green-6-10-2015 - Palms Neighborhood Council

Palms Green Committee
MONTHLY COMMITTEE MEETING
Wednesday, June 10, 2015, 7:00 PM
Conference Room, Fire Station 43, 3690 Motor Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90034
AGENDA
COMMITTEE BUSINESS
1) Approve minutes from prior meeting.
2) Review of Exposition Corridor Streetscape Plan
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--Guests from Transit Neighborhood Plans Project
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--Examination of Native Plant and Tree Options for TNP zones
MOTION: Whereas in multiple outreach sessions conducted in Palms by the Transit
Neighborhood Plans Project (TNP) of the City of Los Angeles Department of Planning, the
stakeholders of Palms and the Palms Neighborhood Council (PNC) have explicitly and
repeatedly requested the exclusive use of California native landscaping for all street trees and
landscaping plants to be installed as part of the TNP zone near Palms Station and within
Palms; and whereas, the desire for natives in Palms has been further supported by outreach
done by the PNC Transportation and Safety Committee and the PNC Green Committee; and
whereas this community position was further supported by motions that have been passed
unanimously by both the current and previous elected body of the PNC; and whereas this
information was clearly communicated to the TNP representatives in correspondence from
May 2014, October 2014, January 2015, and May 2015; and whereas the TNP recently released
its Draft Expo Corridor Streetscape Plan in May of 2015; and whereas this draft plan
completely disregards the aforementioned unwavering feedback of the community by
designating the exotic (non-native) Lavendar Trumpet Tree (Tabebuia impetiginosa) and exotic
Australian Willow tree (Geijera parviflora) as the preferred street trees for areas of the TNP that
fall within Palms; and whereas the TNP draft plan further fails to specify that installed plant
landscaping will be native instead of merely “drought tolerant”; therefore, the Palms
Neighborhood Council petitions the TNP to revise its current Draft Expo Corridor Streetscape
Plan to stipulate that all street trees and other landscaping to be installed in the neighborhood
of Palms shall be only California native in origin, in addition to being drought tolerant. The
PNC shall additionally solicit the offices of Council District Five Councilmember, Paul Koretz,
for assistance in the advocacy of this position.
3) Opposing the “California Friendly” Plants Initiative
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--Loss of Grow Native Nursery
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--Save the Drop LA campaign
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--New Nursery Initiative?
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--Update on natives section in nurseries, coalition building
4) Overland Avenue Improvement
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--Tree planting plan update
5) Native Plant Demonstration Garden in Woodbine Park
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--Update on Urban Forestry Meeting
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--Agreement with FormLA
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--Next Steps
6) Palms Restaurant Green Certification Plan
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--Reports on restaurants
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--New Outreach Day this Saturday, June 13, 2PM at Scoops
7) Neighborhood Council Sustainability Alliance
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--Report from Save the Drop LA Meeting, Saturday, May 16
8) Bike Rodeo Waste Report for 2015
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--2016 Planning
9) Community Garden Proposal at Fire Station 43
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--Plan from David Feuer and Naomi Curland
MOTION: Whereas the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) Station 43 in Palms has a large
strip of land on the northeast corner of its property that is not currently in use; and whereas
the LAFD personnel at this station are supportive of seeing this land used for a possible
community garden of edibles or demonstration area for native plants; and whereas this area
has been treated extensively with herbicides; therefore, the Palms Neighborhood Council
(PNC) shall allocate $100 to TBA for the testing of this soil to determine its suitability for
possible community uses in a project to be determined by the PNC Green Committee.
10) LA City Council File 15-0499 on Biodiversity
MOTION: Whereas the Palms Neighborhood Council has been a leader in promoting
biodiversity and the protection of native species in our urban environment; and whereas the
Singapore Index on biodiversity has been developed by international experts in urban
biodiversity planning and management under the Convention of Biological Diversity and
provides a self-assessment tool for cities that would be invaluable to supporting biodiversity in
Los Angeles; and whereas, Los Angeles City Council File 15-0499, introduced by
Councilmember Paul Koretz, would engage appropriate departments and other auspices of
the City to examine the feasibility of the adoption of the Singapore Index by Los Angeles;
therefore, the PNC endorses and supports the adoption of Los Angeles CF- 15-0499 and shall
file a Community Impact Statement (CIS) in support of said motion.
11) TAP Card Disposal
MOTION: Whereas the Los Angeles County Metro Transit Access Pass (TAP) cards cost users
$1 and are designed to expire three or ten years after being issued (the expiration term
depends on the issuance date); and whereas TAP cards are often in perfect working order
when they expire and could have many years of additional life; and whereas not allowing
reuse of expired cards is not only wasteful, but also an unwarranted tax on transit riders who
must purchase new cards; and whereas Metro currently collects expired plastic TAP cards and
disposes of them instead of recycling this large source of non-biodegradable plastic waste;
therefore, the Palms Neighborhood Council urges the Los Angeles County Metro to revise its
TAP card policy to provide for the reuse of expired cards that are in working order, and to
provide for the recycling of expired plastic TAP cards that cannot or will not be reused.
12) Open Floor––Board News and Public Comments (limited to 2 minutes, time permitting)
ADJOURNMENT
NEXT MEETING WEDNESDAY, July 15, 2015, 7:00 PM
For more information about the PNC, visit: www.palmsla.org
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