This post was updated July 13 at 8:59 p.m.

The secretary of the North Westwood Neighborhood Council announced he would resign at the first monthly meeting of the board’s new term July 9.

The council, which represents Westwood and UCLA to the Los Angeles City Council, meets on the first Wednesday of every month at UCLA’s Weyburn Terrace. Meetings are open to the public and can be attended in person or virtually using the link posted on the corresponding month’s agenda. The next meeting is set to be held Aug. 6.

Jacob Wasserman, the university staff board member and NWWNC secretary, announced that he will be resigning from the council later this month following his appointment to the Santa Monica Planning Commission. Wasserman, who has been on the council since 2023, said that he plans to continue being involved in the Westwood community however he can.

In the July 9 meeting, the council and Westwood community members prepared for the council’s upcoming term and heard updates from public officials.

Comments by public officials:

• Julia Brown, the director of community relations at UCLA Government Relations, announced that the Blue Ribbon Commission on Climate Action and Fire-Safe Recovery released its final report with policy recommendations. This initiative, created by LA County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, partnered with UCLA researchers. Brown added that the Sepulveda Transit Corridor for All coalition, which includes UCLA and NWWNC and advocates for the Sepulveda Transit Corridor to include a station on UCLA’s campus and to connect to the D Line Westwood Village station, held a press conference at LA Metro headquarters June 26. They celebrated the release of LA Metro’s draft environmental impact report at the press conference, adding that there will be opportunities for public input before Aug. 30. Brown also said that Twilight in the Garden event will be held on the third Thursday of the month at the Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Gardens and informed attendees of upcoming events at the Hammer Museum, including a discussion of recent United States Supreme Court rulings and a summer concert series.

• Samantha Gallegos, a representative for California State Senator Ben Allen, said in a written statement that two bills supporting clean water protections and the preservation of mobile home parks passed the Assembly Judiciary committee and will move on to the next committee for a vote.

• Sherwin Shamoeil, a field representative for California State Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur, said Zbur’s California Quick Build Bike Act, allowing Caltrans to build bike lanes along state highways, and the FOUND Act, ensuring pets are protected during disasters, passed through senate committees. Shamoeil added that Zbur’s film tax credit expansion bill was signed into law. Additionally, Shamoeil said Zbur voted in favor of bills that reform the California Environmental Quality Act to enable the creation of more housing.

• Janet Turner, U.S. Representative Ted Lieu’s outreach deputy district director, said the congressman reintroduced a bill that lowers the statutory burden of proof for showing intent in federal hate crime offenses. She added that Lieu has co-sponsored bills that prohibit government restriction on access to abortion services, remove legal and policy barriers to health care services for immigrants and expand human rights protections and opportunities for LGBTQ+ people. Turner said Lieu does “bipartisan work,” particularly regarding artificial intelligence and defense.

• Erica Gatica Doughty, a representative from EmpowerLA – an organization that supports neighborhood councils across the city –thanked Wasserman for his contributions to the council and said that, although EmpowerLA is currently restructuring, she will remain with NWWNC. Gatica Doughty added that there have been some budget cuts, and her department will be eliminating four Neighborhood Empowerment positions, possibly leading to more reshuffling, but that she will keep the council updated on any other changes that come as a result of the budget cuts.

• Marilú Guevara, EmpowerLA’s director of awareness and engagement, offered support for events and said that she wants to foster communication and collaboration between neighborhood councils.

Comments made by the public:

• Bettina O’Mara, an at-large board member attending on Zoom, discussed her help in the formation of the council and its importance. O’Mara added that, while serving on the council and the Zoning Commission, she has fought to bring businesses into Westwood.

• Steven Sann, chair of the Westwood Community Council, thanked the council for their support and added that the Friends of Westwood Library’s Independence Day concert was a success. Sann added that the next concert will be July 19 at 3 p.m. and that the LA Conservancy will host a walking tour of Westwood Village on Aug. 2.

Agenda:

• The council swore in its members for the new term, including new council members Lauren Wagner, David Schneidinger and William Crosson, who introduced themselves and outlined what they hope to accomplish on the council.

• Melissa Nessman was unanimously elected to fill the worker board member seat. Patrick Babajanian was elected to fill the resident board member seat with 10 votes in favor, while Elizabeth Brady voted for another candidate. Nessman and Babajanian were both sworn in. The homeowner board member seat remained vacant, leaving it open to be filled at the next council meeting.

• The council unanimously reelected Josh Trifunovic to the role of council president, Andrew Lewis to the role of council vice president and Brady to the role of treasurer. The council also unanimously elected Wagner to the role of secretary.

• Connor Webb moved to remove a letter of support for the UCLA Mobility, Stormwater Capture, and Greening Project Grant Application to the Safe, Clean Water Program addressed to LA county from the consent calendar because of concerns from the city attorney about the council addressing a non-city organization.

• The council discussed a possible new location for their monthly meetings because of a price increase on the room at Weyburn Terrace and budget cuts to neighborhood councils. However, they approved the use of the Weyburn Terrace room for the August meeting.

• The council changed the date of its October meeting to Oct. 8, because of a conflict with Yom Kippur Oct. 1.

• Wagner was chosen as the primary community impact statement filer, with Brady and Webb as alternates. The council chose Brady as the cardholder of the council and Trifunovic as the alternate holder. Jacob Lawson and Brady were chosen to run the council’s social media and website. The council chose Wagner to receive election materials from the city clerk’s office. Wasserman was chosen to complete the self-assessment form from the last term.

• Brady was unanimously selected to be the budget and finance committee chair. Trifunovic was unanimously chosen to chair the outreach and communications committee with Nessman as a co-chair. Lawson was unanimously chosen to chair the planning, housing and business committee. Lewis was unanimously chosen to be the chair of the community health, homelessness and safety committee. Webb was unanimously elected to chair the transportation, environment and public space committee. Babjanian was unanimously chosen to chair the council’s ad hoc Olympics and Paralympics committee with Elsa Duval as an alternate.

• Webb was elected to represent NWWNC on the Westside Regional Alliance of Councils with Babajanian and Brady as alternates. Lawson was elected as the representative for the land use and planning committee on WRAC with Crosson as an alternate. Brady was chosen to represent the council on WRAC’s homelessness committee with Tommy Contreras as an alternate. The council selected Lewis as the representative for WRAC’s mobility and transportation committee with Webb as an alternate.

• Lewis was elected to represent NWWNC on the Neighborhood Council Sustainability Alliance.

• Webb and Brady were elected to represent the council on the Neighborhood Council Budget Advocates.

• Wagner was elected to represent NWWNC at STC4All Working Group.

• Trifunovic and Lewis will represent the council on UCLA Westwood Community Leaders.

• Wasserman was selected to represent the council on the Regional Grievances Panel.

• Babajanian was elected to be the representative for the council on Legal Liaison.

• Lewis, Crosson and Brady will represent the council at the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment Homelessness Liaisons.

• Babajanian was elected to represent NWWNC at the Fair Rep LA Coalition.

• No representatives were elected to represent NWWNC on the LA Neighborhood Coalition, LGBTQ+ Alliance of LA Neighborhood Councils or Neighborhood Council Emergency Preparedness Alliance. Council members can nominate themselves to fill these positions at a later meeting.

• The council voted to approve a letter of support for the UCLA Mobility, Stormwater Capture, and Greening Project Grant Application to the Safe, Clean Water Program, an LA County initiative that seeks to capture and clean storm water, without an addressee. The vote passed with Brady abstaining and all other council members voting in favor.

• The council approved the August consent calendar.

Announcements:

• Lawson and Webb gave an update about neighborhood council budget day at City Hall, which they attended June 21. Lawson said Mayor Karen Bass wants neighborhood councils involved in reforming the city’s charter.