Westwood Neighborhood Council recap – Oct. 17

The Westwood Neighborhood Council meets monthly to discuss issues pertaining to Westwood Village and the surrounding areas.

Discussion

• Jasmine Shamolian, a representative for Councilmember Paul Koretz, said city plans to build a dog park in Veteran’s Barrington Park were changed. The city is now aiming to build the dog park at the Westwood Recreation Center. The move is still in a preliminary phase, and residents are encouraged to give input on the project.

• Marco Perez, a representative from UCLA Government and Community Relations, said about 39,000 parents and family members will visit students during the upcoming Bruin Family Weekend event. Perez reminded the council that the marching band and cheer squad will be hosting pep rallies for the school’s homecoming week. He also thanked the council for the buses it donated for UCLA’s Volunteer Day.

• Sam Appel, a new coordinator to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, said the group counted 267 homeless individuals in Westwood on Jan. 26, 27 and 28. The number of homeless individuals is up 16.5 percent, or 38 people, from 2015. The increase was found specifically among homeless individuals that did not have a permanent shelter to sleep in. LAHSA counted 28,464 homeless individuals in all of LA, a 10.8 percent increase from 2015.

• Atta Tarki, a representative from Beautify Arts, said the 5th District of LA is interested in partnering with artists to decorate parts of Westwood with murals. The district wanted to gauge the council’s interest and said that it may be able to use up to $10,000 from the Cultural Affairs Fund to finance the murals.

• Roozbeh Farahanipour, zoning chair of WWNC, said the city is currently in the process of replanting trees that were illegally cut down.

• Connie Boukidis, WWNC chair of the Land Use and Planning Committee, removed an agenda item concerning the request to sell alcohol at D1 Cafe. The restaurant did not have adequate menu items to accompany alcohol, based on WWNC requirements. The item will be returned at a later meeting if these requirements can be met.

• WWNC President Lisa Chapman recognized the resignations of councilmembers Ian Cocroft and Eugene Tseng, and initiated conversation about selecting new candidates to fill their seats. The process, according to council bylaws, requires a 60-day notice posted online so that those interested can fill out application forms. Each applicant will have the chance to make a personal statement before the council at their January 2017 meeting. They will then select replacements from the pool of applicants.

Motions

• The board unanimously agreed to partake in the LAHSA Homeless Count in January 2017. They also agreed to co-chair the Westwood portion of the LAHSA count with the Westwood Community Council and the Westwood Presbyterian Church.