Silver Lake Neighborhood Council Formation (6/1999-2/2003)

The Mission Statement of the Neighborhood Council is: "The SLNC will work to honor diversity, build community, forge bonds with neighboring communities, and promote participation in city governance and decision making processes to improve the quality of life for all Silver Lake's stakeholders."

For more information, go to the SLNC web site (http://www.silverlakenc.org/)


TIME LINE

bulletJune 1999: 
New LA City Charter passed. Calls for citywide system of Neighborhood Councils (NCs) to serve in advisory, not policy-making, capacity with the City Council. NCs are to be implemented by DONE (Department of Neighborhood Empowerment) under the supervision of the Board of Neighborhood Commissioners.
bulletMarch 2000: 
DONE begins series of citywide NC workshops. Workshop in Echo Park attended by several Silver Lake residents.
bulletMarch 2000: 
Silver Lake community leaders (from SL Improvement Assn., SL Residents Assn., SL Chamber of Commerce, and Committee to Save SL's Reservoirs) start the SLNC formation process. They outreach to other "stakeholder" groups (schools, religious institutions, youth groups, rec centers, health service providers, cultural groups, etc.).
bulletApril 2000: 
1st SLNC formation meeting: 22 people attend. Interest for continuing process shown; additional outreach undertaken.
bulletMay 2000:
2nd SLNC meeting: 26 people attend. Reps from Franklin Hills (FH) and Los Feliz (LF) urge forming larger NC including them and Atwater Village (AV) to achieve greater political clout. Straw vote (with minimal discussion) in favor of larger NC.
bulletJune 2000: 
3rd Silver Lake NC meeting: 12-15 people attend. 2nd "straw vote" on larger vs. smaller NC--this time majority votes for smaller NC (tho' many pro-larger-NC people are not present).
bulletJuly 2000: 
Community meeting sponsored by Los Feliz Improvement Association but open to surrounding communities. Large turn-out. Sizeable majority votes for larger NC (how many from SL voted with majority is hard to tell.)
bulletAug. 2000: 
1st larger NC formation meeting held in Los Feliz. 40-50 people attend, divided fairly evenly among the four communities.
bulletSept.-Dec. 2000: 
Series of larger-NC meetings, good turnouts, good rapport. Venues rotate among 4 communities; Governance/Outreach Committees formed.
bulletDec. 2000: 
DONE submits citywide NC plan to City Council.
bulletJan.-April 2001: 
Larger-NC meetings continue. Governance proposal approved: 4 NC Board Reps and 4 Alternates per community, plus 5 at-large reps to be appointed by the 16 community reps; rep selection method up to each community. Over SL's objection, "Greater Griffith Park NC" (GGP) adopted as provisional name.
bulletMay 2001: 
No GGP meeting held. During interim, idea of revisiting smaller vs. larger NC issue floated in Silver Lake.
bulletMay 2001: 
City Council approves NC formation plan. Main conditions for Certification: minimum of 20,000 stakeholders in proposed NC area, 250 Stakeholder signatures (since reduced to 200).
bulletJune 2001: 
City Council postpones starting date for submission of NC plans for Certification from July 1 to October 1, 2001.
bulletJune 18, 2001: 
At GGP meeting, SL declares intention to revisit smaller-NC issue; will hold community meeting to decide issue.
bulletJune 30, 2001: 
At SL community meeting, following discussion, 42-5-1 abstention (47-10-1 w/absentee ballots) vote for forming SL-specific NC. Need to maintain contact w/GGP strongly voiced.
bulletJuly 6, 2001: 
1st Coordinating Committee meeting of new SLNC formation group, comprised of 8 people involved in previous NC-formation process. They plan 1st SLNC Community Meeting.
bulletJuly 25, 2001: 
1st SLNC Community Meeting/Workshop. League of Women Voters, Grass Roots Venice rep make presentations. Expanded Coordinating Committee, new Communication, Outreach, Boundary, and Governance Committees formed.
bulletAugust 2001: 
Sub-Committees hold meetings, begin work. SLNC web site established.
bulletSept. 11, 2001: 2nd scheduled Community Meeting cancelled due to terrorist attacks.
bulletSept./Oct. 2001: Continuing Committee meetings. Outreach passes 200 signature total needed for Certification. Governance Committee drafts Mission Statement, begins work on By-Laws; Boundaries Committee negotiates boundaries with neighboring communities.
bulletOct. 2001: DONE begins NC Certification process. Only 10 out of 184 possible NCs apply.
bulletNov. 14, 2001: 2nd SLNC Community Meeting.
bulletFeb. 11, 2003: The Silver Lake Neighborhood Council was certified on Feb. 11, 2003.  

Information submitted by Vince Brook.