July 13 Meeting

At our next meeting we will discuss our budget, plan for National Night Out and have a possible update on designs from Synergy for the cell phone tower on top of Hope Church Join us! Agenda

Cell Phone Towers

Proposed T Mobile cell phone towers at Hope Chapel, 7930 Mason Ave were a hot topic at the February meeting. Community members expressed concern about potential health hazards from cell phone towers near their homes. This topic will be taken up at the April meeting. Letter about the facility.

City Watering Policy Reconsidered

Councilmember Greig Smith introduced a motion on Tuesday, July 6 to change the City’s lawn watering restrictions from two to three days a week in an effort to make it easier for residents to keep their lawns green, conserve more water, and reduce stress on our aging water infrastructure.

"The twice-a-week restrictions are turning people's lawns brown, which hurts the quality of life in our neighborhoods and degrades home values," Councilman Smith said. "For more than a decade we have had a policy of greening, not browning L.A."

The motion, seconded by Council President Pro Tempore Jan Perry and Council President Eric Garcetti, directs the Department of Water & Power (DWP) Board of Commissioners to change the watering restrictions in the Water Conservation Ordinance from two days per week for 15 minutes per day, to three days per week for 8 minutes per day.

“This amendment just makes sense," said Perry, who Chairs the City Council's Energy and the Environment Committee. "The proposed watering schedule allows customers to water their lawns more frequently, making the rules easier to follow, allowing lawns to stay greener, and conserving more water."

Perry said she would waive the motion out of her committee to speed up implementation so that it would be in effect for residents this summer.

This would reduce watering on a weekly basis from 30 to 24 minutes per property. But it gives homeowners the flexibility to water more frequently and keep their lawns green during the hot summer season. It will also reduce the stress on our aging water infrastructure. A report from USC Viterbi School of Engineering in 2009 said that the rash of major water main breaks last year was due in part to the effects on the aging water pipes of the dramatic swings in water pressure due to the 2-day-per-week restriction.

It will be announced in coming weeks whether odd or even numbered addresses would be on the Monday, Wednesday and Friday schedule, or on the Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday schedule. Watering still must be before 9:00 am and after 4:00 pm.

Councilman Smith introduced a motion in July 2009 to change the restrictions from two days for 15 minutes a day, to three days for 8 minutes, but the DWP Commission had not acted on the request.

The watering restrictions were rushed into place by DWP, leaving little opportunity for public input or examining best practices. Since then, numerous problems with the policy have emerged. If the soil becomes too dry and hard, then more water is lost to runoff. Dead lawns also have a "Broken Windows" affect by degrading home values and decreasing the community's feelings of pride and investment in the neighborhood.

Local Girl Scout Day Camp

August 2-6, 9am-3pm, the Girl Scouts are offering a day camp to discover scouting at the Canoga Park Elks Lodge. Cost is $30. Details.
Flyer in Spanish.

National Night Out

On Tuesday, August 3rd, Councilman Zine will be partnering with LAPD’s West Valley and Topanga Divisions to host the 27th Annual National Night Out. National Night Out is an effort by law enforcement agencies to heighten awareness and strengthen participation in local anti-crime efforts in the community. It is also a great opportunity for people in the community to get to know their law enforcement agency and the different programs readily available for the residents. Over the years, National Night Out has proven to be an effective, inexpensive, and enjoyable program to promote neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships.

The West Valley National Night Out will be held at the Randal D. Simmons Park located at the southwest corner of Vanowen Street and Wilbur Avenue, adjacent to the West Valley Police Station in Reseda from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Topanga Division’s National Night Out will be held at Warner Center Park located at 5800 Topanga Canyon Boulveard from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The events will feature LAPD specialized unit displays, face painting for kids, bouncers, clowns, cotton candy, hot dogs, popcorn, music, and informational booths.

Farmers' Market

A new Farmer's Market has recently opened in neighboring  Canoga Park. The Farmers’ Market will be held on Owensmouth Street between Sherman Way and Wyandotte Street every Saturday from 9AM - 1PM rain or shine. Please come out and support your local farmers and businesses!

Valley Cultural Center's Free Summer Series

The Valley Cultural Center (VCC) has presented free concerts every summer since 1975. Featuring rock, classical, jazz, R&B, Latino pop, country, cowboy, Dixieland, folk, and more, the concerts entertain more than 140,000 valley residents and visitors each year and are the cornerstone of Sunday afternoons in the valley. This year, the VCC will celebrate its 35th Anniversary season of concerts by sustaining the arts and being a good steward to the park we all enjoy.

The VCC has further expanded their outdoor programming at Warner Park to include Movies on the Green. Outdoor family movies are presented on Saturday evenings, July 17th through August 28th, 7PM–10PM, projected on a 30’ screen with digital projection and 7.1 surround sound. All of the amenities you have become accustomed to with the concerts will be there for your enjoyment! Visit www.valleycultural.org for more information.