Organizers of East LA’s community forums on local governance postponed in-person meetings this week after larger-than-expected crowds at earlier sessions. County officials said they are looking for larger venues so residents have more space to participate.
The forums allow residents and stakeholders to share their perspectives on whether East Los Angeles, an unincorporated region of nearly 120,000 residents, should pursue another form of local governance, such as a town or municipal advisory council.
After a series of crowded meetings last month, organizers postponed the remaining in-person meetings originally scheduled for March 4 and March 7. Around 60 people attended a virtual community forum on Thursday where representatives from the LA County Chief Executive Office were present to answer questions about the postponed meetings. In a breakout room, staff took questions from attendees.
“We postponed them because we wanted to make sure that people were in a position or in an environment where they felt safe, where they felt like they could be heard… and they didn’t feel like it was a good environment. And so we were not happy with that result,” Carrie Miller of the CEO’s office said.
At the Feb. 28 forum at City Terrace Park, the venue was having issues with its air conditioning during warm weather. Miller added that attendees told staff they felt uncomfortable and left due to the crowded conditions and heat.
The forums are being led by the Los Angeles Economic Equity Accelerator and Fellowship (LEEAF) program through California State University, Los Angeles, at the direction of the county CEO’s office.
In an email to Boyle Heights Beat, LEEAF Director Elianne Rodriguez said that the average number of people at the forums surpassed expectations and reflects the high level of interest and enthusiasm about the opportunities to be civically engaged.
“About 65% of attendees joined without RSVPs, so it became clear that we need to plan for spaces and resources. As we reschedule, we’re working hard to be able to welcome the large crowds we anticipate and to make sure every voice is heard,” Rodriguez wrote.
Riley Kwong attended the Saturday, Feb. 28 forum and agreed with the speakers at Thursday’s virtual meeting.
“It was really loud, it was really warm, and it was, by the end, standing room only. It was really hard to feel heard and I think for the other people at my table to feel heard,” Kwong said.
East LA resident Genesis Coronado felt that the last-minute cancellation of the in-person forums on March 4 and 7 was disrespectful to the community, who had waited months for these meetings to happen.
“For a county this large, with so many resources, with so many experts on community engagement… it’s just really bizarre that the way that these meetings were canceled was very last-minute, and there wasn’t enough work done to truly get the word out,” Coronado said.
She added she wasn’t the only one to show up at the East LA Service Center Wednesday night.
“There was no signage about the cancellation,” Coronado said. “There were a few of us community members talking to folks that arrived thinking the meeting was still going on.”
Miller said the CEO’s office plans to reschedule them soon and is trying hard to keep them in March to stay on track with their plan to complete forum reports on time.
Rodriguez said she and her team will share the rescheduled dates as soon as possible. They will be influenced by input already received from the community regarding what times are most accessible.
At the first forum held Feb. 21 at Salazar Park, residents largely discussed what they would want from a group that would directly represent the needs of the community. Some attendees stressed the desire for an advisory council to be composed of East LA residents, while others didn’t want to rule out cityhood completely.
Rodriguez affirmed that more than 110 mostly East LA residents have attended previous meetings and shared “valuable insight” so far.
“We also saw a great deal of multi-generational attendance and levels of prior experience – that’s a great outcome based on our commitment to broadening the circle of voices,” she said.
