MINUTES
Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council
Regular Meeting of 9/12/2001
The meeting was called to order at 7:08 p.m. by Jane Fanganiello. There were about 50 people in attendance. Harry Hughes led the Pledge of Allegiance. The council observed a moment of silence in memory of the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Chairmanâs Comments
Jane Fanganiello read a statement in response to the Neighborhood Councilâs rejection of her resignation.
Treasurerâs Report
Nedd Brown reported that we had income of $42.37 in water sales, and expenses of $91.21 from Jazz in the Park, and $100 for flowers for Jane. The balance, as of 9/12/01, is $1,032.68. Some more funds should be coming in from the honorary mayor contest.
Redistricting
Jane Fanganiello introduced Sunland-Tujungaâs poet laureate, Katerina Canyon, who read two poems, ãDo You Know Us?ä and ãWe Will Stand.ä The first poem was written in response to the redistricting issue, and the latter was written about the terrorist attacks of September 11.
Jane reported that 1100 petition signatures were collected in two days. Elaine Brown was not in attendance at the meeting, as she was faxing those signatures to the state capitol. The signatures could not be shipped on September 11 as planned, because the airports were shut down. Jane suggested that the council take up a collection to help defray the copying and faxing costs of the petitions.
Minutes
The minutes of the August 8, 2001 meeting were approved as read.
Program
Neighborhood Councils Certification:Ê Matthew Fitzgerald, project coordinator for the Dept. of Neighborhood Empowerment (DONE), gave a short presentation on the certification process. Applications for certification will be accepted beginning October 1, 2001, and the application form is available at www.lacityneighborhoods.com. Some amendments will be forthcoming, and Matthew is available to answer questions. A summary of the question-and-answer period is attached.
Legislative Liaisons
Josh Goldstein of Congressman Adam Schiffâs office spoke on the redistricting issue. He stated that Adam does not want to lose Sunland-Tujunga. He will still be our councilman for another 15 months, and his office phone is (626) 304-2727. He can also be reached through his web page at www.house.gov/schiff. Adam spoke on the House floor today in support of a joint resolution condemning the terrorist attacks, and in support of emergency funding for the disasters. Schiff is willing to support the community on the Scenic Corridor Preservation Plan issue.
Pat Davenport of City Councilman Joel Wachsâ office presented the Neighborhood Council with a map of Sunland-Tujunga for us to use on council projects. She gave some website addresses for additional resources related to neighborhood councils:Ê citywatchla.com (newsletter), allncs.org (Citywide Alliance of Neighborhood Councils), and the website for the League of Women Voters. She answered questions from the assembly.
New Business
Joe Eibenâs resignation:Ê Brenda McAlpine read Joe Eibenâs resignation letter. The letter reads as follows:
Ê ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ
Wednesday, August 15, 2001
I am resigning from being vice chair of the ad hoc committee to form a neighborhood council for Sunland Tujunga. I will remain a member but will not hold any office.
Joe Eiben
Nominations were taken from the floor to fill the Vice-Chair vacancy until the January elections. Joe Eiben nominated Mike Hall, who accepted the nomination. Nina Royal nominated Roberta Cole, who declined the nomination. Tomi Lyn Bowling nominated Steve Crouch, who declined. Michelle nominated Meiling Dai, who declined, since she will be out of town for several months.Ê Penny Blackwell was nominated, but was not present at the meeting and could not accept. Roberta Cole seconded Mike Hallâs nomination.
Susan Potthoff moved to close the nominations. Seconded. Mike Hall gave a short statement, saying that he is a resident and was surprised to be nominated. He said that he wants to see the NC succeed and truly represent the wishes of the people.
Joe Cohen moved to accept Joe Eibenâs resignation. Seconded. Motion passed.
Mike Hall was elected Vice-Chairman pro tem by a voice vote.
New Projects
Commerce Street Faire:Ê Terry Hake moved that the council pay $40 to the Merchants Association for a booth at the Olde Towne Commerce Street Faire. Seconded. Passed.
Fundraiser:Ê Nicole Hurtado of Simply Impress presented ideas for promotional items to be sold and/or given away to raise money for the NC. T-shirts cost $3.50-$4.00 each, and could be sold for about $10 each. The assembly decided by consensus to start with 30 shirts. The shirts could be sold to current members, and at the booth at the Street Faire.
Street Cleanup:Ê The council considered repeating last yearâs Foothill Blvd. Clean-up project. Since no one volunteered to oversee the project, the topic was tabled for discussion at next monthâs meeting.
Agenda Meeting Location:Ê The agenda meeting currently takes place at the Century 21 Crest office in La Crescenta. In response to charges that the meeting location contributes to a perception that real estate interests dominate the council, a new location is being sought. Suggestions for a new location were solicited. Ken McAlpine suggested Marioâs Sterling Restaurant as a potential alternative. He will call the restaurant to ask for meeting space.
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Terry Hake moved to donate at least $100 to Elaine Brown for the costs of copying and faxing the petitions for redistricting. Seconded. Motion passed.
Meiling Dai moved to have a follow-up meeting with Rita Schack of the Planning Dept. to discuss the Foothill Blvd. Corridor Specific Plan. This meeting would be held at the Municipal Building and would be open to the community, on a different date than the regular NC town hall meeting. Seconded. Motion passed.
Brenda McAlpine moved that the Neighborhood Council assist the American Red Cross in their relief efforts following yesterdayâs terrorist attacks. This assistance shall include any or all of the following activities:
Seconded. Motion passed.
Certification Action Team
A Certification committee was formed for the purpose of completing the STNCâs certification application and overseeing the certification process for the council. Volunteers selected were:Ê Mike Rubio, Jim Margolin, Mark Seigel, Lynn Bedri, Nina Royal, Carla Rother, Susan Potthoff, Brenda McAlpine and Ken McAlpine.
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Community Concerns/Announcements
Charlotte Leu suggested that more time be allowed in the meetings for public comments. The agendas are very packed.
Mike Hall suggested that a place on the agenda be made for ãamendingä the agenda, and that the agenda meetings be used to plan for the next two town hall meetings.
Business Owners About Sunland-Tujunga (BOAST):Ê meeting this Friday at 8 a.m. at Cocoâs.
Susan Potthoff thanked Nina Royal for her letter to the editor in the Foothill Leader.
Laurel Fest asked whether a committee should be formed to study potential changes to the Foothill Blvd. Corridor Specific Plan.
Mark Seigel thanked Gretchen Hoffman of the Foothill Leader for attending our meetings.
Jim Margolin moved to form an Outreach Committee to distribute information to the community quickly. Seconded. Motion passed. Volunteers selected were:Ê Jim Margolin, Ken McAlpine, Brenda McAlpine, Dazie Carnes and Alice Debbaudt.
Joe Hegenbart, a retired DWP worker and long-time resident, introduced himself and mentioned that he is available to answer questions on water and energy issues. He is a member of the Water & Power Associates group, which is currently doing outreach to neighborhood councils. He is very impressed at how far our NC has come. Mr. Hegenbart is also a deacon at St. James the Less Catholic Church.
Brenda McAlpine gave a brief overview of the new membership cards and encouraged everyone to fill out an application to receive one.
Major League Baseball representatives will be at the Foothill Trails District Neighborhood Council meeting on Thursday, September 13, at 7 p.m., at the Lake View Terrace Recreation Center. They will be discussing the proposed baseball academy at Hansen Dam. The kids who participate in the training programs will be selected by the academy, but can come from any part of the city. Anyone can nominate a child for the program.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:08 p.m.
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Chairman Pro TemÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ DateÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ Secretary Pro TemÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ Date
REPORTS
Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council
Regular Meeting of 09/12/2001
Redistricting:Ê Nina Royal gave a report on the redistricting issue. As mentioned before, 1100 petition signatures were collected over the weekend. In the State Assembly, S-T is being moved out of Carol Liuâs district and into Keith Richmanâs area, along with Montrose and La Crescenta. In the State Senate, it is uncertain which district S-T will be in, but it will not be Jack Scottâs. In Congress, S-T will be split along Foothill Blvd., with the Kmart (southern) side of Foothill in Howard Bermanâs district, and the Dennyâs (northern) side in Brad Shermanâs district. Nina encouraged everyone to continue to write letters to Sacramento in support of keeping S-T together.
Marioâs Sterling Liquor License:Ê Jane Fanganiello reported that she attended and spoke at the hearing for Marioâs Sterlingâs liquor license application. She delivered to the hearing officer the letters of support that had been collected in advance of the hearing. The restaurantâs representative needs to do more work for them. No decision was made at the hearing.
Safety:Ê Nina Royal reminded the council that 911 is for emergencies, and that residents with non-emergency problems can call the LAPD dispatch number at 756-8861. The Senior Lead Officers for Sunland-Tujunga are Joe Castellanos (Sunland) and Jay Roberts (Tujunga).
James Burkhardt, of Mayor Hahnâs office, announced that there will be a new non-emergency number in the city. The current number is (877) ASK-LAPD, which is a direct line to the dispatch officer. The city will be rolling out a new number ö 311 ö which will provide information on city services. (877) ASK-LAPD will eventually be moved to 311.
Nina Royal reported that crime in the area is increasing. Rostand Jewelers was robbed yesterday; fortunately no one was injured. Residents interested in starting a Neighborhood Watch should contact Nina at 352-5504 or nroyal9259@aol.com.
Disaster Preparedness training classes will be held in the near future. A sign-up sheet and syllabus are available at the back of the room.
Community Beautification:Ê Tomi Lyn Bowling reported that the repair business on Foothill has removed the corrugated steel fencing, but that the property looks worse than before.
La Tuna Canyon:Ê Steve Crouch reported that the next big meeting for the Scenic Preservation Plan is scheduled for Tuesday, September 25, when the Planning and Land Use Management committee will meet to discuss the Plan. This is the last meeting before Councilman Wachs leaves office.
Planning Issues:Ê Penny Blackwellâs report is attached.