Adopted Seconded By: ______All Elected Officials Apr 2 0 2010 Los Ang Eles City Council
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Form 99 CITY OF LOS ANGELES RESOLUTION MARIA KOSTRENCICH WHEREAS, Maria Kostrencich has served the elected officials, City departments, and residents of the City of Los Angeles with dedication and distinction for 32 1/2 years; and WHEREAS, Maria began her civil service career in October 1977 with Council Member JohnS. Gibson of Council District 15, and then in Apri11979 as an exempt Council Aide Ill with Council Member Peggy Stevenson in CD 13; further, in September 1980, Maria was reassigned to the exempt class of Council Aide Ill and soon thereafter promoted to Council Aide IV and worked for Council Members John Gibson and Joan Milke Flores in CD 15; and WHEREAS, in October 1987, Maria was promoted to Management Aide in the Department of Water and Power where she served with distinction for approximately 10 years; and WHEREAS, in June 1987, Maria joined the Office of the City Clerk as a Legislative Assistant in the City Clerk-Council and Public Services Division where she has provided extraordinary legislative services to the City Council, City elected officials, City departments, the public and the media; and WHEREAS, Maria has earned a stellar reputation as the highly respected Council Clerk to the City Council, guiding the Council through its complex meeting procedures and providing advice and a wealth of knowledge routinely sought after by many in the offices of the City Council, Chief Legislative Analyst, City Attorney, and other City Departments; and WHEREAS, Maria received the Office of the City Clerk Outstanding Service Award in the years 2000 and 2007, received the City of Los Angeles Career Service Award in 2009, and also received perfect attendance commendations from the City Clerk in the years 1999, 2000 and 2008; and WHEREAS, Maria is acknowledged as a professional team member exhibiting an inherent diplomatic ability working closely with Council members and City staff, and is revered and admired by her colleagues for her superior work ethic, unassuming nature and camaraderie; and, WHEREAS, the City Council, Mayor, Office of the City Clerk, all City departments and her fellow employees applaud and commend Maria for her exceptional accomplishments and dedicated service to the City of Los Angeles; NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that, by adoption of this resolution, the Mayor and the City Council, along with the City Attorney and City Controller, do hereby extend their highest regard and heartfelt gratitude to Maria Kostrencich for her distinguished career and phenomenal service to the City of Los Angeles, and express to her and her family their best wishes for happiness and good health for many years to come. June 4, 2010 PRESENTED BY: z ·t;: =# . COUNCILMEMBER ERIC GARCETTI ADOPTED SECONDED BY: ______________________ ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS APR 2 0 2010 LOS ANG ELES CITY COUNCIL Aecycle~t:le ~mo made from rer:yclt1d w;;~ .... l"' @ RESOLUTION WHEREAS, James Seeley, the Chief Federal Representative for the City of Los Angeles in Washington, D.C. since 1976 is retiring after 34 years of faithful service; and WHEREAS, during his long and impressive career, Jim Seeley has earned the unofficial title of, and reputation as~ "Dean of Lobbyists" on Capitol Hill; and he has earned this title for his masterful exercise of quiet diplomacy at all times - as Jim, the epitome of the quiet diplomat has said: "Our job is to make sure any support of legislation is bought into play at the right time and in the right way;" and WHEREAS, the City of Los Angeles Washington Office was created in the late 1960's as recommended by the City Council's Intergovernmental Relations Committee when the future Mayor Tom Bradley was its Chair; and WHEREAS, Jim Seeley has served the City of Los Angeles through the tenures of four Mayors: Tom Bradley, Richard Riordan, James Hahn and Antonio Villaraigosa; and seven City Councii Presidents: John Gibson, Joel Wachs, Pat Russell, John Ferraro, Ruth Galanter, Alex Padilla and Eric Garcetti - serving all of them with great loyalty, dedication and efficiency; and WHEREAS, Jim worked extensively over the years with the 13 House members whose districts include Los Angeles as well as California's two Senators, all of whom and their staffs also relied on Jim and his staff for information on issues facing the City of Los Angeles; and WHEREAS, Jim has always fostered a collaborative approach in pursuing the City's interests in Washington; this approach included many other House and Senate members as well as representatives of the County of Los Angeles, the State of California and other cities, states and agencies on numerous projects and issues which were of mutual concern; this approach often sought to achieve consensus in favor of City interests among various legislators, regulators, and public/private interest groups concerning legislation and regulations which could impact the City of Los Angeles, building coalitions that included many Los Angeles based organizations and institutions, and WHEREAS, an extensive yet still incomplete listing of these issues includes federal funding for such seminal projects and programs as : initial Metro Rail construction and $135 million for the next phase of the Metro Rail construction; the Alameda Corridor, the 1984 Olympics; Hyperion Plant Upgrades, including a $55 million federal grant to improve Los Angeles' sewage treatment system; Northridge Earthquake disaster relief; 9/11 Security upgrades, Empowerment Zone Designation, Main Channel deepening at the Port of Los Angeles; Electricity Restructuring; Local Law Enforcement Block Grants; Radio Spectrum for public safety; Work Opportunity Legislation; ISTEA (Transportation) Reauthorization and Appropriation Items, FLSA overtime liability issues; Nevada Utility Corridor Legislation; Extension of CDBG public services cap for Los Angeles; Cruise Ship legislation; Section 8 housing regulation; Clean Air Act regulations; legislation to preserve the natural resources for the Santa Monica Mountains, and Airport Improvement Program (AlP) Reauthorization; and WHEREAS, the late, legendary and revered long-time head of the Los Angeles Department of Airports, Cliff Moore said: "When Congress passed the AlP Reauthorization Bill, it couldn't have been a mplished without the excellent couns . f Jim Seeley. There was never a meeting too early in the morning or too late at night for Jim to attend;" and WHEREAS, the late Representative Julian C. Dixon, who worked with Jim Seeley for 15 years, concurred: "He is not the typical image of a lobbyist, but he's very good with members;" and WHEREAS, in all these achievements, exhibiting a well-honed sense of deference, Jim has always given credit to the work of others, including the Los Angeles Congressional Delegation and the City's various departments; and WHEREAS, Jim Seeley was also a great adviser and mentor to many; providing guidance and receiving valuable assistance from over 50 college interns; and many of these interns, as well as other associates, have gone on to positions of prominence in government, the public interest sector and the private sector, including those who hold positions such as San Francisco Supervisor; New Mexico State Senator and Los Angeles City Controller; and WHEREAS, prior to entering service for the City of Los Angeles, Jim Seeley served in the United States Army, then worked for the Department of Commerce for eight years as an International Economist, and then lobbied for the State of Illinois for six years as the Deputy Director of the State's Washington office; and WHEREAS, Jim Seeley was born in Los Angeles City and grew up in La Canada, Los Angeles County; he graduated from Stanford University where he met his wife JoAnn Browning, and they have 11 children, numerous sons and daughters-in-law and many grandchildren; and WHEREAS, Jim Seeley was always fond of having the last word, and so we quote his words here: "I still think this is the best job in Washington;" NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that by the adoption of this Resolution the Council of the City of Los Angeles hereby thanks and commends James "Jim" Seeley for his 34 years of excellent and dedicated service as the Chief Federal Representative for the City of Los Angeles and extend to him very best wishes on his retirement. PRESENTED BY _________ ERIC GARCETTI Councilman, 13[h District SECONDED BY -------------------- All Members ADOPTED APR t~ 2010 lOS ANGELES CITY COUNCIL Resolution WHEREAS, we take great pleasure in honoring Armenian Genocide survivor and distinguished documentary filmmaker J. MICHAEL HAGOPIAN; and WHEREAS, in the summer of 191 5, when Turkish soldiers of the Ottoman Empire stormed through Kharpert as part of a systematic effort to destroy and displace the Armenian people from their historic homeland, J. MICHAEL HAGOPIAN, who was a two-year-old child at the time, survived only after his parents hid him in a well and prayed to the heavens for their safety; and WHEREAS, through his parents' strength, wit and resolve, J. MICHAEL HAGOPIAN survived what is recognized as the first instance of modem-day genocide - a brutal and unprecedented act that claimed the lives of 1.5 million Armenians through orchestrated massacres and forced deportations; and WHEREAS, J. MICHAEL HAGOPIAN, and countless other Armenians, established a new life in the United States by settling in Fresno, California, where they immersed themselves in American culture and contributed to this country as valuable members oftheir adoptive communities; and WHEREAS, after receiving an undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and a doctorate in international relations from Harvard University, J. MICHAEL HAGOPIAN entered the field of cinema and founded Atlantis Productions; and WHEREAS, during his distinguished career, J. MICHAEL HAGOPIAN has written, directed and produced more than 70 educational and documentary films, which collectively have won over 150 national and international awards, including two Emmy Award nominations for the writing and production of"The Forgotten Genocide," the first full -length feature film on the Armenian Genocide of 1915; and WHEREAS, as part of his quest to document the human experience and shed light on historical events, J.