Gil Cedillo Launches ‘2013 Listening Tour’

Since he was elected to the Los Angeles City Council to represent Council District 1 nearly two months ago, Gil Cedillo has been on a roll—at least by his own admission.

“Team Cedillo hit the ground running,” the councilmember said in an e-newsletter Thursday, describing how on his very first day at a council session he introduced three motions to tackle “the issue of trash and bulky items in our communities, the need to have a fully staffed Fire Department as outlined in a Grand Jury report, and an idea to utilize LAUSD schools beyond 3 p.m. for recreational use.”

After thanking those who voted for him in the May 21 municipal elections, Cedillo went on to say that one of his “top priorities is to be out in the community listening to your concerns and ideas to move this district forward.”

To that end, Cedillo’s field staff has scheduled town hall meetings across CD 1 in the hope that “we will meet you and have a friendly conversation about the issues that matter to you and your particular community.”

Cedillo’s first stop during his Listening Tour, dubbed the “Mt. Washington Town Hall,” is scheduled for Tuesday, July 30, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., at 4580 N. Figueroa St.

Here are some highlights of Cedillo’s newsletter:

“Thank you for having the faith in me to represent you in the 1st Council District. With the election behind us, it is now time to roll up our sleeves and get to work. During the course of the campaign, my team and I became well
acquainted with the diverse communities that make up the 1st Council District. We talked to residents, met with local community groups, and saw first-hand while precinct walking, the multitude of challenges before us.

“Over the next four years I want to focus on creating jobs and improving our quality of life. I will work to finally clean up our streets and continue to clean up our environment. I also want to build a strong collaboration between
the community and LAPD to ensure that our families are safe, and restore fire services in our communities. Most importantly, my staff and I will listen to your concerns and ideas to improve the quality of life for everyone in the 1st
District.

“My vision to transform the 1st District goes far beyond basic city services. Some may say it's too idealistic. I say anything is possible. I have plans, I have a big vision, but none of it will come to fruition until I can sit down with the people that live, work, and have an interest in this community.

“Each individual neighborhood within this district is unique in its own way, and there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution to resolve every issue. Every community is different. Each area has its own challenges. I am here to tell you today that
no one will be ignored. My team is putting together a "2013 Listening Tour." I will listen to each community's concerns and partner with you to improve our communities. My staff is ready and eager to help.

“I thank you for your commitment to change, for social progress, and for believing in someone who has committed his life to public service. I ran for this seat because I believe there is still much work to be done, because I believe that we can do better. With your help, we will make the First District #1!”

Meet the Staff:
City Hall
Arturo Chavez: Chief of Staff
Jenn Rivera: Deputy Chief of Staff
Fredy Ceja: Communications
Sharon Lowe: Special Projects
Gerald Gubatan: Planning
 Sergio Infanzon: Planning
Kris Ortega: Council Aide
Suzana Muro: Office Manager
Alfonso Palacios: Case Worker
Natalia Ramirez: Scheduler

Field Staff
Conrado Terrazas: District Director
Jose Rodriguez: Asst. District Director
Sylvia Robledo: Field Deputy
Mel Ilomin: Constituent Services
Melinda Alatorre: Field Deputy
Pedro Ramirez: Caseworker
Ana Gomez: Field Deputy

Legislative Update:

“Team Cedillo hit the ground running. On our first day of session I introduced three motions to move our district forward. I took on the issue of trash and bulky items in our communities, the need to have a fully staffed Fire Department as outlined in a Grand Jury report, and an idea to utilize LAUSD schools beyond 3 p.m. for recreational use.

“While surveying our communities, we found an overabundance of bulky items (mattresses, couches, toilets, etc.) on sidewalks. Aside from being an eyesore, it also sends the message that we do not care about our community. Motion 13-0852 creates an aggressive clean up campaign staffed by the Bureau of Sanitation. Sanitation will establish a specific clean up route for District 1 to keep our streets clean. In addition, I have instructed the city to explore the possibility of having bulky items picked up by appointment in order to alleviate the issue of bulky items sitting out on the curb for weeks at a time.

In light of continuous budget cuts to city services, the Los Angeles County Civil Grand Jury released a report on June 28, 2013, recommending that: (a) the Los Angeles Fire Department's (LAFD) funding be reinstated to 2008 levels, (b) the firefighters at the Dispatch Center be replaced with civilians, and (c) the Department's computer systems be overhauled. 

"The first recommendation in the report is of particular importance to the 1st District as we have mountainous terrain in various parts of the district that are difficult to access via fire truck. In emergency situations, even a second can make a difference between life and death. For this reason, Motion 13-0545-S2 calls for the LAFD to respond to the Grand Jury's report as it pertains to staffing plans.

“The 1st District is a gem in the City of Angels, featuring open space and the Los Angeles River on one end, yet it contains an overly impacted dense community in the other end. For this purpose, and due to the lack of open space in those dense communities, I have introduced Motion 13-0851. This motion will conduct an inventory of current joint use agreements with LAUSD and assess the feasibility of establishing additional MOU's with LAUSD around the district in order to open up school fields and recreational space for public use beyond normal school operating hours (beyond 3:00pm).”

Field Update:
“Council District 1 has retained the Glassell Park Field Office and plans to open the Highland Park Field Office in the near future. Please note that the Lincoln Heights Field Office is no longer open. To get in contact with our Glassell Park Field Office, please call or visit us at:

Glassell Park Field Office
3750 Verdugo Road
Los Angeles, CA 90065
(323) 341-5671”