The North Westwood Neighborhood Council approved a community impact statement supporting automated parking enforcement and smart loading zones at its January meeting.

The council, which represents UCLA and the Westwood Village, meets on the first Wednesday of every month at UCLA’s Weyburn Terrace. Meetings can be attended in person or virtually by the public using the link posted on the corresponding month’s agenda. The next meeting is set to be held Feb. 4.

Comments by public officials:

• A representative for Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath’s office said LA County approved recommendations on short-term measures for the fiscal year suggested by the Governance Reform Task Force. Horvath’s office also asked community members to participate in a Feb. 12 budget hearing. The representative gave updates on Palisades and Eaton fire recovery and said applications for rent relief for fire-impacted tenants and landlords will be open until Jan. 23.
• A representative from the office of United States Rep. Ted Lieu, who represents California’s 36th Congressional District, announced that nine Republicans joined Democrats to force a vote on extending enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits for three years. The representative added that Lieu signed a letter by Rep. Garcia to the House Appropriations Committee leadership, asking it to support LA Metro projects. The representative also said Lieu cosponsored H.R. 5038, which supports innovation and production in the alternative protein sector to meet future supply chain demand, as well as H.R. 2554, which aims to lower drug costs for families.
• A representative for California State Sen. Ben Allen’s office provided updates on the year’s first session. The representative said Allen hopes to support and present more legislation regarding Palisades fire recovery efforts.
• Sherwin Shamoeil, a representative from the office of California State Assemblyman Rick Chavez Zbur, announced that Zbur issued a letter supporting the increased implementation of roadside bike lanes.
• Carmen Zambrano, a representative for UCLA local government and community relations, announced a Jan. 29 UCLA Pritzker Center online summit about research and advocacy in child welfare and domestic violence. Brett Berndt added that UCLA and the Los Angeles Unified School District will host a fireside conversation discussing the state of the current education system in LA on Jan. 30 and that the LA Charter Reform Commission will host a “town hall study session” on government structure Feb. 2.
• A representative from the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment announced that the board of neighborhood commissioners will present charter recommendations Jan. 21.

Comments made by the public:

• Berndt – in his capacity as a general representative from the Undergraduate Student Association Council – announced the launch of a Student Homes Coalition chapter at UCLA. The coalition advocates for affordable and accessible student housing options.

Announcements:

• Lauren Wagner’s resignation from being an at-large council member was announced.
• Michael McCormack’s resignation from being one of the council’s university board members was announced.

Agenda:

• NWWNC Secretary Sailasya Munamarty announced that the council is currently in the process of searching for a new room to host meetings and will vote on locations in the February meeting.
• NWWNC Vice President Andrew Lewis said the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority homeless count will take place Jan. 22 at Westwood Presbyterian Church. Lewis added that information for prospective volunteers is available on the church’s website.
• NWWNC President Josh Trifunovic said the committee spoke to businesses above Le Conte Avenue and Weyburn Avenue to discuss a possible expansion of the pedestrian-only Broxton Plaza. He requested that the Transportation, Environment and Public Space Committee research the expansion. Trifunovic, who is co-chair of the Outreach and Communications committee, also said the committee approved a social media rebrand and a flyer distribution campaign. The flyers will be posted throughout Westwood Village and the UCLA campus, he added, providing information on how students and residents can become more involved in council activities.
• Connor Webb, the chair of the Transportation, Environment, and Public Space Committee, said the council’s December special meeting included a presentation from the LA Department of Transportation, which reported updates on the Ohio Avenue Safety and Mobility Project. The updated design incorporates a two-way protected bike lane on the north side of Ohio Avenue and restricts eastbound traffic to turn left on Barrington Avenue, Federal Avenue, Sawtelle Boulevard and Veteran Avenue. He added that the committee passed a letter of consent for the design updates.
• Patrick Babajanian, the chair of the Ad Hoc Olympics and Paralympics Committee, said Michael Menjivar, the director of community relations for the LA 2028 Olympic Games, will attend the council’s February meeting to present updates on the Olympics. Babajanian added that the committee was in the process of reviewing council files to discuss at next month’s meeting.
• The committee passed a motion to support the implementation of smart loading zones, which would allow drivers to schedule times to occupy the streetside loading zones via their smartphone. The Transportation, Environment and Public Space Committee had previously voted unanimously to implement smart loading zones.
• The board voted to allocate $5,000 worth of Neighborhood Purpose Grants to Safe Place for Youth, a nonprofit that provides shelter for people aged 18 to 24 who are struggling to secure permanent housing.
• The council approved a motion to allocate a $1,000 Neighborhood Purpose Grant to the nonprofit Beautify LA – which organizes cleaning and restoration efforts throughout the city – when the organization receives approval for the planned gardening and arts event Apr. 11.
• The council passed a motion to allocate $3,977.17 to both the Friends of Westwood Library and the Los Angeles Musical Salon. A representative of the LA Musical Salon said the nonprofit will use the grant to host free monthly concerts. A representative of the Friends of Westwood Library said the funds would be used to purchase physical books for the library’s collection.
• The council approved its December consent calendar.