At the Feb. 15, 2022 Planning and Land Use Management Committee meeting, there is a motion regarding “updating” methods of Mailed and Posted Notices about projects that impact our communities.

LINK:
https://lacity.primegov.com/Portal/Meeting?compiledMeetingDocumentFileId=22322
In the months since introduction of this motion, only one Neighborhood Council has weighed in, only to support it, but not to demand more.

We live in an electronic society. While posted notices are important and equitable for those without electronic access, to fail to address easily available electronic notice and transmittal of all project notices to Neighborhood Councils and all other interested persons is a failure to address the needs of the City.

It is ironic that the City is looking at improving paper notices without consideration of online and email notification systems it currently uses. The text of the Motion admits that accessing project documents at the City’s website requires planning expertise, and then, incredibly, omits any discussion of a need for a project-by-project email notification process for every document issuing about the Project.

This is a time to send out email alerts and ask concerned activists and members of the public on your email lists and Facebook pages to submit written demands for email notifications and mailed notices to all within 500 feet of a project, and to call into PLUM to demand that the City implement an easy to subscribe to email notification system for all major actions on a project including hearings, release of NOPs, EIRs, NOAs, NODs, and MNDs, and issuance of project approval decisions.  We live in a rapid online world and PLUM is about to discuss updated horses and buggies to carry constitutional notices to our communities. 

Minimum Notice Requirements That Should Be Incorporated Into The City’s Procedural Ordinance:
The radius for all mailed notices should be 500 feet, and never just adjoining landowners as currently provided. Also, each mailed or posted notice should include a website link or email where interested persons can enroll in the email system that sends all notices and decisions via email to any individual who requests it.  That is what Transparency Looks Like — not only mailed notice to immediate neighbors or a more readable Posted Sign.

Let’s communicate to City Council to move into the current century with expanded mailed notice, larger signs, and an easy enrollment email system for each project that is like what already exists for City Council files.  The City has the technology and its time to use it.  The Neighborhood Councils should be alerted to join in the call for these reforms.

And looking forward to when this matter goes to City Council, are there any City Council members who would call this item special to ask for input from the public at the full Council meeting?  If any one can reach out to Council members, that would be a wise thing to do.