I hope our newsletter finds you well. In case you didn’t notice, I’m excited to share a new feature of our newsletter, the Legislative Report, which is on the information bar just under the General Manager message. We’re featuring new citywide Council Files and updates on existing ones so your Neighborhood Council can see which ones you’d like to weigh in on with Community Impact Statements. Remember, once your Neighborhood Council files a CIS on a matter, your Neighborhood Council now has the opportunity to have additional time to present at City Council meetings. So take the time to have your voice heard!

Speaking of having your voice heard, Mayor Eric Garcetti has included joining a Neighborhood Council as one of his March On – eight great ways to get and stay involved- ideas after the amazing Women’s March on Saturday. I encourage Neighborhood Councils to have discussions with their stakeholders on how we can be supportive of our community members and speak up for people who may not be able to do so for themselves. That’s the spirit of the Neighborhood Council system.

Last night, we held the first Neighborhood Council Film Liaison Town Hall in the Board of Public Works with Film LA.  We had nearly 100 people in attendance to educate and share the best ways we can support the film industry in Los Angeles. Many thanks to our moderator, Board of Public Works President and Director of the Mayor’s Office of Film and Television Production, Kevin James, and to our EmpowerLA Film Liaison Stephen Box and his team, Jasmine Elbarbary and Octaviano Rios for their hard work to make this happen. Our next Town Hall will be for the  Neighborhood Council Purposeful Aging Liaisons on Tuesday, January 31st.

I’ll be flying out to Maryland on Sunday for the next segment of the Aspen Institute’s Inclusive Innovation in America’s Cities.  We’ll be continuing our focus on how to bridge the gap between innovation in cities and marginalized and underserved communities.  I’m hoping to create a nationwide system of civic engagement standards that we can measure cities with in how effective they are in public participation with community members.   

Tomorrow, City Council President Herb Wesson will be holding a City services outreach event in CD 10 tomorrow, and we’ll be representing with a table there.  I’ll be at the Neighborhood Council Emergency Preparedness Alliance to present with Emergency Management Department General Manager Aram Sahakian our Fiscal Year 2017-2018 joint budget proposal on a citywide Neighborhood Council emergency preparedness plan and emergency bins program.  If I don’t see you tomorrow, have a super weekend!