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12/12/2017 Your April 2017 Neighborhoods First Newsletter - Mike Bonin - Council District 11

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April 2017

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

IN THIS ISSUE: Construction begins on Mar Vista’s Great Street, Mike fights for funding for a life-saving program to end traffic fatalities, and an effort launches Contact Our Ofce to protect people from dangerous oil and gas wells in our neighborhoods... but first, please read this month's Neighborhoods First Profile about a Pacific Palisades neighbor who is helping kids see a bright future ahead of them. Connect with Facebook

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… 5,188 likes

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Vision to Learn: Pacific Palisades’ Austin Beutner Is Helping Kids See Success

Pacific Palisades neighbor Austin Beutner has served Los Angeles in a variety of capacities - as First Deputy Mayor, interim head of the Los Angeles Department Water and Power, and publisher and CEO of the Los Angeles Times. In 2012, however, Beutner founded Vision To Learn - an organization that serves Los Angeles in a different, more focused way. Vision To Learn is a non-profit organization that provides children in need with free eye exams and free glasses by bringing its mobile eye clinics to schools and to other neighborhood youth and community organizations. Since 2012, Vision To Learn has helped more than 48,000 school kids receive free eye exams and glasses, making it easier for kids to

http://www.11thdistrict.com/your_april_2017_neighborhoods_ﬁrst_newsletter 1/30 12/12/2017 Your April 2017 Neighborhoods First Newsletter - Mike Bonin - Council District 11 see the instruction they Tweets by @MikeBoninLA receive in school every day.

Mike Bonin We asked Austin a few @MikeBoninLA questions about his work with Faith leaders gathered at City Hall to celebrate the Vision To Learn. start of Hanukkah with the lighting of the Menorah. I want to thank the Downtown Jewish Community Please tell us about the Center, Mayor Eric Garcetti, and City Attorney Mike for hosting a special celebration. Happy mission of Vision to Learn. Hanukkah! Vision To Learn provides free eye exams and glasses to kids in low-income communities. About one in five kids will naturally need glasses; but, unfortunately, in low-income communities 95% of kids who need glasses do not have them.

What inspired you to found Vision to Learn?

I am a first-generation American. My dad worked in a factory, my mom was a 1h

school teacher and I went to public schools. A good public education gave me the Embed View on Twitter foundation for all that has come since in my life. When I learned so many kids were going to public schools lacking the glasses they needed to see the board, read a book or participate in class, I was shocked—this is Los Angeles, California, not Timbuktu in Mali. I decided this was a problem we needed to solve.

What are you most proud of in Vision To Learn's five years of work?

We started with one van in Los Angeles five years ago. VTL now serves kids in 176 cities from Honolulu to Baltimore, becoming the largest school-based program of its type in the nation. Kids’ grades improve when they get glasses and they have a better chance to succeed in school and in life. If we only helped one child, this would be worth doing; but we have helped hundreds of thousands.

Vision to Learn has partnered with a lot of other groups and organizations over the years - why is it important to include sports teams or neighborhood groups in your efforts?

Vision To Learn is a great example of how we can all work together for the benefit of the community. We have the support of many individuals, businesses, foundations, sports teams, elected officials and volunteers. The Clippers and Dodgers provide financial support and their players let kids know it’s cool to wear glasses. Organizations like the Rotary Club have provided thousands of man hours to help screen kids. And our most important partners are the classroom teachers and school nurses who work with us in schools to provide help to the kids.

How can people get involved or support Vision To Learn's work?

These simple ways—make a contribution ($100 covers the cost of an exam and glasses for one child), become a volunteer, or spread the word by sharing the story of Vision To Learn. Lots more at www.visiontolearn.org.

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Venice Japanese American Memorial Marker Installed in Venice

Neighbors and visitors in Venice will see a new addition to the community, now that a nine and a half foot black granite obelisk has been installed at the northwest corner of Lincoln and Venice Boulevards. This new monument is a solemn reminder of an important and sad chapter of American history, when thousands of families of Japanese ancestry were assembled at the corner where the monument will stand for their forced relocation to Manzanar War Relocation Center during World War II.

This monument is the product of years of hard work by the Venice Japanese American Memorial Monument Committee, which raised money and worked for years to get this powerful symbol installed.

The installation of the monument comes at another important time in American history, and will serve as a prescient reminder that we must always be vigilant about standing up against bigotry, racism and intolerance.

For more info visit www.venicejamm.org.

Friends of Ballona Host Migration Celebration

The Friends of Ballona Wetlands hosted a wonderful community event at Discovery Park in Playa Vista in April, celebrating the annual migration of birds that find homes in the Ballona Wetlands. The event featured a neighborhood brunch block party, family activities (including face painting, arts & crafts, a scavenger hunt, special guests, live music, and food trucks), “marsh mimosas” for adults, professionally guided bird tours and opportunities to meet and learn

http://www.11thdistrict.com/your_april_2017_neighborhoods_ﬁrst_newsletter 3/30 12/12/2017 Your April 2017 Neighborhoods First Newsletter - Mike Bonin - Council District 11 more about live birds of prey from the South Bay Wildlife Rehab!

Thank you, Friends of Ballona for hosting this great chance for families on the Westside to learn more about the birds of Ballona!

Ocean Charter Heal the Bay Beach Cleanup

Students at Ocean Charter School in Del Rey pitched in to keep our beaches clean last month, as they participated in the Eighth Annual “Beach Clean-a-thon.” The event was a partnership between the school, the awesome environmental non- profit group Heal the Bay and Mike’s office (which provided buses to take students to the beach for the clean-up). Students raised money to support Heal the Bay’s mission of keeping the Santa Monica Bay clean, and they additionally canvassed the beach to pick up any litter or debris before it made its way into the bay.

Thank you, Ocean Charter and Heal the Bay for working together to keep our beaches and bay clean, and for providing an opportunity for a new generation of students to take responsibility for our environment.

Mar Vista Family Center Hosts Literacy Fair

“From there to here, from here to there, funny things are everywhere..."

That's one of the lines from "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish" by Dr. Seuss -- which Mike got to read to some of the kids at Mar Vista Family Center in Del Rey on April 3, as part of the Center's 13th annual Literacy Fair. The Fair’s focus is to encourage families to read together and foster an appreciation for books.

Thanks to the Del Rey Neighborhood Council, Playa Vista Optimists, National Charity League, Inc. Westside Chapter, and Loyola Marymount University for supporting the event!

http://www.11thdistrict.com/your_april_2017_neighborhoods_ﬁrst_newsletter 4/30 12/12/2017 Your April 2017 Neighborhoods First Newsletter - Mike Bonin - Council District 11 New Senior Lead Officer for West LA/Sawtelle Area

The Los Angeles Police Department was proud to announce last month that Jim Lavenson will serve as the new permanent LAPD Senior Lead Officer for the WLA- Sawtelle area. Officer Lavenson was voted Officer of the Quarter by LAPD West L.A. Division Command for exemplary service to the community, and this is a very well-deserved promotion. Officer Lavenson can be reached at [email protected] or 310-444-0742.

Great Streets Update: Pedestrian Signals, Bike Lanes and Bike Racks Added to Venice Boulevard

April was an incredibly exciting month for the Great Streets project that is turning Venice Boulevard in Mar Vista into a “small town downtown” for the community. In the past month, City crews were coordinating major improvements to the stretch of roadway, and have been working to install new pedestrian crossings, new bike racks and preparing to add new bike lanes to the street.

Making Venice Boulevard safer for people who walk and bike is a key part of the Great Streets Initiative, and the improvements being made will protect bicyclists, as well as connect the two sides of Venice, helping to make the street what Mar Vistans asked for throughout the Great Streets Initiative’s community input process.

You can find more information about this project at: http://lagreatstreets.org/venice/ and you can contact my Mobility Deputy Jessie Holzer at [email protected] or 310-575-8461 if you have questions or if we can be of any assistance.

http://www.11thdistrict.com/your_april_2017_neighborhoods_ﬁrst_newsletter 5/30 12/12/2017 Your April 2017 Neighborhoods First Newsletter - Mike Bonin - Council District 11 Talking Transportation at the South Brentwood Residents Association Meeting

With his ambitious Sunset Traffic Improvement Initiative continuing to find new ways to reduce the gridlock on Sunset Boulevard, Mike joined the South Brentwood Residents Association at the group’s annual meeting on April 27, where he participated in a panel conversation about the future of transportation in LA. Mike, along with Denny Zane from Move LA, Seleta Reynolds of the Department of Transportation, Jody Litvak of Metro, and Assemblymember Richard Bloom, answered questions about the variety of initiatives and efforts he had launched to discover creative solutions to traffic gridlock, as well as where public transportation will be going in the future, now that voters have approved Measure M.

The meeting also featured a special thank you to Marilyn Krell, for her eight years of exemplary service to the neighborhood.

Dual Force Main Construction to Begin

Pre-construction activities for an important project that will add needed capacity to the sewer line connecting Venice with the Hyperion Wastewater Treatment Plant in Playa del Rey began in April. The current sewer system, which was constructed in the 1950s, will remain in use, and the new pipes (which will run parallel to the existing infrastructure) will more than double the capacity for the sewer line and allow for more convenient maintenance of the system in the future. The majority of the construction for this new sewer line will occur underground, minimizing the impact on nearby neighborhoods.

This project is about more than convenience, however, and the added capacity is needed to avoid an environmental catastrophe. During severe wet weather, sewer flows to the Venice Pumping Plant have exceeded the capacity of the existing pipes, and without additional capacity, there is a risk of an overflow of sewage into city streets of Venice and surface waters of the Santa Monica Bay.

Construction will start at the pumping station on Horizon, cross the Grand Canal,

http://www.11thdistrict.com/your_april_2017_neighborhoods_ﬁrst_newsletter 6/30 12/12/2017 Your April 2017 Neighborhoods First Newsletter - Mike Bonin - Council District 11 travel east to Marquesas Way, and then travel south along Via Marina before crossing the Marina and Ballona Creek channels to meet an existing Coastal Interceptor Sewer on Vista del Mar near Waterview Street. Please be advised that traffic delays might occur during construction, which is expected to be completed in June.

You can find out more about the project, as well as some of the traffic impacts from the needed construction at http://eng.lacity.org/projects/vpp/.

Resurfacing Granville and Navy in Mar Vista

With the rainy season mostly behind us, the Bureau of Street Services was able to resume scheduled street repair and resurfacing work in April. Among the Westside streets that got needed attention from Street Services employees was Granville Avenue and Navy Street in Mar Vista. Thank you to the hard working city employees who are giving neighbors a smooth ride in their community.

Latino Resource Organization Hosts Spring Resource Fair at Vera Davis Center

Latino Resource Organization (LRO), a nonprofit group that helps ensure services are delivered to low-income families on the Westside, hosted its annual Spring Resource Fair at the Vera Davis Center in Venice on April 18. The Spring Resource Fair was an excellent opportunity for families in need to find out more about the services that are available, and for LRO staff to help sign people up for the programs and classes LRO offers to help families with important things like managing finances or preparing a student for college.

Thank you to the hard working LRO staff and community supporters who made the Spring Resource Fair such a great success!

http://www.11thdistrict.com/your_april_2017_neighborhoods_ﬁrst_newsletter 7/30 12/12/2017 Your April 2017 Neighborhoods First Newsletter - Mike Bonin - Council District 11 Slauson Medians Cleaned Up

For years, the landscaping on median islands on some of the major roads throughout Los Angeles were 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 on April 26, the City Council approved the hiring of another contractor to landscape medians.

While the new contractor is working through the backlog of overgrown medians, Mike’s office is taking action to clean up the unsightly mess by springing into action and trimming foliage on the medians in their communities. Throughout the past few weeks, Mike’s Del Rey area Field Deputy Chuy Orozco has partnered with neighbors to clean up medians along Slauson Boulevard. Thank you to everyone who helped beautify the neighborhood with their volunteer efforts!

Neighbors Will Gather to Help Welcome Home 54 Veterans at the West LA VA

On May 2, the Brentwood Community Council and Brentwood Business District, in partnership with Village for Vets, is inviting neighbors to a special event to welcome home 54 veterans who are moving into Building 209 on the West LA VA Campus (11301 Wilshire Blvd, Building 257 Los Angeles CA, 90073). The event will feature local and Federal dignitaries, veterans service organizations and community partners, as well as a special lunch as we honor and "welcome home" men and women who served our country.

You can find out more about the event and how you can help support the veterans moving into their new homes at http://www.villageforvets.org/packages/.

http://www.11thdistrict.com/your_april_2017_neighborhoods_ﬁrst_newsletter 8/30 12/12/2017 Your April 2017 Neighborhoods First Newsletter - Mike Bonin - Council District 11 Keeping Sand Off Beach Bike Paths

Great news for cyclists who love riding on the beach in Venice! Last month, the Department of Recreation and Parks started installing new sand fencing along the beach bike path, from the City of Santa Monica/City of Los Angeles line, southward toward the north boundary of the Rose Ave. parking lot. The new fencing will help keep windblown sand from accumulating on the bike path and Ocean Front Walk, improving safety for cyclists who ride on the beach path.

Thank you to Venice Beach Superintendent Bob Davis for working with LA County Beaches and Harbors (which is in charge of grooming beach sand), neighbors and Mike’s office for moving this important project forward!

Silicon Beach Film Festival Comes to Playa Vista

The second annual Silicon Beach Film Festival was held in Playa Vista in April, with industry leaders from both the entertainment and technology fields coming to the Westside to see independent and international films, and to learn more about the cutting-edge technology that is revolutionizing entertainment experiences for people around the world. The film festival, which was held in conjunction with the Playa Vista Film Festival, featured a red carpet event at the Cinemark 18XD theaters at the Howard Hughes Promenade, as well as other events throughout Playa Vista.

Thank you to everyone who made this excellent event possible, especially Sandie West of the Marina Peninsula, who helped produce the festival.

Drought-Tolerant Landscaping and New Sidewalks Installed at DWP Substation in Westchester

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Though much of California is now officially no longer in a drought condition, the long and sustained drought that just ended demonstrated how important it is to conserve water, as the next punishing drought could be just around the corner. As part of his efforts to make LA more drought-friendly, Mike authored legislation in 2014, instructing the Department of Water and Power to save water by ceasing irrigation at municipal lawns that were scheduled to be replaced with drought-tolerant landscapes.

In April, work finally started at the DWP substation in Westchester (at the corner of La Tijera and Airport Boulevards), where new drought-friendly gardens were installed. Once completed, the new gardens will be a great reminder for neighbors about the importance of saving water, as well as an aesthetically- pleasing addition to the neighborhood.

Restoring the POW/MIA Veterans Mural in Venice

Last year, shortly before Memorial Day, vandals callously graffitied a beloved mural in Venice 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 taking action that got the perpetrators of this heinous desecration arrested and convicted, Mike has worked with the Venice Chamber of Commerce and the Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC) to get the mural restored.

Last month, a special event was held at the Venice mural, where the restoration effort to re-paint each of the more than 2,273 names on the mural, was launched. The mural’s restoration is being made possible because of exceptional work of SPARC (which will also create a digital copy of the mural in perpetuity) and the generous support of the Venice Chamber of Commerce, which held a fundraising drive to pay for the needed work.

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

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Eagle Scout Beautifies Corner of Manchester and Lincoln in Westchester

Neighbors in Westchester and Playa del Rey may have noticed some work happening recently at the corner of Manchester Avenue and Lincoln Boulevard, where prospective Eagle Scout Kirk Fujimoto has undertaken an effort to rededicate the corner to honoring veterans of the Armed Services.

The corner is the former site of a War Memorial, which was moved around the corner (near the entrance of Mike’s Westchester office). Kirk’s Eagle Scout project will replace the flagpole that still stands at the corner with two new flag poles, and will additionally add a new drought-tolerant garden to the corner, as well as a plaque that will read “To all members of our Armed Forces, always remember, you’re never forgotten”.

Thanks to Kirk’s hard work and great idea, this corner will once again become a special location to honor veterans. You can find out more about Kirk’s Eagle Scout project at http://troop927.com/wj3/index.php/events/138-fujimoto-eagle- project.

Pedestrian Beacon Will Protect People Crossing Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades

A new pedestrian beacon has been installed on Pacific Coast Highway to better protect people as they walk across the busy stretch of roadway. The pedestrian- activated signal (which will be officially unveiled in a "ribbon cutting ceremony" on May 4), will be only the second of its kind in California, and it will drastically improve safety along PCH at the entrance to Palisades Bowl mobile home park.

http://www.11thdistrict.com/your_april_2017_neighborhoods_ﬁrst_newsletter 11/30 12/12/2017 Your April 2017 Neighborhoods First Newsletter - Mike Bonin - Council District 11 Mike’s Staff Helps Keep West LA Civic Center Free From Graffiti

Showing pride in the place where neighbors in the northern parts of Council District 11 come to get help from their local government, Mike’s West LA and Mar Vista Field Deputy Len Nguyen broke out a paint brush and can of paint to remove some unwanted graffiti from the West LA Civic Center campus in April. Thank you, Len for helping Mike keep the neighborhood looking great in West LA!

Manchester Medians Cleared of Overgrown Brush

Unwanted and overgrown vegetation was trimmed back on median islands along Manchester Avenue in Westchester in April, beautifying an important community corridor where Mike recently helped crews plant new trees. The median maintenance work was a welcome project for neighbors in the area, and after an agreement with city contractors who were responsible for median maintenance ended, Mike worked with his colleagues to get assistance while we wait for a new contract to be signed with a new contractor so neighborhoods like Westchester could get the attention they deserve.

Playa del Rey Getting New Safety-Improving Street Design

For the past two years, Mike has been working with neighbors in Playa del Rey

http://www.11thdistrict.com/your_april_2017_neighborhoods_ﬁrst_newsletter 12/30 12/12/2017 Your April 2017 Neighborhoods First Newsletter - Mike Bonin - Council District 11 and engineers from the Department of Transportation to improve pedestrian safety and reduce cut-through traffic in Playa del Rey. Thanks to input received from three community workshops, three surveys, and countless conversations with neighbors over the past two years, a proposal to make people safer has been developed, which Mike is calling the “Safe Streets for Playa del Rey Traffic Safety Initiative.”

The proposal reconfigures Culver (Pacific to Jefferson), Jefferson (Culver to Lincoln), and Pershing (Culver to Westchester Pkwy) to one lane in each direction to make it safer for pedestrians to cross the street and less attractive for motorists who want to speed through the neighborhood. The reconfiguration also creates bike lanes on all three streets. New and enhanced pedestrian crossings on Culver and Pershing, and speed feedback signs on Pershing are already in the process of being installed.

Additionally, in a separate but adjacent project, Department of Transportation engineers have figured out a way to make Vista del Mar safer for people driving and walking on the corridor. Vista del Mar, which has been the site of a number of tragic collisions involving pedestrians, will also be reconfigured to one lane in each direction in order to provide space for designated U-turn areas and to move all the eastside parallel street parking to angled parking on the westside of the street. The new parking configuration will allow more people to park closer to the beach, and will keep people from needing to dangerously cross Vista del Mar.

Mike's office will give a brief presentation on the proposals at the May 2nd Westchester Playa Neighborhood Council.

Honoring the Life of Georgia Firefighter Ron Herens

Mike adjourned the April 19 meeting of the City Council in memory of Ron Herens, a firefighter from the Marietta, Georgia Fire Department who tragically lost his life in a traffic collision on April 10. Herens, who was just 23 years old, was one of five young firefighters from the Marietta Fire Department who were vacationing in Los Angeles, and the group had stopped by Los Angeles Fire Station 63 just hours before the fatal crash occurred.

In addition to the enormous pain and loss for Ron’s family, friends and colleagues, this has also been an understandably traumatic experience for the crew at Fire Station 63. Ron is survived by his girlfriend Rosa Campos, sister Dana Herens, father Dirk Herens, and mother Cody Herens.

http://www.11thdistrict.com/your_april_2017_neighborhoods_ﬁrst_newsletter 13/30 12/12/2017 Your April 2017 Neighborhoods First Newsletter - Mike Bonin - Council District 11 People Street Applications Now Open!

Every year, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation asks neighbors for ideas for new plazas and parklets that convert underused public space (such as often-vacant parking spots) into areas where people can come together and enjoy their community. The “People Street” program is just one way that the Department of Transportation is helping make sure our neighborhoods are places where people can enjoy living in Los Angeles, and Mike encourages neighbors to visit http://peoplest.lacity.org/get-ready/ to find out more about how they can apply for a People Street project in their neighborhood.

Engineering, Building and Safety Departments Help Ensure Safety in Pacific Palisades

When neighbors on Friends Street in Pacific Palisades noticed what they thought were concerning cracks in the hillside street, the neighbors reached out to Mike’s office to ask for help investigating the geological stability of the area. Responding quickly to the constituent concerns, Mike’s office worked with the Department of Building and Safety, and then the Bureau of Engineering, to have experts visit the site and prepare a report analyzing the street and verifying that it was structurally sound and safe to use.

You can read the full Bureau of Engineering report at https://www.scribd.com/document/346326075/Friends-Street-BOE-Field- Investigation-17-081.

http://www.11thdistrict.com/your_april_2017_neighborhoods_ﬁrst_newsletter 14/30 12/12/2017 Your April 2017 Neighborhoods First Newsletter - Mike Bonin - Council District 11 Year-Round Shelter Crisis Declared

The City Council took an important step needed to address the homelessness crisis on our streets, when the Council unanimously voted to approve the declaration of a year-round shelter crisis that Mike sought with his colleagues Jose Huizar and Marqueece Harris-Dawson.

Between the shelter crisis declaration and other recent actions taken by the Council’s Planning Committee, homeless shelters will now be able to stay open throughout the year, instead of only during winter months. The Council is also making it easier for non-profit groups and faith-based institutions to operate shelters.

With 28,000 homeless residents in the City, declaring a shelter crisis allows the City to better assist them in the short-term, while Measure HHH, and the County's Measure H, represent a sea change that will allow us to address homelessness in the long-term. Mike is encouraged by these steps and thankful to work with colleagues like Councilmembers Huizar and Harris-Dawson to focus on solutions to homelessness in our neighborhoods.

Opinion Editorial: Save Lives by Funding Vision Zero

In 2015, Mayor Eric Garcetti made a bold declaration that Los Angeles would end all traffic fatalities within a decade, thanks to a program called Vision Zero. Vision Zero is a successful model for better protecting pedestrians, bicyclists and everyone who use our streets through improved street design and other measures that limit vehicle speeds on local roads. While the Mayor and the City Council support Vision Zero, they have yet to adequately fund the program (Vision Zero

http://www.11thdistrict.com/your_april_2017_neighborhoods_ﬁrst_newsletter 15/30 12/12/2017 Your April 2017 Neighborhoods First Newsletter - Mike Bonin - Council District 11 received $3 million in funding last year, which is a sad comparison with the $174 million budgeted for Vision Zero programs in New York this year).

Now that voters have approved Measure M, the City has an excellent new revenue source for Vision Zero programs that will save lives in our neighborhoods. Measure M includes “local return” money, which each city in Los Angeles County can decide how best to invest. Last month, Mike and his colleague Marqueece Harris-Dawson penned an opinion editorial that appeared in the Los Angeles Daily News and Los Angeles Daily Breeze, calling on LA to invest the majority of Measure M local return money into Vision Zero programs.

Read the opinion editorial to find out more here: http://www.dailybreeze.com/opinion/20170407/how-la-can-meet-its- traffic-safety-issue-head-on-mike-bonin-and-marqueece-harris-dawson.

Mike Chosen to Head New Metro Committee on the Passenger Experience

Mayor Garcetti made an exciting announcement during his State of the City Address on April 20, declaring that when he became Chair of the Metro Board of Directors on July 1, he would create a new committee focused specifically on improving the passenger experience on Metro buses and rail lines, and that he would ask Mike to lead the committee.

Mike is enthusiastic about this opportunity to continue the work he has been doing to make mass transit safe, clean, convenient, reliable and fun, and he is excited to get to work listening to people who ride our buses and trains, and delivering an improved rider experience for all.

You can read more about the new committee in the Los Angeles Times’ coverage of the announcement at http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-metro- rider-committee-20170420-story.html.

http://www.11thdistrict.com/your_april_2017_neighborhoods_ﬁrst_newsletter 16/30 12/12/2017 Your April 2017 Neighborhoods First Newsletter - Mike Bonin - Council District 11 Metro Asking for Ideas to Build Transit Through the Sepulveda Pass to LAX

In a significant initial step to bring a transit line through L.A.’s notoriously congested Sepulveda Pass, all of the way to LAX, Metro issued a Request for Proposals in April for experts to study the feasibility of various transit modes and alignments. The project is one of the highest profile projects included in Measure M, and would connect the San Fernando Valley and Westside with a high capacity transit line. Approximately $1 billion in funding is available for the project through Metro’s 2008 Measure R transportation sales tax and another $6.8 billion for transit and freeway corridor improvements is identified through the Measure M transportation sales tax and other funding sources.

With the RFP, Metro is seeking a consultant to identify and evaluate a range of high-capacity transit concepts that could serve the north/south travel corridor connecting the Metro Orange Line in the San Fernando Valley with the future Metro Crenshaw Line at LAX. A number of alignments and terminal station locations will be considered.

You can find out more about this exciting development at https://www.metro.net/news/simple_pr/metro-releases- rfp/#.WQEYxGyV6sk.

LAX-Metro Connection Design Proposal Unveiled

Rail to LAX means fewer cars on the roads of Westchester and Playa del Rey, it means less pollution in our air, and it means dramatically improved convenience for the millions of people who fly in and out of Los Angeles International Airport. Mike worked with colleagues on the Metro Board and on the City Council

http://www.11thdistrict.com/your_april_2017_neighborhoods_ﬁrst_newsletter 17/30 12/12/2017 Your April 2017 Neighborhoods First Newsletter - Mike Bonin - Council District 11 to finally connect Metro rail and LAX, and Mike was excited to see Metro release new architectural renderings of the transit station that will serve LAX.

Check out the new drawings of the transit station that will be located at Aviation Boulevard and 96th Street at http://thesource.metro.net/2017/04/17/fresh- renderings-transit-station-that-will-serve-lax-and-new-people-mover/? hootPostID=1af426b0d8124a8b80b3451a45cc9c48.

Delta to Launch Largest-Ever Gate Change Operation in American Airport History

Over the course of three days in mid-May, gate changes will be coming to the Central Terminal Area (CTA) of LAX. In order to better service their customers and codeshare partners, Delta Airlines will be moving their gate operations from Terminals 5 and 6 to Terminals 2 and 3. This move will have no impact on the immediate surrounding community but promises to streamline travel for Delta customers and better rebalance traffic in the LAX CTA by moving operations of one of the three major US carriers out of terminals 5 & 6.

Delta conducted a detailed analysis of peak travel times and based on travel history, determined that Mother's Day weekend starting May 12th is a slower than average travel schedule to conduct such a move. Original timelines of several weeks, including shifts for domestic and international carriers impacted by the move, were brought into a three day window for Delta. The company is notifying customers of the move via travel advisories through its ticketing and app systems. Taxi and rideshare partners are also being notified. If you or family and friends will be traveling in and out of LAX around Mother's Day Weekend, be sure to double check your gate information before departing for the airport.

Delta’s move kicks off one of the largest gate changes ever seen at a major U.S. Airport, and a total of 28 airlines will be affected by the realignment, which began in January when American Airlines swapped four gates in Terminal 6 for four gates held by Delta in Terminal 5. While schedules may shift, it is anticipated Qatar, Hainan and Copa operations will move to the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) as early as April, with Copa checking in at Terminal 3. You can see other key changes as a result of the May 12-17 realignment at http://www.delta.com/content/www/en_US/traveling-with-us/where-we- fly/destinations/featured-locations/flights-from-los-angeles-lax-airport/lax- new-terminal.html.

http://www.11thdistrict.com/your_april_2017_neighborhoods_ﬁrst_newsletter 18/30 12/12/2017 Your April 2017 Neighborhoods First Newsletter - Mike Bonin - Council District 11 Santa Monica Airport Runway Reduction Options Unveiled

With jets taking off and landing just a few hundred feet from nearby homes and jet fuel pollution fouling the air in Venice, Mar Vista and West LA, Mike has long opposed the continued operation of Santa Monica Airport (SMO).

Earlier this year, the City of Santa Monica and Federal Aviation Administration agreed to terms that included reducing the runway at SMO from about 5,000 feet to 3,500 feet - a move that is projected to reduce air traffic at SMO by 40 percent. A consultant hired by the City presented two options for shortening the runway at a meeting on April 25, with one option setting the runway further east, leaving 19.2 acres of land on the west end and 5 acres on the east. The second option is equidistant from each end of the existing runway and leaves 14.3 acres on the western side and 8.5 on the eastern.

A second presentation will be given to the Santa Monica Airport Commission on May 2 and again to Santa Monica City Council on May 24. Following the public meetings, the City's consultant will finalize the design, determine the final cost and set a construction timeline that will aim to finish the work by the end of this year. The Santa Monica Airport Commission's next meeting be held at City Hall, 1685 Main Street, Santa Monica, on May 2 at 7 p.m.

Protecting Affordable Housing by Updating the Mello Ordinance

The Mello Act is an important tool in preserving, replacing, and creating affordable housing in the Coastal Zone. The City is currently operating under Interim Administrative Procedures, which implement the provisions of the Mello Act but leave room for stronger protections. At Mike’s urging, the City is now

http://www.11thdistrict.com/your_april_2017_neighborhoods_ﬁrst_newsletter 19/30 12/12/2017 Your April 2017 Neighborhoods First Newsletter - Mike Bonin - Council District 11 drafting a permanent ordinance to implement the full protections of the Mello Act within the City’s Coastal Zone areas. A draft should be available for public review by this summer, and Mike hopes for it to be adopted this fall.

Standing With Mar Vista Neighbors Against Oversized 12444 Venice Blvd. Proposal

An oversized project that would tower over Mar Vista moved forward over the objections of Mike’s staff and neighbors last month, but a recent Planning Commission approval may not be the final say in the fight over a proposal for 12444 Venice Boulevard. The project would be the tallest building on Venice Boulevard between downtown LA and the ocean if allowed to be built as large as it is currently proposed, and Mike is standing with neighbors who simply want to see the developer behind the project respond to community concerns about the proposal's size and scale. Mike supports more housing and thinks Venice Boulevard is an appropriate location for it, but the height of this project is incompatible with the neighborhood and a jarring contrast with the nearby properties.

"I'm disappointed in the Planning Commission's decision," Mike said after the vote. "While I certainly support more housing, and think Venice Boulevard is an appropriate location for it, the height of this project is incompatible with the neighborhood and is a striking and jarring contrast to nearby properties. I will work with neighbors and do everything in my power to ensure that City Council has the opportunity to shrink the height of this project and move the parking underground so that the building better integrates with Venice Boulevard, which we are transforming into a pedestrian-friendly Great Street."

Out of the Shadows - Legalizing Unapproved Dwelling Units

As City leaders work to create more affordable housing opportunities in every neighborhood of Los Angeles, one avenue to increasing housing availability is legalizing already-existing dwelling units that were not permitted when they

http://www.11thdistrict.com/your_april_2017_neighborhoods_ﬁrst_newsletter 20/30 12/12/2017 Your April 2017 Neighborhoods First Newsletter - Mike Bonin - Council District 11 were constructed. Instead of tearing town unallowed units and forcing property owners to go through a long and expensive process to re-create housing units, the “Unapproved Dwelling Units” effort seeks to create a simple process for legalizing these existing but unapproved units, so more people can more easily find places to live in our neighborhoods.

The draft ordinance creating this process was approved City Council last month, and you can visit http://planning.lacity.org/ordinances/docs/unapproveddwellingunit/DraftUDUOrdinance.pdf to read the ordinance and find out more.

Increasing Housing Opportunities - Accessory Dwelling Unit Ordinance Advances

Another City measure aimed at increasing the number of affordable housing units in Los Angeles moved forward recently, with a new ordinance to regulate how “accessory dwelling units” could be built on appropriate properties. Accessory dwelling units (also sometimes known as “granny flats”) are usually small apartments above a detached garage or separate housing units that are part of the same structure as the main house. These units are often used by relatives or rented to people looking for affordable housing options, and allowing accessory dwelling units would help increase the availability of affordable housing in neighborhoods where little affordable housing exists.

The new ordinance being considered by the City Council in the coming weeks.

New Zoning Proposed Near Expo Line in West LA

The Exposition Corridor Transit Neighborhood Plan, also referred to 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

http://www.11thdistrict.com/your_april_2017_neighborhoods_ﬁrst_newsletter 21/30 12/12/2017 Your April 2017 Neighborhoods First Newsletter - Mike Bonin - Council District 11 everyone. Directing new housing and jobs to transit-served areas is an overarching principle of the City’s General Plan. The goal is 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. The Draft Streetscape Plan will be released in the coming weeks. The Planning Department is 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.

You can find out more about the plan for the area around the Bundy/Expo Station in CD11 at http://www.latnp.org/expo-line/expo-draft-plan/.

Find Out More About the City Council's Work to Put Neighborhoods First

Budget Process Begins with Mayor’s State of the City Address

On April 20, Mayor Eric Garcetti delivered his State of the City speech, touting LA’s progress and celebrating Los Angeles as a progressive counterpoint to division and discord in Washington, D.C. Later, the Mayor unveiled a proposed budget for the coming fiscal year that will help build on that progressive record.

Mike was excited by the agenda the Mayor laid out: ending homelessness, providing affordable housing, protecting the environment and promoting renewable energy, defending our immigrant neighbors, building mass transit, development reform, fixing our streets and sidewalks, and reducing crime and the number of guns in our city.

Mike particularly applauds the Mayor for proposing a record $176 million to address homelessness, and as the only member of both the Budget and Finance Committee and the Homelessness and Poverty Committee, Mike will be working to make sure the City honors its commitment to spend a significant chunk of those funds on a street strategy that includes more and better shelter, bridge housing, bathrooms, showers, storage, and safe parking for people living in their vehicles. Mike also will be a strong voice in favor of the Mayor's proposed affordable housing linkage fee on development.

http://www.11thdistrict.com/your_april_2017_neighborhoods_ﬁrst_newsletter 22/30 12/12/2017 Your April 2017 Neighborhoods First Newsletter - Mike Bonin - Council District 11 Mike is disappointed, however, that the proposed budget does not adequately fund Vision Zero, and will be fighting to properly fund this essential effort to end the shameful number of traffic fatalities on our streets.

Budget hearings began this past Wednesday, and over the next few weeks, Mike and his colleagues on the Budget and Finance Committee will take a deep dive into the City’s $9.2 billion budget before the full City Council considers the spending plan.

You can read all budget documents at https://cityclerk.lacity.org/lacityclerkconnect/, and you can watch or read the Mayor’s speech at: https://www.lamayor.org/state-city-2017.

Protecting Neighborhoods from Dangerous Oil and Gas Drilling

Oil and gas are dirty and dangerous fossil fuels that have no place in the Los Angeles of the future, and Mike is working with his colleagues to take action to protect people from dangerous oil and gas wells.

Last month, Mike joined Herb J. Wesson, Jr., Paul Koretz, Marqueece Harris- Dawson, Nury Martinez and Gil Cedillo to introduce legislation calling for a study of the feasibility of adding a buffer zone to the city’s zoning code around drill sites that sit near homes, schools, churches and healthcare facilities. The legislation instructs the Department of City Planning, City Attorney and recently hired Petroleum Administrator to conduct a comprehensive analysis on the feasibility of implementing a human health and safety buffer around neighborhood drilling sites.

Operating oil and gas wells in the middle of our communities simply isn't safe and this action is an important step on the way to helping protect people in Los Angeles from the threats posed by oil and gas drilling in our neighborhoods.

http://www.11thdistrict.com/your_april_2017_neighborhoods_ﬁrst_newsletter 23/30 12/12/2017 Your April 2017 Neighborhoods First Newsletter - Mike Bonin - Council District 11 Rent Control and Eviction Protection Legislation Becomes Law

Preserving affordable housing is how we preserve the character and inclusivity of our neighborhoods, and strengthening our rent control rules to better protect affordable housing is good for families throughout Los Angeles.

Mike was very pleased that last month, the City Council voted to approve new measures he helped author to aggressively address Los Angeles’s housing affordability crisis by strengthening enforcement of the City’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO). The new legislation will preserve rent-stabilized units or require that new affordable housing units be built.

Landlords who tear down rent-controlled units under the state’s Ellis Act must now either replace them one-for-one with affordable units or ensure that 20% of new units are affordable — whichever number is higher. This new law will also help prevent displacement of tenants by increasing regulation of both vacant and occupied rental units; requiring owners to re-start the Ellis process if withdrawn units are re-rented; tightening rules when units are demolished without necessary approvals; and requiring property owners to file annual reports.

The Council then took further action to protect renters on April 26, approving actions that require the Housing and Community Investment Department report back to the Council with strategies for better protecting renters from harassment from landlords when renters decide not to vacate an apartment so the landlord can increase rent for new tenants. The Council is also asking for a formal notification process to let each Councilmember know when Ellis Act eviction processes are launched.

Legislation to Preserve Programming at Vera Davis Center Introduced

In a move that will keep community-serving programming and events at the Vera Davis Center in Venice, Mike authored legislation in April to transfer day-to-day management of the Center to Latino Resource Organization, Inc.

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If approved by the full City Council, Mike’s legislation would instruct the City’s Department of General Services and Housing Community Investment Department to negotiate an agreement with Latino Resource Organization (LRO) that would allow LRO to occupy the Vera Davis McClendon Youth and Family Center and continue providing programs and services to low income and underserved populations in Venice.

Programming at the Vera Davis Center has been in jeopardy as the City Council has faced budget cuts in past years, and Mike’s action will eliminate the threat of the Center being forced to cut programs because of City budget cuts.

Police Commission Approves New Rules for Officer-Involved Shootings

In an effort to reduce the number of shootings by Los Angeles Police Department Officers, the Los Angeles Police Commission approved new rules in April that will require officers to diffuse tense situations before resorting to using their guns. Though these “de-escalation” tactics are already part of the training LAPD officers receive, the Police Commission’s vote means that officers can now be judged specifically on whether they did all they could to reduce tensions before resorting to their firearms.

You can find out more about the new policy in the Los Angeles Times coverage of the vote here: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-lapd-commission- force-20170418-story.html.

April 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."

http://www.11thdistrict.com/your_april_2017_neighborhoods_ﬁrst_newsletter 25/30 12/12/2017 Your April 2017 Neighborhoods First Newsletter - Mike Bonin - Council District 11 Blockheads Shavery, West LA/Sawtelle Japantown

With the weather heating up, it is the perfect time to check out Blockheads Shavery in Sawtelle Japantown. Blockheads serves "Snow Cream" (shaved ice cream) using only the freshest ingredients to deliver a tasty treat. The shop was started by a trio of Angelenos (Evan, Alex and Alex) who wanted to recreate a delicious and unique dessert they tried while traveling in Asia. After a year-long journey of research and testing out recipes on friends, Blockheads was born in Sawtelle Japantown in November of 2011, and they have since expanded to Alhambra and Pasadena.

Check out Blockheads Shavery at 11311 Mississippi Avenue and find out more about the delicious desserts offered at blockheadsshavery.com.

Palisades Pizza, Pacific Palisades

The local shop is a neighborhood favorite, and with some of the comments and nominations we got asking to recognize Palisades Pizza, it isn't hard to see why.

"Quite possibly the best pizza pie I've had since I moved here 7+ years ago. Sad it took this long to discover it," wrote one happy customer.

"The gluten-free pizzas are so good... I can't believe it. The toppings are all fresh and crisp. unbelievably good. We love it!" wrote another.

You can see Palisades Pizza's menu online at http://www.palisades-pizza.com/, or you can stop by at 860 Via De La Paz in Pacific Palisades. Enjoy!

Cafe Pinguini Italian Restaurant, Playa del Rey

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This charming Playa del Rey Italian restaurant is frequented by both locals and tourists because of the large menu of authentic Italian dishes, the great service and atmosphere, and the amazing location, just steps from the sand of the beach. From the Penne Siciliana Arrabbiata, to "the best sea bass in LA" (according to one happy customer), Caffe Pinguini Italian Restaurant is another great small business that makes its Westside neighborhood a great place to live, visit and enjoy. You can find Caffe Pinguini at 6935 Pacific Ave in Playa del Rey, and you can check the restaurant out online at caffepinguini.com.

Venice Paparazzi, Venice

Venice Paparazzi got its beginnings in 2003 as a photo booth on the Venice boardwalk. Owned and operated by Alex and Edizen Stowell, Venice Paparazzi has blossomed into an event photography service and a website focused on connecting Venice locals with the best events and opportunities to enjoy their wonderfully eclectic neighborhood.

Since 2006, Venice Paparazzi’s photography division has covered more than 1,000 events, and they specialize in event coverage, custom photo booths, on the spot printing, red carpet set ups with custom press walls, photo party areas, green screen, fun personal paparazzi, online galleries, and more. Having an event? Hire Venice Paparazzi to be your event photographers at www.HireVP.com or find out more about their services at www.venicepaparazzi.com.

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.

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

Google Digital Coaches Program Launch 5/4/2017; 6:30pm 340 Main St., Venice

Cinco de Mayo Parade 5/6/2017; 10am Penmar Park

Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce Annual Expo + Classic Car Show 5/7/2017; 10am Antioch / South Swarthmore / Via de la Paz, Pacific Palisades

Senior Reflections: Bridging the Gap - Celebrating Sawtelle 5/12/2017; 10am Felicia Mahood Senior Center, 11338 Santa Monica Blvd., West LA

Tommy Scott LAX Memorial Run 5/13/2017; 8am Westchester / LAX

LAX Job Fair 5/17/2017; 10am - 2pm Rogers Park Gym (400 W. Beach Ave, Inglewood, CA 90302)

LAPD Chief of Police LGBTQ Community Forum 5/18/2017; 6pm to 8pm The Reef at LA Mart

Heal the Bay Beach Clean Up 5/20/2017; 10am Toes Beach, Playa del Rey

Bike with Mike 5/20/2017; 10am Westchester

Del Rey Health + Wellness Day 5/20/2017; 12pm Glen Alla Park

Susan Love Walk with Love 5/21/2017; 8am Pacific Palisades Recreation Center

Have an event you would like listed? Email [email protected] to submit events.

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Sheila Kuehl and Political Animals

Make sure to check out a recently released documentary featuring one of Mike’s close friends and colleagues, County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl. The documentary, titled “Political Animals” tells the story of the civil rights struggle of this century – the gay rights movement - through the eyes of four elected women. Emotionally charged like its subjects, the film follows four groundbreaking lesbians (including Supervisor Kuehl) who took the fight for the causes most personal to them and their communities off the streets and into the halls of government.

You can find out more about the film and how you can see it at http://www.politicalanimalsdoc.com.

Thank you for reading the April issue of Mike Bonin's Neighborhoods First Newsletter.

For more about Mike and Council District 11, please visit www.11thdistrict.com.

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