My first question for Zach: What are y'all doing with your $50,000 in city-issued mad money? And don't let any of those 200+ vote people push you around, know what I mean? Call on your inner Maxine Waters if needed. ~ Steven Rosenberg
With the new board slate, we haven't spent any money yet. Next week, I may bring a motion to the board to spend $20,000 on LAPD surveillance cameras for Ventura Blvd. and the Cedros Parking Lot (we would be purchasing 1 of 5 cameras in collaboration with a few other organizations). $20,000 is 40% of the annual budget, but SONC has a surplus of money, which I believe is over $100,000.
Some may say that there isn't much crime on Ventura Blvd. They are correct when you compare it to the reasoning to have cameras on Hollywood Blvd. and MacArthur Park. But what brought the whole camera issue to Sherman Oaks were the businesses and Council District 5 tired of spending money, daily, on removing graffiti.
Once again, one may say they don't see that much graffiti. That's because SOHA, the Bid, the Chamber and the residents have been extremely proactive by calling 311 to report graffiti and hiring their own graffiti team.
I took a trip down to the Hollywood PD on Wilcox to get a tour of the Hollywood Blvd. cameras on the street and from the video booth. A very powerful system it is. I took a video, but need to get it cleared by the LAPD before I post it on YouTube.
More to come on this later...
1 comment:
I think that you've gotta spend some of that money or risk losing it. They went into it at the VNNC meeting, but I can't quite remember the rules.
VNNC is spending money. They are putting some $$$ into a "smart" police car that automatically scans license plates for stolen vehicles. They spent some on promoting the upcoming election (and actually did a mailer), and they are spending some cash on Xmas lighting for Van Nuys Boulevard. And there are various and sundry expenses, like copying, that the money takes care of, as well.
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