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February 4, 2025

Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council to Present Community Needs to Councilmember Imelda Padilla on February 5, 2025

The Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council will present a comprehensive list of community needs and concerns to Councilmember Imelda Padilla at the upcoming board meeting on February 5, 2025. Key topics include public safety issues in the Sepulveda Basin, the future of Van Nuys and Whiteman Airports, land use developments, improvements for the local dog park, emergency preparedness, and homelessness solutions. This meeting is an important opportunity for stakeholders to engage with local leadership, voice their concerns, and advocate for meaningful changes that impact the Lake Balboa community.

THE NEEDS OF LAKE BALBOA NC

Click here to download this report in a DOC format

Sepulveda Basin

The homeless have taken over the basin. It is not unusual to see machete-carrying individuals, which does not make you feel safe to frequent the park with your family. The explosion/fire in the basin, which sent 11 firefighters to the hospital, isn’t ideal for a family outing either. Many fires have been started in the basin due to the homeless trying to stay warm and/or cook their meals. The brush reaches shoulder height and is easy fuel to burn; with a good wind, the valley will go up in smoke. There are shopping carts, tents, and debris of all sorts. There is $3 million dollars of Federal money provided to the City of Los Angeles by Congressman Brad Sherman in March 2022 to revitalize the Sepulveda Basin Sports Complex and Ranger Station. Currently, there are 4 Rangers to patrol BOTH the Basin and Hansen Dam.

We Want:

  1. 4 additional Park Rangers to assist with 24-hour watch
  2. Vehicles for the Park Rangers
  3. Park Rangers to be armed for self and public protection (CF20-0190)
  4. Cameras to catch illegal dumping, fires, and license plates from up to 5 miles away (installed at Griffith Park, at $40,000 each)
  5. Enforcement of anti-camping laws in the basin
  6. Use of goats to clear out brush (CF22-0600-S61 & CF22-0600-S20)

Van Nuys and Whiteman Airports

With approximately 2 million of Los Angeles’ 4 million residents living in the valley, a backup airport is needed in case of emergencies for FEMA, the RED Cross, water scoopers, and other emergency agencies. L.A. City Council voted to support closing Whiteman, LA County airport (CF20-1538). LBNC opposes the closing of Whiteman.

Van Nuys Airport

Van Nuys Airport was primarily for general aviation enthusiasts. Currently, it has morphed into an international commercial enterprise. It has jet maintenance facilities, charter vendors with 150+ passenger seat aircraft, and U.S. Customs facilities, which increases traffic at this general aviation airport. These “upgrades” were created without consideration for the surrounding schools and single-family homes. Where there was once a buffer to the community, there is now a jet hangar blasting fumes throughout the neighborhood. The aircraft noise and fumes constantly drift through the neighborhood.

We Want:

  1. Stop the fumes that permeate the neighborhood
  2. Stop the sale of individual seats on charter flights, which is considered commercial airline activity and not appropriate for a general aviation airport
  3. Post the Citizens Advisory Council’s agenda on the city’s Early Notification System
  4. Include all the communities affected by noise, fumes, and soot in all Van Nuys Airport Vision Plan meetings
  5. Implement a curfew for all aircraft from 10 PM to 7 AM (Burbank has a curfew, so why can’t VNY?)
  6. Stop Personal Air Vehicles (PAVs), Flying Cars, and AirTaxi services like Uber/Lyft in the sky

Land Use

Metro surprised LBNC by informing us they plan to build a 248-unit apartment building on the east side of Balboa Blvd on Victory at the G (Orange) Line station. This property is identified as a Traffic Mitigation resource on the Community Plan. It is the park portion of the park and ride for those stakeholders who live in the San Fernando Valley, Van Nuys, Tarzana, Reseda, and Encino communities and use the bus service. On the west side of Balboa Blvd on Victory, a proposed project consists of 194 residential units, reserving 192 for low-income households, excluding two manager’s units.

We Want:

  1. The parking lot to remain as is
  2. The 194 units are not needed and will overwhelm the area

Dog Park

For about 10 years, LBNC has been asking to have recycled water reach the dog park. Since the pipes have to cross over Bull Creek, we have been told that we need federal approval. Congressman Sherman said he would do whatever is needed, but we still don’t have recycled water, so the grass goes unwatered during droughts. For about as long, we have been asking for lights at the dog park so that the facility can be used in the early evening when it gets dark at 5 PM during winter months. We’ve been told the light will bother the neighbors, but there are no neighbors on that side of the street, and there are already street lights, so that is not accurate. Millions of dollars are to be spent to create a new 13-mile bike path, which is scheduled to take land from the dog park. A workaround exists that would leave the dog park untouched. The bike path is underfunded by about $100 million dollars, with $500,000 allocated for a consultant to find the funds.

We Want:

  1. Recycled water to reach the dog park
  2. Solar-powered lights for evening use at the dog park
  3. Use the alternate route for the bike path to preserve the dog park, avoiding unnecessary costs
  4. Acknowledge that the 13-mile bike path for the Olympics does not benefit local stakeholders

Emergency Issues

Due to budget cuts, LAFD is ceasing the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). The Valley Alliance of Neighborhood Councils (VANC) voted to strongly oppose the cancellation of CERT training, which contributes immeasurably during emergencies when paid professionals are too busy to handle minor tasks. Due to budget cuts, the GM of the Emergency Management Department is not filling several critical personnel positions. No action has been taken on CF24-1472, which provides $780,090 from the Department of Homeland Security to support salary expenses from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2024. Due to LA City Legal stating NCs “are advisory and have not been authorized to engage in operational activities dealing with emergency preparedness, disaster relief…,” LBNC cannot replenish the expired items in our two Emergency Bins for First Responders/CERT-trained residents.

We Want:

  1. Support from City Council to find funding for the CERT program
  2. Support from City Council to find funding for Emergency Management Department personnel
  3. Support from City Council to authorize LBNC’s request to replace expired items in the emergency bins

Homelessness

After years of dealing with homelessness and spending millions of dollars, the issues persist. The City’s Housing Authority (HACLA) has spent more than $810 million to acquire 2,750 units in existing hotels and motels over the past four years, at an average cost of $294,550 per unit. Of those, 1,200 units are vacant, some for as long as two years, representing an unused value of more than $349 million. LA County has approximately 33 programs for the homeless. LA Alliance for Human Rights brought a lawsuit against the County for mismanagement of funds. The City pays a large portion of LAHSA’s budget and informed the City Council that the data on Inside Safe were unreliable, with funds likely being spent on vacant rooms. The State Auditor issued an April 2024 report showing state-funded programs had no measurable results despite $24 billion spent on homelessness programs. Homelessness has become a big business. LAHSA has about 900 employees, allocates funds to service providers, and can’t account for the money.

We Want:

  1. The funds to house the homeless and provide services to them
  2. An accounting of where city funds have gone
  3. All vacant units to be used for housing the homeless
  4. Restoration of city services

LA City Council Meetings

When members of the public attend LA City Council meetings, it appears that council members are indifferent to stakeholder comments. Often, only 3 of the 15 council members are present and paying attention during public comments. While it is nice to be recognized for good deeds with certificates at these meetings, the process can be improved.

We Want:

  1. The courtesy of council members appearing to care about public comments, especially when residents have taken time off work, driven downtown, and paid for parking
  2. Certificate presentations to occur after all city business is completed so attendees can return to their personal responsibilities
  3. Appreciation for holding council meetings in the valley once a month (last Friday of each month at Van Nuys City Hall)

Community Impact Statements

Neighborhood Councils submit Community Impact Statements (CIS) to LA City Council on specific council files, but it is unclear when or if council members are briefed on these statements. There is rarely a “NO” vote or discussion, giving the impression that responses are predetermined regardless of public comment.

We Want:

  1. To know why you are voting the way you are voting
  2. Enough advance notice to include council files that are being rushed through so we can agendize them for NC meetings in accordance with the Brown Act
  3. Acknowledgment that NC letters, resolutions, and CIS have been received

Neighborhood Council Term Limits and Bylaws

Council Member Rodriguez introduced CF24-0867, which would require all Neighborhood Council bylaws to be uniform and enforce mandatory term limits for board members. However, each Neighborhood Council is uniquely tailored to its community's needs, making identical bylaws impractical. LBNC’s resolution also suggests a charter change to grant NCs binding voting rights equal to that of elected City Council members in their districts.

We Want:

  1. Binding voting rights on issues within our district or that affect our community
  2. To maintain our unique bylaws

Neighborhood Empowerment Advocates & Training

DONE is responsible for ensuring NC board members are knowledgeable, but attending a single meeting per month is insufficient. It is difficult to reach anyone in the DONE office, and the website is challenging to navigate.

We Want:

  1. A project manager to guide us on tasks like mural painting so we don’t waste volunteer time doing things incorrectly
  2. Reference material online for board members to access anytime
  3. DONE to advocate for more funds for our communities, adjusting the budget from $50,000 to $80,000 to account for inflation

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Mailing address:
Lake Balboa NC
P.O. Box 7720
Lake Balboa, CA 91409-7720

Phone:
(818) 779-9026

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