The L.A. City Council is still working on trying to get more tax money collected and getting more projects like high speed rail and airport rail access, some expensive propositions, but the routine task or authority to approve more discretionary expenses for the city seems to be coming up on every Council Meeting Agenda. An example was posted here yesterday and today's Agenda brings you more. The special events and fee waivers part of the agenda for today:
"ITEM NO. (23)
09-0976
et al. MOTIONS relative to “Special Events” to be held in the various Council Districts.
Recommendations for Council action:
DECLARE the following community events as “Special Events”; APPROVE any temporary street closures as requested; and, INSTRUCT the involved City departments to perform such services as detailed the Council motions attached to the various listed Council files, including the waiver of fees, costs and requirements and other related issues, as specified:
09-0976
CD 14
a. MOTION (HUIZAR - PARKS) relative to declaring the Tri-Cultural Celebration on May 17, 2009 a Special Event (fees and costs absorbed by the City = $10,506).
09-0977
CD 14
b. MOTION (HUIZAR - PARKS) relative to declaring the LAC+USC Health and Science Fair on April 24, 2009 a Special Event (fees and costs absorbed by the City = $1,146).
08-1088-S1
CD 14
c. MOTION (HUIZAR - ALARCON) relative to declaring the Estrada Courts Cinco de Mayo Health and Job Fair on May 5, 2009 a Special Event (fees and costs absorbed by the City = $2,088).
09-0978
CD 4
d. MOTION (LABONGE - HAHN) relative to declaring the St. Patrick’s Parish Fiesta on May 22, 2009 a Special Event (fees and costs absorbed by the City = $7,897).
09-0979
CD 15
e. MOTION (HAHN - ALARCON) relative to declaring the Harbor Day of Service on May 2, 2009 a Special Event (fees and costs absorbed by the City = none submitted).
09-0980
CD 9
f. MOTION (PERRY - LABONGE) relative to declaring the Obon Festival on July 11-12, 2009 a Special Event (fees and costs absorbed by the City = $1,384).
08-1470-S1
CD 6
g. MOTION (CARDENAS - GARCETTI) relative to declaring the Council District Six and Community, Greater San Fernando Valley Chamber of Commerce Clean Up on May 2, 2009 a Special Event (fees and costs absorbed by the City = $3,000).
09-0983
CD 5
h. MOTION (WIESS - ALARCON) relative to declaring the Start Your Engines Brunch on May 2, 2009 a Special Event (fees and costs absorbed by the City = $2,500).
09-1001
CD 13
i. MOTION (GARCETTI - LABONGE) relative to declaring the “Live” Charity Radio-thon by El Piolin on April 30, 2009 a Special Event (fees and costs absorbed by the City = $1,642)."
* * * * * *
It's all up to the council members and I have seen little in the way of denying any of such motions once they get onto the agenda. I still believe the private sponsorship or group fundraising should replace the part that the city pays for, at least for a lot more of these cases than you see now.
Also be aware that the Mayor is planning on selling the parking meter and city parking facility rights to a private sector operator for a lump sum lease that will be decades in duration. You may think parking is expensive now, but you know that once that money-maker is in the hands of an efficient, profit-making operation, it will become a very expensive commodity. The city council does not care about that since they have the idea of reducing traffic by reducing car travel. Making parking expensive serves that goal.
You might be a shop owner and WANT to have any kind of traffic to bring customers and this kind of action will be unlikely to help you out. That is not any concern of the City Council if you see how they have reacted to the parking meter fee hike and extended hours past 6pm to 8 or even 10 pm. Some lot locations even have free Sunday parking eliminated.
Little by little, things like this will creep up on the average resident and that is what the Council and the Mayor count on to get things passed- or to get things "past" any local scrutiny.
Just an observation to keep track of what is going on. A lot of the little stories in the news about what the government does will become big deals to you later, at a time when it will be more difficult to make any changes. There is a San Pedro area moratorium on the parking meter changes since the restaurants were being affected negatively and this was working against the trend to improve the district with its many entertainment businesses. The NoHo area seems to have had some similar complaints acted upon but I don't have any specifics on the changes sought or the current conditions. I only know that the meters were too short on time and seeing a play would take more time that the meters allowed, so you had to "feed the meter" or get a ticket (another objective of the changes).
Lots of small changes changing the way you live in L.A.- be aware.
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