What is a Neighborhood Council?

Neighborhood Councils are a newly created citywide system of local, elected bodies that were officially established when the people of Los Angeles voted to adopt the new city charter in 1999. According to the charter, Neighborhood Councils are advisory bodies to the Los Angeles City Council.

They act as a liaison between the average person and city government, promote public participation in government, make city government more responsive to local needs, and facilitate the delivery of services to the citizens of Los Angeles. Building on the idea that there is strength in numbers, Neighborhood Councils provide a structured way for city officials to assess the public response to proposals.

Los Angeles' 3.5 million residents live in geographically, economically, socially, and racially disparate neighborhoods. With such a large, diverse and far-flung group, Neighborhood Councils alleviate some of the problems that the city has faced in recent decades, especially the feeling that, "City Hall doesn't care about me."

What has the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council ("DLANC") done so far?

In its short existence, DLANC's volunteer members have created a completely new city entity from the ground up. Since our first board was sworn in on October 20, 2002, we have established standing committees, appointed stakeholders to committees, navigated the city's unfamiliar bureaucracy, built bridges between diverse stakeholder groups, provided a forum for the exchange of opinions and ideas, and, most importantly, gotten to know and respect each other!

More specifically, DLANC has formally opposed a proposed homeless ordinance, lobbied for the creation of a downtown "Gallery Row" district, hosted a community "block party" which nearly 500 people attended, and supported our neighboring Historic Cultural Neighborhood Council ("HCNC") to oppose the site of a new jail in Little Tokyo. And we're just getting started!

What division of the Los Angeles city government oversees Neighborhood Councils?

The charter also created a new Department of Neighborhood Empowerment ("DONE"). This department oversees and assists with the creation and operation of neighborhood councils.

What issues currently face Downtown Los Angeles?

Right now, some of the biggest civic issues we are addressing include homelessness, residential development and affordable housing, filming, transportation, parking, historical preservation, and real estate development.

How can I get involved in the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council?

If you care about the future of downtown, you are already a "stakeholder" and DLANC needs YOU!! There are many ways to get involved: you can come to any of our meetings (which, by law, are fully open to the public) and share your perspective, seek to be appointed to a standing committee, volunteer with any of our events (such as the upcoming election in June 2004), or even run for a seat on the DLANC board.
You can go to www.dlanc.com and find each member's contact information, as well as committee contact information. Also, DLANC has a "yahoo group" at groups.yahoo.com/group/dlanc where you can add your e-mail address to receive DLANC updates, and read past postings.

Who can vote in a Neighborhood Council election?

Any "stakeholder" of the neighborhood may vote in the election or run for office. A stakeholder is defined as "any individual who lives, works or owns property in a Neighborhood Council area. In addition, Community Stakeholder status may be identified by participation in, among other things, educational institutions, religious institutions, community organizations or other non-profit organizations.

Do DLANC members get paid?

No, unless you count the deep sense of gratification that comes from public service and the relationships you will build with some wonderfully diverse people. Not to mention the fact that you will be part of a historical movement in "grass roots" democracy.

Why is everything so formal?

Because DLANC is an elected body of local government, it must comply with the strict requirements of a state law known as The Brown Act. The Brown Act mandates that all meetings are publicly noticed and open to the public, complete with agendas and minutes. It also states that a quorum (51% of the committee's membership) must be present in order to take official action, and all official actions of the Neighborhood Council must be approved by a majority of the voting members.

DLANC meetings must also abide by a code of conduct called "Robert's Rules of Order," which is a traditional set of rules for proposing and passing motions and resolutions, allotting the public and the members time to speak, etc. DLANC didn't create these rules, and we don't have any choice but to follow them. They might seem cumbersome, especially for a grass roots, volunteer organization, but they are critical in making certain that the public has an opportunity to weigh-in on issues before DLANC take official action.

How often does DLANC meet?

The full DLANC board meets approximately once per month, usually on the second Tuesday of the month. However, these dates may change in order to accommodate other events, holidays, etc. The committees also meet about once per month. You should check the individual committees at www.dlanc.com for upcoming meeting dates, times, locations, and agendas.