December Archives

December 2000

Yaroslavsky Champions Independent Valley Transit Zone - In a December 24, 2000 op-ed piece in the Los Angeles Times Valley Edition, Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky championed the permanent establishment of an independent San Fernando Valley Transit Zone. Such a Zone, Yaroslavsky said, would benefit the Valley by offering a locally governed, locally based public transit system that would "put Valley transit users first," relieve the MTA of the burden of planning and operating transit lines in the Valley, and offer County and Valley taxpayers alike a far better return on their annual $1-billion transit investment.

Yaroslavsky Proposal Advances to Establish County Website for Disability Services - On Tuesday, 12/19, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion by Supervisors Zev Yaroslavsky and Michael D. Antonovich to consider developing a County Website offering information on services available to the estimated 900,000 residents of Los Angeles County with some form of disability. Yaroslavsky said that such a Website could improve the availability and accessibility of County programs and services such as In-Home Supportive Services, Meals-on-Wheels, data on curb ramps and Americans with Disabilities Act access, and health and rehabilitation programs. County officials were directed to formulate and evaluate the plan in collaboration with the Westside Center for Independent Living, UCLA’s Advanced Policy Institute at the School of Public Policy and Social Research, and the Los Angeles County Commission on Disabilities, and report back by March 13, 2001.

Christmas Tree Recycling Program - Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky is reminding residents throughout Los Angeles County that once again, they can conveniently recycle their Christmas trees this year. Most areas provide curbside recycling during regular pickup days while others offer drop-off sites where the trees can be recycled over the weekends of 12/30-31/2000, and 1/6-7/2001. Under the program, trees will be chipped and used for mulch at County parks and landfills, which helps residents safely dispose of very dry trees while preserving diminishing landfill capacity. Residents should prepare trees for disposal by removing tree stands and all hooks, nails, ornaments and tinsel before hauling trees to the drop-off sites. For detailed information on sites and schedules for unincorporated and incorporated areas, and for Garbage Disposal Districts, click here, or call the County Department of Public Works Environmental Hotline at (1-888)-CLEAN LA.

Yaroslavsky Calls for Voting System Upgrade - Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky is calling on Los Angeles County officials to back state and federal efforts to help local governments upgrade their often antiquated voting systems in the wake of this year's presidential election confusion. Yaroslavsky's pending motion, to be voted on January 9, 2001, would direct the County's legislative representatives to seek federal and/or state funding for the conversion of the county’s existing card-punch system (comparable to Florida's) to a modern, technologically advanced system that produces fast and accurate election results. Click here to learn more about the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder's promising new touchscreen pilot project.

Board Adopts Yaroslavsky Proposal to Reduce Excessive Disability Retirement Payouts - On Tuesday, 12/19, the Board of Supervisors adopted a joint motion by Supervisors Zev Yaroslavsky and Gloria Molina to pursue remedies to reduce the cost of excessive disability pension payouts by LACERA, the County's retirement system. In their motion, Yaroslavsky and Molina noted that more than half of retiring sheriff's deputies, and nearly two-thirds of County firefighters, retire with full disability benefits, despite not being fully disabled - a rate exceeding that of most other California counties. Their motion calls for policy changes within the Sheriff's and Fire Departments, and for an audit of the pension system's claims administration process to implement improvements.

Yaroslavsky Announces Renewal of Hollywood Bowl Shuttle Program - Yaroslavsky has announced that the Board of Supervisors has renewed the program for park-and-ride and shuttle service to the Hollywood Bowl from 15 parking lots throughout the County for the 2001 summer season. Now in its 27^th year, the program aims to ease traffic congestion and provide low-cost transportation for County residents to enjoy the Bowl's summer concert offerings. Click here for further information.

Rates per person are $2.50 each way from remote lots and $3.00 round trip from nearby parking lots, while parking at the lots is free. Three shuttle lots have been selected:

LOS ANGELES ZOO: 5333 Zoo Drive, Section C (new)
HOLLYWOOD/LA BREA AVENUE: On La Brea Avenue between Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard
STUDIO CITY/VENTURA BOULEVARD: On Ventura Blvd. between Vineland Avenue and Lankershim Boulevard

Currently identified park-and-ride sites in the Third Supervisorial District:

SANTA MONICA: Rand Corporation, 1700 Main Street, south parking lot
SHERMAN OAKS: Sunkist Building, 14130 Riverside Dr.
WESTWOOD: At the Federal Building, 11000 Wilshire Blvd., off Veteran Avenue.

Further information may be obtained by calling (323) 850-2000.

Yaroslavsky Announces Purchase of 107-Acre Calabasas Property for National Park Service - Supervisor Yaroslavsky has announced approval to acquire a 107-acre parcel of prime open space adjacent to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area near the Calabasas Landfill. Yaroslavsky said that acquisition of the so-called "Abrams parcel" has long been a top priority for park officials, as it provides a vital wildlife corridor of grasslands, coastal sage and oak woodlands between Malibu Creek and the Simi Hills. Yaroslavsky explained that the purchase was made possible by mitigation requirements imposed by the National Park Service on the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, which call for setting aside two acres of wilderness for each new acre of landfill operation. The $3.2 million purchase will be funded by a combination of $2.86 million from the Districts' Refuse Disposal Trust Fund, and $340,000 from the Calabasas Landfill Habitat Acquisition Account, which reflects revenue from a gas-recovery project at the landfill site.

Board Approves No-Cost 20-Year Lease for New Agoura Hills Public Library - On December 12, the Board approved a gratis 20-year lease agreement with the City of Agoura Hills for a new 17,000-square foot Public Library as part of a proposed new Library/Civic Center complex. Yaroslavsky said that the lease approval would provide a new larger library facility to serve the area, proposed as part of a larger City development project. The new library more than doubles the size of the current building, now more than 40 years old. Yaroslavsky said the deal calls for the County to sell the current building and turn over to the City a portion of the proceeds, along with library collections and furnishings. Occupancy is anticipated in 2001.

Board Begins Decennial Redistricting Chores - On December 5, Yaroslavsky appointed Kevin Acebo and Ann Hollister to the Supervisorial District Boundary Review Committee; Wayne Avrashow and Michael A. Jimenez were appointed as alternates. The 10-member Committee, comprising two appointees from each of the five Board offices, convenes each decade following each national census to reapportion the five supervisorial districts according to new population data. Under a decade-old consent decree, the plans will then be submitted for review and approval to the U.S. Justice Department before final consideration and adoption by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. The 2002 supervisorial elections will then be conducted under the new district boundaries.

Yaroslavsky Announces Public Works Projects - Yaroslavsky has announced Board approval of the following public works projects in the Third District:

Beach Erosion Repair Near Gladstone's 4 Fish - A project will soon be underway to shore up a rock slope and small rock jetty at Will Rogers State Beach in Pacific Palisades. The work is to be done near the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Sunset Boulevard. The rock slope protects the bluff that supports the parking lot adjacent to Gladstone's 4 Fish Restaurant from erosion caused by storm waves. Click here for further information.

Topanga Tree Trimming - A contract to trim 4,973 trees along various County streets in the Topanga area has been awarded to TruGreen LandCare of Monrovia. Yaroslavsky said that to preserve the area's woodland character, workers will trim the trees in close consultation between his office, the County's Department of Public Works, local homeowners associations, and agencies like the National Park Service and the Resource Conservation District. Work is expected to begin in January and finish in March. Click here for further information.

Yaroslavsky Hails City Council Approval of Santa Monica Boulevard Renovation Project - Supervisor Yaroslavsky hailed the November 29 approval by the Los Angeles City Council of the Santa Monica Boulevard ("Route 2") improvement project, encompassing the 2.5 mile stretch between the western boundary of the City of Beverly Hills and the San Diego Freeway, the divided roadway known as "Big and Little Santa Monica." Yaroslavsky said that City officials anticipate commencing project design shortly after the New Year, a process expected to take 12-18 months. With a planned construction start date in December 2002, Yaroslavsky said that the project should take approximately 30 months to complete. The fully-funded $68 million improvement plan will include a bikepath, pedestrian amenities, trees, a wider, unified roadway, signal improvements, a replacement parking lot, and billboard removal.

Yaroslavsky Announces Public Works Project - Yaroslavsky has announced Board approval of the following public works project in the Third District:

Flood Control Channel Fencing - Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky announced Board approval on 12/5 of a project to replace portions of the channel right of way fencing along various County Department of Public Works flood control channels in the western area of the County. Among the channels around the County that will receive work is the Tujunga Wash from Vineland Avenue to the Los Angeles River. Click here for further information.

Valley Transit Zone Proposal Advances - On Tuesday, December 12, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a joint motion by Supervisors Zev Yaroslavsky and Michael Antonovich to renew the County's participation in the fledgling interim Valley Transit Zone, and to support the Zone's application to break away from the MTA and become the stand-alone transit agency for the San Fernando Valley.

Board Adopts Yaroslavsky Plan to Upgrade County's Transport Ambulance Fleet - On December 12, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved Yaroslavsky's motion to upgrade the County's aging fleet of transport ambulances, the vehicles which ferry patients between medical facilities. Yaroslavsky's proposal seeks state legislation to increase inspections and toughen quality standards for all ambulance fleets, and appropriates funding to begin a phased-in replacement of older vehicles.

Yaroslavsky Announces Multimedia Kiosk Network for County Job Seekers - Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky recently unveiled an innovative new program for County job seekers: a multi-media, interactive network of 13 information kiosks strategically placed throughout the County. Third District locations for the L.A. Employment Information Kiosks include the San Fernando Public Library, 1050 Library Street in the City of San Fernando, and the San Fernando Valley Service Center, 7555 Van Nuys Boulevard in Van Nuys. Click here for further information.

Yaroslavsky Announces Commission Appointments in December (+ designates reappointments)

12/19/00 Annie E. Cho, Los Angeles County Citizens' Economy and Efficiency Commission

12/19/00 Theodore J. Eckberg, M.D.+, Developmental Disabilities Board (Area 10-Los Angeles)

12/19/00 Helen A. Kleinberg+, Commission for Children and Families; also waive limitation of length of service requirement, pursuant to County Code Section 3.100.030A

12/19/00 John C. Law, Small Craft Harbor Commission

12/05/00 Kevin Acebo, Ann M. Hollister, Wayne Avrashow (Alternate) and Michael A. Jimenez (Alternate), Supervisorial District Boundary Review Committee