In order to meet their mission of increasing civic participation and making government more responsive to local needs, Neighborhood Councils should be aware of what’s going on at City Hall and how that affects them and their stakeholders. When the City Council considers issues, they create Council Files numbers that can be tracked with the LACityClerk Connect Council File Management System. You can sign up to be notified electronically of any action taken on a particular Council File.
More importantly, your Neighborhood Council can agendize review of a Council File and submit a Community Impact Statement (CIS). In mid-2003, the City began a new system through which Neighborhood Councils can adopt CISs that summarize its official position on City issues and have them printed directly on the meeting agendas. It’s a unique and unprecedented way for each Neighborhood Council’s voice to be known to the City Hall decision-makers and the world before a vote is taken. There are several ways to send Community Impact Statements to the City Clerk for inclusion on the agendas of the City Council, its committees, and City commissions. A paper version may be sent via postal mail, hand-delivery, fax or online at http://cityclerk.lacity.org/cis/. You will need to contact the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment in order to be assigned a username and password to upload a CIS online.
If you would like more information on the Council File Management System or CISs, please view this video:
Once your Neighborhood Council takes a position on a matter, especially ballot measures, please be careful that public funds are not used to lobby for that position. The City Attorney has provided information on the dos and don’ts of Neighborhood Councils and Ballot Measures so make sure that your Neighborhood Council is not using its funding allocation in an improper manner.
Guidelines for Hosting Candidates Forums (1)
Neighborhood Councils and Ballot Measures
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the Neighborhood Council Support Helpline at [email protected] or by phone at (213) 978-1551.