Sherman Oaks : Feuer Asks Residents to Play a Larger Role

About 150 residents gave up their Sunday evening to meet freshman Los Angeles Councilman Mike Feuer as he held his first town hall meeting since his June election victory.

“I like him,” Ira Horn of Studio City said after a brief chat with the councilman about health care. “He’s progressive, and he doesn’t go around the issue giving you an answer.”

Feuer, who succeeded longtime Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky in the 5th District, called the meeting to discuss earthquake recovery, public safety and other issues. He was accompanied by about a dozen officials from the police and fire departments and others representing city bureaus involved in graffiti removal, street lights, sanitation, recycling and parking.

But some in the audience were skeptical of the newly elected politician.

“What I want out of Mike Feuer is a commitment that he will represent the people, not the special interests,” said Sam Bodzin of Studio City, who was complaining about parking in his neighborhood.

Feuer, 37, a Harvard-educated lawyer, said he wants residents to play a larger role in city government and invited them to volunteer in his council office.

“I want to be the most accessible councilman I can be,” Feuer said. “I want this to set the tone for the rest of my term.”

He said he wanted volunteers to work as liaisons between Neighborhood Watch groups and the police. Volunteers would help staff the new, part-time satellite police station that opened at his Sherman Oaks field office Sunday.

Feuer arrived early for the meeting and found residents already waiting to ask him questions. That, he said, was a good sign.

“This is an active, politically sophisticated area,” he said.