The DWP offers incentives to recycle your old
refrigerator and buy an energy efficient one. Other
appliance incentives are available too. Receive $100
towards an ultra low flush toilet. Read about
DWP rebates.
Online Service Requests
You
can place service requests for street repair, tree trimming,
downed trees or palm fronds in the street
online.
Did you know that you
can view all permit requests for a property online?
Click here to access the City's online reporting
system. Enter in the address and view the permits.
Trash pickup
continues on all on holidays except:
-New Years Day
-July 4th
-Labor Day
-Thanksgiving Day
-Christmas Day
WELCOME
Porter Ranch Neighborhood
Council is certified by the
City of Los Angeles to work
with stakeholders to help
you make
Porter Ranch a Better Place
to Live, Work and Grow.
City
Controller Wendy Greuel
will be speaking at the
April 6
Porter Ranch
Neighborhood Council
meeting about the recent
budget challenges and
how the community and
neighborhood council
will be affected. Also,
she recently completed
an audit of the
Department Of
Neighborhood
Empowerment, the
organization which
provides training,
support, and financial
processing for
neighborhood councils.
The audit report
revealed some
interesting and
controversial results.
But with budget cuts,
what will be the impact
of her findings? This
should be a most
important presentation
for the Board and
Stakeholders. The
meeting begins at 6pm,
Wendy Greuel will begin
her presentation at 7pm.
Porter Ranch Ambulance
On Chopping Block
News as of March 10,
2010: Because of the
proposal to cut
ambulance service from
fire station 8, the
Porter Ranch Police,
Fire, & Safety Committee
met with firefighters
from stations 8 & 28 on
March 6, 2010 to better
understand the fire and
rescue services in
Porter Ranch. The board
then sent the following
letter to Councilman
Greig Smith.
As a result of the
concern expressed to
Councilman Smith by the
PRNC and other councils,
the City Council
postponed the decision.
Councilman Smith noted
that the proposed cuts
during the evening hours
are when 40% of the
ambulance calls come in.
The LA Times reports
that he said, "That is
not acceptable" and
asked to have the
proposed revised.
The PRNC received an
email from Councilman
Smith's Chief of Staff
Mitch Englander:
I've been speaking to Pat Pope
(both yesterday and today) and
let him know that your letter
came in loud and clear.
Councilman Smith couldn't agree
more and today co-authored a
motion to send it back to
committee to come up with other
options and not allow the taking
of any BLS ambulance support at
any of the stations. The working
group will collaborate with LAFD
and look to different options
that were also presented today
in Council.
Thank you again for taking a
quick and deliberate position on
this critical issue.
At the PRNC meeting on
March 9, 2010 Battalion
Chief Biggs explained
response times and
answered questions by
the board and
stakeholders.
News as of March 5,
2010:
Chris Cooper, PRNC Board
Member and fireman,
reports that our Fire
Station on Tampa (8) is
in jeopardy of losing
the Rescue Ambulance.
The City Council is
hearing a proposal
supported by Councilman
Greig Smith to close 12
ambulances Citywide.
Fire Station 8 is on the
list of ambulances to be
closed at night.
This is a resource we
need here 24/7 in Porter
Ranch especially at
night when our
population is at maximum
capacity when citizens
return home from school
and work. There are a
variety of other reasons
to keep this ambulance
open including response
time increase, reduced
resource coverage, etc.
Further, Pat Pope, PRNC
Board Member, said that
he was recently at Fire
Station 28 about another
matter and reports, "At
this very minute (March
4th about 5pm) there is
no staffed ambulance in
Porter Ranch. The
firefighters detailed to
rescue 828 actually are
assigned to the
bulldozer unit in
Sherman Oaks at Fire
Station 88. They spend
the night at Fire
Station 28, but most
days they are in Sherman
Oaks, and Rescue 828 is
unmanned. Today rescue
808 at Fire Station 8
was also out of service.
Apparently this happens
more often than we know
about.
Pat Pope noted, "During
the City Council debate
on March 4 about the
Fire budget,
Councilwoman Hahn asked
the fire chief about the
fact that each battalion
chief and each division
chief has a driver that
takes the chief to the
fire. Clearly, that
person does more than
drive, but in a budget
crunch might it not be
better for a chief to
drive himself instead of
closing down ambulances
and engine companies?"
Understanding Fire
Station Lingo
All firefighters are
Emergency Medical
Technicians (EMTs)
ALS:
Advanced Life Support
Ambulance, used for
strokes, heart attacks
and more staffed by 2
paramedic firefighters.
Known as Rescue 96 at
Fire Station 96.
BLS:
Basic Life Support
Ambulance, used for
lesser emergencies like
sprained ankles and
…staffed by 2
firefighters. Known as
808 at Fire Station 8.
Fire Engine:
Truck with water, hose
and pump, staffed by 4
firefighters including
the captain, the
engineer who drives and
operates the pump. One
person on board is a
paramedic. Known as
Engine 8 at Fire Station
8.
Fire Truck AKA
Hook and Ladder:
Truck with ladders, no
water. They carry the
Jaws of Life. Staffed by
6 firefighters. Known as
Truck 28 at Fire Station
28.
Brush Patrol:
Looks like a pick up
truck carrying water and
a hose. Staffed by 2
firefighters. Known as
Brush Patrol 8.
Fire Station Staffing
Fire Station 8,
Tampa, Equipment and
Staffing
Fire Engine 8 = 4
firefighters
BLS 808 = 2 firefighters
(frequently used as a
manpower pool elsewhere)
Brush Patrol 8 = 2
firefighters (mostly
unstaffed)
Total 6 per shift
Fire Station 28,
Corbin, Equipment and
Staffing,
known as a Light Force
Fire Engine 228 = 1
firefighters
Truck 28 = 5
firefighters
BLS 828 = 2 firefighters
Brush Patrol 28 = 2
firefighters (mostly
unstaffed)
Total 8 per shift
Fire Station 96,
Marilla, Equipment and
Staffing
known as a Task Force, a
more typical Fire
Station configuration
Engine 96: 4
firefighters
Engine 296: 1
firefighters – Part of
Light Force 96
Truck 96: 5 firefighters
– Part of Light Force 96
Rescue 96: 2 paramedics
(ALS ambulance)
Total 12 per shift
Treasure Box of Food
If you know anyone, of
any age, that is
struggling to buy
nutritious and essential
food for themselves or
their families, please
promote The Treasure
Box.
The Treasure Box works
with faith-based
organizations and
community groups to
provide nutritional
boxes of groceries at
low-cost.
For $30 you can buy
enough food to feed a
family for one week, or
an individual for a
month.
Anyone can buy a
Treasure Box. They are
able to offer good
quality food items at
such low cost by buying
large volumes at
wholesale prices.
The election was held at
World Vision Church on
March 2, from
2-8pm.
Official Results.
There were a total of
163 voters.
71 - Bright Aregs -
Incumbent
69 - Richard Rippey
63 - Maha Batta
58 - Mel Mitchell -
Incumbent
53 - Vas Singh -
Incumbent
50 -Ron Nagai -
Incumbent
31 -Magda Gereis
59 - Rukhsana Arastu &
Guillermo Seta - Write
In
Special Note: Pat Pope's
name appeared on the
ballot, and he received
28 votes. However, he
was appointed to the
board during the
February meeting, after
the cutoff to withdraw
his name from the
election.
View
our
Elections Page for
more details. Budget Crisis: How Will
It Impact NCs Now?
Update: February 23,
2010: For the last
several weeks, the City
Council and Mayor have
been wrestling with the
projected June 30th
deficit of $200
million. Last
week they decided to cut
4,000 jobs from a total
of 12,000 and several
departments.
Neighborhood Councils
will certainly feel the
impact of these
decisions. The work of
the Department of
Neighborhood Empowerment
(DONE) will be folded
into the Community
Development Department (CDD).
DONE provided training,
support, oversight and
financial processing for
the 90 neighborhood
councils. 16 members of
the DONE staff will
remain support
Neighborhood Councils.
View the planned
positions. The DONE
General Manager,
BongHwan Kim will be
resigning no later than
the end of June.
Read BH Kim's
resignation letter.
DONE staff that have not
already found other
employment, are
currently on pins and
needles awaiting their
fate.
While some neighborhood
council members have
called for a
reassignment of DONE's
work, others are dubious
about the benefits. The
Daily News reported
on the divergent
opinions about the
dissolution of DONE.
Yet to be decided is the
proposed reduction in
Neighborhood Council
budgets. They were
originally set at
$50,000. Last year they
were reduced to $45,000,
a cut that was
commensurate with the
balance of the City's
budget cuts. Some
proposals call for
cutting each NC's budget to
$22,000.
Update: February 12,
2010. The matter has
been sent to the
Education and
Neighborhoods Committee
chaired by Councilman
Krekorian. See
CitywatchLA for
details.
February 1, 2010:
At the end of January
2010, Controller Wendy
Greuel reported that at
the current rate, the
city would have a $200
million shortfall at the
end of the fiscal year,
dated June 2010. The
Chief Administrative
Officer of Los Angeles
made a number of
proposals to address
this problem, including
cutting funding for
neighborhood councils
and for the Department
of Neighborhood
Empowerment.
A number of NCs joined
in a
BudgetLA meeting on
Saturday, January 30 and
issued a
letter focusing on
the mandate for NCs
provided by the city
charter. They held a
press conference (view
NC budget press
conference video) at
City Hall on Monday,
February 1, and then
proceeded to speak
before the city's Budget
& Finance committee in a
marathon session.
Finally, the proposal
regarding NCs was
removed from the plan.
This is a short term
reprieve as the subject
is expected to return
especially regarding the
next fiscal year.
Each year the Mayor must
present a budget to the
City Council by April
20th per the City
Charter. You can weigh
in on the tough
decisions on how the
money should be spent.
Go to the Mayor's Budget
Challenge Site and
get started!
Census 2010
Every 10 years, our
Constitution requires
the federal government
to make an accurate
count of all of its
residents. It calls on
everyone to be counted
and to make their voices
heard. An accurate count
helps determine how many
teachers are needed in
our classrooms; where to
build new roads; how
much funding is needed
for emergency food and
shelter programs; and
how many representatives
we have in our nation’s
capital.
Forms
will be mailed out to
you about March 15th.
For forms not
received by May 1, our
tax dollars will be used
to contact those
individuals personally.
Let's save ourselves
some $$$ and turn them
in on time!
More about Census 2010
YMCA’s Community Gifts
Campaign Sets $400,000
Goal to Help Valley
Families
North Valley Family
YMCA's yearly Community
Gifts Campaign is
underway. The campaign
seeks to raise $400,000
by March 9 to help
provide funds for a wide
variety of community
services that go far
beyond the “gym and
swim” image of many
local YMCAs.
“Service to the
community at childcare
sites, at local gyms and
at other locations –
going outside our four
walls to offer programs
in neighborhoods – is
what we’ve always done
as a nonprofit,” says
Jane Stanton, North
Valley Family YMCA
executive director.
Nationwide, as the down
economy has hit
communities hard, YMCA’s
have begun to
re-emphasize their
non-profit mission to
help communities,
families and
individuals. It’s a
mission that North
Valley has, for years,
expanded. Its $9.8
million annual operating
budget helps provide:
4,000 scholarships – for
camping, childcare or YMCA
membership.
Physical education – instruction
at 26 San Fernando Valley
elementary schools for 18,000
kids weekly, a program that
financially strapped schools
stopped providing decades ago.
Childcare – at 13 elementary
schools and one middle school
for 735 kids weekly.
Preschool – at two centers for
115 children.
Youth sports leagues –
volleyball, indoor soccer and
basketball – for 1,700 children
and teens – held at school and
municipal gyms.
YGuides – parent and kids
activities program for 750
members, designed to strengthen
bonds between parents and their
kids.
Those interested in
contributing to the
Community Gifts
Campaign, can contact
Miki Shelton at
818-368-3231,
mikishelton@ymcala.org.
Officer Gregory Randall
thinks
he may have left his
gator guard at our
Coyote meeting last
year. If you have seen
it please contact him:
888.452.7381 Ext: 1-4-1
City
Controller Wendy Greuel
