Stakeholders in the Granada Hills South Neighborhood are invited to serve on a Neighborhood Council Grievance Panel (NCGP) for a three-week period starting on 11/15/13. The NCGP will address issues raised in a grievance filed against the Granada Hills South Neighborhood Council by Mr. William Kuzmin (the “Aggrieved Party”).

The expected time commitment is: the review of all documentation; two evening meetings; and some phone calls. One of the panel members will also write a final report for the Board.

Please read the following information, and if you are interested in serving on the NCGP, follow the instructions at the end.

Convening of panel

Volunteers will apply by 5 pm on 11/14/13.  On 11/14/13 at 7 pm, the Secretary, with an independent witness, will select five panel members at random from among all the volunteers. Volunteers will be immediately evaluated based on the information provided, and any selected at random but deemed not to be stakeholders will be excluded and another panel member chosen at random.

“Stakeholder”

You are a stakeholder if you live, work, or own property in the Granada Hills South neighborhood, and also if you declare a stake in the neighborhood and affirm a factual basis for it. In summary, if you are eligible to vote in the GHSNC elections. The Board has determined that current Board members are recused from being members of the NCGP.

Grievance Panel Hearing

The Board Secretary will coordinate with the panel members and the Aggrieved Party to schedule a time and place for the grievance hearing, envisioned to be a 2-3 hour meeting. At the start of the meeting, the Board Secretary will advise the panel to select among themselves a chairman and a secretary, according to Robert’s Rules of Order. The chairman will then run the meeting. The meeting will be open (anyone may attend) unless both the Aggrieved Party and a majority of the panel agree that the meeting will be closed (attended by only the panel and the Aggrieved Party). The panel and the Aggrieved party may at their option mutually agree to hold further meetings or discussions.  However, all such activities should be complete by 11/27/13.

NCGP Report

Following the grievance hearing, the panel will determine findings, and the panel secretary will prepare a report with these findings and recommendations.  Because of the short timeframe, it will be requested that this report be delivered to the Board Secretary no later than Sunday evening 12/1/13.  The panel is invited to couch its recommendations in the form of Board motions which can be discussed and voted at the December Board meeting on 12/5/13.

Timeline of Grievance Panel activity

The Board Secretary is responsible for convening and administering the NCGP, but is not a member of the panel.  On 11/15/13, the Board Secretary will contact the five panel members to notify them of their selection.

A grievance hearing will be held with the NCGP and the Aggrieved Party, to be scheduled on or before 11/27/13.

Following the hearing, the panel will prepare a report for the Board addressing the grievance issues discussed, including recommendations for future action.

The NCGP, or representatives therefrom, will be requested to participate in the 12/5/13 GHSNC Board Meeting to present their findings.  It is envisioned that the panel will be excused from service after the Board Meeting.

Background Information

The GHSNC Bylaws are here, and section XI describes this Grievance Process:

https://ghsnc.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/GHSNC-Bylaws-090712.pdf

Mr. Kuzmin’s grievance is here:

https://ghsnc.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/William-Kuzmin-Grievance.pdf

The Board’s initial response to Mr Kuzmin is here.

https://ghsnc.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/GHSNC-grievance-letter-Kuzmin.pdf

How to Volunteer

If you are interested in volunteering for this panel, please note that your availability is important, as Thanksgiving falls in the middle of the timeline.

Please send an email to grievance.panel@ghsnc.org with the following information:

  1. Your full name, email address, and phone number. These numbers will be shared only with other selected panel members.
  2. Any dates in which you would NOT be available for an evening or weekend meeting between 11/15/13 and 11/27/13
  3. Your basis for being a Granada Hills South Neighborhood stakeholder (please provide your address, which will remain confidential.

All of this information is very important so please be sure to follow these instructions. You will be notified on 11/15 as to whether you have been randomly selected for the panel.

Thank you for your interest in the Granada Hills South Neighborhood Council.