Hello community members!
MINC's last Stakeholder meeting -- our primary general meeting -- was on March 8th. If you missed it, minutes will be up here once they are approved. You may notice on the agenda some proposed motions/letters that are not below; some
Here's a summary of some of the motions made during the meeting!
Neighborhood Purpose Grant approved
The neighorhood council voted to approve up to $3000 to World Harvest Charities and Family Services to fill the Mid-City Community Fridge on a continued schedule. Based on our last grant to them, this should fill the fridge for at least 30 weeks, with stocking two or three times a week.
Equitably distribute affordable housing
CF 20-1042 - Equitably distribute affordable housing: SUPPORT IF AMENDED
We, the Mid City Neighborhood Council, support Council File 20-1042 if amended to include the following requests. We request that the Department of City Planning develop a numerical formula for distributing Los Angeles’ RHNA target across its CPAs. The formula should include criteria such as housing costs, median income, access to transit, proximity to job centers, access to public resources like parks and schools, patterns of historical exclusion and segregation, and environmental quality. The RHNA distribution should be broken down by income level as well so that it equitably distributes affordable housing throughout neighborhoods of opportunity while also directing affordable housing to the communities of greatest need.
Email our Unhoused & Housing Committee if you have questions! uhc@mincla.org
Opposed to arming Park Rangers
CF 20-0190 - Arming Park Rangers: OPPOSITION
We, the Mid City Neighborhood Council (MINC), strongly oppose the city council file to permit Park Rangers to be armed while on duty.
In February 2020, Councilmember Buscaino introduced a motion to allow Los Angeles’ park rangers to carry guns while on duty. While MINC strongly supports the safety of our public rangers and acknowledges that 22 rangers for 440 parks is insufficient, we do not believe that arming them with guns is prudent to public safety. In fact, MINC believes that far from enhancing public safety, such a proposal would undermine it. If were it to become law, this would put more of the most vulnerable Angelenos, such as the unhoused, at greater and unnecessary risk of physical and psychological harm. According to the Washington Post’s Fatal Force database, 995 Americans were killed by law enforcement in 2020. Further, the data shows that Black Americans and Hispanic Americans are shot at a disproportionate rate. As we have seen over the last year, there is a consensus forming city-wide that we need less police-style patrolling and more outreach services. We believe park rangers – and all law enforcement - should be trained in non-lethal use of force, de-escalation tactics and community policing principles, whenever possible. Spending the time and money to develop “plans for Use of Force policies; tactics and training” of armed rangers is a movement in the wrong direction.
According to the Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association (the ranger’s union) no ranger has ever died in the line of duty. Park Rangers are already equipped with batons, pepper spray, handcuffs and work closely with LAPD. Further arming law enforcement and increasing the potential for lethal force increases the gulf between law enforcement and the
community. Please do not support this misguided motion that could lead to another death at the hands of law enforcement.
Do more research for Venice For All letter
Venice for All came to the neighborhood council to request a Letter of Support on their advocacy for a dedicated bus lane and protected bike lane going the entirety of the beach to DTLA. Learn more here and give us some input! We will build a letter for next month's meeting based on your opinions.
and more!
Minutes and monthly expenditure reports were approved, we heard from Mark Ridley-Thomas's office, the LAUSD, Kamlager's office, a stakeholder who would like a skateboard park to be built, updates on opening Alta Loma Elementary on weekends as a school, and updates on the Mid City Artist Contest Gala.
See you at our April 12th stakeholders meeting!