Grievance

Department of Neighborhood Empowerment Grievance Form

Thank you for contacting the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment regarding your Grievance. Your concerns are important to us. Please fill out this form as completely as possible to help expedite our determination. Please be aware that the information you are submitting is subject to the California Public Records Act.

We will NOT be able to respond to your Grievance unless you provide a valid email or mailing address.
Please note that once you click Save at the upper right corner, your Grievance will be submitted.

All witness statements must be attached on this form.

The Department will not process more than three Grievance Forms filed by the same person in any calendar year and no more than five Grievance Forms filed by the same individual in any three year period. All Grievances submitted through this portal are considered processed.

First Name

Johnavalos(john)

Last Name

Rios

Please identify your role within the Neighborhood Council system:

Stakeholder

Phone Number

(323) 244-9861

Email Address

jrios@ucr.edu

Mailing Address

5907 E Tipton Way, Los Angeles, California 90042

Neighborhood Council

Historic Highland Park

Neighborhood Council Bylaws

Specific Violation Alleged

Failure to indicate the nature of your alleged Grievance will result in the dismissal of your Grievance.

Neighborhood Council Bylaw

Article Number

Not sure

Section

Not sure

Los Angeles Administrative Code

Section

Plan for the Citywide System of Neighborhood Councils

Section

Board of Neighborhood Commissioners Policy

Please state Policy below

Department Policy

Please state Policy below

* - Any other City code, executive directive, rule or regulation applicable to Neighborhood Councils.

Date of Alleged Violation

07-05-18

A Grievance must be filed within 30 days from the date of the event giving rise to the Grievance. Any Grievance alleging a violation relating to Neighborhood Council funding must be filed within 90 calendar days of the date the expenditure is made.

Please state below

Please specify the exact rule and explain the facts of the alleged violation.

I dont understand what rule. Gentrification is a way of working around the rules. This grievance form is created to confuse us. Nevertheless I will explain:

On 7-5-18 I attended my first meeting.
The agenda had just started and elected official's representatives were beginning to speak. The senior center room was full. At least most chairs were taken. I searched for a sign-in sheet. None. There was no one to welcome us. I walked across the room to get a chair and dragged it to audience area and the board sort of paused while I did this. I felt uncomfortale and upset allready. It was onbvious they did not like that I went for the chair.

The audience was comprised of mostly young white business and homeowner types. There were no Chicanos like me and I could not get too close to see the board make-up. In the audience there were no Chicanos like me. There were no darkskin Mexicans like the ones in ICE jails. There were no Brown seniors like me. Obviously this was not a meeting for low-income humans like me. There were definately no Black people. It was just as I feared. Mostly staffers of various politicians, property owners and real estate developers and young enterpreneur tyoes whi supposedly are improving HP with their brilliant new business ideas that attract white folk and repell brownfolk- or at least urban cholos like me.
I was surprised the agenda did not include a representative from the LAPD making a monthly report. After all, my attitude already concluded the HHPNC and the Eagle Rock NC are simple extensions of a city council meetings but here you have priveledged land and business/property owners who want protection and support to keep creating more and more revenue.
As the meeting continued, I saw a rep from Councilmember Huizar's office present an award to someone but I could not hear her very well. I noticed the presenters were talking away from the audience and toward the board. They spoke very low. When the rep from County Supervisors spoke, he also spoke even more quietly and away from the audience and to the board. At this frustrating point, I raised or waved my arm asking for more volumn. Board members recognized the concern and asked the speaker to speak louder. But he continued speaking low and away from the audience.

Was this a welcoming situation? Apparently i was not important. I didnt sign my name anywhere so they would never know who I was. Perhaps they thought I was a homeless man who wandered in from the street. I got up and left my first meeting. All my perceptions abd attitudes were correct. I knew now this was NOT where this activist can work with others on issues and problems brought on by thus so-calked gentrification. These meetings are for the successful caputskistd and landlords and corporate interests out to to make sure the police will be there to protect their wealth.

I finally received a profound understanding of the concept White Supremecy. Thank you HHPNC.

I feel deeply dissappointed and rejected. Are we supposed to accept that all this is normal progress. That the only way to make a mostly and historically Chicano neighborhood better is to allow white priveledge to come in?

After I walked out of the meeting, I walked just accross the street to the Vietnam War memorial. Of the 60 dead soldiers from this barrio, 40 were Chicano men. And my undocumented uncle was recruited in WW2 to be used as parachute decoy to his death. Imagine, these Chicanos died for this society to now use the police to push us out.
These are my issues and concerns that this NC obviously has no interest in actively solving:

1. Why do we allow the proliferation of Charter Schools that provide no Union and accountability instead of fighting for more public school funding?
2.Why do Police Systems receive 55% of our city budget and when attending Police Commission meetings, we see an agendsa full of millons dollars doations constantly to LAPD? WHILE public schools need mone snd Charter Schools can bully their way in with help of billionaires and corrupt leaders lije Dr. Ref.
3. Police Academy Magnet school at Burbank Jr. high? What is the purpose of this? Does LAPD suffer from vacant positions? I need an explanation.
4. If the City Council remains silent on police killings and disfunctional yet abusive Police Commission, and DA Jackie Lacey has not prosecuted one killer cop, why cant the NC speak up? This is corruption and the NC are complicit by remaining silent as well.
5. It is rediculous to think that if developers want to build elite housing for the rich and requiring them to set aside some units for the poir, that the rich will be ok with that. Have you seen the viral video of the affluent white lady with her cup of joe in DTLA calling the cops on the darkskinned Mexican lady and her infants adking for donations?

Remedy

There are various remedies available. Please select from the list below the remedy OR remedies you are seeking.
Please be advised that the Department has sole discretion in determining whether your remedy conforms with your Grievance.

From the list below, which remedy or remedies are you seeking?

1) Warning to the Neighborhood Council board, individual board member, or, members.

2) Required corrective action of the Neighborhood Council.

3) Mandated training for the Neighborhood Council, individual board member, or, members.

4) Required mediation for the Neighborhood Council board, individual board member, or, members.

5) Suspension of Neighborhood Council board until mandated trainings are taken by board, board member, or, members.

6) Temporary suspension of Neighborhood Council Funding.

7) Placement of the Neighborhood Council board under control and supervision of the Department.

8) Suspension of individual board member or members.

9) Initiation of de-certification process or process to declare board seats vacant.

Please state why you are seeking the above mentioned remedy or remedies.

It is not possible to find a section in the bylaws where this grievance is relevant or where these concerns of white supremecy and police abusive power are touched upon. Isnt that interesting. This NC is plagued with incompetence and arrogance just like this grivance form.Who is responsible for this grievance form design?
2 years ago I have wanted to get involved. I even voted for this board at the same location. I signed in baxk then but never received any notices on email. Recently I was repelled by a repeating post on HHPNCfacebook page by the VP of the board and it made me not want to attend. I will attach a screen shot of this.

Suggestion: instead of weekly reports from elected officials, why not from the following committies:

1.report from historic Chicano caucus on quality of life with gentrification and oolice power.
2. Report from juvenile justice committee
Who is and has been redponsible for the illeagal guns in LA
3. Homeless advocate Representative report. LACAN can connect you.
4.change city council meetings AND Police Commission to evenings when the working class and youth can attend committee.
5.Renters rights rep. Centro CSO can connect you.

Witness Information

ALL of your Witness information and Witness Statement needs to be included at this time. The Department will ONLY accept and review Witness information included at time of submission.
You can find the Witness Statement form here.

Witness 1 Contact Information

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

Phone Number

Witness Statement

Witness 2 Contact Information

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

Phone Number

Witness Statement

Witness 3 Contact Information

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

Phone Number

Witness Statement

If no witness, please check this box

Supporting Documents

Before submitting, please include ALL supporting documentation HERE. The Department will ONLY process and review materials included at time of submission. NOTE: The Department will only review up to 10 pages submitted. Any information submitted past 5 pages will not be taken into account.

Supporting Document

20180804_113200.jpg

I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing is true and correct.

By checking this box and typing my name below, I am electronically signing this form.

Johnavalos rios

To SUBMIT, please click "Save" on top right corner.

NC Determination

Panel Determination

For which table?

Client Performance Report

Quickbase will send a report of the events currently displayed on your calendar.
Email addresses



		Don't show me this message again