I hope our newsletter finds you well.  The Congress of Neighborhoods is upon us!  Please join us bright and early tomorrow so you can have a full tummy going into the Opening Session of Congress.  Mayor Eric Garcetti will be joining keynote speaker, Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, in the morning before we take the famous City Council Chambers picture with the Mayor and the Congress participants. You’ll also want to give yourselves time to go through the Neighborhood Council Bridge Display between City Hall and City Hall East to view the great accomplishments of the Neighborhood Councils the last 15 years.  After the Congress, make sure you join the Neighborhood Council Sustainability Alliance and Los Angeles Neighborhood Council Coalition for a mixer down the street.  Limited complimentary passes are available so please RSVP by emailing ncsa@empowerla.org.

The Board of Neighborhood Commissioners met on Tuesday to present Mid City West Community Council and Hollywood United Neighborhood Council with their 15 year anniversary certificates. They also discussed their proposed updates to the Neighborhood Council subdivision policy. You can weigh in as a Neighborhood Council or individual by sending your comments to Commission@empowerla.org.  

I’m excited to share that the City’s Innovation & Performance Commission (IPC) is inviting Neighborhood Council members to submit innovative ideas that would help make Los Angeles a better place, which they provide funding for from a $1 million Innovation Fund created by Mayor Garcetti.  The City Clerk’s new online Neighborhood Council Funding Program platform was funded by the IPC and won an Outstanding IT Project Award at the 2017 LA Digital Government Summit last week.  Many thanks to IPC Commissioner and former Studio City Neighborhood Council President John Walker for championing the project and to the City Clerk for completing the awesome platform!  For more information on how to submit, please see below. Also, don’t forget to submit for the 2nd annual Clean Streets LA Challenge, too!

I was thrilled to learn that the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) selected me for their 2017 IAP2 USA Greater Good Award, which recognizes outstanding leadership, service and application of the IAP2 core values in the field of public participation.  This honor would not have happened without my work with the Neighborhood Councils, which inspires me every day to find new ways to connect Angelenos to City Hall.  So many thanks to the Neighborhood Councils and to our EmpowerLA and City family for the support!!

If I don’t see you at the Congress tomorrow, have a great weekend!