2019 was a year of growth for the Winnetka Neighborhood Council which has well positioned us for great things in 2020!
In April we swore in new Board Members and began restructuring our committees. The combination of new and experienced members working together on our committees has produced great results! We have grown from one committee to five and committee meetings are where the real works gets done: members and attendees can really dig into an issue thoroughly and identify the best course of action to recommend to the full Board.
The long standing Public Works and Transportation Committee has long advocated for the removal of a phantom lane of traffic on Winnetka Ave south of the LA River bridge and the reinstallation of street parking for residents and a bike lane. Their hard word was rewarded in May when that project was finally completed.
The Planning and Land Use Committee had been dormant for many months, since the City would not support our requirement that developers notify their prospective neighbors about proposals at our meetings. We are grateful to have found a way forward, whereby we can post meeting and hearing notices on the project site to inform and invite neighbors to share their opinion. We just completed our first project evaluation with this process for the proposed Grocery Store Outlet and their alcohol license at the now empty Fallas location at Corbin and Sherman Way. The PLUM committee and stakeholders heard the proposal, got their questions answered and made a recommendation to the full Board. With more outreach and a presentation to the Board, the Board approved PLUM’s recommendation.
The Public Safety Committee together with the Outreach Committee represented the Winnetka Neighborhood Council at the Valley Disaster Preparedness Fair and is investigating how to promote emergency preparedness in Winnetka. This year Councilmember Blumenfield took action to improve public safety along the Los Angeles River which suffered under the multijurisdictional responsibility for different sections of the river. WNC had raised safety concerns about the river pathways for some time and is excited about this new approach which calls for the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) to be vested with responsibility for safety enforcement.
Outreach has been spreading our message via our website with new accessibility features, emails, social media and Nextdoor along with inviting stakeholder participation at the recent CicLAvia event in Winnetka.
Youth Advocacy is supporting Winnetka students having recommended funds to support our five elementary school graduations with $300 in funding and recognition for the Council in their graduation programs. They are also supporting Fulbright Elementary’s third grade for a field trip led by the Santa Susana Mountains Conservancy. In addition to these two items the Board approved the committee’s recommendation to fund the entire cost of the sheet music for the Cleveland High School Marching Band.
“I am thankful for the stand out work of our committees and for the leadership of our Board Members who volunteer so much time and give their all for Winnetka. Well done!” shares WNC President David Uebersax.
The Winnetka Neighborhood Council Committees are having a real positive impact on our community and we expect to tackle even more issues of importance in 2020. We invite you to join us by attending a committee or board meeting and considering taking a seat on a committee or our Board. Contact Board@WinnetkaNC.com to tell us how you would like to participate.