CITY OF LOS ANGELES

NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL CERTIFICATION APPLICATION

NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL NAME____________________________________________________________________

PLEASE READ THE ATTACHED "NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL CERTIFICATION APPLICATION GUIDELINES AND INSTRUCTIONS" AND REVIEW THE CONTENTS OF THE APPLICATION PACKAGE BEFORE COMPLETING THE MATERIALS. ANSWER THE QUESTIONS TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY. FOR MANY OF THE QUESTIONS, THERE IS NO SINGLE CORRECT RESPONSE. IF YOU WOULD LIKE ASSISTANCE OR IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT COMPLETING THE CERTIFICATION APPLICATION PACKAGE, CONTACT MICHAEL VITKIEVICZ IN THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD EMPOWERMENT AT (213) 485-1360.

THIS APPLICATION FOR CERTIFIED NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL STATUS IS BASED ON SECTION 2 OF ARTICLE 3 OF THE ADOPTED "PLAN FOR A CITYWIDE SYSTEM OF NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCILS" ("THE PLAN") AND LOS ANGELES CITY ORDINANCE NUMBER 174,006. IT IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED THAT ALL NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL CERTIFICATION APPLICANTS REVIEW THESE DOCUMENTS BEFORE COMPLETING THIS APPLICATION. COPIES OF THESE DOCUMENTS ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD EMPOWERMENT.

SECTION 1. BOUNDARIES AND AREA PROFILE

1.  Describe or name the proposed boundaries of the Neighborhood Council. There are several ways to do this, depending on the physical shape of your Neighborhood Council and the distinguishing features or markers within it. You may use street names or geographical features in a traditional "north-south-east-west" sequence. Or you may choose to describe your Neighborhood Council boundaries by starting at the 12 o’clock position ("12:00" as shown by the hour markers on a clock dial) and then moving in a clockwise direction while describing the features which define your boundaries. Attach additional pages if necessary.

Examples:

North: Main Street (south side of the street) between Maple Avenue and 43rd Street

South: Green Oaks Drive (both sides of the street) between Maple Avenue and 43^rd Street

East: the Golden State ( 5 ) Freeway

West: the Los Angeles River

- OR -

12:00 = Main Street Market, 3:00 = Green Marble Statue of the Musician, 4:30 = Skyview East Apartments,

6:00 = Franklin Park, 8:00 = Universal Medical Center, 10:00 = Fire Station # 53, 11:30 = McDonald’s.

2.  Attach a map of the Neighborhood Council to this application. Your Department of Neighborhood Empowerment 
Project Coordinator can work with you to obtain an appropriate map.

3.  Explain why these boundaries were chosen. For example, the boundaries may be based on census tracts, on 
historical landmarks, on existing community planning areas, etc. Attach additional pages as necessary.

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4.  Do the proposed boundaries overlap with any other Neighborhood Council boundaries?

Yes__________ No__________ Unknown__________

5.  If the answer to Question 4 is "Yes", list the Neighborhood Councils which are affected by the boundary overlap.

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6.  If the answer to Question 4 is "Yes", explain why you believe the boundary overlap exists. What is the reason for 
the overlap? For example, the overlapping area may include a park, a school, a library, a facility or a building of 
historical significance, etc. Attach additional pages as necessary.

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7.  As required by City Ordinance, every application which describes overlapping boundary areas must include a 
detailed rationale or explanation for including the overlapping area in the Neighborhood Council which is applying 
for certification. Please provide an explanation in the space below if you desire to have the overlapping area 
included in your Neighborhood Council. Attach additional pages as necessary.

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8.  Does the Neighborhood Council area contain at least 20,000 residents?

            Yes__________ No__________ Unknown__________

9.  If the answer to Question 8 is "No", mark the space or spaces below which apply:

Neighborhood Council is separated from adjacent communities __________

Neighborhood Council is identified by name in a City Community Planning Area __________

Neighborhood Council represents an historic neighborhood or community

AND includes City service providers such as a library or a police station __________

10. If the population in the Neighborhood Council contains more than 20,000 residents, estimate the total:

20,000 to 50,000_____ Between 50,000 and 100,000_____ More than 100,000_____ Unknown______

11.  Please describe your Neighborhood Council and explain why your Neighborhood Council is applying for 
certification.

Your response should include an Area Profile of the Neighborhood Council. The Area Profile may include 
information which provides a description of certain features common to many areas of the City. Neighborhood 
Councils throughout the City contain differences as well as similarities. Sharing information about the similarities 
and differences among the Neighborhood Councils will help each to become stronger individually while also 
developing a stronger shared voice for communicating issues to the City. If you would like to receive assistance 
with the process of developing your Area Profile, please contact your Neighborhood Empowerment Project Coordinator.

Listed below are four examples of the types of information to include in your Neighborhood Council Area Profile. 
You may choose to discuss some of them or all of them in your response. Attach additional pages as necessary.

Describe the residential profile of the Neighborhood Council. Examples:

"Mostly single family homes", "Mostly apartments", "Mixture of single family and multiple family dwellings".

Describe the commercial or business profile within the Neighborhood Council. Examples:

"Mostly businesses with less than 10 employees" "Mostly businesses with around 100 employees"

"Mostly businesses with hundreds of employees" "Mostly industrial or manufacturing businesses"

"Mostly retail or service businesses" "A mixture of different types of businesses"

Describe the economic profile of the Neighborhood Council. Examples:

"Affluent", "Middle income", "Mostly unemployed", "A mix of upper, middle and lower income people".

Describe the types of employment that are available within the Neighborhood Council. Examples:

Retail / Wholesale / Manufacturing / Entertainment / Art / Government / Health Services /Banks /

Finance Companies / Insurance / Construction / Public Utilities / Communication / Computers

The use of the examples given above is optional. Some answers may not be known by the applicant. In addition, 
you may decide to use different terms to describe your Neighborhood Council area. Contact your Project 
Coordinator for assistance.

SECTION 2. NEIGHBORHOOD OUTREACH

As required by City Ordinance and the Plan, the applicant must provide a detailed description of the outreach 
process used to identify community stakeholders. The applicant must also provide proof of the collection of no 
less than 200 signatures from community stakeholders within the Neighborhood Council boundaries. And, the 
signatures collected by the applicant shall, to the maximum extent feasible, reflect the broadest array of community 
stakeholders who will be active participants.

To assist the applicant with developing responses to Questions 1 through 4, below, a "Stakeholder Composition 
and Outreach Worksheet" has been included with the application. Some of the material contained in the worksheet 
was derived from U.S. Census data and some applicants may decide to review the data available to learn more 
about their area. The worksheet is not intended to be inclusive of every possible group or category of stakeholder. 
Rather, the worksheet has been provided to illustrate a sample of the diverse types of stakeholders which may be 
found in communities throughout the City of Los Angeles. The worksheet may be used by the applicant, if desired, 
to assist the applicant with identifying existing stakeholder categories and to assist the applicant with the stakeholder 
outreach process. "Homeowners", "White", "Black", "Asian", "High Schools", "Absentee Landlords", and "Employees" 
are all examples of diverse stakeholders which may be found in a Neighborhood Council. Using the worksheet is optional. 
The worksheet is not required to be returned with this application. Your Department of Neighborhood Empowerment 
Project Coordinator can assist with stakeholder identification.

1.  Describe in detail the outreach process used to identify community stakeholders. Attach additional pages as 
necessary. You may also use the blank list provided with the worksheet to note the stakeholders in your Neighborhood 
Council and return the list as a part of your response.

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2.  Describe or list the types of outreach activities used to inform stakeholders about the existence or formation of 
the Neighborhood Council. What types of outreach activities were employed? Examples of outreach activities include 
mass mailings, telephone calls, public meetings, and door-to-door visits. Attach additional pages as necessary.

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3.  Approximately how much time was spent on actual outreach activities prior to submitting this application? Examples 
include "one hour per week for six months", "an hour every day for one month", "at least three months", "every week 
since July 2000", etc. Attach additional pages as necessary.

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4.  Were public meetings held on behalf of the Neighborhood Council? On average, how many people attended each 
meeting? Were the meetings, in your opinion, productive? Attach additional pages as necessary.

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5.  Attach to this application the original signatures of no less than 200 community stakeholders within the proposed 
neighborhood Council boundaries. Keep a copy of the signatures collected for your records. Signature amounts in 
excess of 500 will be retained on file by the Department as additional outreach documentation.

Signatures shall, to the maximum extent feasible, reflect the broadest array of community stakeholders who will be 
active participants in the Neighborhood Council. Please explain how the signature collection process was used to 
include, inform and educate the widest possible variety of stakeholders. Attach additional pages as necessary.

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6.  Outreach activities are a very important part of all Neighborhood Council operations. Outreach activities should 
be performed regularly in order to share ideas and to communicate news, events and information. Please describe 
below how you plan to continue to conduct outreach activities after your Neighborhood Council is officially certified. 
Attach additional pages as necessary.

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            SECTION 3. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

By-laws shall be established to provide a written framework and an organizational structure for the Neighborhood 
Council. The Neighborhood Council by-laws shall include, at a minimum, the information required by Ordinance and 
described in the "Certification Application Guidelines and Instructions", including applicable laws and ethical standards.

1.  Attach to this application a copy of the by-laws of the Neighborhood Council. There is no single set, style or size 
of by-laws documents which will be accepted, as different Neighborhood Councils must have the flexibility to create 
specific and appropriate by-laws. However, the minimum requirement will be satisfied by including in the by-laws the 
items which are described in the Plan and in the "Certification Application Guidelines and Instructions."

2.  Attachment A, "Public Notice Location Log", must be completed and returned with this application.

 

SECTION 4. FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

A system of financial accountability shall be established that governs a Certified Neighborhood Council’s use of its 
funds.

Refer to the "Certification Application Guidelines and Instructions" for additional details and required information.

1.  Describe the plan, method or system to be used for Neighborhood Council accounting purposes. Attach additional 
pages as necessary.

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2.  Each Certified Neighborhood Council’s Governing Body shall include an office named the Treasurer. Attachment B, 
"Neighborhood Council Treasurer", which is included with this application, contains general information regarding the 
office of the Treasurer and financial reporting, and is provided for use by the applicant.

3.  Each Certified Neighborhood Council shall discuss its finances at a regularly scheduled or special meeting prior to 
submitting any accounting statements to the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment.

4.  Each Certified Neighborhood Council shall ensure that each Certified Neighborhood Council’s book of accounts shall 
be open to all community stakeholders of any Certified Neighborhood Council.

5.  Each Certified Neighborhood Council shall establish a process by which each Certified Neighborhood Council 
member can review the Certified Neighborhood Council’s book of accounts.

1.  Attachment C, "Contact Liaison Roster" which is included with this application, must be completed, signed by each person whose name appears on the list, and returned with the application.

Before submitting the Certification application materials, please ensure that all of the following items have been completed and included with the application materials:

1. Certification Application (including all additional pages used to answer the questions) __________

2. Map of the Neighborhood Council __________

3. Signature Sheets __________

4. Public Notice Location Log (Attachment A) __________

5. Neighborhood Council By-Laws __________

6. Accounting System Description and Samples __________

7. Contact Liaison Roster (Attachment C) __________

8. Stakeholder Composition and Outreach Worksheet (optional) __________

PLEASE RETURN THE COMPLETED CERTIFICATION APPLICATION MATERIALS, INCLUDING THIS PAGE, TO:

Michael Vitkievicz, Certification Manager

City of Los Angeles, Department of Neighborhood Empowerment

305 East First Street, Los Angeles, California 90012

(213) 485-1360

CERT APP REV 092601

(SPACE BELOW THIS LINE FOR DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD EMPOWERMENT USE)

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RECEIVED BY