Leader Sees Need for 100 Neighborhood Councils

As many as 100 neighborhood councils may be needed to give residents adequate control over local issues, according to Northridge attorney Lee Kanon Alpert, who became president Monday of a panel that will oversee creation of a councils system.

Alpert was elected by members of the new Los Angeles Board of Neighborhood Commissioners, which will develop the neighborhood councils, a concept approved by city voters this year.

Alpert, formerly involved with the secession group Valley VOTE, said many councils are needed to facilitate public involvement.

Some have recommended one neighborhood council for each of the 15 council districts, or one for each of the 35 planning areas. Councilman Joel Wachs has proposed one for each of the 103 identifiable communities in the city.

“My guess would be there may well be more than 103,” Alpert told reporters Monday, “because if you have a large area, you have defeated your own purpose.”

The board has 12 months to submit a plan for creating the neighborhood council system to the City Council, which then has six months to revise and finalize the plan.

Alpert said his goal is to make city government more responsive and effective. The neighborhood councils, he said, will “flip government on its head: as opposed to the directives coming down from the City Council, where each council member represents over a quarter of a million people,” communication will move “from the community to the council members.”

The board will look to successful neighborhood council systems in Portland, Seattle and Minneapolis for models in drafting Los Angeles’ program, Alpert said.

One challenge will be to persuade residents to become involved in the councils.

“That’s a real concern,” Alpert said. “If the people don’t get involved, there will be no neighborhood councils.”

To foster involvement, the new Department of Neighborhood Empowerment will hold community hearings and will work to interest residents in serving on the councils.

The neighborhood councils will be advisory and probably will focus on “quality-of-life issues,” such as crime, potholes or nuisance liquor stores, he said.

At least three areas of the city are threatening secession. Alpert was a board member of Valley VOTE, but quit last year because it required too much of his time.

Alpert said he supports the study of Valley secession, but wants to see the results before taking a position on Valley cityhood.

He acknowledged that the panel’s success or failure could have an impact on secession efforts.

“If it’s not successful, or people in the Valley or Harbor or Hollywood still want to be their own city despite its success, they will vote to secede,” Alpert said.