Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council January 2023: Issue #1
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Welcome to the January 2023 edition of the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council's (SONC) newsletter, the Ziff Flyer.
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Message from the President
Lindsay Imber
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The Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council wishes stakeholders a Happy New Year, but before I discuss how our Council closed out 2022, I'd like to share a few things to look forward to in 2023, and to let you know about our guest speakers for the SONC Board Meeting on Monday, January 9, 2023, at 6:30 PM.
As part of the redistricting process in Los Angeles, Sherman Oaks was placed into Assembly District 44, which is represented by Assembly member Laura Friedman. We welcome Assembly member Friedman to Sherman Oaks and will hear from the Assembly member at our January Board meeting.
As Los Angeles continues its pandemic recovery, the City has proposed a return to in-person meetings, such as the monthly in-person Board meetings SONC used to have at Louis Armstrong Middle School.
As with any transition, it helps to begin with a low dose, and the Neighborhood Council system is no different. We are most fortunate that the City has selected SONC for a pilot program to test out a hybrid meetings system, designed to enable stakeholders to continue attending SONC meetings virtually, while also allowing in-person attendance at certain meetings.
We will hear from the EmpowerLA Virtual Governance Hybrid (EVG-h) Workgroup at our January Board meeting and are excited to hear more about this program.
Our January Board meeting will also feature the City Clerk's office as SONC prepares for its June 2023 elections. If you are interested in community service, consider running for a position on the SONC Board. As a Board Member, you will have a direct voice in local city government. More information on how to file for candidacy will be shared at the January Board meeting.
Before we closed the books on 2022, the Council had a busy December, adopting motions supporting several council files seeking answers from and to address the continued harm perpetuated upon our community by the Van Nuys Airport's proposed zoning changes and expansion, as well as increased charter operations at the Airport, to name two specific issues that have, currently, or in the future continue to threaten the welfare of the Sherman Oaks community and its stakeholders.
We join our Councilmember Nithya Raman as well as neighboring Councilmembers Bob Blumenfeld and Paul Krekorian in seeking answers and transparency from Los Angeles World Airport (LAWA) on this pressing issue.
Conscious of a notable increase in hate crimes throughout the country, as well as in the City of Los Angeles, SONC unanimously voted to support a City Council motion for Los Angeles to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of antisemitism, especially in an era when hate crimes are at their highest level since 2001 and the highest percentage of religious bias events are targeted at the Jewish community. Throughout its history, SONC similarly supported like motions pertaining to other marginalized groups that experience disproportionate—not to mention entirely unacceptable—levels of hate.
We will consider additional human rights issues at our January Board meeting and invite you to attend.
Thank you for your continued interest in your community and the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council.
As always, please be kind to one another,
Lindsay
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January 9th, 2023, 6:30 PM
January 10th, 2023, 6:30 PM
January 17th, 2023, 7:00 PM
January 18th, 2023 9:00 PM
January 19th, 2023, 6:30 PM
January 23rd, 2023, 6:30pm
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January 24th, 2023, 7:00 PM
January 25th, 2023, 6:30 PM
February 1st, 2023 9:00 PM
February 2nd, 2023, 6:30 PM
February 6th, 2023 6:30 PM
February 7th, 2023, 6:30 PM
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Virtual SONC Meetings – Join Us
In May 2020, the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council began to hold virtual meetings by way of video teleconferences using the Zoom platform, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Zoom platform allows the Neighborhood Council to conduct its meetings and keep operating and interfacing with the community via the Internet and/or via standard telecommunications technology. The City of Los Angeles has kept the suspension of all in-person meetings, activities, and events of SONC in place until further notice. This suspension may be lifted sometime later this year. Watch this space for pending announcements about the resumption of in-person meetings!
Information about the virtual meetings and instructions on how to join them from your personal computer, smartphone app, or telephone can always be found on the SONC website: www.shermanoaksnc.org.
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Monday, January 9th, 2023 @ 6:30 PM
SONC Monthly Board Meeting
Our special guest will be California State Assembly member for District 44 Laura Friedman. The full agenda for this meeting is available on the SONC website here. A physical copy can always be found on display at the Sherman Oaks Public Library.
To join SONC's monthly virtual board meetings:
By Telephone:
By the Internet:
(1) Follow the link:
(2) Press “Enter”
Or from a Zoom “Enter the Meeting” Screen:
(2) Press “Enter”
(3) Enter your Email Address and Your Name, and
(4) Press “Enter”
Did you miss a previous SONC Meeting
that you had wanted to attend?
All SONC Monthly Board meetings and many committee meetings that are conducted using the Zoom Video-teleconferencing platform are now being recorded for playback. All recorded meetings are playable by clicking the associated meeting date links found on the associated committee page on the SONC website.
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Would You Like To Receive All SONC Meeting Agendas When They Become Available?
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You can subscribe to automatically be notified via email of all SONC Board & Committee Meetings and to receive a .PDF copy of those meeting agendas. This is accomplished via the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment's (DONE) Early Notification System (ENS).
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SONC Public Safety Committee
Christy Adair, Chair
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The Public Safety Committee meets the 2nd Tuesday of every month.
Beginning January 2023, the Public Safety Committee welcomes Susan Collins as the new Chair of the Committee. Susan is a dedicated SONC board member and community activist with a particular passion for Community Safety. Susan will bring a unique energy, enthusiasm, and leadership to the Chair position. Susan replaces Christy Adair who will continue to serve as a committee member.
In December, our Council District 4 Field Rep, Ryan Ahari, provided several helpful, local updates that we recorded and added to our extensive speaker collection on Youtube. Check out the 2 newest videos below.
Description: Ryan Ahari, CD4 Field Representative, gives a monthly update for Sherman Oaks residents at the Sherman Oaks NC Public Safety Committee Meeting on 12/13/2022
Description: Ryan Ahari, CD4 Field Representative, explains how you can request better lighting in your Sherman Oaks neighborhood.
Also, with January being our designated Admin Month – we will plan for a great 2023 and welcome anyone to join us for suggestions on topics or speakers within our purview.
Our next meeting will be Tuesday, January 10th 2023, at 6:30 PM.
Press “Enter”
By Telephone: Dial 1-669-900-6833, Enter Webinar ID 842 7040 8817, and Press #
Or on Zoom join meeting screen enter Webinar ID: 842 7040 8817
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SONC Planning & Land Use Committee
and Vision Sub-Committee
Jeff Kalban, Chair
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As we start a new year, the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council Planning and Land Use Management Committee (PLUM) and our Vision Committee are continuing to study various proposed regulations and ordinances that will greatly impact Sherman Oaks and our quality of life. If we are not careful and vigilant, we could see a deterioration of our community.
Metro Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project
Metro is considering raised trains coming out of a tunnel daylighting high above Sepulveda Blvd. at Valley Vista (Alternative 4) that will destroy homes, condos, apartments, and office buildings in its path, create unbearable noise from the trains and traffic congestion from the supports that will take out a lane of traffic on the east and west sides of Sepulveda. A one-minute video showing the impact of this destructive alternative is on the SONC YouTube Channel here. There are five other alternatives that are worthy of study. Two are fully underground subways, Alternative 6 goes under Van Nuys Blvd. and Alternative 5 goes under Sepulveda. Alternatives 1, 2 and 3 are a monorail running down the middle of the 405 freeway with the only differences being how they get passengers to UCLA.
City Planning Housing Element
The PLUM and Vision Committees have been reviewing the City’s Housing Element that proposes zoning overlays that will put up to six story apartment buildings next to single family homes throughout Sherman Oaks. The Housing Element is the Los Angeles Planning Department’s recurred response to a State mandated housing allocation number that says Los Angeles must build over 450,000 new housing units in the next eight years. There are also Federal, State and City laws and ordinances that need to be understood and addressed in this revision of existing zoning. The Vision Committee has been studying all the issues, meeting with senior members of the City’s Planning Department, a representative from the State’s Housing and Community Development department and the Mayor’s office to fully understand the nuances of the regulations.
We are working with our fellow CD4 communities in Encino, Studio City Reseda, and Los Feliz and have formulated a proposal that will allow the creation for truly integrated, mixed-income housing with public amenities such as plazas, courtyards, and small parks. Our proposal preserves existing single-family neighborhoods and multi-family developments as to not create displacement from our more affordable housing stock.
Our proposal includes new single-family housing as well as townhouses and apartments all to be mixed income with a substantial criteria for affordable housing. We have confidence that the proposal we put forth meets the goals and standards put forth by the State, etc. and will enhance the quality of life in Sherman Oaks, making it greener, more walkable, more charming, and more economically sustainable. The current Housing Elements’ proposed upzoning of single-family neighborhoods will do just the opposite. It could lead to the type of economic segregation that the Fair Housing Act aims to remedy and will do nothing to revitalize commercial areas.
You should join our meetings. See what we are proposing, join in and give voice to the future of Sherman Oaks.
Vision meets at 6:30 PM on the first Thursday of each month and PLUM meets at 6:30 PM on the third Thursday. For more information, please visit our PLUM/Vision web page.
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SONC Outreach Committee
Harold Shapiro, Chair
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2022 was a productive year for SONC and a good one for the community of Sherman Oaks.
The highlight was celebrating the important milestone of the 20th Anniversary of the awarding of the charter for the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council. Los Angeles has chartered 99 Neighborhood Councils. Together these NC's form the grassroots level of the Los Angeles City government. The system was created to connect LA’s diverse communities to City Hall, and was established in 1999 by an amendment to the City Charter. While Neighborhood Council board members are volunteers, they are also public officials elected to office by the members of their community.
In the last 4 years, SONC has provided a large amount of input to our elected City Council Members and to other city agencies, including the Mayor's office, on most every key piece of legislation that has come before City Council for review and approval. The input is submitted in the form of Community Impact Statements or CIS's.
A Community Impact Statement is an official statement or position adopted by a Neighborhood Council on issues pending before the City’s decision makers. The Community Impact Statement process was created specifically for Neighborhood Councils so they can publicly express their support, opposition, or suggestions about any matter pending before the Los Angeles City Council, its committees, or City commissions. A Community Impact Statement is an official statement used to express the position of a Neighborhood Council as a whole, representing the community stakeholders, and is not to be used to express personal opinions. The Neighborhood Council conducts monthly board meetings, and a series of committee meetings, to enable and hear public comment on these issues. By providing a forum to accept and hear public input, the Neighborhood Council can stay in-tune with the desires of the community and ensure that the community's voice is heard at the city government level.
Some Metrics:
In 2022 SONC voted on and passed 29 Community Impact Statements. 36 CIS's were passed by SONC in 2021, which was a record for this NC. There were 19 CIS's approved in 2020. Prior to that, there were only 9 CIS's voted on and submitted by the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council in a 17 year period. If you would like to view all the records of the specific issues that SONC submitted Community Impact Statements on in the last 20 years, you can find the information on the SONC website here.
2023 presents us with a challenge: break the record!
Your Neighborhood Council wants you to help us achieve that goal. Recent developments at City Hall have demonstrated that there is much work to be done to make this city a better place to live, work, raise a family, enjoy the resources and culture, and have a happy, safe life.
Come and join us at our upcoming Monday, January 9th SONC board meeting. Review the meeting agenda before hand so you can familiarize yourself with the proposed motions for Community Impact Statements that will be discussed and voted on at the meeting. Give the NC your input on these issues during the public comment portion of the meeting, so that your voice is heard on these important issues that effect all of us in Sherman Oaks. If you are unable to attend the meetings and submit your comments, you can always fill out and submit a contact form on the SONC website here.
Happy New year to all, be safe!
The SONC Outreach Committee meets on the third Tuesday of each month. Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 17th. Please join us. For more information, to view meeting minutes and meeting agendas, and for instructions on how to join the monthly Zoom meetings visit the Outreach Committee web page.
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SONC Finance Committee
Jeffrey Hartsough, Chair
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Thank you for being an engaged and supportive member of our Sherman Oaks community and of the San Fernando Valley. Please share your interest in SONC with your friends and neighbors. Working together we can focus on improving our community and the valley.
Neighborhood Purposes Grants
Every year SONC funds programs for schools and non-profit organizations to improve the Sherman Oaks community through awarding of Neighborhood Purposes Grants or NPGs. NPGs are a way for neighborhood councils to partner with and support non-profit organizations and public schools on projects that provide a public benefit to the community. Eligible organizations include 501(c)(3) non-profits as well as public schools. (Please note that grants cannot be issued to religious organizations or to private schools.) Guidelines for NPGs and application forms can be found on the SONC website here. Please let us know if you have any ideas to help the community and that might qualify for receiving funds from a SONC NPG.
The SONC Finance Committee meets on the 4th Wednesday of each month. The next meeting will be January 25, 2023, at 6:30 PM. Please visit the Finance Committee page on the SONC Website for more information.
As we continue to confront the ongoing pandemic and all the daily challenges and complexities of life in Los Angeles, please be respectful and kind to others. Kindness is important.
Stay safe. Pray for Ukraine.
Jeffrey Hartsough
Treasurer
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Neighborhood Council Elections
The 2023 Neighborhood Council elections season has begun. SONC is seeking interested Sherman Oaks community members to run. There are 10 council seats across areas 2, 4, and 6 as well as 1 currently vacant seat in Area 1 that will be on the ballot. Please refer to the Area map that appears below to determine if you live in an area of Sherman Oaks that will have open seats on the 2023 ballot.
The 10 seats in contention are:
Area 1 Community Interest
Area 2 Residential
Area 2 Business
Area 2 Community Interest
Area 4 Residential
Area 4 Business
Area 4 Community Interest
Area 6 Residential
Area 6 Business
Area 6 Community Interest
Neighborhood Council Board members are volunteers, serving as public officials that are elected by the members of their community. The Sherman Oaks Board members serve four-year terms of office. The current term period will begin on July 1, 2023 and run to June 30, 2027.
Eligible candidates can be residents, business owners, property owners, or community interest advocates who are key participants in local non-profit/service organizations. Candidates need not be US citizens or legal residents to qualify. Participation is also open to the formerly incarcerated. The minimum age to run for a council seat is 18. If you are interested in running for a seat, please let us know.
In 2023, the City Clerk will be using a hybrid election model for NC elections that provides for both in-person polling place voting as well as the option to Vote-By-Mail. The minimum voting age is 16. Voters can only cast their ballots for candidates that are running in their respective area of Sherman Oaks. This means that only eligible certified voters associated with Areas 1, 2, 4 and 6 will be voting in the 2023 election for candidates running for open positions in those areas. Participation to vote is open to those who live, work, or own property or a business within a specific area. The certification process to receive a ballot will require voters to attest to qualification via written documentation (California driver's license or ID, property tax statement, paycheck, City of LA issued business license, etc.).
Important NC Election dates to pay attention to that are specific to Sherman Oaks are:
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February 22, 2023 - Candidate Filing Begins
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April 8, 2023 - Candidate Filing Period Ends
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April 11, 2023 - Candidate Documentation Deadline
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April 23, 2023 - Certified Candidate List Released
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April 23, 2023 - Vote-By-Mail Application Period Begins
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May 18, 2023 - Ballot Mailouts Begin
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June 10, 2023 - Deadline To Mail Out Ballots
The voting deadline for SONC elections will be Thursday, June 22, 2023, with official results released on July 6, 2023. Newly elected council members will be officially sworn in and seated at the July 10th, 2023 SONC board meeting.
The in-person polling location for the 2023 Sherman Oaks NC Election will take place at the Sherman Oaks East Valley Adult Center (SOEVAC), 5056 Van Nuys Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA 91403, in Building C, Back Division. Voting hours will be 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM.
In accordance with current City policy, proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within the previous 72 hours will be required to enter a polling location. Any voter who cannot provide the required COVID-19 documents will be able to vote curbside or in front of the poll location. COVID-19 requirements are subject to change based on City policy.
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Still not sure what area you live in or who your
current Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council representative is? Email SONC.Newsletter@gmail.com with your address or cross-streets with the navigational direction -- and we will help you out!
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Subscribe to SONC's
Early Notification System via the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment to receive all agendas for council meetings and committee meetings.
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Here is what's happening in the neighborhood
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A Message From
Mayor Karen Bass
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It’s been an honor serving as your Mayor over the past three weeks, which I have spent taking clear and direct action to bring our unhoused neighbors inside.
On my first day in office, I didn’t start the morning at City Hall – I started at the City’s Emergency Operations Center where, as my first official act, I declared a State of Emergency on homelessness. Together with leaders from the City, the County, and the non-profit and private sectors, we committed to a comprehensive new strategy and set the stage for a sea change in how we address homelessness.
Our new approach is urgent and proactive – and it must be. After all, more than 40,000 Angelenos are sleeping on the streets today, and five of them are dying there every day.
To meet this emergency head-on, I also issued an Executive Directive to remove barriers that slow the work and increase the cost of building temporary and permanent housing. We’re also making it easier for the City to acquire rooms, properties and land to house Angelenos in need.
I also issued an Executive Directive launching Inside Safe, Los Angeles’ citywide, proactive and housing-led strategy to bring people inside from tents and encampments, and to prevent encampments from returning.
Through Inside Safe, we’ll give people safe places to move immediately – and commit to providing them with services and permanent housing so they can stay inside for good.
This is just the beginning – we will also fast-track the opening of HHH, additional interim housing and other permanent homes, and ensure we see results and efficiency from voter-approved Measure ULA.
There is a role for every one of us to play in the work ahead – which means we need to keep in touch! Please click HERE, to sign up for updates directly from me.
The work already underway gives me great hope for all to come. I look forward to working with you and Angelenos all across our city to get big things done together.
See you in the New Year,
Karen Bass, Mayor of Los Angeles
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What renters need to know going into the New Year
In December, LA City Council voted 9-3 to end the COVID emergency on January 31st, which will also end our eviction moratorium. I voted no— during this emergency period, LA has had some of the strongest tenant protections in the US. They had demonstrable impacts on preventing evictions and homelessness.
It’s urgent that renters are informed about what this means — without good information out there, we could see more illegal evictions.
The most important thing to know about the end of LA’s eviction moratorium: you cannot be evicted for debt you accumulated during the emergency period until 6-12 months after the emergency ends. That means there should be no evictions for nonpayment due to COVID on February 1st.
If you owe back rent from March 1st, 2020 to September 30th, 2021, that rent is due by August 1st, 2023.
If you owe back rent from October 1st, 2021 to January 31st, 2023, that rent is due by February 1st, 2024. Tenants can’t be evicted for that debt prior to those dates.
In units that fall under LA’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance (apartments built before 1979), a freeze on rent increases will still be in place for a year after the emergency ends. That means no rent hikes until February 1st, 2024.
With the moratorium ending, tenants are vulnerable. But we can offer better protection than what’s currently on the table. Our office has been advocating for new, permanent tenant rights that — if adopted — will help people stay in their homes. This includes:
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Universal Just Cause: Just Cause means tenants can’t be evicted for no reason—a cause has to be declared from a designated list. RSO apartments are already covered, but our office moved to make the protections universal, covering about 376K more units. This ordinance has been drafted and now waits to be heard in full Council.
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Making rent debt of one month or less non-evictable. COVID and its financial impacts are still interfering with people’s work schedules, making it easy to miss time and fall behind. This protection would offer badly needed housing security for so many Angelenos.
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Relocation assistance for rent-gouged tenants. Non-rent controlled units in LA are seeing dizzying hikes. This motion would require landlords who raise rent by over 10% to pay a relocation fee equivalent to 3 months fair-market rent.
We have limited time to do this work — and we need your help to succeed. If you want to build a more secure LA for tenants than we had pre-pandemic, contact your Councilmember and ask them to vote to adopt the protections before the COVID emergency ends. Your advocacy means so much.
LAHD has also opened public counters for direct assistance (by appointment only). The closest locations to District 4 are:
Valley
6400 Laurel Canyon Blvd #610,
North Hollywood, CA 91606
Central LA
1910 Sunset Blvd Ste 300,
Los Angeles, CA 90026
To see a full list of locations and make an appointment, click HERE, or call (866) 557-RENT [7368].
And, as always, our office is available for questions and additional assistance at contactCD4@lacity.org and (213) 473-7004.
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The Office of District 4 Councilmember Nithya Raman provides Sherman Oaks with a dedicated field deputy to handle resident and business owner issues at the city level. Ryan Ahari is the Sherman Oaks Field Deputy, and also services Van Nuys. If you need assistance with City services, agencies, and departments (graffiti, trash, abandoned properties, and more), you can always reach Ryan through his CD4 web page here or call (213) 424-2412 and Ryan's email address is:
In addition to contacting Ryan, for any issues related to homelessness anywhere within Council District 4, you can contact Senior Homelessness Deputy Sarah Tanberg ( sarah.tanberg@lacity.org) or Homelessness Deputy Josh Scarcella ( josh.scarcella@lacity.org)
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2023 Greater Los Angeles
Homeless Count
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The Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count is the annual census that counts our neighbors experiencing unsheltered homelessness.
Through the Count, we’re better able to direct and advocate for vital services to support the needs of our unhoused neighbors. The Count is coming up. The Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count for Sherman Oaks will take place on January 24, 2023 from 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM. The Sherman Oaks Deployment site will be at the Church of the Chimes at 14115 Magnolia Blvd. (same location as last year).
Los Angeles has the largest unsheltered homeless population in the nation. But we don't have to accept homelessness as an unsolvable problem. Do your part to help end homelessness by participating.
Volunteers are being asked to sign up at:
Thank you for considering volunteering for the 2023 Homeless Count. Our top priority is to have every volunteer engage meaningfully and safely during the Count. Sites will follow public health and social distancing guidelines and indoor sites are large venues.
In consideration of everyone’s safety, we are encouraging volunteers to sign up as teams of two or more. This will allow teams to stay in their Count Team Bubble with people you know. If you do not have teammates at this time, you are still welcome to sign up as an individual for the Count. Others can join your team later through this site, or you can be a part of a team created at your deployment site. Our goal is to have every volunteer engage meaningfully and safely during the Count.
Please use this LINK to view Frequently Asked Questions as guidelines to familiarize yourself with the Homeless Count. If you have a question that is not listed there, please email us at homelesscount@lahsa.org.
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Los Angeles City Planning
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Wildlife Ordinance
The proposed Wildlife Ordinance (case numbers CPC-2022-3413-CA, CPC-2022-3712-ZC, and ENV-2022-3414-CE) was heard by the Los Angeles City Planning Commission (CPC) at the regularly scheduled meeting on December 8, 2022. The CPC recommended approval of the proposed Wildlife Ordinance with two adjustments responding to resident concerns.
The proposed Wildlife Ordinance aims to reduce cumulative development impacts on plants, animals and natural resources while providing co-benefits related to climate resilience and public health. The Ordinance proposes development standards for lot coverage, floor area, grading and height limitations and as well as native landscaping/trees, fence, trash enclosure, window and lighting requirements. The Ordinance includes regulations that apply to private properties within the District (encompassing the Santa Monica Mountains bordered on the west by the 405 freeway, bordered on the north by Ventura Blvd., bordered on the east by the 101 freeway through the Cahuenga Pass, bordered on the south by Sunset Blvd.), including additional discretionary review where lots contain or are adjacent to natural resources, such as waterways and open space.
The Letter of Determination (LOD) documenting the CPC action is located here. It is anticipated the proposed Wildlife Ordinance will be scheduled for consideration by City Council committees in early 2023. You may subscribe to receive electronic notifications on upcoming meetings and/or submit public comment directly to the Council File Number 14-0518, by visiting the Council File Management System.
Ventura Corridor Specific Plan Survey
The City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) has partnered with City Planning in an effort to update the Ventura-Cahuenga Boulevard Corridor Specific Plan Project Impact Assessment fee. The goal of this update is to align the expenditure of fees with citywide policies and plans, direct investments to support community needs, and realize the potential of the Specific Plan to improve the transportation experience and public realm along the Ventura corridor.
As part of this effort, LADOT developed a short survey to better understand community preferences for long-term mobility-related investments. Responses for the survey will help to inform a list of mobility and public realm investments that center and reflect the lived experience of all users of the Corridor. We want to gauge community support for policy goals such as access for all, safer streets, improved air quality, climate resilience, and public health. The goal is to develop a list of mobility and right-of-way investments consistent with community-defined needs and advance policy goals. Share your thoughts for a chance to win a raffle prize! Visit the survey here:
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Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project
Metro continues to plan in its attempts to discover viable transit option solutions that will make it easier to get from/to the San Fernando Valley and LA's Westside. The natural barrier created by the Santa Monica Mountains makes traveling between the Valley and the Westside challenging and as we all know, the 405 freeway is one of the worst places to be in your car during morning and evening rush hours. Metro is working to evaluate the impact of a high-quality, reliable transit service option using a high-speed rail system connecting the San Fernando Valley and the Westside.
This Project is still in environmental review, which is the second of five major phases in the project development process, followed by final design, construction, and operations. There are 6 options being reviewed as part of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The environmental review phase consists of two components: 1) preparation of a draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and 2) preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
Metro has created a video which can be viewed here to explain the environmental analysis process.
Depending on which of the 6 plans under review is chosen, there can be significant impact to the residential hillsides and surface streets in the Sherman Oaks area. During the environmental review phase, Metro is working with two private-sector teams, LA SkyRail Express and Sepulveda Transit Corridor Partners, under a first-of-its-kind pre-development agreement to develop a design for the project alternatives.
Public Opinion Survey
Metro recently completed a public opinion survey to gauge the public’s awareness of the project. The survey results also assist Metro in understanding preferences for the various elements of the alternatives from the general public, including equity-focused communities and/or people who have not already been actively engaging with Metro. While not determinative on their own, the survey helps inform our work as we continue the environmental phase for the Project. A summary of findings and full survey results are available here.
For more information about feedback received during the project scoping period, view the project’s Scoping Summary Report. Metro had announced plans to host a community update in Fall 2022 focused on alignments and station locations, but is now saying that the next community update meetings will take place in early 2023 with both in-person and virtual options to attend. The meetings will focus on the locations of proposed stations and their entrances. For more information visit the Metro Sepulveda Corridor website.
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Free Sustainability Webinars From
the Los Angeles County
Dept. of Public Works
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The LA County Dept. of Public Works is still offering its series of free webinars to beautify your home and garden through March 2023. The Smart Gardening Webinars are approximately 45 minutes long followed by a 15-minute period to answer questions and take orders for compost bins. For those who are unable to attend, they have posted videos of the sessions. There are four core subjects being offered:
Intro to Composting: Learn about backyard and worm composting to create a rich soil amendment to nourish your garden.
Water-wise Gardening: Create a beautiful drought-tolerant landscape and learn about grasscycling to fortify your lawn.
Organic Gardening: Build healthy soil, grow herbs and vegetables, and address plant pests and diseases using organic methods.
Small-space Gardening: Learn to grow plants in containers and set up a small-space worm composting system.
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Climate Equity Los Angeles
Virtual Workshop Series
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The City of LA’s Climate Emergency Mobilization Office (CEMO) is thrilled to convene and invite you for the Community Report Back virtual event: Pathways to Healthy Homes through Equitable Building Decarbonization.
Why Host a Report Back on the Equitable Building Decarbonization Report?
This Report Back is to share the community created recommendations and results of our collaborative work with community leaders, the participants, and the grassroots and broader Los Angeles residents, in the form of a virtual convening. We will provide an overview of the community derived recommendations and what they mean for the City of Los Angeles.
Many of you supported us in the co-design of CEMO's Report on Equitable Building Decarbonization, through the Climate Equity LA (CELA) series. We want to make sure to share those final recommendations, to expand understanding and alignment on how we must reach climate goals in Los Angeles with an equity lens.
Resources for the Climate Equity LA Series
The CELA event recordings, programs, and other related materials from the March 2022 Climate Equity LA workshops on Equitable Building Decarbonization can be found on CEMO’s website, and are linked below for your review.
Climate Equity LA Series 2022, Part I: Equitable Building Decarbonization
A special thank you to the many organizations and their members that supported and contributed to the Equitable Building Decarbonization report. There is an extensive thank you on the report itself, identifying all the many partnerships that contributed. Please take a look!
We are also grateful to the Liberty Hill Foundation, for archiving our CELA series virtual events on their website, and for helping us spread the word of these events far and wide. We hope to see you there. You will receive a Zoom registration link early next week, for now please save the date and time.
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Los Angeles Dept. of Water & Power is Offering Free Landscaping Design Services to Transform Your Turf
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Are you interested in saving water and money on your bill? The LADWP turf replacement program has now increased its offering to homeowners of rebates in the amount of $3.00 per square foot for up to 5,000 square feet of converted yards per year to $5.00 per square foot. As an LADWP customer, you can get free landscape design services for transforming your landscape to be more drought tolerant. The design can be submitted along with your turf replacement rebate application. Planting and irrigation plans are provided at no cost to LADWP customers who wish to remove turf and replace it with low-water use California Friendly® and native plants. The rebates for removing lawns and water-hungry plantings are still in effect. With the coming hot summer months, and new watering rules going into effect, the time is right to replace.
The provided plans can be given directly to a licensed contractor for installation and also included is a simple guide on how to best hire a landscape contractor. The plans will include a stormwater capture feature, such as a rain garden, in the design. Irrigation plans include the use of water-efficient drip irrigation systems.
Your newly installed garden will capture and reuse stormwater, recharge groundwater, prevent polluted runoff from flowing into the rivers and ocean, and provide food and habitat for birds, butterflies, and other wildlife. Once your newly installed plants have been established, you will see the savings on your water bill.
To learn more about this free design program and to apply, visit the LADWP website at:
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Volunteer with NHIFP
Take advantage of helping out your community.
North Hollywood Interfaith Food Pantry is looking for volunteers.
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LA Regional Food Bank
If you are interested in volunteering with the LA Regional Food Bank, please visit this link.
Questions, concerns, please email:
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L.A. Works
Join L.A. Works and learn about all the volunteer opportunities available here in our great City of Los Angeles!
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Volunteer with
The Valley of Change
Feed Our Friends In Need
Saturday, January 14, 2023
Community Cleanup
Sunday, January 15, 2023
Hygiene Kit Drive
Monday, January 16, 2023
Email Contact:
For more information please visit:
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Stay connected:
IG: @TheValleyofChange
Twitter: @ValleyChangeg!"
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Get Involved In Your Community
If you are interested in becoming a Block Captain and starting a Neighborhood Watch Program in your neighborhood, please contact your Senior Lead Officer at the email addresses or phone numbers listed below to obtain further details. There are 4 senior lead officers assigned for all of Sherman Oaks:
Jose Saldana
(818) 731-2565
9SL89
Mariana Romo
(818) 731-2563
9SL63
Joel Gutierrez
(818) 731-2560
9SL41
Kristan DeLatori
(818) 731-2562
9SL37
Please sign up on Nextdoor.com to receive current updates about crime trends and events in your community.
You can contact Alan Scher for more information about the Neighborhood Watch Program.
The December edition of the Van Nuys Neighborhood Watch News is available to read online here.
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Interested in Joining the LAPD Volunteer Program?
Make a difference as an LAPD volunteer and be the change you want to see in your community. Volunteers represent a broad range of ages, from teenagers to senior citizens. As a volunteer, here are some of the available opportunities:
- Promoting Safety within business communities
- Front Desk Operations
- Traffic Safety Outreach
- Clerical and administrative support
- Safe Passage to Schools
- Community Members on Patrol
- Vacation Checks
- Detective Support
- Variety of other important functions
For information on volunteer opportunities with the LAPD, email Officer Jason Jimenez in the Community Relations Office at 38903@lapd.online, or call (818) 374-5420. You can also get more information about the LAPD Volunteer Program by visiting this link.
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Sherman Oaks mourns the loss of one of our great citizens who helped to make our city as fabulous as it is today. Sidonia (nee Lewin) Lax, a founding member of the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council (SONC) passed away on December 13, 2022 at age 95. She served on the SONC Board from the time of SONC’s certification by the City of Los Angeles on October 29, 2002 until June 30, 2019.
Sidonia was born in Przemysl, Poland on June 8, 1927. She lived a comfortable childhood, free of want or worry. With the outbreak of WWII and the invasion of Poland, Sidonia and her parents became victims of the Holocaust. Her parents were murdered by the Nazis and she lived in ghettos, work camps and eventually, was sent to Auschwitz. She survived the Holocaust.
For an interesting look into Sidonia's wartime experiences as a surviving prisoner in several German concentration camps, please read the detailed article published in the Jewish Journal here:
After the war Sidonia was united with her cousins in Los Angeles. Here, she met Lewis Lax, and they married in 1949. Together, they raised three children (Genie, Irene and Bernard) while starting a successful women’s clothing business, Classic Creations. After Lewis passed away in 1994, Sidonia became involved with educating the community about the Holocaust. She worked with the USC Shoah Foundation and BJE: Builders of Jewish Education March of the Living.
Sidonia and Lewis were involved in many community organizations throughout their lives. Sidonia was a long-standing pillar and supporter of Brandeis-Bardin, serving as a Board member of the Brandeis-Bardin Institute for many years, as well as a parent, grandparent, and great grandparent to Alonimers. Sidonia was an ardent storyteller who shared, with generations of Jews, her experiences surviving Auschwitz and the Holocaust -- she believed in the power of education and spreading awareness so that the Jewish people would never have to endure the struggles that she experienced as a child.
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Sidonia receiving an honorary certificate from State of California Senator Henry Stern in 2017.
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She always said she was a "thriver" instead of a "survivor" and thrive, she did. Her business and community activities certainly are a testament to her exuberant optimism, desire to live a full life, succeed and give back to help others. She was recognized by the City of Los Angeles and State of California for her civic work and for educating young people about the Holocaust and her experiences.
Those who knew Sidonia remember her for being the "life of the party", "Such a firecracker", and by being, "touched by her warmth and light and playfulness and sense of humor and deep capacity for meaning and connection".
Her motto “A living is what you get, a life is what you give.”
Sidonia touched a tremendous amount of lives and her legacy will continue to live on. We send wishes for strength, love, and light to Sidonia’s family during this difficult time. Baruch Dayan Ha’emet. May her memory be a blessing. Sidonia will live on in our hearts and minds.
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Get Involved!
What interests you?
If you live, work, own property, own a business, or belong to a non-profit organization, school, or religious institution in Sherman Oaks, you are a stakeholder in Sherman Oaks. We hold monthly Board of Directors and various committee meetings which you are invited to attend to learn about and participate in your community. Join SONC's Mailing List today.
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