ABOUT MIKE COUNCIL STAFF NEWS ISSUES NEIGHBORHOODS MEDIA TAKE ACTION

HOME » NEWS

April 2016 Neighborhoods First

Newsletter Sign Up For Updates

Posted by David Graham-Caso 725.80sc on April 29, 2016 · Flag · Add your reaction
email address Subscribe

April 2016

Welcome to the April issue of Mike Bonin's "Neighborhoods First Newsletter"!

IN THIS ISSUE : We take a look at how neighbors celebrated Earth Day, learn more
about draft rules for short-term rentals in LA, find out how Mike is taking action
to address homelessness on the Westside, and remember Bill Rosendahl ... b u t
f i r s t , please read this month's Neighborhoods First Profile to find out more about Contact Our Office
a great organization started by a Brentwood resident, that is helping give people
in need a helping hand.
Connect with Facebook
You can find out more about Mike , meet your CD11 staff and see the latest
videos and updates from the Westside on our website at www.11thdistrict.com .
And remember to like Mike's Facebook page and follow him on Twitter to always Connect with Twitter
see the latest news about your neighborhood.

Councilmember Mike…
5,229 likes

Liked

You and 371 other friends like this

The Giving Spirit: Brentwood Resident Tom Bagamane
For the past 16 years,
Brentwood resident Tom
Tweets by ​@MikeBoninLA
Bagamane has compassionately
Mike Bonin
committed himself to helping @MikeBoninLA
save the lives of those who live Proud to have worked with @givingspirit &
on the streets of Los Angeles. assembled winter kits for homeless residents. Sign
Tom is the founder of The up for the 2018 Homeless Count because every

Giving Spirit, an organization resident, no matter where they live, matters

bit.ly/2mf7D6W
that delivers life-sustaining aid
to homeless people by
assembling and distributing
“survival backpacks” to those
without homes.

In December, Mike and Mayor

Garcetti joined Tom and more
They Count Will You?
than 1,000 volunteers as they
The 2018 Greater Los Angeles Homeless …
were assembling winter survival kits, and on May 20 and 21, hundreds more theycountwillyou.org
volunteers will gather to make summer kits. We asked Tom about the Giving
Spirit and the upcoming volunteer event on May 20 and 21. 5h

Why did you found The Giving Spirit? Embed View on Twitter
I moved here from Washington, D.C in 1996. I was frustrated by the plight of
homeless in DC only to move to the city that had deservedly earned the
ignominious distinction of being the homeless capital of the U.S. In business, as
in life, I am a "solutions guy”. I saw a system that was overloaded, underfunded
and not easily accessed by those in need. I also saw an underserved population of
80,000 residents who needed essential, material aid to simply stay alive and, just
as importantly, to regain hope and dignity. We have discovered that without
hope, thousands of our clients have given up seeking refuge or assistance. And
even if they did, our amazing agency partners had/have limited capacity and
can’t house all of the now 50-60,000 that live on the streets in LA with just 17-
18,000 beds. If they couldn’t afford to house them, how could they provide the
essential hygiene, hydration, food, clothing, weather protection and health
maintenance products that they desperately needed to “survive where they
stand”? We didn’t want them to have to choose between a hot meal and a
toothbrush, between a bus token to a job interview and a bottle of shampoo,
school supplies and a pair of new socks. Just as important as the life-saving aid is
removing the veil between us and our clients to teach children and families about
the slim margins that separate many of us from the same situation. An
overwhelming majority of our aid is randomly administered and all of it is
through direct interaction with our clients.

How has The Giving Spirit grown since you founded the organization?
The Giving Spirit (TGS) has grown to become one of the largest all-volunteer
organizations in the nation, raising more than $2.35 million in financial support
and even more in in-kind donations; enough to serve more than 38,000 homeless
men, and women and children in 16 years of service.

What will volunteers be doing at the May 20 and 21 event?

Volunteers will be assembling “summer survival backpacks,” kits that contain
more than 45 essential items, including hot-weather necessities focused on
serving homeless women and children, the most vulnerable individuals on the
street. These 2,450 kits will be distributed either via Los Angeles-area shelters or
through random giving by their volunteers to families and individuals on the
streets of Skid Row, Venice and other homeless encampments all over Greater Los
Angeles. This is the first of two TGS outreach efforts this year. In December, The
Giving Spirit will serve over 2,600 homeless men, women and children with
winter survival aid.

How can people find out more and sign up to volunteer?

For more information, to donate, or register for the May event
visit http://www.thegivingspirit.org .

Read the entire interview

at www.11thdistrict.com/tom_bagamane_profile.

Celebrating Earth Day by Cleaning the Creek!

The Ballona Wetlands is one of the last remaining wetlands areas in Southern
California, and protecting the Wetlands is an important way to preserve a
priceless piece of our natural environment. On April 23, Mike and more than 200
volunteers collected more than 300 pounds of litter from the wetlands in Playa
del Rey. The cleanup was also one of Mike’s “Access 11” events, which he hosts to
bring City Hall to the Westside and meet with neighbors who aren’t able to make
it downtown to connect with their local representative. Neighbors from around
the Westside got to see snowy egrets, discover silver dune lupine, and listen to
the melodies of the yellow warbler -- all while cleaning up cigarette butts,
styrofoam, and lots of civilization’s detritus.

Mar Vista Eco Car Expo and Pop Up Office Hours

Neighbors at the Mar Vista Farmers Market got to experience the Mar Vista Eco
Car Expo on April 10, getting a look at some of the exciting advances in
technology that are bringing about a fossil-free future. The event showcased
electric and alternative-fuel vehicles and allowed people to learn more about
environmentally-friendly transportation options. The event highlights Mar
Vista’s place as a home to a genuinely grassroots movement working to weave
environmental awareness into every fabric of our lives. The Mar Vista Green
Committee has organized the Water Wise Expo, the Mar Vista Green Garden
Showcase, and helped promote walkability on and around Venice Boulevard - the
area’s “Great Street.”

During the expo, Mike hosted “Access 11” pop up office hours at a booth at the
Farmers Market, so neighbors could stop by to meet with their local
representative as they shopped and checked out clean-energy cars.

Venice Green Expo Showcases Sustainability

Not to be outdone by neighboring Mar Vista, the second annual Venice Green
Expo was held on April 9. The Expo featured information booths and speakers
who shared information about clean energy, water conservation and composting.
Mike attended the event to welcome guests and to talk about how he is working to
make neighborhoods on the Westside more sustainable and environmentally-
conscious. The daylong event, sponsored by the Venice Neighborhood Council,
drew big crowds, including families eager to learn more about ways to go green.

Palisades Pole-top Power Substations

Last month, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power proposed installing
two temporary pole-top substations in the Pacific Palisades to help address power
reliability issues throughout the neighborhood. Community input is essential in
decisions like this, and Mike insisted that LADWP first present their plans to the
community and listen to feedback from neighbors before installing any new
power infrastructure. DWP staff is currently reviewing the comments submitted
by neighbors and analyzing the feasibility of alternative sites for the temporary
substations and will return to the community with an update in the coming
weeks.

Del Rey’s Ocean Charter School Hosts Coastal Cleanup

One of the most precious parts of our local environment is our legendary
coastline, and on April 20, students at Ocean Charter School in Del Rey helped do
their part to keep our coast pristine. Ocean Charter partnered with Heal the Bay
to participate in the 7th Annual “Clean the Beach Day” - a fun and rewarding
beach cleanup that picked up litter from the sandy shoreline. Mike provided
buses to help get students from Del Rey to the beach and supported the event
with a contribution.

Improving Water Recycling in Westchester

As California continues to confront the historic drought plaguing our state, Mike
is working to improve our ability to reuse and conserve water.

Earlier this year, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power started
construction on a project to vastly expand water recycling infrastructure in
Westchester, adding nearly 7,000 feet of pipe to the area that will allow medians
along Manchester Boulevard, Westchester High School, the future site of
Northside LAX development and others to use recycled water to irrigate plants.
Not only is recycled water much cheaper than importing water to Los Angeles,
but the environmental benefits of using recycled water are tremendously
important as the drought continues.

Construction on the project is expected to end this Summer.

West LA Sawtelle Neighborhood Cleanup Keeps Civic Center Area Looking

Great
The West LA Civic Center is an important community resource for neighborhoods
on the Westside, and the WestLA/Sawtelle Neighborhood Council celebrated
Earth Day by hosting a community cleanup at the center. Mike partnered with the
neighborhood council for the cleanup, which collected dozens of large trash bags
full of debris.

Playa Vista Beach Shuttle to Begin Summer Service

This summer, residents in Playa Vista will be able to reach the beach without
worrying about traffic or parking by taking the free and convenient beach
shuttle! Beach shuttle service officially begins on May 27.

You can catch the shuttle at Campus Center Drive and Bluff Creek Drive, Bluff
Creek Drive and Artisans Way, Waterfront Drive and Lake Center Drive, IMAX
HQ, McConnell Avenue and Runway Road, Para Way (Concerto Lofts) and Seabluff
Drive (Pinkberry).

Find out more at http://blog.playavista.com/2015/04/hop-on-the-beach-

shuttle/ .

Brentwood Arts Fest Celebrates Neighborhood Creativity

Art and creativity are what make each neighborhood on the Westside special and
unique, and on April 24, Mike joined thousands of neighbors in Brentwood to
celebrate and enjoy art at the Brentwood Art Festival.

From its humble beginnings, Brentwood Art Festival has grown into one of the
most highly acclaimed art festivals in the US, with 10,000 attendees
participating in the community event. Early festivals started out with just a few
participants from around Brentwood. Today, however, the simple Brentwood Art
Festival has transformed into a show of art and culture, with San Vicente
Boulevard transformed into a striking outdoor art gallery with hundreds of
nationally acclaimed artists, kids’ activities and top LA food trucks.

Street Repaving Work

Streets in neighborhoods throughout the Westside got a little love from the
Bureau of Street Services in the past month, with key roads getting repaved or
slurry sealed by City employees. Rayford Drive, Park Hill Drive and 81st Street in
Westchester, Venice and Washington Boulevards, as well as Marcasel and North
Park Avenues in Mar Vista, and all got needed attention from the Bureau in the
past month.

Mike and Neighbors Go Door-to-Door for Access 11 Walk in Mar Vista

When he was elected, Mike launched his Access 11 program to “bring City Hall to
our neighborhoods.” His work to improve access to local government continued
on April 2, as Mike, his staff and volunteers from the neighborhood went door-to-
door in Mar Vista to ask residents how Mike can make Mar Vista a better place to
live and enjoy. Neighbors were eager to hear more about the City’s effort to
repair sidewalks, end homelessness, and improve city services.

Honoring Local Poet Sherman Pearl at the Beyond Baroque Awards Dinner

Poetry and art are essential tools in preserving the character of our
neighborhoods and celebrating what makes communities on the Westside special
places to live. On April 10, Mike helped Beyond Baroque (the Venice-based
independent Literary Arts Center) celebrate the work of Sherman Pearl for his
distinguished service to the organization at Beyond Baroque's annual awards
dinner.

Now retired from a career as a journalist and publicist, Sherman has published
five poetry collections: Animal Passions, Beating the Humdrum, Working Papers,
The Poem in Time of War, and Profanities. He has been co-founder of the Los
Angeles Poetry Festival and a co-editor of CQ magazine as well as co-director of
the Valley Contemporary Poets. Together with Suzanne Lummis, Sherman
founded the Los Angeles Poetry Festival. His work has appeared in more than 50
journals and he recently won the Margie Prize.

Check out some of Sherman’s poetry

at http://home.earthlink.net/~pero/sherman-pearl.html .

Safe Streets in Playa del Rey - Street Improvement Plans Unveiled

Keeping neighborhood streets safe for everyone to enjoy is one of Mike’s top
priorities, and he has been partnering with neighbors in Playa del Rey to improve
the safety on local roads.

Mike hosted a neighborhood meeting last May with Playa del Rey residents and
business owners to discuss traffic safety priorities. The community presented
concerns with peak hour cut-through traffic, off-peak vehicle speeds, and
pedestrian safety on Culver Blvd and Pershing Dr. After listening to what the
community hoped to accomplish, Mike then hosted a second meeting last August
to solicit input on potential safety treatments to address the community-
identified concerns. Finally, a meeting was held on April 21, 2016 to present the
draft safety improvements and to ask for feedback.

Find out more about the plans announced on April 21 and respond with your
feedback at http://www.11thdistrict.com/pdr_street_safety_proposal .

New Resident Advisory Board Installed to Lead Mar Vista Gardens in Del Rey

Residents of Mar Vista Gardens in Del Rey elected a new Resident Advisory
Council in April, choosing the people who will be in charge of helping to address
resident concerns and improve the quality of life in the neighborhood.
Congratulations to the new officers, including President William Escalera, Vice-
President Maria Chavarria, Secretary Dora Rangel, Treasurer Maria Bautista
and Sergeant-at-Arms Claudia Melendez!

Entrada Sidewalks to Improve Pedestrian Safety in Pacific Palisades

Neighborhood
Keeping pedestrians safe from traffic in our neighborhoods is a priority for Mike,
and thanks to a state grant, Entrada Drive in the Santa Monica Canyon
neighborhood of the Pacific Palisades is getting a roadway improvement that will
keep neighbors safe.

Several years ago, after requests from residents in the neighborhood, the City
applied for and received a safety grant from Caltrans to construct a sidewalk on
the south side of Entrada, where there currently is either not a sidewalk at all, or
only a very narrow strip of asphalt. The street improvement project, which will
widen the existing pathway and encourage cars to slow down, will help to
improve safety in the Canyon and recently earned the support of the Santa
Monica Canyon Civic Association. In addition, Mike will continue to work with the
community to make improvements to other sidewalks in the area.

Bridging the Digital Divide in Del Rey

Internet access is an essential tool in our society, and bridging the digital divide
is an important goal for our neighborhoods. On April 8, Mike hosted a special
presentation during the City Council meeting to thank global design firm
ARCADIS for a generous donation that will allow the Housing Authority of Los
Angeles to provide improved free wireless internet to the 600 families living in
Mar Vista Gardens in Del Rey.

Mar Vista Gardens resident Ashlee Pensamiento joined Mike and ARCADIS at the
presentation to tell her story about getting her Masters Degree through mostly
online courses, highlighting the importance of ARCADIS' donation and the
internet service provided to families at Mar Vista Gardens.

Mike Hosts Access 11 Coffee with Your Councilmember in Playa del Rey
Mike’s work to bring City Hall to the Westside continued at the end of April, as he
met with neighbors in Playa del Rey at an “Access 11 Coffee with Your
Councilmember” event graciously hosted by Dr. Michele Cooley-Strickland and
Dr. Tony Strickland. The event, which allowed a group of Playa del Rey residents
to ask questions and get answers directly from Mike, was the latest in the series
of Access 11 events that have helped Mike improve how people can communicate
with their local representative.

Palisades Village Project Approved by City Planning Commission

The proposal to revitalize downtown Pacific Palisades and bring back an active
“Main Street” to the Pacific Palisades community took a big step forward on
Thursday, when the project was approved by the City Planning Commission. This
proposed project would be a vibrant community and commercial center for the
people of the Palisades, and last month, Mike announced his support for the
project. The next step in the process will be consideration by the City Council’s
Land Use and Planning Committee.

Read Mike’s statement in support of Palisades Village

at http://www.11thdistrict.com/mike_announces_support_for_palisades_village_project .

Celebrating the GREAT, GREAT, GREAT Life of Bill Rosendahl

On March 30, Los Angeles lost a tremendous leader and inspirational friend,
mentor and representative when Bill Rosendahl passed away after a four-year
battle with cancer. Friends, family and former colleagues celebrated Bill’s
amazing life at two events in the past month - a Memorial Mass at St. Monica
Church, as well as a Community Celebration at Mar Vista Park.

Catholic Mass (with a eulogy delivered by former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa)

Community Celebration (with a eulogy delivered by Mayor Eric Garcetti)

Mike Adjourns City Council in Bill’s Memory

All of the videos, as well as more information about Bill and links for where
donations can be made in his memory can be found
at http://www.11thdistrict.com/remembering_bill .

Mike’s Venice Homelessness Plan Earns Widespread Attention and Support

On March 29, Mike hosted a community meeting where hundreds of neighbors

listened to information about the City’s and County’s comprehensive
homelessness strategies, and how he is planning to start implementing those
strategies to combat and reduce homelessness. Every neighborhood needs to be a
part of the solution, and Mike chose to start in Venice, which has one of the
largest homeless populations in Los Angeles.

Since unveiling his plan, the ideas have received a lot of media attention,
including last week's supportive editorial in the Los Angeles Times and
another supportive editorial in The Argonaut . While a lot of this attention has
focused on the proposals for expanding voluntary storage or building homeless
housing, the entire plan is an 18-point initiative that includes a variety of
elements -- including rapid rehousing, increased mental health services,
protecting affordable housing, and more.

You can find complete details of the City strategy, the County strategy, and
Mike’s Venice implementation plan
at http://www.11thdistrict.com/venice_homelessness_plan . At that same link,
you can watch a full video of the March 29 meeting, and listen to detailed
explanation of each element of the plan.

Economic Impact Report Shows Value of Region’s Largest Airport

LAX is an important job generator for Los Angeles and the entire region. A new
report released this month by the Los Angeles County Economic Development
Corporation quantified that importance, and found that LAX creates 620,610
local jobs, with another 121,640 jobs generated by the airport’s on-going capital-
improvement program.

Read the full report at http://laedc.org/2016/04/21/study-shows-positive-

economic-impacts-lax-projects-and-operations/ .

New Firefighting Vehicles Put Into Action at LAX

Los Angeles Fire Department officials showcased six new Aircraft Rescue
Firefighting vehicles this past month that have been placed into service at LAX.
The vehicles will respond to all types of aircraft emergencies and incidents on the
airfields.

Fire Department Conducts Airex Disaster Drill at LAX

In April, Mayor Garcetti and Los Angeles Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas were on hand
for the LAFD 2016 Airex Emergency Drill at LAX. The Airex drill is a full-scale
simulated aircraft emergency drill involving more than 350 firefighters,
operations personnel, local and federal law-enforcement officers and 150
volunteers. The exercise is an essential tool that prepares our first-responders for
emergency response scenarios, and helps ensure the world-class airport is a first-
class neighbor, even in times of crisis.

Mike was at LAX on November 1, 2013, when a gunman terrorized a terminal at

the airport, and he has made improving emergency response at the airport a
priority. Constant diligence and training are essential to prepare for whatever
emergencies might need to be managed at the region’s largest airport.

Preparing for Expo Line on the Westside

We are less than one month away from the grand opening of phase two of the
Expo Line, which will connect the Westside with downtown LA via light-rail.
Among the seven new stations that will start serving commuters on May 20 is one
at Bundy Drive and Exposition Boulevard, and Mike and his team have been
working with city departments to ensure that getting to and from the
Expo/Bundy station is simple and safe.

The Expo/Bundy first-last mile improvement project began construction last

year, and streetscape improvements, such as new access ramps to sidewalk
corners, repaired sidewalks, a new street median and dozens of new trees have
already upgraded the West LA neighborhood surrounding the Expo station.
In addition to streetscape improvements near the Expo/Bundy station, Mike and
his team are working to improve how people from all parts of the Westside can
get to and from the Expo Line, including partnering with Santa Monica’s Breeze
Bike Share program to host Breeze bike stations in Venice. Local municipal bus
lines (Culver City Bus and Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus) are also offering more
routes serving north-south travel, and discussing discount codes for people who
use the ridesharing service Lyft to get to the train.

Phase 2 of the Expo Line officially opens on May 20.

Progress Continues for Mike’s Sunset Traffic Collaborative

Sunset Boulevard is one of the worst traffic chokepoints in Los Angeles, and late
last year, Mike launched his Sunset Traffic Initiative - an effort to bring together
neighbors, institutions and experts to find creative solutions to the gridlock that
plagues the northern part of the Westside Council District Mike represents. The
Institutional Collaborative held its first meeting on April 26.

The Institutional Collaborative is made up of representatives from the Getty

Center, St. Martin of Tours, University Synagogue, Brentwood Village Business
Improvement District, the Brentwood Chamber of Commerce, Brentwood School,
Archer School for Girls, Mount St. Mary's University, Paul Revere Middle School,
Luxe Hotel, and Hotel Angeleno. Mike's goal is for the collaborative to grow into a
genuine Transportation Management Association, a non-profit collaborative that
will provide and coordinate transportation services in and around the corridor.
Similar organizations have seen successful trip reduction through such
transportation management plans at Warner Center, UCLA, and more recently in
Century City. Through ride-sharing, joint shuttles, coordinated scheduling and
more, the number of trips on Sunset Boulevard can be reduced, easing the
gridlock we encounter.

Mythbusting Metro Misconceptions

The great local blog, LAist is starting a new series on transportation, working to
both provide some significant coverage of L.A.'s development into a train town,
as well as giving some tips and guides for LAist’s readers on how to best get
around the city (whether it be by car, bus, bike, train, or even foot).

In the new "Ask A Transit Nerd" column, LAist, will tackle some common
misconceptions and answer pressing questions. In the first column, LAist tackles
the gap between what some Angelenos think L.A.'s transit system does, and what
it actually does. Check out how LAist is debunking some of the biggest myths at
LA Metro at http://laist.com/2016/04/13/metro_misconceptions_explained.php

Short-Term Rental Regulations Released

Short-term rentals help a lot of people make ends meet every month by renting
out a spare bedroom or guest house, but abuse of the online rental platforms has
threatened both neighborhoods and affordable housing. Last year, Mike and
Council President Herb Wesson Jr. authored legislation asking for the Planning
Department to develop regulations that would allow good, honest home-sharing
while protecting affordable housing and neighborhoods.

After months of work and collaboration with neighborhoods throughout Los

Angeles, the Planning Department finally released a draft ordinance in April. The
draft ordinance proposes an enforceable system to protect affordable housing
and our neighborhoods from rogue hotel operators, while still allowing people to
make ends meet by sharing their primary residence. Mike applauded the hard
work of the planning staff and the input of hundreds of neighbors who helped
get these smart regulations ready to be considered by the Planning Commission
and City Council.

The first public hearing to gather input on the ordinance is being scheduled for
Saturday May 21st at 10am at the Deaton Auditorium (100 W 1st St, Los Angeles,
CA 90012). The ordinance will then be considered by the City Planning
Commission on June 23rd. The draft ordinance is a work in progress and feedback
is very valuable. Mike is especially interested in hearing from neighbors if the
Planning Department struck the right balance between allowing good home
sharing and preventing abuse of the system. Please attend the May 21 meeting or
offer your comments in the form at the link below.

Find out more

at http://www.11thdistrict.com/bonin_and_wesson_applaud_draft_short_term_rental_ordinance .

Mike and Colleagues Submit Planning Reform Proposal to City Council

Since being elected, Mike has been working hard to reform the City's broken
planning process to better protect our neighborhoods and ensure smart, sensitive
development. On April 13, Mike and a number of his colleagues on the City
Council introduced reforms to help guide the City’s growth and development.

In the reform proposal, which was introduced by Mike, José Huizar, Gil Cedillo,
David Ryu, Bob Blumenfield and Mitch O’Farrell and seconded by Paul Krekorian,
the City Council is instructing the Planning Department to report back on
overhauling the Community Plan program. The legislation also calls for
recommendations on ways to increase oversight of the environmental review
process, and upgrade outdated technology.

This planning reform proposal, along with funding for Planning staff Mayor
Garcetti included in his 2016 budget proposal, will allow for each of the 35
community plans for neighborhoods around Los Angeles to be updated, which
will help ensure development decisions in neighborhoods better protect the
character of each neighborhood. The reforms will also improve transparency in
the planning process by making environmental review of proposed projects the
responsibility of the city, as opposed to letting the developer hire a consultant to
conduct the review.

Mansionization Ordinance Released - Provide Your Feedback

The basic rules governing the size and bulk of new homes in LA neighborhoods
are going through the process of being updated, and the Planning Department
released a revised draft of the Baseline Mansionization/Baseline Hillside
Ordinance (BMO/BHO) Code amendment in late April.

This is a hotly debated issue, and neighbors are invited and encouraged to attend
any of four public meetings scheduled in May to hear the details of the proposed
changes, give your opinions, and provide input for changes to the ordinance
prior to the City Planning Commission hearing about the ordinance in July. One
of the four meetings will be held on the Westside, at the Felicia Mahood
Multipurpose Center (11338 Santa Monica Blvd, on Tuesday, May 10, 2016 from
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm).

You can find a notice with details of the public hearings, an updated Questions-
and-Answers document on the draft Code amendment, and the full text of the
draft Code amendment on the Department of City Planning web site (click
"Ordinances," then "Proposed Ordinances"), as well as at the Department's
dedicated Neighborhood Conservation site .

Please direct any questions or comments to Niall

Huffman, NeighborhoodConservation@lacity.org , (213) 978-3405 . We welcome
your continued involvement in this process.

Venice Local Coastal Plan Process Begins

The City Planning Department is launching a process to prepare a Local Coastal

Plan, a document that will help guide future development in Venice to protect the
character of the neighborhood. The process has just begun, and the Planning
Department hosted an open house on April 27 to help identify issues that need to
be addressed as the Local Coastal Plan is developed.

Sign up here to receive more information about the LCP and the process ahead.

Find Out More About the City Council's Work to Put Neighborhoods First

Charting a Path to 100% Clean Energy in LA

In a landmark effort to revolutionize the way the energy is generated for Los
Angeles, Mike and his colleague Paul Krekorian have co-authored legislation
aimed at creating a pathway to 100% clean energy for the nation’s second largest
city.

The proposal instructs the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP)
to convene a research partnership with local universities, power agencies, energy
experts and other stakeholders to determine what investments LADWP should
make to achieve a 100% renewable energy portfolio. The pathway to 100% clean
energy created by the research partnership would be one of the most important
environmental initiatives ever launched in Southern California.

The legislation was approved by the Council’s Energy and Environment

Committee on April 20, and will be considered by the full City Council later in the
spring.

Protecting Wildlife in the Santa Monica Mountains

Thanks to a recently-approved motion authored by Mike’s colleague Paul Koretz,

development in hillside areas of the Santa Monica Mountains will soon require
pathways for wildlife such as mountain lions and bobcats to get around their
natural habitats. This is an important way we can protect biodiversity in Los
Angeles and ensure that development doesn’t stop animals who need to roam the
mountains for food, mates and survival. Mike was proud to second the proposal
by Councilmember Koretz and is eager to see the draft ordinances now being
prepared by the Planning Department.

Progress Continues for Mike's Parking Reform Legislation

Parking in Los Angeles can be a nightmare, and Mike has proposed a number of
steps to reform how we manage parking in our neighborhoods. One of those
proposals is to return some of the revenue from parking meters to the
neighborhoods where the revenue is collected, so neighborhoods that suffer a
greater burden of parking can invest in improving parking availability and
management.

On April 14, the LA Department of Transportation reported to the Transportation

Committee with the outline of a pilot project to do just that. The revenue could be
used for parking improvements, street beautification projects, enhancing
pedestrian safety and a lot more. Mike’s parking reform work builds on the great
recommendations of the Parking Reform Working Group. Find out more about
the complete reform proposal
at: http://www.11thdistrict.com/parking_reform_legislation_introduced .

LAPD Body Cameras - Mike Calls for Important Program to Advance

Last year, Mayor Garcetti called for LAPD officers to be equipped with body
cameras to improve public trust in the police department and to reduce costly
liability issues for the City. Full deployment of the cameras became delayed,
however, when the costs and necessary redeployment of officers to monitor the
cameras alarmed some Councilmembers. After listening to feedback from the
Council, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck re-submitted a proposal for deploying the
cameras, which addresses the issues raised, and Mike is now joining Mayor
Garcetti and many of his colleagues in calling for the body cameras to be rolled
out as soon as possible.

Standing Up to Hate and Discrimination

In recent months, a series of hateful and discriminatory laws that endanger the
the basic rights of LGBT people living in, and visiting both North Carolina and
Mississippi have been unfortunately signed into law.

Mike is very concerned with the far-reaching effects of these laws, and on April
15, the City Council approved legislation Mike authored to enact a non-essential
travel ban for city employees to the states.

Find out more about Mike’s legislation and see his speech about “state-sanctioned
discrimination” at http://www.11thdistrict.com/standing_up_to_hateful_laws .

Budget Deliberations Begin

Each year, some of the most important decisions about issues facing our
neighborhoods get made through the city budget process. As we continue to
climb out of the recession, tough choices need to be made about what programs
will get funding and what Los Angeles’ priorities will be over the next year.

The debate surrounding those decisions began earlier this week, as the City
Council’s Budget and Finance committee began deliberations on the budget
proposed by Mayor Garcetti. Mayor Garcetti’s original proposal is a smart, serious
budget that will help us tackle one of the biggest issues facing our City and
threatening our neighborhoods - homelessness. As a member of the Budget &
Finance Committee, Mike is looking forward to working hard to make sure we
have the resources to tackle this crisis.

Read the Mayor’s budget proposal

here: http://www.lamayor.org/budget20162017 .

Offer your feedback here: http://www.11thdistrict.com/budgetfeedback2016 .

Citywide Sustainability pLAn - One Year Checkup

On April 8, 2015, Mayor Garcetti released L.A.’s first-ever Sustainable City pLAn -
a roadmap to achieve back to basics short-term results while setting the path to
strengthen and transform our City in the decades to come. This pLAn sets the
course for a cleaner environment and a stronger economy, with a commitment to
equity as its foundation.

Now, one year since the release of the Sustainable City pLAn, we have already
seen significant progress.

Angelenos stepped up to the challenge and we have reduced water use by 19%,
nearly achieving our goal of 20% water reduction a year ahead of time and
continuing L.A.’s leadership as the most water efficient city per capita of any
big city in the U.S.
We have exceeded our goal of 1,000 publicly available EV charging stations by
2017 ahead of time, making L.A. home to the most of any city in the country.
We have reduced our greenhouse gas emissions by 20% since 1990.

Find out more about the progress that has been made and the progress we are
still working to achieve at http://lamayor.org/plan

Minimum Wage Goes Statewide - Sick Days Approved in LA

A movement that started in Los Angeles has made all of California a better, more
fair place for people to work. Last year, Mike and his colleagues Nury Martinez
and Curren Price Jr. fought for a $15 minimum wage in Los Angeles and
ultimately made LA the first big city in the nation to approve the massive anti-
poverty program. Soon afterwards, the County of Los Angeles followed suit, and
that momentum continued throughout California as Governor Jerry Brown
signed a law last month laying out a gradual schedule for all workers in the state
to earn at least $15 an hour by 2021.

Los Angeles also continued its work on the forefront of protecting workers in
April, as the Council approved a minimum of six paid sick days for all employees
in the city. No one should have to go to work sick, and the new LA policy will
allow people to get healthy without losing their jobs or their ability to pay bills.

Audit Points to Better LAPD Deployment

Neighborhoods are safer when police officers are on the street - not stuck behind
desks. Mike has been sounding the alarm about LAPD deployment in our
neighborhoods for years, and on April 20, LA City Controller Ron Galperin
released an audit of LAPD deployment that quantifies the concerns Mike has
raised. Read the audit here: http://www.lacontroller.org/lapd_deployment .

We need to focus on the number of cops on the beat, not the number of cops on
the payroll. We need to hire more civilians so we can get able-bodied uniformed
officers patrolling the streets and keeping our neighborhoods safe!

Mayor Garcetti Delivers Third State of the City Speech

On April 14, Mayor Garcetti delivered his third State of the City address, where he
touted how much progress Los Angeles has made in the past three years creating
jobs and increasing city services, and declared that his chief priorities in the next
year would be traffic and homelessness.

Watch the Mayor's State of the City Address here.

April Small Business Spotlights

Local small businesses provide more than jobs for people on the Westside - they
are part of what make neighborhoods great. Each week, Mike chooses a local Mom
and Pop business to feature on social media in his " Small Business Spotlight ."
Do you have a favorite business you want to nominate to be featured in Mike's
Small Business Spotlight? You can make a nomination for the “Small Business
Spotlight” at this link.

Helpful Links

Contact Us - Submit a comment, question or concern, using our helpful

website form.
Maps and Directions - Visit us in one of our two district offices, or downtown
at City Hall.
Request City Services - Have a pothole that needs to be filled or a tree that
needs to be trimmed? Submit a service request directly to the city.
Sign Up for Updates - You are already signed up if you received this email,
but are all of your friends? Forward this message, or share this link with your
neighbors so they can get the latest news about their neighborhood as well.

Find out about just some of the events happening in your neighborhood
in the next month!

Access 11 - Cinco de Mayo Pop Up Office Hours in Del Rey

When: Saturday, May 7; 3pm - 4:30pm
Where : Culver Slauson Park (5075 S Slauson Ave, 90230)

Senior Fraud Awareness Day

When: Thursday, May 12; 9:30am - 1:30pm
Where: Felicia Mahood Senior Center (11338 Santa Monica Blvd.)
RSVP : 310-479-4110
 Venice Art Week - Venice ARTBLOCK Open Studios
When: May 15; 11am - 6pm
Where : Abbot Kinney Boulevard

Venice Art Week - Venice Art Crawl

When: May 19, 6pm - 9pm
More Information : www.veniceartcrawl.com

The Giving Spirit - Volunteer Event

When: May 20 & 21
RSVP :http://www.thegivingspirit.org

Expo Opening - Bundy Station Party

When : May 21, 10am - 4pm
Where : Bundy and Expo Station (12201 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA
90064)

Venice Art Week - Venice Family Clinic's Art Walk and Auction
When : May 22
Where : 340 Main Street
RSVP : www.venicefamilyclinic.org

Have an event you would like listed? Email updates@11thdistrict.com to

submit events.

Commemorating the Armenian Genocide

101 years ago, more than 1.5 million Armenians of the Ottoman Empire were
brutally exterminated through massacre and systematic deportation from their
homeland of more than 2,000 years. This atrocious genocide is one of the worst
chapters in human history and people like Mike’s Council Colleague Paul
Krekorian are working to ensure the victims and their families are honored and
remembered.

Councilmember Krekorian leads a solemn remembrance of the Armenian

Genocide each year, and on April 22, he hosted a special Council presentation
remembering the lives that were lost and the importance of recognizing and
acknowledging the genocide so we can learn from the past to stop genocide and
intolerance in the future.

Wishing You a Happy Passover

As Passover comes to a close tomorrow evening, Mike wishes peace and happiness
to everyone celebrating. Chag pesach sameach!

Thank you for reading the April issue of Mike Bonin's Neighborhoods
First Newsletter.

For more about Mike and Council District 11, please

v i s i t www.11thdistrict.com

Do you like this post?

Like Share 37 people like this. Be the first of your friends. Tweet

MIKE BONIN -
T AK E AC T I ON MEDIA NEIG HB ORH OODS ISS UES N EW S C OUN CIL STA FF A BOU T MIK E
COUNCIL DISTRICT 11

BRENTWOOD | DEL REY | MAR VISTA | PACIFIC PALISADES | PLAYA DEL REY | PLAYA VISTA | VENICE | WEST LA | WESTCHESTER

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 in with Facebook , Twitter or email .

Created with NationBuilder