North Westwood Neighborhood Council recap – Feb. 4

The North Westwood Neighborhood Council elected a new at-large board member at its monthly meeting Feb. 4.

The council, which represents UCLA and Westwood Village, meets on the first Wednesday of every month at UCLA’s Weyburn Terrace. Meetings can be attended in person or virtually by the public using the link posted on the corresponding month’s agenda. The next meeting is set to be held March 4.

Committee Reports:

• Josh Trifunovic, president of the North Westwood Neighborhood Council, said the council plans to put up posters around Westwood with a QR code leading to its website to drive engagement.

Comments by public officials:

• Amanda Laflen, the field deputy from District 3 Supervisor Lindsey Horvath’s office, said in an email that the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion introduced by Horvath to strengthen financial accountability within the county’s Department of Homeless Services and Housing. The board also approved Horvath’s motion directing the county to monitor President Donald Trump’s executive order regarding fire recovery from the January 2025 LA fires, she said.

• Janet Turner, the deputy district director of outreach for U.S Congressman Ted Lieu who represents Westwood, said Lieu introduced a bill that would require several prisons to improve their disaster-response plans. Lieu will co-sponsor a bill intended to provide mortgage relief for those covered under the Disaster Survivors Fairness Act of 2025, Turner added.

• Sherwin Shamoeil, a representative from the office of California State Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur, said Zbur’s legislative package will be released Feb. 20. Shamoeil added that the assemblymember introduced the Public Lands Protections Act in the state assembly Jan 22, which would ensure that if federally owned lands in California are sold, they will be preserved for open space and conservation use. Shamoeil added that Zbur plans to introduce two new bills, one of which is the Right to Human Customer Service Act, which would ensure that Californians can reach a human being, rather than a robot, for customer service and would require companies to declare when it uses artificial intelligence. The other bill aims to reduce retail permitting delays, he added.

• A representative for California State Senator Ben Allen said a bill that will provide low-interest loans to modify homes for fire protection will be enacted Feb. 15.

• A representative from LAPD said crime rates in West LA are down.

• Shin Black, a battalion chief for the Los Angeles Fire Department, said residents can register online for NotifyLA, a subscription-based system that provides disaster, evacuation and public health emergency warnings.

• Carmen Zambrano, the assistant director of UCLA’s Community & Local Government Relations, said UCLA will leave campus lights on overnight Feb. 23 as students line up to wait for tickets for the UCLA men’s basketball game against the University of Southern California. Zambrano also said the Luskin School of Public Affairs and the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies will host a discussion with authors Michael Harriot and Michael Lens at the UCLA Nimoy Theater on Feb 25. The Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden will host a lecture with restoration ecologist Andy Kleinhesselink, on Feb. 26. Zambrano added that Stephanie Landregan, the director of Altadena Green – a tree preservation group – will host a lecture at the William Andrews Clark Memorial Library on March 3. Zambrano declined to comment on email correspondence – revealed in the U.S. Department of Justice’s most recent batch of Epstein files – between associate adjunct professor of neurology Mark Tramo and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

• Erica Gatica Doughty, a Neighborhood Empowerment Advocate with EmpowerLA, said her department is attempting to post its agendas in accordance with Senate Bill 707, which requires local agencies to post agendas 72 hours before a regular meeting.

• A representative from the office of LA City Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky said the City Council passed a motion Jan. 9 to renew the Westwood Village Improvement Association for another 10 years. New rent increase rules went into effect Feb. 2, which cap annual rent increases at 3% through June 30, 2027. Yaroslavsky joined LA City Councilmember Adrin Nazarian in presenting about the importance of standing in solidarity with Iranian American families amid protests against the country’s current regime, which has killed thousands of protesters, the representative said. The representative encourages people to bring any ideas or concerns regarding the Westwood Boulevard Safety and Mobility Project to her office’s attention. She added that she urges residents to plan accordingly for the LA Marathon on March 8, as the path will wrap around Westwood. The Westwood Recreation Center will host its spring egg hunt April 4.

• Multiple members of the NWWNC said they are concerned about high parking prices in Westwood, adding that these costs adversely affect local businesses.

• The project manager of the Westwood Boulevard Safety and Mobility Project said in-person open houses for the Westwood Boulevard and Ohio Avenue projects will be held Feb. 28 and March 5, with virtual options March 12 and 19.

Comments made by the public:

• Joy Sugihara, the executive director of Bruin Run/Walk at UCLA, which hosts the annual UCLA 5K, said she wanted to bring the council’s attention to the Painted Turtle Summer Camp at Lake Hughes, which supports children with serious medical conditions and chronic illnesses. The camp is in need of financial support and has reduced its offerings from 10 weeks to four.

• Mike Newhouse, a candidate for California’s 24th State Senate district which includes UCLA, said he wants to make it easier for people to start a business.

• Ankur Patel, a candidate for District 4 of the LA Unified School Board, said he wants to advocate for the well-being of students’ health and success, as well as and advocate for more hands-on learning experiences.

• Andrej Selivra, an LA mayoral candidate, said he believes his 15 years in the technology industry make him a strong candidate. The mayoral primary election will be held June 2.

• Steve Sann, a member of the Board of Directors at the Friends of the Westwood Library, said the library held a book sale Feb. 7. He thanked people who came out to the Westwood Homeless Count on Jan. 22.

• The vote to connect Metro’s G line to the D line was unanimously agreed upon, he added.

• A third-year political science student said he wanted to introduce himself to the council, adding that he is interested in joining.

Agenda:

• The board unanimously approved a motion to submit a funding request to the LA Department of Cultural Affairs for an Olympic Arts Festival in Westwood.

• The board unanimously approved a community impact statement supporting the investigation of a Trump administration-led task force focused on the 2028 Olympics, for what the council called a lack of clarity of the group’s purpose.

• The board without objection approved a community impact statement supporting the LA City Council’s efforts to ensure proper planning of Non-Venue Activations, which are participation opportunities related to the Olympics besides the games themselves.

• The board passed a motion, with one abstention, to change the council’s meeting venue to the 28th Church of Christ, Scientist. The change will not be enacted for at least 90 days.

• Kristian Suazo, a third-year political science student, was elected to be an at-large board member of the council.

The board voted to pass the January consent calendar.