WHWCNC Full Board Meeting Agenda

Link: Feb 8, 2023

AGENDA

Woodland Hills-Warner Center Neighborhood Council

FULL BOARD MEETING

Wednesday, February 8, 2023, 6:30 pm 

VIRTUAL MEETING BY TELECONFERENCE

Zoom Meeting Online or By Telephone
(https://us02web.zoom.us/j/96493712127 )
Dial (1 669 900 6833) to Join the Meeting
Then Enter This Webinar ID: 964 9371 2127 and Press #

 

 

VIRTUAL MEETING TELECONFERENCING and PHONE NUMBER FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

In conformity with the September 16, 2021 Enactment of California Assembly Bill 361 (Rivas) and due to concerns over COVID-19, the Woodland Hills-Warner Center Neighborhood Council meeting will be conducted entirely telephonically with a call-in option or internet based service option.

 

Every person wishing to address the Neighborhood Council must either dial 1 669 900 6833 or go online via Zoom and enter Webinar ID # 964 9371 2127 and then press # to join the meeting. Instructions on how to sign up for public comment will be given to listeners at the start of the meeting. When calling-in telephonically, the public is requested to dial *9, when prompted by the presiding officer, to address the Board on any agenda item before the Board takes an action on an item.  Zoom users should use the “raise hand” feature.

 

AB 361 Updates: Public comment cannot be required to be submitted in advance of the meeting, only real-time

public comment is required. If there are any broadcasting interruptions that prevent the public from observing or hearing the meeting, the meeting must be recessed or adjourned. If members of the public are unable to provide

public comment or be heard due to issues within the Neighborhood Council’s control, the meeting must be recessed or adjourned.

 

Any messaging or virtual background is in the control of the individual board member in their personal capacity and does not reflect any formal position of the Neighborhood Council or the City of Los Angeles.

 

*PUBLIC INPUT ON AGENDA ITEMS – The public may address the Board on any agenda item before the Board takes an action on an item. Comments from the public on agenda items will be heard only when the respective item is being considered. Public comment is limited to (1) minute per speaker unless adjusted by the President. Public comment can only be made one time and will be heard at the beginning of an agenda item .

*PUBLIC INPUT ON MATTERS NOT ON THE AGENDA – Comments from the public on other matters not appearing on the agenda that are within the Board’s jurisdiction will be heard during the General Public Comment period. Please note that under the Brown Act, the Board is prevented from acting on a matter that you bring to its attention during the General Public Comment period; however, the issue raised by a member of the public may   become the subject of a future Board meeting.

_________________________________________________________________________________

AGENDA

 

Call to Order
Pledge of Allegiance

Roll Call

 

Public Announcements:

Office of Councilmember Bob Blumenfield                                                  (2 minutes)

Office of Local and State Officials – if available                                          (2 minutes each)

Other Local Agencies – if available                                                               (2 minutes each)

 

General Public Comment, by the Public, on Non-Agenda Items:

General Public Comment is limited to (1) minute per speaker and 20 minutes total.

 

________________________________________________________________________________

 

1. Organization, Operation, Policies, & Procedures:

All comment is limited to 1 minute per speaker, unless adjusted by the presiding officer of the Board.

Time limits set for each agenda item may be adjusted by the presiding officer of the Board. Time limits may vary so the public is encouraged to join the meeting several minutes PRIOR to a specific agenda item being discussed.

 

 

1. Approval of Minutes: Board Meeting – January 11, 2023             (5 minutes)

 

See posted support document                                                                                    Roll Call Vote

 

1. Officer Reports             (5 minutes)

 

President – Dena Weiss. Tonight’s theme is “strengths”. Announcement of the departure from the Board of Annemarie Donkin.     

Vice President – Mihran Kalaydjian

Treasurer – Paul Lawler

Parliamentarian – Leslie Simon. Reminder of Brown Act Rules and the timing for public comment

Secretary -Karen DiBiase  

 

 

 

 

 

2. Items for Discussion and Possible Action:

Item No. (1) Paul Lawyer, Treasurer

(23-003) Approval of MER for December, 2022

Discussion and possible action:                                                                                   (5 minutes)

Motion for the board to approve the December 2022 Monthly Expense Report (MER).

See posted support document                                                                                       Roll Call Vote

Item No. (2) Dena Weiss, President 

(23-004) Announcement of Committee Creation  

 

Announcement of an Ad Hoc committee for the Virtual Governance Hybrid pilot program.

Item No. (3) Dena Weiss, President

(23-005) Meeting location for March In Person Board Meeting

Discussion and possible action:                                                                                   (10 minutes)

Discussion of location options for monthly full Board meetings starting in March.

Possible vote on costs of various locations.

Item No. (4) Board Members August Steurer & Heath Kline
(23-006) Motion to Reconsider Board Action Regarding In-N-Out Case ZA-2022-2788-CU-SPP-SPR-WDI–22822

Discussion and possible action:                                                                                   (5 minutes)

At the December 12, 2022, meeting of the WHWCNC, held on an earlier than normal meeting day to maximize board member attendance during the holiday season, the board passed (18 Aye-0 Nay-0 Abstentions-6 Ineligible) a substitute motion made by August Steurer regarding In-N-Out Burger’s plans to build a  new restaurant with drive-thru facility at 22822 Ventura Boulevard, one block West of Fallbrook Avenue [December 12 Agenda Seq. No. 2022 NC  22-117Agenda item #11].  At the next meeting of the Board on January 11, 2023, the Board President and Chair of the full Board meeting Dena Weiss announced she was in receipt of public comments from stakeholders who said they will be affected by the proposed project but were not informed of the board’s earlier than normal meeting date and therefore missed the opportunity to provide their input to the board before it acted. In addition, the Board received the same information from Stakeholders during public comment.

In response to this information, in accordance with the NC’s Bylaws and City Procedure August Steurer, the original passed motion maker and prevailing side voter, made a motion to the Chair to have this motion placed on the agenda for reconsideration. Heath Kline, another affirmative voter for the approved motion seconded the request.

The Chair said she would accept the request and a vote (20 Aye-1 Nay-1 Abstain-4 Ineligible) was held; the motion passed. Following procedural guidance from the NC Parliamentarian Leslie Simon, and Neighborhood Empowerment Advocate Marilu Guevara to have follow up action placed on the February Board agenda, now August Steurer and Heath Kline come before the Board and bring the following Motion to Reconsider in the form of a Substitute Motion as is permitted:

The Board of the Woodland Hills-Warner Center Neighborhood Council (WHWCNC) having voted (20 Aye-1 Nay-1 Abstain-4 Ineligible) at the January 11, 2023 Board meeting to accept placing a Motion to Reconsider a previous action (approval of Case No. ZA-2022-2788-CU-SPP-SPR-WDI: New IN-N-OUT restaurant with drive-thru at 22822 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills, CA 91364) hereby votes to Reconsider and vacate the original action, and rescind that approval from 12/12/23, and directs that Case No.  ZA-2022-2788-CU-SPP-SPR-WDI be sent back to the WHWCNC PLUM Committee for further input and discussion by both the neighborhood community, and the Applicant.

Roll Call Vote

Items Nos. (5)  & (6) WHIP Chair, Heath Kline
(23-007 & 23-008) Two Board CISs

The WHIP committee brings before the full Board of the WHWCNC the following two motions asking for the NC to go on record in support of the City of Los Angeles seeking modification to the California Ralph M Brown Public Meetings Act to allow Neighborhood Councils to continue to meet virtually as they were able to do under AB361 during the COVID health emergency and to meet in a hybrid virtual-in-person method that may be within a NC’s abilities in the future, that they are not able to do under the now controlling California AB2449 regulations.

WHIP brings these motions to the Board after extended review of the City’s CF position and CIS responses filed by other NCs, and public input on the CF. Plus WHIP’s own extensive discussion over two meetings including extended public comment received by the committee.

To facilitate understanding of the motions and Board and public comment discussion of the topics please review the following two PDF documents that are posted with this agenda:

CF-23-0002-S16 Amend Brown Act Martinez.pdf

CF-23-0002-S17 Amend Brown Act Blumenefield.pdf

 

Item No. (5) WHIP Chair, Heath Kline
(23-007) Board CIS regarding City Council File 23-0002-S16  (just) Los Angeles Neighborhood Council System / Virtual Remote Meetings / Ralph M. Brown Act Amendment

Discussion and possible action:                                                                                   (15 minutes)

The WHIP Committee of the WHWCNC voted to recommend that the full NC Board adopt the following motion as its own and then so inform by CIS filing and correspondence the City Council, Mayor, and other elected officials and staff who can help implement the changes called for in the Ralph M Brown Act to allow Neighborhood Councils [NCs] and their sub-committees the options to continue to meet virtually in a hybrid or entirely virtual fashion as they were permitted to do under the COVID health emergency:

 

[Vote: (2) Yea, (1) Nea, (1) Absent]

 

Council File 23-0002-S16 (Los Angeles Neighborhood Council System / Remote Meetings / Ralph M. Brown Act Amendment) 

 

WHEREAS, Council File 23-0002-S16 supports more access to the neighborhood council process for Angelenos, with far more members of the public participating in each meeting from the convenience of their own homes and workplaces, while commuting and fulfilling caregiver obligations. Our and other NCs benefit from participants who find themselves outside the boundaries of their NC, ranging from a few miles to temporary travel out-of-state and even out of the country, creating more equity and fostering the vitality of our local communities and democracy; and

 

WHEREAS, the 99 Neighborhood Councils in Los Angeles each have unique communities, needs, technology abilities, access to public meeting spaces; and

 

WHEREAS, in-person meetings may jeopardize the health and safety of vulnerable Angelenos due to ongoing exposure to COVID-19 and other personal health situations, such as being immunocompromised; and

 

WHEREAS, it is not realistic or financially viable to expect the all-volunteer Neighborhood Council system to be able to carry out “hybrid” meetings as permitted under AB 2449 effectively due to the limitations imposed on the NC Board as a whole, such as a requirement to establish a quorum in person in a publicly accessible ADA compliant facility within the boundaries of the NC when no such venue may be available to the NC. Likewise, imposing impractical, if not impossible, standards for individual NC Board members, such as not recognizing travel for “business” as an acceptable reason to participate remotely or the requirements to be on camera and only miss two in-person meetings annually (Should those requirements disqualify a businessperson or breastfeeding mother from serving on an NC Board?) in addition to budget and technology limitations; and

 

THEREFORE, the Woodland Hills Warner Center Neighborhood Council SUPPORTS the City Council action and the Mayor’s concurrence in Council File 23-0002-S16.

See posted support document                                                                                                Roll Call Vote

Item No. (6) WHIP Chair, Heath Kline
(23-008) Board CIS regarding City Council File 23-0002-S17 Local Legislative Bodies (including NCs) Hybrid & Virtual Meetings  / Ralph M. Brown Act Amendment

Discussion and possible action:                                                                                   (15 minutes)

The WHIP Committee of the WHWCNC unanimously voted to recommend that the full NC Board adopt the following motion as its own and then so inform by CIS filing and correspondence the City Council, Mayor, and other elected officials and staff who can help implement the changes called for in the Ralph M Brown Act to allow Neighborhood Councils [NCs] and their sub-committees the options to continue to meet virtually in a hybrid or entirely virtual fashion as they were permitted to do under the COVID health emergency:

 

[Vote: (3) Yea, (0) Nea, (1) Absent]

 

Council File 23-0002-S17 (Local Legislative Bodies / Virtual Meetings / Ralph M. Brown Act Amendment)

 

WHEREAS, Council File 23-0002-S17 supports more access to the neighborhood council process for Angelenos, with far more members of the public participating in each meeting from the convenience of their own homes and workplaces, while commuting and fulfilling caregiver obligations. Our and other NCs benefit from participants who find themselves outside the boundaries of their NC, ranging from a few miles to temporary travel out-of-state and even out of the country, creating more equity and fostering the vitality of our local communities and democracy; and

 

WHEREAS, in-person meetings may jeopardize the health and safety of vulnerable Angelenos due to ongoing exposure to COVID-19 and other personal health situations, such as being immunocompromised; and

 

WHEREAS, it is not realistic or financially viable to expect the all-volunteer Neighborhood Council system to be able to carry out “hybrid” meetings as permitted under AB 2449 effectively due to the limitations imposed on the NC Board as a whole, such as a requirement to establish a quorum in person in a publicly accessible ADA compliant facility within the boundaries of the NC when no such venue may be available to the NC. Likewise, imposing impractical, if not impossible, standards for individual NC board members, such as not recognizing travel for “business” as an acceptable reason to participate remotely or the requirements to be on camera and only miss two in-person meetings annually (Should those requirements disqualify a businessperson or breastfeeding mother from serving on an NC Board?) in addition to budget and technology limitations; and

 

WHEREAS, how the Brown Act applies to the broader City Boards and Commissions remains to be looked at by our Neighborhood Council, and while we currently approve the resolution, we reserve the right to make further comment on Council File 23-0002-S17 and how it affects in-person and virtual meetings of City Boards and Commissions other than Neighborhood Councils; and

 

THEREFORE, the Woodland Hills Warner Center Neighborhood Council SUPPORTS the City Council action and the Mayor’s concurrence in Council File 23-0002-S17.

See posted support document                                                                                     Roll Call Vote

Item No. (7)  Dena Weiss, President 

(23-009) WHWCNC Budget Reallocation 

Discussion and possible action:                                                                                               (15 minutes)

Discussion of the 2022-2023 Budget and possible reallocation of line items.

See posted support document                                                                                                    Roll Call Vote

Item No. (8) Houtan Hormozian and Rachelle Tabak, Chairs of Public Safety Committee

(23-010) 

Discussion and possible action:                                                                                   (15 minutes)

Budget request from line-item Community Services budget for $500 for booth space at the West Valley Disaster Preparedness Fair on February 25, 2023. This amount would include access to rental equipment such as tables and chairs, janitorial, volunteer sustenance, banners, and signs.

See posted support document                                                                                              Roll Call Vote

Item No. (9) Mihran Kalaydjian and Talia Isaacs, Chairs of Education and Youth Committee

(23-011) NPG Request for Friends of Calabash School

Discussion and possible action:                                                                                   (15 minutes)

 

Motion to approve a Neighborhood Purpose Grant for the benefit
of Friends of Calabash for $1500 ($1,000 from Education Committee line item and $500 from NPG general line item). The original requested amount was $4653 however the Committee voted for $1,500. This grant will be used to directly pay for the necessities of providing science education and opportunities for learning for a public elementary school in Woodland Hills through the purchasing of mobile field trips (presentations provided on campus) from Discovery Cube.

See posted support document                                                                                     Roll Call Vote

 

Item No. (10) Aaron Quantz and Reina Cerros-McCaughey, Chairs of Homelessness Committee

(23-012) NPG Request for New Friends Homeless Center

Discussion and possible action:                                                                                   (15 minutes)

Motion to approve a Neighborhood Purpose Grant from Homelessness Committee line item, to provide $1500 ($1,000 from Homelessness Committee line item and $500 from NPG general line item).  to New Friends Homeless Center in support of their Friday evening hot meals for the needy and homeless.

See posted support document                                                                                     Roll Call Vote

Item No. (11) August Steurer and Bobbie Wasserman, Chairs of Community Outreach Committee

(23-013) Motion to approve Community Outreach expenditure.

Discussion and possible action:                                                                                   (15 minutes)

Motion: WHEREAS, to allow the Community Outreach committee and the Neighborhood Council to do its work better, funds are needed to revise the website architecture and technology towards modernizing the website and social media functions to enable better communications and in person engagement with the community and the City government entities.

 

Therefore, the Community Outreach Committee recommends that the Woodland Hills – Warner Center Neighborhood Council Board approve expenditures of up to $6,500 from line-item Community Outreach for the purposes of renovating the Council’s website, email services, hosting service, social media promotion capabilities, outreach literature, booth signage, and event giveaways. Most work to be conducted by Committee members.

 

Roll Call Vote

 

3. Area Reports – (10 minutes)

 

Area 1 – Aaron Quantz, Karen DiBiase, Mark Schwartz, Reina Cerros-McCaughey

Area 2 – Arturo Velasquez, Paul Lawler, Sean McCarthy, Philp Swain
Area 3 – Mark Ball, John Sandy Campbell

Area 4 – Don Patterson, Martin Lipkin, Dena Weiss, Rachel Tabak

Area 5 – Christopher Waddy, Julie Waltrip, Theresa Campbell, Gretchen Gesell
Area 6 – Leslie Simon, Mihran Kalaydjian, Heath Kline

Area 7 – Aaron Williams, Houtan Hormozian, Christine Robinson
At-Large –August Steurer, Bobbie Wasserman

Youth Member – Talia Isaacs

 

4. Committee Reports – (10 minutes)

Budget Committee – Paul Lawler, Chair

Community Services Committee – Rachel Tabak and Houtan Hormozian, Chairs

Community Outreach Committee – August Steurer and Bobbie Wasserman, Chairs

Education and Youth Committee –Mihran Kalaydjian and Talia Isaacs, Chairs
Environmental & Beautification Committee – Karen DiBiase, Chair

Governance Committee – Dena Weiss, Chair

Public Health and Homelessness Committee –Aaron Quantz and Reina Cerros-McCaughey, Chairs

Public Safety and Transportation – Houtan Hormozian and Rachel Tabak, Chairs
PLUM Committee – Don Patterson, Chair
WHIP Committee – Heath Kline, Chair

Ad-hoc Committee – Flight Path and Noise Advisory Committee, Martin Lipkin, Chair

 

Announcements:

The next Regular Board meeting will be held on March 8, 2023, in person at a location to be determined Please visit the calendar page at whcouncil.org for the complete details and to confirm the date and time.

Meeting dates for the 2023 year: Full Board meeting are held the second Wednesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. Check the NC website calendar for a complete list of committee and board meetings. Meeting dates and times are subject to change. Check the NC calendar for updated meeting schedules.

 

Due to COVID 19 ALL in person meetings have been moved to virtual teleconference.
HOWEVER, please check the www.whcouncil.org website calendar page for any changes that may occur.

 

Adjournment of Meeting:

 

*THE AMERICAN WITH DISABILITIES ACT – 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 and 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 (72 hours) prior to the meeting you wish to attend by contacting Dena Weiss, at  email  address d.weiss@whcouncil.org or the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment at (213) 978-1551 EmpowerLa@LACity.org

 

*PUBLIC ACCESS OF RECORDS – In compliance with Government Code section 54957.5, non-exempt writings that are distributed to a majority or all of the board in advance of a meeting may be viewed at our website: www.whcouncil.org or at the scheduled meeting. In addition, if you would like

a copy of any record, if available, related to an item on the agenda, please contact Dena Weiss, at email address d.weiss@whcouncil.org.

 

*PUBLIC POSTING OF AGENDAS – agendas are posted for public review as follows:
• www.whcouncil.org and go to the website Calendar page and click on the date – Board meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month. Check the calendar for any change of meeting date

and/or time.
• You can also receive our agendas via email by subscribing to L.A. City’s Early Notification System

at https://www.lacity.org/subscriptions

 

• A copy of this agenda is also physically posted on the outside of the window of the West Valley Warner Center Chamber located at 6100 Topanga Canyon Blvd, Ste 2330, Woodland Hills, CA 91367. The Chamber is located at the Promenade Mall outside the east entrance of the mall and to the left of Ruth Chris Restaurant. The Chamber office is accessed from Owensmouth Street. Parking is free.

 

*RECONSIDERATION AND GRIEVANCE PROCESS – For information on the WHWCNC process for board action reconsideration, stakeholder grievance policy, or any other procedural matters related

to this Council, please consult the WHWCNC Bylaws. The Bylaws are available at our website at www.whcouncil.org

 

SERVICIOS DE TRADUCCIÓN – Si requiere servicios de traducción, favor de avisar al Concejo Vecinal 3 días de trabajo (72 horas) antes del evento. Por favor contacte a Dena Weiss al d.weiss@whcouncil.org o por correo electrónico avisar al Concejo Vecinal.

 

Notice to Paid Representatives – If you are compensated to monitor, attend, or speak at this meeting, City law may require you to register as a lobbyist and report your activity. See Los Angeles Municipal Code §§ 48.01 et seq. More information is available at ethics.lacity.org/lobbying. For assistance, please contact the Ethics Commission at {213) 978-1960 or ethics.commission@lacity.org