Do you know about LANCC? The Los Angeles Neighborhood Council Coalition is intended to enhance the ability of NCs, as well as their clout and influence, giving a larger voice on issues affecting more than one neighborhood. The Coalition is not intended to usurp or interfere with the role of an individual Neighborhood Council in their own neighborhood, but to support and enhance their capacities and bring them together on common, citywide issues.
With so many policies affecting neighborhoods across the city, it is important for Neighborhood Councils to come together to communicate with one another and discuss major issues. LANCC provides a monthly forum for Neighborhood councils to do just that.
At their most recent meeting on January 3, legendary Olympian and civil rights icon Rafer Johnson spoke on the behalf of homeless veterans in Los Angeles. He sent a powerful message, challenging the city to unify with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs in providing crisis housing for disabled and homeless veterans at the West Los Angeles VA facility, which has nearly 400 acres of land. Mr. Johnson’s proposal is a forthright solution to Mayor Garcetti’s mandate to end veteran homelessness in Los Angeles by the end of 2015.
Jay Handal, Chairman of the West Los Angeles Community Council, presented a motion that reinforced Mr. Johnson’s challenge, which was approved with only one abstaining vote. The motion states: “The Los Angeles Alliance of Neighborhood Councils recognizes Los Angeles to be in a “state of emergency” for homeless Veterans and hereby requests the Los Angeles City Council direct the City of Los Angeles with all of its resources and the Veterans Administration to unify and open a large-scale Crisis Humanitarian Relief Project on this land to immediately house and care for thousands upon thousands of disabled and homeless Veterans.”
Terrence Gomes, Chairman of Los Angeles Alliance of Neighborhood Councils, will send a letter along with the motion to Mayor Garcetti, the Los Angeles City Council, newly elected U.S. Rep. Ted Lieu, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the Secretary of the VA and Los Angeles VA officials, and other notable politicians.
At the same meeting, Paul Darrigo discussed the Reserve Animal Control Officers (RACO) Program. He shared a letter from the Olympic Park NC to the Mayor in which they raised their concerns about the use of funds allocated for the City of Los Angeles to create a RACO program for our neighborhoods and the use of those funds raised to do so. They have learned, after years of putting it on hold, that Animal Services has not implemented the RACO program. This is after Animal Services sent out a press release announcing the program and committed to following through with 11 volunteers enrolled. These RACO officers graduated but were never utilized, even though the Department badly need additional officers.
The next LANCC meeting is Saturday, February 7 at the Hollywood Constituent Center. LANCC has already confirmed Michelle Boehm, the Southern California Regional Director, for the California High-Speed Rail Authority, as a speaker. She is going to give an overview and update on the progress of the HSR.
LANCC meets on the first Saturday of every month at 10:00 a.m., generally at the Hollywood Neighborhood City Hall (Constituent Service Center), 6501 Fountain Ave., Hollywood 90028. The meetings typically conclude by 1:00pm.
For more information about LANCC, visit their website or their Facebook page.