The meeting was called to order at 7:11 p.m. by Joe Eiben, Vice-Chairman Pro Tem. There were about 42 people in attendance. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Harry Hughes.

Minutes
The minutes of the November 8 meeting were approved as read.

Treasurerâs Report
Linda Hubbard reported that our balance is $843.97 as of December 6, 2000. A collection was taken to support the Elks Lodge.

Reports
SunlandTujunga.org:  Ken McAlpine reported on the progress of the STORG team, along with some background information for the many newcomers to the meeting. The team is working on a draft project plan. After taking a break for the holidays, the group hopes to have a working prototype in January or February 2001.

Sunland Park:  Roberta Cole reported that surveys were coming in, and that the input was being tabulated. The oversight committee wants input from those who havenât had a chance to comment on the project. Jennifer Knopp had surveys for interested persons.

Communications/PR/Outreach:  Brenda McAlpine reported that meeting reminders will be sent on postcards, which are cheaper than first-class envelopes (20 cents vs. 33 cents).

Planning:

1-800-AUTOPSY:  Penny Blackwell reported on the Planning hearing for ã1-800-AUTOPSY.ä There were representatives from Sunland-Tujunga, Shadow Hills, and Lake View Terrace present. The speakers were good, and their input was taken by the department. The final decision will be made by the Planning Commission on January 4, 2001, in Northridge.

 All Nations Church:  Penny reported that the Lake View Terrace Homeownersâ Association and the church both filed appeals to the Planning Commission. Both had their appeals thrown out by the new commission. They had originally gave the church more of what they wanted, but most of that has been taken back.

Community Cleanup:  John Waters reported that our community cleanup project on Foothill Blvd. took place on Saturday, November 11. The group met at Howard Finn Park and split into two teams, working in opposite directions. The teams filled numerous trash bags, and fertilized and pruned the trees along the way.

Business Appearance:  Michael Gutierrez reported that nothing new has happened in the last month. He requested that people give him leads on businesses that had lots of room for improvement in their appearance. He will send a letter or possibly meet with the owners one-on-one to discuss the problem.

Valley VOTE:  Steve Crouch mentioned that we may want to invite a speaker from Valley VOTE to attend a future meeting. Otherwise there were no new developments.

La Tuna Canyon:  Steve gave some background information on the La Tuna Canyon issue for newcomers. Various community representatives met with Joel Wachsâ office last month. The focus now is on the Scenic Corridor Plan. Dale Thrush, Wachsâ planning deputy, says that the community needs to get organized, because the residents are ãmassively outgunned.ä Dale Thrush needs more input from the community as to what specific guidelines the residents want to see in the Scenic Corridor Plan. The plan needs to be as solid as possible before going in front of the Planning and Land Use Management Committee (PLUM). Once approved by the PLUM Committee, the plan goes before the City Council for final approval. Then the developer submits a plan for developing the property. The whole process could take several years. Steve passed around a sign-up sheet for persons interested in receiving e-mail updates from him.
Community Concerns
Rick Riddle brought up a problem that is occurring near the local schools. The Cityâs street sweeping schedule for the areas in front of the schools conflicts with the arrival time for students. Parking is prohibited from 8-10 a.m., and there is a safety hazard arising from parents who try to avoid parking tickets by pulling into driveways to make U-turns. The parking enforcement officer is ãright there at 8:03 a.m.ä Rick has the support of the Plainview principal in an effort to get a variance to move the street sweeping time window to 9-11 a.m. Discussion followed.

Safety:  Nina Royal reported that the CERT refresher drill on November 18 was poorly attended, since not all the notices got out. However, it was still successful, and another refresher is planned for April 2001. The CERT classes will resume the first week of March 2001. A syllabus is available at the back table.

 Mayor Riordan was at Foothill Division this morning. Apparently he didnât know that the Senior Lead Officer program had been pulled out of service again, due to lack of trained personnel. Nina said that the cops are leaving too fast, and there is not enough recruiting taking place.

 The 77th St. gang is moving here from Northeast Division. They were forced out of their turf and are looking for a new home. Sunland-Tujunga has a gang-focus police officer on duty to monitor and combat the problem.

 Phil Tabbi and Nina are working on getting a graffiti abatement team. They are working with Wachsâ office and the S-T Chamber of Commerce to get a grant for a van and equipment.

Unfinished Business
Bylaws:  John Waters passed out copies of the bylaws, Article VII:  Appointed Officers, and Article VIII:  Committees and their Duties, for examination and amendment. The approved changes are attached.

New Business
Nedd Brown was elected Treasurer pro tem by acclamation.

Joe Eiben reported that the City of Los Angeles has pulled its support of the Boy Scouts because of its longstanding policy on homosexuality. This denial of support extends to the Explorer program -- a prime recruiting and training ground for the Police Department.

Nina Royal reported that there is someone interested in partnering with the neighborhood council to create a for-profit indoor skateboarding center. The center would probably located in a warehouse somewhere in Sunland-Tujunga. She suggested that we look into the issue and consider applying for some grants to help fund the project.

Announcements
There will be an Open House on the Foothill Corridor Specific Plan on December 7, from 4:30-7:00 p.m. at the Municipal Building. On December 14, there will be a public hearing on the plan at the same location.

The Chamber of Commerce is holding a mixer at the Elks Lodge on December 13. They will be taking a $2-per-person donation for homeless charity work.

The Neighborhood Council will go caroling at the New Vista Nursing Center, across the street from Sunland Park, on Friday, December 15 at 7 p.m. The caroling will last for about 45-60 minutes, with a party afterward at Jane Fanganielloâs house.

The Neighborhood Council will sponsor a Mayor Candidates Night. The date is tentatively set for February 23, 2001.

The next Neighborhood Council meeting will be on Wednesday, January 10, 2001 at 7 p.m. at the Elks Lodge. The next agenda meeting will be on Saturday, January 6, 2001 at 3 p.m. at the Century 21 Crest office in La Crescenta (corner of Foothill and Lowell).

The meeting was adjourned at 9:12 p.m.