Atwater Village Neighborhood Council Elections Update

Chair of the AVNC's Election Committee Reports: 

Greetings All,

I want to thank everyone for participating in the AVNC elections. A lot of effort was put in to this by everyone involved and it shows how much we all care for our community.

Congratulations to the new Atwater Village Neighborhood Council. Those winning a seat are as follows:

North Atwater: Alex Ventura, John Ciulik
Central Atwater: Karen Knapp, Thomas Moss
South Atwater: Courtney Morris, Ginger Damon
Business: Jerry Hoffman, Brad Balduff
Community/Non-Profit: Lara Pranger, Torin Dunnavant
Church/Religion: Bruce Fleenor
Parks & Rec: Luis Lopez

Unfilled seats are:

Church/Religious Orgs (1)
Schools Rep (1)
Special Interest (3)

So far we have had two written requests for open seats: Mario Cardenas for the open Church/Religious Org seat, and Jayden Brant for one of the Special Interest seats. Ironically three incumbents didn't pick up enough votes to be re-elected due to hotly contested seats, but they are encouraged to submit a written statement of their desire to be chosen by the board for open seats, along with other candidates. At least one stakeholder who didn't enter the election has expressed interest in an open seat, so we may have a mini-election in November.

A simple email to our current Board of Governors Secretary, Mario Cardenas, will indicate your interest in an appointed seat. His email is mario@atwatervillage.org

Thank you again for your involvement and interest,
-- 
John Ciulik
North Atwater Representative
Atwater Village Neighborhood Council
Where progress is a tradition
http://www.atwatervillage.org/ 
john@atwatervillage.org


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CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE LOOSES NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL ELECTION BID

L.A. City Council (CD13) candidate Rueben Martinez lost an October 6^th election bid for the Atwater Village Neighborhood Council. Martinez, an incumbent on the neighborhood council board, garnered 31 votes of the total 127 ballots casted.

As a long time Atwater resident Martinez ran for one of the two available positions for “South Atwater Residential Rep”, along with 5 other candidates. Martinez lost to newcomer Courtney Morris and incumbent Ginger Damon. 

Click here for complete election results

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ATWATER’S NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL ELECTION WINNERS ARE…

127 ballots were cast for the October 6^th Atwater Village Neighborhood Council board election. The winners are: Bruce Fleenor (101 votes), Karen Knapp(92 votes), Luis Lopez (88 votes), John Ciulik (83 votes), Alex Ventura (79 votes), Lara Pranger (79 votes), Jerry Hoffman (77 votes), Thomas Moss (73 votes), Torin Dunnavant (62 votes), Courtney Morris (61 votes), Brad Balduff(52 votes) and Ginger Damon (38 votes).

Click here to download vote canvass (pdf file)

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ATWATER VILLAGE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL ELECTION ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6th

The Atwater Village Neighborhood Council’s next election is on October 6th. The election will be held from 10am to 2pm. The election will take place at Christ’s Church of Griffith Park (3852 Edenhurst Ave.). All Atwater Village stakeholders are encouraged to vote.

Eight of the eighteen candidates that are running are not currently on the neighborhood council. The new candidates have a diversity of backgrounds, civil engineering, law enforcement, reality entertainment, law, local business, the arts, and more.

As an incentive to vote, local businesses are offering discounts and giveaways to voters. Participating businesses include: 55 Degree Wine, Bon Vivant, Individual Medley, Indochine, Sweets for the Soul, and Woof Dog Boutique.

The fourteen seats up for election are North Atwater(2), Central Atwater(2), South Atwater(2), Business(2), Community/Non-Profit(2), Religious(2), Schools(1), and Parks(1).

More information about the election can be found here: http://www.atwatervillage.org/node/711

The purpose of the Neighborhood Council system is to promote more public participation in government, making government more responsive to neighborhood needs. Atwater Village has been a part of the Los Angeles Neighborhood Council system since 2003.

More information available at www.atwatervillage.org or contact Elections Committee co-chairs John Ciulik john@atwatervillage.org 

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ATWATER’S NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL STILL LOOKING FOR CANDIDATES

haga clic aquí para versión en español

The Atwater Village Neighborhood Council (AVNC) continues to accept candidate filing forms for their upcoming board election.  Filing forms need to be received by or before September 6th to qualify as a candidate for the October 6th election.

There are 14 open seats in this election consisting of the following stakeholder categories: resident (6), business (2), non-profit (2), church (2), school (1) and parks (1).

Candidate filings can be submitted online, click here for more information.

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The AVNC is quasi-governmental agency founded in 2003 as part of L.A.’s citywide neighborhood council system. The AVNC was commissioned to “empower” Atwater Village by promoting more citizen participation in City government and make it more responsive to local needs.

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EL CONSEJO VECINAL DE ATWATER VILLAGE SIGUE BUSCANDO CANDIDATOS

click here for english version

El Consejo Vecinal de Atwater Village (AVNC) sigue aceptando formularios de candidatura para la elección de nuevo representantes para su junta directiva. Formularios deben ser recibidos el 06 de septiembre o antes para poder calificar como candidato para la elección del 6 de octubre.

Hay 14 puestos vacantes en esta elección que consisten en las siguientes categorías: residencial (6), de negocios (2), grupos comunitarios (2), instituciones religiosas (2), escuela (1) y parques (1).

Formularios de candidatura pueden presentarse en línea, haga clic aquí para más información

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El AVNC es una agencia cuasi-gubernamental fundada en 2003 como parte de la sistema de consejo vecinal en la ciudad de Los Ángeles. El AVNC fue creado con el propósito de "empoderar" a la comunidad de Atwater Village, promoviendo una mayor participación de su ciudadana en el Gobierno municipal para que la cuidad responda mejor a las necesidades locales.

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ATWATER’S NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL FAILS TO REACH QUORUM FOR MONTHLY BOARD MEETING

Although having a near-full board Atwater’s neighborhood council (AVNC) failed to get the required quorum to conduct their monthly meeting.  Despite having 15 so-called “active” board members only 8 attended last night’s meeting; just 1 less then the 9 members needed to satisfy their quorum requirement. 

Chronic absenteeism and failure to enforce their own absentee bylaw provision continue to be a problem for the current AVNC board. 

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NOW ACCEPTING CANDIDATES FOR ATWATER’S NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL ELECTION

haga clic aquí para versión en español

The Atwater Village Neighborhood Council (AVNC) is now accepting candidate filing forms for their upcoming board election.  Filing forms need to be received by or before September 6^th to qualify as a candidate for the October 6^th election.

There are 14 open seats in this election consisting of the following stakeholder categories: resident (6), business (2), non-profit (2), church (2), school (1) and parks (1).

Candidate filings can be submitted online, click here formore information.

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The AVNC is quasi-governmental agency founded in 2003 as part of L.A.’s citywide neighborhood council system. The AVNC was commissioned to “empower” Atwater Village by promoting more citizen participation in City government and make it more responsive to local needs.

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EL CONSEJO VECINAL DE ATWATER VILLAGE (AVNC) TENDRÁ UNA ELECCIÓN EL 6 DE OCTUBRE DE 2012

click here for english version

El Consejo Vecinal de Atwater Village (AVNC) tendrá una elección para elegir nuevo representantes para su junta directiva el 6 de octubre de 2012. Hay 14 puestos vacantes en esta elección que consisten en las siguientes categorías: residencial (6), de negocios (2), grupos comunitarios (2), instituciones religiosas (2), escuela (1) y parques (1).

Formulario de candidatura serán aceptadas desde el 7 de agosto al 6 de septiembre.

Haz clic aquí para más información.

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El AVNC es una agencia cuasi-gubernamental fundada en 2003 como parte de la sistema de consejo vecinal en la ciudad de Los Ángeles. El AVNC fue creado con el propósito de "empoderar" a la comunidad de Atwater Village, promoviendo una mayor participación de su ciudadana en el Gobierno municipal para que la cuidad responda mejor a las necesidades locales.

La última elección fue en 2010 que fue marcado por un nivel excesivamente bajo de votantes y de candidatos. Sólo 102 electores participaron en esa elección, una cantidad significativamente inferior a los aproximados 15,000 votantes que son elegibles para votar. Además, la participación de los candidatos en esa elección fue la más baja desde el AVNC fue fundada en 2003. Con 14 puestos elegibles sólo 11 candidatos participaron y en casi cada caso se corrió sin oposición.

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AVNC SHORTCHANGES ATWATER WHILE SPENDING “LAVISHLY” ON NON-ATWATER EVENTS AND PRIVATE PROPERTY IMPROVEMENTS

At their March 8^th meeting the Atwater Village Neighborhood Council (AVNC) approved funding requests for Jubilee and the Independent Shakespeare Company.

Silver Lake’s music & art festival, Jubilee, received approval for $1,000 instead of the $2,500 sponsorship originally requested. While, the Independent Shakespeare Company, a classical-play group, received approval for the full $5,000 they requested to continue with structural upgrades to their theatre stage.

In just over a year Jubilee and the Independent Shakespeare Company have collectively received a total of $16,000 in direct funding from the AVNC, just over 1/3^rd of the AVNC’s yearly budget. All the while the AVNC seems to have underfunded Atwater Village community projects and events; often-forcing local groups to depend more on private donors.

Last Fall the Atwater Elementary School raised over $12,000 (of the $15,000 needed) in private donations to reopen the school library; which had been closed due to budget shortcuts. The AVNC contributed only  $3,000, which was allocated 18 months earlier as part of their "educational budget". The AVNC declined to provide additional funding citing “budget difficulties”. At the time they made no mention of the extra $6,000 in their budget that suddenly “materialized” this month to fund the requests by Jubilee and the Independent Shakespeare Company.

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IS ATWATER’S NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL CONSIDERS SPENDING ANOTHER $5,000 OF TAXPAYER MONEY TO IMPROVE PRIVATE PROPERTY?

The Atwater Village Neighborhood Council (AVNC) will vote on whether to approve another $5,000 funding request by the Independent Shakespeare Company (ISC) at their March 8^th board meeting.

The ISC is a theater group specializing in classical plays and is housed at the Atwater Crossing complex at 3191 Casitas Ave in Atwater Village.

Contrary to Brown Act requirements the agenda for the March 8^th meeting only provides a vague description of ISC’s funding request. As such it is not presently known how ISC would use said funds if approved. However, in April 2011 the AVNC Board approved an earlier $5,000 funding request.  The ISC reportedly used those funds to upgrade their theatre stage with steel deck platforms instead of the wooden platform used at the time.

It is uncertain how Atwater Village benefited by spending taxpayer funds to structurally improve what seems to be private property. It is even less clear how Atwater Village would benefit from a new funding request that has received little or no public vetting. 

Board Meeting

Atwater Village Neighborhood Council

Thursday, March 8th - 7:00 PM

Christ's Church of Griffith Park

3852 Edenhurst Avenue

Click here for the complete agenda, see item E.

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ATWATER’S NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL TO VOTE ON $2,500 SPONSORSHIP FOR ANOTHER NON-ATWATER EVENT

The Atwater Village Neighborhood Council (AVNC) will vote on whether to approve a $2,500 sponsorship for a Silver Lake event at their upcoming board meeting.

The event, Silver Lake Jubilee, will take place on Memorial Day Weekend 2012  (May 26th and 27^th) on Santa Monica Blvd beginning at the intersection of Sunset Blvd continuing southwest on Santa Monica Blvd to Commonwealth St. Event organizers describe Silver Lake Jubilee as “Los Angeles’ premier music, arts and food festival.”

The event recently made news for increasing their ticket prices 300% - from $5 to $20. The Los Feliz Ledger reported on the 300% price increase in a recent article: “Jubilee” Ticket Prices Less Jubilant This Year.

If approved this would be the 2^nd time the current AVNC Board authorized funding for the Silver Lake Jubilee; in 2011 the same AVNC Board provided a $5,000 sponsorship. It is unclear what benefit, if any, Atwater Village would gain by spending community funds on non-Atwater events.

Board Meeting

Atwater Village Neighborhood Council

Thursday, March 8^th - 7:00 PM

Christ's Church of Griffith Park

3852 Edenhurst Avenue

Click here for full agenda

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AVNC FAILS TO ENFORCE BYLAW PROVISIONS MEANT TO CURB BOARD ABSENTEEISM

Atwater Village Neighborhood Council (AVNC) bylaw provision meant to curb board member absenteeism has gone unenforced by the current Co-Chairs, Robert “Fixer” Smith and Leonora Gershman-Pitts. The failure to enforce the absentee bylaw provision while arbitrarily enforcing other rules has raised concerns about possible nepotism within the board.

In 2009 the AVNC adopted the provision (Article VII, Section I – A) to help curtail nonattendance among elected board members by simplifying their removal. The provision requires the AVNC Board to remove any member for failing to attend more then four (4) regularly scheduled meetings within a “council year”. In addition, the bylaw provision does not allow for any “excused absence”, the provision’s ironclad language goes on to state: “An absence is valid regardless of the reason of the absence and even if the meeting was not held because there was no quorum.”

However, despite its ironclad language several board members have accumulated absences well in excess of the four (4) allowed within “council year”. Yet, the board members in question continue to serve on the AVNC Board, at their leisure, in apparent violation of their own bylaws.

Click here for AVNC Bylaws (PDF file)

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ATWATER’S NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL TAKES INITIAL STEPS FOR A GENERAL BOARD ELECTION IN 2012

At their December 8^th board meeting the Atwater Village Neighborhood Council (AVNC) voted to form an Election Committee. The committee was tasked to organize and oversee a general board election for 2012.  

The current AVNC Board was elected in 2010 for a two year term. The last general board election was marred by low voter and candidate participation.  Only 102 voters partook in the 2010 election, significantly less then the approximate 15,000 stakeholders eligible to vote. In addition, candidate participation in that election was the lowest since the AVNC was founded in 2003. With 14 electable positions only 11 candidates participated and in almost every case candidates ran unopposed.

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For more information on the AVNC Election Committee contact Cindy Marie Jenkins: cindy@atwatervillage.org  

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FAMILY AFFAIR: ATWATER VILLAGE TREE LIGHTING

The Atwater Village Chamber of Commerce and the Atwater Village Neighborhood Council invite you and your family to the 20th Annual Tree Lighting event in the Heart of Atwater Village December 1, 2011 6pm. Come celebrate the spirit with tradition.

Los Angeles, CA - The 20th Annual Tree Lighting holiday event will take place on Glendale Boulevard in Atwater Village.  In the middle of the bustling business corridor a 50 year-old California Redwood Tree towers 80 feet in the air and is adorned yearly with strings of holiday light and ornaments, serving as a beacon of community pride. Attendees will gather Thursday December 1, 2011 at 6pm in the Wells Fargo Bank parking lot (3250 Glendale Boulevard, 90039) to view and experience the time honored community tradition. Santa Claus will arrive via LAFD fire engine and initiate the lighting of the tree. There will also be performances by local schools and presentations by special dignitaries.

The tradition was initiated by the Atwater Village Chamber of Commerce in 1991, but has expanded with the active involvement of the Atwater Village Neighborhood Council as well as community groups, businesses, religious institutions, individual volunteers and the City of Los Angeles.


Please join the AVCC, AVNC, residents and business community in this grand celebration of the Winter Holidays Thursday December 1, 2011 6pm. The event is free and open to the public.

Click here to download event flier (pdf file)


Click here to download sponsor directory (pdf file)
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Atwater Village Neighborhood Cleanup and Glendale Blvd Landscaping

Saturday, October 1 · 8:00am – 12:00pm

Join us of a day of cleaning, empower yourself and improve Atwater Village!

Check in at Luis Lopez Automotive (2751 Fletcher Dr) or at 55 Degree Wine (3111 Glendale Blvd)

Presented to you by the Atwater Village Neighborhood Council, Friends of Atwater Village and the Atwater Village Chamber of Commerce. Funding in part by “Clean and Connected Communities” Grant by Council District 13/Council President Eric Garcetti.

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ATWATER’S NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL APPROVES $500 SPONSORSHIP FOR NON-ATWATER EVENT

At their August meeting the Atwater Village Neighborhood Council approved a $500 sponsorship, instead of the $3,000 sponsorship that was originally requested, for a non-Atwater event.

The event, Artcycle, will take place on September 17th at Santa Monica Blvd and Vermont Ave in the East Hollywood Community. Event Organizers describe Artcycle as “an event designed to showcase the emerging art and bicycling cultures in East Hollywood.”

For more information about Artcycle go to:

http://www.artcyclela.com/

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ATWATER’S NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL TO VOTE ON $3,000 SPONSORSHIP FOR A NON-ATWATER EVENT

The Atwater Village Neighborhood Council will vote on whether to approve a $3,000 sponsorship for an East Hollywood event at their upcoming board meeting.

The event, Artcycle, will take place on September 17^th at Santa Monica Blvd and Vermont Ave in the East Hollywood Community. Event Organizers describe Artcycle as “an event designed to showcase the emerging art and bicycling cultures in East Hollywood.”

It is unclear how Atwater Village would benefit by spending $3,000 to help sponsor an East Hollywood event.

Board Meeting

Atwater Village Neighborhood Council

Thursday, Aug 11th, 2011 - 7:00 PM

Christ's Church of Griffith Park

3852 Edenhurst Avenue

Click here for full meeting agenda

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SUMMER NIGHTS ON THE BOULEVARD – Thursday, June 30th!

The Atwater Village Chamber of Commerce is very excited to partake in this year’s “Summer Nights on the Boulevard”. This year’s event will be held on Thursday - June 30^th, July 28^th and August 25^th; and as in years past our “main street” business district (Glendale Blvd) will come alive with art, music and summer fun.

  

- Art -

“Art on the Boulevard”: an art showcase and competition hosted by Santosha Space and Hypnotiq Solutions (3405 Glendale Blvd).

Nightlong dance performances by Heartbeat House (Kumbi) at the Madera Ave / Kaldi Coffee House bump out (3147 Glendale Blvd).

- Music -

Music at Revo Café, four scheduled bands playing from 6:30pm to 10:00pm (3134 Glendale Blvd)

- Summer Fun –

Family fun-time: face painting, playtime and games from 5:00pm to 7:00pm at NILA: Nature Inspired Learning through Art (3010 Glendale Blvd).

Ice cream social at Hugo’s Tacos

Food trucks at 55 Degree Wine (3111 Glendale Blvd) and other locations along Glendale Blvd

Knitting machine demos by Kerry Regan, all night, at The Little Knittery (3195 Glendale Blvd)

Atwater Village Farm Open House (3224 Glendale Blvd)

  

For information on last minute additions to “Summer Nights on the Boulevard” go to www.summernightsontheboulevard.com

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THE ATWATER VILLAGE VOICE, AVNC NEWSLETTER – SPRING 2011

Click here to download newsletter (PDF file)

For more information about the Atwater Village Neighborhood Council go to:www.atwatervillage.org

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