I hope our newsletter finds you well. The Congress of Neighborhoods registration link is open for service!  BIG thanks to our awesome Congress of Neighborhoods Planning Committee, led by the fearless Cindy Cleghorn, for all their continued work in putting together a fantastic program for Neighborhood Council leaders citywide. The Congress will be held at City Hall on Saturday, September 9, 2017 from 7:45 am – 4:30 pm with complimentary breakfast and lunch. Come network with our City electeds, department leaders and Neighborhood Councils from across LA. It’s one of our don’t miss events of the year so I hope to see you there!
The Health, Education and Neighborhood Council Committee will continue their discussion about Neighborhood Council election timing and online voting on Tuesday at 1 pm in Room 1010 at City Hall. Check out Council File 15-1022-S2 for reports from EmpowerLA on election outreach and from the City Clerk regarding online voting.   Many thanks to the Neighborhood Councils who have submitted Community Impact Statements and who took the time to come out and speak at the last meeting. The HENC will also be reviewing the appointments of two candidates for the Board of Neighborhood Commissions:  Raymond Regalado from Northwest San Pedro Neighborhood Council for the Harbor area and Shooshig Susan Avakian from Sunland Tujunga Neighborhood Council for the North Valley area. We’re looking forward to working with the new appointees!
Speaking of Community Impact Statements, I am just so tickled to see them coming in steadily from Neighborhood Councils. Check out this CIS from Empowerment Congress North on Council File 17-0447. Historic Highland Park, Wilmington, Silver Lake, Central San Pedro, Harbor Gateway North, and Porter Ranch Neighborhood Councils also submitted CISs on this CF. Many thanks to those Neighborhood Councils weighing in on matters for their communities! If your Neighborhood Council hasn’t submitted a CIS yet, Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell is requesting Neighborhood Councils citywide to submit CISs for Council File 15-1343 Indigenous Peoples Day.
Neighborhood Council yearly self-assessments are due on September 1st. Please make sure that your Neighborhood Council takes the time to document the awesome work you do to share not only with EmpowerLA, but also with your stakeholders.

Check out Palms Neighborhood Council’s amazing inaugural annual report It not only summarizes the wonderful work they do, but also acts as a great outreach and recruitment document for their Neighborhood Council.  Check out another great annual report on the City Hall side from our Personnel Department about “Making the City of Los Angeles the #1 Employer in the United States!”
We shared our love of Neighborhood Councils with our third international delegation from Afghanistan this morning. Many thanks to Director of Neighborhood Council Operations, Semee Park, for making it happen! Don’t forget the Congress of Neighborhoods Planning Committee meets on Sunday. Please take a few minutes to register for the Congress.
Have a wonderful weekend!