I hope our newsletter finds you well. I had a very productive time in New York City the past week finishing up a year long project with the Aspen Institute on values for inclusive and innovative cities in the US. We will be finalizing a report for release, but my hope is that we will be able to craft these values into a How-To guide for any city looking to co-create solutions with their stakeholders in a transparent and meaningful way for community issues. After hearing stories across the country from other participants about the struggles they face in working with government, I’m grateful for LA’s Neighborhood Council system, and the opportunities it provides for Angelenos to connect with City Hall.
Speaking of connecting with City Hall, the new City Council committee meeting times have been released. Get started with your Community Impact Statements now so you can be a part of the 350 filed CISs we hope Neighborhood Councils will reach this year. We’re cooking up ideas to assist you not only filing CISs, but also to assist when Neighborhood Council board members come to City Hall to present them. Check out next week’s Neighborhood Council Monthly Profile to weigh in!
It’s always bittersweet to see great public servants retire from the City. In the last few weeks, Raymond Chang, Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and former General Manager for Building and Safety, retired from the City. Ray was honored by City Council this week for his wonderful work, which was so well deserved. After many years of dedicated service to the South Robertson Neighborhood Council community, LAPD Senior Lead Officer Mario Gonzales is retiring. Mario was honored last week at the SoRoNC board meeting where he received City Council recognition from Council President Herb Wesson. Wishing Ray and Mario much happiness in retirement!
