Minutes
PALMS NElGHBORHOOD COUNCIL
Twenty-fourth meeting of the Council and its
REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY
Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2006
IMAN Center, 4636 Motor Ave., Palms, California, U.S.A.

(Note: The figures in parentheses reflect the number of minutes after the voice recorder was turned on and serve to indicate the chronological order in which the items were considered.)

1. Call to order. Facilitator Lori Donahoo called the meeting to order at 7:15 p.m. (0:00:29)

2. The Secretary called the roll and a quorum was established:
Pauline Stout President Present
Todd Robinson Vice President Present
George Garrigues Secretary Present
June I. LaMoy Treasurer Present
Billie Silvey Nonprofit representative Present
Willie Bell Palms West Residential A Present
Mate (Matt) Gaspar Overland Residential B Present
Mario Bruhwiler Motor Residential C Present
Vacant Studio Residential D —
Ingeborg Prochazka Exposition Residential E Present
John Riordan Pacific Electric Business 1 Late
Lori Donahoo Charnock Ranch Business 2 Present
Neal James Anderberg Palms Depot Business 3 Absent

5. Public forum: Reza Akef of Congresswoman Jane Harmon's office concerning a film screening of The Last Best Chance on October 24 in the IMAN Center and an open house in the WLA Municipal Bldg. (date to be determined); Terry Robinson concerning a town hall meeting of Assemblywoman Karen Bass on Sept. 17; Bea Steelman concerning a proposed condominium bldg. in her neighborhood (referred to the Land Use Committee by President Stout); Mary Winic concerning ways to keep Palms's streets and sidewalks clean (0:09:30) (referred by the President to the Outreach Committee); Katherine Hennigan (0:12:05) of Council Member Weiss's office.

4. Report to community by the President (0:13:48). Reported on Bike Rodeo on Saturday, Oct. 7. Called special meeting of the Council and Assembly at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 25 in the IMAN Center to consider the Mayor's Budget.

5. Committee reports (0:16:30)
A. Projects (Stout): Report on  projects being worked on, including a project to keep Venice Blvd clean with the following motion :
    "The Palms Neighborhood council will  employ the Chrysalis organization for a twelve-week trial period to perform the following duties on Venice Blvd. between Sepulveda and Robertson -
"1.  Weekly sweeping of sidewalks and gutters,
"2.  Weekly emptying and lining of trash cans.

Palms Neighborhood Council Minutes / Oct. 4, 2006 / Page 2

"The cost of this project will be $500 per week or $6,000 for the trial period." The motion was seconded and, after discussion (which included Rick Stoff on behalf of Chrysalis), it was approved unanimously (0:32:46) with the understanding that the area does not include the south side of Venice between Sepulveda and Overland.

B. Transportation and Road Works (Prochazka). (0:33:18) Announcement of next meeting on Oct. 26.

C. Outreach (Bruhwiler) (0:34:34):    Vote on change to banner design.   a.)  Web Address and Telephone number cannot be on the banner at the same time because of a L.A. City Street Ordinace; 2) The banner needs to have our council name or the council logo for free service by the L.A. City Banner department, since it will distinguish that the banners are not a business sponsored product.  (Bruhwiler) Motion adopted unanimously (0:43:25).

b.) Motion by Stout:

"Amend the motion adopted on Sept. 6, 2006, concerning outreach to Westside Village by striking out the second numbered paragraph, as follows:

"(2) The Outreach and Communications Committee is directed to consider the steps whereby such an Outreach Program can be completed, and the committee is requested to report such proposed steps back to the Council and the Assembly at the first meeting in October 2006.
 
"and inserting in its place the following:

"(2) The Outreach and Communications Committee is directed to consider the steps whereby such an Outreach Program can be completed, and the committee is requested to report such proposed steps back to the Council and the Assembly as they are developed." Adopted unanimously (0:48:20).

D. Land-use and Development (Todd Robinson): Report on meeting with two officials of the Planning Department concerning a Specific Land Use plan for this area. No action. Katherine Hennigan reported (0:50:40) on two matters involving developments at Motor-Palms (Palms Gardens) and at National-Overland (Festival Project) (0:51:39). Garrigues brought up the matter of reducing setbacks from the street by new condominium developments, and particularly at 3665 Jasmine Ave., With general consent, President Stout announced she would call a special Assembly/Council meeting for 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, at Palms Elementary School, to consider the setback matter (1:04:50).

E. Ad hoc Bylaws (Garrigues) (1:06:52) Report on the Sept 7, 2006, meeting of the ad hoc bylaws committee.
Palms Neighborhood Council Minutes / Oct. 4, 2006 / Page 3

Decision on the following two questions as posed by the bylaws committee:

1. Should absentee owners of residential properties be eligible to vote for a Residential Representative or should their eligibility be restricted to a vote for a Business Representative?

2. Should non-Assembly members who speak at Council and committee meetings be “requested” or “required” to identify themselves, for the record?

Motion made by Garrigues (1:10:50) to amend the bylaws to require (rather than "request") speakers to identify themselves at Assembly and committee meetings. Seconded. After discussion, the roll call vote was as follows: (1:19:55) Yes, Garrigues, Bell, Gaspar, Bruhwiler, Prochazka, Riordan (6 votes). No, Stout, Robinson, LaMoy, Silvey, Donahoo (5 votes). A two-thirds vote of the 11 members present being necessary for adoption (8 votes), the motion failed.

Moved by Garrigues to require owners of residential properties to vote for residential representatives and not for business representatives. (1:21:50). Seconded. After discussion and with general consent, the motion was withdrawn (1:31:28).

Moved by Garrigues to approve the report of the ad hoc committee (attached). Seconded. After discussion, the roll call vote was as follows: (1:35:13) Yes, Stout, Robinson, Garrigues, LaMoy, Silvey, Bell, Gaspar, Bruhwiler, Prochazka, Riordan, Donahoo (11 votes). A two-thirds vote of the 11 members present being necessary for adoption (8 votes), the motion was approved.

6. Secretarial report (Garrigues) (1:36:50) By general consent, the minutes for the meetings of Aug. 2, Aug. 9, Sept. 6 and Sept. 13 were approved.

7. Treasurer: (1:39:40). LaMoy distributed copies of procedures to request a check (demand warrant) (attached).

8.  Assembly business. Stout announced she is looking for members of an Election Committee (1:41:00). Garrigues distributed information concerning the L.A. City Human Relations Commission (1:42:52) and copies of applications for membership in the Friends of the Palms-Rancho Park Library and announced the formation of a Palms Park Advisory Board.

11. Adjournment at 9 p.m.. (1:45.00)