Virtual meeting with General Manager to answer your questions about NCs & coronavirus: Tues 3/17 @ 6pm
All NC board members are invited to attend our live teleconference Q&A with our General Manager to answer questions about how NCs are impacted by coronavirus, and how they can help. This is taking place  Tuesday March 17, 2020 at 6:00 pm PST.  

View the invite and submit your own questions for the discussion at

Questions are due by 12 noon PST Tuesday 3/17. 

This invite was originally shared last Friday 3/13 with all board members, in one of the frequent coronavirus updates we've been sending to NC members. These updates contain details, tools, and guidelines especially for NCs regarding how to proceed during the coronavirus crisis. 

Don't miss a future update: see all coronavirus updates for Neighborhood Councils in one place, at  http://tiny.cc/NCcoronavirusupdates .
Effective Monday March 16th: gathering places closed; restaurants are takeout-only; evictions moratorium
Effective immediately and lasting through at least March 31, 2020, Mayor Garcetti announced a temporary moratorium on evictions for residential LA renters impacted by coronavirus, so that no one will lose their housing due to this crisis.

The Mayor also announced the immediate closure of bars, nightclubs, gyms, movie theaters, and other gathering places open to the public. While houses of worship cannot legally be compelled to limit gatherings, they are kindly requested to do so, in order to help limit the spread of disease. 

Similarly, Los Angeles restaurants are now limited to takeout or drive-thru only. Dine-in food service is not allowed. However, Angelenos are encouraged to help keep the economy going, and patronize local businesses at a social distance via activities such as food pickup.

See the Mayor’s official statement on evictions, closures of gathering places, and restaurant service:

Mayor Garcetti: Food supplies will remain uninterrupted at LA grocery stores
Grocery stores, pharmacies, and food banks will all remain open in Los Angeles during the coronavirus crisis.

On March 16th, Mayor Garcetti noted that grocery stores in Los Angeles are constantly restocking during this time. This means there is no need to hoard food or rush to stores; Angelenos can stay calm, and avoid the crowds.

Check out the Mayor’s 3/16 update on food supplies at LA grocery stores, which he prepared with the assistance of top personnel from local markets such as Ralphs, Food4Less, Gelsons, Albertsons, and Northgate Gonzalez Market:

Updates on NC Funding + expenditures from City Clerk
The City Clerk's NC Funding team has shared the following updates and guidelines:

In light of the suspensions on NC meetings due to the coronavirus concerns, we understand that the review and approval of your NC's Monthly Expenditure Reports (MER) are now impacted. Therefore, NC Funding Program is also suspending the monthly requirement for MER submissions until further notice.

As you are aware, NC presidents may use their Emergency Authority to spend a limited amount of their public funds in cases of official declared emergency (see the Emergency Authority overview in our March 6th COVID-19 update .)

Given the nature of this emergency, requests for expenditure must be accompanied by a plan stating how the funds will be used or how any services or items purchased will be used and/or distributed. The plan will be reviewed and approved by the Dept of Neighborhood Empowerment. These City aproved expenditures should be reported to the boards and the next meeting.

If your NC is considering using its funds to assist the community during this period of declared emergency, please also think of the manner in which items purchased will be put to use, considering social distancing guidelines to avoid spreading the illness. Please consult with your NEA for further advice. One idea may be to partner up with an existing community organization or health agency that could utilize needed resources you may be able to provide.
Credible sources for up-to-date information on the Coronavirus in Los Angeles
Please do not share news or public health advice that may become dangerously outdated. Instead, share credible sources for locally relevant information that are constantly updated. Here are a few:

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health coronavirus dashboard includes everything from a live case count to downloadable guidelines for businesses, event venues, public transit riders, and more: http://PublicHealth.LAcounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/

Another great resource is the City of Los Angeles coronavirus page :

Finally, please sign up for NotifyLA , to get the City’s latest updates on COVID-19. Register at http://NotifyLA.org
@EmpowerLA