Get Involved With YOUR Neighborhood Council > Coastal San Pedro | Central San Pedro | NW San Pedro

NORTHWEST SAN PEDRO NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL

Retreat MEETING MINUTES

August 21, 2004

PRESENT
Members Bill Upchurch, John Greenwood, Guillermo Villagran, George Thompson, Andrea Adleman, Ray Patricio, Chris Wickers, Diana Nave, Carlos Garcia, Sanni Wehbe, Patti Polcuch, Jody James, Philip Nicolay, Margaret Moilov.

Facilitator: CB Tharp

PURPOSE OF AGENDA:

Get to know each other better
Acknowledge organization’s goals
Clarify Board goals
Plan timetable to accomplish goals

NWSPNC ORGANIZATION AND BOARD STRENGTHS:

Well-thought-out by-laws
Diverse Board membership
Strong committee structure
Collaborative decision making process
Positive NWSP community
Successful accomplishments (with other groups)
Good city and political relations
Strong, positive identity in the community

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

· Success with Kinder Morgan issue

· Collaborations with others in community

· Becoming visible in community

· Capitol storm drain

· Support for Peck Park, including grant application

· AmeriGas forum and possible resolution

· Forum on usage of Boy Scouts of America campsite

· Positive relations with Port and PCAC

· Bridge-to-Breakwater open house

· Turn lanes to Western Ave. added to condominiums on Northwest

· Sidewalks and various infrastructure repairs and improvements

· Input to the Mayor’s budget process

· Donations from businesses to the scholarship fund

· Bus shelters

· Transportation plans, rerouted buses from neighborhoods

· Newsletter

· Siting of City facilities

· Resolutions on various issues

· Beacon House contract for community cleanup and NWSPNC community cleanups

2005 ACTION PRIORITIES:

Health and Safety Issues - ASSIGNED TO Port Committee and Issues Committee

Green LA
Homeland Security
Integrated Resources Plan (IRP) for water and wastewater
Air quality

Transportation and Traffic- ASSIGNED TO Transportation Committee

Land Use on North Gaffey – Assigned to Issues Committee

Outreach – ASSIGNED TO Outreach Committee

There was discussion that outreach is most effective when it is tied to specific issues and projects people care about. Outreach Committee should work with other committees to do outreach to targeted groups in conjunction with specific projects. Work with other community groups to reach their constituents with common interests.
Suggestions for outreach:
-Identify all segments of the community and make sure they know about the neighborhood council and how to participate when they want to/need to. Be sure to include renters, those with lower incomes, and those who do not speak English.

-It may be helpful to identify people who have credibility in and entrée to these communities and communicate with them, asking their help to contact their constituencies.

-Personal invitation to participate is more effective than posters, fliers, newsletters, and websites.

-Urge Board members to develop the habit of educating the community by talking about the neighborhood council in their daily routines (at work, at the market, pumping gas, attending other community meetings, at religious services, etc.) Board members can hand out neighborhood council business cards to help community members know how to contact them if they want to.

-Occasionally poll NWSP community members to test awareness by making random phone calls to people who live in the area and asking them if they know what the neighborhood council is and how to use it.

Extend Bridge-to-Breakwater –ASSIGNED TO Port and Issues Committees

Coordinate with Other Neighborhood Councils –ASSIGNED TO Outreach and Administrative Committees

After School Programs – ASSIGNED TO Issues Committee

Beautification

Harbor Blvd. - ASSIGNED TO Port Committee
China Shipping - ASSIGNED TO Port Committee
Averill Park Graffiti Cleanup- ASSIGNED TO Issues Committee
Community Cleanups - ASSIGNED TO Outreach Committee

Infrastructure Issues- ASSIGNED TO Transportation & Traffic Committee

Seeking Business Support – ASSIGNED TO Outreach and Administrative Committees (and suggested for all committees to try to do this as appropriate.)

Inclusionary Zoning –ASSIGNED TO Issues Committee

Follow-up on Projects Already Under Way

AmeriGas-ASSIGNED TO Issues Committee
Kinder Morgan –ASSIGNED TO Issues Committee
Bus Shelters—ASSIGNED TO Transportation & Traffic Committee

LANI Project in Peck Park – ASSIGNED TO Issues Committee

Also Canyon Safety issue in Peck Park

Administrative Assignments

Budgeting DONE money
Tracking city-wide issues
Coordination with other neighborhood councils
Seeking business support for issues and projects
Sign-in sheets should go to the secretary, Christine

Other Issues Mentioned

Submitting priorities for Mayor’s budget process
Relationship with PCAC
There was also discussion about the possibility of hosting a community event to both introduce City services and the Neighborhood Council to the community.

POSSIBLE BUDGET NEEDS

- Meeting support

- Consultant for Gaffey Master Plan and Bridge-to-Breakwater

- Consultant for Traffic and Transportation

- Marquee in Peck Park

- Averill Park work

- Advertising for outreach

- Newsletters (4 x $3,000 = $12,000/year)

- Business Cards for Board Members (Bill will follow up)

TECHNIQUES FOR STAYING FOCUSED ON BOARD’S AGENDA

Appoint “stewards” who’ll track and report on each issue.
Say “no” when an issue does not have sufficient priority for Board’s time.
Delegate activities and discussions to committees.

HOW THE BOARD WILL HOLD ITSELF ACCOUNTABLE FOR PRIORITIES

Hold a six-months review meeting in January ’05 to review progress
Each committee can create a tracking sheet similar to the one used by the Issues Committee
Create a list of the year’s goals and bring it to every meeting as a reminder
Print the goals in the first issue of the newsletter and have a “report card” column in subsequent newsletters.
Prioritize new issues in light of agreed upon goals.