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Your May 2017 Neighborhoods First

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May 2017
Welcome to the May issue of Mike Bonin's "Neighborhoods First Newsletter!”

IN THIS ISSUE : Firefighters stop a potentially devastating brush fire in

Brentwood, safe street initiatives move forward in Mar Vista, Playa del Rey and
Pacific Palisades, the city budget focuses on important priorities for Contact Our Office
neighborhoods in LA, Mike makes important progress on his plan to get more
cops in our neighborhoods... b u t f i r s t , please read this month's Neighborhoods
First Profile about an amazing organization that is dedicated to improving the Connect with Facebook
lives of kids in foster care.

You can find out more about Mike , meet your CD11 staff and see the latest Connect with Twitter

videos and updates from the Westside on our website at www.11thdistrict.com .

And remember to like Mike's Facebook page to see the latest news about your
neighborhood. Councilmember Mike…
5,232 likes

Liked

You and 371 other friends like this

Extraordinary Families Doing Extraordinary Work in LA’s Foster Care System

A child enters foster care every
two minutes in the United
Tweets by ​@mikebonin
States; there are over 400,000
Mike Bonin
children currently in care. In @mikebonin
Los Angeles County, Tom Ponton and Jerry Hornof are a Dynamic Duo
approximately 20,000 children of Neighborhood Heroes, constantly working to
and youth are in foster care at improve parks & neighborhoods - hockey rink,
any given time, making this one artificial turf soccer field, gym floor, basketball
hoop, new scoreboard, jogging track, gym
of the largest foster care
stations, & Charnock median. Awesome guys!
systems in the country. May is
National Foster Care Month and
in this month’s Neighborhoods
First Profile, we asked Sarah
Boone, Executive Director of
Extraordinary Families, a few
questions about her
organization and the amazing 7h
Embed View on Twitter
work they do.

Extraordinary Families is a nonprofit foster family, adoption, and advocacy

agency dedicated to improving the daily lives and long-term outcomes of children
and youth in foster care. The organization recruits, trains, and supports high-
quality foster and adoptive (resource) parents for children removed from their
families. Mike and his husband Sean know first-hand how remarkable the
organization is -- Extraordinary Families guided them through the foster-adopt
process that made them fathers to their wonderful son.

In addition to foster care and adoption, Extraordinary Families also offers

programs that support transition-age foster youth in obtaining meaningful work
experience, connecting with mentors, and becoming self-sufficient adults. Drawing
from the organization’s experience providing effective foster care, adoption, and
youth services, Extraordinary Families identifies and pursues opportunities to
improve the lives of those involved in the child welfare system through strategic
initiatives in policy and practice reform.

Please tell us about the work Extraordinary Families does.

Extraordinary Families’ mission is to improve the daily lives and long-term
outcomes of individuals – from birth to adulthood – in child welfare. Our work
spans three areas: foster care and adoption, youth and young adult development
services, and strategic initiatives. Through our foster care and adoption
programs, we recruit, train, certify, and support resource families to care for
those who have experienced neglect or abuse, and are in need of safe, nurturing
foster or adoptive homes.

We seek resource parents from all of LA County to help serve children in their
communities. Anyone over the age of 25 who is interested in providing a loving
home to a child in foster care can apply regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, marital
status, sexual orientation or gender identity. We welcome diversity. I’m very
proud of long commitment to serving the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender,
Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ) community, both in terms of approving resource
parents and matching LGBTQ youth with safe and supportive families.

Our Unlimited Possibilities for Youth (“UP4Youth”) Program supports transition-

age foster youth and young adults, ages 16 to 26, in achieving self-sufficiency.
We work individually with participants to improve their long-term outcomes
through education planning, employment preparation, resource coordination,
and mentoring.

Read the full interview at www.11thdistrict.com/extraordinary_families .

Find out more about Extraordinary Families and how you can help
at http://www.extraordinaryfamilies.org/ . You can also attend an upcoming
Resource Parent Fair to find out more about the process. Click here to RSVP to
attend a Resource Parent Orientation on Saturday, June 10.

Firefighters Extinguish Mandeville Brush Fire Over Memorial Day Weekend

A brush fire swept through the hills of Mandeville Canyon and Mountaingate on
Sunday, burning more than 55 acres of hillside area before Los Angeles Fire
Department firefighters were able to get the blaze under control. Thanks in part
to cooperative weather and the homeowners associations and property owners in
the area who have been vigilant about brush clearance, the fire did not harm any
people or property. More than 150 firefighters and three helicopters from LAFD
and the Los Angeles County Fire Department responded, battling the blaze for
more than 36 hours.

The fire was accidentally started by a weed wacker that was being used for brush
clearance, and neighbors are reminded that they should follow some simple
guidelines when using weed wackers or other tools in canyons and areas that are
especially susceptible to fire, including: 1) having the weed wacker professionally
tuned; 2) making sure there are no gas leaks; and 3) taking breaks so the motor
does not become overheated.

Before Mike was sworn in for his first term, he took a helicopter tour of the
district with Los Angeles Fire Department officials, who told him about their
“nightmare scenario” - a brush fire in the hillside areas in the northern part of
the 11th district. With a lot of brush and difficult to reach hillsides, the threat of
a disastrous fire has always been a frightening possibility for homeowners in
areas like the Mandeville Canyon and Mountaingate neighborhoods of
Brentwood.

Sunday’s fire underscores the importance of brush clearance, and our sincere
thanks go out to the firefighters who worked diligently and bravely to keep the
fire away from homes.
Venice MIA/POW Mural Rededicated on Memorial Day

Last year, shortly before Memorial Day, vandals graffitied a Venice mural
dedicated to servicemen and servicewomen who were held as prisoners of war or
are still missing in action during the Vietnam and Korean conflicts. In addition
to offering rewards that led to arrests and convictions, Mike worked with the
Venice Chamber of Commerce and the Social and Public Art Resource Center
(SPARC) to get the mural restored.

Memorial Day was a perfect opportunity to rededicate the mural, newly restored
because of exceptional work of SPARC (which will also create a digital copy of the
mural) and the generous support of the Venice Chamber of Commerce, which
held a fundraising drive to pay for the needed work.

Mike joined the Venice Chamber of Commerce’s George Francisco at a Memorial

Day rededication ceremony to extended a hearty thank you to the entire Venice
Community for working together to repair and protect this important part of the
Venice neighborhood.

Great Streets Safety Improvements Installed

Since Mayor Garcetti and Mike launched the Great Streets Initiative in Mar Vista
in 2014, they have listened to people in the neighborhood about how they want to
use and enjoy Venice Boulevard. Mike, the Mayor and their teams spent a year
conducting extensive outreach, surveying neighbors online, at the Farmers
Market, at local shops, churches, schools, and even at their front doors. The
feedback was extensive and the message is clear: Mar Vistans want Venice
Boulevard to be safer, calmer, and a central gathering spot for the neighborhood.

This month, Mar Vista’s Great Street project took a big step forward and is finally
delivering the “small town downtown” that neighbors have been clamoring for.

City crews finished installing four new signalized pedestrian crosswalks in May,
and as neighbors have likely noticed over the past few weeks, crews are now
restriping the street, creating protected bike lanes and narrowing the roadway to
calm speeds through the neighborhood. The goal is a safer street for people using
all modes of travel: pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists.

Change is always difficult, and the impacts of work crews on local streets can be
disruptive, so it’s no surprise that some people are concerned or alarmed about
what is happening. It is important to note that the new lane configuration is a
pilot program, using low-cost and temporary materials. We are going to gather
data and public input, analyze whether impacts are positive or not, and adjust
accordingly. We can keep what we love, improve what we can, and remove what
we dislike.

This has been a community-driven process from the beginning and as we enter
the next phase of the project, your continued engagement is crucial. Please
contact Mike’s Mobility Deputy Jessie Holzer at jessie.holzer@lacity.org or 310-
575-8461 if you have questions, input, or if we can be of any assistance.

New Committee to Begin Looking for Dog Park Locations in Pacific Palisades

Neighbors in Pacific Palisades are partnering with Mike’s office to find a location
for a new dog park in the neighborhood. Earlier this year, Mike authored
legislation to start the process that will lead to a new public dog park being
created for Palisadians and their four-legged friends to enjoy. Next month, an ad
hoc committee made up of representatives from Mike’s office, the Palisades Park
Advisory Board, the Pacific Palisades Community Council and neighbors who
have been asking for a new dog park will begin meeting to explore potential
locations for the new dog park. It will be a huge effort to find an appropriate
location and secure what is likely to be millions of dollars of necessary funds.

The Committee will host their first meeting on June 15 at Mike's West LA District
Office (1645 Corinth Ave.). Please contact Lisa Cahill at lisa.cahill@lacity.org for
more information or if you would like to be involved.

Bureau of Engineering Investigating Venice Canals Leak

When neighbors living in and around the Venice Canals began to notice a rapid
lowering of the water level in the canals, they suspected a leak had sprung in the
canal system and reached out to Mike’s office to ask for help investigating the
concerning loss of water. Mike’s office got the Bureau of Engineering involved
and the Bureau launched a major investigation, digging holes and installing
groundwater monitors in an effort to determine the cause. The monitors have
been installed, and the Bureau of Engineering will continue collecting data over
the next few weeks before making a recommendation about action to correct any
issues they discover.

Bike With Mike Brings Neighbors Together for Community Ride in Westchester

Mike resumed his “Bike with Mike” events in May, with a fun and family-friendly
community bike ride around Westchester. The Bike with Mike events are part of
Mike’s Access 11 program to bring City Hall to the Westside by making himself
available to meet with constituents outside of normal business hours and at fun
and engaging venues (such as a community bike ride). Neighbors joined Mike and
his staff for the family-friendly four mile ride, and the group was even joined by
teachers from nearby “Body and Brain Yoga and Tai Chi,” who led the group in
stretching and warmup exercises.

New Signal Installed on PCH to Improve Palisades Pedestrian Safety

People crossing Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades will be safer as they go
to and from the beach, thanks to a new pedestrian signal recently installed
by Caltrans .

The new crosswalk signal is only second of its kind to be installed by Caltrans in
all of California, and the bright, flashing lights make pedestrians more visible to
drivers, helping prevent potentially fatal collisions from occurring. Having a safe
crossing is necessary for coastal access, and the new signal (located near the
Palisades Bowl mobile home park) will be a helpful improvement for the
neighborhood.

Mike was excited to join Assemblymember Richard Bloom and friends and
neighbors from Pacific Palisades to celebrate the new signal on PCH on May 4,
and Mike is eager to celebrate the installation of more street safety
infrastructure as we move forward with the Vision Zero Los Angeles program
throughout LA.

Safe Streets for Playa del Rey - Improvements Installed on Vista Del Mar and
More Coming to Lower Playa del Rey Soon!

The community-initiated initiative to make streets safer in Playa del Rey took
exciting steps forward this month, and improvements are being made to better
protect people in the neighborhood from speeding cars.

Starting on last month, crews from the Los Angeles Department of

Transportation (LADOT) have been in parts of Playa del Rey implementing a
series of projects that will help make our streets safer and calm traffic.

On May 21, crews began working on Vista Del Mar, which has been the scene of a
series of horrible collisions, with pedestrians being killed by speeding cars. The
city has restriped the street from Culver Boulevard to Imperial Highway, moving
all of the parking to the west side of the street, creating U-turn pockets, and
narrowing the road to one lane in each direction. This will make the street safer,
create more parking inventory, reduce speeding, and curb the use of Playa del
Rey streets as a short-cut from the South Bay to points north.

Also, on June 3, the Bureau of Street Services will begin the long-awaited
resurfacing of Pershing Drive from Westchester Parkway to Culver Boulevard.
The work will be conducted in two segments and over the course of two
consecutive weekends to minimize the impacts of residents and visitors. When
the resurfacing is done, LADOT will restripe not just Pershing Drive, but also
Culver Boulevard and Jefferson Boulevard to implement the community-initiated
“ Safe Streets for Playa del Rey Initiative .” Once the restriping is completed, all
three streets will have one travel lane in each direction, as well as center turn
lanes and bike lanes. The reconfiguration will help calm vehicle speeds through
the neighborhood, with the goal of creating safer streets for people using all
modes of travel: pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists.

The “ Safe Streets for Playa del Rey Initiative ” is the result of a community-driven
process, and as we enter the next phase of the project, your feedback and
continued engagement is crucial. Please contact Mike’s Mobility Deputy Jessie
Holzer at jessie.holzer@lacity.org or 310-575-8461 if you have questions, input, or
if we can be of any assistance.

Health Day in Del Rey

The Del Rey Health and Wellness Fair is an awesome annual event that offers
neighbors in Del Rey an opportunity to learn more about how they can lead a
healthy lifestyle. This year, the festival featured informational booths and fun
games for kids to enjoy. As he has done in past years at the festival, Mike set up a
booth at the event so he could meet with constituents and talk about the issues
that matter most in Del Rey. Thank you to all who made this great community
event possible, especially this year’s event organizer, Ron Kato!

Grassroots Effort to Create a Community Center for Mar Vista Advances

A neighbor-led effort to create a new community center in Mar Vista took an
important step forward this month, as the City's Municipal Facilities Committee
advanced a recommendation that would allow the Friends of Historic Fire Station
62 to raise money to rehabilitate Fire Station 62 into a community center. The
non-profit group would have three years to fundraise and complete the building
rehabilitation for the property located at 3631 Centinela Avenue. The proposed
community center would provide senior services, neighborhood disaster
preparedness, meeting space for the Mar Vista Community Council, community
organizations and non-profits, and satellite office space for Council District 11.

The committee recommendation to approve a lease option with Friends of

Historic Fire Station 62 is expected to be considered by the full City Council in
June.

DeDe Audet Bids Farewell to Venice Neighborhood Council

Longtime Venice neighbor DeDe Audet said goodbye to the Venice Neighborhood
Council this month, ending a tremendous career advocating for her
neighborhood.

DeDe is a former president of the VNC and was a member of the former Venice
Town Council. DeDe was a wonderfully consistent presence on the Neighborhood
Council, serving not only as president during a tumultuous time for the VNC, but
also providing a strong voice for emergency preparedness and serving as the
VNC’s point person on Department of Water and Power issues.

DeDe’s career of service was celebrated at the May 17 VNC meeting, with a series
of former board members attending the meeting to wish DeDe well as she moves
to Chatsworth to be closer to her family. Thank you, DeDe!

Culver Median Maintenance Complete

The medians along Culver Boulevard in Del Rey finally got the overdue attention
they deserve!

For years, the landscaping on median islands on some of the major roads
throughout Los Angeles was maintained by a private company working on a
contract with the Board of Public Works. Disappointingly, the contractor did not
perform their duties and medians became overgrown with weeds and foliage. The
contract has since been cancelled, and last month, the City Council approved the
hiring of another contractor to landscape medians.

With a new contractor hired, the medians along Culver were some of the first in
line to get needed service from landscapers.

VA Scoping Meeting Asks for Input from West LA and Brentwood Neighbors

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hosted public scoping meetings last
month, where Veterans, stakeholders, government agencies, and members of the
public could provide input about the West Los Angeles Campus Draft Master Plan.
The meetings included information about a range of alternatives to the Master
Plan, including taking no action, potential ways to reconfigure and redevelop the
West Los Angeles Campus, expand points of access, provide additional housing
for homeless Veterans, and better serve the health care needs of Veterans in the
Greater Los Angeles service area over the next 20 to 30 years. The meetings were
a terrific opportunity for neighbors of the VA campus - including residents of
West LA and Brentwood - to voice their opinions about the proposed project that
will expand housing opportunities for homeless veterans in LA.

Find out more about the Master Plan

at https://www.losangeles.va.gov/MasterPlan/ .

West LA Neighbors Clean Up Civic Center Area

Community groups in West LA have been doing an impressive job bringing

neighbors together to keep their community looking great. On May 22, the West
LA community again joined together to pick up litter and debris in and around
the West LA Civic Center, with a cleanup co-sponsored by Mike’s office, the West
LA Community Coalition, LA County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, City Attorney Mike
Feuer, Office of Community Beautification, LAPD West LA Division, Big Sunday,
Literati Cafe, Recreation and Parks, West LA Farmers Market, and other
community activists like Linda Kaplan.

Thank you to everyone who spent the day keeping the neighborhood clean!

Mike Joins LAX Coastal Chamber of Commerce at Eddy Awards

Mike was happy to join the LAX Coastal Chamber of Commerce on May 11 at the
annual Teacher Eddy Awards to honor local teachers who have inspired a
generation of kids on the Westside. The impact our educators have on shaping
our community's youth is unparalleled, and Mike was pleased to see teachers
from local schools such as Westport Heights Elementary, Wright Middle School
and Otis College all recognized for their exemplary work.

Mike was pleased to give opening remarks, noting that his Mom was a teacher, his
grandmother was a teacher, his aunt and two of his uncles were teachers, and his
beloved grandmother-in-law was a teacher.

SMO Runway Shortening Approved by Santa Monica City Council

The Santa Monica City Council has done something good -- decided to shorten the
runway at Santa Monica Airport -- but did it in a way that has left Mike
concerned that Santa Monica is pushing pollution, noise, and harmful health
impacts into Los Angeles neighborhoods.

Earlier this year, the City struck an agreement with the FAA to keep SMO open
through 2028 -- a decision Mike strongly denounced. In exchange, the FAA gave
the city permission to shorten the main runway from 5,000 to 3,500 feet. This
potentially reduces noise and pollution by limiting the size of aircraft capable of
landing and taking off from SMO. There were four options for how to do so, but
the City only publicly released two of them, and then voted to shorten the runway
736 feet on either end.

Mike strongly disagreed with Santa Monica’s approach, and its refusal to
adequately study and reveal with the public all four options. Mike is examining
the possibility of taking legal action over the decision. You can read Mike’s letter
to the Santa Monica City Council
at http://www.11thdistrict.com/letter_runway_shortening_proposals_for_smo .

One-Stop Shop for Local Government - Supervisor Kuehl Moves into West LA
Civic Center!

Neighbors on the Westside will have a central location where they can engage
with local government, as County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl plans to open a new
field office in the West LA Civic Center on June 5. Supervisor Kuehl’s field staff,
led by West LA District Director Stephanie Cohen will join Mike’s team in the
building, which also houses offices for Mayor Garcetti’s Westside field staff, and
for the West LA/Sawtelle Neighborhood Council . You can reach Supervisor
Kuehl's new West LA office at (310) 231-1170 after June 5.

Street Repaving in Del Rey

Street repaving was happening throughout the Westside this month! Thank
you, City of Los Angeles Bureau of Street Services for paving the 4500 block of
Berryman Avenue and the 12000 block of Havelock Avenue (both in Del Rey) on
May 4. The newly repaved streets are a great improvement over previous
conditions and neighbors appreciate the work of our city employees.

Palisades Boy Scouts Group 223 Gets Civic Lesson from CD11 Staffer
Palisades Boy Scouts in Troop 223 got some help earning a merit badge in May,
when Mike’s Field Deputy Taylor Bazley met with the group to talk about civic
engagement and how the scouts can get more involved in their community.
Thank you to the scouts and their families for the work you do to make our
neighborhoods great!

Speed Humps Re-Added in Mar Vista

After years of working to resume the city’s speed hump program so neighbors
could keep vehicle speeds on their local streets safe, Mike was excited to see
speed humps re-installed in Mar Vista last month. The humps, which can be
found on Inglewood Boulevard (south of National Boulevard), had been removed
as the street was repaved, and neighbors from the Mar Vista Neighborhood
Association, as well as St. Bede’s Church, reached out to Mike’s office to ask for
help getting the speed humps re-installed.

Garden Planted at Brentwood Fire Station in Honor of Louise Frankel

Before she passed away in 2014, Louise Frankel was an amazingly dedicated and
passionate neighbor, serving on the City Fire Commission and working tirelessly
to make her Mountaingate neighborhood in Brentwood a better place to live.
After she passed, Louise’s devoted husband Ernie, and the rest of the Frankel
family decided to honor her memory with a memorial that would do what Louise
did throughout her life - improve the neighborhood. Last month, work was
completed on a fitting memorial for Louise - a new drought-tolerant garden at
Fire Station 109, a station she loved to visit and where she would often bring
treats for the first-responders on duty. Thank you to the Ernie and the Frankels
for furthering Louise’s legacy of community service.

La Cienega Directional Signs Replaced

Responding to concerns from neighbors about severely faded directional signs on

La Cienega Boulevard in the Ladera neighborhood of Westchester, Mike’s team
worked to cut red tape and get new signs installed far ahead of the Department
of Transportation's initial timeline for replacements. Thanks to the neighbors
who raised the issue and Mike’s Westchester Field Deputy Anna Kozma, the new
temporary directional signs are already in place and helping drivers know what
lane they have to be in to get where they are going. Permanent signs will be
installed in the coming months.

Brentwood Glen Neighbors Celebrate “Brentwood Glen Day”

Brentwood Glen, originally named the "Ratteree Tract", is a unique little

neighborhood tucked between the 405, the West LA VA campus, Sunset Blvd. and
Brentwood School. There are approximately 560 homes, duplexes, triplexes, and
apartment buildings, which line the 12 blocks from Sunset Boulevard to
Waterford Street. A strong sense of neighborhood pride is seen through the
maintenance and beauty of the area, and the many activities and clubs the
residents are involved in and helped found. Every year, neighbors in Brentwood
Glen celebrate “Brentwood Glen Day” with a block party featuring vendors, food
and fun for the whole family. Mike was happy to join Brentwood Glen neighbors
on May 6, and was excited to enjoy an afternoon chatting with friends and
neighbors about the unique issues that matter most in Brentwood Glen.
Run for Hope in West LA

For the past seven years, the annual “Run for Hope” has helped raise awareness
and money for Our House Grief Support Center by bringing neighbors together
for a fun community race. On April 30, Mike was pleased to host more than 1,500
people at the West LA Civic Center for the 2017 Run for Hope. Congratulations to
Michelle Prince, Executive Director of Our House Grief Support Center, on
another successful event.

PlayaPulse Health Fair Comes to Playa Vista

Community groups in Playa Vista, including Runway Playa Vista and Silicon
Beach Parents , hosted a special neighborhood health fair on May 28, bringing fun
fitness activities to the community. The fair included a car seat safety area,
where parents and prospective parents could learn more about how to keep kids
safe in the car, as well as a ton of activities to get participant’s hearts beating,
such as ziplining, rock climbing, scooter racing, tennis, golf, yoga, Fit4Moms
classes and a “Sweet Sweat” endurance challenge.

9th Annual Palisades Chamber Car Show a Success

The Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce hosted the 9th Annual Community
Expo & Exotic/Classic Auto Show on Sunday, May 7th. Even with uncertain
weather in the air, the event turned out to be a tremendous success for everyone
involved.

Special thanks to the chamber members who participated in this year’s expo as
exhibitors, the owners of all of the incredible exotic & classic vehicles on display,
and of course the event’s sponsors including the Chamber’s Chairman Club
Members: Arete Preparatory Academy , Hornburg Santa Monica , Luxe
Homecare , RLB Architecture , Gibson International and US Bank !

Merchants of Venice Showcases Local Businesses

The Merchants of Venice Showcase is an annual event hosted by the Venice

Chamber of Commerce to highlight some of the great local businesses that make
the Westside a wonderful place to live and work. This year, for the sixth annual
event, the Venice Chamber partnered with the Mar Vista Chamber of
Commerce and staged the event at Venice High School. Congratulations to both
Chambers and all of the “merchants of Venice” who participated in the
wonderful celebration of small businesses in our communities.

Street Resurfacing in Brentwood - Sunset Gets Attention from Bureau of

Street Services

As a highly-used corridor in the northern part of the 11th Council District, Sunset
Boulevard, experiences a lot of wear and tear, and the road is often in need of
attention from the city to prevent potholes and road deterioration. Sunset got
some needed attention from the Bureau of Street Services in May, as the
boulevard between Kenter and Cliffwood Drives was repaved.

Street Resurfacing Continues in Playa del Rey with Falmouth, Redlands and
St. Bernard
The series of May street resurfacing projects on the Westside continued in the
southern portion of the 11th district, with streets in Playa del Rey getting
attention from the Bureau of Street Service. Falmouth Avenue, Redlands Street
and St. Bernard Street all got repaved, giving a smooth ride to neighbors in the
community.

Colorful Venice Lifeguard Tower Painted in Honor of Bill Rosendahl

Venice Beach got a colorful addition at the end of May, as neighbors helped paint
the lifeguard tower at Brooks Avenue rainbow “pride” colors in preparation for
an LGBT Pride Month celebration planned for June 1. The location of the pride
tower is significant, as the portion of beach where the tower stands will be
dedicated as the “Bill Rosendahl Memorial Beach” in memory of Mike’s
predecessor and mentor. The legacy Bill left the Westside will be honored when
the beach is dedicated as part of this year’s Venice Pride celebration.

Make sure to check out next month’s newsletter for more about the LGBT Pride
events planned throughout June.

Volunteers in Westchester Show That #Everyone Is Welcome in LA

On Saturday, May 6, hundreds of volunteers joined together at Carl E Nielsen
Youth Park in Westchester to send an inspiring message to visitors arriving
at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) ... that in LA, #EveryoneIsWelcome . The
volunteers held placards that created large “welcome signs” in the language
spoken in the origin country of arriving flights. Check out the video from the
event here: http://abc7.com/society/volunteers-greet-people-flying-into-la-w--
big-welcome-signs/1962987/ .

Help Bring Nancy Paulikas Home

A few months ago, Mike shared information about Nancy Paulikas, a Manhattan
Beach resident with early-onset Alzheimer's who went missing on October 20 in
the Miracle Mile area of Los Angeles. Nancy is still missing, and her family is
asking for your help to bring her home.

Nancy is 56 years old, 5'7", 140 lbs with light brown/gray hair. You can find out
more about her, and how you can help at Nancy is
Missing and http://nancyismissing.blogspot.com , and you can find a new video
about Nancy that you can share at the link below.

Record Amount of Funding to Prevent and End Homelessness Approved in City

Budget

Homelessness is the most pressing crisis in Los Angeles, and the recently-
approved City budget for the next fiscal year demonstrates the city’s
commitment to ending the crisis. Next year, Los Angeles will spend $176 million
to end homelessness, with the majority of the money being dedicated to housing
projects that will offer people currently on the street places to live. Funding is
also being allocated to continue some of the crucial “street services” Mike has
fought for that help people currently living on the street while housing is built,
such as shower services and the creation of a safe parking program that will
offer people living in their cars a safe place to park overnight.

Measure H Funding Recommendations Made to County Supervisors

Thanks to voters who stepped up to support solutions that will end the
homelessness crisis on our streets earlier this year, the County of Los Angeles
will have needed funding through the approval of Measure H. Now that the ballot
measure has been approved, the hard work of deciding exactly how to spend
Measure H funds began last month, with a 50-member citizen planning group
meeting to make funding recommendations to the County Board of Supervisors,
who will have final say about allocating the money.

The 50-member panel — composed of homeless advocates, service providers, local

government and county officials, and business and nonprofit leaders — largely
endorsed the requests made by officials of the county agencies and the Los
Angeles Homeless Services Authority on where most of the money should go. At
the top of the list is $216 million to provide short-term rental subsidies and
services to homeless people who have the capacity to become self-sufficient. The
panel also recommended spending $208.6 million to open more shelters and
expand interim housing for the chronically homeless waiting for permanent
homes, and $146.5 million for services for those in permanent supportive
housing. Each of these recommendations is complementary to the work
happening in the City of Los Angeles, which is investing in the crucial longer-
term solution of building more permanent supportive housing to get people off
the street for good.

The citizen panel’s recommendations now go to the County Board of Supervisors

for consideration.

Voices of Hope Gala Celebrates Success

Founded in 1976 by two sisters, the St. Joseph Center runs a series of programs to
prevent and end homelessness. St. Joseph manages the Westside’s rapid
rehousing program, Bread & Roses cafe, Food Pantry, Culinary Program, and most
importantly, the Center manages much of the casework and street outreach
efforts on the Westside. Their programs affected 6,500 people’s lives this last
year.

Every year, St. Joseph Center staff and supporters come together for the “Voices
of Hope” gala to celebrate the work of the past year and raise funding to continue
the organization’s important mission in years ahead. Mike was happy to join St.
Joseph Center at this year’s gala on May 20 and looks forward to continuing to
work with St. Joseph Center in years to come.

Vision Zero Budget Allocation a HUGE Win for Safety in Los Angeles

In dramatic action that will vastly increase the amount of money the City of Los
Angeles invests in Vision Zero - a program designed to end all traffic fatalities,
including those involving bicycle riders and pedestrians, in LA in the next decade
- the Los Angeles City Council today approved an allocation of more than $27
million for Vision Zero projects.
In an unanimous vote, the Council supported a motion authored by
Councilmembers Mike Bonin and Paul Krekorian to allocate money the City of Los
Angeles will receive from various sources -- including the recently approved
Measure M sales tax increase, as well as a gas tax increase passed by the State
Legislature, to Vision Zero. The Bonin/Krekorian motion brings the city’s
investment in Vision Zero for the coming fiscal year to a total of $27,242,062 -
much more than the $3,000,000 allocated in the current year’s budget.

Read more about the budget victory for street safety in CurbedLA’s coverage
here: https://la.curbed.com/2017/5/18/15660082/vision-zero-walking-biking-
budget-bonin .

One Year Later - Expo Line Continues to Thrive

May was a milestone month for the Expo Line , as phase two of the rail line linking
downtown Los Angeles with the Westside celebrated a year of operation. The stats
are staggering and paint a clear picture of exceptional success for the Expo
extension’s first year - ridership has outpaced expectations, passenger numbers
have climbed steadily since the second phase opened, and so far this year, Expo
has averaged more than 1.5 million passengers per month. Only the Blue Line,
which opened in 1990, carries more people.

Thank you to everyone who has opted to get out of their cars and is taking the
Expo line as part of their daily commute. The success of this line shows that
Angelenos will choose to take transit, if we make more transit options available.

State Legislation on Jaywalking Takes LA’s Lead on Fair Crosswalk Policy

Last month, the State Assembly advanced a bill authored by Assemblyman Miguel
Santiago that fixes an issue Mike raised last year. In 2016, Mike introduced a
resolution calling for reports to be made to the Council’s Transportation
Committee that highlighted a bad law, which allowed people to be ticketed for
using the crosswalk while the countdown clock showed they still had time to
cross the street. Pedestrians were being fined hundreds of dollars!

Assemblyman Santiago’s bill is intended to fix this, and on May 9, thanks to

Mike’s colleague Jose Huizar, the City Council unanimously passed a resolution in
support of this bill.

Largest-Ever Terminal Move Executed Efficiently at LAX

Over the course of 5 days beginning Mother’s Day weekend, LAX embarked on one
of the largest airline terminal relocations attempted over such a short window of
time. Though Delta Airlines was the catalyst for the move, in total 15 airlines
were shuffled into different terminals throughout the airport. The Delta move is
part of a longer-term strategy by the carrier to improve LAX and West Coast
operations. Now that the move is complete, Delta will begin making significant
investments to Terminals 2 and 3 to enhance the traveler experience. This move
also co-locates Delta codeshare partners to facilitate smoother connections and
reduces the need to pass back through security checkpoints across different
terminals. Several smaller international and domestic carriers also moved
operations across these five days. This complex reconfiguration, involving a
variety of stakeholders and thousands of travelers, proved to many the value of
thoughtful, consistent and integrated planning. With LAX airport and airline
staff working in tandem, LAX on the Move is now complete in time for the busy
summer travel season. We thank LAX Leadership, Delta and all the other
companies operating out of the airport that worked so very hard to enable this
positive outcome for not only our constituents traveling through LAX, the greater
Los Angeles community, and visitors to our city.

New Ground Transportation Plan Advances Through City Process

The Landside Access Modernization Program, or LAMP, has taken several
important steps forward in the last month. Critical to improving the LAX travel
experience, LAMP will connect the LAX Crenshaw Metro line with the Central
Terminal Area (CTA) of the airport via an automated people mover. LAMP gives
travelers and workers at LAX a modern, streamlined travel experience and
promises to reduce vehicular traffic that often snarls the CTA today. Mike’s team
is working very closely with leadership at LAX, community stakeholder groups
and area business improvement districts have shepherded feedback into a
comprehensive plan to ensure LAMP is an all-around success for the district and
the region. LAX recently settled outstanding challenges to the project brought by
Culver City and Inglewood. The project has been approved out of Council
committees and is ready for vote by the full City Council of Los Angeles in June.

Find out more about LAMP at http://www.connectinglax.com/ .

Expo Transit Neighborhood Plan Continues Gathering Public Outreach

Just more than a year ago, we celebrated the opening of Phase 2 of the Expo Line -
the east-west transit line that has been a game-changer for public transportation
in Los Angeles. Now, the City Planning Department is asking for neighborhood
input on an update to the local community plan that will dictate what the
neighborhoods near the Expo Line will look and feel like in the future.

The Exposition Corridor Transit Neighborhood Plan (also known as the Expo TNP)
is a land use plan that is being developed by the Department of City Planning to
plan for the future of neighborhoods along the Westside’s five Expo Line transit
stations. The Expo TNP is intended to foster a mix of uses around the transit
stations that will encourage transit use and improve mobility for everyone.
Directing new housing and jobs to transit-served areas is an overarching
principle of the City’s General Plan. The goal is to give residents and employees
greater mobility choices and reduce automobile dependence and greenhouse gas
emissions that contribute to poor air quality and climate change.

The Draft Environmental Impact Report as well as a revised draft of the Specific
Plan were released for public review on April 6, 2017, and the Planning
Department is now seeking input on these documents from individual
stakeholders, neighborhood groups and other organizations at this time. The
comment period for the Draft EIR is 60 days and will end on June 5, 2017.

The Planning Department hosted a community meeting to present information

about the project on May 22, and the information presented at the meeting is
available at http://www.latnp.org/expo-line/expo-draft-plan/ .

If you would like to comment on the proposed changes to plan, you can send
them to:

Lameese Chang
Los Angeles Department of City Planning
200 N. Spring Street, Room 667
Los Angeles, California 90012
(213) 978-1178 (phone)
(213) 978-1477 (fax)
lameese.chang@lacity.org (e-mail)

Community Plan Updates Funded in City Budget

Mike has made reforming the City’s broken planning process a priority in his
work as a Councilmember, and a crucial part of that work is updating the city’s
outdated community plans. After joining Mayor Garcetti as he signed an
executive directive to advance a series of planning reforms earlier this year,
Mike, the Mayor and the City Council continued their work to update community
plans by making sure the city budget included sufficient funding for the work
needed for the community plan updates to happen. The budget includes an
additional $1.9 million in funding for the Department of City Planning’s
Community Planning Program and triples the size of staff dedicated to the
program.
Find Out More About the City Council's Work to Put Neighborhoods First

City Budget Review

The City Council unanimously approved a $9.2 billion budget on May 18, laying
out a spending plan that should make every Angeleno proud.

We are investing $176 million to prevent and end homelessness - more than the
city has ever spent on the issue. We are funding the development of new
community plans to protect neighborhood character and allow communities to
grow strategically. We are adding resources for the Fire Department and
devoting money to a study of police patrol areas - a crucial part of my Back to
Basic Car plan to get more cops in our neighborhoods. We are supporting job
training and workforce development programs and we are providing the money
needed to pave streets, repair sidewalks, and make dangerous roads in our
neighborhoods safer. And we are doing all of this while maintaining a healthy
reserve fund of more than 5% of our general fund revenues.

As pleased as Mike is with what this budget says about Los Angeles as a whole, he
is also very excited that the budget brings money back to the Westside and will
help make the neighborhoods Mike represents better places to live, work and
enjoy. We are funding aging programs in West LA, a dedicated Nurse Practitioner
Response Unit at LAX (which will help improve ambulance response times in
Westchester, Playa del Rey, Playa Vista, Mar Vista and Venice) and we are
restoring the Fire Department Incident Command Team to oversee emergency
response in Pacific Palisades, Brentwood and West LA. We found the funds to
maintain the LAPD detail at Will Rogers Beach in Pacific Palisades and to expand
sidewalk repairs in key corridors on the Westside. This budget delivers for the
Westside.

This budget is smart, compassionate and it represents true progress for Los
Angeles. Mike is incredibly grateful for the work of his colleagues on the Budget
and Finance Committee, including the Chair Paul Krekorian , Nury Martinez , Bob
Blumenfield , and Mitchell Englander for their collaboration and partnership as
we spend dozens of hours over the past three weeks diving into the budget
proposed by Mayor Eric Garcetti and developing a proposal that does right by our
neighborhoods.

Mike’s Back to Basic Car Plan Advances in City Budget Process

There are a lot of things to like in this year’s city budget, but one of the things
Mike was most excited about was the money he was able to get allocated to
advance his “Back to Basic Car” plan to get more cops in our neighborhoods.

The budget for the next fiscal year includes funding for a realignment study of
senior lead officers and basic car areas. This study was one of the things Mike’s
plan for more cops patrolling neighborhoods calls for, and allocating the funding
for the study is a big step in the right direction. Once the study is complete, we
could see more senior lead officers and basic car areas - something that hasn't
happened for more than 20 years.

In addition to the progress we made through the budget process, there are a few
other exciting updates on this front. LAPD is moving forward with both short and
long-term plans to redeploy officers from administrative duty to field
assignments (which could add between 200 and 300 officers to the field), the
department is conducting a survey and staff assessment to evaluate the status of
sworn officers performing civilian duties, and Chief Beck has agreed to
accelerate the hiring of civilian detention officer positions, so sworn officers
working in jails can move back to sworn duty by next summer.

Council Approves Contract for MTA Policing

The City Council approved a contract last month to allow Los Angeles Police
Department Officers to begin assisting the County Sheriff to provide security for
the Metro transportation system. Under the $797-million security plan approved
by both the City Council and Metro board, law enforcement duties for more than
half the public transit system will shift to the Los Angeles and Long Beach police
departments. The plan calls for the LAPD to take over policing duties for L.A.’s
buses, trains and transit stops, including Union Station. Long Beach police will
patrol eight Blue Line stations. The Sheriff’s Department will retain control of
the rest of the system.

The plan means that LAPD’s transit detail would be increased to include 70 full-
time employees and about 140 overtime shifts for officers per day. This will have
two added benefits for Angelenos - first, the buses and trains many people rely
on to get around LA will be safer; and second, more LAPD officers will be on
patrol in our neighborhoods while policing the Metro system, meaning more
officers will be able to respond quickly to nearby emergencies.

Mike Acts to Stand Up to Trump Offshore Oil Drilling Proposal

An Executive Order signed by President Trump in May would allow oil and gas
drilling off our coast, and threatens our beaches, harbors and waterways. Mike
took action in May to stand up to protect our environment by fighting his
destructive and dangerous action by authoring a resolution calling on the City of
Los Angeles to formally oppose and fight any efforts to allow new oil or gas
drilling off the western coast of the United States. Los Angeles and California are
leading the way to a cleaner, more sustainable energy future. Offshore drilling is
dangerous, irresponsible, and unnecessary, and we refuse to turn back.

After the Santa Barbara spill in 1969 and the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the
Gulf of Mexico in 2010, Mike was shocked the President hasn’t learned the simple
lesson that drilling for oil and gas is dirty, dangerous and doomed to catastrophe.
Los Angeles will do the right thing, and we’ll stand up and fight back against any
new attempts to drill off our coast.

Find out more

at: http://www.11thdistrict.com/bonin_acts_to_protect_californias_coasts_from_trump .

City Council Calls on Federal Government to Hold Russia and Chechnya

Accountable for Horrific Human Rights Abuses of Gay Men

Hundreds of gay men are being brutally taken from their families, held in
concentration camps, tortured and murdered by authorities in Chechnya. Mike
stood with his colleagues Mitch O'Farrell and Paul Koretz , as well as Congressman
Adam Schiff and Lorri Jean of the Los Angeles LGBT Center last month to call on
the Trump administration to impose harsh sanctions and to engage in finding
solutions that end the ongoing atrocities.

The genocide of gay men in Chechnya is a tragic episode in the history of

humanity and our government has an opportunity and an obligation to act to
stop this torture and murder. If President Trump is unwilling to act, it shows him
to be unwilling to uphold the American ideal and Mike and his colleagues on the
Council are calling on Washington D.C. to engage and end this atrocity
immediately.

Watch a video of Mike’s comments at the May 12 press conference below.

Mike Initiates Investigation Into LAFD Helicopter Maintenance

As Mike was at the command post at Sunday's Mandeville Fire, he learned that
half of the helicopters in our LAFD fleet were grounded because of a maintenance
backlog when the fire broke out. Mike took action immediately to make sure our
first responders have the tools they need to save lives, introducing legislation on
May 30 to get to the bottom of how this happened.

Read more about Mike's legislation in the Los Angeles Daily

News : http://www.dailybreeze.com/government-and-politics/20170530/la-
council-members-demand-answers-on-helicopter-shortage-during-sundays-
brushfires .
May Small Business Spotlights

Local small businesses provide more than jobs for people on the Westside - they
are part of what make neighborhoods great. Each week, Mike chooses a local Mom
and Pop business to feature on social media in his " Small Business Spotlight ."

Jino's Pars, Westchester

This family-owned restaurant in east-Westchester has something for everyone to

enjoy at large family dinners. Founded in 1984 as Jino's Pizza, the menu was
slowly expanded to also include Persian staples like shish kabob, dolmeh and
koobideh kabobs. Now, Jino's Pars offers a complete menu of both Persian and
Italian favorites, and the unique combination has made this classy family
restaurant a favorite for neighbors and visitors alike.

Check out Jino's Pars at 5844 W Manchester Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90045 or check
out the menu and order online at www.jinospars.com.

MRKT @ the Reserve, Playa Vista

Located on the Reserve campus in Playa Vista, MRKT offers a well balanced menu,
with high quality ingredients and regular changes throughout the year. MRKT
serves breakfast, lunch, specialty coffee, all day snacks and catering.
Check out MRKT online at www.eatmrkt.com or stop by at 13031 W. Jefferson Blvd
#120.

Enzo and Angela Italian Restaurant, West LA

This West LA restaurant has been a neighborhood staple since 2005, when it was
founded by Enzo and Angela - a pair who first met in Positano in 1980 and who
have been cooking together ever since. Enzo and Angela's menu features
delicious, authentic and creative Italian food, and it is a perfect venue for small
celebrations or a night out with someone special.

Find out more about Enzo and Angela at www.enzoandangela.com or stop by at

11701 Wilshire Blvd.

Body and Brain Yoga and Tai Chi, Westchester

This franchise yoga and tai chi center is dedicated to holistic health, and the
Westchester location is frequented by locals who want to lose weight, feel better
and improve their daily lives through exercise that combines mindfulness with
physicality. Body and Brain staff and patrons joined us at our recent "Bike with
Mike" in Westchester and helped lead the group in some stretching and warm-up
activities before the bike ride, demonstrating the professional and engaging
instruction neighbors can expect from Body and Brain.

Check out Body and Brain Yoga and Tai Chi at 8801 South Sepulveda
Blvd #F (above Petco) in Westchester, or find out more online
at www.bodynbrain.com/westchester-california .
Do you have a favorite business you want to nominate to be featured in Mike's
Small Business Spotlight? You can make a nomination for the “Small Business
Spotlight” at this link .

Welcome Michael Armstrong and Lisa Cahill

Mike welcomed two new members to his team in May, adding a new role to the
office that will help improve the service neighbors can expect from Council
District 11 and bringing on an experienced and accomplished new Field Deputy to
serve the communities of Brentwood and Pacific Palisades.

Michael Armstrong will serve as Council District 11’s new Data Director. In his
role, Michael will work to identify ways that data and technology can improve
constituent service, and will assist his colleagues on Mike’s team in their work to
make neighborhoods on the Westside better places to live, work and enjoy.

Lisa Cahill is joining Mike’s team as the new Field Deputy for Brentwood and
Pacific Palisades. Most recently, Lisa was the Director of Sustainable Solutions
at Tree People , where she did stellar work standing up for the environment and
helping us build a more sustainable Los Angeles. Her responsibilities there were
not remotely easy, and it was her job to take some very big, very bold and very
challenging ideas and turn them into reality. That's a skill we look forward to
using here at CD-11.

Welcome to the team Michael and Lisa!

Find out about just some of the events happening in your neighborhood in the
next month!

Access 11 Del Rey Farmer's Market

6/2/2017; 4pm
Glen Alla Park
Venice PRIDE Sign Lighting
6/2/2017; 6:30pm
Windward and Pacific Aves

Wonder Woman World Premiere

6/2/2017; various times
Screening Throughout the Westside

“Let’s Go Fishing” on the Venice Pier

6/3/2017; 10am - 2pm
Venice Pier

Mar Vista Family Center Community Clean Up

6/3/2017; 8am
5075 S. Slauson Ave, Culver City

Beach, Please! Big Beach Cleanup

6/3/2017; 8:30am
Venice Beach Lifeguard Tower at Brooks Ave

Mar Vista Community Softball Game

6/3/2017; 10am
Mar Vista Gardens, 11965 Allin St

Palisades Seniors 90th Birthday Celebration

6/3/2017; 12:30pm
Pacific Palisades Woman’s Clubhouse, 901 Haverford Ave

Venice Basketball Courts Inauguration Party

6/4/2017; 12pm
Basketball Courts on Ocean Front Walk

Green Venice Festival

6/10/2017; 12pm
Oakwood Recreation Center

Los Angeles PRIDE March

6/11/2017; 8am
Hollywood + Highland to West Hollywood

Food and Water Watch - Gas Storage Forum

6/17/2017; 10am
Westchester High School, 7400 W Manchester Ave

Heal the Bay Venice Pier Clean Up

6/17/2017; 10am
Venice Beach Pier

St. Gerard Majella Carnival

6/24/2017; all day
St. Gerard Majella Church, 4439 Inglewood Bl

West Los Angeles Sanitation Yard Open House

6/24/2017; 9am
West LA Sanitation Yard, 2027 Stoner Ave

Venice Japanese Community Center Natsu Matsuri Summer Festival

6/24 and 6/25/2017; 12pm
 12448 Braddock Dr

Mar Vista Neighborhood Association Block Party

6/25/2017; 12pm
3600 Coolidge Ave

Have an event you would like listed? Email updates@11thdistrict.com to submit

events.

Our Existence Depends on Our Resistance

Last month, Mike was honored to accept an Environmental Leadership Award

from the Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters - one of the leading
environmental advocacy organizations in LA. As he accepted the award, Mike
launched into a fiery tirade about the willful neglect and destruction the Trump
Administration has had toward environmental protection, as well as a call to
action for Los Angeles and California to lead by example and show that investing
in sustainability and protecting clean air and water are how smart societies
thrive. Watch Mike’s passionate speech here:

Thank you for reading the May issue of Mike Bonin's Neighborhoods
First Newsletter.
 For more about Mike and Council District 11, please
v i s i t www.11thdistrict.com .

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T AK E AC T I ON MEDIA NEIG HB ORH OODS ISS UES N EW S C OUN CIL STA FF A BOU T MIK E
COUNCIL DISTRICT 11

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