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IN THIS ISSUE
A WORD FROM ERIC
Fighting for L.A. in D.C.
New Leaders in the CD13 Staff
A New e-News & a Council Gazette
LEGISLATIVE NOTES
BLOGGING THE DISTRICT
ODDS AND ENDS
CONTACT US
Councilmember
Eric Garcetti |
A Word From Eric
Earlier this month, I was part of an historic delegation of Los Angeles City Councilmembers visiting Washington, D.C. The bloom of cherry blossoms was still a long way off: we were there to lobby legislators on Capitol Hill and to strategize with other local government officials from across the country as part of the annual National League of Cities conference.
I don't think we've ever had a time in our city that so many people were so united to make progress on the issues that confront us. Our housing crisis leaves thousands on the street and shuts out thousands more from home ownership. Gridlock threatens our streets. Our crime statistics are falling, encouraging us to make Los Angeles the safest big city in America.
You were represented in the capital by a record-setting City Council contingent: ten members, the highest number that has ever been there together. We met with Congressmembers both from California's delegation and key committee leadership positions, and we met with local elected officials from across the country to coordinate a strategy to prevent Washington from forgetting local priorities.
Improving the neighborhood | I've written previously about the importance of fighting threatened cuts to Community Development Block Grants, and about the frustration that comes from seeing an Administration promise to fight senior poverty, youth gang involvement, and homelessness, and then slash the very funds that help local governments make headway against these problems. The picture is even clearer when you walk through our district and look at what we can accomplish when we can match federal funds with local priorities. We've used CDBG funds to install security cameras in East Hollywood. Nearby, they help fund construction of a median on Heliotrope Drive. CDBG funds have paid for or will pay for the design of a park in Elysian Valley, a kiln for Barnsdall Art Park, traffic improvements at Santa Monica and Western, the streetscape project in Historic Filipinotown, the Glendale Boulevard project in Atwater Village, the Glendale Boulevard project in Echo Park...
That's just a sampling of the effect that one single form of federal funds can have on the neighborhoods of one district. Then consider port security funds, police grants, transportation improvements, housing funds, and workforce training dollars. The importance of our city's relationship to Washington becomes clear.
Along with my field office moving to the historic Mayer Building at Hollywood and Western, I am pleased to announce some new leaders among my CD13 staff. In January, David Gershwin joined me as chief of staff, coming from The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. I have appointed Ana Guerrero, who served as my interim chief of staff, as my deputy chief of staff and my director of council relations. As Council President, I'm focused on promoting the work that each of my colleagues is doing on the issues that face our city, and having two top leaders like Ana and David working side by side is key to carrying that out while we keep service to the 13th Council District Job Number 1. (More about Ana and David here.)
To that end, I've appointed Mitch O'Farrell and Shane Goldsmith the co-directors of CD13's field operations. Mitch serves as District Director of Constituent Service, and Shane is my District Director of Community Development. Mitch and Shane have already provided extraordinary service to CD13, and I'm proud to see them each take on leadership roles.
As District Director of Community Development, Shane keeps her eagle eye on public and private funds that can be used for new projects or expanded services in the district. She is our in-house project manager for development projects such as new parks. She runs the Leadership Institute and covers key legislative issues with direct impacts in CD13, such as public safety and immigration.
Mitch, in his capacity as District Director of Constituent Service, oversees my constituent open office hours, my constituent communications, and also advises and represents me on legislative issues, especially with regards to the Bureau of Public Works and the Department of Transportation.
And of course, Mitch and Shane together supervise my excellent field staff. Please don't be confused about whom to call: each neighborhood still has its designated field representative in my field office. You can see the full list, including who serves what neighborhood, here.
At your service: the staff of CD13.
You'll notice a slight format change in this e-news. Going forward, you're going to see more frequent issues of the e-news containing more links back to my blog at www.cd13.com. To get even more frequent updates, visit my blog daily or subscribe via a "feed-reader" to see when I post new entries. Don't unsubscribe from the e-news just yet, though! I look forward to sharing more stories of our district and our city on the web and in your e-mail.
And for those of you who enjoy reading about every corner of Los Angeles (there's life outside the 13th district?), you may enjoy the new Los Angeles City Council Gazette, with legislative and neighborhood accomplishments from each of my colleagues on the City Council.
CD13 staffer Cecilia Cabello joined the historic march for immigrants' rights and against the Sensenbrenner bill. See her guest-blog entry at CD13.com!
LEGISLATIVE NOTES FROM THE BLOG:
Local crime maps here | As Council President, I've sworn to drill down on issues affecting housing, transportation, and public safety, so please check out these blog entries on the housing crisis; a new idea to break Hollywood gridlock we call the Holly Trolley, and a way to get from Downtown to LAX without your car; and some accomplishments of the LAPD both on the streets and online (don't skip that last one -- it shows you how to get updated crime maps of your neighborhood).
I've also been at work on an ordinance, newly passed, that will protect our native trees. And here's an interesting overview of our trash situation.
NEWS FROM AROUND THE DISTRICT:
My staff and I have been as busy as ever in the neighborhoods of CD13. Here's a quick sample from the blog:
more pictures from the Metrolink memorial here | I commemorated the first anniversary of the Metrolink Crash and honored the heroism of Costco workers and official first responders in Atwater Village.
The Glassell Park Improvement Association has a brand-new website.
We dedicated the long-awaited Glendale Boulevard project in Echo Park.
After an attempted kidnapping, Addie Daddio put together a Walk Watch in Silver Lake. Also, I spoke about "green films" at the Silver Lake Film Festival.
The Palomar reborn | In Hollywood, we inaugurated the Holly Trolley (with guest blogger Wendy Greuel!) to break the weekend traffic crush. I delivered the State of Hollywood Address to shine a light on some of our unsung heroes, and broke it up into six different entries on the blog. And we opened the Palomar Apartments, newly risen like a phoenix from the ashes of a tragic fire where, during my first year in office, Norma Galindo fell to her death after saving her two children.
All aboard the Holly Trolley
ODDS AND ENDS
Live simpler with DWP's E-Z Pay or by using the Union Station Flyaway to LAX.
Have you met Little Antonio and Little Ed?
I've been tagged! Blogger eecue sent me this assignment, where I reported about my favorite L.A. movies, places, foods, and more.
Meet the ambassadors: students from John Marshall High School who are helping newcomers to Council get around.
I'm not the only blogging L.A. official. See who else is on-line.
Flavors of LA, Episode II | My second episode of Flavors of L.A., focusing on the tastes of District 9, went on the air.
The Episcopal Diocese had a truck full of goods for Katrina survivors, but no truck...
Find Flickr pages by drawing them with this online tool.
Guess what's my favorite building in Los Angeles? It's not too hard to guess...
Do you have the best idea since sliced bread?
Map the languages of Los Angeles with this tool.
And one more: with a half-million dollar grant from the Goldwyn Foundation, the Frances Goldwyn Library on Ivar Street got a much-needed makeover. Tom LaBonge and I read a pirate story to schoolchildren at the grand opening.
CONTACT US
Tell us what you think. ..... councilmember.garcetti@lacity.org
Councilmember Eric Garcetti represents the Thirteenth Council District which includes all or part of the communities of Glassell Park, Atwater Village, Elysian Valley, Echo Park, Historic Filipinotown, Silver Lake, East Hollywood and Hollywood.
Councilmember Garcetti serves as President of the Los Angeles City Council. He chairs the Council‘s Rules and Elections Committee, is the Vice-Chair of the Energy and the Environment Committee, and sits on the Housing and Community Development Committee. He also sits on the Council‘s Ad Hoc Committee on Homelessness and the Ad Hoc Committee on the Los Angeles River.
Councilmember Garcetti and his staff can be reached via e-mail at councilmember.garcetti@council.lacity.org or by mail or phone at City Hall, 200 N. Spring Street, Room 470, Los Angeles, CA 90012, (213) 473 7013 and 5500 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90028, 323/957-4500.
www.cd13.com
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