Grass-Roots Politics Fail to Flourish in Van Nuys

I experienced something out of a TV sitcom town meeting recently. The only problem was it actually happened in Van Nuys.

My part of Van Nuys was awarded a neighborhood council charter last year. (A group of diligent and determined stakeholders then created bylaws, drafted election procedures and made important neighborhood contacts. In February, a campaign forum night was held so the community could meet and hear all candidates for the board of directors. Many people in the neighborhood attended. And this was when this wonderful experience of a small community working to enact change ended.

Election day was a bit disorganized. People were on the street, handing out fliers to passersby telling them whom to vote for. Someone had created a slate of individuals who did not speak on campaign forum night and had put their names on the ballot. When the election results were posted, seven of the 14 elected were people no one had heard of. The election results were contested. After two months and long past the March 20 deadline, the board of directors still has not been sworn in.

The Department of Neighborhood Empowerment, or DONE, saw fit to step in and allow the contested board members to have meetings dealing with agenda items, including the resolution of the election disputes involving them.

This led to the regularly scheduled community meeting on April 3, in which the board, DONE and someone brought in to be the neutral chair got together with the very angry community of Van Nuys. The community was angry with DONE for its inability to get the council working and for siding with the contested board. The community was disgusted with the contested board for its unwillingness to work cooperatively.

The community was well prepared and well represented. A normally mild-mannered member remained on his feet in defiance of the unyielding board. DONE senior project coordinator Rita Moreno’s response was to have the police called.

Two board members, concerned about the community’s loss of the right to speak, recused themselves and left. Without a quorum, the meeting was adjourned.

An angry community wants to make positive changes but now has nowhere to turn. DONE has been ineffective. Many of the board members do not have the skills to lead us out of this quandary. The answer is to allow the community to speak -- do not limit us to unrealistic agendas set by the council; allow us to be part of the process. Do not call the police when we raise our voices in protest.

Van Nuys needs this neighborhood council; let’s make it work.

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Colleen Ancrile is an administrative assistant.