North Westwood Neighborhood Council recap – Oct. 11

This post was updated Oct. 17 at 11:57 p.m.

The North Westwood Neighborhood Council – the official neighborhood council advocating for UCLA and Westwood to the Los Angeles City Council – met Oct. 11. The council’s meetings are open to the public and are held on the first Wednesday of the month at UCLA’s Weyburn Terrace. The next meeting is set to be held Nov. 1.

The meeting was scheduled for Oct. 4 but was moved because of a scheduling conflict for the room.

In the Oct. 11 meeting, the council and Westwood community members heard from public officials and addressed issues within the area.

Comments by public officials:

• Patricia Macias, Council District 5 field deputy, said California Senate Bill 411 – which allows neighborhood councils to meet using a hybrid model of in-person and online – will require a two-thirds majority by the council in order to be exercised.

[Related: SB 411 brings possibility of virtual option for neighborhood council meetings]

• Macias also said District 5 Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky introduced a motion to establish an Office of Compliance, which would allow staff members to help identify potential conflicts of interest prior to voting on LA City Council matters. She also said the LA City Council dedicated the intersection of Westwood Boulevard and Rochester Avenue as the “Women Life Freedom Square.” Macias added that parts of Veteran Avenue will be closed starting Oct. 16 for phase two of Sepulveda Transit Corridor planning. She said Veteran Avenue will be a one-way road for 8-12 weeks on various parts of the 100-500 block of the street. The closure will take place from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday to Friday.
• Michael Russell, the executive director of the Westwood Village Improvement Association, said Broxton Nights will happen Oct. 14 and will feature a Halloween-themed roller disco. He added that there will be a Halloween costume contest with prizes. Russell also said 12 new businesses have opened in the last 12 months, and six more are opening in the next few months. The business vacancy rate in Westwood is at 15%, he said. Russell said Broxton Plaza – a project which will transform Broxton Avenue into a pedestrian-only street – is underway and that the WVIA is waiting on the LA Department of Transportation for a schedule.

[Related: Westwood Village Improvement Association obtains permit for Broxton Plaza Project]

• Carmen Zambrano, assistant director of UCLA’s community and local government relations, said 7,000 people attended the October First Thursdays event and that the November theme is “Bruin Beats.”

[Related: UCLA First Thursdays ‘Night Market’ features food from around the world]

She added that First Thursdays will now only be in Westwood every other month because the block party will now take place in other areas where UCLA has built a satellite campus, such as in downtown LA.

[Related: UCLA Extension to occupy the Trust Building as UCLA acquires the downtown location]

Zambrano said that both the opening for the Nimoy Theater and UCLA’s Volunteer Day on Sept. 30 were successful. She said UCLA will have a Veterans Day celebration Nov. 9 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. UCLA also will hold the science fair – Exploring Your Universe – on Nov. 5, Zambrano said, adding that the event is for all ages and that there will be 62 interactive science booths. Zambrano said Bruin Family Weekend is Oct. 27 and 28 and that there will be a STC4ALL community town hall Oct. 24 at the Westwood Methodist Church from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Zambrano said that all known UC students and staff in the Israel/Palestine region are safe.

• Kevin Wise, managing partner at SCI Executive Services and community liaison to the council, said he is concerned about the safety of minors in the Westwood community after hearing a story about a father needing to shield his child away from an exposed person walking on the street. He said that he sent an open letter to the council and many members of the public. He added that the issue affects many businesses in Westwood that care for children.

Comments made by the public:

• Jim Shanman, executive director of Walk ‘n Rollers, said the organization is partnering with the LA Department of Transportation to improve bicycle and pedestrian areas from Centinela Avenue to Westwood Boulevard. He added that the organization is also partnering with LADOT for the Westside Mobility Projects, which plan to create four bikeways that connect Westside neighborhoods and adjacent cities in order to make bicycling more comfortable for all riders. He also shared information on three projects Metro is working on to address traveling from the Valley to the Westside. The projects include the Traffic Reduction Study, the Sepulveda Transit Corridor and I-405 Sepulveda Pass ExpressLanes, which will turn carpool lanes into express lanes.
• Steve Sann, programs and events chair on the Friends of the Westwood Library board, said 240 children and parents came to the Bob Baker Marionette Theater’s “Something to Crow About!” performance in September. He added that the library will also host a holiday book sale and swing dance event.
• A UCLA student said that Westwood lacks public restrooms, adding that he is frustrated that he has to go back to the Hill or Ralphs to use the restroom.

Agenda:

• Council President Josh Trifunovic motioned to create an ad hoc Bylaws Committee to do a comprehensive review of neighborhood council bylaws. The motion also included what type of committee member should be included on the committee. Councilmembers Kevin Crummy, Jacob Wasserman and Trifunovic were selected for the committee.
• Councilmember Andrew Lewis was selected to represent the council at the Neighborhood Council Sustainability Alliance, with Wasserman as an alternate.
• The council also discussed revising meeting days during the holiday season. The council voted unanimously to skip the January meeting, which would have been held Jan. 3, and keep the December date.
• Wasserman was elected to receive neighborhood council election data.
• The council approved a Community Impact Statement for Council Files 23-0919, 23-0918, 23-0916, 18-0458, 23-0600-S54, 23-0903, 21-0039 and 13-1384. The Community Impact Statement shows the council’s support in reforming the city’s infrastructure project delivery by creating a capital plan to better coordinate departments and streamline design and construction.
• The council approved the October consent calendar – a new initiative that was approved at the NWWNC meeting in August – and included items such as various monthly expenditure reports and minutes.

Announcements:

• Board member Nuha Khalfay said the Budget and Finance Committee will meet to discuss the final two Neighborhood Purpose Grants of the calendar year, which provide funding to groups improving the Westwood community.
• Trifunovic announced that Assemblymember Rick Zbur will be at the November meeting.