NCs Make the Big Time: Front Page of the LA Times

NEIGHBORHOODS LA-Well, we finally made it! The front-page article in the Los Angeles Times Saturday April 26, talked about Neighborhood Councils.  Of course it took a “Gentlemen’s Club” owner wanting a seat on the Canoga Park Neighborhood Council (NC) Board to garner that kind of attention.   

I am the last one to criticize snappy headlines but the title “A Naked Power Grab” might lead people to believe it was a fight for Board control as opposed to being more of a clever pun. 

Canoga Park NC in the past has had its share of difficulties but NC President Corrine Ho, along with some strong and devoted members, have made big differences in the last year or two.  Its participation in the DC3 Public Safety coalition and sponsoring a major event teaching the community about safety are examples of their strength. 

Canoga Park is a working class neighborhood with all of the incumbent advantages and disadvantages.  Economic development is high on its list of priorities. True, a nude strip Club employs people and pays taxes, but that probably isn’t the kind of economic development the Chamber of Commerce and NC had in mind. 

In the recent NC election the owner and two employees from the Club ran for the Board and the Club Manager, a 27 year old Army veteran and aspiring law student, was elected. This is out of a Board of 25, nowhere near a majority.   There are current vacancies on the Board and the strip club owner wants to be appointed to fill one of them. Stakeholders, according the LA Times, are “complaining that the strip club is trying to co-opt the very civic body designed to give neighborhoods a voice about issues posed by businesses.” 

Apparently several complaints of violence, drugs, prostitution and other assorted moral misdeeds have been launched against the Club but none have been sufficient to close it down. The Club has been open since 2001. 

The owner says that by answering the many complaints voiced by the Canoga Park NC, the Planning Commission and police etc., he has learned a tremendous amount about the City operations and feels he can make a valuable addition to the Board. 

The positive side of the article was the large amount of space it devoted to talking about Neighborhood Councils, why they were established,  and explaining the new election rule changing the definition of a qualified voter.  NC’s are increasing in importance and influence.  This front page LA Times article is validation. 

There have been several instances, in prior years, where a developer trucked in his construction workers to vote for his preferred candidates.  Under the old rules he stated they were eligible because they were working on the site.  Now the rule says, that if you don’t live, work in the community, own real property or have a continuing interest in an organization in the Council area- you are not eligible to vote. This eliminated the pot shops, which recruited their customers to vote and the “Starbucks” customers who bought a daily latte. 

This brings up a very interesting situation.  How do we include the business community in the NC activities and policies?  Some people say it is not the business of the NC’s.  This is the role of the various Chambers of Commerce and business associations.  Our mandate is to involve the community in local government issues etc. 

I disagree!  NC President Corrine Ho was quoted saying, “Some people might have a problem with the strip club’s business but they have a right to be here.” She is absolutely right. 

I would suggest that the business community should definitely be a part of its Neighborhood Council and not just in name only.   Many NC’s have a “Business Representative” designated Board seat but that is as far as it goes.  I don’t ever remember our Business reps ever suggesting a project or ever mentioning the business community’s interest. 

Of course we should support our business community so that their customer base increases and they can hire more people, therefore paying more taxes which help increase the economy etc.  Many NC’s really treat that part of the community as “step children.” 

There are notable exceptions.  Reseda NC President Kevin Taylor and his Board are constantly promoting their business community.  In turn the business community is very helpful in supporting Reseda in its many activities. The same holds true in other parts of the City but I will bet they are the exception rather than the rule. 

I am definitely not in favor of increasing pot shops and strip clubs and locating them near schools, but we have zoning laws to handle those issues.   As long as a business is not breaking the law they have a legitimate right to exist and participate in community affairs.   

This NC election year has seen many upsets and changes.  Some really good people have been defeated but if they really care about their community they will find other ways to continue to be active in the NC system.   When the election is over EMPOWERLA will have the numbers of new Board members vs. incumbents etc. 

It is my personal feeling that no one should serve on a Board forever.   People run for NC Board positions for a variety of reasons. Each organization, especially “not for profit” groups, needs to continually re-invent itself so it stays relevant. It can’t do it by retaining the same people year after year. 

Can a 27- year old Army veteran, who works as a strip club manager, add something to the community?  Absolutely!  I hear NC members complaining that one or several people on their Board are “idiots.”  That may be true but if we truly represent our community … idiots are among us, just like power grabbers, altruists, attention seekers and good- hearted Angelenos who want to make a difference. 

We need to encourage younger people to get involved and make them feel welcome and that their opinions are valuable.  Just because someone has served on a Board for ten years and can quote ordinances and Roberts Rules of Order, doesn’t make them a valuable NC Board member. 

Democracy is not perfect and perhaps Strip Clubs and election defeats are the downside of a democracy- but in some ways it is the upside…it helps make a more inclusive and level playing field. 

How do you see the business community’s role in NC activities and policies?  As always I am interested in your comments and opinions.

 

(Denyse Selesnick is a CityWatch contributor, Program Co-Chair, the LA Neighborhood Congress, and a stakeholder in the Tarzana Neighborhood Council. She can be reached at [email protected].) [[hotlink]] Photo credit: Los Angeles Times

-cw

 

Tags: Denyse Selesnick, Neighborhoods LA, neighborhood councils, business reps, Canoga Park Neighborhood Council, Corrine Ho, gentleman’s club

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CityWatch

Vol 12 Issue 35

Pub: Apr 29, 2014