VENICE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL OUT OF THE DOG HOUSE AND ON TRACK FOR A SEPTEMBER ELECTION

by Marta Evry Friday, Jul. 01, 2005 at 10:16 PM
msblucow@comcast.net

Last night, Board of Neighborhood Commissioners (BONC) voted unanimously to give the go ahead for the next Grass Roots Venice Neighborhood Council election, which will be held September 10 and 11th. The Board's decision came more than nine months after the last GRVNC election was invalidated by the City's Human Relations Commission, leaving the neighborhood council without a quorum, ability to function, or funding.

June 29, 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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VENICE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL OUT OF THE DOG HOUSE AND ON TRACK FOR A SEPTEMBER ELECTION



Last night, Board of Neighborhood Commissioners (BONC) voted unanimously to give the go ahead for the next Grass Roots Venice Neighborhood Council election, which will be held September 10 and 11th. The Board's decision came more than nine months after the last GRVNC election was invalidated by the City's Human Relations Commission, leaving the neighborhood council without a quorum, ability to function, or funding. In 2003, GRVNC was plunged into chaos for months when that election was challenged because one of the candidates had successfully cast an absentee ballot for her dog. (see http://www.missvenicebeach.com/raku/ for details)

BONC followed the recommendations of the Venice community to implement election procedures devised during a series of Department of Neighborhood Empowerment-led community meetings, making only very minor changes to ensure that the truly homebound would have the opportunity to present their credentials to the Independent Election Administrator in order to cast an absentee ballot.

About 30 Venetians came out to support the work of their neighbors and asked the Commissioners to please let Venice move forward with a September election. Only five former and current members of the GRVNC Board (whose terms expire at midnight Thursday) protested the process. In a transparent attempt to lay the groundwork for future election challenges, they claimed the rules for absentee voting violated the ADA (Americans with Disabilities) Act, (they don't), that DONE and BONC were "committing an illegal act" by approving the election procedures, and characterized the work of the community as just the work of "one faction".

Fortunately, BONC didn't agree. After remarking that those complaining had actually chosen to boycott the community meetings, the Commissioners voted to approve the election procedures, with only minor revisions.

The next meeting of the ad hoc election committee will be held this Thursday at 6:30. For additional dates, times and locations for outreach, voter registration, absentee ballot requests and candidate registration visit http://www.veniceforum.org/ This information will be posted as soon as it become

Original: VENICE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL OUT OF THE DOG HOUSE AND ON TRACK FOR A SEPTEMBER ELECTION