from the City Watch Newsletter Special Issue:

June 24, 2006

NC Review Commission Final
So, Who Are These People?
By Ken Draper & Greg Nelson

On Friday, the Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa added his 14 appointments … seven from the Neighborhood Council nominee pool … and provided the last chapter to a lengthy selection process for the NC Review Commission. The Commission now has its full 29-member compliment.

Friday also marked the seven year anniversary of the historic voter approval of a new City Charter that brought with it the Neighborhood Council mandate.

Past or present Neighborhood Council members make up more than half of the Commission, fulfilling a battle by NC leaders, that started in the fall of last year, to insure a fair representation on the review panel.

The Commission is charged with evaluating the LA's Neighborhood Council system, not the individual performance of NCs. Issues like stakeholder definition, funding related to performance, diversity and current NC election procedures are expected to be reviewed.

The Commission will meet shortly to organize itself. Numerous public hearings will be scheduled and quarterly reports are requested in the ordinance that spawned the Commission. It has been given a year to complete its work, although a request for an extension is also an option.

The appointment process gave one selection to each City Council member and 14 to the Mayor with the requirement that seven of the Mayor's picks had to come from a pool of nominees chosen by Neighborhood Councils.

● East Plan Area-JASON LYON (Silver Lake NC Board) Past Co-Chair; NC Gay & Lesbian Caucus; Spearheaded the movement to get Council File Numbers for issues proposed by NCs; former Area Planning Commissioner

● West Plan Area-PAUL RESNIK (President, W LA NC) Community activist. Serves on DWP MOU Oversight Committee

● So. Valley Plan Area-DR CHARLOTTE LAWS (Greater Valley Glen NC) Animal activist, founded DAW group

● No. Valley Plan Area-CINDY CLEGHORN (President, Sunland-Tujunga NC)

● Harbor Plan Area-ESTHER CEPEDA (Board, Harbor City NC)

● Central Plan Area-JEFF JACOBBERGER (Secty, Mid City WEST NC) Drafted NC/DWP MOU and LANCC Charter; Secty on LANCC; Attny.

● So. Plan Area-JULIAN ROGERS (President, Empowerment Congress SE NC) Alternate on LANCC Senate. Founded So. LA NC Alliance

MAYOR’S PICKS

● DORA LEONG GALLO-With non-profit developer A Community of Friends, which provides housing options for mentally ill and formerly homeless

● JACKIE DUPONT WALKER-Served on appointed Charter Reform Commission

● CORRINE SANCHEZ-With El Proyecto del Barrio. Longtime reputable non profit providing education and health services

● JAN BRIEDENBACH-Served as Executive Director of the So. Calif Association of Non-Profit Housing

● BONG HWAN KIM-Active in Korean community. Serves on numerous committees

● LINDA WONG-California Community Foundation

● CHRISTINE CHAVEZ-Union leader. Just ran for State Assembly. Cesar’s granddaughter

CITY COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS

● Ed Reyes (CD 1)-EVELYN MONTES

● Wendy Gruel (CD 2)-JONATHAN ZASLOFF-Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy

● Dennis Zine (CD3)-LEONARD SHAFFER-Tarzana NC President; Chair of LANCC; former prosecutor

● Tom LaBonge (CD4)-MARK SIEGEL-Founder of CityWatch; founder Citywide Alliance of NCs; union consultant; served under Mayor James Hahn

● Jack Weiss (CD5)-DR. IRVING LEBOVICS-2nd VP Mid City WEST Community Council; political & community activist

● Tony Cardenas (CD6)-DENNIS O’SULLIVAN-President Sun Valley NC

● Alex Padilla (CD7)-JAVIER ANGULLO-Board Lincoln Heights NC

● Bernard Parks (CD8)-FRANK PRATER-President Empowerment Congress North

● Jan Perry (CD9)-SANDRA BRYANT

● Herb Wesson (CD10)-GUY LEEMHUIS-Board United Neighborhoods of Historic Arlington Heights

● Bill Rosendahl (CD 11)-TOM PONTON-President Mar Vista NC; serves on LANCC

● Greig Smith (CD12)-JOE VITTI-Board Granada Hills NC; President Valley Vote; delegate to LANCC Senate; representative on NC/DWP MOU Taskforce

● Eric Garcetti (CD13)-REV. ATTAGRACIA PEREZ-Episcopalian Minister; fought WalMart in Inglewood

● Jose Huizar (CD 14)-JESSICA WETHINGTON MCLEAN-Board Eagle Rock NC

● Janice Hahn (CD15)-TONI O’DONNELL-One of founders of Wilmington NC