Results tagged “citycoucnil”

No surprise here, but a vote on the proposed of Los Angeles' medical marijuana ordinance was delayed until next week. There was much discussion at this morning's meeting about how sales is being interpreted within the state law in addition to several proposed changes that must be reviewed by the city attorney's office.

Since the announcement last week, Charlie Beck's position as L.A.'s top cop was all done save for a couple official steps, one of which was completed today. The City Council's Public Safety Committee unanimously approved him, turning the matter over the full council for a vote. However, that likely won't happen until next week because the group is on recess until next week.

It was the City Council and without their thinking caps, says the LA Weekly. The City owns the marathon and contracts it out to the McCourt Group (yes, the same McCourt who owns the Dodgers). "Everyone seemed happy — until the first 'pre-planning' meeting" at Councilman Tom LaBonge's office, wrote Tina Dupuy. "There, somebody thought to ask senior transportation engineer Aram Sahakian about the street logistics of holding the marathon on President’s Day, February 16. Incredibly, nobody on the vast staff of the 15-member Los Angeles City Council, which employs 320 personal assistants at an annual cost of about $20 million, had bothered to fully review that date with the transportation engineers before the council approved the deal. Instead, Sahakian tells L.A. Weekly, 'It was done verbally at a meeting.'" Good one, guys. Too many people work on President's Day, traffic would be severely impacted so it was moved to Memorial Day, which is traditionally hot. Luckily, this year runners got lucky with the weather. Next year, all signs point towards a colder Sunday date, but you never really know in LA.

In addition to participating in City Council meetings via videofeed at Van Nuys City Hall, you can at San Pedro City Hall starting next week. “We understand that distance and traffic can make it difficult for Harbor area residents to express their comments and concerns before City Council,” said Councilwoman Hahn in a statement this afternoon. "This is an effort to ensure that their concerns are represented fairly.” The six-month video conferencing pilot program will launch on March 25, 2009. It will be available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, at 10:00am at San Pedro City Hall, 638 S. Beacon Street in San Pedro.

A slew of gun ordinances are up for a vote at tomorrow's city council meeting. They're touted as ways to help disarm gangs, but as anything goes with restricting the use of guns, groups such as the National Riffle Association (NRA), the California Rifle and Pistol Association (CRPA), the California Association of Firearm Retailers (CAFR), and other interest groups have threatened to bring forth litigation, which Mayor Villaraigosa vows to fight.

As millions in LA County were casting their ballots at the polls, LA City Council was at city hall voting on what we'll be voting on at the March 3rd election, a day most notable to LA residents as it is when we vote for our next or the same Mayor and City Council. One measure of interest that we'll be voting on is to allow the city to have an independent monitor oversee the Los Angeles Fire Department who would be responsible for auditing and reviewing the department's complaints against sworn and civilian employees, according to wire reports. Issues around the department arose when a culture of hazing and inappropriate behavior were brought to the public's attention.

"I'm very reticent right now to raise any property taxes at this time," Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said a press conference yesterday morning when asked about Councilmember Richard Alarcon's "luxury" tax that would tax households at least $1,000 larger than 5,000 square feet.

The LA City Council is back from a small recess and today's meeting will not be a light one with two motions being introduced that will address the proliferation of electronic billboards in Los Angeles.