Council Rejects Appeal by Neighborhood Group

The Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday not to take up a Northridge group’s appeal of its neighborhood council status, siding with city officials who said the organizers had not done enough outreach.

Members of the group had approached the council after the city’s Board of Neighborhood Commissioners and Department of Neighborhood Empowerment had declined to certify the organization because it had not done enough to involve others in the community.

Councilman Greig Smith, who represents Northridge, said he thought the group’s attempt was “seriously flawed” and recommended that the members come up with a different approach to organizing. “We need this neighborhood council, but I think this particular plan was not the right plan.”