1. What is the purpose of the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council (SLNC)?
According to the revised City Charter adopted by voters in 1999, the purpose of neighborhood councils is "to promote more citizen participation in government and make government more responsive to
local needs."
The SLNC Bylaws include a Mission Statement that expands on that purpose: The Silver Lake Neighborhood Council will work to honor diversity, build community, forge bonds with neighboring communities, and promote participation in city governance and decision-making processes to improve the quality of life for all of Silver Lake's Stakeholders.
2. How are neighborhood councils formed?
Communities all across Los Angeles have been allowed to decide for themselves how their individual neighborhood councils should be structured. Upon completion of a significant outreach program and drafting Bylaws, each then petitioned the Board of Neighborhood Commissioners for certification.
Silver Lake completed this process and was officially certified on February 11, 2003. Its first Governing Board was elected on September 20, 2003.
3. What does the SLNC do?
The volunteer members the SLNC endeavor to provide stakeholders with information about how to get more involved in city government. Members sometimes act as "neighborhood lobbyists" and grassroots organizers, helping the community to express its will to elected officials and have their voices heard. The SLNC also coordinates local improvement projects to make Silver Lake an even better place to live and work.
4. Who is eligible to be a member of the SLNC?
Membership in the SLNC is open to all Community Stakeholders.
5. Who or what is a Community Stakeholder?
The City of Los Angeles has established a baseline definition of the term stakeholder as "anyone who lives, works or owns property" in a given community. In Silver Lake, a stakeholder is anyone who lives, works, owns property, or owns or operates a business within the SLNC boundaries; or who is a member of a community group, school or religious institution in the Community; or who works for an adjacent school or religious institution that serves the Community.
6. What are the boundaries of the SLNC?
The boundaries for the SLNC are as follows. This description begins at the southwest corner and travels in a generally clockwise fashion (see map for details):
- Begin at Hoover St. and the Hollywood ("101") Freeway
- Travel North on Hoover St. to Myra Ave.
- Northwest on Myra Ave. to Fountain Ave.
- East on Fountain Ave. to Hyperion Ave.
- North on Hyperion Ave. to the Los Angeles River.
- South on the Los Angeles River to Fletcher Dr.
- Southwest on Fletcher Dr. to Riverside Dr.
- Southeast on Riverside Dr. to Gleneden St.
- Southwest on Gleneden St. to Riverside Terrace.
- South on Riverside Terrace to the Glendale ("2") Freeway.
- Southwest on the Glendale Freeway to its terminus at Glendale Blvd.
- South on Glendale Blvd. to Clifford St.
- West on Clifford St. to its end.
- South on the steps to the intersection of Effie St. and Waterloo St.
- South on Waterloo St. to Berkeley Ave.
- West on Berkeley Ave. to Coronado Terrace.
- South on Coronado Terrace to Mayberry St.
- East on Mayberry St. to Waterloo St.
- South on Waterloo St. to the Hollywood ("101") Freeway
(Note: East side of Waterloo only; addresses on the west side are in the Greater Echo Park Elysian Neighborhood Council.)
- West on the Hollywood ("101") Freeway to Hoover St.
7. How do I join the SLNC?
If you are a stakeholder, then you're already a "member" of the SLNC. If you're interested in receiving more information on SLNC activities, visit the Join and Mailing List pages.
8. I'm a member of a community group in Silver Lake. Do I still need to become involved with the SLNC?
Yes. Neighborhood councils are a special part of city government, designed to represent the community's voice in City Hall. It is especially important that you and your group are represented in the SLNC's advice to the city.
The SLNC works in partnership with community groups such as the Silver Lake Improvement Association, the Silver Lake Residents Association, the Silverlake Chamber of Commerce, the Committee to Save Silver Lake's Reservoirs, and many more. (To find more community groups serving Silver Lake, visit our Links page.) The SLNC seeks to unify these voices and to advise the City on behalf of our more than 40,000 stakeholders.
We also work closely with Silver Lake's City Councilmembers in the 4th and 13th Council Districts, as well as with adjacent neighborhood councils, on regional and citywide policy issues.
9. How is the SLNC governed?
The SLNC Governing Board consists of 21 members. Seven Members are elected "At Large," by the entire community. Fourteen Members are elected from seven geographical Regions, two per Region. (See map for details on Regional boundaries.) Each Boardmember serves a two year term. Terms are staggered to maintain continuity, so that we elect ten seats one year and eleven the next, and so on.
Any stakeholder fourteen years or older is eligible to participate, both as voter and as candidate, in the annual Boardmember election held each September. Boardmembers may serve a maximum of four consecutive terms. Members that have served four consecutive terms may not serve again until two years after their last day of service. There is no limit to the number of four consecutive terms with two-year hiatuses that any person can serve.
In addition to approving all advisory opinions of the SLNC, the Governing Board establishes committees as deemed necessary for the accomplishment of the SLNC's Mission and Purposes. The real work of the SLNC, including detailed discussions and considerations of alternatives, occurs at the committee level. In Silver Lake, any stakeholder who attends a committee meeting (with the exception of the Executive and Election Committees) is eligible to participate in discussions and to vote on the disposition on items on the committee's agenda.
10. Is there a City Department responsible for Neighborhood Councils?
The Department of Neighborhood Empowerment (DONE) assists neighborhoods in forming neighborhood councils by providing organizing advice, training, and printing services for the distribution of flyers. Once the councils are up and running, DONE provides legal guidance and organizing advice, in addition to helping coordinate free and fair elections.
|
