Neighborhood Council Narrowly Approves Street Banners

The narrowly passed approval Wednesday night of spending $4,800 for banners that will promote the council to the local stakeholders.

The additional 90 street banners on 45 poles along Ventura Boulevard and side streets, will add to another 93 poles previously costing $11,000 for total of 186 street banners touting the Studio City Neighborhood Council. The chairperson of the Outreach committee, Lisa Cahan Davis, nearly saw a year’s worth of work get turned down when some board members spoke in opposition to the additional money.

“Let’s flood our community and let them know who we are,” Davis said. “It’s the best way to get the word out.”

But board treasurer Remy Kessler said, “This is in addition to money we have previously approved, and that’s a total of $16,000. That is 70 percent of our budget for the year. I think it’s outrageous.”

Ben Di Benedetto, who is also on the board of the with Ben Neumann, suggested that the committee share the costs of the banner with the merchants association, but that could mean redesigning the banners. Everyone praised Davis's work on the Outreach Committee and gave her a round of applause. But Davis is not on the Council board and not a voting member.

Davis said she has been at a booth at the Studio City Farmers Market talking about the council and that many people had no idea the Neighborhood Council exists or what it does.

The Neighborhood Council provides input to city committees and the city council members who represent the area, and each of the 95 councils are given $45,000 a year to spend on community events and outreach.

Council President John Walker said that Studio City’s council spends a lot on community projects and programs such as the 4^th of July fireworks display, Luminaria and snow for the Winter Holiday Festival, but little on outreach compared to other councils.

Council Secretary Rita Villa suggested that ifare being held for the council in 2012, this would be the best way to get the word out about the local volunteer group.

The vote was seven in favor of the additional funding, and four against—Di Benedetto, Neumann, Kessler and Jeffrey Carter— with Richard Niederberg abstaining.

The banners are scheduled to go up on March 2, many in major intersections along Ventura Boulevard, especially at Coldwater and Laurel Canyon boulevards.