Neighborhood Council NEWS


Elections are focus of GRVNC

In recent meetings, the neighborhood council has been focused on preparing for annual elections to be held in June. This is probably a wise move since last year the old board did no preplanning for the elections, for which they were roundly criticized by both the city's Dept. of Neighborhood Empowerment (DONE) and by the League of Women Voters.


New bylaws - approved by more than a two-thirds majority of the board - call for instant runoff voting to ensure that a winning candidate receives a majority vote, and for a "self affirmation" by Venice stakeholders. This means that voters will sign of form certifying that they live, work, own property or participate in Venice organizations and therefore are eligible to vote.

“Sore losers” from last year's election are still complaining that ineligible people voted and that's why they lost. In fact, a landslide victory was achieved by the Progressive Slate of candidates. Only one case of fraud in the election was found subsequent to an investigation, and that was the vote cast by Marta Evry’s dog. An exhaustive report by DONE concluded that the Progressive Slate had won the election fairly.

At its last meeting, April 22, the board voted for election rules that allow absentee balloting, as well as an on-site election on Sunday June 27, at Westminster school. Several board members said they were voting for absentee ballot provisions because it would likely increase the number people participating in the elections. The “sore losers,” who oppose absentee balloting, presented a petition to the board on April 7 that called for bylaws changes that would prohibit absentee voting and require various forms of identification from stakeholders who want to vote.

The petition’s bylaws will be voted on at an election meeting at the same time and place as the Town Hall meeting (May 6, Oakwood Rec, Center). If it passes, then GRVNC would have two sets of dueling bylaws.
Neither set would go into effect until given the seal of approval by DONE, which would likely tell the GRVNC Board to choose one or the other. If this happens, the election would probably have to be conducted under last year’s bylaws which allow absentee voting, but not instant runoff voting. To avoid this “constitutional crisis” and end up with the most democratic bylaws, progressives on the board are urging that the petition bylaws be voted down on May 6.

Canal project approved

The April 22 meeting also saw a large turnout of Canal residents who came in support of the $560,000 allocation from the Venice real property trust fund to fix the sluice gates on the Venice canals. Apparently they haven't been repaired for many years and are leaking. The board voted unanimously to recommend to council member Cindy Miscikowski that she support the appropriation.

Several other people attended in a more sour frame of mind, including one peninsula resident calling herself Boston Dawna. During public comment, she heaped invective on board member Peggy Lee Kennedy for Kennedy's support of homeless people and mobile camper residents. Another "sore loser" who was in attendance commented that he carried a loaded gun for dealing with the homeless. His comments were loud enough to be heard by a the least half the audience.

Board votes to “start over”
on a boardwalk ordinance

The Grass Roots Venice Neighborhood Council (GRVNC) voted unanimously March 11 to start from scratch on a new Boardwalk ordinance. The board voted to ask the city to develop a new inclusionary process, and to set aside the current proposed ordinance which is nearly unanimously opposed by artists on a west side of Ocean Front Walk.

The motion reads:
The GRVNC strongly urge that the proposed amendment to ordinance 42.15 be set aside, and that a discussion of problems and issues on the Boardwalk be started with a clean slate. A professional mediator should be hired by the city. The mediator should identify stakeholder groups on the Boardwalk, including artists and free speech advocates on the west side; vendors and businesses on the east side; residents in the immediate area; homeless in the immediate area; and Venice residents in general. Issues and concerns of these groups should be identified and the process of reaching a consensus solution should begin.

The motion came after several months of public comment at previous board meetings expressing opposition to the proposed ordinance, as well as overwhelming opposition from numerous speakers at the Feb. 26 Town Hall meeting.

The board also took the following actions:

• Approved a $600 expenditure to the Venice Community Coalition for a traffic study of Lincoln Center. The study by traffic engineer Art Kassan demonstrates that many of the assumptions underlying the Lincoln Center development are not based on reality.

In favor: Elinor Aurthor, Greg Fitchitt, Dennis Hathaway, Peggy Lee Kennedy, David Moring, Tom O’Meara, Elena Popp, Jim Smith, Alice Stek, Suzanne Thompson, Sabrina Venskus, Laddie Williams.
Against: Dede Audet, Bonnie Cheeseman, Jataun Valentine.
Abstentions: Sheila Bernard (Chair).

• Approved the Second Quarter Budget of $12,500. The budget for the quarter beginning in April and ending June 30 includes a $4,000 appropriation for the annual GRVNC election. Other items include the town hall meeting on May 6, and a planned newsletter mailing to all residences in Venice.

In favor: Dede Audet, Elinor Aurthor, Bonnie Cheeseman, Dennis Hathaway, Peggy Lee Kennedy, David Moring, Tom O’Meara, Elena Popp, Jim Smith, Alice Stek, Suzanne Thompson, Jataun Valentine, Sabrina Venskus.
Against: Greg Fitchitt.
Abstentions: Sheila Bernadard (Chair). Laddie Williams.

• Approved a motion by Dennis Hathaway, as follows: "To request that the city council office direct any group, association, organization or individual seeking funds from the Venice Area Surplus Real Property Fund to present their application for such funds to the GRVNC board for its consideration and recommendation for action to the Council office."

The Real Property Fund is under the control of L.A. City Councilmember Cindy Miscikowski and is to be used for improvements in Venice.

All council members present voted yes, expect Laddie Williams, Greg Fitchitt, DeDe Audet and David Moring who voted no, and Peggy Lee Kennedy, Jatun Valentine and Bonnie Cheeseman who abstained.

• Heard a grievance by Joel Shields opposing the formation of the Ocean Front Walk (Boardwalk) Committee and the appointment of its chairperson. The Board impaneled a three-member grievance committee, made up of Alice Stek, Dennis Hathaway and Suzanne Thompson, to further investigate the grievance and report back to the March 22 Board meeting.

A motion to vote immediately on the grievance was defeated, with all council members voting no, except Jatun Valentine, Dennis Hathaway, Greg Fitchitt, DeDe Audet, David Moring and Bonnie Cheeseman. The motion to establish the committee was unanimous except for abstentions from DeDe Audet and David Moring.

Apparently a number of LAPD officers had an interest in this grievance and were in attendance. Also in attendance were several Boardwalk artists and some stakeholders who are possibly homeless. One of the officers rose from her seat several times when one or another of the less well healed stakeholders was speaking.

Several stakeholders and board members interpreted her action, which on occasion included moving towards the speaker and placing and her hand on her gun holster, as intended to be intimidating. Later a motion was put on the following board agenda to send a letter to the LAPD asking that police officers who attend council meetings not interfere with the meeting or behave in a threatening manner. The motion was tabled for lack of time.

-Jim Smith

Posted: Sat - May 1, 2004 at 04:16 PM          

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