A presentation about the benefits of forming a Neighborhood Council in Pacific Palisades drew heated remarks at the Pacific Palisades Community Council meeting Thursday, Feb. 12 at the Palisades Branch Library.
Thomas Soong, Neighborhood Empowerment Advocate with the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment or “DONE,” said Neighborhood Councils have the ability to designate a city department liaison, advocate to City Council members, work with area planning advisory boards and receive $37,000 through the neighborhood purpose grant, among other benefits.
According to the EmpowerLA.org website, there are 95 Neighborhood Councils in Los Angeles. By contrast, there are only a few remaining community councils, including those in the Palisades and Brentwood. (To view a map of Neighborhood Councils, visit empowerla.org/city-map/)
DONE’s role is to help organize Neighborhood Councils and provide technical assistance and mediation where necessary, Soong said.
Some PPCC board members, including president Chris Spitz, countered that the PPCC already has many of the abilities Soong attributed to Neighborhood Councils.
Representatives from other community councils were invited to speak to the room and offered a different view about Neighborhood Councils.
“There are some wrinkles involved with being a Neighborhood Council that can be a bit cumbersome if you’re used to doing business as a community council,” said Sharon Commins, past chair of the Mar Vista Community Council.
Steve Sann, chair of the Westwood Community Council, told the PPCC that the $37,000 granted to Neighborhood Councils comes at a very heavy price and conceded Commins’ point, saying, “You have to jump through so many hoops to try to spend that money.”
Reza Akef, the PPCC’s Area 8 Representative, said Spitz was “out of order,” claiming the Neighborhood Council discussion was unfair because the PPCC and attending public did not get to hear from any Neighborhood Council advocates.
Jay Handal, president of the West LA Neighborhood Council said the decision to have a Neighborhood Council in the Palisades should be made after considering all the facts, followed by an open dialogue with constituents.
“If the PPCC feels they’re representing everybody, and they may not be, and the Neighborhood Council feels they’re representing everybody, and they may not be, maybe the truth is it wouldn’t hurt to have both to get different points of view,” Handal said.
Handal asked the PPCC, “The question really is: Do you feel you’re really representing everyone in the way you could? And would a Neighborhood Council help represent more fully?”
Palisadian Ted Weitz said, “The public at large wants a body that represents them, not that’s appointed and not of officers that appoint one another, and not of people that are friends of friends on the board or the council that come back year after year.”
In an email sent the day after the meeting, PPCC president Spitz wrote, “It appears from last night’s discussion that an unknown number of community and/or board members feel that they are underrepresented and that structural change in PPCC of some unspecified kind is required (whether or not an NC is ever formed).”
Spitz’ email also said she established a new bylaws committee to address this concern and that the PPCC has publicly requested comments and suggestions.
“Not one person outside of the committee has suggested any changes to date,” Spitz said.
In an email to the Post, Spitz wrote, “I don’t expect the topic of NC process or formation will be agendized again in the near future. No one as yet has asked me to agendize it and several board members have told me they see no need to discuss this again.”
Poll:
Do you know the differences between a Neighborhood Council and a community council?
Do you think the PPCC fairly represents you and your family?
Would you like to see a Neighborhood Council in the Palisades?
Email responses to Jacqueline@palipost.com or visit our Facebook page to weigh in.
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