P1040037Greetings My Fellow Citizens,

First and foremost, I would like to cordially invite everyone to our “Special Council Meeting” & “Immigration Summit and Workshop” this Wednesday, October 29th, 2014.  It is important to bring the people closer to their government and the powers that be.  It is our job as local elected officials to facilitate meetings, workshops, and summits to make this possible.  I look forward to hearing from all of the presenters at our Immigration Summit, and seeing how we can all work together to promote comprehensive reform throughout the City of Los Angeles, the State of California, and all of the United States.

Secondly, the Van Nuys Neighborhood Council has started to plan and work on our “Homeless & Mental Illness Summit” in December, and is seeking speakers and co-sponsors for the event.  Please email our council at [email protected] for more information and partnership opportunities.

And finally, next Tuesday is ELECTION DAY, and please remember to get out and vote.  For more information on your polling place and voting procedures, visit www.lavote.net.  Cheers, it is an honor and privilege to serve as your Council President, and thank you for this great opportunity to be a part of our community.

-George Christopher Thomas, Council President
Van Nuys Neighborhood Council
www.vnnc.org

Immigration Summit Agenda (VNNC)
Van Nuys Neighborhood Council
October 29th, 2014 (Wednesday 6:30 – 9:30pm)
6262 Van Nuys Blvd. (Marvin Braude Constituent Service Center)
Van Nuys, CA 91401 — Council Chambers

  1. Call to Order & Pledge of Allegiance to the United States of America
  2. Roll Call (Quorum Call)
  3. Comments from the Chair (President) of the Van Nuys Neighborhood Council
  4. Public Comment (On matters within the VNNC Board’s Jurisdiction.) *Speaker Cards: 2 minutes, 1 Public Comment Time. (This includes speaker cards on any and all agenda items — a limit of 10 minutes for the entire meeting per Stakeholders and Councilmembers alike)
  5. Secretary’s Report
  6. Treasurer’s Report — Jeanette Hopp and/or Howard Benjamin (Second Signatory) — Approve Treasurer’s Report
  7. Committee Chairperson’s Reports, Budget Advocate’s Report, Elected Officials’ Reports & Election Chair’s Report
  8. New Business
    • a. Speech and Presentation from Assemblyman Adrin Nazarian.  Adrin Nazarian is a product of the San Fernando Valley.  Adrin served as Chief Of Staff to Councilmember Paul Krekorian, who represents the communities of Studio City, Sherman Oaks, Valley Village, North Hollywood and Valley Glen, before being elected to the State Assembly. Previously, Adrin had served as Chief Of Staff to then-Assistant Majority Leader Paul Krekorian in the California State legislature, representing the communities of North Hollywood, Van Nuys, Valley Glen and Toluca Lake among others, since 2006. (30 minutes)
    • b. Speech and Presentation from Congressman Tony Cardenas’ Chief Of Staff Sam Jammal. Congressman Tony Cardenas has been a leading advocate of Immigration reform in the US House of Representatives.  Mr. Jammal is the Congressman’s top aide, and will be flying in from Washington, D.C. to discuss and brief the attendees of the summit on the latest happenings on Immigration legislation in Congress. (30 minutes)
      c. Speech and Presentation from Reshma Shamasunder, Executive Director of the California Immigrant Policy Center.  (1137 Wilshire Blvd — Los Angeles, CA 90017 — Office: (213) 250-0880 ext. 110 www.caimmigrant.org) The California Immigrant Policy Center is a non-partisan, non-profit statewide organization founded in 1996. The Policy Center seeks to inform public debate and policy decisions on issues affecting the state’s immigrants and their families in order to improve the quality of life for all Californians. (15 minutes)
    • d. Speech and Presentation from Judith Wood. Mrs. Wood represents immigrants from all over the world.  She also represents people seeking asylum in the United States due to persecution in their home country.  Mrs. Wood also specializes in other types of immigration cases. (15 minutes)
    • e. Speech and Presentation from Ingrid McCall, Interim Executive Director at Community Lawyers, Inc. Community Lawyers, Inc. provides low and moderate-income people access to affordable legal services and develops innovative opportunities for attorneys and law students in underserved communities. (15 minutes)
    • f. Speech and Presentation by Meghan Tumilty, Executive Director & Attorney at Law — Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles — Interfaith Refugee & Immigration Service (IRIS) — Chair, Refugee Forum of LA County.  Interfaith Refugee and Immigration Services (IRIS) serves an extensive client base through programs founded with sponsorship from the Diocese.  Noting that Latinos are the majority population group in the city of Los Angeles, the Diocese continues as a leader in Spanish-language outreach through the Program Group on Hispanic Ministries and some 30 local congregations. (15 minutes)
    • g. Speech and Presentation by Ivy Dulay Daulo, Community Educator, Campaign for Social Justice.  The TEAM and CHANGES program at Campaign for Social Justice provide language advocacy and assistance to customers who have been overcharged or mislead by their utility company. The Campaign for Social Justice provides one-on-one assistance, bill overview, consulting and retrieve money or credit for any unfair charges. All services are free for anyone living in California and funded by the California Public Utilities Commission. Presentation Description: Protecting consumers from Third Party billing and also the Do Not Call registry. How to avoid being charged and receiving unwanted calls from telemarketers.  (15 minutes)
    • h. Speech and Presentation by Pastor Fernando Chacon.  Mr. Chacon is El Salvadorian American and his wife is Mexican American.  Pastor Chacon is fluent in both the Spanish and English languages.  It is important to the Pastor that the church is involved in the Community and in the City of Van Nuys events.  The congregation desires for the all city departments to know that the church doors are open to the city and available to participate at community events and where there may be a need for prayer at various events.  (15 minutes)
    • i. Speech and Presentation by the San Fernando Valley Dream Team (SFVDT) — Community Organization  Founded in 2009, DREAM Team Los Angeles (DTLA) aims to create a safe space in which undocumented immigrants from the community and allies empower themselves through activism and life stories. Through these shared experiences, individuals develop as efficient advocates for their own rights and those of the larger immigrant community. DTLA is a grass roots organization that welcomes anyone who is interested in being part of the work, both in L.A. and nationally; we do as part of the immigrants rights movement. (15 minutes)
    • j. Speech and Presentation by Sonia Aguilar CADIF.  Mrs. Aguilar will be discussing immigration issues and how they effect the San Fernando Valley.  Mrs. Aguilar will also touch upon the immigrant community, and how to get them more involved in the democratic process. (15 minutes)
    • k. Speech and Presentation by Alicia Moguel, the Director of Adult Services for the Los Angeles Public Library. Mrs. Moguel will speak about the library’s Citizenship Initiative and other services for new Americans.  (15 minutes)
  9. Announcement
  10. Adjournment