Englander E-News: Saving Tax Money, Brush Clearance, Burglars, and More ...

COUNCILMEMBER ENGLANDER'S E-NEWS

April 6, 2012

Motion To Save Taxpayer Money on Purchasing of City Supplies...

We introduced a motion on Tuesday, April 3 calling for new policies to enable the City to get the lowest prices for the hundreds of millions of dollars worth of materials and supplies the City purchases every year, in order to save taxpayer money.

The City needs to do what every family in Los Angeles does when money is tight – find savings, eliminate wasteful spending, and shop for the best prices. The motion directs the City Administrative Officer (CAO) and Chief Legislative Analyst (CLA) in consultation with the General Services Department (GSD) to report to the Council with recommended procedures for all new procurement contracts that would allow departments to shop for lower commodity pricing; negotiate with suppliers on new pricing; and purchase from a lower-cost supplier if the contracted supplier fails to meet or beat the lower price.

The motion also asks GSD to contact the City’s current contractors and ask them to voluntarily comply with a lower commodity pricing policy. It also would require all current contracts be extended only if the vendor agrees to offer a lower pricing policy.

Click here to see the press release.
Click here to see the motion.

Calling for Accountability for Loss of Police Communications...

We introduced a motion this week calling for a full investigation and accountability for an incident that shut down the entire citywide Police dispatch system for 12 hours.

On Tuesday, April 3,the General Services Department (GSD) conducted a power test at Mt. Lee, which houses all the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) radio communications equipment for the Metropolitan Communications Dispatch Center (MCDC). The activity shut off the power at Mount Lee, disabling all radio communications capabilities for the MCDC.

This occurred on a day when the Valley Dispatch Center was down since Saturday due to an electrical problem that GSD was working on. As such, all 911 calls were being handled by the MCDC, and when it also went offline, it left the City completely without its dispatch capabilities. GSD knew that Valley Dispatch was not functioning, and did not check in with the Police Department before it conducted its test on Mt. Lee.

Thanks to the excellent capability of our Police Department, all 911 calls were still answered and handled, and fortunately, no large scale emergency took place that day. However, it did leave the public and officers in the field vulnerable to unacceptable risks because dispatchers no longer had the ability to directly communicate with officers.

While the system is currently back up and dispatching normally, a failure of the GSD management of this magnitude resulting in the shut down of our most critical public safety system must be investigated and those responsible must be held accountable. Our motion calls for GSD to report to the Public Safety Committee in 10 days

Click here to see the motion.
Click here to see the NBC News article about the dispatch system blackout.

Brush Clearance - Protect Your Home and Your Neighborhood and Help Prevent the Next Major Wildfire...
A Special Report from Los Angeles Fire Department Battalion 15 Battalion Chief Wes Elder

April 1, 2012 marks the beginning of the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Brush Clearance Program.The LAFD Brush Clearance Unit started sending out mailers to homes in the “Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones” with information about how to comply with Brush Clearance rules and other useful information to keep our community safe from wildfires.

The Brush Clearance Program is a crucial part of the Fire Department’s efforts to prevent the start, spread and damage of wildfires. Homes, neighborhoods and lives in our beautiful, natural, hillside areas are protected by reducing excessive combustible vegetation around a home to create “defensible areas.” Defensive areas are critical to allow firefighters to have space or work areas to defend the homes and properties from encroaching flames.

There are approximately 130,000 properties in the “Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones,” many of which are in the Northwest San Fernando Valley. On May 1, the enforcement period begins, and LAFD will begin inspecting those properties. If they find that a property is out of compliance, the property owner could receive a citation.

Be sure to have your property inspected and have the fire hazards abated to avoid the citation. Homeowners can also self-inspect their properties and remove the fire hazards associated with heavy vegetation on their property. To learn how to properly self-inspect, see Frequently Asked Questions about the requirements and fees, and for wildfire and brush clearance tips for homeowners, click here.

Battalion 15 is located at Fire Station 70, at 9861 Reseda Blvd., Northridge. Direct phone: (818) 756-8615. Battalion 15 has oversight over personnel and operations of eight Fire Stations in the San Fernando Valley - Fire Station 8, 18, 28, 70, 87, 96, 103 and 107.

Reaching Out to Assist Businesses at Our Quarterly Business Roundtable...

We were proud to welcome over 60 participating companies to our most recent Northwest Valley Business Roundtable on Thursday, March 29 at Corporate Pointe in West Hills.

This Roundtable event offered valuable assistance and information about City contracting opportunities for Valley businesses from the L.A. Department of Public Works, LA Department of Water and Power, Port of Los Angeles, Los Angeles World Airports and LAUSD.

As the strongest pro-business voice on the City Council, we started our Business Roundtables as part of our ongoing efforts to help L.A. become more business friendly and help local businesses thrive, create jobs and boost the economy.

Knock Knock Burglars Arrested...

We were proud to join the LAPD at a press conference on Thursday, April 5 to announce the arrest of of the so-called "Knock-Knock" burglars who had been targeting quiet neighborhoods in the Northwest San Fernando Valley and across the City.

The thieves had been driving through quiet single family home neighborhoods, watching for homes that appeared empty. They would knock on doors and, if no one answered, force entry to the homes through a side or rear door or window, or garage.

We applaud the work of the Officers from LAPD, Glendale Police Department, and the L.A. County Sheriff's Department, who worked together on a joint task force and arrested 22 suspects in six burglary rings. Nearly all of the suspects had lengthy criminal records, and many were gang members.

Remember, if you are home alone and someone knocks on the door, let them know you are home without opening the door. Don't open the door until you know who it is.

To read the article in the Los Angeles Times about the arrests, click here.

LA Times Editorial Supporting Our Ban On Mobile Billboard Blight...

The Los Angeles Times publishes an editorial today in support of our legislation to ban mobile advertising displays that had been a blight and a safety hazard in our community for years.

The Council unanimously approved amendments to the City's ordinance prohibiting mobile billboard advertising displays in Los Angeles on Wednesday, March 7. 

To read the editorial, click here.

Join Northridge West Neighborhood Council's "Clean Sweep" Weekly Clean-Up and Help Make Northridge Shine!

Join Northridge West Neighborhood Council's Clean Sweep community beautification project every Thursday!

Schedule for April
April 12 - Northwest corner Chatsworth St., near Wilbur Wilbur Ave.
April 19 - Northwest corner Tribune St., near Wilbur Ave.
April 26 - Northwest corner Kenya St., near Wilbur Ave.

At 8:00 am the crew will review the game plan with free refreshments provided by Northridge West Neighborhood Council. Bring gloves if you have them, sunscreen, a sunhat and appropriate shoes for outdoor work. Northridge West Neighborhood provides the refreshments and tools.

For more information contact Jo Ann Phillips at (818) 304-4989 or japhillips1@yahoo.com or visit www.NorthridgeWest.org.

April Pothole Project...

Cracked, broken-down streets are something that affects every one of us every day and repairing and maintaining them is a core City service.

We have made it our top priority to work to bring the City back to its most essential core services. That is why we launched a special April Pothole Project. The Bureau of Street Services usually fills potholes within 24 hours, but they need to know where they are. We want to engage and empower the people in our community to help identify the worst potholes in our District.

We have a special interactive form on our website at http://tiny.cc/CD12Potholes where you can report the location of potholes in Council District 12. The information will go directly to the Bureau of Street Services. Please report exact address or exact intersection only, otherwise it will not get entered into Street Services' list.

We will track its progress and send you a notification when it has been completed. We will post reports and photos during the month here in our newsletter.

If you have any questions about the April Pothole Project, please call us at (818) 882-1212.

National Volunteer Week Management Trainings...

In celebration of National Volunteer Week, April 15 - 21, 2012, Volunteer Los Angeles is holding a series of free Volunteer Management Trainings sessions, including several in the San Fernando Valley.

As non-profits and public agencies in Los Angeles cope with the ongoing effects of economic hardship, they need to generate creative solutions to deliver services, including establishing new partnerships and more strategic ways to engage volunteers. Volunteer Los Angeles's series of trainings for non-profits and public agencies will help them learn how to strategically engage volunteers for maximum impact.

All sessions are 10:00 am to 12:00 pm or 1:00 to 3:00 pm. For more information, call Rafael Castellanos at (323) 450-5053 or email rcastellanos@volunteerlosangeles.org, or Pedro Barrientos at (323) 450-5087 or email pbarrientos@volunteerlosangeles.org.

Tip-A-Cop In Support of the Special Olympics...

As an LAPD Reserve Officer, I was proud to join dozens of LAPD Officers for the Tip-A-Cop fundraiser night on Thursday, April 5 at the Claim Jumper Restaurant in Northridge.

Uniformed Police Officers served as "celebrity waiters" for the evening, and all tips went toward the Special Olympics of Southern California. The event raised nearly $4,000.

To see the article and photos in Chatsworth Patch on the Tip-A-Cop fundraiser, click here. To learn more about the Special Olympics, visit www.SOSC.org.

- Mitchell Englander, Councilmember, Twelfth District

SOLID Fundraiser Dinner at Islands in Porter Ranch...

Come enjoy a delicious dinner and help support a great cause at the SOLID (Supporters of Law Enforcement in Devonshire) fundraiser night, Wednesday, April 18 at Islands Fine Burgers & Drinks in Porter Ranch.

Wednesday, April 18
3:00 pm to close
Islands Restaurant
11400 Porter Ranch Dr.
Porter Ranch

Print and cut out the adjacent flyer and present it to your server and Islands will donate 20% of your food and beverage purchase to SOLID.

SOLID is a non-profit organization that purchases non-City supplied materials and equipment that is needed by the Police Officers at Devonshire Community Police Station.

For more information visit http://soliddevonshire.org.

New Horizons Gala...

New Horizons, a non-profit organization that provides services to adults with intellectual challenges, is honoring Jonathan Murray, Founder/CEO, Bunim/Murray Productions and Marsh Gluchow, Owner, Valley Motor Center, at its April 19 Gala event. CBS2 News Anchor Pat Harvey will serve as mistress of ceremonies.

This elegant annual dinner and auction event raises funds for New Horizons' programs and services for adults with developmental disabilities throughout the San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys.

Thursday, April 19
5:30 pm to 9:30 pm
Sheraton Universal, Universal City

To make reservations, visit www.newhorizons-sfv.org. For more information, call Holly Rasey at (818) 894-9306.

"Sky's the Limit" 7th Annual Aviation Career Day at Van Nuys Airport...

Save the date for the 7th Annual Sky's the Limit Aviation Career Day at the historic Synchro Hangar at Van Nuys Airport on Friday, April 20.

Friday, April 20
9:00 am to 2:00 pm
Synchro Hangar
Van Nuys Airport

Every year, this great event offers over 1,400 young people the chance to learn about the exciting and challenging careers paths in the aviation and aerospace industries in the San Fernando Valley and beyond.

The event will feature interactive aviation and aerospace exhibits, military and civilian aircraft displays, airfield bus tours, and light refreshments.

For more information, call (818) 901-9828 or email letv@saicraftsmen.com.

Chatsworth Day of the Horse...

We are proud to co-sponsor the Chatsworth Neighborhood Council's 9th Annual Chatsworth Day of the Horse on Sunday, April 22 at Stoney Point Ranch in Chatsworth.

Sunday, April 22
11:00 am to 3 pm
Stoney Point Ranch
10861 Andora St., Chatsworth

Don't miss this great tradition celebrating the history and culture of our vibrant equestrian community. There will be displays about equestrian safety, riding demonstrations, arts and crafts,activities for kids, food vendors and more.

"Sherrif George" will be on site with his fun jail game, where you can have someone thrown behind bars for a donation, with proceeds benefiting the Chatsworth Historical Society.

For more information call Mary Kaufman (818) 326-5772.

Free Tire Collection Days in the San Fernando Valley...

Bring your old tires to have them safely and properly disposed of and recycled for free at the upcoming tire collection days in the San Fernando Valley.

Saturday, April 28
11050 Pendleton St., Sun Valley
9:00 am to 2:30 pm

Saturday, May 19, 2012
West Valley District Yard
8840 Vanalden Ave., Northridge
9:00 am to 2:30 pm

Every person who brings in tires will receive a coupon for 15% off their next purchase of Firestone or Bridgestone tires. This event is limited to City Los Angeles residents only. The collection event will not accept tires from businesses, tires on rims, tires for large trucks, or more than nine tires per person.

For more information, call (213) 485-3568.

Chatsworth Historical Society's Garden Festival...

Don't miss the Chatsworth Historical Society's annual Garden Festival on Sunday, April 29 at the Homestead Acre.

Sunday, April 29
11:00 am to 4:00 pm
Homestead Acre
Chatsworth Park South
10385 Shadow Oak Dr., Chatsworth
(at the far west end of Devonshire St.)
Parking and shuttle service at Chatsworth Depot Train Station, located at 10038 Old Depot Plaza Rd.

This wonderful San Fernando Valley tradition has lots of great family-friendly activities, including the famous Duchess Afternoon Tea from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. There will also be blooming rose gardens on display, a quilt display from the Veteran's Quilt Project, arts & crafts and demonstrations by garden clubs, tours of the Chatsworth Historical Museum and the Minnie Palmer Cottage, food vendors and more.

Proceeds from the event benefit the Chatsworth Historical Society. For more information, call (818) 882-5614.

Join the Relay For Life and Help the Fight Against Cancer...

Save the date for the American Cancer Society Relay for Life at Chatsworth High School on April 28 and 29. There are 17 local teams participating in this 24-hour walk/run to raise funds for cancer research, treatment and programs.

April 28, 9:00 am through April 29, 9:00 am
Chatsworth High School
10027 Lurline Ave., Chatsworth

Community members, schools, Neigbhorhood Councils, businesses, houses of worship and other community-based organizations form relay teams to raise funds for the American Cancer Society. The event celebrates those who have survived cancer and remembers loved ones lost to cancer. It raises funds for American Cancer Society's programs and services, and helps fund research into cancer treatment. It also raises awareness about what we can do to help fight cancer and support those affected by it. The teams' members take turns walking around the track for a full 24 hours. There are somber memorials and educational activities, but also fun, booths, food and more.

To support or join any of the teams, or to learn how to form your own Relay Team visit http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?pg=entry&fr_id=36478.

Bureau of Sanitation Yards Open House...

Don't miss the Bureau of Sanitation's annual open house at their maintenance yards. Kids love this fun, free event, with hands-on trash truck demonstrations, sanitation facility tours, and educational information and demonstrations about recycling and the environment.

Saturday, April 28
9:00 am to 2:30 pm
East Valley District Yard
11050 Pendleton St., Sun Valley
Click here for the flyer.

Saturday, May 19
9:00 am to 2:30 pm
West Valley District Yard
8840 Vanalden Ave., Northridge
Click here for the flyer.

For more information, click here.

SOLID Pancake Breakfast...

SOLID's annual All-You-Can-Eat Pancake Breakfast is coming up on May 19, so save the date! Proceeds benefit SOLID (Supporters of Law Enforcement in Devonshire), which provides non-City supplied materials and equipment needed by the Police Officers at Devonshire Division.

Saturday, May 19
7:30 am to 1:30 pm
Devonshire Community
Police Station
10240 Etiwanda St., Northridge
$7 per person.

Regency Theatres in Granada Hills has generously donated 25 pairs of movie tickets to be given away to guests in a prize drawing. Free child photo-IDs are provided by Hollywood-West Valley Masonic Lodge. Free facepainting for kids!

For more information, visit http://soliddevonshire.org.

Tours of Historic Oakridge Estate in Northridge...

Our District Director Megan Cottier, who handles Recreation & Parks issues, reports this week on a terrific event last weekend at the Oakridge Estate in Northridge.

We offered guided tours for 300 community members of the cultural-historic landmark. We purchased Oakridge to save it from development and preserve it as a public treasure of open space and culture for future generations to enjoy.
The tour was a joint project of our office,  the Oakridge Park Advisory Board and the Friends of Oakridge, the non-profit organization established to support the estate and share its history with the public.

To see photos, maps, historic news articles, video-tours, and plans for the future of the Oakridge Estate, or to donate to suppport Oakridge, visit http://www.theoakridgeestate.com/.

If you would like to sign up for future tours of the Oakridge Estate, please email Megan.Cottier@lacity.org.

A Year of Emergency Preparedness...

On January 17, the 18th anniversary of the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, we kicked off our Year of Emergency Preparedness in Los Angeles.

Throughout 2012, we will be working on legislation, programs and public awareness efforts to help the residents of Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley be prepared for natural or man-made disasters.

Every week, our newsletter will feature a new item in an Emergency Preparedness Checklist. These are simple steps that everyone in Los Angeles should take in order to be prepared for any disaster. If you follow each item on this checklist, you will be highly prepared at the end of the year.

Week 12: Get CPR Training
If an earthquake or other major disaster strikes, we must be prepared for the possibility that emergency responders will not be able to reach everyone immediately. Roads can be destroyed or blocked, and emergency resources will be responding to the largest and most urgent incidents first.

Getting trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid could save the lives of your family members or neighbors. Take an American Red Cross first aid and CPR training course, and find out who in your neighborhood is also trained in first aid and CPR so that if disaster strikes, you can be ready to be self-sufficient until help arrives. To find where Red Cross classes are offered near you, click here.

To see our printable Emergency Preparedness Checklist, with every week's entry, click here or visit our website at www.CD12.org.