Brown Act, as currently
interpreted and applied by DONE and the City Attorney’s office, is having the
effect of discouraging public participation in GRVNC and other Neighborhood
Councils citywide, by imposing overly-restrictive and burdensome requirements
on Neighborhood Council committees and sub-committees, whose only purpose is to
recommend actions or policy positions to an advisory Neighborhood Council,
Therefore be it resolved that GRVNC
requests Councilmember Miscikowski’s office to work with the City Council, DONE
and the City Attorney’s office to investigate ways to change this
counter-productive application of the Brown Act to Neighborhood Councils,
including but not limited to pursuing the following possibilities:
1. Amending the Brown Act so that its
application to advisory-only bodies such as Neighborhood Councils is less
restrictive and allows dialogue and debate to flourish on forums such as open
public websites, and allows volunteers to meet more informally to develop
recommendations to Neighborhood Councils.
2. Developing a local Los Angeles
Sunshine Law to apply directly to Neighborhood Councils, which would require
all Neighborhood Council decisions to be made in an open and public forum but
would exempt Neighborhood Council committees from some of the more restrictive
elements of the Brown Act, such as requiring 72 hour notice of meetings and ADA
compliant venues.
3. Asking the City Attorney to
review its advice about the applicability of the law to Neighborhood Councils,
as the City Attorney’s current interpretations are effectively more restrictive
upon Neighborhood Councils, which are volunteer organizations with limited
resources and available time to meet and discuss issues, than on governmental
bodies with far greater authority, which have paid staffs to collect and
disseminate information, arrange meeting times and space, and formulate policy
proposals.
4. Asking the City Council to
make a policy decision regarding the applicability of the Brown Act to
Neighborhood Councils.”
Approved
for inclusion on March 11 agenda.
5d. Procedure on expenditures of $500 or more
(Jim Smith)
Motion: “On all budgeted items of $500 or more, Board approval is required. At least two bids will be secured, when feasible.”
Approved for inclusion on March 11 agenda.
5e. Motion on proposed Boardwalk Ordinance
amendment (Jim Smith)
Motion to oppose the proposed ocean front walk ordinance amending Section 42.15 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code.
Additional background in the form of a summary report as to why the proposed amendment is a bad idea requested by Greg Fitchitt.
Approved for
inclusion on March 11 agenda.
5f. Motion regarding Venice Area Senior Field Deputy Sandy Kievman (Gina Record)
Gina Record has
requested that the Board consider a request that the Council office remove the
Venice Area Senior Field Deputy. Ms.
Record submitted a statement listing offenses of the Senior Field Deputy. The EC determined that a motion to request
removal would not be an appropriate way to handle this issue, so it is not
agendized for the March 11 meeting.
Sheila Bernard will follow up on the issue with the council office.
Not approved for
inclusion on March 11 agenda.
5g. Liaison to Los Angeles Alliance of Neighborhood Councils (Greg Fitchitt)
The Los Angeles
Alliance of Neighborhood Councils has requested that GRVNC designate a liaison
to their organization. The EC
recommends that the Board, at the March 11 meeting, appoint Greg Fitchitt to be
this liaison, with an alternate to be determined at the board meeting.
5h. LUPC Action
Items (Laura Burns and Sabrina Venskus)
Motion language and supporting material to be submitted by the LUPC following their meeting on March 2.
5.h.i Lincoln Place (relative to purported new
demolitions)
5.h.ii Methane Ordinance - proposed Task Force on
Toxic Gases, intended to recommend amendments to the recently passed City
methane code.
5i. Discussion of
Town Hall (Jim Smith)
MOTION TO ADJOURN
Meeting
adjourned at 10:20 PM.