Meeting Date: 11/06/03 06:30 PM
Meeting Type: Regular
Location: Gardner Street School
7450 Hawthorn Ave
Details: Tentative Agenda:
1. Call to order and roll call.
2. Secretary – Review and approve prior minutes.
3. Treasurer – Review and approve treasurer’s report. Report on status of city funding.
4. President – Report on Neighborhood Congress.
5. Vice President – Report on Hollywood Street Closure committee, Kiosks for Runyon Canyon, and Dog waste bags.
6. Conditional use permit to have an entertainment-type business at 6623-6625 W Hollywood Blvd (David Judaken applicant). Motion to support by Area 3 chair and possible vote.
7. Conditional use permit to have an entertainment-type business at 6633 W Hollywood Blvd (Eric Liu applicant). Motion to support by Area 3 chair and possible vote.
8. Parking recommendations in and surrounding Runyon Canyon Park. Discussion, possible motion(s) and vote(s).
9. Recommendations regarding use of Runyon Canyon Park. Discussion, possible motion(s) and vote(s).
10. Recommendations for improvements to Runyon Canyon Park. Discussion, possible motion(s) and vote(s)
11. General Comments – Comments from board members on non-agenda items.
12. Public Comments – Comments from the public on non-agenda items within the Board’s subject matter jurisdiction. Public comments are limited to three minutes per speaker.
13. Adjournment (9PM or earlier).
Meeting commenced: 6:45 P.M.
Meeting adjourned: 9:37 P.M.
Meeting facilitator: Dan Bernstein, President
Item 1 – Board members were introduced: Bob Cook, Paul Ramsey, Brian Lubocki, Jeff Rouze, Scott Meyer, Ossie Cohen, Anthony Decker, Cindy Gardner, Paul Woolsey, Orrin Feldman, Mel Remba, Ellen Sondheim, John Connelly, and Jean Summer. Also present were two senior members of Parks and Recreation, Bill Lockhart and Ranger Albert Torres.
Item 2 – Secretary’s report:
Secretary is ill, minutes that were written but are in draft form. Dan asked if they should table the minutes and review them at a later time; makes a motion to table minutes and get back to them later; motion second, motion approved.
Item 3 – Treasurer’s report:
Status of funding, official funded as a board budget $12,500 this cycle, $6,250 in prepaid card account, card not yet received, $682.00 in petty cash left over from last funding cycle, $12,200.49 in city of LA checking account, with access to the account. Individuals can submit invoice and receipts to board to be reimbursed. Entire expense is $124.59, all meeting related. Dan requested motion to approve treasurer’s report. Bob moved to approved, motion favored, no opposition, motion approved.
Item 4 – President’s report:
Dan reported on his participation at the Congress of Neighborhood Committee Conference that was held at the downtown Convention Center – discussion.
LA Department of Transportation with Caltrans invited leaders for various groups to send representatives to join a 101 Citizens Advisory Council. Since HHWNC does not have a Traffic Committee Chair, Dan elected to represent HHWNC at 101 CAC for our area. The CAC will be discussing short range and mid range improvements to the 101 freeway at its next round of committee meetings. Suggestions from anyone are welcome.
Dan also mentioned that the website is now activated, the web address is HHWNC.ORG.
At Dan’s request, John Connolly reported for the LA City Budget Committee:
The two select representative of HHWNC are John Connolly and Bob Cook. Only John attended the Budget Committee meeting at the convention center. Some of the issues discussed were (a) the willingness of Mayor Hahn and his team to support developing neighborhood councils as real institution; to establish an ongoing democratic input into the budgeting process of the City. (b) the entire city is divided into seven regions, for almost every kind of administration from street services, tree trimming, lights, etc. and for neighborhood councils. (c) we are in what’s called the central region which extends from Laurel Canyon and the boundaries of our neighborhood council, including most of downtown. There are about eight or ten neighborhood councils certified in that region. (d) The mayor proposed a series of budget conferences where neighborhood councils can come together and name the series of budget priorities that they would like to see funded in next years budget. The budget for July 2004 begins now.
We surveyed our stakeholders and discussed at the Board level as to what our priorities are, what is important to the budget of our neighborhood and the major areas are street services, policing, traffic, housing, schools and youth. There are a lot of specifics that need to be developed under each one of these issues. We submitted our application to the Mayor’s budgeting team. We got together with the representatives from other neighborhood councils and worked out our budgeting priorities; a lot of budgeting priorities are similar. We voted on street services, sidewalk repair, public safety, police and fire, housing specifically homeless services and affordable housing issues in addition school and youth as well. We were the only councils in our region to propose traffic a core issue; however it didn’t make it into the final list of budgeting priorities from our region, although it is a priority of the Mayor’s. The process is going to continue from now until February at which time there will be another citywide budget council, a 14 person committee including the Mayor and the director of the Office of Management for the Budget.
Item 5 – Vice President’s report:
Darren was not present and Dan provided an update. Street Closure Committee has been meeting and attempting to develop criteria for closures. Currently, some of the people requesting closures previously are taking their events elsewhere. Regarding the Kiosks, that’s a work in progress. We’re looking to put Kiosks at the top and bottom of Runyon Canyon so we can post our agendas there in the future.
Item 6 – Conditional Use Permit, Entertainment type business at 6623-6625 West Hollywood Blvd:
Paul Woolsey chairman Area 3 committee; moved that board vote and take position to support the first of two worthwhile business developments on Hollywood Blvd. Applicant David Jedaken (sp) and his consultant Allan Bailey are present. Paul requests motion to second; motion seconded and agenda item is opened for discussion. Discussion centered on parking and patio area.
Paul Derigo, spoke and is concerned about a traffic study to be done and suggests council go over to area note changes in parking / traffic patterns.
David states they submitted a comprehensive security plan to police captain and have written and verbal approval from all applicable regulatory agencies
Vote on the motion to approve for granting permit and to support the application as prepared. Motion approved; one opposed, (Ellen) one abstention, (Jean) the rest in favor.
Item 7 – Conditional Use Permit, Entertainment type business located at 6633 Hollywood Blvd:
Application was presented by Eric Lou, principal in the restaurant facility formerly the Studio Cafe, Northeast corner Hollywood and Cherokee. He has a zoning hearing that is scheduled for 11/24/03.
Paul Woolsey moved to support restaurant facility. Motion to open issue for discussion made and seconded. Restaurant may have a nightclub facility in the basement at some point; this is still in the discussion phase. The focus is on the business application as just a restaurant. There will be alcohol, and is no CES (Cabaret Entertainment Services) application for live entertainment.
Area 3 committee voted to support this application.
Chris Kelly, partner involved in project and Allan Bailey spoke on patio area issue. They don’t anticipate noise problems.
Bob moved to amend use of patio; Paul accepted amendment to be included in main motion and voted on separately. Motion as amended as stated to support the application Mr. Lou as stated in packet amended; caveat, committee will not support live entertainment on patio or dancing on patio. Paul Ramsey abstained, otherwise motion voted unanimously.
Motion not clear and voting redone. Bob stated amendment, not foresight to include music in amendment. Music came in after Paul second the amendment accepted. Parliamentarian – question to applicant about music being a problem. Application would like to have music spilled out from inside but no live entertainment or dancing.
Motion voting redone. Motion is to support the application of Mr. Lou for property identified in packet; caveat, not to support permitting of live entertainment or dancing on the patio portion. Motion accepted as amended; motion favored, and opposed by two.
Runyon Canyon:
Ms. Warwick’s statements regarding emails between board members were discussed. While the Board does not agree that the e-mail violated the Brown Act, the e-mails will be presented following the remedies provided in the Brown Act. Dan directed all to the e-mails included in the packet attached to the agenda and distributed to all. He reported that the e-mail only presented information that had been provided at previous public meetings and the purpose of the e-mail was to convey previous public information to the board. Since a few people in the audience could not locate the 2 e-mails, John Connolly read Dan’s email regarding update on Runyon Canyon and Bob Cook read his email.
Item 8 – Parking in and around Runyon Canyon
Scott made motion that public comments on Runyon Canyon be restricted to 1 minute each; call for second – discussion. John suggests Scott amend motion to 2 minutes each. Scott does not accept friendly amendment, 3 favored 1 minute time limit, the rest opposed. John moved, speaker time be moved to 2 minutes; members voted, Scott only opposed, all other approved. Motion approved to give speakers 2 minutes time limit.
Bill Lockhart, Recreation and Parks superintendent, spoke. They have capital improvement dollars available, about 1M for the project. Initial voter approved projects for Runyon Canyon included building a ranger station and a parking lot. He offered a challenge to the community to make recommendations that they can take to the Board regarding capital improvements in and around the park. He also challenged the committee to grapple with the issues and make recommendations as well; discussion.
Motion made relating to parking in and around Runyon Canyon. Mel supports implementation of parking area within park, but within means available to city and other sources. With the amendment all visitors must park within the structure and not outside structure. Mel states his motion is a generic motion to start ball rolling; the committee will approve a parking structure or service within the park property and not outside the property. Motion second.
Ellen suggests discuss what area 6 voted on; they already voted on specific issue of parking lot within park. Area 6 voted unanimously against parking lot within the park.
Motion made and favored to opening microphone to public.
Public comments closed on this item at 8:56 p.m.
Bob suggests amendment to Mel’s resolution, does committee support an expansion of Mullholland parking lot, building a lot off Fuller street; does committee support various avenues, streets in their request for restricted parking, suggest committee vote each of these issues separately.
Mel, issued a resolution to get the City active, to utilize resources, and organize a team to work on the project to come up with a better plan.
Bob moves to amend that the question be broken down into 3 issues.
Parliamentarian – one motion on floor Mel’s original motion, Bob suggest a motion to break the question into 3 segments that board can vote on and forwarded to proper authority.
Mel will withdraw his motion and Bob will make his motion. The question to vote on a series of items, or vote on one motion; Mel is against Bob’s motion to vote all three, if Bob’s motion prevails then committee will vote on 3 parts of the questions.
Dan can’t vote on permit parking separately he feels it’s hard to separate issues; he does not want to separate parking permit issue.
Motion on floor seconded. Bob moves to amend motion to break question into three sections.
Mel’s motion supports the inclusion of a parking lot within borders of Runyon canyon. The motion is moved and second; however, it doesn’t relate to Bob’s motion to break question into 3 sections. Bob’s motion is a separate motion; a motion against Mel’s. Ossie removed his second to Mel’s motion.
Mel’s motion to have parking lot at south end of canyon and is in favor of parking lot at south lot of Runyon canyon within its border; motion seconded. Board voted against, Dan and Mel abstained.
Permit parking
Motion by Bob moves that committee support residents where there is strong opinion for permit parking within neighborhood council. Mel seconds – discussion follows.
Motion stated supports adjacent streets impacted by Runyon canyon seeking restricted parking. Mel calls for the question by. Call questions vote, suggested by Bob, and adjourn meeting. Ellen supports permit parking. Call to question, in favor of motion to support permit parking within the area. Board voted in favor, Orin opposed, 1 abstained.
Not able to receive public comment on items 9 and 10. Motion to adjourned, second; meeting adjourned at 9:37 P.M.