Community meetings on the future of local governance in unincorporated East LA have been rescheduled after a two-month delay.
The East LA Community Forums, led by the Los Angeles Economic Equity Accelerator and Fellowship (LEEAF) program, allow residents to weigh in on whether a Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) or similar advisory body could help represent the unincorporated community. A MAC would give residents a structure for public input and a direct line of communication to county leadership.
In early March, two remaining in-person forums were postponed after larger-than-expected crowds left residents feeling unheard, organizers said. The decision drew frustration from some residents who worried the delay would slow momentum and participation from other community members.
“For residents, it is disappointing … you have to stick to a schedule, and you have to be consistent with the work that you’re doing in order to gain the trust of people,” said Margaret Fuentes, sergeant-at-arms for the Maravilla Community Advisory Committee (MCAC), who attended the first community forum at Ruben F. Salazar Park on Feb. 21.
Organizers say the new meetings will take place in larger venues to better accommodate crowds. They will also include a breakout group with county experts to answer residents’ questions directly.
“We think that it was valuable to us to take a pause, because now we come back with all the resources we need to make sure that absolutely everybody’s heard,” said Dmitri Seals, lead faculty at LEEAF. “We know there was a lot of frustration around that pause, and we have been working behind the scenes to get these approved as quickly as possible.”
The upcoming meetings are scheduled for:
- Saturday, May 16, 2 p.m. at City Terrace Park, 1126 N Hazard Ave. Register here
- Saturday, June 6, 10:30 a.m. at East LA Service Center, 133 North Sunol Dr. Register here
- Saturday, June 27, 10:30 a.m. at Belvedere Park, 4914 E. Cesar Chavez Ave. Register here
Organizers say they will promote meetings through social media, door-to-door outreach, and appearances at other community meetings in East LA.
What happens next?
The postponed meetings will delay the results of a report that LEEAF is preparing for the County CEO’s office. The County CEO will then prepare their own report based on LEEAF’s findings for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to review.
According to LEEAF’s Executive Director Elianne Rodriguez, an interim report is expected in late July and will be shared with the community at a series of feedback meetings in August. The final LEEAF report will be delivered in early September.
