ORGANIZING NEIGHBORHOODS HUNDREDS ATTEND CITY WORKSHOP ON FORMING COUNCILS.

Byline: Helen Gao Staff Writer

VALLEY GLEN - Concerned about inadequate policing and other quality-of-life issues in their community, Jill and Erick Lace of Winnetka have been thinking seriously about creating a neighborhood council.

But they had no idea where to start, daunted by the cumbersome application process and uncertain how to navigate the city bureaucracy or connect with people from their community - until Saturday.

The couple got many questions answered, and met another interested Winnetka resident, at a morning workshop that drew 200 residents sponsored by the Los Angeles Department of Neighborhood Empowerment.

``We know the generalities reported in the newspapers, but we didn't know the nuts and bolts,'' said Erick Lace. ``(The workshop) has been very helpful.''

Held at Los Angeles Valley College, the workshop was the first in a series of five scheduled this month to guide residents step-by-step through the application process.

``It's really encouraging to see so many people who want to get involved and get their neighborhood organized,'' said Mayor James Hahn, who gave the keynote address.

``The greatest distance in L.A., I think, is the distance between neighborhoods and City Hall,'' he said. ``Neighborhood councils is the way to close the gap.''

Approved by voters in 1999 as part of a new City Charter, neighborhood councils are intended to be independent entities that will provide input to city officials on neighborhood issues.

The councils select their own leaders, determine their own agendas and draw their own boundaries.

Many residents said they are enthusiastic about the prospect of having a voice in city government.

``This is a way to bring government closer to people and get people involved in everyday issues that affect their community,'' said Jill Banks Barad, who is organizing in Sherman Oaks.

Barad said her group has held a few meetings and voted overwhelmingly for forming a neighborhood council. She is confident it will be a strong voice representing local concerns, even though councils are only meant to be advisory bodies.

``I would think a City Council member would be foolish not to listen to a neighborhood council because that's their constituents,'' she said.

After six months of work and meetings, North Granada Hills residents Kim Thompson and Wayne Aller plan to submit their application Tuesday.

``We want the small-town-within-the-big-city feel,'' Thompson said. So far, residents from Wilmington, coastal San Pedro and the greater Griffith Park area have submitted applications.

The forms - recently reduced from 21 to 6 pages - are first reviewed by the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment and then forwarded to the Board of Neighborhood Commissioners for certification hearings. The process takes about 60 days.

Commissioner Bill Christopher expects the first council to be certified early next year. There is no deadline for submitting applications.

Information on neighborhood councils is available at www.lacityneighborhoods.com and at www.allncs.org. The Department of Neighborhood Empowerment can be reached at [phone].