Here's all about the proposed:

DWP MOU Process

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Citywide Issues Group helped get the word out to the Neighborhood Councils in one of the first issues on which NC positions were effectively transmitted to City Council -- prior to an important vote on DWP rate hikes.

The Council's decision at that time was to limit the amount of the rate hike (from the 18% originally requested to 11%), based partly on the overwhelming reaction of LA's stakeholders.

But the issue isn't over, and now we'd like your NC's input on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) currently being prepared. It's thought this agreement will serve as the basis for numerous MOUs between NCs and various City Departments.

Some background:

DWP MOU Process

by Bob Gelfand
Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council

The Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council unanimously passed the resolution included below. It sets forth a policy for evaluating a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between any city department and neighborhood councils.

In particular, CSPNC opposes any negotiation which discriminates against any neighborhood council which asks to be included in discussions. It also opposes secret negotiations. It cites the recent DWP negotiations as a model of inclusiveness.

Please note that the resolution also asks that CSPNC and other harbor area nc's be allowed to participate in any negotiation aimed at generating an MOU with the planning department.

Other neighborhood councils may be interested in the policy statement which can be found in the final paragraph.

Motion on Citywide Planning Discussions Whereas neighborhood councils in the 13th City Council District have been organizing a process whereby they will work with the city’s Planning Department on issues of mutual concern, with the intent of working towards a Memorandum of Understanding to be signed by the Department and the neighborhood councils, Therefore the Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council requests that it be invited to join the process along with any other neighborhood councils wishing to be included, and in particular, that a representative of the already-active Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council’s Vision Committee be invited to participate, And Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council does further resolve that (1) we endorse the philosophy and process taken in the ongoing negotiations between the Department of Water and Power with the city’s neighborhood councils, a process which involves openness and inclusion for all of the city’s neighborhood councils, and (2) Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council does expressly oppose any and all negotiations between city departments and neighborhood councils which involve exclusion of any neighborhood council which wishes to participate, or which involves secrecy in the negotiating process, and we oppose the creation of any Memorandum of Understanding between any city department and any neighborhood council(s) negotiated in such a fashion.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bob Gelfand
issuesbob@sbcglobal.net