LOS ANGELES – A Los Angeles Metro Board committee re-certified the environmental impact report for a proposed gondola that aims to connect Union Station to Dodger Stadium — a project initiated by former Dodger owner Frank McCourt — after the original documents were challenged in court. In a 4-1 vote, the Los Angeles Metro Board’s Executive Management Committee approved a supplemental environmental impact report. L.A. County Supervisor and Board member Janice Hahn voted against the item, while Jacquelyn Dupont-Walker, a member of the committee, was absent during the vote. Committee members emphasized that the vote was only about certifying the…
Author: Jose Herrera
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LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday approved a resolution formalizing its opposition to a proposed gondola project connecting Union Station to Dodger Stadium. In a 12-1 vote, council members instructed staff to send the resolution to LA Metro, the lead agency responsible for reviewing mass transit projects in Los Angeles County. Metro is accepting comments from individuals concerning the draft supplemental environmental impact report until 5 p.m. Thursday. “This is not a regional transit solution. This is not a serious proposal to move Angelenos. This is not public transportation,” Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez said prior to the…
LOS ANGELES – The City Council approved an update to the Rent Stabilization Ordinance, using a new formula that will set allowable increases for roughly 650,000 units at 4% and remove additional charges for electricity and gas — the most substantive changes to the policy in more than four decades. In a 12-2 vote following two hours of discussion, the council instructed the city attorney to draft an amendment to the RSO to codify the changes. The final version differs from the option endorsed by the Housing and Homelessness Committee, which called for a 0% floor and 3% ceiling on…
LOS ANGELES – Three months into the fiscal year, the Los Angeles City Council is expected to approve a plan Wednesday to address a projected budget gap of $263 million caused by unexpected spending in several city departments and other costs. As part of the plan, the council would authorize the allocation of $14.19 million to cover immediate expenses, such as $1.36 million for outside counsel through December, and nearly $6 million for costs related to cleanup of fire debris and repairs to stormwater infrastructure. Top city officials further identified $169.41 million in possible actions to reduce year-end overspending down…
LOS ANGELES – A Los Angeles board Thursday initiated a process to construct a proposed $2.3 million iron fence around MacArthur Park, which officials said would serve to bolster public safety amid ongoing challenges with homelessness and drug usage. In a 4-0 vote, the Los Angeles Board of Recreation and Park Commissioners instructed staff to finalize a proposal. Staff are expected to put a call out for contractors and consultants to assist with the project, which will likely return by December for consideration, according to a city report. Commission President Renata Simril was absent during the vote. ICE agents appeared…
LOS ANGELES – Mayor Karen Bass signed an agreement Tuesday that she said will avert the planned furlough of some municipal employees and all remaining civil service layoffs for fiscal year 2025-26, an outcome resulting from months of negotiations with labor unions. In April, the mayor had proposed more than 1,600 layoffs as part of an effort to eliminate a nearly $1 billion budget deficit caused by overspending, skyrocketing liability payouts, lower-than-expected tax revenues, and a weakening economy, among other challenges. The number of layoffs was later reduced to 600 after budget maneuvering by the City Council. During a news…
LOS ANGELES – The Greater Los Angeles region experienced a second consecutive year-over-year decline in people experiencing homelessness, according to figures released Monday, but authorities warned that more housing will be needed to continue the downward trend. The annual point-in-time homeless count showed there was a 4% decrease in unhoused people across the county, while in the city of Los Angeles, there was a 3.4% drop, according to data released by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, which was created as a joint city-county organization overseeing funding and programming to address the homelessness crisis. Los Angeles County has since opted…
LOS ANGELES – After roughly two hours of public comment in which industry stakeholders called for film permitting reforms, a panel of Los Angeles appointed officials Friday renewed a five-year contract with FilmLA. The Board of Public Works unanimously voted to renew the city’s contract with the partner film office, which also serves L.A. County and other local jurisdictions. The five-member board did not have the authority to make changes to the contract, as such amendments would require approval by both parties, as well as consideration by the City Council. “We’re very limited in our jurisdiction,” Board Vice President Jenny…
LOS ANGELES – A Los Angeles City Council committee Friday advanced recommendations to revise Mayor Karen Bass’ proposed budget for fiscal year 2025-26 that one top city analyst said could reduce layoffs to less than 500, which in part involves slowing down the hiring of sworn police officers. Over the last two weeks, the five-member Budget and Finance Committee has reviewed Bass’ budget, which called for 1,647 layoffs and the elimination of 1,053 vacant positions in a bid to address a nearly $1 billion deficit. Those potential layoffs would impact several departments including sanitation, transportation, street lighting and others. Department…
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles City Council directed staff Tuesday to explore proposals to improve enforcement of its home-sharing ordinance and residential hotel policies. In a 12-0 vote, the City Council members instructed relevant departments to report on the personnel and funding needed to enforce regulations against illegal, unregistered home-sharing activity. Council members Bob Blumenfield, John Lee and Monica Rodriguez were absent during the vote. Additionally, staff will explore establishing a private right of action, which could allow residents to pursue lawsuits against homeowners, who offer their property as short-term rentals and violate the city’s regulations. In 2021, Councilwoman…
LOS ANGELES – Residents in the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County can now benefit from an expansion of the Stay Housed LA program, which provides free legal representation to eligible tenants facing eviction, officials announced Wednesday. Since 2020, Stay Housed LA has been the county’s comprehensive eviction defense program, providing tenants with information and resources to help minimize tenant displacement and homelessness. The program is a partnership between the county, the city of L.A., legal service providers, and local community organizations. The Department of Consumer and Business Affairs delayed the launch of the expanded program until now due to…
LOS ANGELES – The L.A. City Council Tuesday formally killed a proposal to provide eviction defense for nannies, gardeners and other residents who were impacted economically by January’s wildfires after postponing a decision on the matter last month. In a 12-0 vote, council members noted and filed the proposal, meaning no further action can be taken on the matter. Council members Traci Park and Nithya Raman were absent during vote, and Councilman Curren Price recused himself, as he is a landlord. The proposal aimed to provide a defense for non-payment of rent and no- fault evictions for tenants who could…
LOS ANGELES – Days after Mayor Karen Bass ousted Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley, the City Council president said Monday he encouraged the mayor to “separate” from the now-former chief weeks ago. Bass removed Crowley as head of LAFD Friday, citing failures in leadership ahead of the January windstorm that led to the deadly Palisades Fire, as well as what the mayor said was Crowley’s refusal to prepare an after- action report. On Monday, Marqueece Harris-Dawson, the leader of the 15-member City Council, said in a phone interview the firing was a “solemn and sad moment.” Some council…
LOS ANGELES – Mayor Karen Bass fired Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley Friday, foisting blame on her for what the mayor called failures in leadership stemming from the January windstorm that led to the deadly wildfire that ravaged Pacific Palisades. Mayor of LA / X Bass appointed former Chief Deputy Ronnie Villanueva, a 41-year LAFD veteran, as interim fire chief. “I was honored to join @LAFD leadership and @LACity Councilwom@MRodCD7today, in recognizing and thanking #LAFD Chief Deputy Ronnie Villanueva for his 41 years of remarkable service to the people of #LosAngeles. Please enjoy a well earned retirement.” @LAFDChief…
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles City Council Tuesday postponed a vote on a proposal to provide eviction defense for nannies, gardeners and other residents who were impacted economically by January’s wildfires. Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez, who introduced the proposal last month alongside Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez, said she heard the concerns from opponents and believes with the time granted, “we can come to a solution.” The council voted 11-0 to continue the item to March 4. Hernandez also said several labor unions have told her workers have lost income as a result of the January wildfires. “Overall, 7,000 union members have…