PANEL: CITY IS STIFLING ITS VOICE.Byline: James Nash Staff Writer VALLEY GLEN - Members of an advisory panel to speak for Valley Glen at Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. City Hall say the panel is being undermined by the city department that is supposed to help it establish and have an election. Officials at the city Department of Neighborhood Empowerment have knotted the Valley Glen Community Council in a web of confusing con·fuse v. con·fused, con·fus·ing, con·fus·es v.tr. 1. a. To cause to be unable to think with clarity or act with intelligence or understanding; throw off. b. and seemingly seem·ing adj. Apparent; ostensible. n. Outward appearance; semblance. seem  ing·ly adv. arbitrary rules governing its election, according to according toprep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. some community council members. Among other things, DONE officials are forcing the community council to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote, forbidding it from requiring photographs of candidates in the election, and restricting whom the council may choose to oversee its election. Members of the Valley Glen group complain that the city is tightening the reins reins pl.n. The kidneys, loins, or lower back. to ensure that the group is subservient sub·ser·vi·ent adj. 1. Subordinate in capacity or function. 2. Obsequious; servile. 3. Useful as a means or an instrument; serving to promote an end. to the city rather than independent. Their complaints echo comments from several of the approximately 100 official neighborhood councils Neighborhood councils are governmental or non-governmental bodies composed of local people who handle neighborhood problems. They can be found in many cities throughout the world. in Los Angeles, which were set up under a 1999 charter reform measure intended to bring more representation to neighborhoods. ``I can't help but feel we're being punished for wanting to clarify things,'' said Diana Lipari, co-chairwoman of the Valley Glen Community Council's elections committee. ``They're trying to turn us into someone who is regulated by the city. That to me is a conflict (of interest).'' DONE officials acknowledge that they're holding Valley Glen to higher standards than many other neighborhood councils. The Valley Glen Community Council triumphed over a rival group calling itself the College Center Neighborhood Council to win official recognition by the city last year. But in agreeing to recognize the Valley Glen Community Council as the official advisory panel for the area, city officials insisted that the group reach out to all workers, college students, residents and property owners in the council's boundaries, said DONE General Manager Greg Nelson. That has meant additional frustrations for the organizers of the Valley Glen group, Nelson acknowledged, but he said city officials aren't trying to control or thwart the panel. James Nash, (818) 713-3722 james.nash(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): map Map: VALLEY GLEN |
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