FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mayor Jim Hahn today said he will increase the role of neighborhood councils in city government, including reserving at least one seat on every city commission for neighborhood council members.

"Power in Los Angeles is moving from City Hall to where it belongs - in our neighborhoods. Four years ago, there were no neighborhood councils. Today there are 85, and we're transforming the way government works. Now, I'm taking our neighborhood councils to the next level," Mayor Hahn said.

"I gave neighborhood councils a real voice in the city budget for the first time last year, and they, loudly and clearly, told me what they wanted. This year, we prioritized putting more cops on the street, increasing paramedic services and doubling the miles of street improvements. Neighborhood councils have proven to be a powerful and needed voice in guiding the overall vision for Los Angeles," Mayor Hahn added. "And neighborhood councils have used their $50,000 budgets to directly impact their neighborhoods by buying school books, playground equipment, and radar guns for traffic officers. The experiment is working. Now, I want to take neighborhood councils to the next level by incorporating them in the day-to-day operations of our city to further improve our quality of life."

Mayor Hahn today met with neighborhood council leaders at a home in North Hollywood where he said he would implement the following steps to further empower neighborhood councils:

* Include at least one neighborhood council member on every city
commission.

City commissions are made up of appointed city residents who oversee city departments including the Port of L.A., airports, LAPD, and DWP. City commissions such as the Human Relations Commission conduct studies and advise the city on particular issues.

* Involve neighborhood councils in hiring every city department
general manager.

* Create a neighborhood council committee to review the performance of every city department.

* Continue Neighborhood Council involvement in developing the city
budget.

Mayor Hahn last year took the unprecedented step of incorporating neighborhood councils in the city budgeting process, resulting in a spending plan that reflected the wants and needs of Los Angeles residents by prioritizing putting more cops on the street, adding paramedic services and doubling the miles of streets improved.

* Include neighborhood councils in Teamwork LA Neighborhood Service Cabinet meetings.

Mayor Hahn created Teamwork LA to bring together city departments to ensure coordination and resource-sharing in making improvements and addressing problems.

* Train every Neighborhood Council member to participate in the LAPD's neighborhood watch program.

* Provide Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training to every Neighborhood Council member

* Include neighborhood councils in Eyes on the Neighborhood program.

Mayor Hahn created Eyes on the Neighborhood to enlist city employees, who work in every corner of Los Angeles, to report problems they see whether they can be addressed by their department or not. Neighborhood councils would be similarly enlisted to increase the number of people watching out for and reporting problems throughout the city.

Los Angeles had no neighborhood councils before Mayor Hahn took office. Since then, more than 85 have been established, giving neighborhoods a strong role in issues including the fight against the Ahmanson Ranch project. Starting with the Reseda Neighborhood Council, Mayor Hahn has provided each council with $50,000 budget for operating costs and to make community improvements, including radar guns for local traffic officers, books for school libraries and playground equipment. Mayor Hahn earlier this year proposed giving neighborhood councils discretion over $100,000 for road improvements.

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