Dear Friend:

Earlier this month Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez and I officially launched the Unarmed Model of Crisis Response (UMCR), a pilot program to enable certain 9-1-1 calls to be diverted to civilian crisis responders instead of armed law enforcement. Over the last couple of years, I’ve been working to build this program from the ground up. The Council allocated $15M this year to create an Office of Unarmed Response and to find the space and the people to enable us to make this collective vision a reality. Ultimately, the goal is to make sure that when you call 911, the right people, with the right tools and training are immediately deployed — whether that is a police officer, a firefighter, or a crisis intervention worker. This new pilot program is, at the moment, limited to three geographic areas of the City. Only a very tiny portion of the northern tip of CD3 is in that area — until the pilots get expanded. Watch a recap of the launch here.
From welfare check-ins, to non-violent mental health/drug issues, to minor health crises in encampments and elsewhere, we need more tools in our tool box to truly help Angelenos in need. We can’t keep asking our police officers to also be social workers, mental health clinicians, and outreach workers. This new program allows our law enforcement to focus their time on actual crime fighting. With the UMCR launch, we are creating a stronger network of service providers, licensed clinicians, and behavioral health workers to increase the number of calls diverted from 9-1-1 to crisis responders, and to accelerate the creation of a holistic Crisis Continuum of Care in the Los Angeles region.

If you have any questions for me or my staff, or would like to get in touch, please do not hesitate to write to me at c03.foryou@lacity.org or call my office at 818-774-4330.

Addressing Silicosis Epidemic
Responding to recent reports of a high rate of deadly silicosis disease among workers who make countertops, often in the San Fernando Valley, Councilmember Blumenfield is taking action to change how these materials are manufactured and to improve worker safety. Blumenfield and his colleagues jointly introduced a set of motions with a series of comprehensive safety regulations and targeted outreach, calling upon the City of Los Angeles to protect laborers in the stone-cutting and manufacturing industry. Silicosis is an incurable lung disease caused by inhaling large amounts of crystalline silica dust from the cutting, grinding, and molding of engineered stone (quartz) countertops.. Learn more about the motions here and here.

Haynes Street Greenway Project Groundbreaking
This week, Blumenfield, along with Board of Public Works Commissioner Susana Reyes and other City of Los Angeles officials broke ground on the Hayes Street Greenway Project. For well over a decade, there had been an unused, vacant piece of land owned by the City on Haynes Street on the border of Winnetka and Woodland Hills. A local realtor in the area suggested to Councilmember Blumenfield’s Deputy Chief John Popoch that a pocket park might be the way to bring a beautiful amenity to the area, and this community project will now become reality.   
Because a critical storm water drain which is in desperate need of repair lies beneath this parcel of land, Blumenfield was able to creatively fund the Greenway project. This project will rely on funding from the LA County voter approved Measure W - Safe Clean Water Program which provides local, dedicated funding to increase water supply, improve water quality and create community enhancements throughout the County while supporting compliance with federal clean water mandates and addressing climate change. Since the land would have to be torn up to fix the storm drain, it made sense to beautify it rather than simply returning it to its previous state. Blumenfield introduced a motion to get the project going and held community meetings with neighbors to ensure the project met the needs of the community. 

The Haynes Street Greenway Project will bring landscaping, native plants, and amenities to the area, while also serving as a location to capture stormwater. Blumenfield is grateful for the neighbors who offered input and supported the transformation of this vacant City parcel into an aesthetically pleasing location. The project is anticipated to be completed in Summer 2025.

Input Needed on Topanga Canyon Blvd Safety Enhancements
Caltrans is proposing to add bike lanes and other pedestrian and bicycle safety enhancements to Topanga Canyon Blvd between Mulholland and SR118 to make the roadway more accessible for those who walk and bike in the surrounding communities. Your input is needed on how features should be applied and on other features you would like to see within the project area. The responses from this survey will be considered in determining which features should be prioritized.

Overnight Closures of Topanga Canyon Boulevard
Beginning April 15th, portions of the Topanga Canyon Boulevard southbound lane will be closed Monday through Friday from 7PM to 6AM for bus pad construction. The construction will impact the following intersections of Topanga Canyon Boulevard:

  • Southbound Mayall Street
  • Southbound Lassen Street
  • Southbound Plummer Street
  • Southbound Prairie Street
  • Southbound Nordhoff Street
  • Southbound Gresham Street
  • Southbound Parthenia Street
  • Southbound Chase Street
  • Southbound Roscoe Boulevard
  • Southbound Strathern St

Closures are weather-permitting and subject to change. The work is part of a project to repave State Route 27 (SR-27) and upgrade curb ramps, pedestrian push buttons, and bus pads in the San Fernando Valley and through the unincorporated area of Topanga. The work zone spans more than 18 miles on SR-27 from Pacific Coast Highway to Devonshire Street in Chatsworth.

Save the Date–Canoga Park Block Party
Once a month, the Canoga Park Block Party brings together local small business owners and artisans throughout the area. The streets come to life with 50-100+ vendors showcasing a variety of products, services, music, classic cars, food and entertainment. More info can be found here.

Event address: 7248 Owensmouth Avenue between Sherman Way and Wyandotte in Canoga Park

Save the following dates:
  • Saturday April 20, 2024 (5:30pm to 9:30pm)
  • Saturday May 11, 2024 (5:30pm to 9:30pm) 
  • Saturday June 8, 2024 (5:30pm to 10:00pm) 
  • Saturday July 13, 2024 (5:30pm to 10:00pm)

Around Town
Councilmember Blumenfield joined the United to House LA coalition to celebrate the anniversary of the Measure ULA tax going into effect. Blumenfield will continue to support Measure ULA and ensure that the funds are being spent as intended, and that the City is prepared to fully implement the broad range of affordable housing production and homelessness prevention programs.
Last weekend was the start of baseball season at our LA City parks. Councilmember Blumenfield joined festivities at Lanark Park while Deputy Chief of Staff John Popoch threw the first pitch at Woodland Hills Rec Center.
Each year the Grateful Hearts and Disaster Preparedness Fair provides an opportunity for the community to thank our first responders and learn valuable life saving tips in the event of an emergency. Councilmember Blumenfield and Deputy Chief of Staff John Popoch thanked former Councilmember Dennis Zine and West Valley Warner Center Chamber CEO Diana Williams for putting together a great event and also recognized Jay Leno for showcasing one of his hot rod vehicles for attendees to admire.
Councilmember Blumenfield celebrated the grand opening of the Canoga Park-South Valley Work Source Center. EWDD and Equus team members have been doing a wonderful job serving our constituents remotely and once again having a physical presence in the neighborhood opens up a whole new portfolio of services and opportunities for jobseekers and employers.

Community Events and Resources

Historic West Valley
This week's photo, taken in 1965, is from the Valley Times Collection of Van Nuys-Reseda Little League players receiving baseball bats courtesy of Security First National Bank. Learn more about the photo here. 

Councilmember Bob Blumenfield
200 N Spring Street, Room 465, Los Angeles, CA 90012