Meeting Date: 05/02/06 06:30 PM

Meeting Type: Regular

Location: Will & Ariel Durant Public Library
7140 W. Sunset Boulevard
Hollywood, CA 90046
Free parking in back of building; Disabled entrances at the front door on Sunset and the back door from the disabled parking spot.

Details: ENVIRONMENT, BEAUTIFICATION, PRESERVATION AND AESTHETICS COMMITTEE
HOLLYWOOD HILLS WEST NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL (HHWNC)

May 2, 2006
6:30 PM – 7:45 PM
Will & Ariel Durant Public Library
7140 W. Sunset Boulevard
Hollywood, CA 90046
Free parking in back of building; Disabled entrances at the front door on Sunset and the back door from the disabled parking spot.

The public is requested to fill out a “Speaker Card” to address the Committee on any item of the agenda prior to the Committee taking action on an item. Comments from the public on non-agenda and agenda items will be heard during the Public Comment Period and, within the discretion of the Committee Chair, when the respective item is being considered. Comments from the public on other matters not appearing on the Agenda that is within the Committee’s subject matter jurisdiction will be heard during the Public Comment period. Public comment is limited to 3 minutes per speaker unless waived by the Chair. Agendas are posted for public review at Gardner Street Elementary School, Valley View Elementary School, Yucca Community Center, on bulletin boards at the top and bottom of Runyon Canyon Park, Los Angeles Library: Will and Ariel Durant Branch and electronically on the Hollywood Hills West Neighborhood Council website www.hhwnc.org .
As a covered entity under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Los Angeles does not discriminate on the basis of disability and upon request, will provide reasonable accommodation to ensure equal access to its programs, services, and activities. Sign language interpreters, assistive listening devices, or other auxiliary aids and/or services may be provided upon request. To ensure availability of services, please make your request at least 3 business days (72 hours) prior to the meeting you wish to attend by contacting the Neighborhood Council Project Coordinator at (213) 485-1588 or e-mail to [email protected].

AGENDA

1. Call to order, roll call and introductions

2. Minutes

3. Chair’s Report:
a) HHWNC registration
b) Committee membership
c) Public Comments & speaker cards

4. Newsrack Ordinance – Understanding the program and its implementation
Speaker: Tom Caraballo, Senior Investigator, Bureau of Street Services, Investigation & Enforcement Division
Review of HHWNC illegal newsracks in beautification projects areas and Historic Preservation Overlay Zones. (Possible motion and vote)

5. Update on the work of the Coalition to Preserve Open Reservoirs, an alliance of community groups including Hollywood Knolls Community Club and Lake Hollywood Homeowners Association, to preserve open space around Lake Hollywood. (Possible motion and vote)

6. Problem-solving related to environment, beautification, preservation and aesthetics issues

a) Four podocarpus trees planted by mistake on the East side of Fairfax between Fountain and Sunset had been abandoned and were dying. Update.

7. Coyotes Warning Signs – Update

8. Public Comments – Comments from the public on agenda items and non-agenda items within the Committee’s subject matter jurisdiction. Public comments are limited to 3 minutes per speaker.

9. Schedule next meeting and adjourn.

PROCESS FOR RECONSIDERATION: The committees may reconsider and amend their action on items listed on the agenda if that reconsideration takes place immediately following the original action or at the next regular meeting. The committees, on either of these two days, shall: (1) Make a Motion for Reconsideration and, if approved, (2) hear the matter and take an action. If the Motion to Reconsider an action is to be scheduled at the next meeting following the original action, then two items shall be placed on the agenda for that meeting: (1) A Motion for Reconsideration on the described matter and (2) a Proposed Action should the motion to reconsider be approved. A Motion for Reconsideration can only be made by a committee member who has previously voted on the prevailing side of the original action taken. If a Motion for Reconsideration is not made on the date the action was taken, then a committee member on the prevailing side of the action must submit a memorandum to the committee(s) chair(s) identifying the matter to be reconsidered and a brief description of the reason(s) for requesting reconsideration at the next regular meeting. The aforesaid shall all be in compliance with the Ralph M. Brown Act.

Minutes Detail
Tuesday, May 2, 2006

ENVIRONMENT, BEAUTIFICATION, PRESERVATION AND AESTHETICS COMMITTEE
HOLLYWOOD HILLS WEST NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL (HHWNC)

May 2, 2006
6:30 PM – 7:45 PM
Will & Ariel Durant Public Library
7140 W. Sunset Boulevard
Hollywood, CA 90046
UNAPPROVED

1. Call to order, roll call and introductions
Committee Chair Anne Marie Lardeau called the meeting to order at 6:30 PM
Registered Stakeholders Present: Jean Barrett, Robert Dolce, Valorie Keegan, Anne Marie Lardeau (Chair)- Bill Merzbach, Bonnie Sikovitz, James Tartan, Charles Wainberg, Barbara Witkin
Guest speaker: Tom Caraballo, Senior Investigator, Bureau of Street Services, Investigation & Enforcement Division

2. The minutes of the March 7, 2006 meeting were approved.

3. Chair’s Report:
All meeting participants were registered stakeholders.
Due to the size of the meeting, speaker’s cards were not necessary.

4. Newsrack Ordinance – Understanding the program and its implementation
Speaker: Tom Caraballo, Senior Investigator, Bureau of Street Services, Investigation & Enforcement Division
Mr. Caraballo distributed copies of Ordinance No. 176339 and explained its key provisions.
So far, implementation of the ordinance has focused on the Valley. All current provisions will not be fully implemented in other areas for at least another year.
However, certain safety-related items can be implemented more widely and the committee focused on what could be done at this point in affected HHWNC areas.
We reviewed a map and photographs of illegal newsracks in HHWNC beautification projects areas and Historic Preservation Overlay Zones.
Areas 1, 2 and 7 were affected.
Mr. Caraballo was very willing to work with us and a key person for each Area was selected to avoid sending duplicate reports.
Barbara Witkin and Valorie Kegan will coordinate the reports for Spaulding Square (HPOZ) and Sunset Square (HPOZ and tree planting on Sunset pending) in Area 7.
Anne Marie Lardeau will coordinate the reports for Area 1 (beautification project pending).
The reports including the address, company name, location and digital photo of the problem will be Emailed to Mr. Caraballo who will forward them to the local investigator.

Items that are currently actionable in our selected areas include:
– Unregistered newsracks can be impounded right away.
89 companies have registered so far ($29.69 per year for each rack) and Mr. Caraballo will send us a list.
– Newsracks with graffiti or additional advertising, and damaged or vandalized racks have 24 hours to correct the problem or the racks can be impounded.
– Racks interfering with bus zones and parking meters
– Newspapers placed outside the box
– Only a single rack per company is allowed in a bank
– Plastic racks

The fee to recover an impounded rack is $39 and a daily charge.
The committee strongly felt that both the permit fees and the impound fees should be raised. These fees support the enforcement program.
Some provisions of the program will be phased in over time.
Companies have seven years to comply with the required dark green color.

Mr. Caraballo also gave the committee a Fact Sheet listing the most common Residential and Business District Municipal Code violations.

Hollywood is particularly affected by illegal postings due to the entertainment industry and Mr. Caraballo agreed to work with us in partnership with Tim Walls on this issue.

The committee expressed its appreciation to Mr. Caraballo for his informative presentation, his willingness to work with the HHWNC, and his obvious dedication to making our community a better place to live.

5. Problem-solving related to environment, beautification, preservation and aesthetics issues

a) Four podocarpus trees planted by mistake on the East side of Fairfax between Fountain and Sunset had been abandoned and were dying. Update.
Three of the trees are now dead and the future of the fourth is uncertain. They will have to be replanted and Sharyn Romano (HBT) agreed to do so if the new trees could be adopted.
Alice Horevitz, Principal of Larchmont Charter School, which is located a block away, agreed to work out an adoption program in partnership with HHWNC and CD 4, if water could be secured on the affected block near the trees.
Mrs. Merschel has been able to secure water from a hose with one of the owners but that property is now for sale.
Valorie Keegan believes the property has been sold and is also willing to assist with the watering of the new trees.
We need to pursue securing water from the new owner.

6. Coyotes Warning Signs – Update
The HHWNC Board passed the motion supporting creation of a sign program by a wide margin but the letter has not been written to date.
The Committee found solutions to secure and post the signs. However, it appears the real problem is that no organized community group is willing to accept them.

7. Update on the work of the Coalition to Preserve Open Reservoirs, an alliance of community groups including Hollywood Knolls Community Club and Lake Hollywood Homeowners Association, to preserve open space around Lake Hollywood.
Jean Barrett provided the Committee with background information:

BACKGROUND: Since 1990, the L.A. Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has met in mediated discussions with the member groups of the Coalition to Preserve Open Reservoirs (CPOR)- which includes four homeowner organizations from Hollywood who are concerned with the Hollywood Reservoir. The purpose of the mediation is to jointly develop community-friendly ways to solve water quality issues related to L.A.’s open reservoirs, most of which are located in the heart of densely populated residential neighborhoods. The unique 16-year partnership between LADWP and CPOR has resulted in projects that are aesthetically pleasing, environmentally friendly, cost-effective and meet water quality regulations. Notably, the Hollywood Water Quality Improvement Project, which was entirely negotiated with the Hollywood communities and completed several years ago, cost $12 million less than the project originally proposed by LADWP. It proved possible to preserve Lake Hollywood as a beautiful open reservoir while LADWP has continued to provide a safe, protected, high quality supply of water to its Hollywood customers.

Negotiations between LADWP and CPOR have resulted in the drafting of two agreements that document how LADWP will continue to work in the future with the reservoir communities affected by its projects. The Common Memorandum of Understanding (Common MOU) provides a procedural framework for LADWP and the communities to discuss any future projects. The Hollywood MOU memorializes agreements that have been negotiated over the multi-year mediation effort between LADWP and the Hollywood communities, while also providing guidelines for future projects at the Hollywood Reservoir. All of the CPOR member organizations have approved the Common MOU but it has not yet been signed. A draft of the Hollywood MOU is nearing completion.

CURRENT SITUATION: Recently, CPOR learned that LADWP’s top management may no longer be interested in signing the two MOUs, claiming that these agreements are unnecessary now that a Memorandum of Understanding has been finalized between LADWP and certified Neighborhood Councils. CPOR respectfully disagrees. While the MOU between LADWP and the NCs provides an excellent framework for enhanced communication between the utility and the neighborhoods it serves, it was not designed to govern how LADWP deals with residential areas directly impacted by possible upcoming large-scale construction projects at its reservoirs. Nor does the Neighborhood Council MOU incorporate, or even reference, the important agreements negotiated between the reservoir communities and LADWP over the 16-year mediation process. Furthermore, nothing in the Neighborhood Council MOU suggests that it supersedes an ongoing process and the anticipated agreement between CPOR and LADWP.

The CPOR asked the Committee for support. The Committee agreed that the CPOR has proven its value over the past 16 years in negotiating on behalf of the communities with respect to Lake Hollywood. The Committee joins the Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council and the Hollywood United Neighborhood Council in supporting the CPOR.
The Committee unanimously passed the following motion, which is identical to the motion passed by the Hollywood United Neighborhood Council and will present this motion to the HHWNC Board of Directors at the May 25, 2006 meeting.

The Environment, Beautification Committee of HHWNC moves to:

a) Support and endorse the continuation of the long-standing working relationship between CPOR and LADWP for the betterment of the Hollywood communities.
b) Authorize an appointed HHWNC Board representative to work with CPOR and LADWP to finalize the Common MOU and the Hollywood MOU as they exist as of April, 2006.
c) Ask the HHWNC Board representative and CPOR representatives to report back to the Board not less frequently than semi-annually until such time as they present final drafts of the Common MOU and the Hollywood MOU for the consideration of the HHWNC Board. The appropriate approvals of the respective homeowner associations shall first be obtained.
d) Affirm support for the continuation of the mediation process that will enable the CPOR representatives and LADWP to complete the two agreements.

8. Public Comments
No comments

10. Meeting adjourned at 7:55 PM.

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