Meeting Date: 11/25/03 07:30 PM

Meeting Type: Regular

Location: LOCATION: ST THOMAS THE APOSTLE EPISCOPAL CHURCH, PARISH HALL 7501 HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD (CORNER OF GARDNER)

Details: INFRASTRUCTURE, PUBLIC AND REGULATED RESOURCES AND SERVICES COMMITTEE

LOCATION: ST THOMAS THE APOSTLE EPISCOPAL CHURCH, PARISH HALL, 7501 HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD (CORNER OF GARDNER)
7:30 – 9:00 PM TUESDAY NOVEMBER 25, 2003

AGENDA

1 SIGN-IN, WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS

2 BRIEF REVIEW OF MINUTES

3 PRESENTATION OF REGULAR MEETINGS/ PROCEDURES

4 DISCUSSION OF PROJECTS – INTEGRATED RESOURCES PLAN (IRP)SPEAKER

5 DISCUSSION on DWP SEEDS FOR PLANTING TREES

6 GENERAL CHAIR COMMENTS – on DONE Congress re: LACityView35/Cable

7 UNFINISHED BUSINESS – requests to committee

8 BUSINESS ANNOUNCEMENTS – SET NEXT MEETING calendar upcoming events

9 REVIEW/VOTE PROPOSAL RUNYON CANYON PARK presented at HHWNC Meeting

10 PUBLIC COMMENT brief responses: exercise general public comment

11 ADJOURN

MINUTES HHWNC INFRASTRUCTURE PUBLIC AND REGULATED RESOURCES COMMITTEE MEETING NOV 25, 2003

Attendees:

Daniel Oliver Hackney – guest, Executive Liaison to NC, BOS

Kook Dean – guest speaker, Mechanical Engineering, BOS, DPW, IRP

Deren Hu – stakeholder

Irene Ponce – guest

Jim Bickhart – guest from Councilmans Villaragosas Office

Jena Summer – stakeholder, Chair

Justina Summer – minor, stakeholder

Tom LaBonge – Visitor from Adjacent HISC meeting

Call To Order – Jena Summer Chair 7:39 PM

Minutes Read by Jena Summer – No corrections, stand as approved

Procedures Reviewed – Presentations must meet regulatory Meeting procedures using stakeholder forms and speaker cards. Community can take one of three positions: 1) take the position the chair represents 2) instruct the chair to take the position without their direct support or abstain from the position 3) instruct the chair not to take the position and support another position ie another committee position.

HHWNC website is actively accessible. Chair is in process of listing stakeholders designated on Infrastructure Committee and reviewed list of original members. With no quorum, no vote will be taken.

Chair reviewed Dept of Neighborhood Empowerment (DONE) procedure on submitting Community Impact Statements to appear on the agendas of the City Council. Councils with elected Board Members will notify DONE of people authorized to submit statements. Regular meetings Board of Neighborhood Commissioners and DONE are in process, December 2 and December 3, with agendas and more information on procedures available on their website. HHWNC Board meeting on December 4.

Discussion of Projects – Integrated Resources Plan (IRP) Speaker Kook Dean – Mr Dean gave a Power Point Presentation of the IRP purpose and its projects, including mention of wetlands, watersheds, and future goals integrated by the Dept of Water and Power (DWP)- Bureau of Sanitation (BOS)- Bureau of Street Services, and IRP underway to serve the public. He encouraged community involvement saying the Department of Public Works (DPW) has speakers from BOS, Wastewater Divisions, and IRP available for public meetings and requested the public contact them. Comments and discussion generated interest in watershed, stormwater management at the storm drains in Nichols and Runyon Canyons, water treatment at dog parks and the base of the Hollywood Hills. Projects to $12 billion in public school playgrounds were projected developments by Mr Dean to year 2020 referencing a model property established by IRP.

Chair inquired on irrigation standards in conformity with natural watershed, city codes, and storm drains to the ocean; for more information on public plans to harness the storm drain water in cisterns, test the water quality at these sites and use catch basin traps to separate solids.

Mr Dean responded traps are available to capture solids in the storms drains and monitor water levels and quality. Chair requested integrating NNWNC in 10-year inclusion plan using watershed, city storm drains, and navigable water springs in canyons and requested map of city-owned open spaces surplus properties to target proposed areas correlating storm drains maps (www.navigate.la.) Topic was tabled.

Discussion on DWP Seeds and Planting Trees – Chair presented a sign up for forming a neighborhood volunteer group based on discussion of Woody Fleming, DPW at DONE seminar. Specific locations are sought in HHWNC. Discussion centered on types of trees and plants for dog parks, low to moderate water users absorbing natural filtration of dog wastes, and shrubs for natural boundaries designating on and off-leash areas. More info was required on native plants, and Mr Dean suggested contacting TreePeople and Gene Green of Japanese Gardens. Chair referred to www.sunset.com brochure listing trees, shrubs, water zones. (Back cover sources for example: www.irrigation.org, www.waterhshare.org) Topic was tabled.

General Comments – Chair noted progress of LACity 35 stated at DONE seminar. Early notification of citywide street closures is planned for 2004. Regulatory info, overbuilding, and cable service franchises were encouraged by LACity 35 who has more info and a complaint service at LA City Information Technology Agency. A new “One Call to City Hall” dial 3-1-1 service for non-emergencies has begun.

Unfinished Business – Chair noted HHWNC Board meeting handout collected local groups interests in Runyon Canyons dog park development. HHWNCs role in the on-going process will work on details to make recommendations and appropriate plans to prioritize them in conformity with Councilman Tom LaBonges motions on funds for public works projects.

Announcements and schedules – The fourth Thursday meeting schedule conflicted with other meetings. The next meeting was tentatively scheduled for the third Thursday in January.

Review Proposals Runyon Canyon – No vote was taken. Chair used handout of compiled proposals from discussions of HHWNC Environment, Beautification, Area 6 and Infrastructure committees to open discussion. The handout was read as follows:

“After noting the condition of the park and the current high use by dog owners, these recommendations are made in hopes of restoring the park land while maintaining the current use. We support these recommendations as follows:

Construct a paved parking area inside the park incorporating a drainage system at the base of Runyon Canyon Park. The drainage system is to be constructed to capture the majority of dog waste runoff and send it directly to the city sewer system. Design priorities should include efforts to influence dogs to urinate at a preferred location within the drained paved parking area.

(Chair referenced Item1 above and updated it with information from the last HHWNC Board meeting saying the Board does not take a position for a parking lot at the bottom of Runyon Park. No other position has been taken except to say neighboring streets are applying for permit parking.)

A Los Angeles Recreation and Parks (LA R&P) ranger will be stationed full time at Runyon Canyon Park and be its on-site ranger.

LA R&P will establish a ranger-coordinated volunteer dog patrol in the park to educate all park users. These volunteers will be dog owners trained to communicate with all park users. While they will work very closely with park rangers, these volunteers will not enforce park rules. They will engage and share with their peers the park rules and conservation techniques (tread lightly, dont cut switchbacks, respect the wild life, leave no trace of your presence or that of your dog, etc.) The dog patrol members will be given preferential parking places when they are on patrol. They will be provided communication devices to be in contact with the on-site ranger.

Until the volunteer dog owners are patrolling the park, dogs on or off leash will be prohibited in Runyon Canyon Park.

LA City will establish a testing and certification program to grant off leash permits to dogs that prove they are safe and under control without a leash. The program is to be self funding; testing and permit fees covering all costs. All certified dogs will be provided a distinctive, highly visible collar and a permit with picture and description.

Subject to item 4 above, dogs on leash (6 feet or less) and certified dogs off leash will be permitted in the paved area and on designated fire roads only.

Support budget survey area concerns:

a) Trails need to be improved, the road stabilized, dog usage diffused and regulated for safety and public health issue and the water table and former streams/springs examined for possible restoration leading to restoration of the wildlife in the Park.

b) West Ridge trail rerouted or a public right of way secured over the present trail route. The trail network might eventually be expanded to include Whattles, Curson and Nichols Canyons for spreading impact for hikers. Consideration should be given to using natural barriers as boundaries.

c) The EPA runoff standards should be tested and improvements made to meet healthy standards concurrent with, or before, PAB proposals. Environmental lawsuits are a consideration.

d) Signs should be posted and maintained in park citing risks and regulations of park use especially regarding off-leash users.

Support Area 6 Runyon Canyon meeting motions amended to proposal:

Motion for the irrigation at healthy standard, demonstrated by water tests in Runyon Park and surrounding areas, to include reports on any health issues. Request status on the former Consent Decree of 1996 costs and work done reporting the prior irrigation conditions and what has occurred by the Consent Decrees mitigation through to present Runyons Park allocation for irrigation and restorative plant life. Request to broaden health issue concerns to ensure plant restoration and include public entities involvement. Pursue all avenues available for funding resources, starting regrowth, and how to get public entities, such as DWP involved in irrigation.

9. Support Infrastructure Committee concerns amended to proposal:

a) Add Stormwater recycling porous pavement for new constructions of trails and, if and when approved, parking lot. Request Integrated Resources Plan (IRP) department of DWP to assess hillsides for stormwater techniques to supplant irrigation. Confirm catch basin environmental analysis tests before recycling irrigable water and treatment of water to meet healthy standards. Request more activity with community involvement within IRP for 10-year inclusion plan.

b) Include measures in recycling to properly dispose of dog waste in designated secure containers for an approved compost/biosolids program coordinated by DWP Sanitation, IRP and City Department of Recreation and Parks. Request plan for containers to be emptied and replaced from Runyon Canyon Park on a regular schedule reasonably similar to other public entity trash and tree trimming removal programs.”

Chair opened discussion mentioning interested groups are not limited to: Park Advisory Board (PAB) and its Overview from 9/17/2003, City of LA Dept Rec and Parks- Planning and Construction Div. Runyon Canyon Park #1807A, Photocopy of Bob Eicholz presentation on affects of plantlife in park at Beautification Committee meeting, Vista Homeowners associations, 1996 Consent Decree, LA City Policy on On and Off-leash designating footage. Chair reported a groups suggestion for metered parallel parking at the top of Mulholland and giving various LA City Officers interagency enforcement of fines with proceeds funding dog park development. The group consensus centered on city agencies involvement in funding workable plans and distinguishing details. There was interest on collecting stormwater from Runyon and its application to other city dog parks since Arroyo Seco area is considering a dog park. Chair questioned what city departments should be involved and recommended primary ar! eas of: 1) Public Safety 2) Health and Irrigation 3) Development and 4) Maintenance, each in need of an appropriate allocation of funds for services designated by details. Mr Dean suggested the continuation of meetings to invite other city agencies, for example DOT or MTA, for inclusion in dog park planning and long range development of wetlands, stormwater and irrigation with IRP. Discussion was tabled by Chair who invited all to attend HHWNC Board meeting about Runyon proposals on December 4th at 6:30 PM at Gardner St Elementary.

No further business – Motion to Adjourn was seconded.

ADJOURN at 9:11 PM

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