The Public Square: December 7 - December 9

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, December 7:

• Public Safety and Personnel Council Committees Joint Meeting (9:30 AM)
  • Item 11 (Council File 09-0600-S142)
    • CAO report on hiring and attrition data for the Police Department. As of December 1st, the LAPD has 10,010 officers on the force and 217 in the Police Academy. The LAPD had a planned attrition of 284 officers by December 5th but so far only 146 officers have left the force; leaving the LAPD 138 officers behind plan. The lack of attrition puts the LAPD further behind the eight ball. If the officers don't leave, how will the LAPD meet their budgeted expenditures for police staff/salaries? Where will the funds come from?

Tuesday, December 8:

• City Council (10:00 AM)
  • Item 8 (Council File 08-0923)
    • Continued discussion (possible closed session) of the draft ordinances amending the City's regulations regarding medical marijuana collectives. By the way, here's a link to the recent "Weed Wars" article in the LA Weekly. If you haven't read it already take a moment and do so, its interesting stuff. 
  • Item 17 (Council File 09-2817)
    • Report from the CRA/LA on the transfer of $413,000 in AB 1290 funds to the Department of Recreation and Parks for the acquisition of 5401 La Mirada Avenue for a new public park.
• Energy and Environment Council Committee (2:00 PM)
  • Items 6 & 8 (Council Files 08-1967 and 08-1967-S1)
    • Report from the LADWP relative to the establishment of an ratepayer advocate/ombudsmen that would provide independent and neutral analysis on future proposals for rate increases and rate restructurings and track initiatives to increase the number of participants in the LADWP discount programs. Unsurprisingly, the LADWP Board believes that a ratepayer advocate/ombudsmen is unnecessary as "LADWP customers have reliable service" and "[t]he Mayor, Los Angeles City Council, Controller, and the Board already perform the role of protecting the ratepayers." Sorry LADWP Board, but you can't say the City Council is protecting the ratepayers when they are taking surplus power revenues (i.e. ratepayer overpayments) to balance the City's General Fund? Here is the report, if you feel like reading how having a ratepayer advocate is "superfluous and wasteful."
  • Item 7 (Council File 09-2544)
    • Motion instructing the CAO, CLA, and City Attorney to report on the feasibility of creating an Inspector General position to independently review and report on the operations and management actions of the LADWP. I'd imagine that LADWP Board will say this is just as superfluous as a ratepayer advocate/ombudsmen.

Wednesday, December 9:

• City Council (10:00 AM)
  • Item 17 (Council File 09-2816)
    • Report from the CRA/LA on the transfer of $150,000 in funding to the Bureau of Engineering to conduct a feasibility study and create a landscaping design plan for the Bureau of Street Lighting's East Hollywood Service Yard. While I don't think that focusing on the Street Lighting service yard is the best solution for the lack of park space in East Hollywood, there is nothing wrong with studying the issue. Hopefully the final report, when is completed in July 2011, will finally determine if this idea is feasible or not.
• Transportation Council Committee (2:00 PM)
  • Item 1 (Council File 07-3494)
    • Report on the City's Bicycle Plan update.
  • Item 6 (Council File 09-2896)
    • Motion instructing City Planning and LADOT to report with recommended changes to the zoning code to increase the number of bicycle parking spaces required for new development. This is putting the cart before the horse. It doesn't really matter how many bicycle parking spaces you require developers to provide in a building if the City refuses to provide the appropriate bicycle infrastructure (bike paths and bike lanes, sharrows, bike boxes, etc) for riders can get there safely.