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Formation and Mission of the Committee

The Homelessness & Vehicular Living Ad Hoc Committee was created by the VNC Board on June 17, 2008 with the adoption of the following motion and mission statement:

Motion: to create a single Homelessness/Vehicular Living Ad Hoc Committee (“Committee”) composed of twelve (12) voting members including two (2) co-chairs appointed by the President, and two (2) Board Members and eight (8) stakeholders selected by the co-chairs. The Board recommends that the eight (8) stakeholders be selected to form a balance of the points of view of relevant Venice interests. Non-voting Committee members shall be representatives from Supervisor Yaroslavsky’s Office, Supervisor Knabe’s Office, Supervisor Burke’s Office, Councilman Rosendahl’s Office, LAPD, DOT, and the Los Angeles City Housing Department (and possibly DPSS and Community Mental Health) as deemed appropriate and helpful by the Committee.

Mission Statement: The incidence of homelessness in Venice is a troubling aspect of life in Venice which calls out for action by citizens and government alike. To attempt to address this, the VNC Ad Hoc Committee on Homelessness is formed and charged with identifying local and regional solutions and actions to assist those who are indigent and thus unable to afford housing. In pursuing its mission, the Committee shall engage in a dialogue with County and City officials, including the County Supervisors of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Districts, the Council Office for the 11th District, LAPD, DOT, the Los Angeles Housing Department, social service agencies which provide services to the homeless, religious and charitable organizations, and any other agencies which it deems potential partners in addressing these issues. Further, the Committee shall actively seek the involvement of all stakeholders in Venice including but not limited to residents, resident and neighborhood associations, service providers, homeless advocates and the homeless themselves, and businesses and property owners. Furthermore, The VNC declares that use of City streets is inappropriate for overnight occupation of vehicles of any kind due to safety, noise, crime and sanitation concerns for both residents in permanent housing as well as those living in vehicles. The mission of the Committee is to end vehicular living on city streets while also identifying suitable and affordable regional alternatives for those who are indigent or without adequate income to afford a traditional residence. In this effort, the Committee is charged to investigate, among other solutions, shelter housing and affordable housing within Venice, the 11th Council District and citywide, the use of private property, under conditional use permits, in the City or County of Los Angeles, for small numbers of vehicles used temporarily over-night as sleeping quarters by indigent persons, and the increase in controlled and licensed (and possibly subsidized) recreational vehicle parks or areas, whether on private or public property, where over-night use would be permitted. The committee will complete its work and report back to the VNC Board within 6 months.

Membership

Co-Chairs

Mark Ryevec
Tom Ziegert

Board Member Appointees

Stewart Oscars
Carolyn Rios

Non-Board Member Appointees

Member 1
Member 2
Member 3
Member 4
Member 5
Member 6
Member 7
Member 8

Meeting Time and Location

7:30 PM to 9:30 PM
1st & 3rd Thursday of the month unless otherwise noted
Location to be determined
Venice, California 90291

Ground Rules and Procedural Guidelines

At its first meeting, the Committee [will consider] [adopted] the following ground rules and procedural guidelines:

Ground Rules
• No interruptions when another member is speaking
• Courtesy – no derogatory comments about or towards other members or public
• Commitment to use best efforts to listen and understand concerns of others
• Commitment to use best efforts to achieve pragmatic and workable recommendations

Procedural Guidelines
• No substantive decisions will be made until a final written agreement covering all matters considered by the committee is presented and agreed upon by the committee. This provides room for candor, for changes of mind and position, and for introduction of issues at any time before final agreement by the committee. It also provides opportunities for members to consult with constituents. It also means that, until a final agreement is prepared and presented, all meetings will be continuations of prior meetings.
• A draft of a final written agreement will be widely publicized and presented to the public and the board for comment at a separate meeting called for this purpose. This will occur before the committee adopts its final written recommendations and submits them to the Board.
• All meetings, whether a continuation of a prior meeting – or a separately or specially called meeting – will be posted as Brown-Act meetings and provision for public comment will be provided both before and after the committee discusses matters on the agenda.
• During any period in which Roberts Rules of Order are suspended, only members of the committee shall be permitted to speak or ask questions. Public interruptions or comments will be discouraged and the committee requests that non-members respect this request.
• A general guide to how the committee will conduct its business is as follows:

1. Clearly identify issues and select one to discuss.
2. As to that issue:

a. Identify any underlying issues and concerns
b. Brainstorm options for dealing with it
c. Evaluate and refine these options to see if a consensus can be reached
d. Bargain if consensus cannot be reached
e. Place the result on a tentative list of recommendations to be reconsidered by the committee when developing a draft written agreement for public and Board consideration.

3. Repeat step 2 until all issues are considered.
4. Consider the tentative list of recommendations and identify any new issues raised by committee members and use step 2 to deal with each new issue.
5. Prepare a draft written agreement/consensus/compromise for public and Board consideration. Schedule public/Board meetings for discussion only purposes.
6. Adopt final committee written agreement/consensus/compromise and submit it as an Agenda Request to the Administrative Committee for Board consideration and decision.

Meeting Information

Agenda & Supporting Documents	Minutes
September 18, 2008