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Welcome from Councilmember Gil Cedillo
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 Jenn Rivera Fredy Ceja
Chief of Staff Deputy Chief of Staff Communications
Sharon Lowe Gerald Gubatan Sergio Infanzon
Special Projects Planning Planning
Kris Ortega Suzana Muro
Council Aide Office Manager
Alfonso Palacios Natalia Ramirez
Case Worker Scheduler
Field Staff
Conrado Terrazas Jose Rodriguez Sylvia Robledo
District Director Asst. District Director Field Deputy
Mel Ilomin Melinda Alatorre
Constituent Services Field Deputy
Pedro Ramirez Ana Gomez
Caseworker 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 3:00pm 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
News Update
A Taste of the 1st: Community Swearing-In and Cultural Celebration
Councilmember Cedillo hosted a community swearing-in at the Historic Park Plaza Hotel in Pico-Union to celebrate the diversity of the 1st District, which included food tastings from local restaurants of the 1st District, live music, and entertainment. Before the festivities, the Councilmember paid a visit to Father Richard Estrada at Our Lady Queen of Angels Church at La Placita, to receive the “bendición del pueblo.”
Sworn in by retired California Supreme Court Justice Cruz Reynoso, Councilmember Cedillo was greeted by a standing-room only crowd of 1,000 spectators. National, state and local elected officials joined community leaders and residents to witness the historic swearing in of the “People’s Representative.” Cedillo vowed to make Council District 1 number one again by focusing on creating cleaner and safer neighborhoods and opening up already existing public space for extended recreational use.
The celebration began with Chinese lion dancers leading the crowd to and from the swearing-in ceremony, which was officiated in the Grand Ballroom. Guests were treated to “A Taste of the 1st” as local restaurants from the district showcased their exquisite cuisines. Korean fan dancers graced the outdoor patio with their colorful ensembles, which was followed by Jose Rizo’s Grammy Award Winning jazz group, Mongorama.
“I am honored that you have entrusted me to represent you in the first district,” stated Councilmember Cedillo in his speech. “We have a lot of work to do and I cannot wait to get started. I dare you to DREAM with me for a better district. We are going to make the first #1 again!”
2013 Listening Tour
One of Councilmember Cedillo's top priorities is to be out in the community listening to your concerns and ideas to move this district forward. The field staff has scheduled town halls throughout the district in hopes that we will meet you and have a friendly conversation about the issues that matter to you and your particular community. Join us at our first 2013 Listening Tour stop:
Mt. Washington Town Hall
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
7PM to 8PM
4580 N. Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90065
Contact: Sylvia Robledo sylvia.robledo@lacity.org
* Stay tuned for additional tour dates in upcoming newsletters.
Constituent Services
If you have a concern that requires immediate attention, please feel free to call my office at (213)473-7001 or fill out the following online form, by clicking here.
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Welcome from Councilmember
Gil Cedillo
Making the First District #1!
Meet the Staff
City Hall
Field Staff
Legislative Update Motion 13-0852
Motion 13-0545-S2
Motion 13-0851
Field Update
Field Office
News Update
A Taste of the 1st
2013 Listening Tour
Constituent Services
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