WH Issues and Policies Virtual Cmte Mtg on 03-23-23

Agenda Pdf

Meeting Agenda

• Public Input on Agenda Items – The public may address the Committee on any agenda item before the Committee acts on an item. The Committee will accept comments from the public on agenda items only when the Committee considers the individual item.
• Public Input on Matters not appearing on the Agenda – During the General Public Comment period, the Committee listens to comments from the public on other matters not appearing on the agenda within the Committee’s jurisdiction. * Please note that the Brown Act prevents the Committee from acting on an issue you bring to its attention during the General Public Comment period; however, the issue raised by a public member may become the subject of a future Committee meeting.
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• Public Comments are limited to two (2) minutes per speaker unless adjusted by the presiding member of the Committee. As needed, the presiding member may impose different time limits per each agenda item.

1. Call to Order
2. Establish Quorum:
   Roll Call — Heath Kline, John Sandy Campbell, August Steurer, Julie Waltrip, Aaron Williams
3. Comments by the Public regarding Issues NOT on the Agenda.
   (2 minutes each)
4. Approval of Available Committee Minutes

Roll Call Vote — Heath Kline, John Sandy Campbell, August Steurer, Julie Waltrip, Aaron Williams

All public comment is limited to 2 minutes per speaker unless adjusted by the presiding member of the Committee. If available, the event page for this meeting has draft minutes posted on whcouncil.com.

Agenda Items for Discussion and Possible Action by the Committee:

5. Item No (A) WHIP Chair Heath Kline

Board CIS “Against Unless Amended” City Council File 22-0247 and Council File 22-0247-S1, entitled “Los Angeles River Valley Bikeway and Greenway / Vanalden Avenue / Balboa Boulevard / Mitigated Negative Declaration Certification.”  The amendments requested are to preserve the Sepulveda Basin Dog Park in the following regards:  

Discussion and possible action:

WHEREAS; The WHIP Committee after review of the attached document PRESERVE THE SEPULVEDA BASIN DOG PARK, written by Miriam Preissel, President of the Sepulveda Basin Off Leash Dog Park wherein she outlines the problem that will occur at the Sepulveda Basin Off Leash Dog Park and the adjacent parking area for the dog park (East of White Oak on between Victory on the North, and the LA River on the South) if the City proceeds with its plans to create a new bike path between the dog park on north and the river on the south that will compromise the dog park and the dog park parking lot and put dogs and people at risk unnecessarily when there is a viable alternative to route the bike path on the south side of the river, that was not explored adequately and once again the city is taking a significant action without input from effected stakeholders or Neighborhood Councils.

Therefore it is RESOLVED that the Woodland Hills – Warner Center Neighborhood Council [WHWCNC] Issues & Policies Committee [WHIP] recommends that the WHWCNC Board pass a resolution and file a CIS “Against Unless Amended” for Council File 22-0247, entitled “Los Angeles River Valley Bikeway and Greenway / Vanalden Avenue / Balboa Boulevard / Mitigated Negative Declaration Certification.”  The amendments requested are to preserve the Sepulveda Basin Dog Park in the following regards:

1. None of the land of the Dog Park is taken for the bike path.
2. No trees, especially shade trees, in or adjacent to the Dog Park are removed.
3. The Dog Park is not closed during construction.
4. The bike path has sufficient separation from the Dog Park so that dogs in the park will not chase bikes along the fence line, causing injury to other dogs or people in the Dog Park.
5. The parking lot for the Dog Park is not used as an entry or exit for the bike path, which will cause bikes and pedestrians walking or running through the parking lot to interfere with dog owners getting their dogs into and out of the Dog Park.  This is a safety issue; dogs may try to chase bike riders in the parking lot, causing injury to people and dogs.
6. The parking lot for the Dog Park, which is already insufficient for users of the Dog Park during certain times, not be used as a parking lot for bike riders and walkers on the bike path.  Users of the Dog Park already must park on grass areas during times of peak use.
7. Before any plan for the bike path is approved and before construction begins, users of the Dog Park, the organization Friends of the Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park, as well as the impacted Neighborhood Councils, in the central and western San Fernando Valley, including the WHWCNC, should be given an opportunity to provide input, at a town hall or other meeting, because this is the only dog park that serves these regions. Hundreds of local residents regularly use the Dog Park and have not been given an adequate opportunity to provide input.  There are alternatives to the current plan which have been developed by users of the Dog Park, such as continuing the bike path south of the Los Angeles River, which have not been given a hearing.
8. It is also suggested that lights be put into the Dog Park.
9. The letter from Friends of the Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park will be attached to the Community Impact Statement.Reference Letter: https://whcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Ref-LetterOnDogPark.pdf

   Item No (B) WHIP Chair Heath Kline Council File 19-0002-S101:

Board CIS “Against Unless Amended” City Council File 19-0002-S101 entitled “China, Vietnam, South Korea, Cambodia and Indonesia Sale of Dog Meat / Animal Cruelty Laws Enforcement:” 

Discussion and possible Action:

Therefore it is RESOLVED:  The Woodland Hills – Warner Center  Issues & Policies Committee (WHWNC WHIP) requests that the WHWCNC Board pass a resolution for a Community Impact Statement (CIS) “For” Council File 19-0002-S101, which was passed by the Los Angeles City Council and signed by the Mayor, requesting the governments of China, Vietnam, South Korea, Cambodia, and Indonesia to ban the sale of dog meat and to enforce their animal cruelty laws.

6. Committee Future Meeting(s) & Possible issues
   Discussion on future Committee meeting agendas acting to set date for the next meeting.

Issue suggestions are posted when available on the whcouncil.com event page for this meeting.

6. Adjournment of Meeting

Meeting dates for the 2021-2022 year: Committee holds meetings on the second and fourth Thursday of every month at 7:00 pm. Check the NC website calendar for a complete committee and board meetings list. Meeting dates and times are subject to change. Check the NC calendar for updated meeting schedules.

The next Regular Committee Meeting will be held in person on April13^th, 2023. Please visit the calendar page at whcouncil.org for the complete details and confirm the location, date and time.

Due to COVID-19, virtual teleconferencing replaces ALL in-person Committee meetings. However, please check the www.whcouncil.org website calendar page for any changes that may occur.

• 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 based on 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 or services, may be provided upon request.
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• PUBLIC ACCESS OF RECORDS – In compliance with Government Code section 54957.5, the Committee provides non-exempt writings distributed to a majority of all of the Committee Members in advance of a meeting on the WHWCNC website: www.whcouncil.org or via the scheduled meeting video presentation. In addition, if you would like a copy of any record related to an item on the agenda, please contact Dena Weiss by email to d.weiss@whcouncil.org
• PUBLIC POSTING OF AGENDAS –

A copy of this agenda is also physically posted outside of the West Valley Warner Center Chamber window located at 6100 Topanga Canyon Blvd, Ste 2330, Woodland Hills, CA 91367. The Chamber offices are at the Promenade Mall outside the mall’s east entrance and south of Ruth Chris Restaurant. Access the offices from Owensmouth Street. Parking is free.

Agendas are also posted for public review as follows: At www.whcouncil.org, go to the Calendar page and click on the date.
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• RECONSIDERATION AND GRIEVANCE PROCESS – For information on the WHWCNC process for board action reconsideration, stakeholder grievance policy, or other procedural matters related to this Council, please consult the WHWCNC Bylaws. The Bylaws are available at our website at www.whcouncil.org