Hi Friends!! Mike Bonin’s motion to the City Council asking for a feasibility study regarding homeless camping in Westchester Park is up for a vote on Wednesday. It sailed through the Homeless Committee last week and that was the last chance for verbal public comment, but that doesn’t mean we can’t speak up as the matter makes its way to the full Council on Wednesday’s agenda.
Our Neighborhood Council’s position if you want to support it specifically is to ask that Westchester Park be removed from the motion. This petition against the Mar Vista Park being in the motion makes great points if you want some ideas for more specific arguments. Please emphasize the safety issues and not the more NIMBY issues like “our kids need parks.”
When contacting councilmembers in other districts, they will discount non-constituents, so you would want to leave a more generic message like “homeless encampments don’t belong in our parks and near residential neighborhoods.” USE VERY OBVIOUS SUBJECT LINES in emails in case your message is not opened – PLEASE DON’T GIVE OUR PUBLIC PARKS OVER TO HOUSING ENCAMPMENTS. It is critical that we contact ALL councilmembers because they will all vote on the motion.
There are some who advocate for this “feasibility” study, but we don’t need some expensive study to tell us that camping at the park is not working for the park’s inhabitants and it’s not working for our community. Alternative locations have been suggested.
If you care about this issue, take 15 minutes right now to leave/send as many messages as possible. Numbers matter. Legislators hate scrutiny and they need to know we are watching and that we vote.
Usually, the council rubberstamps committee recommendations. That is no reason not to loudly send the message that the community does not support the motion. You can already see that many Neighborhood Council’s have submitted Community Impact Statements and most oppose the motion. You’ll find the council file here.
I created a series of tweets tagging the councilmembers and I’ve emailed all their offices. Today I’m going to submit a public comment card.
This is what you need to do to help create a lot of noise:
1. Fill out the Public Comment Form at https://cityclerk.lacity.org/publiccomment/. The file number is 21-0350.
2. Call and email ALL councilmembers:
DISTRICT 1 — GIL CEDILLO
City Hall: (213) 473-7001
Westlake Office: (323) 276-7177
Highland Park Office: (323) 550-1538
Glassell Park Office: (323) 341-5671
Gilbert.Cedillo@lacity.org
councilmember.cedillo@lacity.org
@CMGilCedillo
DISTRICT 2 — PAUL KREKORIAN
City Hall: (213) 473-7002
North Hollywood Office: (818) 755-7676
councilmember.Krekorian@lacity.org
@PaulKrekorian
DISTRICT 3 — BOB BLUMENFIELD
City Hall: (213) 473-7003
Reseda Office: (818) 774-4330
councilmember.blumenfield@lacity.org
@BobBlumenfield
DISTRICT 4 — NITHYA RAMAN
City Hall: (213) 473-7004
Hollywood Office: (323) 957-6415
Sherman Oaks Office: (818) 728-9924
contactCD4@lacity.org
@cd4losangeles
DISTRICT 5 — PAUL KORETZ
City Hall: (213) 473-7005
Beverly Grove Office: (323) 866-1828
Encino Office: (818) 971-3088
paul.koretz@lacity.org
@PaulKoretz
CD5 DISTRICT 6 — COUNCIL PRESIDENT NURY MARTINEZ
City Hall: (213) 473-7006
Van Nuys Office: (818) 778-4999
Sun Valley Office: (818) 771-0236
councilmember.martinez@lacity.org
@CD6Nury
DISTRICT 7 — MONICA RODRIGUEZ
City Hall: (213) 473-7007
Sylmar Office: (818) 756-8409
Pacoima Office: (818) 485-0600
Sunland-Tujunga Office: (818) 352-3287
councilmember.rodriguez@lacity.org
@MRodCD7
DISTRICT 8 — MARQUEECE HARRIS DAWSON
City Hall: (213) 473-7008
South Central Office: (213) 485-7616
councilmember.harris-dawson@lacity.org
@MHDCD8
DISTRICT 9 — CURREN PRICE
City Hall: (213) 473-7009
Downtown Office: (323) 846-2651
councilmember.price@lacity.org
@CurrenDPriceJr
DISTRICT 10 — MARK RIDLEY-THOMAS
City Hall: (213) 473-7010
Koreatown Office: (323) 733-8233
Mark.ridley-thomas@lacity.org
@mridleythomas
DISTRICT 11 — MIKE BONIN (OUR DISTRICT)
City Hall: (213) 473-7011
Temporary Central COVID Number: (213) 444-3508
West LA Office: (310) 575-8461
Westchester Office: (310) 568-8772
councilmember.bonin@lacity.org
@MikeBoninLA
DISTRICT 12 — JOHN LEE
City Hall: (213) 473-7012
Chatsworth Office: (818) 882-1212
councilmember.Lee@lacity.org
@CD12LA
DISTRICT 13 — MITCH O’FARRELL
City Hall: (213) 473-7013
Echo Park Office: (213) 207-3015
Hollywood Office: (213) 207-3015
councilmember.ofarrell@lacity.org
@MitchOFarrell
DISTRICT 14 — KEVIN DE LEON
City Hall: (213) 473-7014
Boyle Heights Office: (323) 526-9332
El Sereno Office: (323) 226-1646
Northeast Los Angeles Office: (323) 254-5295
councilmember.kevindeleon@lacity.org
@KdeLeon
DISTRICT 15 — JOE BUSCAINO
City Hall: (213) 473-7015
Harbor Office: (310) 732-4515
Watts Office: (323)-568-2083
councilmember.buscaino@lacity.org
@JoeBuscaino
Thank you for reading! Please act. Silence at this point can get drowned out by opposing voices.
