Agenda item # 5 Monthly Expense Report & invoices
Agenda item # 10 NPG, YMCA Thanksgiving Dinner Event
Agenda # 11:
4th Annual Westside Safety Fair, Saturday, November 13, 2022
14. Motion to a send letter to Council Member Lee, CD 12, Chief Moore and Capt Burns Devonshire Division requesting expedited filling the position of Senior Lead Officer for our area, 17A95
15. Motion to a send letter to Council Member Lee, CD12, requesting the resumption of in-person Neighborhood Council meetings on a Hybrid basis. (In-person and simultaneous Zoom participation)
16. Motion to a send letter to LA Dept of Water & Power General Manager Martin Adams
19. Review of recent received complaints & communications against NHW Neighborhood Council
A.
From: Garry Fordyce <gfordyce.nhwnc@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Aug 18, 2022 at 5:43 PM
Subject: ByLaw Violations: Article XIV, Article VIII Sec 1; Article VI Sec 2A, Article VII, Article VII B, C and E; ***** Standing Rules Violation – Approved August 2, 2020 and October 21 2021: G #7External Communications. ***** Refusal to Correct Minutes. ***** NHWNC Refuses Openness, Truth, Transparency
To: Madlena Minasian <mminasian.nhwnc@gmail.com>, Ayelet Feiman <ayelet.feiman@lacity.org>, Raquel Beltran <raquel.beltran@lacity.org>
Cc: John Darnell <john.darnell@lacity.org>
All,
Re: VIOLATION OF BYLAWS : NHWNC Regular GBM Time Changed Without Board Approval for July 21, 2022 ~~~ TIME SENSITIVE
Garry Fordyce <gfordyce.nhwnc@gmail.com>
Jul 21, 2022, 3:03 PM
to Ayelet, Raquel, John, me, Brian
Ms. Feiman & General Manager Beltran,
We are BARELY 3 hours away from the North Hills West Regular General Board Meeting.
Moving the meeting from 7:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. without ever agendizing nor making a motion and a proper vote is a clear and blatant violation of Article VIII Section 1 of the North Hills West Neighborhood Council ByLaws approved on June 7, 2022.
Secretary Dave Brown sent this (copied) email to the Board at 12:10 P.M.
********
“Hi All, as previously discussed the new trial start time for General Board Meetings is 6pm
Agenda, prior meeting Draft Minutes and Monthly Expense Report are all available
On the Neighborhood Council website:”
*********
Dave Brown is referring to the June 27, 2022 Executive Committee and Joint Board Meeting where this topic was not agendized for motion nor action.
Further, Brian Allen was present and admonished the Executive Committee for 1) Not Agendizing. And 2) That a Committee cannot make decisions for the Board.
Thus attempts at discussion were squashed without motion nor vote.
So why haven’t I received a response to the blatant and apparent defiant Act.
I am requesting a clear response and action against the North Hills West Neighborhood Council. Please do not set precedence that ByLaws defiance can be sanctioned by silence from the City Attorney, DONE and NEA.
Respectfully I await an appropriate decision and action.
Thank You All
Cordially,
Garry Fordyce
On Wed, Jul 20, 2022, 2:00 PM Ayelet Feiman <ayelet.feiman@lacity.org> wrote:
Hello Garry. I am in receipt of your email. I will discuss this further with John.
Thank you for reaching out.
On Wed, Jul 20, 2022 at 1:53 PM Garry Fordyce <gfordyce.nhwnc@gmail.com> wrote:
Ms. Feiman,
Per the North Hills West Neighborhood Council ByLaws approved June 7, 2022, Article VIII Section 1 :
ARTICLE VIII MEETINGS
All meetings, as defined by the Ralph M. Brown Act (California Government Code Section
54950.5 et seq.), shall be noticed and conducted in accordance with the Act, the
Neighborhood Council Agenda Posting Policy, and all other applicable laws and
governmental policy.
Section 1: Meeting Time and Place – All meetings shall be held within the NHWNC
boundaries at a location, date and time set by the Board. A calendar of regular meetings
shall be established by the Board at its first regular meeting of each calendar year.
Additionally, please see screen shot from the NHWNC Home Page showing Regular Meeting Time Changes for July, August and September 2022.
There has been no Monthly Agenda Item to Consider, Discuss nor Possible Action to Approve such changes to the long standing Meeting Date (3rd Thursday) or Meeting Time (7:00 P.M.)
Your Prompt Attention To This Matter Is Greatly Appreciated
Cordially,
Garry Fordyce
Thomas Soong <thomas.soong@lacity.org> Jul 21, 2022, 3:31 PM
to Garry, Ayelet, Raquel, John, me, Brian
Garry,
The proper process to address this concern is through the Department’s Grievance Portal. Here is the link to the portal for your reference: https://empowerla.org/grievance/
Thomas Soong
Director of Awareness and Engagement
Department of Neighborhood Empowerment
200 N. Spring Street, Suite 2005
Los Angeles, CA 90012
John Darnell <john.darnell@lacity.org>
Thu, Jul 21, 4:14 PM
to Thomas, Garry, Ayelet, me
Dear Garry,
I am writing you to ask why you didn’t copy or contact the President of your board first, or in this email. As you know, this is a violation of City Attorney Office policy. You could have at least copied Madlena in this email, especially if you think it’s an emergency with only 24 hours to go until the meeting. I have copied Madlena and Tom on this email so they are aware. From now on, the City Attorney’s Office and DONE will will contact Madlena regarding this issue since that is a policy of the Office of the City Attorney. We appreciate you for bringing this to our attention, but please follow proper policy from the Office of the City Attorney which I know have explained to you and your board in the past. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you,
John Darnell
Chief Resilience Officer & Neighborhood Empowerment Advocate
Department of Neighborhood Empowerment
John Darnell <john.darnell@lacity.org>
Thu, Jul 21, 4:23 PM
to Garry, me, Thomas
Garry,
I did respond to your email, and I contacted the City Attorney’s Office. Why did you not consult with the President of your board regarding this and go to the CIty Attorney’s Office on your own, especially if this is such an emergency? You could have at least copied Madlena (the President of the NHWNC). As you know, the policy in the City Attorney’s Office is for the President/Chair of an NC to contact them. We are looking into this, and we’d also kindly ask for the board action that shows every meeting must be at 7pm that was supposedly voted on at the January 2022 board meeting.
Thank you,
John Darnell
Chief Resilience Officer & Neighborhood Empowerment Advocate
Department of Neighborhood Empowerment
Garry Fordyce <gfordyce.nhwnc@gmail.com>
Jul 21, 2022, 4:33 PM
to Raquel, Ayelet, Brian, John, me
John,
If you had read this thread of emails it would be abundantly clear that the Board had never voted as it never came before the Board. Furthermore it has already been stated that the Executive Committee Joint Board Meeting never agendized nor motioned nor voted upon this. And furthermore it has already been stated that Brian Allen admonished the Executive Committee for not agendizing and attempting to make a Board decision within Committee.
Yet the blatant arrogance proceeded and implemented a time change in violation of the NHWNC ByLaws Article VIII. Section 1.
Ayelet Feiman, City Attorney responded in 8 minutes yesterday, so here we are barely 1 1/2 hours away from the NHWNC GBM and you are asking questions already answered.
I am very concerned regarding your indifference stating :
“I don’t recall ever seeing that, and if this has not been done, then it should be soon.” What are you saying ?
Is this a free pass ? Well take a look and you’ll see I is not agendized and this is no excuse for authoritarian rule.
Balls in your court, do you sanction by silence or shut this meeting down having violated the Brown Act and NHWNC ByLaws Article VIII. Section 1 ?
Cordially,
Garry Fordyce
On Thu, Jul 21, 2022, 3:32 PM John Darnell <john.darnell@lacity.org> wrote:
Hi Gary,
Thank you for this email. Do you have the board vote showing that the board voted to make the time for all meetings at 7pm? I don’t recall ever seeing that, and if this has not been done, then it should be soon.
Thank you,
John Darnell
Chief Resilience Officer & Neighborhood Empowerment Advocate
Department of Neighborhood Empowerment