Newsletter: The Media Messenger Volume 5, No. 4: Jun, 2004
May/June 2004 | Volume No.5 | Issue No.4
Inside This Issue
Renewal and Expansion: The Next Steps
After months of work by the Media District's Board of Directors, Renewal and Expansion Steering Committee, BID Consultants and Staff, the petition drive is almost over. Petitions were sent to all property owners in the Media District, including existing members and those in the expansion area. Out of the 109 returned petitions, 68% are from smaller property owners. Petitions may still be returned to the BID Office to help support the renewal.
The next step in the renewal process is the Prop 218 Vote, once the City Clerk verifies the signatures. The City Clerk's office will then mail out ballots to all property owners. The ballots will need to be returned within 45 days. A majority of affirmative ballots will allow the City Council to make a motion and create the BID by July 30, 2004. The assessment will be included on the County Assessor's tax bill sent out this fall.
In September, the Nominating Committee will send out nomination forms looking for the new HMD Board of Directors, which would be seated on January 1, 2005. All current board position terms come to an end on December 31, 2004. There are 17 board positions currently.
In October, staff will send out requests for proposals on the clean and safe contracts. The new contracts will be awarded to begin on January 1, 2005.
 If you have any questions regarding the renewal and expansion of the BID, please do not hesitate to contact Mary Lou Dudas, Executive Director, at 323-460-6322. The next meeting of the Board of Directors will take place Thursday, June 17 at 4:00pm, CFI, 959 Seward Street. Please call Devin at 323-460-4770 to R.S.V.P.
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Website Thriving
The Media District's home on the world wide web, www.mediadistrict.org, remains a busy site, seeing an increase in hits due to the recent petition drive. In April, the site generated 11,334 hits, with an average of 377 hits per day.
There were 839 unique visitors throughout the month, and the average session length lasted over five minutes.
The site is a great tool for businesses and property owners to list space for rent or sale, so please contact Devin at 323-460-4770 to add your listing to the site, or to add your logo. In addition to listing, one can find very useful information about the Media District on the site.
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Theater Row Continues to Grow
The Complex Theater, freshly painted in late May. Photo by Devin Strecker
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Now that the Way-Finding Banner program has been up for a few months, people have been noticing Theater Row, in the heart of the Hollywood Media District.
In April, a study was conducted to gauge theatergoers reactions to the banner program, as well as monitoring pedestrian traffic on Theater Row. Results of the study are forthcoming.
Additionally, the Complex Theater, located on the corner of Wilcox and Santa Monica Blvd., has been given a facelift with a new paint job featuring the Media District's signature green color.
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Media District Ranked 7th in County by Budget
Once again, the Hollywood Media District BID has ranked number 7 in budget out of all BIDs in the city of Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Business Journal. The statistics are based on the year 2003 budget, which was $1,026,300.00 for the Media District.
The Downtown Center BID, with an annual budget of $4,650,000.00; the Fashion District BID; and our neighbor, the Hollywood Entertainment District BID, occupy the top three spots respectively.
Currently, there are over 25 BIDs in Los Angeles, including property-based (such as the Media District) and merchant-based organizations.
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Media District Briefs
- HMD Security has been increasing their deployment on Wednesday nights for the most of May, in order to combat problems occurring from crowds gathering near the intersection of Highland and Santa Monica Blvd. late at night. LAPD has also been cooperative in working with BID security and providing additional officers to the area. Security Supervisor Ken Nakano reported at the last board meeting that as a result, there has been a drop in activity on these nights, because of the cooperative effort.
- CFI, 959 Seward Street, is cleaning out the facility as they move to their new location. They are selling office equipment and furniture, as well as donating to local non-profit organizations. For more info, please contact Larry Curtis at 818-260-3820.
- At May's Business Watch Meeting, the group discussed video surveillance techniques that are being used to fight crime in Hollywood. A pilot program in the Hollywood Entertainment District has proven successful, and the Media District will be looking at options that could be utilized in our area. Business Watch is a monthly meeting coordinated between the BID and LAPD, Hollywood Division. The next meeting is June 17 (see 'Mark Your Calendar').
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The Media District at Night
Devin Strecker, HMD Administrative Assistant, has been seeing a different side of the Media District lately. As a volunteer for the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center, Strecker has been working with the youth outreach team, walking the streets of the Media District at night.
The outreach team, consisting of staff and volunteers, attempts to educate homeless and at-risk youth about the Jeff Griffith Youth Center at 7051 Santa Monica Blvd., where they can go for assistance, clean clothing, bus tokens, shelter, and numerous other services.
"It has been interesting really getting to know what is going on here at night, and hearing from the kids out on the streets. One kid we were talking to had just come here from San Francisco and was complaining about how clean and calm Santa Monica Blvd. had become. He and his friend reminisced about how Hollywood 'used to be, 3 or 4 years ago.' So, it does appear that that Media District has really made an impact in that regard," Strecker said.
For more information, call 1-800-927-HELP.
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Annual Meeting Scheduled for September
The Annual Meeting, traditionally held in June, will take place in September this year. This will allow time for board members and staff to complete the renewal process, and will be a celebratory event for the stakeholders.
More details will be provided in upcoming issues of The Media Messenger, so stay tuned!
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HMD Calendar
Business Watch Meeting
When: Thursday, June 17
Time: 12:00 pm
Where: Hollywood Community Room, 6501 Fountain.
Call 323-460-4770 to RSVP for lunch
HMD Board Meeting
When: Thursday, June 17
Time: 4:00 pm
Where: CFI, 959 Seward St.
Call 323-460-4770 for details
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Graffiti Paint Out Agreement
Your consent is necessary to obliterate graffiti at your site. The Hollywood Beautification Team, through the city, will assist in the acquisition of free paint for your property or paint out graffiti using your paint.
Please make sure that your business or property has a signed Agreement on file. For more information or an Agreement, please contact Devin at 323.460.4770.
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April Activities Report
| Incident Types |
Apr 2004 |
Year to date |
| Calls for Service |
74 |
230 |
| Officer Observations |
314 |
1276 |
| Arrests |
6 |
28 |
| Aggressive Panhandlers |
19 |
56 |
| Alcohol/Narcotics Related |
12 |
74 |
| Bus Stop Checks |
48 |
366 |
| Green Car Tags (Precautionary) |
182 |
353 |
| Illegal Lodging/Encampments |
64 |
224 |
| Location/Hot Spot Checks |
2685 |
7113 |
| Loitering/Trespassing |
154 |
672 |
| Merchant Contacts |
11 |
199 |
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Questions or Comments
Feel free to contact the Hollywood Media District using the following contact information:
Hollywood Media District
1304 North Highland Avenue #200
Hollywood, CA 90028
Phone: 323.460.6322
Fax: 323.460.6488
www.mediadistrict.org
Executive Director: Mary Lou Dudas
MDudas@pacbell.net
Assistant: Devin Strecker
Devin77@pacbell.net
323-460-4770
Hollywood Media District Field Office
6775 Santa Monica Blvd. #2A
Hollywood, CA 90038
Phone: 323.871.4150
Hours: 7am - 12am, Mon-Sat
Hollywood Beautification Team
6775 Santa Monica Blvd. #2A
Phone: Phone 323-463-5180
Hours: 7am - 4pm, Mon-Sun
Security Supervisor: Ken Nakano
kenneth.nakano@securitasinc.com
Hollywood Media District Property Owners
Association
Board of Directors
Carol Cassella, President - RenMar Studios
Jeff Anthony, Vice-President - Iron Mountain Film & Sound
Larry Curtis, Secretary - Consolidated Film Industries
Jack Fleming, Treasurer - Advanced Digital Services
Fred Anawalt - Anawalt Lumber Company
Morton Lakretz - The Crossroads
Tim Mahoney - Hollywood Center Studios
Michael Malick - Marcus & Millichap
Jacques Massachi - Ori Service Center
Albert Sweet - Al Sweet Development
Gene La Pietra - Arena Cafe
Ana Ramirez - Television Center
Don Robertson - Honda of Hollywood
Brian Scane - The Paladin Group, Inc.
Ron Stein - Crest NationalFilm & Video
Eliza Thorne - Seward Film Vaults
Ferris Wehbe - Hollywood Little Red School
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Names and Numbers
IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS
Hollywood Area Police Station: 213-485-4302
Hollywood Community Relations: 213-485-4310
LA Fire Department Emergency: 911
Damaged Parking Meters: 877-215-3958
Lot Cleaning: 800-996-2489
Department of Transportation: 213-485-2489
Bulky Item Pick Up (Residents Only): 800-773-3326
Animal Regulation: 888-452-7381
Building and Safety: 213-977-6966
Potholes, Curb, Street Damage BSM: 800-996-2489
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