Attendees: Janice Santos, Parliamentarian; Chris Nevil, President; George Gross,
First Vice President; Wendy Averill, Second Vice President; Elizabeth A. Pollock,
Recording Secretary; Kathy Brier, Director; Tobyann Mandel, Director; Casey
Anderson, Director/Membership Chair; Aaron Bernardin, Director;Guy Doeh, Director;Steve
Knight, Advisor/Newsletter Editor..
Guests: Dennise Lucas (inherited apartment building in Del Rey); Devin Santos,
area resident; Donald Dombrowski, area resident.
Approval
of Minutes of September 12, 2005 Board Meeting – Circulated by email,
posted on website and approved by board.
Treasurer’s
Report- No transactions in September, so August 1 – September 30, 2005
report approved.
Police/Crime
Report – Don Dombrowski reported there were five burglaries within a three
week period on Sanford St./Rosy Circle. Police response times were slow because
Pacific Division has had to transfer more than 40 officers to Hollywood since
March 2005.
Steve Knight’s
home was burglarized on May 12; an out-of-area officer responded.
The residents
of Sanford St./Rosy Circle will meet on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2005, at 7 p.m.
at the home of Sue Levit to discuss ways to fight local crime.
The DRHNA approved
a motion to send a letter to the Pacific Division police chief (with a copy
to Bill Bratton) requesting that local police staffing levels be restored to
a level at least as high or higher than one year ago. Chris Nevil will pin down
how many officers have been cut during the past year.
Traffic
Committee—Wendy Averril attended the quarterly meeting, which was attended
by representatives of CalTrans, the City of Los Angeles Traffic Engineering
and Transportation Departments, the Los Angeles City Council. On October 13,
the project to widen the intersection of Lincoln Blvd. and Sepulveda Blvd. near
LAX will begin and last for five years, until 2010. The work on the intersection
of Culver Blvd. and the 90 Freeway is scheduled for completion in 2006. The
widening of the Lincoln Blvd. bridge to Marina del Rey is scheduled for 2007.
Lincoln Blvd. will be raised over the Ballona wetlands marsh.
Chris Nevil reported that the intersection of Inglewood Blvd. southbound at
Jefferson Blvd. is going to get a left turn arrow.
Newsletter
Report – Steve Knight will take the newsletter to the printer on October
11. (It was delivered Oct. 28.) We will get a copy of the newsletter in PDF
format so it can be posted on the website.
General
Meeting Report – Scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2005, at 7 p.m. at Marina
Middle School. City Councilman Bill Rosendahl will introduce Los Angeles Mayor
Antonio Villaraigosa.
Aaron Bernardin, Wendy Averril and Chris Nevil will develop the program, which
will focus on ways to increase our ability to get city services.
Membership
Report – Casey Anderson Gross circulated the letter she will send to members
requesting their dues payment for 2006. (The letters arrived in the mail on
about October 24, 2005.) She has found Mac compatible software that will work
to allow a single user to keep track of when members paid their dues so that
notices can be sent on the anniversary dates. The treasurer, Michelle Rudo,
cannot install the software on her Mac, so it will be necessary to discuss how
to handle the interface between the treasurer’s records and the membership
records. We will need to address this purchase at the next meeting.
Del
Rey Neighborhood Council (“DRNC”) – Meeting October 19, 2005
at Marina Middle School Library.
USPS
Distribution Facility Park Task Force - On Friday, September 16, 2005, about
200 people attended the demonstration to generate support for use of the land
as a park. The bidding for the property closes Nov. 1. The property is currently
zoned light industrial, so a variance would be needed before housing could be
built on the property. The goal is to find a developer who will develop half
of the property and allow the other half to be used for recreation.
Steve Knight said the DRNC is contemplating making a bid of $14,961 for the
property. When property near Costco was rezoned, the developer had to set aside
$149,641 in Quimby funds, which is money that must be spent for park purposes
within 1.5 miles of the project. The city might be willing to donate 10 per
cent of that money to DRNC, and DRNC in turn would make a bid. We should keep
in mind that this money is there.
The Venice Japanese Community Center has written a letter endorsing use of the
land for a park. Loyola Marymount University, Mar Vista Gardens and the L.A.
Galaxy soccer team also will be asked to prepare letters of endorsement. Developer
Philip Anschuetz will analyze the project and consider submitting a bid.
Vacant
Property at Macdonald & Inglewood - Tobyann Mandel reported that the City
of Los Angeles cleared the property and will bill the landowner for that work.
Starbucks
C.U.P. – The three immediate neighbors of the property have prepared a
letter to the City of Los Angeles, stating that they will endorse the Starbucks
application for a conditional use permit if the agreement to provide soundproofing
for the three homes is carried out. George Gross drafted a similar letter of
endorsement to be sent on behalf of DRHNA. The DRHNA board agreed that it would
endorse the conditional use permit application, but the endorsement is conditioned
on the soundproofing agreement being performed. George Gross and Casey Anderson
abstained from the vote because they are one of the affected households.
501©(4)
application, Department of Justice fee
Our application for a lower postage rate is pending, but we will need to pay
regular rates for the October 2005 newsletter and then seek reimbursement for
the difference.
During September, the California Department of Justice advised DRHNA that it
might have to register as a charitable trust. We submitted the required papers
and Elizabeth Pollock advanced the Twnety-Five Dollar ($25) fee, but during
October, the DOJ sent a letter returning the fee and advising that we do not
need to register.
Illegal
posting on utility poles
One can call 311 to report the postings; a reference number will be assigned.
Stephanie Hills handles our area.
Motion
regarding Expo line – Chris Nevil will draft and send a motion to support
the development of the Expo line and to urge the Department of Transportation
to go above grade, especially at the Venice Blvd./Washington Blvd. intersection
which became heavily used after the 1994 earthquake.
NEXT BOARD MEETING ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2005