Hollywood Unbound: The Public Square: September 14

Sunday, September 13, 2009

The Public Square: September 14 - September 16

Posted by Darryl Ford at 3:30 PM

A brief look at items on the agenda at City Council, City Council Committees, Neighborhood Councils, and various City Boards and Commissions of interest to Hollywood residents. City Agendas can be found here.

Monday, September 14:

Budget and Finance Council Committee (1:00 PM)
- Item 1 – Council File 09-600-S142: Joint CAO/CLA report on the 2009-10 Budget Balancing Operational Plan. The plan contains an overview of the City's current financial status, analysis of how proposed actions could address the City's current financial status, and recommended actions to address the anticipated budget gap. Per the report, due to delays in implementing budget reductions and revised revenue estimates there is an overall anticipated budgetary shortfall of $405 million. The report also analyzed the proposed ERIP and concluded that approval of ERIP would "devastate City operations and would not be sustainable." Finally, the report found that the ERIP is not "financially viable" and recommended that, if the City Council does not approve the ERIP, a mandatory furlough program be implemented for all City employees and 926 employees be laid off.
- Item 2 – Council File 09-600-S141: The first CAO Financial Status Report for the current Fiscal Year (Fiscal Year 2009-10). The Financial Status Report provides the status of the City's Reserve Fund, highlights issues that may affect the budget, and provides recommendations for budgetary adjustments. Currently the City's Reserve Fund is $91M less than budgeted and anticipated revenues (e.g. sales/property/utility taxes, permits, fees, fines) are expected to fall $75M short of budget projections.
- Item 3 – Council File 09-600-S138: A report from the City Controller on budgetary cash flow. Based on existing budgetary salary assumptions and expenditures for the first two months of the year the City is on track to expend $300M more on salaries than budgeted. Regarding the ERIP, the report says that it is unclear if it will generate substantial savings and that every day that goes by without reaching a decision on it reduces the savings available to the City.
Hollywood Studio District Neighborhood Council Board Meeting (7:30 PM)
- Agenda not yet posted. Go here for more info.

Tuesday, September 15:

City Council is in Recess from September 15th to September 18th due to the League of California Cities' Annual Conference.
Executive Employees Relations Council Committee (8:30 AM)
- Items 2 & 3: Closed session conference with the City's Labor Negotiator (CAO) concerning consultations and discussions with representatives of the Police and Fire unions; and, an update on the status of the ERIP, civilian contracts, furloughs, and layoffs.
Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council Board Meeting (7:30 PM)
- Agenda (pdf)
- Item 3: On Saturday, September 21, the GGPNC filled the nine "appointed" seats (5 specified and 4 at-large) on the GGPNC Board. Of these nine seats, only 1 was filled by a person new to the Neighborhood Council System-- 6 were filled by current GGPNC Board members, 1 by a former GGPNC Board member, and 1 by a former Board member of another Neighborhood Council. Not exactly change you can believe in. No disrespect to those who received appointments, but when there are 32 candidates vying for positions and the GGPNC Board selects only those who were already serving on the Board you have to acknowledge that the process doesn't quite pass the smell test. Selections enable the GGPNC Board, consciously or unconsciously, to pick candidates who share their views and opinions; ultimately reinforcing the existing status quo and marginalizing other, possibly dissident, voices. Elections, not selections, are the way to ensure that a diverse and robust group of individuals participate in the Neighborhood Council.
- Item 12: Discussion and possible action relative to the DWP's 2009 Festival of Lights in Griffith Park.