North Westwood Neighborhood Council recap – April 6

The North Westwood Neighborhood Council is the official neighborhood council representing Westwood Village and UCLA to the Los Angeles City Council. Council meetings are held each month and open to the public via Zoom. The next meeting will be held virtually May 4.

Comments by public officials:

• Vishesh Anand, a spokesperson for Mayor Eric Garcetti’s office, said Garcetti signed Executive Directive 34, which would elevate the city government’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion through workplace equity policies. He also said applications are open for an $8.5 million recovery grant from the city government for small businesses of five employees or less. He added that a relief fund for businesses and landlords would be launched soon at an unknown date. Anand also said Garcetti will be speaking at the 2022 State of the City address April 14.
• Duane Muller, a UCLA Government and Community Relations spokesperson, said UCLA will institute new COVID-19 policies starting Monday. She said masking will no longer be required for fully vaccinated students and staff beginning Monday. Students and faculty will also be allowed to opt out of weekly testing – which will take effect May 1 according to a UCLA-wide email sent Thursday – and outdoor mega-events, or events with more than 10,000 people, will no longer require proof of vaccination or a negative test, Muller said. She added that UCLA and other community organizations will sponsor a virtual public forum for LA City Council District 5 candidates in June. Muller also said commencement planning is underway, though is subject to change based on COVID-19 pandemic developments.
• Erica Gatica, a spokesperson from the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment, said the Board of Neighborhood Commissioners will continue to mandate that LA neighborhood councils meet virtually in order to give them time to discuss hybrid and in-person options. She added that the department will no longer cover Zoom licenses starting in May.

Board announcements:

• Sachi Cooper, NWWNC council member and undergraduate representative, said she is working with council members Nolan Gray and Vignesh Senthilkumar on outreach initiatives for UCLA students to learn more about the NWWNC and local government. She said they hope to speak with student organizations and classes to educate people about the neighborhood council. She added that they may also consider distributing flyers on Bruin Walk and creating custom T-shirts. Cooper also said she hopes to conduct business outreach in Westwood and especially plans to promote outreach south of Wilshire Boulevard.
• Gray, the NWWNC secretary, said the council needs student and faculty volunteers to conduct outreach at UCLA through tabling and flyering work. He also said he plans to talk to designers about poster and flyer designs.

There were no public comments.

Agenda:

• The board unanimously approved meeting minutes from both its February special board meetings and from the March 2 board meeting.
• The board unanimously approved its February and March expenditure reports. In February, the council spent $0. In March, the council spent $0.
• The board approved a motion to grant Furkan Yalcin, the NWWNC president and an at-large stakeholder, and Andrew Lewis, the NWWNC vice president, access to the city’s Community Impact Statement portal to submit approved statements.
• The board approved a motion to post committee meeting agendas in person at 425 Westwood Plaza.
• The board approved a neighborhood purpose grant of up to $5,000 for Village for Vets after having tabled the discussion from the March board meeting because the grant application and related documents were not made available in a timely manner. The organization provides services such as meals and emergency grants to veterans experiencing or at the risk of experiencing homelessness.
• The board approved a neighborhood purpose grant of up to $5,000 for Friends of the Westwood Library, which would use the grant to purchase physical books for the Westwood Branch Library after the branch lost funding during the pandemic.
• The board approved a neighborhood purpose grant of up to $5,000 for UCLA UniCamp, a nonprofit organization that connects volunteers with children in Los Angeles.
• The board tabled a neighborhood purpose grant of up to $5,000 for Eayikes, a nonprofit organization that provides meals for unhoused populations and volunteer opportunities for community members.
• The board approved a motion to support a Westside Regional Alliance of Councils motion requesting the use of “cool asphalt” when paving streets in high pedestrian traffic areas. According to the WRAC, cool asphalt is lighter and reflects both light and heat more effectively than the currently used asphalt.
• The board approved a Community Impact Statement supporting an LA City Council motion that would legalize the safety stop, allowing bikes to yield instead of stopping at stop signs if the way is clear.
• The board did not approve a Community Impact Statement supporting an LA City Council motion that would mandate easy access to explicit rental application information for renters.
• The board tabled a Community Impact Statement supporting an LA City Council motion that would streamline the creation process of homeless shelters and allow temporary shelters to become permanent.