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ANNOUNCING MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE VNC WEBSITE
COMING TO YOU ON JANUARY 20, 2009

Look for major improvements to the VNC website on January 20, 2009.

The familiar pages will all be there. But the interface will be easier to navigate and it will be more interactive – and faster – thanks to the work of our VNC Communications Officer, Sean Kelly!

With one exception, the existing files and links will continue to be available on the new website.

The one exception is all of the files and links in the panel to the right under the Active forum topics, New forum topics and Recent comments headers. If you wish to retain any information from these links, you must transfer it to your personal computer before 12 midnight on January 19, 2009.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS

FOOD DRIVES

This is an ongoing and very real emergency.
Your ongoing generosity remains much needed and appreciated.

WEST SIDE FOOD BANK

The West Side Food Bank provides food to 65 social service agencies in Los Angeles. In the past six months alone, prior to our recent economic crisis, the Westside Food Bank saw an increase of 25% in those who were turning to food banks for assistance. That’s nearly 20,000 more people than last year. This winter, the number of WORKING poor using food banks will increase even more dramatically given the increased cost of daily expenses such as food, gas, home heating and the shrinking job market. As more people begin to seek food assistance, food banks are receiving fewer donations.

Donations to WEST SIDE FOOD BANK may be made to:

West Side Food Bank
1710 22nd St.
Santa Monica, CA 90404
Phone:(310) 828-6016
Fax:(310) 828-2646
http://www.westsidefoodbankca.org/

FILL THE FOOD BANK

Donations to FILL THE FOOD BANK may be made at:

• the otheroom – 1201 Abbot Kinney Blvd
• Urban Escape – 1505 Abbot Kinney Blvd
• Fruit Gallery – 1 Westminster Ave
• The Slave Boutique – 2122 Lincoln Blvd
• Trim – 1424 Abbot Kinney Blvd
• Paper Scissors Rock – 1711 Pacific Avenue

PARTICIPATE IN THE 2009 GREATER LOS ANGELES HOMELESS COUNT

The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) is gearing up for the 2009 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count to take place on January 27th, 28th, and 29th.

The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) requires all communities who receive funding through the McKinney Homeless Assistance Program complete a point-in-time Homeless Count every two years. It is with funding from the City and County of Los Angeles that this important research project is able to be completed.

As the lead agency for the Los Angeles Continuum of Care (CoC), LAHSA coordinates the region’s efforts to gather numerical and demographic information about homelessness in our communities and submits this data to HUD as part of the application for McKinney Homeless Assistance Program funding. This resource provides over $70 million in critical shelter, services and housing money to local non-profit organizations who work with the homeless throughout the City and County of Los Angeles.

Due to the size of our region, the 2009 Great Los Angeles Homeless County will be the largest homeless count in the nation. With the help of all County and City departments, the count hopes to reach the its goal to recruit 3,000 volunteers to help out on the nights of January 27th, 28th, and 29th.

We hope you will sign up to volunteer for the 2009 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count!

For more information, visit: http://www.lahsa.org/hc09.asp

ONE VNC COMMUNITY OFFICER SEAT IS NOW OPEN, AND WILL BE APPOINTED AT THE VNC BOARD MEETING ON FEBRUARY 17, 2009

We are looking for stakeholders who are over 16 and at least juniors in high school, who live work or own property in Venice to apply for an open seat on the Venice Neighborhood Council. This is a great way to get further involved in your community, and to have a say in the direction we are heading.

To self nominate, simply send a short email to board@veniceNC.org. Please tell us about you, your experience, and why you would like to serve. Nominations will be closed at the January 20, 2008 VNC meeting, and applicants will be asked to give a 2 minute speech to the current Board members and the public at that meeting in support of their candidacy.

Over the following month, the Board will solicit comments from the public regarding each candidate to better inform it of the candidates qualifications and involvement in the Venice community. The current Board members will then vote for the new Community Officer from the pool of applicants at the VNC meeting on February 17, 2009, at 7:00 pm, at Westminster Elementary School. If appointed, you will take your place as a voting member at that meeting, subject to a subsequent stakeholder ratification election."

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS TO UTILIZE CITY OWNED LAND LOCATED AT 520 VENICE WAY, VENICE

The VNC is asking stakeholders who are over 16 and at least juniors in high school, who live work or own property in Venice for proposals regarding how the City owned vacant property located at 520 Venice Way should be used by our community. [Click here] for proposal application guidelines.

Applications are due by February 2, 2009, and should be submitted to the VNC’s Land Use and Planning Committee (LUPC) Chair, Challis Macpherson, at chair-lupc@venicenc.org.

YOUR VENICE – NEWSLETTER IS PUBLISHED

Download it here: (note: The PDF file is 4.1M and may take a moment on slow connections)
Your Venice Newsletter

NOVEMBER 18 BOARD MEETING MINUTES

The Board elected Cynthia Rogers and Karen Wolfe to fill the 2 vacant Board Community Officer positions, and appointed Kelly Li and Matthew Geller to the 2 vacant LUPC positions.

The LUPC appointments are final. The newly elected Community Officers are voting members of the VNC Board, but their election is subject to a subsequent stakeholder ‘ratification or replacement’ election to occur between 30 and 90 days after November 18, 2008.

DECEMBER 16 DRAFT BOARD MEETING MINUTES

Mark Lipman presented a petition to the Secretary under Article V A of the VNC Bylaws as follows:

Initiative Proposal Petition to Rescind OPDs in Venice

To Fairly Represent Venice, the Venice Neighborhood Council (VNC) Must Rescind any VNC Board Approval of Overnight Parking Districts in Venice and Transmit a Letter Stating Such to the Los Angeles City Council Office, the Bureau of Engineering, the Department of Transportation, and the California Coastal Commission.

Per the VNC Bylaws, an election will be conducted between 30 and 90 days after December 16, 2008 when the above petition will be ratified or rejected by stakeholder vote.