Neighborhood councils take over City Hall...for a day

The city's experiment with elected neighborhood councils is still very much a work in progress. Members of the councils often feel ignored at City Hall, and the elected officials and their staffs know that only some of councils are effective or able to truly speak for people in their areas. But on Saturday, the activists ruled at City Hall. The 2011 Congress of Neighborhoods got a visit from the mayor, heard from city officials about how to influence decisions, and shared some tips on how to act at meetings. "Neighborhood councils are sort of this sleeping giant that's awakening," said Jay Beeber of the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council. Mayor Villaraigosa, for his part, said "they have been very innovative and have pushed us to do more." Daily News, Intersections