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

Jerome

Last Name

Courshon

Please identify your role within the Neighborhood Council system:

Board Member

Phone Number

(323) 662-8877

Email Address

courshon@yahoo.com

Mailing Address

Los Angeles, California 90039

Neighborhood Council

Silver Lake

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

V

Section

Section 3; Section 9(A)(2)

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

01-03-19

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

Neighborhood Council funds and/or resources were used to create an �end-of-year Annual Report� of the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council (see attached file), without any input and vote/approval by the Governing Board of the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council ("SLNC").

(No �Annual Report� of any length and professionally produced as a PDF has ever been produced by the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council.)

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[Please note, there may be an issue with your portal here, where one types in their mailing address. I keep putting in my address, but when I go to the next box, it disappears. My street address is: 2811 Waverly Drive, Unit 6]

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

Article V, Section 3:

This Section states that "The Board shall take Official Action by a simple majority vote of those Board members present."

This Section was violated by the SLNC because no vote was taken to create this "Annual Report" (which has never been created before), and no vote was taken to authorize money and/or resources to create this report.

This "Annual Report" was then disseminated publicly, again without input or approval by the Governing Board.

Article V, Section 9(A)(2):

This section outlines conduct for removal of Board Members. Simply being quoted here, to show that misappropriation of NC funds is considered a serious enough of an offense as to warrant possible removal from the Governing Board.

City Code or Rule/Regulation applicable to Neighborhood Councils:

The City of Los Angeles Seal was used on the cover page of this "Annual Report." For one thing, this "Annual Report" was not approved by the Neighborhood Council. Secondly, did the Governing Board receive approval in advance by the Office of the City Clerk, NC Funding, or other appropriate City agency? (If so, there should be an email communication allowing such approval.)

The Silver Lake Neighborhood Council Logo was used on this "Annual Report" -- again, without this report's creation being voted on and approved by the Governing Board.

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.

The above-reported incident is only the latest in a string of improper and illegal incidents in recent months, by the SLNC Governing Board. Some of the misappropriation and misuse of funds occurrences, have been reported to NC Funding. To date, however, nothing has been done by NC Funding and no corrective action has been taken by NC Funding.

Corrective measures must be taken, or such improper and illegal incidents (and misappropriation / misuse of funds) will continue.

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

SLNC Annual Report Final-3.pdf

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.

Jerome Courshon

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

NC Determination

Panel Determination

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Client Performance Report

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Email addresses