VNC Board Meeting Agenda

Board of Officers Meeting Agenda
Westminster Elementary School (Auditorium)
1010 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, 90291
Tuesday, April 20, 2010 at 7:00 PM

1. Call to Order and Roll Call

2. Approval of the Agenda

3. Approval of outstanding minutes submitted by Secretary
March 16, 2010 Board Meeting Minutes
(see http://venicenc.org/files/100316VNCBoardMinutesRevised.doc)
[Committee Reports are provided in written form when available]

4. Consent Calendar

5. Announcements & Public Comment on items not on the Agenda
[15 min, no more than 2 minutes per person – no board member announcements permitted]
6. Treasurers Report accept report as presented See Exhibit A

Hugh Harrison (310-487-2533; chezhaha@aol.com) on behalf of the Budget Committee: Attached is the report on March expenditures. Given the continuing volatility of the budget situation, my narrative report will have to wait.

7. Scheduled Announcements (no more than 1 minute per report unless otherwise stated)

A Commendations & Announcements Mike Newhouse (president@venicenc.org): Reminder that the current board is still in office beyond the April 11th election, and therefore all Board members need to attend the May 18th Board meeting. Further, there already have been representations from certain candidates that they almost certainly plan to challenge the election, regardless of its outcome. As such, the new Board might not get seated for 90 days after April 11th because our bylaws say the Board shall be seated 30 days following certification of the election, and the challenge process could take up to 60 days before the results are certified. As such, there is a possibility that the current board may be in office through the June or July Board meeting.

B Governmental Reports

• Update from Rep. Harman’s office
Kristopher Valentine (310-570-2199; kristopher.valentine@venicenc.org) on behalf of the Environmental Committee: Diane Moss (Diane.Moss@mail.house.gov), Environmental Deputy to Rep. Jane Harman, will discuss the Congresswoman’s most recent environmental initiatives and listen to the Venice community’s questions and concerns.
• LAPD: Officer Peggy Thusing, Senior Lead Officer (310-622-3968; 25120@lapd.lacity.org)
• State Assemblyperson Ted Lieu: Jennifer Zivkovic, Field Representative (310-615-3515; Jennifer.zivkovic@asm.ca.gov)
• Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa: Jennifer Badger, West Area Representatives (310-479-3823; jennifer.badger@lacity.org)
• City Councilperson Bill Rosendahl: Arturo Piña, Field Deputy (310-568-8772; arturo.pina@lacity.org)
• PlancheckLA: Challis Macpherson (Chair-LUPC@VeniceNC.org)
• LADWP/MOU: VNC Representatives DeDe Audet

C Request St Joseph present a report of its Homeless Registry Survey (10 Minutes) Stewart Oscars (stewart.oscars@gmail.com): St Joseph has undertaken the task of establishing a homeless registry for Venice. This is a request for them to present a report on their work.

Reply from St Joseph: Thanks for the invitation. St. Joseph Center is planning to attend the April 20, 2010 meeting to discuss our service registry project.

Va Lecia Adams, Ph.D. | Executive Director
St. Joseph Center
204 Hampton Drive | Venice, CA | 90291
310.396.6468 ext. 304 office | 310.392.8402 fax
www.stjosephctr.org

D VNC Green Film Series – Part 3 – End of the Line 4/25/2010 (1 Minute)
Kristopher Valentine (310-570-2199; kristopher.valentine@venicenc.org) on behalf of the Environmental Committee: Sunday, April 25th, 2010; 7:00pm – 10:00pm @ The Electric Lodge, 1416 Electric Avenue. The Venice Green Film Series is a three part Sunday series on February 28th, March 21st, and April 25th. The event is sponsored by the Venice Neighborhood Council and Electric Lodge. Part three of the Venice Green Film Series will feature a screening of END OF THE LINE. This series is free and open to the public. For more information go to: http://venicegreenfilm.blogspot.com/.

F Parking Committee Report (5 min)
James Murez (murez@venice.net) on behalf of the Parking Committee: Presentation of Parking Committee Report

G Community Improvement Project Announcement
• Masters in the Chapel, April 30th, Lutheran Church 7:00PM

H Election Committee Reads Official Results
• Official results of April 11, 2010 election to be announced.

8. Old Business

9. New Business
A Allocation of Venice Surplus Property Funds – Seven Projects
Mike Newhouse (president@venicenc.org): Motion to send a Community Impact Statement to the City Council in support of Councilman Rosendahl’s motion (http://venicenc.org/files/VSP%20Motion%204710.pdf) in favor of allocating Venice Surplus Property Funds towards the seven categories listed therein.

B Allocation of Venice Surplus Property Funds – Safe RV Parking See Exhibit B
Mike Newhouse (president@venicenc.org): Motion to send a Community Impact Statement to the City Council in support of Councilman Rosendahl’s favor of allocating $1.4 million of the Venice Surplus Property towards Safe RV Parking program.

C Motion to Oppose Assembly Bill 2228
David Ewing (310-339-0848; seriousbus@aol.com)
(http://leginfo.ca.gov/pub/09-10/bill/asm/ab_2201-2250/ab_2228_bill_20100…)

Whereas Assembly Bill 2228 (Lieu) states that “ Notwithstanding any other law, the City of Los Angeles, regulating overnight parking pursuant to this section, shall not be required to obtain a permit or approval from the California Coastal Commission to establish an overnight parking restriction on public streets by nonresidents between the hours of 2 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. in the Venice coastal zone.”

Whereas, by removing from the Commission the right to review, on a case by case basis, decisions of local governments restricting public parking in favor of resident only parking, the bill sets a precedent for other jurisdictions to seek to do likewise.

Whereas the California Coastal Act is the single most important piece of state legislation protecting our coastal resources and protecting our community from over-development.

Whereas, regardless of whether or not we favor Overnight Parking Districts, the Venice Neighborhood Council feels it is unwise to undermine the authority of the Coastal Commission.

Therefore, the Venice Neighborhood Council opposes the passage of AB2228.

D LUPC Report on Palms/Lincoln Blvd Intersection
Challis Macpherson (Chair-LUPC@VeniceNC.org) on behalf of LUPC:
Challis Macpherson moves that VNC Board of Officers accept LUPC staff report regarding LUPC, CalTrans and LADOT investigations, considerations and recommendations regarding converting the Palms/Lincoln Blvd intersections to a full traffic signal intersection and the following motion.

Whereas: In order to support pedestrian safety at the intersection of Palms/Lincoln Blvd LUPC recommends that the VNC Board of Officers recommend that CalTrans and LADOT upgrade the proposed intersection to a full traffic signal intersection including a cross walk cycle that allows time for all pedestrians to cross.

E Case Tracking System for LUPC (15 min) See Exhibit C
James Murez (murez@venice.net) & Jed Pauker (310-839-9209; jed@jed.net): Presentation of a case tracking system for LUPC

F Appointment of VNC Representative to Address Parking on Abbot Kinney Marc Saltzberg (msinvenice-nc@yahoo.com) & Stewart Oscars (stewart.oscars@gmail.com):

Whereas Food Trucks congregating on Abbot Kinney Blvd provide a service to the public while attracting visitors to Aboot Kinney vendors and;

Whereas Food Trucks parked on Abbot Kinney Blvd take up valuable parking spaces, pose a traffic safety hazard by impeding traffic flow, create a litter problem & are now spilling over into private parking lots and;

Whereas the Venice Neighborhood Council has received a stream of complaints regarding valet parking on residential streets bordering the Abbot Kinney commercial zone.

Therefore be it resolved: that the Venice Neighborhood Council appoint an individual to act on its behalf as follows:

1. Investigate benefits and complaints regarding Food Trucks on Abbot Kinney and report back to the Neighborhood Council with recommendations,

2. Investigate abuse of parking and zoning laws regarding valet services operating on Abbot Kinney and make recommendations to the Neighborhood Council,

3. Work directly with CD-11 staff, LA Department of Transportation and Parking Enforcement, LA City Planning and the Venice Neighborhood Council’s Land Use and Planning Committee as the representative of the Venice Neighborhood Council regarding Abbot Kinney parking issues,

4. Report back to the Venice Neighborhood Council Board regarding items one and two above one month after the passage of this resolution.

Be it further resolved: that LA-CD11, LA Department of Transportation, vendors in the abbot Kinney Commercial Zone and residents bordering the Abbot Kinney Commercial Zone be notified of the appointment, the appointee’s responsibilities and contact information.

G Cyclists’ Bill of Rights
Kristopher Valentine (310-570-2199; kristopher.valentine@venicenc.org) on behalf of the Neighborhood Committee: The Neighborhood Committee has approved the “Cyclists’ Bill of Rights” with the caveat that a list of the top hazardous actions made by drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians be compiled and discussed at a future point:

Preamble of the Cyclists’ Bill of Rights
WHEREAS, cyclists have the right to ride the streets of our communities and this right is formally articulated in the California Vehicle Code; and WHEREAS, cyclists are considered to be the “indicator species” of a healthy community; and
WHEREAS, cyclists are both environmental and traffic congestion solutions; and
WHEREAS, cyclists are, first and foremost, people – with all of the rights and privileges that come from being members of this great society; and

NOW, THEREFORE, WE THE CYCLING COMMUNITY, do hereby claim the following rights:

1. Cyclists have the right to travel safely and free of fear.
2. Cyclists have the right to equal access to our public streets and to sufficient and significant road space.
3. Cyclists have the right to the full support of educated law enforcement.
4. Cyclists have the right to the full support of our judicial system and the right to expect that those who endanger, injure or kill cyclists be dealt with to the full extent of the law.
5. Cyclists have the right to routine accommodations in all roadway projects and improvements.
6. Cyclists have the right to urban and roadway planning, development and design that enable and support safe cycling.
7. Cyclists have the right to traffic signals, signage and maintenance standards that enable and support safe cycling.
8. Cyclists have the right to be actively engaged as a constituent group in the organization and administration of our communities.
9. Cyclists have the right to full access for themselves and their bicycles on all mass transit with no limitations.
10. Cyclists have the right to end-of-trip amenities that include safe and secure opportunities to park their bicycles.
11. Cyclists have the right to be secure in their persons and property, and be free from unreasonable search and seizure, as guaranteed by the 4th Amendment.
12. Cyclists have the right to peaceably assemble in the public space, as guaranteed by the 1st Amendment.

And further, we claim and assert these rights by taking to the streets and riding our bicycles, all in an expression of our inalienable right to ride!

H Let There Be Light in Venice
Linda Lucks (310-745-3240/310-450-2554; Lindalucks@aol.com) on behalf of Neighborhood Committee: Discussion and possible action on recommendation from the Neighborhood Committee that the Board establishes a public safety campaign, “Let There Be Light in Venice.”

Whereas Venice residents are rightfully concerned with protecting personal safety; whereas the LAPD does a great job but cannot be everywhere at once, whereas there are steps individuals, families and neighbors can take to immediately to protect themselves and their neighborhoods; Therefore, the VNC supports a campaign encouraging stakeholders to purchase and install motion detector lights for the perimeter of their homes (and find ways to assist low income people to obtain such lighting).

I Proposed change to July’s Minutes See Exhibit D
Karen Wolfe (310-460-9644; wolfepack@verizon.net): Request that board amend previously approved minutes from July 2009.

10. Announcements & Public Comment on items not on the Agenda
[15 min, no more than 2 minutes per person – no board member announcements permitted]

11. Adjourn (approx 10:00PM)

Exhibit A – Treasurers Report – See attachment below.
2009-10 Expenditures to Budget
March 2010

Exhibit B – Bill Rosendahl letter on Safe Parking Program Dear Friends, I am writing to update you on one of the most contentious issues in Venice — the proliferation of homeless people living in cars and campers. For the last couple years, I have been working on a two-pronged, “carrot and stick” strategy. My goal has been simple:through both enforcement and social services, rid our streets of the non-resident cars and campers that impact our quality of life. To be successful, we will need an approach that is measured, balanced, and humane. In pursuit of this goal, I have fought for increased enforcement against vehicular living, and pursued establishment of Overnight Parking Districts (OPDs) that would ban non-residents from certain streets from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. At the same time, I have been working to create a Safe Parking program, which would create designated areas where people living in vehicles could sleep lawfully, obtain counseling and social services, and begin the transition to permanent housing. Last week, I introduced a council motion that would help fund the Safe Parking program – just as I identified funding two years ago to start the creation of the OPDs. In the overheated political environment that accompanies this issue, the motion has generated a lot of attention and misunderstanding. Let me respond to the most common questions and misperceptions I have heard: What would your motions do? I have introduced two motions, which allocate money for various programs and projects. The first motion allocates money exclusively from the Venice Area Surplus Real Property Trust Fund for: improvements to the LAPD Substation at Venice Beach, after-school programs at Penmar Park and the Oakwood Recreation Center, recycling bins at Venice Beach, additional staffing for Recreation & Parks at Venice Beach, facility improvements at Venice Beach, maintenance and steam cleaning of bathrooms at Venice Beach, and design and construction of a new park at Driftwood Avenue on the Marina Peninsula. The second motion allocates money from the Venice Area Surplus Real Property Trust Fund and other sources for a Safe Parking program for Venice and Council District 11. What is the Safe Parking program? When we implement the OPDs, it is imperative that we also find a place for people to go, and give them an opportunity to move into housing and social services. To do that, we need a Safe Parking program, similar to successful programs in the beach communities of Santa Barbara and Eugene, Oregon. In Santa Barbara, more than 20 different lots in scattered locations each allow a handful of people to park legally overnight (and only overnight) as part of a monitored and supervised program that provides counseling, and housing referral services. Combining parking restrictions and a Safe Parking program, Santa Barbara has significantly reduced the problem of vehicular living on city streets – and they did so in a humane and sensible manner. The similarly successful program in Eugene has different requirements and services, and has a great track record of moving people into housing. My staff is working with community leaders, with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, and with other service providers to craft a similar program that will work for Venice. Why do we need a Safe Parking program?Why can’t we just force outsiders from our neighborhoods? We need to understand that the population of people living in their vehicles is diverse. Many people living in their cars are veterans and senior citizens who need a safe place to park and the right connection to services. Many are economically disadvantaged, in need of help getting back on their feet. And, yes, a sizeable number are taking advantage of free rent in a beautiful community, and need to be cited and told to move on. A carrot and stick approach makes sense. A Safe Parking program will provide services and shelter to those who need it, while the OPDs will give us the tool we need to force from our neighborhoods those who have no need of services. What is the Venice Area Surplus Real Property Trust Fund? The trust fund, established in the 1970s, contains monies collected from the sale of surplus city properties in Venice. The money has restricted uses, and can be spent only on projects in Venice that benefit Venice and the entire City. In the past, the fund has been used to renovate Venice Beach, rebuild the Venice Pier, rehabilitate the Venice Canals and Ballona Lagoon, build the LAPD substation, create public art, create additional parking spaces, fund programs for at-risk youth, and pay for the initial studies to create OPDs. I have been told the fund can only pay for physical projects. Is that true? No. When the ordinance was created, it was restricted to capital projects. But several years ago, it was amended to allow broader uses, which has included a design study for new parking lots off Electric Avenue, a Safe Routes to School program to keep our children safe from gang violence, and the studies necessary to get the California Coastal Commission to consider the OPDs. Still, the Venice monies can be spent only in Venice. How can you use this money for this purpose? The money from the Venice fund is only one of many sources that will be used to be pay for the Safe Parking program. I am also tapping other accounts that can be used for district wide or citywide programs, and we are also going to aggressively seek money from grants and other levels of government. LAHSA itself will bring resources to bear for the program. The percent of money spent from Venice will be commensurate with the services provided in Venice, and the number of vehicles from Venice neighborhoods that are moved off the streets and into the program. Leftover monies from Venice will revert back to the Venice property fund. Does this mean that the Safe Parking Program will be in effect only in Venice? Won’t this attract people living in their cars to Venice? The program will serve the entire 11th District, and I hope will be a model for the entire City.I anticipate we will have lots in other parts of the district, as well as in Venice. Money from other sources will be used to help pay for the program in the non-Venice parts of CD11. The purpose of the Safe Parking program will be to draw those living in their vehicles off our residential streets, into a service continuum, and eventually into housing. Our intention is to demonstrably reduce the number of people living in their cars in Venice and in CD11. Why don’t you use the money to hire more cops for Venice or for CD11? Venice is getting more police. I am pleased to report that between the end of April and Memorial Day Weekend, the Venice Beach detail will be augmented by 36 additional officers. The additional patrols will help us considerably with the enforcement of existing laws. I understand the Grand Canal project still needs more money. Why not give it to that project instead? The Grand Canal project is a worthy long-term project. It currently has $400,000. On Friday, I also intend to submit a motion to reprogram $700,000 to augment the Grand Canal project. What is happening with parking restrictions to help combat vehicular living? As you may know, I supported the creation of Overnight Permit Parking Districts, and funded our application for those districts before the California Coastal Commission. The Commission denied those applications. The commission decision is facing a legal challenge, and I hope it will be resolved in a way that allows us to implement the OPDs. In the meantime, I recently submitted a motion directing our City Attorney and our Department of Transportation to amend the City’s Oversized Vehicle Ordinance. This Ordinance currently restricts parking vehicles that are 22 feet long and 84 inches high from 2 am to 6 am. My motion, Council File 09-3036, requests that the municipal code be amended to restrict parking of Oversized Vehicles that are 22 feet long OR 84 inches high from 2 am to 6 am. This amendment, in addition to my support of Overnight Parking Permit Districts, will provide our law enforcement entities with additional tools they can utilize as a means to address the large number of Oversized Vehicles that consistently park on Venice streets in the late and early morning hours.

Many people think you are allocating too much from the Venice Property Fund to this program. How do you respond?
I always listen to my constituents and try to strike a balanced and fair approach, especially on this issue.Just as I have sought to balance aggressive enforcement with a Safe Parking program, I intend to provide financial support to both efforts. Accordingly, on Friday, I will amend my motion, reduce the amount allocated for Safe Parking, and transfer the corresponding amount to help pay for the implementation of whichever restricted parking measures are legally permissible.
I welcome further questions and comments, and look forward to working with everyone on a solution to this pressing social problem which so severely impacts our quality of life.
Regards,
BILL ROSENDAHL
Councilmember, 11th District

Exhibit C – Neighborhood Council – Case Tracking System Pilot Overview V1.0, September 6, 2008 (Murez)

The Land Use and Planning Committee (LUPC) has matured over the past several years. It has evolved from one meeting every couple of months with only one or two projects on the agenda to now responding to a Memorandum of Understanding with the City to submit a written determination report on every permit issued within the VNC geographic region. The committee has become more educated about the planning process and is now working towards a 2010 target of revising the Venice Coastal Zone Specific Plan.
Along with these growing responsibilities, the workload of the committee has increased from one or two projects being calendared every few months to the present level of hearing three to five projects twice a month. On average, what does this mean to each of the eight volunteer members that make up this committee, a workload that includes preparing 27 staff reports per month.

The process to analyze and prepare a project for hearing is fairly simple; contact the applicant, convince them to submit their plans for review, research the variances sought and flush out any that were not realized, organize their information and post it to the LUPC website, engage the potentially impacted neighbors and prepare a synopsis to post for Brown Act notification. Now multiply this process for one project 27 fold and the amount of information gathered and disseminated through this eight member volunteer committee becomes massive. What started out as a simple endeavor has now grown into a complex task with time sensitive details that must be accurately managed.

Automation to the rescue… with this sort of workload, managing details calls for a computerized case tracking system. What is needed is a centralized system that all committee members can access when they have volunteer time to give, that can reduce or eliminate many of the mundane tasks, and that will help engage the general public in the process. The system needs to enforce the policy rules of the VNC Board and the committee, while ensuring Brown Act laws are adhered. And, finally, the system must be available to all Venice Stakeholders and the City at large.

A pilot proof-of-concept system is being developed to address many of these needs. The system is being designed as a collaboration tool that will be managed over the internet. System access will be regulated through User Accounts that are grouped into security levels, starting with the general public then moving up the access ladder to project applicant, followed by registered stakeholder, committee staff member, committee chair, system administrator and program developers. Each higher group will be granted more access to functionality and system capabilities.

The system will track information by assigning case numbers to each project. The project or case files will be stored in a database and accessed through their respective case numbers. The routines that extract and modify the stored information will vary based on the individual access rights. The system will offer read-only reports to the general public while allowing stakeholders the rights to post feedback about issues they might have with any given project. Applicants will be assigned temporary access to upload their information and respond to feedback. LUPC staff members will be able to monitor all aspects of the cases, including being able to publish their findings, track correspondence and write recommendations (tentative motions) for the VNC Board to approve. Search and mapping functionality along with tracking key indicators will enable statistical analysis of accumulative impacts to be graphically generated. The VNC Board members, besides inheriting all the rights of the lower groups, will be able to post their final motion decisions and generate reports required by the City.

In addition, the audio meeting minutes that are digitally recorded will be divided into segments that correspond to the each project and posted into the case file along with any other archives.

In a nutshell, the LUPC Case Tracking system will automate the flow of information through the Neighborhood Council in a consistent, easy to understand format, while relieving a lot of the tedious tasks volunteers must perform at present. (follow up with PowerPoint overview and system demonstration.)

Exhibit D – Proposed change to July’s Minutes
(The below extract from the minutes of the July 21, 2009 VNC Board Meeting was delivered to the Secretary Monday April 12, 2010)

Exhibit C – Motions of the Ad Hoc Committee on Homelessness and Vehicular Occupation

090723 Note Regarding Presentation and Consideration of HVOC Motions

The secretary prepared the format for considering the below HVOC motions after the Administrative Committee approved the format then before it and made suggestions on how to change it for presentation at the Board meeting.

The changes in the format introduced by the Secretary and presented to the Board did not accurately reflect the intent of the Administrative Committee. As a result, the below HVOC motions were presented in a way that was perceived by many to have been unfair to the extent that some believe it affected the outcome of deliberations on the HVOC substantive issues.

Changes made by the Secretary which caused confusion include:

(i) Presenting several HVOC motions as Motions to Amend which appeared to favor the proposed amendments over the original HVOC motions; and (ii) Failing to include portions of the separate HVOC Final Report and Recommendations which HVOC motions incorporated by reference.

Board-Committee Discussion Generator: The VNC Ad Hoc Committee on Homelessness and Vehicular Occupation (HVOC) presented its final report and several motions to the VNC Board for discussion at its May 19, 2009 meeting, with further discussion and a vote scheduled for its June 16 meeting. At the June 16 meeting, late arriving proposed amendments were submitted and partially considered when the board decided to postpone the matter for further discussion and possible resolution of differences between interested parties.

The HVOC motions, along with Pro and Con statements where partial or no consensus has occurred, are below.

This document is intended to assist the board and public to understand and focus on the key remaining unresolved matters. There is a link to this document on the VNC Homepage at http://www.venicenc.org. The HVOC Final Report with the Minority Report is also available online on the VNC Homepage.

NOTE: Please email your comments directly to the VNC Board at board@venicenc.org or to individual board members (see http://www.venicenc.org/board for board member list with email links). Please type ‘HVOC’ in the subject line of your email.

Motions affecting the Recommendations of the
Ad Hoc Committee on Homelessness and Vehicular Occupation

Table of Contents
(CTRL-Click to activate the below hyperlinks in .doc file)

Homelessness – Report & Recommendation to Support St. Joseph’s Center’s Service Registry PASSED I Motion for Creation of Single Room Occupancy Facility MOTION TO RECONSIDER II Motion to Create VNC Ad Hoc Affordable Housing Committee MOTION TO AMEND III Motion for LAPD to Create Homeless Liaison Team PASSED IV Motion for Limited Zoning Exemption for Permanent Supportive Housing MOTION TO AMEND V Motion for Greater City Subsidies for Affordable Housing PASSED VI Motion to Create Vehicle-to-Housing Transition Program MOTION TO AMEND VII Motion to Create CD 11-wide Homeless Task Force PASSED VIII Motion to extend the Ad Hoc Committee on Homelessness & Vehicular Occupation to 9/18/09 MOTION TO TABLE INDEFINITELY Page 11 11 12 12 13 13 14 16 17

Location(s)

Attachment	Size
April 14,2010 Rosendahl Letter Regarding Homeless & Parking Issues	163.94 KB
Treasurer's Report - Expenditures to Date 2009-2010 March	44.5 KB
Rosendahl Surplus Property Funds	40.42 KB
April 20, 2010 VNC Board Agenda	297 KB