The City Council's agenda for Tuesday had a smaller list for Special Event/Fee Waiver, leaving out the words "Fee Waiver" for items today in favor of "fees and costs will be absorbed by the City," still adding up to more dollars out of city funds (taxpayer dollars).
Added in is Agenda Item 13 for a traffic signal in Cypress Park in Ed Reyes' district just to show you how expensive any bit of city action can become, with $135,000 transferred between assorted accounts for paying for this item. Is this something "in the works" and therefore must go on? In this condition of a city budgt crisis, a condition that members of City Council preach when they are not creating more expenses, maybe the city could slow down in making some of the changes that would likewise slow down the accumulation of expenses where there is no urgency.
The problem is partially related to CM, each on wanting more projects and improvements to come to their district to match or surpass what other CMs receive. To get less is unthinkable. The CMs want more "resume building" items to use for re-election campaigns or campaigns for other offices when they ultimately are termed out of City Council. There was a battle last week in Council Chambers over approval of an expenditure of money because of unequal benefit going to some districts. CM Richard Alarcon was especially angry, citing the needs of his district and some disparity of spending, with his district coming out short. It's all part of politics, so spending will continue as long as there's money that's available to spend from any source.
A few events will reimburse the City, but there is not any real way to see if that will be done as a follow-up, and the city has plenty of foul-ups in it's own resume of errors to merit that concern.
Please note the last request, (e), that appears to be on to cover expenses for a union to stage an event. The question arises as to the propriety of a subsidy for a union event by tax dollars when it's really another "special interest" that the City Council and Mayor tend to favor. In this case, it looks like its automatically approved simply by making the request to the CM sponsoring the motion. The language in the linked "Motion," 09-0180-S1 , really presents nothing to justify why the City has to pay anything for this union's event.
If the City Council are going to continue to spend on such things, it could be useful to announce the policy where it is readiy accessible to inform us of the standards applicants must meet. It seems arbitrary otherwise, something we don't need where there's less and less dollars for the City to pay it's bills.
The unions, again looking to the City's history of actions, have usually been on the side of getting the best in deals where the City is involved, with the most impact coming from contract negotiations. The DWP probably is the agency doing the best job of this, and it's hard to imagine a sweeter outcome in wages and benefits than what was approved by the Mayor as he took office four years ago.
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The list from the Agenda today is on the short side for a change:
"ITEM NO. (11)
07-1773-S1
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:
07-1773-S1
CD 4
a. MOTION (LABONGE - HAHN) relative to declaring the 2009 AFI Commencement Ceremonies on June 10, 2009 a Special Event (fees and costs absorbed by the City = $1,245).
09-1238
CD 13
b. MOTION (GARCETTI - REYES) relative to declaring The Proposal on June 1, 2009 a Special Event (the event sponsor shall reimburse the City for all fees and costs associated with this event).
09-1240
CD 13
c. MOTION (GARCETTI - REYES) relative to declaring the Nurse Jackie on June 2-4, 2009 a Special Event (the event sponsor shall reimburse the City for all fees and costs associated with this event).
09-0715-S1
CD 5
d. MOTION (WEISS - WESSON) relative to declaring the Hachnosas Sefer Torah on June 7, 2009 a Special Event (fees and costs absorbed by the City = $2,000).
09-0180-S1
CD 5
e. MOTION (WEISS - WESSON) relative to declaring the Employee Free Choice Act Rally on June 3, 2009 a Special Event (fees and costs absorbed by the City = $1,138).
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ITEM NO. (13)
09-1239
CD 1
MOTION (REYES - PERRY) relative to funding for construction and installation of a traffic signal at the intersection of Cypress and Future in Council District One.
Recommendations for Council action, SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF THE MAYOR:
1. TRANSFER $135,000 from the Pipeline Franchise Revenue portion of the Council District One Real Property Trust Fund No. 693 to a new account, or account to be determined, in the Transportation Grant Fund No. 655/94 for constructing/installing a traffic signal at the intersection of Cypress and Future in Council District One.
2. AUTHORIZE the Los Angeles Department of Transportation to make any technical corrections or clarifications to the above fund transfer instructions in order to effectuate the intent of this Motion.
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