GEPENC PARTNERS WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ERIC GARCETTI TO FUND COMMUNITY BASED NEIGHBORHOOD BEAUTIFICATION PROJECTS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                       CONTACT: Lisa Baca, Board CIO

July 3, 2012                                                                                                            

CELL: 213-910-2592   GEPENC PARTNERS WITH

COUNCIL MEMBERERIC GARCETTI TO FUND COMMUNITY BASED NEIGHBORHOOD BEAUTIFICATION PROJECTS  

(Echo Park, CA) The Greater Echo Park Elysian Neighborhood Council (GEPENC) announced this week that it has partnered with the Office of Council Member Eric Garcetti to provide funds for community based neighborhood beautification projects and initiatives within GEPENC neighborhoods. 

On Friday, June 29^th, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved a motion introduced by Council Member Garcetti, at the request of GEPENC, to transfer any unused funds from GEPENC’s 2011 – 2012 fiscal year budget.  The only stipulation for transferred funds is that they be used for beautification projects within the neighborhood council’s area. 

Link to Council Motion: http://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2011/11-0936-S1_CA_06-29-2012.pdf 

Funds estimated to be about $ 7,000 dollars will be transferred to an account within Council District 13 designated for the “Clean and Connected Communities Grant”.  This initiative was launched by Council Member Garcetti to “beautify and improve neighborhoods and encourage community collaboration.” The program will match grants up to $ 2,500 dollars in a competitive process for beautification projects. 

Jose Sigala, GEPENC Board President stated, “We are very grateful to Council Member Garcetti for partnering with our neighborhood council to help beautify our neighborhoods. By adopting this motion, the City Council and the Mayor agreed with us that the money would be better spent locally in our neighborhoods rather than going back to the city’s general fund”. 

For more information about the Clean and Connected Grant program and how you may apply in the future, please visit http://cd13.com/clean-and-connected-communities-grants 

“We look forward to the great things that can be done with the funding”, concluded Sigala.  

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ABOUT GEPENC - the Greater Echo Park Elysian Neighborhood Council, "GEPENC" as the Council is known, was certified by the City of Los Angeles on April 15, 2002, and is the 23^rd Neighborhood Council formed under the guidelines of the City Charter.  The purpose of GEPENC is to promote citizen participation in government by serving as an advisory body to the City of Los Angeles . The Mission of GEPENC is to provide a public forum for stakeholders in our neighborhood to express their thoughts, ideas and concerns on community or Citywide issues. For more information about the neighborhood council, please visit our website at www.gepenc.org.