BOARD OF NEIGHBORHOOD

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ARROYO SECO NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL (ASNC)
AGENDA

MONDAY, 22-JUNE-2009 · 07:00PM TO 09:30PM

MONTECITO HEIGHTS SENIOR CENTER

4545 Homer Street, Los Angeles, California 90031

Supporting documentation for this meeting can be found at:

http://www.asnc.us/2009-archives/06-June/_0609archives.htm

I. CALL TO ORDER (Scott Folsom, presiding)

II. ROLL CALL (Tina Zabala)

III. COMMENTS BY THE PRESIDENT (Scott Folsom)

IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF MAY-2009 MEETING HELD 01-JUNE-2009 (Tina Zabala)

V. COMMENTS FROM PUBLIC OFFICIALS AND THEIR REPRESENTATIVES

1. CD 1

2. CD 14

3. OFFICE OF THE MAYOR

4. OTHER “ELECTEDS”

5. DONE/BONC

VI. PUBLIC COMMENT: Comments from stakeholders, the public and the board on non-agenda items within the Board’s jurisdiction (limited to two minutes per speaker/ sign speaker card before meeting.)

VII. TREASURER’S REPORT (Mark S. Legassie)

VIII. ACTION ITEMS. New Business. Funding Requests.

1. HERMON COMMUNITY WEBSITE. Motion Hermon Local Issues Committee for the ASNC to allocate funds in the amount of $150 from "stakeholder communications" to pay for registration and three years of hosting fees for a new Website for the Hermon community. Approved at Hermon Local Issues Committee meeting on 14-MAY-2009. (Hermon Local Issues Committee) (rec’d 02-JUNE-2009 at 1235PM)

2. HERMON “CLEAN TEAM” T-SHIRTS. Motion Hermon Local Issues Committee for the ASNC to allocate funds in an amount not to exceed $280 to reorder Hermon “Clean Team” T-shirts at the request of the Hermon Advance Team (originally purchased by the ASNC in January 2006). Approved unanimously at Hermon Local Issues Committee meeting on 14-MAY-2009. (Hermon Local Issues Committee) (rec’d 02-JUNE-2009 at 1249PM)

3. "MAKE A DIFFERENCE" ASNC T-SHIRTS. Request for allocation of up to $800 from ASNC budgeted stakeholder communications funds for 2009-10 to re-order 100 of the green "Make a Difference" ASNC T-shirts for use in neighborhood council outreach and advertising. (Note: This represents a follow-on to approved expenditures of $600 in April 2009, not all of which was used). (Joseph Riser) (rec’d 11-JUNE-2009 at 0954AM)

4. ASNC NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH SIGNS. [Category: Safety] – Motion to allocate $2,250 in community project funds to purchase 25 official Neighborhood Watch signs ($70 each) from the LADOT for the ASNC communities to display on street poles, as well as $500 for installation equipment (strapping tool and metal strapping). The 25 signs would be distributed as follows: four (4) signs for each ASNC community, 8 for Mt. Washington, and 1 spare). The installation will be performed by a volunteer team and can only be installed after approval by the LAPD, Bureau of Street Lighting and LADOT, and requires the start-up or existence of a NW Team in each community. The ASNC Public Safety Committee's goal is to help each community start one up over the next year, and help with necessary form submissions to the City. [Request Originator: Mark Legassie, Public Safety Cmte] (rec’d 13-JUNE-2009 at 2321PM)

5. ASNC PARTICIPATION IN COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM (CERT) DRILL.

(a) Request that ASNC board members participate as simulated victim volunteers (or emergency responders if completed CERT training) at the *first-ever* ASNC to be located at Hermon Park on Saturday, 25-JULY-2009 from 08:00AM to 11:00AM with the help of the LAFD and Silver Lake NC. Responders will get training at the start of the drill, and victims will be moulaged (with make-up artists ) and subsequently treated for a range of illnesses including fractures, dislocations, burns, shock, bleading, head injuries, and hypothermia. The drill is currently short of victims and needs the board's help -- plus this is a great opportunity to learn more about emergency preparedness and disaster response activities, as well as skills which will prove invaluable after the next large natural or man-made disaster. (rec’d 14-JUNE-2009 at 2259PM)

(b) ALLOW EXPENSES. Moulage Materials & Food/Water for CERT drill, 7/25 [Category: Safety] – Motion to allocate $125 for moulage (make-up) materials for victims, as well as food and water for volunteers at the July 25th Community Emergency Response Team medical "tarp drill" sponsored by the ASNC. Total cost: $200 ($75 already received in private donations). [Request Originator: Mark Legassie, Public Safety Cmte] (rec’d 13-JUNE-2009 at 2321PM)

6. PET ADOPTION FAIR. (01-AUGUST-2009 at Lacy Street Animal Shelter) [Category: Festivals & Recreation] – Motion to allocate $1,500 in community project funds for the Lacy Street Animal Shelter to support and promote their Pet Adoption Fair on Aug 1, 2009. This fair will be held near the shelter with the purpose of publicizing shelter services and trying to find homes for hundreds of homeless pets currently housed there. The Lacy St shelter serves the zip codes 90031, 90065 and 90042 in the ASNC area. This funding will pay for advertisements, flyers, food, canopies, and possibly a face-painting booth for children as a "draw" for the event. The fair is free and open to the public. ASNC will be provided a table to promote our council, and ASNC be listed on promotional materials as a sponsor for this event. [Request Originator: Anna Hernandez, LA Animal Services - Lacy Street Shelter] ) (Presenter: Mark Legassie) (rec’d 13-JUNE-2009 at 2321PM)

7. WEBSITE MAINTENANCE. Motion to allow a Volunteer (Mark Legassie) maintain and re-design the ASNC website, free of charge, for the period 01-AUG-2009 through 30-JUNE-2010. The re-design will attempt to attract more stakeholders and potential stakeholders to visit the site, improving ASNC's outreach efforts. Included in the update will be new backgrounds, interactive calendar, rotating slide-show images on home page, photo gallery where users can submit pics, emergency preparedness information, important city information, etc. During FY10 time, bids will be solicited from outside vendors to take over the maintenance of the site after it has been re-designed (no later than 30-JUNE-2010). The approximate $4000 saved in website maintenance costs will be transferred to Community Projects. (Mark Legassie) (rec’d 10-JUNE-2009 at 1641PM)

8. GOLD LINE AD CAMPAIGN. Consideration of allocating up to $1,000 additional from the ASNC Stakeholder Communications budget to renew the "Make a Difference" ad poster campaign on the MTA Gold Line for an additional four (4) weeks in JUNE/JULY 2009. (Joseph Riser/Communications) (rec’d 17-JUNE-2009 at 1215PM)

[Background: This is something of a placeholder -- I was just alerted that our initial ad buy is set to expire next week. Unfortunately, there's been a staff change and our new "rep" at CBS wants to increase the cost

IX. ACTION ITEMS. New Business. Non-Finance Related.

9. Request for update to the board on three (3) long-pending actions: (Joseph Riser) (rec’d 14-JUNE-2009 at 1009AM)

(a) From JANUARY-2009 minutes:

“That the ASNC board investigate having the Arroyo Seco area become one of the early bases for the L.A. Philharmonic's "Youth Orchestra Los Angeles" (YOLA) program now being launched. YOLA is seeking local organizations to serve as stakeholder support groups in given areas to assist them in "providing quality instrumental music education for children with the greatest needs, fewest resources, and little or no access to instrumental music education. (suggested referral motion)

Scott Folsom to look into this program and what financial obligations ASNC will be involved in.”

(b) From JANUARY-2009 minutes:

“The ASNC Board should request a new ruling from the City's Dept. of Neighborhood Empowerment, re: the posting of Local Issues agendas for each community. Currently, each community's local meeting must be posted online and in all 7 physical locations around the council area (see "Standing Rules"). To save time, physical postings could be reduced, to just the closest of the 5 ASNC communities to each Local Issues event. (Joseph Riser)

Motion to approve.

Motion passed.

Mr. Riser to write letter to DONE."

[Note: Draft letter provided to president on 23-MARCH-2009, re-sent on 26-MARCH-2009; sent again 14-JUNE-2009 (Joseph Riser)]

“Continued discussion and resolution from last meeting re: phone numbers, e-mails to and from board members and what to report/post where re: ASNC Web, DONE database, etc. (Paula Sirola)

Question posed to the Board: What information do you want published on the NC website and with DONE? Joseph Riser is willing to supply a phone number as a contact for members. Yuwen Peng offered to research phones-to-e-mail services and report back to Scott Folsom. Otherwise, unless there is objection, e-mail addresses and phone numbers will be posted.”

10. REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION OF ISSUES ALONG MARMION WAY. Immediate concern about punitive signage. Councilman Rosendahl. (Ann Walnum & Jerry Schneider)

11. DISCUSSION OF SOUTHWEST MUSEUM/AUTRY MUSEUM ISSUES - Action: Motion to reaffirm previous ASNC position, directing the President to communicate ASNC's position to the City of Los Angeles. Friends of the Southwest Museum Coalition (Ann Walnum)

12. THE WAY WE RUN BOARD MEETINGS: ESTABLISHING GROUND RULES and BOARDSMANSHIP:

Please see Appendix 1, which the chair proposes as a discussion item

The previous discussion:

The way we run board meetings and do better; people to weigh in appropriately. The Board has to have time just as City Council and other commission does. (Joseph Riser)

a) Reviewed Bylaws. Responsibility of various board members. (Joseph Riser)

i) "JOSEPH RISER: Reviewed Bylaws. Responsibility of various board members." This was suggested as an agenda item so we can discuss and evaluate the current assignments of board officers responsibilities and how they should be equitably divvied up -- most specifically as it relates to the evolution of the duties of the Secretary over the last year to include preparing agendas -- a duty the Bylaws assign only to the President -- and how this may be overburdending one board officer. Also, that this kind of realignment of duties outside the Bylaws should be board approved, (as occurred formally in January with the reassignment of the supervision of the Website maintenance vendor).

13. EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION – PHONE TREE. (Glenda Lubelsky) The chair recommends that this be assigned to the Communications Committee or the Safety Committee at the Boards discretion.

14. FOR INFORMATION: Necessary board actions and communications related to renewing affiliations and liaison, per Standing Rules: "Motions to endorse or affiliate with another organization require a simple majority vote, take effect upon passage, and remain in effect until the next June 30th, at which time they automatically expire. Motions to renew the ASNC's endorsement or affiliation may be made at any Board meeting and, following passage, take effect on the July 1st immediately following the June 30th expiration…" (adopted by Board vote, 26-JUNE-2006) (Joseph Riser) ANN WALNUM volunteers to make the contact and will report at next meeting.

IX. COMMITTEE REPORTS.

1. Local Issues.

(a) Hermon

(b) Montecito Heights

(d) Mount Washington

(e) Sycamore Grove

2. Rules and Elections (Yuwen Peng)

3. Communications and Outreach (Joseph Riser)

4. Budget and Finance (Mark Legassie)

5. Recreation, Arts & Culture (Yuwen Peng)

6. Environment (Jerry Schneider)

7. Community Garden (Paula Sirola)

8. Public Safety (Mark Legassie)

X. REPORTS FROM LIAISONS. (10 minutes)

1. Los Angeles Neighborhood Councils Coalition (Ann Walnum)

2. Friends of the Southwest Museum Coalition (Ann Walnum)

3. MW Elementary School Multipurpose Room (Ann Walnum)

4. Director of Animal Welfare (Lezle Stein)

5. LADWP/MOU Oversight Committee (Peter Parrish)

6. LANC Coalition (Bill Murray)

XI. NEW BUSINESS (Committee referrals and/or future Board agenda items). (10 minutes)

1. Comments from the Board on subject matters within its jurisdiction, and suggestions for future agenda items.

2. Future meeting dates and locations (Scott Folsom)

Next meeting date: 27-JULY-2009 at 07:00PM, Montecito Heights Senior Center, 4545 Homer Street, Los Angeles, California 90031.

XII. ADJOURNMENT.

Funding requests

Funding requests: Unless otherwise stated in the approved motion, any funds appropriated for community projects as a result of this meeting’s actions: (1) will be drawn from the 2008-09 ASNC budget; and, (2) under ASNC standing rules, expenditure of any such funds must begin within 6 months or the appropriation will automatically lapse.

The public is requested to fill out a “Speaker Card” to address the Board on any item of the agenda prior to the Board taking action on an item. Comments from the public on Agenda items will be heard only when the respective item is being considered. Comments from the public on other matters not appearing on the Agenda that is within the Board’s subject matter jurisdiction will be heard during the Public Comment period. Public comment is limited to 2 minutes per speaker, unless waived or adjusted in the interest of fairness, by the presiding officer of the Board. The agenda is posted for public review at Mount Washington Elementary School Bulletin Board, Carlin G. Smith Recreation Center, supermarket at Avenue 45 and Figueroa Street, art gallery at 4108 N. Figueroa Street, Montecito Heights Senior Center, Montecito Heights Recreation Center; adult day healthcare center at Avenue 60 and Monterey Road, as well as the ASNC’s official Website at www.ASNC.us, and distributed via the ASNCalert Yahoo Group (opt-in E-mail listserv). As a covered entity under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Los Angeles does not discriminate on the basis of disability and upon request, will provide reasonable accommodation to ensure equal access to its programs, services, and activities. Sign language interpreters, assistive listening devices, or other auxiliary aids and/or services may be provided upon request. To ensure availability of services, please make your request at least 3 business days prior to the meeting you wish to attend by contacting Naheed Qureshi, Dept. of Neighborhood Empowerment Project Coordinator, at (213) 473-5391.

Process for Reconsideration: The Board may reconsider and amend its actions on items listed on the agenda in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order.

In compliance with Government Code section 54957.5, non-exempt writings that are distributed to a majority or all members the Board of Representatives in advance of a meeting may be viewed at the neighborhood council Website by clicking on/visiting the link at the top of the agenda, or at the scheduled meeting.

APPENDIX #1 :

GROUND RULES AND BOARDSMANSHIP

GROUND RULES: Board Members use Ground Rules to keep the meeting on track during a meeting. Ground Rules protect Board members's ideas and help the Chair lead the meeting.

Establishing Ground Rules is a good way to model the meeting facilitation process. The Ground Rules are to be reviewed at the beginning of each meeting to ensure team members understand and are willing to follow them throughout the meeting. The board may add new Ground Rules whenever necessary, with the agreement of all board Members. A board may have as many Ground Rules as they see fit.

Here is an example of some ground rules

Ground Rules:

1. Let’s respect each other

2. It’s OK to disagree

3. Listen to others

4. Everyone participates; no one dominates

5. Honor time limits

6. All ideas are good ideas

7. Stick to the agenda (stay on task)

8. Keep an open mind

9. Be on time

from http://www.questlearningskills.org/groundrules.htm

BOARDSMANSHIP

BOARDSMANSHIP 101 : Being a Boardmember is being a member of a team.

· Review and be familiar with the organizational bylaws and parliamentary procedure. Both form the set of rules for conduct of the organization and at meetings, allowing everyone to be heard and to make decisions without confusion. Neither are carved in stone or are to be used as weapons to impose the will of one party over another.

· Take the ethics training and apply what you learn.

· Review past meeting minutes from the past half-dozen meetings to become familiar with issues being discussed by the board.

· Obtain a clear understanding of the organizations budget. Ask lots of questions.

· Assume your position with an open mind. Abandon preconceived notions and hidden agendas, including opinions about other board members.

· Remember, you will be making decisions that affect you community. Always keep their best interest in mind.

· Realize that you don’t know everything, and capitalize on every opportunity to learn.

· Expect to be in the minority on board decisions once in a while and accept the majority decision graciously. The time to voice your opinions about issues is before the vote is taken.

· Expect some board decisions to be unpopular with your constituents or even the community at large.

· You have only one vote. Your issues can only be successful if you convince other board members to vote with you.

· Do not surprise your your fellow board members or the community at a public meeting with unexpected comments or requests.

· Be flexible and willing to compromise.

· Be a good listener.

· Stay connected with your community.

· Understand and abide by California’s Public Meetings Law. (The Brown Act)

· Have fun, and enjoy your role of serving your community.

From Boardmanship 101: Oregon School Boards Assn.