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July 2024 Report to the Community

REPORT TO OUR COMMUNITY

July 2024

LA HOMELESS COUNT IS DOWN

BABCNC OPPOSES CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION REGARDING THE ISRAEL - GAZA CONFLICT

CITY COUNCIL REDUCES PERMIT FEES FOR STREET VENDORS

CITY COUNCIL VOTES TO CREATE A CHARTER REFORM COMMISSION

CITY IS PROPOSING AN INCREASE IN THE SEWER SERVICE CHARGE

BENEDICT CANYON IS OPEN AGAIN

BABCNC REQUESTS NOTIFICATIONS FOR TREE REMOVAL

BABCNC WELCOMES NEW BOARD MEMBERS

4TH OF JULY PET SAFETY TIPS

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LA HOMELESS COUNT IS DOWN

Councilmembers Katy Yaroslavsky (5th district) and Nithya Raman (4th district) have sent word that the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) announced results from LA’s 2024 Homeless Count. Homelessness has gone down across the city with the number of people experiencing street homelessness being down by 10% - the first double digit decrease in 9 years. In fact, 17% more people were moved off the streets and into housing as compared to last year.

In Council District 4 there was a 38% drop in unsheltered homelessness as well as the lowest raw numbers of cars, vans, RVs and tents in the entire city. Council District 5 was able to help over 200 Angelenos come indoors.

Key highlights from the 2024 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count:
- A decline in overall homelessness in the City of Los Angeles
- A 10% drop in street homelessness
- A 38% decrease in makeshift shelters
- The highest number of people ever moved into permanent housing

Los Angeles had no city-run shelter options as recently as 2018. This past year the city got many new housing units and shelter beds online, especially through Inside Safe. Many new HHH units came online, and the city also matched about 3000 voucher holders to housing.

Robin Greenberg

Westside Regional Alliance of Councils Homelessness Committee (WRAC HOC) Special Meeting

On Monday, June 10th, Katy Yaroslavsky joined her colleague Councilwoman Traci Park, LAHSA CEO Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kellum, Deputy Mayor of Homelessness Dr. Etsemaye Agonafer, LAHSA Deputy Chief Externals Relations Officer Paul Rubenstein, Senior Director of Homelessness for Supervisor Lindsey Horvath Amy Perkins and WRAC HOC members for the Westside Regional Alliance of Councils Homelessness Committee special meeting to discuss LAHSA's collaboration with the City and County. Representing BABCNC are WRAC President Robin Greenberg and Homelessness Representative from BABCNC Maureen Levinson.

Robin Greenberg

Community Impact Statement on Hernandez-Raman Resolution Regarding Israel-Gaza Conflict

Whereas on June 4, 2024, Councilmembers Eunisses Hernandez and Nithya Raman introduced a resolution in the Los Angeles City Council regarding the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict (CF 24-0656); and

Whereas on June 14, 2024, Councilmembers Bob Blumenfield and Katy Young Yaroslavsky issued a statement opposing the Hernandez-Raman resolution; and Whereas the Hernandez-Raman resolution is in direct conflict with the City's own rules, specifically Paragraph 91 of the Rules of the Los Angeles City Council, which expressly prohibits the Council from considering any resolution or motion that does not affect the conduct of the business of the City of Los Angeles or its corporate powers or duties as a municipal corporation; and

Whereas commenting on international military conflicts is not within the scope of local policy, and the Hernandez-Raman resolution sets a dangerous precedent by exceeding this scope; and

Whereas the Blumenfield-Yaroslavsky statement argues that the Hernandez-Raman resolution is flawed, biased, adds to an already divisive environment, and distracts from the critical needs of our city; and

Whereas the Hernandez-Raman resolution omits crucial context about the conflict’s origins and ongoing obstacles to peace, including the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas and their blocking of all current ceasefire efforts; and

Whereas Los Angeles is home to over 530,000 Jewish residents and 250,000 Israeli Americans, making it the largest Israeli population outside of Israel, and the Hernandez- Raman resolution fails to consider the perspectives and concerns of these substantial and deeply affected communities; and Whereas the selective focus on this conflict, while ignoring numerous other global crises, raises legitimate concerns about both antisemitism and inconsistency in addressing international issues; and

Whereas taking a formal position on the Israel-Gaza conflict by the City Council would inherently lead to violations of the City’s own anti-bias policies and training to which it holds members of Neighborhood Councils accountable;

Therefore, be it resolved that the Bel-Air Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council supports Councilmembers Blumenfield and Yaroslavsky's position that the Hernandez-Raman resolution is unduly one-sided, omits key facts, fuels disharmony spreading on our Los Angeles streets, and hinders efforts to achieve peace;

Be it further resolved that the Bel-Air Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council urges the immediate withdrawal of the Hernandez-Raman resolution as it violates the City Council's own regulations and exceeds its jurisdiction;

Be it finally resolved that the Bel-Air Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council will send letters communicating support for the Blumenfield-Yaroslavsky statement, opposition to the Hernandez-Raman resolution, and the importance of adhering to the Council’s designated scope of authority to the Los Angeles City Council and Mayor.

This motion was adopted by a vote of 15 yeses, 3 noes, and 8 abstentions at a regularly scheduled and duly noticed meeting of the Board on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

CITY COUNCIL REDUCES PERMIT FEES FOR STREET VENDORS

At the BABCNC Board meeting, Representative Sidney Liss from Councilmember Nithya Raman's office provided information on reduced permit fees for street vendors. In addition, Councilmember Raman's June 29th newsletter stated the following:

"We’ve taken major steps to bring street vendors into the formal economy by removing barriers to obtaining permits, particularly with the passage of SB972. However, the costs of a vending permit were so high that they prevented most vendors from being able to operate legally."

"This week in Council we took a critical step to reversing that trend, lowering the permit fee from $541 to $27.51, significantly reducing the financial burden placed on vendors."

CITY COUNCIL VOTES TO CREATE A CHARTER REFORM COMMISSION

From Councilmember Raman's June 29th newsletter:
"This week in Council we finalized a series of long-awaited governance reforms, enacting an ordinance to establish a Charter Reform Commission and voting to place two Charter amendments on the November 2024 ballot. These amendments propose the creation of an independent redistricting commission for the Los Angeles Unified School District and introduce reforms to strengthen the independence and enforcement powers of the Ethics Commission."

Information about new sewer rates affecting all ratepayers.

BENEDICT CANYON IS OPEN AGAIN

A short but important update: We are happy to report that, as of June 21st, Benedict Canyon is open again. The road was repaved and guardrail/curb was installed. We thank the crew that worked on reopening the road ahead of schedule.

Mirco Gros

BABCNC REQUESTS NOTIFICATIONS FOR TREE REMOVAL

The BABCNC prioritizes the conservation of both native and non-native trees, which provide invaluable shade, wildlife habitat, and aesthetic value to our hillside communities. In light of a string of unauthorized and improper removals of protected species, the Board voted at its June meeting to request that the City’s Department of Urban Forestry notify the Neighborhood Council of proposed tree removals with adequate time to comment, so that the community may play a stronger role in the management and preservation of its trees. The BABCNC values its history of close collaboration with the Urban Forestry Division and looks forward to engaging more of the community in this collective effort to safeguard our district’s trees.

Alonzo Wickers

BABCNC WELCOMES NEW BOARD MEMBERS

The Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council welcomes Jonathan Silver (replacing Gail Sroloff) and Jonathan Brand (replacing Jaye Rogovin) both representing the Bel Air Association, Tad Marburg representing North of Sunset District and Angela de Silva (alternate for Mirco Gros) representing Doheny Sunset Plaza Neighborhood Association, and Stacy Marble, who was selected by the Board to complete the term for Private Schools Grades 7-12 representative Jon Wimbish.

Mirco Gros

Be prepared -- there will be noise affecting our pets over the Fourth of July holiday.

BEL-AIR BEVERLY CREST NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL
BRINGS TOGETHER VOLUNTEER REPRESENTATIVES
FOR A BETTER LOS ANGELES

Bel-Air Association: Mark Goodman, M.D., Jonathan Silver, Jonathan Brand, Leslie Weisberg
Bel Air Crest Master Association: Irene Sandler
Bel Air Hills Association: Andrew Paden, Patricia Templeton
Bel Air Glen District: Timothy Steele, Ph.D.
Bel Air Ridge HOA: André Stojka
Benedict Canyon Association: David Scott Kadin, Donald Loze, Nickie Miner, Robert Schlesinger
Casiano Estates Association: Sandy Ryan
Franklin-Coldwater District: Steven Weinberg
Holmby Hills HOA: Jason Spradlin
Doheny-Sunset Plaza Neighborhood Association: Mirco Gros
Laurel Canyon Association: Jamie Hall, Robert (Bobby) Kwan,
Stephanie Savage, Cathy Wayne
North of Sunset District: Aaron Kamin, Vadim Levotman, Tad Marburg
Residents of Beverly Glen: Dan Palmer, Robert Ringler
At-Large Traditional Stakeholder: Shawn Bayliss,
Mindy Rothstein Mann
At-Large Youth Representative: Alonzo Wickers
Commercial or Office Enterprise Districts: Maureen Smith
Community Interest At-Large: Ellen Evans
Custodians of Open Space: Travis Longcore, Ph.D.
Faith-Based Institutions: Robin Greenberg
Private 7-12 Schools: Stacy Marble
Private K-6 Schools: Elizabeth Barcohana
Public Educational Institutions: Kristie Holmes, Ph.D.

THE LOS ANGELES NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL SYSTEM

Because of the size of Los Angeles, each Los Angeles City Council member represents around 250,000 people. To keep City officials in closer touch with the neighborhoods of the City, in 1999 Los Angeles adopted a Neighborhood Council system to advise the City Council members of local issues.

There are 99 separate Neighborhood Councils in the City of Los Angeles. Members of the Neighborhood Council are considered City employees without compensation of any kind. They are formally elected by the public or communities and must live, work or own property in the area they represent.

The Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council represents approximately 28,000 people in a beautiful mountain and canyon area of the Santa Monica Mountains within City of Los Angeles bounded on the West by Sepulveda Boulevard, on the North by Mulholland Drive, on the South by Sunset Boulevard and on the East by Laurel Canyon. All Board and Committee meetings are open to the public.

The California Sister butterfly, part of the nature of our Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council community, is found where its larvae can feed on native oak trees

The Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council REPORT TO OUR COMMUNITY is published by the Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council Outreach Committee: Robin Greenberg, Mirco Gros, Mindy Rothstein Mann, Nickie Miner, Robert Schlesinger, Maureen Smith, Alonzo Wickers
Newsletter Editor and Outreach Chair: Robin Greenberg
BABCNC President: Travis Longcore, Ph.D.
Photo Credits: Robin Greenberg, Shutterstock, Travis Longcore

Newsletter (c) 2024 Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council

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