Well Folks, it’s that time of year again, time to express my appreciation to all of you dedicated, boots-on-the-ground, can-do, will-do, have-done, salt-of-the-earth Angelenos working for your communities in the East San Fernando Valley and North Central Los Angeles Neighborhood Council areas. 
 
My apologies for getting a little hyper-descriptive with the complimentary adjectives there but sometimes we’re compelled by the reality of the circumstances to just say it like it is.  As I said in my year-end message last year, and I’ll keep saying it because it’s a fact, it’s people like you that keep me focused on providing the best service I can to the communities in my coverage area, people like you that keep me motivated and energized through all the ups and downs, the thick and the thin, that this job entails.
 
Because you haven’t seen me at your meetings and events as much as in past years due to the mandated cutbacks in staff time for routine off-hours outreach, I’d like to take a moment to provide you with a glimpse of what I’ve been doing over the past twelve months so you can see that you’re getting the most bang for your rate-payer buck from your area liaison.
 
Participation at over 100 community meetings, workshops and events, including individual Neighborhood Council, HOA and Watch meetings, the NC/DWP MOU Oversight Committee, LANCC and Advocacy Committee meetings, DWP infrastructure-project informational community meetings,  working our exhibit tables at community fairs of various types, and of course our Recycled Water Advisory Group, Urban Water Management Plan, Power IRP and Rate Proposal workshops.  A few standouts among these were the Valley Green Building Team conference at CSUN in June, Earth Day events in Pacoima and Toluca Lake, the Adelante Hombre Education and Career conference in Panorama City, Studio City’s Watch2.org, annual meeting, Tree People’s Green City Fair and let’s not forget the wonderful 2011 Neighborhood Council Congress in September, planned, organized and carried off with pizzazz and panache by the Neighborhood Councils themselves.
 
Over 300 customer and constituent assistance requests resolved, most dare I say to the satisfaction of all parties involved.  These can be quite complex and time-consuming, but very rewarding as well, when someone expresses pleasant surprise that they got a call-back so quickly or when a call starts out on an adversarial note and ends with thank-yous and compliments.
 
Some examples stand out.  A 92-year-old widower on a fixed income, living alone, concerned about the size of her water bills and unable to get her concerns addressed through the normal channels.  I was initially concerned when I learned of her age that communication could be a problem so I scheduled a site visit at her residence to go over her bills with her in person but it turned out she was sharp as a tack and I can’t think of any word other than delightful  in describing the experience of assisting her with the help of one of our DWP water conservation experts. 
 
I had the pleasure of working with the director and staff of a local non-profit focused among other things on assisting military veterans with obtaining education and training in preparation for entering the job market. I arranged for a group of veterans who had completed an electric distribution mechanic preparatory program at Trade Tech to attend a half-day session at the DWP Truesdale electrical craft training center in Sun Valley.  The session included a survey orientation and Q&A for the attendees by two of the training center’s lead trainers, as well as a tour of the facility during actual ongoing electric distribution mechanic training, providing the attendees with a real-world perspective on this challenging field as well as an opportunity to make some important contacts at DWP that will be helpful as they move forward on their prospective chosen career path.
 
Internally here at the Department I was able to get implemented an innovation in the way DWP handles notification and outreach regarding traffic impacts resulting from some of our major infrastructure projects.  Up until now standard methods of notification such as work-site signage, radius letters, e-mail blasts and local community meetings were being used.  It occurred to me that at sites located along major commuter routes, an enhancement to the existing methods would be to expand the outreach to the commuter base that travels through the construction zone. 
 
To that end I developed contacts at MTA (METRO) and arranged for our project engineering staff to be able to utilize METRO’s existing commuter data-base information, notification protocols and networks, to send project alerts and updates to all of METRO’s commuter coordinators at employers within targeted zip code areas on both sides of the project location commuter route.   That information is then distributed internally by the coordinators to their affected employees so that those who commute can take measures to avoid delays and increased congestion, and of course reduce emissions and other impacts to the community where the project is located.  All done with virtually no cost or increase in workload for DWP project staff, due to leveraging of existing outside resources. (Hint:  Stay away from Coldwater south of Ventura through December 30).
 
In terms of innovation and outside-the-box thinking to serve you better, my list of 2012 goals, which the liaisons were asked to submit recently, was eight pages long.  Why?  Because what you think, your input, your creativity are not lost on me and I’ve incorporated many things I’ve heard and learned from you into that list.  Stay tuned in 2012 for more on that.
 
Very importantly, let me take another moment to acknowledge all the managers and their staffs that I work with here at the Department for their constant and invaluable assistance and support in providing you and your stakeholders with timely information and services that are requested.
I can attest to their dedication, commitment and quite frankly caring in addressing your concerns because virtually every day I am the beneficiary of their expertise and sense of teamwork as I work on getting you answers and resolving your issues.
 
I’d also like to acknowledge City Council Offices 2, 4, 6, 7 and 13 that I’ve worked with in the past year, particularly their field staff, with whom I am constantly communicating and coordinating in providing my coverage areas with the best service possible.
 
I can’t think of a better way to end this message than to also acknowledge the beauty,  uniqueness and vibrancy of your communities and the people in those communities.  In doing all the things mentioned above and much, much more, I have met and come to know so many special Angelenos, learned the stories behind the faces and places, and been inspired to always do my utmost, just as I know you have been doing in your communities, on a voluntary basis I might add, for so many years.
 
My warmest wishes to all of you and yours for the remainder of the holiday season and throughout the coming year.
 
Greg Bartz,  LADWP Local Government & Community Relations Liaison