Minutes from General Meeting of 7/12/04

The absent members were Sharon Anton (excused absence), Ezra Laniado, David Lopez, John Sakian, San Shishikyan. Terry Anderson was late but his absence was excused anyway.

Call to order, pledge and roll call.

Review and acceptance of previous minutes.

Guest Speaker – Devon Brown – from MTA about the Orange Line. Made presentation and gave us literature. 13 stations, new silver buses being designed for the project. Full irrigation for the project.  Bus line will go from NHO to Woodland Hills.

Carlos – Why no parking at Valley College Station?

Devon – MTA is considering it. Parking lots will have to be studied later. First they want to get it open.

Martin – Metro using honor system to collect fares? Will anyone collect fares? Talked about the credit card style system in New York.

Devon – two types of machines: one to buy tickets and one to validate. There will be people on trains to randomly check for validated tickets. People will patrol.  The New York process is similar to what we're doing. Buy 10 trips for example, each time you ride one is deducted.

Mark Taylor – No parking at any of the Valley Glen stations. We'll probably be hearing from our neighbors. Concern about Hillview Park Rd and people speeding from station to station. Any ideas about speed bumps?

Devon – We haven't discussed speed bumps. We know there will be issues to be discussed later.

Mickey – Hillview Park is permit parking only. We would like to call the station "the Woodman Station at Valley Glen."

Devon – We are trying to address name change ideas. We are brainstorming about this now.

Vic – any plans about security?

Devon – MTA has a plan about terrorism. Call my office. I'm not sure.

Rena – Left turn problems we are having now.

Devon – Left turns won't be a problem when construction is finished.

Annabelle – No parking. so how do we use the MTA?

Devon – It was thought that people would use the bus service to get to the stations. Lots of bldgs have already been condemned for this project. Parking situation will arise over the years. We'll figure it out over time.

Annabelle (public) – Suggest center door of bus for exiting and front and back for entering.

Valerie – No parking at 3 stations in a row, and it's the longest stretch.

Devon – If anything gets parking, it will be the Valley College station.

Max (public) – stroller marathon suggestion for opening of MTA.

Devon – Call me. We want to do something.

Judy (public) – Bus roads look so narrow.

Devon – They're the normal size.

Harry (public) – The valley is always short-changed.

Carlos – Any open litigation that would hold up the process?

Devon – Not that I know of.

Hallie – Any public comments on non-agenda items?

Gigi – Neighbor stole sandwich board from DWP. Should I call DWP?

Annabelle – there is some money avail. for environmental enhancement. We might want to have some trees planted with some of the money.

Hallie – Would we have to plant the trees ourselves?

Annabelle – No they would do it for us.

John Bwarie – information about upcoming meetings. Handout about this. Applications available for matching fund - $10,000 – labor, time, beautification.

Candy Campbell- Smart pedestrian crosswalk being installed. $ from Federal dollars. We're putting them in many locations all over L.A. Scott, Call me about beautification.

Carlos – 3 story building at Greenbush and Vanowen. They're requesting exemption, want to go to 20 units instead of 17. Framing is up, want to reduce common area. The hearing is this Friday.

Harry (public) – What's going on with the parkway that is being built along Tujunga wash.

Hallie – Public forums on this in August. Project finished at end of Dec 2005. I'll forward info to you.

Hallie – President's Report. Larry will be co-chair for the Rules committee. Mickey is to represent us in the City Controller's office. Laura Chick wants the 5 most important issues for the next year.

Board Member Comments –

Mickey – Went to Controller Chick's office. Identify 5 main issues. Two are public safety and inclusionary housing. Laura is interested in audits. 1. People want to talk about inclusionary housing. 2. Non-responsiveness of government departments. Examine flow between departments. 3. Neighborhood councils are having problems with getting the money. Councils have also been denied that wanted to give money to elementary schools. What are the DONE procedures? Confusion. Lots of treasurers are upset. Laura will help us set up procedures.

Vic – City controller's office suggested that financial matters be handled thru their office, not DONE. Also there is a coalition of business groups; they want to reduce the business tax.

Hallie – We will address the business tax issue at the next meeting.

Carlos – 9:00 am Marvin Braude Center re: apartment building issue. Taking small homes in our area and building large buildings. Our community is under attack by the planning commission. We should oppose changes.

Mickey – We don't get notice of zoning issues.

Hallie – Land Use Committee needs to compose something regarding this issue by the next meeting.

Mark – Getting station for MTA named after Valley Glen would be a good thing.

Hallie – Mark, draft a letter about this.

Judy (public) – Larry gets all zoning notices in advance. They are also on the city website. Naming is not a new issue.

Annabelle (public) – Contact legislative aide about agenda in advance. On the Internet it says who to contact about a particular zoning project.

Committee Reports –

Hallie - Sharon Anton wants us to identify one block captain each.

Larry – Elections/ bylaws committee met on July 1^st. Updated bylaws. By Aug or Sept we will have some changes that we will ask you to look at.

Valerie – Redrafting election procedures. Problem is that these are rules not guidelines. DONE is overstepping their bounds.

Vic – Valley Alliance met. Robert Hertzberg spoke. Discussed DONE and election procedure.

Scott – Our committee meeting was cancelled. Next meeting will be July 24^th.

Hallie – DONE rep is not here. She was supposed to be here. LAPD officers are here.

LAPD – Daytime burglaries but we caught the kids doing it. Got in thru open windows and doors. Violent crime and property crime is down. Abatement hearing on July 28^th regarding Victory Spa. Motor scooters are illegal; can't do anything unless we actually see them or have an address or license plate.

Eurotech Presentation – Land use & Planning recommends approving the variance. Business is located at 6336 Woodman. Concerns seemed to be signage, landscaping, conformity of buildings and fence.

Carlos – This can only improve the area.

Abraham – Private school next door thinks Eurotech are great neighbors and has endorsed them in writing.

Lloyd – Motion to accept variance

Charlotte – Second.

Judy ( public) – Signage is a major issue.

Carlos – set back and reduction of size of signs from present size. Billboard issue cannot be corrected due to contract.

Council votes and unanimous approval for variance for Eurotech.

Mark – Presents signs that will be created by his committee. Any input, let him know. We will make one sign at a time. Signs are poster size and made of aluminum.

Scott – Plastic over front so no graffiti?

Mark – Can ask but they will be inside establishments.

Committee votes on the signs and it is unanimous approval of them.

Inclusionary Housing Report by Vic and Charlotte. Vic does background. Charlotte presents objections and alternatives. Vic presents some long range ideas.

Carlos – IH allows townhouses to be placed beside single family residence.

Rena – Email neighborhood assns about this. Give them a copy of our letter.

Vic – Binder has emails for other councils.

Mark – Get other areas to sign our letter too?

Vic- But timing is an issue.

Charlotte – I don't think we should wait. Let's send it now. Then after, we can get others to sign the letter.

Judy (public) – Neighborhood Assn is writing letter too. They need bodies at the hearings; not letters. Letters are not as powerful. Our area is already 50% renters. They target us; they go after middle class neighborhoods. We have to organize and show up in force.

Carlos – They want an alternative, not a for or against. They'll pass IH because it is the politically correct thing to do.

Hallie – We will set up a time to go down and lobby.

Annabelle (public) – we should have first page with only bullets.

Abraham – does anyone disagree with us on this issue? Some group...somewhere.

Vic – Union people want IH. And affordable housing nonprofit people.

David (public) – This is a contentious political issue. The other side will say we are NIMBY's.

Hallie – Motion. Do we accept the letter as it is written?

Voting and it passed. Unanimous except one vote against- Jennifer.

Charlotte – Maybe every member should sign the letter.

Hallie – I will arrange appointments with the city council.

Charlotte – We will put together the bullet idea for later and give it to other councils, etc.

Budget –

Vic – Describes the budget.

Charlotte – Where is the money?

Hallie – We did what we were supposed to do. Lots of messages and emails. Deanna was supposed to be here tonight to address this issue.

Carlos - Motion to accept budget.

Charlotte – Second.

Approved by the council – unanimous.

Hallie – We can't miss August meeting. It will be on August 2^nd.

Meeting ends.