Mayor Pro Tem Jeffrey Prang's Newsletter for Jan/Feb 2012

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

About once a month I publish an email newsletter recapping important issues and events impacting our community. For those who do not receive my newsletter, I have been invited by Patch to post the same information on their site as a blog, and this is the first of my entries, courtesy of West Hollywood Patch.

In my newsletter, I try to focus on news, services, and events that have a practical affect on the daily lives of West Hollywood residents, businesses and visitors. It is not a promotional newsletter about me and what events I've attended, but rather it is a report to the community on the activities of your government, and the services and events that are of most value to you.

With this being my first newsletter of the new year, I wanted to reiterate its purpose. That is to provide information, inspire involvement, and help facilitate a dialogue with the stakeholders of this great city we call home. As your representative, I rely on input from members of the community to be as responsive as possible to local needs of residents and businesses alike to work towards solutions that promote business and preserve residential quality of life.

And I want you to know, that my door is always open, and I am always eager to hear your thoughts, share ideas and respond to your concerns. It is through this open communication that will ensure that our City continues in the right direction.

Happy New Year,

JEFFREY PRANG, Mayor Pro Tempore, City of West Hollywood

P.S. Please forgive the typos - I do my best to proofread, but I do miss a word or two on occasion.

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City Council Actions:

Meeting of December 19, 2011

CITY AMENDED THE ZONING ORDINANCE

As the first step in implementing the West Hollywood General Plan 2035, the City Council held a public hearing to consider amendments to the West Hollywood Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map to reflect new commercial zoning districts, eliminate mixed-use development incentives from certain parcels on Santa Monica Boulevard, eliminate the existing density bonus for exemplary green buildings in residential zones, eliminate the public parking bonus, and prohibit residential uses in certain commercial nodes, as directed by the General Plan.

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City Council Actions:

Meeting of January 17, 2012

ZIPCAR CAR SHARING PILOT PROGRAM  The City approved a two-year pilot program that would provide car-sharing, through a company called ZipCar. ZipCar is a car sharing company founded in 1999. It's a publically-held company that provides car sharing through use of a membership based service. ZipCar is similar to a traditional car rental company except ZipCar vehicles are only available to ZipCar members. Unlike a traditional care rental company, ZipCar provides fuel and insurance automatically. Members can "rent" a vehicle for just a couple of hours, whereas a traditional car rental agency only rents on a per day basis. Some ZipCar members have no cars and utilize ZipCar for trips that cannot be served by public transportation. Other ZipCar members own cars but they may be away from town without their cars or they may have an occassional need for a second vehicle.

Go to Zipcar.com to learn more about how the test program will work.

UPDATE ON THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE BANNING SINGLE-USE PLASTIC CARRYOUT SHOPPING BAGS  The City Council received a status update regarding the public outreach strategy for a proposed ordinance to ban single-use plastic carryout shopping bags from grocery stores and other retail establishments in West Hollywood.

The City Council first directed the City Attorney to explore the feasibility of creating a plastic bag ban on August 18, 2008. And on September 6, 2011, Council directed staff to proceed with drafting the ordinance and the environmental analysis.

The proposed ban on single-use plastic bags will be based on the ban recently adopted by the County of Los Angeles.

Input from local businesses is critical in order to develop an ordinance that most effectively meets the City Council's goals of reducing single-use plastic bags. City staff plans to undertake a program of outreach and information-gathering efforts with local businesses that would be affected by a plastic bag ban, including all grocery, pharmacy, and retail locations city-wide. Information gathered will be used to form the draft language for the plastic bag band ordinance and to guide development of effective implementation and outreach strategies following adoption of such an ordinance. 

The information-gathering outreach program should be completed in the next two months, and expects to return to Council in May.  

COUNCIL APPROVES NEW ELECTION REFORM MEASURES  The City Council approved several Election Reforms to be implemented in advance of the 2013 Municipal Elections. They are:

1) Adopt an amendment to the West Hollywood Municipal Code to require that all candidates and committees, including those making independent expenditures or member communications, in a local municipal election submit electronic copies of campaign literature to the West Hollywood City Clerk for posting on the City website;

2) Coordinate with the Los Angeles County Registrar of Voters staff to determine what the process currently is for updating local voter rolls and to request that the voter rolls for the City of West Hollywood be assessed to determine how current and accurate the existing rolls are and to request that the rolls be updated, if necessary;

3) Develop a program to promote voter registration by advocating the importance of voting and distributing Voter Registration forms at various locations around the City, including requesting that realtors and landlords distribute forms to new homeowners and tenants; and;

4) Investigate what would be required to and the feasibility of standardizing Polling Locations between the City of West Hollywood and the County of Los Angeles.

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West Hollywood City News

WEST HOLLYWOOD SMOKING ORDINANCE NOW IN AFFECT   Starting January 1, 2012 the Smoking Ordinance prohibits smoking within five (5) feet of outdoor areas including restaurant patios, cafes and food courts and outdoor common areas within the City of West Hollywood as well as provides smoking cessation programs and information to West Hollywood residents.

The major provisions of the proposed smoking ordinance include the following:

•     Outdoor dining areas of restaurants will be covered, but outdoor areas of bars and nightclubs will be exempt from the smoking prohibition. Restaurants that operate with varying operating characteristics in the late evening will be permitted to create smoking operation plans that will allow for smoking in outdoor areas during those hours.

•     The two hookah cafes currently located in the City will be exempt from the smoking prohibition.

•     A "no-smoking buffer zone" of five feet will be created around covered outdoor dining and service areas.

•     Hotels will be encouraged to establish smoke-free pool areas through incentives.

For more details of the Smoking Ordinance, Frequently Asked Questions, Signage Information, etc. visit the City's website at:

http://www.weho.org/index.aspx?page=1102

SPECIAL SAFETY NOTICE REGARDING TRESPASSING ON PRIVATE PROPERTY

SPECIAL NOTE TO CONDOS AND APARTMENTS

In order to assist the Sheriff's Department in the prosecution of trespassers on your residential or commercial property, the Sheriff's Department has implemented a "Letter of Agency" program. Owners, managers, or tenants of a property can authorize Deputies of the West Hollywood Sheriff's Station to arrest and remove any person present on the property without lawful business. Without a Letter of Agency on file with the Sheriffs, Deputies will not be able to make an arrest. They can only ask the individual(s) to leave the property. Remember, aparent and condo areas are private property, and law enforcement cannot enter any differently than they would in a single family home, withour authorization. 

Letters of Agency are signed for a six month period, however separate letters can be signed and submitted for two 6 month periods at the same time, and will be kept on file at the West Hollywood Station. 

The Letter of Agency can be found at:

The Letter of Agency can be found on the City's website at:

http://www.weho.org/index.aspx?page=317 

If you have any questions regarding the requirements of a Letter of Agency, please contact the West Hollywood COPPS Team at (310) 855-8850, ext. 456 or 568 (answering machine). 

Additional Trespassing Guidelines Include: 

Business Property Owners:

1.    An updated Letter of Agency must be signed and on file at the West Hollywood Sheriff's Station. It must be renewed every 6 months.

2.    Your property must be posted with a sign prohibiting trespassing. The sign must include the hours your business is closed. 

3.    During regular business hours, you will be required to sign a private person's arrest form to arrest a trespasser on your property.

Residential Property Owners:

1.    An updated Letter of Agency must be signed and on file at the West Hollywood Sheriff's Station. It must be renewed every 6 months.

2.    Your residential property must be posted with a sign prohibiting trespassing except for owners, tenants or their invited guests. No Trespassing Signs are available at City Hall at no charge. Contact Michele Bell at 323/848-6390, or visit the 2nd floor at City Hall. 

EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION SYSTEM

In the case of regional or local emergencies, residents and businesses are urged to sign up for emergency alerts for the City of West Hollywood and separately for Los Angeles County by registering their cell phone numbers and e-mail addresses on the weho.org website, and the alert.lacounty.gov website respectively. 

Both mass notification systems have the capability to use phone, text and e-mail messages to alert residents and businesses when there is an emergency situation. For alerts specific to West Hollywood it is necessary to register on weho.org. For broader coverage of regional alerts, you are encouraged to register at alert.lacounty.gov. Both systems notify geo-mapping areas of needed actions, i.e. evacuations. 

Most listed landlines are already included in the system, but people must register their cell phone numbers, voice over IP phone numbers, and e-mail addresses. This information can be added on both, weho.org and alert.lacounty.gov websites.

If calls are picked up by an answering machine, the system will leave a recorded message. If the number called is busy or does not answer, the system will redial the number in an attempt to deliver the message. The system is TTY/TDD compatible. 

To register for the City of West Hollywood's Emergency Mass Notification System, click below: 

http://www.weho.org/index.aspx?page=324 

CITY TO HOST LOW COST PET VACCINATION CLINIC 

Saturday, March 24, 2012

9 am to 1 pm

Weho City Hall Parking Lot 

The City of West Hollywood and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Los Angeles will conduct a low cost vaccination clinic on Saturday, March 24, 2012 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parking lot at West Hollywood City Hall, 8300 Santa Monica Boulevard. The clinic will offer rabies vaccinations and microchipping for cats and dogs; DHPP and Bordetella vaccinations for dogs; and FVRCP and Leukemia vaccinations for cats. The fee for microchips at the clinic is $25 for cats and dogs. Rabies vaccinations are $5 for cats and dogs. DHPP, FVRCP and Leukemia vaccinations are $15 and Bordetella vaccinations are $10. 

For more information, please contact Helen Collins at (323) 848-6895. For the deaf and hard of hearing, please call (323) 848-6496. 

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Governing Magazine ranks Sen. Ted W. Lieu among 12 lawmakers nationwide 'worth watching'  

With the recent redistricting, Senator Ted W. Lieu will be West Hollywood's new state Senator. And for the second consecutive year, he was named by a national government-policy publication as one of the nation's top 'legislators to watch.' 

"At a time when politicians are about as popular as a sewage treatment plant being built next to your house, it may seem like poor taste to assemble a list of state legislators who are rising stars," the editors of Governing Magazine wrote in their January 2012 issue, where Lieu was one of 12 state lawmakers, equally divided between Democrats and Republicans, identified out of thousands nationwide. "But there are big decisions ahead of state legislatures this year, so it's good to know there are talented people making them." 

Lieu is the only Californian on the list. The magazine last year also named Lieu one of 12 national lawmakers worth watching, citing his initiative, leadership and work ethic. 

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Current / Upcoming Events:

Mark Your Calendars

CITY TO CO-HOST LECTURE SERIES ON LGBT TOPICS 

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 and

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

6:15 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Community Room

New West Hollywood Library

625 N. San Vicente Boulevard 

The City of West Hollywood will co-host a lecture series with The Williams Institute on topics of interest to the LGBT community. The Williams Institute advances sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policy through rigorous, independent research and scholarship, and disseminates it to judges, legislators, policymakers, media and the public. A national think tank at UCLA School of Law, the Williams Institute produces high-quality research with real-world relevance. 

The lectures will include: 

"What Happened to the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) and how Employment Discrimination Still Burdens the LGBT Community," on Wednesday, February 22, 2012 from 6:15 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Community Room at the New West Hollywood Library, 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard. The lecture will begin promptly at 6:30 p.m., followed by a question and answer period and a dessert reception. Speakers will include Christy Mallory, Legal Research Fellow, The Williams Institute; Jennifer C. Pizer, Legal Director and Arnold D. Kassoy Senior Scholar of Law, The Williams Institute; Ilan H. Meyer, Williams Senior Scholar of Public Policy, The Williams Institute; Brad Sears, Assistant Dean and Executive Director, Roberta A. Conroy Scholar of Law and Policy, The Williams Institute. 

"Protecting Your Hard-Earned Money - What the LGBT Community Needs to Know," on Tuesday, March 20, 2012 from 6:15 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Community Room at the New West Hollywood Library, 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard. The lecture will begin promptly at 6:30 p.m., followed by a question and answer period and a dessert reception. Speakers will include Lee Badgett, Research Director, The Williams Institute; Jennifer C. Pizer, Legal Director; Arnold D. Kassoy Senior Scholar of Law, The Williams Institute; Wendy E. Hartmann, Associate, Bennett & Erdman; and Michael D. Steinberger, Public Policy Fellow, The Williams Institute. 

Free validated parking is available. Enter the parking structure on El Tovar Place off Robertson Boulevard in between Melrose Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard. 

For more information or to RSVP please call (310) 267-4382 or email williamsinstitute@law.ucla.edu 

WHAP! WEST HOLLYWOOD/CAL ARTS LECTURE SERIES - Upcoming Lectures 

West Hollywood Library, Council Chambers

625 N. San Vicente Boulevard

West Hollywood, California 

The City of West Hollywood has partnered with the California Institute of the Arts' Masters Program in Aesthetics and Politics to co-host "Whap!," a new lecture series on topics including critical and political theory, art and architecture. "Whap!" will also feature film screenings and related discussions. The series is one of the first announced to take place in the City Council Chambers at the New West Hollywood Library which is located at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard in West Hollywood. 

The California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) was the nation's first art institute to offer Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts degrees in the visual and performing arts. It is internationally renowned as one of the leading centers for undergraduate and graduate study in the performing and visual arts and in the critical study of these arts. 

The "Whap!" lecture series schedule includes: 

Can or Ought the Political and Religious be Separated? - Friday, March 9, 2012, 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. City Council Chambers in the West Hollywood Library. Etienne Balibar, a prolific author on Marxist, moral and political philosophies, will be featured. He is Professor Emeritus of moral and political philosophy at the Université de Paris X-Nanterre and Distinguished Professor of Humanities at the University of California-Irvine. 

Biology and Politics - Tuesday, April 3, 2012, 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. City Council Chambers in the West Hollywood Library. This lecture will include Catherine Malabou, who teaches philosophy at Kingston University in London and is known for her work on the notion of plasticity at the crossroads of philosophy and neuroscience; biologist and statistician Mike Bryant, a science instructor at the School of Critical Studies at the California Institute of the Arts; and Arne de Boever, editor of Parrhesia: A Journal of Critical Philosophy and the director of the Masters Program in Aesthetics and Politics at the School of Critical Studies at the California Institute of the Arts. 

Aesthetics of Translation - Friday, April 6, 2012, 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. City Council Chambers in the West Hollywood Library. This lecture will feature Erik Bullot, a filmmaker and scholar of modern French cinema, and instructor at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Art de Bourges in France. Also taking part will be award-winning filmmaker and documentarian Rebecca Baron and Jon Nelson-Wagner, Visiting Professor of Film Theory at USC and professor of Critical Studies at the California Institute of the Arts, and a core member of its MFA Writing Program. 

Constructing the Future - Friday, May 4, 2012, 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. City Council Chambers in the West Hollywood Library. Ric Abramson, Norman Klein and John D'Amico will host this lecture. Abramson teaches at the USC School of Architecture, and his professional practice focuses on creative land use strategies, urban housing typologies, hybrid programs, residential hillsides and urban infill. Klein is a novelist, cultural critic, and urban and media historian. D'Amico is a City of West Hollywood City Councilmember and a California Institute of the Arts alumni. 

All "Whap!" lectures will be free and open to the public. Seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Pay parking will be available at the West Hollywood Park/Library Parking Garage at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard (enter from Robertson Boulevard at El Tovar Place). 

For more information contact Michelle Rex, Deputy to West Hollywood Councilmember John D'Amico at (323) 848-6460. 

TRIBE

West Hollywood Gay Men's Discussion Group 

February 9, 2012

7:30 PM - 9:30 PM

Community Meeting Room (Weho Library)

625 N. San Vicente Boulevard 

Join the City of West Hollywood at the kick-off of the new West Hollywood Gay Men's Discussion Group. The West Hollywood Gay Men's Discussion Group will meet the second Thursday of every month for a series of lightly moderated discussions open to the public to encourage attendees to discuss their own experiences about issues ranging from the existence and importance of "Gay culture" to how Gay men view the concept of "family" to the varied experiences of youth and Seniors in the Gay male community. The TRIBE discussion group will provide an open space for building relationships, promoting dialog, identifying challenges, and creating solutions for issues currently facing Gay men. In honor of Valentine's Day, the topic of our first discussion will be "Dating & Sex - The Urge to Merge." This inaugural discussion will focus on the one thing all gay men have in common, the urge to merge with other men. Discussion topics will include: great dates & dating horror stories; cyber connections; the good, the bad, and the ugly; how to ask out the guy you absolutely know is "the one"; and saying "no" with class. Come out and learn about other gay men's dating habits and experiences and maybe share your own story. Who knows? You might find your Valentine in the room! 

Admission is free. Validated parking will be available in the five-story parking structure adjacent to the Library. 

For more information, please visit www.weho.org/tribe or email tribe@weho.org 

TTY for the deaf and hard of hearing (323) 848-6496. 

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West Hollywood Public Notices: 

Planning Commission Actions:

Meeting of January 19, 2011 

At Planning Commission meeting the Commission took the following action: 

8100-8120 Santa Monica Bl. -- Mixed-use, Walgreen's

On a 6-1 vote the Commission approved the demolition of the existing shopping center and construction of a new mixed-use building. The project includes 16 market rate rental units, 4 inclusionary rental units and 15,414 square feet of retails space. 

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Items Coming Before City Council 

FEBRUARY 06, 2012:

This is a regular meeting of the City Council, scheduled for Monday, February 6th, at 6:30 p.m., at the West Hollywood Library and City Council Chambers, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood.

Agenda's should be available online by Thursday, February 1, 2012. 

To view the full agenda, please go to www.weho.org 

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Other News... 

LAUSD BOARD MEMBER STEVEN ZIMMER INVITES YOU TO: 

Board District 4:

Redistricting Community Outreach Meeting 

Where:  Helen Bernstein High School

1309 N. Wilton Place

Los Angeles, CA  90028 

When:   Tuesday, February 7, 6:00 PM 

The Los Angeles Unified School District's Redistricting Commission invites parents, families, students, partners and community members to particpate in one of the LAUSD Redistricting Pre-Draft Public Hearings at Helen Bernstein High School, 1309 N. Wilton in Hollywood, on Tuesday, February 7 at 6:00 PM. 

This meeting, hosted by the LAUSD Redistricting Commission to hear your input, is a critical opportunity to both learn about and influence the redistricting process and its impact on neighborhood schools. Former West Hollywood Councilmember Lindsay Horvath is a member of the Commission. 

The meeting is NEXT WEEK on Tuesday, February 7th at 6:00 PM at Helen Bernstein High School, 1309 N. Wilton in Hollywood. 

To learn more about the LAUSD Redistricting Process, and to propose your own District map, we invite you to visit these resources: 

http://www.redrawlausd.org/

http://redistricting2011.lacity.org/LAUSD/default.html 

FEDERAL TRANSIT AGENCY & METRO HOSTING OPEN HOUSES  

The Federal Transit Agency (FTA) and Metro have prepared a Final Environmental Impact Statement/ Environmental Impact Report (Final EIS/EIR) for the Regional Connector Transit Corridor Project. The 30-day review period began Friday, January 20, 2012 and will end on Tuesday, February 21, 2012.The document is available for viewing and can be downloaded online at: 

http://www.metro.net/projects/connector/connector-final-eiseir/ 

You are invited to attend one of two community Open House meetings for the project scheduled for early February; content at both meetings will be identical. The purpose of these Open Houses is to make staff available to answer questions about the Final EIS/EIR document. 

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Colburn School of Music

200 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA, 90012 

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Japanese American National Museum

369 E 1st St, Los Angeles, CA 90012 

Contact information

Phone: 213.922.7277

Email: regionalconnector@metro.net

Facebook: www.facebook.com/MetroRegionalConnector

Twitter: @Metroconnector

FEUER INTRODUCES RESOLUTION URGING CONGRESSIONAL PASSAGE OF

THE LOS ANGELES RESIDENTIAL HELICOPTER NOISE RELIEF ACT OF 2011 

Measure Would Require the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to Issue Regulations within One Year 

Assembly Member Mike Feuer (D-Los Angeles) introduced Assembly Joint Resolution 25 urging Congress to pass the Los Angeles Residential Helicopter Noise Relief Act of 2011 (H.R. 2677 and S. 2019). If passed, the resolution would signal the California State Legislature's support of the federal measure. 

H.R. 2677, sponsored by Representative Howard Berman and co-sponsored by Representatives Brad Sherman, Henry Waxman and Adam Schiff, and S. 2019, sponsored by Senator Dianne Feinstein and co-sponsored by Senator Barbara Boxer, would require the FAA to issue regulations relating to helicopter flight paths and altitudes. 

"For far too long, residential neighborhoods have had to deal with increasing noise and other burdens from helicopters," said Feuer. "This is a major quality of life issue throughout our region. The California Legislature should urge Congress to act this year." 

In October 2011, Feuer released a letter to Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer requesting that the federal act be included in the upcoming Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization. Feuer was joined in his request by a coalition of 17 members of Los Angeles County's Delegation in the State Legislature. 

Feuer has long been concerned about the noise and other associated impacts of helicopters on neighborhoods. In April 2011, Feuer, joined by Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, sent a strongly worded letter to the California Department of Transportation, which controls permitting of helipads, opposing the issuance of a non-emergency helipad permit for the Los Angeles Sofitel Hotel, which is adjacent to over 1,000 homes in the area. 

Assembly Member Feuer's website: http://www.assembly.ca.gov/feuer 

FREE TAX PREPARATION

West Hollywood's representative, Jerome E. Horton, Chairman of the CA State Board of Equalization (BOE) announces free income tax preparation assistance for qualified filers through the Voluntary Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. "For every 1,000 returns completed, up to 5.7 million dollars can be recaptured from the federal government, helping stimulate local economies and aiding in improving the quality of life for low-income working individuals and families," said Horton. 

Horton enthusiastically recommends that local elected officials encourage their constituents to capitalize on federal tax credits. If your constituents earn less than $50,000 they may be entitled to federal tax credits up to $12,000, including $5,751 in federal Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC). Federal tax credits supplements the wages of low-income workers; especially working mothers, lifting more children out of poverty than any other single program or category of programs. The EITC will help 6.5 million working parents with 15 million children. 

 The BOE will also host Free Income Tax Preparation Services at each BOE District Office one day a week from January 25, 2012 to April 13, 2012. For more information please call 323-980-1221 or visit www.boe.ca.gov

All Family Services are open to the public. Free Tax Preparation Assistance for Household Incomes of $50,000 or less. Appointment recommended. Walk-ins are welcomed based on availability. Please call specific site locations for detailed information. 

Saturday, March 17

Los Angeles City College

855 North Vermont Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90029

323-909-1975

10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Saturday, March 24

California State University, Los Angeles

5151 State University Drive

Los Angeles, CA 90032

10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.