June Archives

June 2004

Voters May Consider Law Enforcement Funding Measure in November – On June 29, 2004, the Board of Supervisors agreed to consider asking County voters in November to approve an ordinance for a ½ cent sales tax increase to fund increased law enforcement services throughout the County. If approved by two-thirds of the County voters, the measure would generate more than $500 million in new funding to be shared among the Sheriff’s Department and local police departments. After a lengthy discussion, the Board directed the County’s Chief Administrative Officer to report back on July 13, 2004 with several alternative taxing and finance proposals to review before making a final decision.

Sun Valley Watershed Plan Advances - On June 29, the Board of Supervisors approved the Final Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) for the Sun Valley Watershed Project, an ongoing collaborative effort to solve a severe local flooding problem in the Sun Valley area of Los Angeles. Various pilot projects under consideration are:

retaining stormwater runoff in locations like the Vulcan Cal Mat pits and Sun Valley Gravel Processing Plant, which could also be treated, stored, and used on-site
increasing water conservation and reuse at sites like Sun Valley Middle School, beautifying the landscaping and adding shade to reduce energy consumption
enhancing recreational opportunities, such as capturing stormwater in drains and catch-basins to replenish groundwater under facilities like Sun Valley Park
improving wildlife habitat and reducing stormwater pollution through underground filtration and treatment systems, allowing safer reuse and recycling for runoff

Click Sun Valley Watershed PEIR for more details on this measure; click SunValleyWatershed.org to learn more about the entire project, and DPW Watershed Management for a comprehensive look at the entire issue Countywide.

Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, second from left, dedicates Briar Summit Open Space Preserve in the Hollywood Hills, capping a 20-year effort to save the 52-acre site from proposed development. Funding for the acquisition came from Prop. A., Yaroslavsky’s 1996 voter-approved County measure, and a variety of other state and local voter-approved measures and private donations. Briar Summit Mountain is a key property in the chain of natural areas that allows wildlife populations to thrive in the eastern Santa Monica Mountains and roam into Griffith Park, and includes several vantage points offering spectacular views of the Los Angeles basin and San Fernando Valley. Joining Supervisor Yaroslavsky, from the left, are Wendy Dytman, neighborhood activist; Jerome C. Daniel, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy (SMMC) board chair; Joseph T. Edmiston, Executive Director, SMMC; Paul Edelman, Deputy Director for Natural Resources and Planning, SMMC; Assemblymember Paul Koretz; State Sen. Sheila J. Kuehl; Stephen A. Harris, Mountains Restoration Trust; and Gillian Nettman, neighborhood volunteer. Click SMMC Briar Summit release for more details; for further information about the open space preservation district, visit www.preserveopenspace.org, and for more information about Southern California parkland and open space preserves, visit www.lamountains.com. (6/11/04)

MTA Wins $5.2 Million Damage Award Against Metro Red Line Subcontractor for False Claims in Subway Project – On June 28, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced a $5.2 million judicial damage award in favor of the MTA against a subway contractor responsible for false claims and fraudulent contracting practices. Commenting on the award, MTA Board Chairman Zev Yaroslavsky said, “The court’s judgment should serve notice to contractors that where the public has been defrauded, we will take the necessary action. Rulings like these provide the deterrent effect of preventing future fraud against Metro and other public entities.”

Hollywood Bowl Shell Debut – On June 25, 2004, the brand new Hollywood Bowl shell made its official debut at a special gala concert to kick off the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s 2004 summer season. The new, larger shell replaces the previous structure with a stylish Streamline Moderne elliptical design that evokes the classic look of its 1920s predecessors, while featuring state-of-the-art acoustics and lighting elements for a thoroughly modern concert experience. Click Hollywood Bowl for tickets and other information about the summer season programming, and click LA Philharmonic for tickets and other information about upcoming programs at the Philharmonic’s winter home, the spectacular new Walt Disney Concert Hall, which opened in October 2003.

Board Adopts Yaroslavsky Proposal for Smoke-Free County Beaches – Effective immediately, visitors to Mother’s Beach in Marina del Rey and Topanga Beach will be able to enjoy not just carefree, but smoke-free summer beach days, just like their neighbors in Santa Monica, Los Angeles and Malibu. On June 22, 2004, the Board of Supervisors banned smoking by urgency ordinance on those County beaches through mid-September, when the pilot program will be reviewed and reconsidered for permanent adoption. County lawyers drafted the ordinance on Yaroslavsky’s motion approved by the Board the previous week.

Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, second from right, prepares to officially open the Valleyheart Greenway in Studio City, a unique project on a stretch of Los Angeles River bank designed by local elementary schoolchildren and built with state and County funds. Featuring various animal designs like the whimsical frog motif pictured here on the gate, the park – located on Valleyheart Drive between Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Radford Avenue - is intended as part of a larger greenway project encompassing other portions of the Los Angeles River. Appearing with Yaroslavsky, from the left, are Don Wolfe, County Department of Public Works; Charlie Ellis, student designer; Melanie Winter, Executive Director, The River Project; Michael Harris, student designer; and Lahni Baruck, co-designer of the gate. Click Valleyheart Greenway for more information about this project, and click River Project for full details about the entire riverside park plan. (6/11/04)

County, Philharmonic Sign New 30-Year Lease – Also on June 22, 2004, the Board renewed a 30-year operating lease between the County and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association (LAPA) to manage and run the Hollywood Bowl. For the first time, the lease eliminates the County General Fund subsidies of the Bowl’s ongoing operation and maintenance expenses, replacing them with a dedicated facility fee on tickets. This will ensure continued high-quality Bowl operations at no cost to County taxpayers, freeing up some $300,000 annually in General Fund dollars for other public services. Yaroslavsky noted that the County and the Philharmonic or its predecessor symphony organization have cooperated in performances at the Hollywood Bowl since 1924, and the Philharmonic has managed the Bowl under an operating lease with the County’s Department of Parks and Recreation since 1973.

Board Approves $17.3 Billion County Budget – Acting in record time, the Board of Supervisors on June 21, 2004 approved an adjusted $17.3 billion budget for fiscal 2004-5, a 1% increase over the previous year’s budget with additional funding recommendations for law enforcement and libraries. The Board also approved Yaroslavsky’s motions for additional funding for sheriff's services and year-round homeless shelters. For additional budget information, click final budget action for a full list of Board spending amendments.

Planning Commission Approves Yaroslavsky Ridgeline Protection Measure – On June 16, 2004, spurred by a motion sponsored by Supervisor Yaroslavsky and approved by the Board of Supervisors on September 3, 2002, the County’s Regional Planning Commission approved a Grading and Ridgeline Ordinance to tighten provisions in the Santa Monica Mountains North Area Community Standards District to better protect mountain ridgelines from excessive grading and destruction of natural areas. After several public hearings and exhaustive staff review, the Commission sent the proposed ordinance changes to the Board of Supervisors for additional public hearings and eventual Board consideration. Click public hearing materials for full details on the proposal, and ridgeline ordinance Q & A for specific information about how the proposed ordinance would work.

Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky (center) cuts the ribbon dedicating the brand new Hollywood Bowl shell, which makes its debut for the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s 2004 summer season. The new larger shell replaces the previous 75-year-old structure with a stylish Streamline Moderne elliptical design that evokes the classic look of its 1920s predecessors, while featuring state-of-the-art acoustics and lighting elements for a thoroughly modern concert experience. Joining Yaroslavsky, from the left, are Tim Gallagher, Director, Parks and Recreation; Tom Remillard, Assistant Director, Department of Public Works; Deborah Borda, President, Los Angeles Philharmonic Association; Esa-Pekka Salonen, Music Director, Los Angeles Philharmonic; Supervisor Gloria Molina; Supervisor Don Knabe; David Janssen, Chief Administrative Officer; City Councilmember Tom La Bonge, unidentified aide; Craig Hodgetts, design architect and principal for Hodgetts + Fung. (6/9/04) Photo: Mathew Imaging.

Yaroslavsky Welcomes New Staff Member – Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky recently welcomed Lisa Garcia as the new receptionist for his front office. Lisa comes to the Board office from the County’s Public Information Office, where as a student professional worker she quickly proved herself adept at assisting constituents with information and documents and handling various other tasks to help keep her department efficiently serving the public. Welcome, Lisa!

Board Votes to Modify County Seal and Replace Cross with Mission, Native American Image - On June 1, 2004, the Board of Supervisors voted 3 to 2 for a motion to change the County's official seal after lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) threatened a legal challenge to the Latin cross on the County emblem. The Board majority (Burke, Molina and Yaroslavsky) acted on the advice of County attorneys, who warned that the County would likely lose the case on constitutional grounds if it chose to defend the current seal. Click county seal advice letter for full legal background.
      Appellate courts nationwide have ruled that the inclusion of the predominant symbol of any religion on a government seal, to the exclusion of others, is a violation of the First Amendment’s “establishment clause” which prohibits an explicit or implied endorsement by government of any particular religion.
      In order to avert lengthy, divisive, time-consuming and costly litigation, and to avoid defending an unconstitutional seal, the Board majority agreed to modify the County seal in two ways: first, to replace the Latin cross with a Spanish mission, signifying the role of missionaries in the settlement and development of Los Angeles; and second, to incorporate an image representing the region’s Native American population, who are not represented in the current seal design. The Board agreed that a full appreciation of the area’s rich history could only be achieved by acknowledging the indigenous people who inhabited the area for thousands of years before the first missionaries set foot in what would eventually become Southern California.
      All parties agreed to the framework of this legal settlement on June 1, directing the County Administrative Officer to develop an updated seal design for the Board’s consideration. The Board will phase in the new seal as stationery and other supplies run out, and vehicles are repainted or replaced, mitigating the cost associated with the seal’s modification.
      For additional Board debate on the County seal issue, click Board meeting transcripts, select your connection speed, and enter the search term “seal” for the meetings of 6/8, 6/15 and 6/22 to locate the appropriate point in the audio/video transcript. Click written Board Meeting transcripts to search the text of those meetings.

Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky unveils a new neighborhood safety effort aimed at reclaiming Pacoima’s Humphrey Recreation Center as a safe and enjoyable place for youth and families to visit and play. The park and adjacent Broadus Elementary School have in recent years become a magnet for crime, gangs and drug-dealing activity. Yaroslavsky’s initiative, developed in conjunction with the County’s Probation Department, draws together resources from various city and County law enforcement departments and public and private sector social service agencies to offer a variety of literacy, tutoring, parent support and gang-intervention programs. Heightened curfew and truancy enforcement, additional patrols and a full-time probation officer at the park will assist the effort. Joining Yaroslavsky for the announcement were Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton (pictured, right), as well as Councilmember Dennis Zine, Chief Probation Officer Richard Shumsky and numerous families and local children eager to participate. (6/3/04)

Yaroslavsky Announces Commission Appointments (+ designates reappointments)

6/29 - Joanne Baltierrez+, Citizens Economy and Efficiency Commission

6/8 - Sandra Aronberg, M.D.+, Fish and Game Commission
Barbara Perkins+, Commission for Women