Yesterday, as part of a massive community outreach effort, my staff and I were joined by community volunteers as we went door-to-door collecting input on the future of the former Fire Station 84 at 5340 Canoga Ave--City owned property that is now vacant.

We'll be at it again on Saturday and we'd love to have your help. To RSVP, click here.

If you'd like to voice your opinion on what you'd like to see in our community, please take the survey available at http://blumenfield.lacity.org/5340_canoga.

A photo gallery from yesterday's walk can be found after the jump.

Today is a Red Flag Day. This means that fire dangers are high for the day.  As such, certain neighborhoods, usually narrow streets in the hillsides, are deemed high risk and are subject to Red Flag parking restrictions. These restrictions leave roads clear for LAFD access and also allow for easier evacuation if needed.  We understand that sometimes these parking restrictions are hard or inconvenient for neighbors, but they are necessary to maintain public safety.  

The Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) is seeking artists and artist teams interested in creating a permanent and/or temporary art projects for large scale, outdoor walls in the City of LA. This Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is open to professional artists working with any medium, style or technique –i.e. murals, aerosol, mosaics, paints, stencils, stickers, wheatpasting, woodblocking, light and/or video projection. 

This RFQ is open to professional artists and artist teams living and working in the County of Los Angeles. Artists must demonstrate the vision, past experience and professional qualifications required to create public art for City walls–a process that includes public presentations, production oversight and execution of artwork in the public realm.

The deadline is Monday, November 4, 2013.

The City of Los Angeles Department of City Planning is currently seeking applicants to participate in a Zoning Advisory Committee as part of re:CODE LA, a 5 year effort to update our zoning codes. 

This will have a tremendous impact on our City and it is crucial that the Valley is adequately represented.

The deadline to apply is October 18. More information on how you can apply after the jump:

This past June, prior to being sworn in, I gave a talk to the Liberty Hill Commissions Training Program on the value of commissions in City government. In a City of our size, the participation of the community in the civic process is essential for effective and representative government. 

It's a principle I've put to action on a smaller scale in my own district through the creation of Community Action Teams or "BobCATs" -- dozens of community leaders who engage on issue focused taskforces to help create a stronger Valley and a better City for all of us.

Liberty Hill recently posted my comments to their blog. Read more after the jump:

Is your organization interested in applying for block grants this year?

The City is organizing a series of Consolidated Planning Community Meetings to solicit and engage the public in providing feedback on their respective neighborhood needs before submitting the annual consolidated plan to the Federal Government.

A San Fernando Valley meeting is scheduled for:

More information after the jump: