Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council News

On April 22, Earth Day, 2016, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved Councilmember Koretz’s motion calling for creating a wildlife corridor from Griffith Park to the 405 freeway, and studying creating wildlife corridors all along the Rim of the Valley map proposal.

The Los Angeles City Council voted 12-0 to make permanent a temporary ban on the pet store sale of commercially bred cats, dogs and rabbits.

A temporary ban on the sale of commercially bred cats, dogs and rabbits at pet stores in Los Angeles will be made permanent, with the Los Angeles City Council voting today to remove the prohibition’s sunset date.

LA Residents who may be uninsured or under-insured can get the medical help they need – even surgery – next week. (April 27-29)

Free medical and dental services will be available next week at the Los Angeles Convention Center for uninsured and under-insured residents.

Thousands of healthcare professionals and volunteers will take part in the no-cost clinic, offering services on a first-come, first-served basis from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 27 and 28, and from 7 a.m. to noon April 29.

Los Angeles continues to earn its reputation for smog, but air pollution dropped to the lowest level in 17 years of monitoring.

The Los Angeles-Long Beach metropolitan area continues to have the worst ozone pollution in the nation, but the area has seen marked improvement in short-term and annual particle pollution, showing its best readings in 17 years, according to a report released today by the American Lung Association.

http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-quake-risk-20160415-story.html

Neighborhoods in the San Fernando Valley, Hollywood, and the Westside will feel the biggest impact from Los Angeles’ new law requiring the retrofitting of wood-frame apartment buildings to better withstand a major earthquake, according to a Times data analysis.

Today, I will be giving my third State of the City Address as your Mayor.

Each year, I try to find a place for this speech that means something to me personally — and that speaks to this unique moment in our city. This evening, I will be speaking in Harbor City, near our Port — a vital economic engine that brings the world to our nation, and our nation to the world.

LA Sanitation is offering free bulky item drop off events to help keep Los Angeles clean.

THREE SATURDAYS
April 16, May 28, June 18
8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
——————————

The Los Angeles Passport Agency will be holding a Passport Day on Saturday, April 9 from 7:30am to 11:30am. No appointments are necessary, so walk-ins are welcome! Although they normally only accept expedited applications at their counter, on Passport Day they will be accepting both routine and expedited applications. Please note that their standard fees, such as the passport fees and expedite fee (if a customer opts for expedited service on that day) still apply on Passport Day.

This week, the California Public Utilities Commission, the California Energy Commission, the California Independent System Operator, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, and Southern California Gas Company released the Aliso Canyon Risk Assessment Report regarding the reliability of the power grid for summer 2016.

Participate in the Brief LA Household Resiliency Survey

The Los Angeles Emergency Management Department is evaluating community disaster readiness in the City of Los Angeles utilizing a tool called the Los Angeles Household Resiliency Survey.

Metrolink’s new mobile app lets riders purchase tickets on the go through smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices. The app is now available for all Metrolink trips, including trips connecting to Los Angeles Union Station.

Los Angeles has unveiled a database cataloging the neighborhoods with the biggest trash problem.

The City unveiled an online database today that grades the cleanliness of streets and alleys across Los Angeles as part of an effort by sanitation and elected officials to determine which areas need the most cleaning.

Los Angeles Animal Services wants your valuable input and feedback on how we can do even more for animals and people in the City of Los Angeles. You can help shape the future goals and priorities for your Animal Services Department. Come to a Strategic Planning Community Meeting where you’ll be able to share your thoughts and ideas!

Councilmember Koretz was honored to lead a City of Los Angeles salute to United States Senator Barbara Boxer, declaring March 23 to be “Barbara Boxer Day in the City of Los Angeles.”

On that day, the Councilmember hosted Senator Boxer at a special City Council ceremony where they were joined by Mayor Eric Garcetti, City Attorney Mike Feuer and Controller Ron Galperin, other members of the City Council, as well as members of Senator Boxer’s family and staff.

Every year in City Hall, on one day a year, fifteen women who have made an amazing difference for our city are honored in a unique ceremony.  Each of the 15 council offices picks one woman apiece to be saluted that year as a “Pioneer Woman.”

This year’s CD 5 Pioneer Woman, Nickie Miner, is a tremendous community leader, civic activist and long time volunteer.  She is devoted to the preservation of open space, enhancing the quality of life in Los Angeles neighborhoods, advocating for wildlife, supporting police and fire, and creating relationships between community and Government. Nickie has been an absolutely invaluable liaison between the community and Los Angeles City Hall for over thirty years.

Last fall the City settled the “Willits” lawsuit and committed some $1.4 billion over 30 years to address long-festering sidewalk repair issues throughout Los Angeles.  The case focused on making sure that City sidewalks are Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant.  On Tuesday, March 29, a Sidewalk Repair Policy was adopted to create a framework for undertaking the work necessary to implement the Willits settlement.
?

Several months ago, the Center for Investigative Reporting listed the top 10 known residential water customers in California.  Councilmember Koretz, who, as a member of the City Council’s Energy & Environment Committee and as one of the Mayor’s appointees to the Metropolitan Water Board for two years, has spent countless hours working to address this new low-water future, was horrified to find that five of the top water users in California actually live in his very own Council District 5.  Four of the top five live in Bel Air and one lives in Westwood. The single biggest water user in the state, a Bel-Air resident, used about 1 million gallons of water per month (enough for 90 average households).  Councilmember Koretz introduced a motion calling on the LA Department of Water & Power to find immediate ways to address and stop the water abuse, including “severe financial penalties.”

When March is turning into April is also when Mediation Awareness Week takes place in the City of L.A.

There is a significant need to promote mediation as a valuable option for people suffering conflict in their personal, community or business lives. The City Attorney’s Office is among those that can help with dispute resolution/mediation services, which is why Councilmember Koretz was joined by City Attorney Mike Feuer in kicking off Mediation Awareness Week.  Also present was the week’s chair, Daniel Ben-Zvi, and numerous legal luminaries.