Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council News

The City Council unanimously voted to approve a motion introduced by Councilmembers Krekorian and Nury Martinez to explore offering LA City employees four weeks of paid parental leave after the birth or adoption of a child.

The city leaders believe that paid parental leave would be a good way for the city to attract and retain talented women and men to public service jobs. Los Angeles could also set a positive example for other public and private sector employers who may be considering granting paid parental leave to their workforce.

Metro is set to roll out a new pilot program for paid parking at nine stations and lots across the agency’s transit lines. The Metro Board of Directors is expected to vote on the proposal in March.

The agency-proposed test program would charge a minimal parking fee at nine rail stations where there a cumulative 4,753 spaces. The nine stations selected for the program include the North Hollywood and Universal stations on the Red Line where a $3 fee will be charged. Also on the list are: East LA’s Sierra Madre Villa and Atlantic stations on the Gold Line; Culver City and La Cienega/Jefferson stations on the Expo Line; and West LA’s Expo/Sepulveda station, the 17th Street/SMC station in Santa Monica and the Expo/Bundy in West LA on the Expo Line extension opening this year.

Click through image for more information. Our territory is generally between the 405 and Laurel Canyon between Sunset and Mulholland boulevards.

Please join us at the 2nd Annual Lunar New Year Festival on the LA Waterfront, held on Saturday, February 6, 2-7 p.m. at the Downtown Harbor in San Pedro (Harbor Blvd. and 6th Street)...

This week, Councilmember Englander submitted a resolution to the Los Angeles City Council calling for the California Public Utilities Commission to investigate the unusual rate increases experienced by SoCal Gas customers this month across Los Angeles County.

Arts Activation Fund will award $200,000 in grants to support the creation and installation of art and cultural projects throughout Los Angeles.

Mayor Eric Garcetti today announced the launch of a $200,000 grant program that will support the work of local artists and bring new vibrancy to public spaces across L.A.

The Arts Activation Fund, a partnership between Mayor Garcetti’s Great Streets Initiative and the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA), will provide funding to artists with inspiring ideas for public art projects and cultural events in their neighborhoods.

Mayor Eric Garcetti joined Xerox for the launch of Go LA, a transportation app that provides detailed information on every available mode of getting around the Los Angeles region.

Volunteers: Have you been told that you are a good listener? Are you usually the one to comfort your friends and family in difficult times? Do you want make a difference in someone’s life? The Mayor’s Crisis Response Team is looking for kind and compassionate Angelenos to join our team.

What is El Niño?
El Niño is a warming of the Pacific Ocean near the equator caused by a weakening of the trade winds that normally push sun-warmed waters to the west. When ocean temperatures are warmer or cooler than normal, they can affect weather around the world. In the United States, El Niño often changes typical weather patterns and could bring drier conditions to some areas and intense rainfall amounts to others.

The Los Angeles Neighborhood Council Budget Advocates have created a Service Report Card for citizens of Los Angeles to rate their local City Services.  Every community is different and every community has their own set of problem areas.  Here is your chance to let the Mayor’s office, Los Angeles City Council and the City Hall Departments know exactly what matters to you the most! The due date to complete this service report card is on Friday, January 15.

Below is a link to the Charter-mandated evaluation of DWP that’s done every five years.  Navigant is the consultant that performed the work.  It’s almost 600 pages so we’ve included the 10-page Executive Summary…..and in case you haven’t already seen it there’s also a link to yesterday’s Daily News story about the survey.
 

The City’s Implementation Plan for the Clean Streets Citywide Program (Council File: 15-0600-S78) aims to provide a comprehensive program to improve Angelenos’ quality of life by cleaning up our streets. This plan includes...

In preparation for the holidays, L.A. Sanitation is asking people not to pour fats, oils, and grease down the drain. This can be damaging not only to pipes in the home, but also to outside sewer lines.
LA Sanitation is now accepting household fryer oil for recycling at our S.A.F.E. Centers. The oil will be recycled for fuel and energy.

Originally posted at http://citywatchla.com/8box-left/9995-neighborhood-council-elections-are-around-the-corner-here-s-why-you-should-run. Written by Tim Deegan.

Why do neighborhood councils matter and why should you run for a board seat on your NC? At their best, and some excel at this, they serve as local political organizations that are empowered to monitor the critical issues in their communities such as land use and development, transportation and parking, and public safety. These are three key issues facing every neighborhood and depending on the NC, there are other issues to tackle as well.

Earlier this year Mayor Eric Garcetti launched several Executive Directives, one of which was the first ever Sustainable City pLAn. Sustainability is about more than combating climate change and reducing pollution: it encompasses economic development, social development, and environmental protection. The pLAn looks at ways the whole city of Los Angeles: citizens, communities, and businesses, can be more cognizant about responsible waste, clean energy, water conservation, efficient transportation, improved air quality, and the creation of green jobs. Sustainability is about making sure that the natural resources we have today are available for future generations tomorrow.

This week, a public hyperlink was established on the City’s website directing users to the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services’ website to provide information on adoption opportunities.

Every child needs a loving, supportive and nurturing family. Sadly, in the United States, there are 400,540 children in the foster care system with 104,236 children ready and waiting to be adopted. In California, there are 55,851 children in the foster care system with over 13,178 children ready and waiting to be adopted. In Los Angeles County, there are over 18,000 children in the foster care system with over 500 of them ready and waiting to be adopted.

Looking for affordable housing? There is a new resource available from the Los Angeles Housing + Community Investment Department (HCIDLA).

Los Angeles County Housing Resource center, together with HCIDLA launched this new web-based ADA accessible application tool to match qualified tenants with affordable housing.

LADWP will be on Mulholland Drive from Beverly Glen to Nicada Drive for one final weekend. The project will be from Saturday, November 7, 2015 to Sunday, November 8, 2015 between 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. As you know, we all can not...