When the city’s voters created the system of Neighborhood Councils in 1999, they were taking a leap into a form of participatory democracy that had rarely been tried in a city of this great size.
Those cities that have created such systems have tended to be smaller, and more homogenous.
In 2006, the City Council created the Neighborhood Council Review Commission, known to many folks as the "912" Commission.
This is a tremendous opportunity to complete a mission that began a decade ago, when I served as executive director of the appointed Charter Reform Commission.
The issues are daunting. The commissioners must decide what to recommend about some of these matters:
• What should be the legal form of Neighborhood Councils? Should they be city agencies, or some other form?
• What powers should Neighborhood Councils have?
• What expectations should there be about outreach and diversity in Neighborhood Councils?
• How should elections be organized for Neighborhood Councils? Should additional selection methods be explored?
• What should be the governance structure of the system of Neighborhood Councils? What should be the roles of DONE, BONC and other city departments and officials?
• What can the city do to facilitate the success of Neighborhood Councils?
At their December 19, 2006, meeting the commissioners adopted the criteria for their decisions:
1. The extent to which the systems of representation and participation are complementary.
2. The extent to which the Neighborhood Council system recruits and retains people who have the qualities that make participatory democracy successful.
3. The extent to which the selection and/or election systems contributes to the recruitment and retention of people who have the qualities to make participatory democracy successful.
4. The extent to which participation in the Neighborhood Council system is broad and inclusive.
5. The extent to which Neighborhood Councils work together for common purposes and with other community groups.
6. The extent to which Neighborhood Councils reflect the needs, views, and opinions of the communities they represent, and empower all voices to be heard.
7. The extent to which Neighborhood Councils have influence within the city government.
8. The extent to which the governance and day-to-day operation of the system contribute to effective community work, rather than bureaucracy, while maintaining accountability.
9. The extent to which the system develops and retains a long-term vision and purpose.
I hope you will keep in touch with the work of the NCRC. We have a full schedule of public hearings and deliberations, all conducted in public. We have our own Web site, www.ncrcLA.org. Our meetings appear on Channel 35. If you go on our Web site, you can send e-mailed comments directly to our commissioners. We want all stakeholders, even those who are not active in the neighborhood council system, to let us know what you think.
Help us shape the future of neighborhood democracy in Los Angeles.
