MAR VISTA COMMUNITY COUNCIL

On August 13, 2002, the Los Angeles City Board of Neighborhood Commissioners officially certified the Mar Vista Community Council (MVCC) as the 41st neighborhood council in the City of Los Angeles.

The boundaries of the new council, which includes over 50,000 people, extend roughly west to Walgrove, south to Culver City (at Washington), east to Overland and north to the border of Santa Monica and the 10 freeway.

This area includes numerous homeowner and neighborhood associations, including our own Mar Vista Neighborhood Association. The Council does not replace these groups, which will continue to serve the needs of their particular neighborhoods, as they have in the past.

MVCC is an outgrowth of L.A.’s new city charter, which created neighborhood councils to promote local input and control over city government. The hope is that as many as 70 neighborhood councils will be certified by the end of the year, and that the number will eventually reach 150.

The councils will be advisory in nature, but are expected to have plenty of clout in city policy decisions. Eventually, each council will receive a budget from the city and set up an office, possibly shared with other area councils.

On March 27, 2003, the council held its first board election. Elected for two-year terms were (in order of votes received)  Ken Alpern, Tom Ponton, Tony Navarro, Maritza Przekop, Rob Kadota, Bill Scheding and Amy Lawrence.  One-year terms went to Bryan Gordon, Evelyn Dravecky, Barbara Corry, Andy Shrader, Christine Taylor and Amanda Seward.  This list happily includes all three candidates (Ponton, Kadota and Gordon)  who are also directors of Mar Vista Neighborhood Association. 

The board later elected Tom Ponton as its first chairperson.

For further information, visit their website at www.marvistacc.org