Englander E-News: Marijuana Storefront Ban, West Nile Virus, Fingerprint Backlog and More

Councilmember Englander's E-News

July 27, 2012

Council Approves Ban on Storefront Marijuana Shops

The City Council on Tuesday, July 24 voted unanimously on the motion that I co-authored to ban all storefront marijuana shops in the City of Los Angeles. 
The ordinance would allow small groups of patients and their primary caregivers to grow medical marijuana on their own. 

As chair of the Public Safety Committee and as an LAPD reserve officer, I know first-hand about the crime and other negative impacts on our neighborhoods that the illegal storefront marijuana stores have had. The City has struggled for years with the impacts, and has been unable to find ways to effectively regulate them.

When California voters approved the Compassionate Use Act of 1996 legalizing medical marijuana, it is likely that they had clinics or pharmacies in mind, serving people with serious illnesses, rather than the nearly 1,000 storefront marijuana stores that sprang up across L.A. 

It has become commonplace for people as young as 18 years old to easily obtain prescriptions for ailments such as anxiety or insomnia and buy marijuana from storefront dispensaries for recreational drug use. Marijuana remains illegal at the federal level for any use.

Since 2008, police conducting raids of illegal marijuana businesses have made over 74 arrests citywide, and seized over $2 million in cash, assault weapons, nine kilograms of cocaine, and large amounts of other illegal drugs. Together with LAPD Narcotics Enforcement Officers, we shut down 60 of the illegal marijuana dispensaries that were operating in our district, and there are none currently operating in Council District 12.

Working to Address the Backlog of Fingerprint Analysis

A recent report showed that, due to a shortage of fingerprint analysts at the LAPD, there was a backlog of untested fingerprint evidence. As chair of the Public Safety Committee, I was deeply concerned to learn about this problem because of the central role that fingerprint evidence plays in solving crimes.

I immediately introduced a motion instructing the police department to report my Public Safety Committee on the status of the fingerprint backlog, and how the department plans to maximize their resources to work through the untested fingerprint evidence.

West Nile Virus Found in the San Fernando Valley.

Greater L.A. County Vector Control has discovered mosquitos carrying the West Nile Virus in four communities, including Northridge and Winnetka. West Nile Virus is transmitted to people and animals through mosquito bites. There is no cure, and one in five persons infected with West Nile Virus will actually experience symptoms.

Symptoms usually occur between five and 15 days and can include fever, headache, body aches, nausea or a skin rash. The symptoms can last for several weeks to months. About one in 150 people infected with the virus will require hospitalization.

To learn more about West Nile Virus, click here.

To report standing water, green swimming pools, mosquitos, or dead birds, call the Greater L.A. County Vector Control at 562.244.2648 or visit www.glacvcd.org.

How you can help reduce threat of West Nile Virus
Eliminate standing water in clogged rain gutters, rain barrels, discarded tires, buckets, watering troughs or anything that holds water for more than a week.

- Ensure that swimming pools, spas and ponds are clean and maintained.

- Change the water in pet dishes, birdbaths and other small containers weekly.

- Request free mosquitofish from your Vector Control for use in spas and ponds. 

- Report mosquito activity around vacant or foreclosed homes and report neglected (green) swimming pools and other large bodies of standing water.

Chatsworth Nature Preserve Ecology Pond Re-Filled

In response to my requests, Department of Water and Power (DWP) officials filled the Chatsworth Nature Preserve Ecology Pond over the weekend.

The water level of the Ecology Pond had been sinking lower and lower due to natural evaporation. Many nearby residents and members of the environmental and wildlife protection community shared my concerns that this could have destroyed what was a beautiful and delicate ecosystem supporting numerous plant and animal species.

The Chatsworth Nature Preserve and its ecology pond are treasures of open space and natural habitat. They are very special to me and to the surrounding community and I am committed to protecting them. I am grateful to DWP General manager Ron Nichols for recognizing the importance of protecting the Ecology Pond and responding quickly to my request to have it filled.

Brush Clearance at Chatsworth Park South for Fire Safety

I am pleased to announce that brush clearance began at Chatsworth Park South on Thursday morning and will continue today around the front of the park. Brush clearance activities will begin on Monday and continue for approximately 10 days. 

I shared the concerns of residents of the surrounding community about the buildup of dry vegetation in Chatsworth Park South as the wildfire season approaches. In response, I pushed to have brush clearance at the closed park started as fast as possible in order to help protect the surrounding neighborhoods from the threat of wildfires.

The city is under an agreement with the State Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) for lead and PAH clean-up at Chatswoth Park South, which was contaminated when the property was used as a firing rage before it became a city park. The park is closed until those activities are completed and the City and the DTSC have been working through the logistics of that effort.

Brush clearance had been delayed in the park because city workers are prohibited from providing maintenance where there is a potential threat of being exposed to toxic substances. The specially-trained, contracted workers that have been hired must wear monitors and protective gear when doing the brush clearance. 

Open House and Community Art Exhibition to Celebrate Our First Year in Office

To celebrate our one year anniversary in office serving Council District 12, I was proud to host a wonderful Open House and Community Art Exhibition at our new Community Service Center on Monday, July 23. We had put out a call for submissions, and converted our office into a gallery space to display over 150 pieces of original artwork by San Fernando Valley artists. 

To see the photo album of the Open House event, visit our website photo gallery at http://cd12.org/PhotoGallery/index.htm.

Over 350 community members attended, including most of the artists, and enjoyed food, wine, music and the beautiful array of art pieces, which will remain in place for six months. Nearly all of the art pieces are for sale, with 100 percent of sales going directly to the artists. 

Thank you to all of the artists and community members who helped make this such a wonderful community event! 

Honoring the Achievements of the Kiwanis Club of Northridge

We were proud to present commendations to the Kiwanis Club of Northridge in City Council on Wednesday, July 25 in recognition of their anniversary, and their countless contributions to the community.

Among the Kiwanis Club of Northridge's most notable achievements are the annual American Flag Project to post 400 American flags on street light poles in the San Fernando Valley from Memorial Day through 4th of July; the Santa's Helpers and Thanksgiving Projects to help struggling families be able to celebrate the holidays; hosting the L.A. County Courageous Citizens Awards which recognizes citizen heroes; Halloween at Northridge Park; Support for Valley Village/Corbin House Projects for the Developmentally Disabled; and the Wheels to the Sea Project, which brings people in wheelchairs to the beach so that they can and experience the ocean. 

Online Calculator to See How DWP Proposed Rate Increases Would Effect You

The Department of Water & Power (DWP) has launched an online tool that allows customers to calculate how DWP's proposed rate increases will impact their water and power bill. To use the tool and for more information, visit http://www.ladwp.com/rates.

DWP says it needs to raise rates to make critical investments to meet legal mandates and replace aging infrastructure.

On the power side, the average increase is expected to be about 1.4 cents per kilowatt hour over two years, or about 10.8 percent. For typical residential customers using 500 kWh per month, the increase will be about one-half that, or 5.4 percent in total over the two years, which is about $3.55 per month on the typical residential bill of $65.79.

The average water customer would see their rate increase approximately 4.8 percent over two years, excluding a temporary pass-through increase for purchased water due to this year’s near record dry winter. The additional revenue will allow DWP water system to ramp up investment in developing local water supplies to reduce the city’s reliance on more expensive imported water purchases from the Metropolitan Water District, replace aging infrastructure, and meet state and federal water quality regulations.

The power and water rate proposals are currently being reviewed by the LADWP Ratepayer Advocate. They are expected to be considered by the Board of Water and Power Commissioners in August, and thereafter by the City Council.

Free Blood Pressure and Diabetes Check for National Health Center Week

Mission City Community Network (MCCN) is offering free blood pressure and diabetes check-ups Aug. 6 through Aug. 10 as part of the National Association of Community Health Centers's 2012 National Health Center Week.

Aug. 6 to Aug. 10
10:00 am to 2:00 pm
MCCN-Non-Profit Community Clinic
15206 Parthenia St., North Hills

MCCN’s mission is to provide and advocate for quality health care and social services for the uninsured and low-income families in the communities of Los Angeles County. To learn more, visit http://www.healthcenterweek.org.