UN4LA News - August 2024
A monthly newsletter published by United Neighborhoods for Los Angeles.
UN4LA's mission is to bring communities together to plan for a sustainable future. Growth must be shaped by community engagement, not developer dollars.
L.A. COUNTY SUPERVISORS APPROVE REFORM PACKAGE
At the end of July, the LA County Board of Supervisors voted to place a measure on the November ballot that could result in sweeping changes to LA County government. If approved by voters, the measure would: 1) Expand the Board of Supervisors from five to nine seats; 2) Result in making the County CEO an elected official; 3) Create an independent County Ethics Commission.
Supervisors Lindsey Horvath, Janice Hahn and Hilda Solis voted to approve the measure. Supervisors Holly Mitchell and Kathryn Barger voted against. Among the concerns expressed by Mitchell and Barger were the cost of the proposal and the question of whether having an elected CEO would result in better representation.
L.A. County Board of Supervisors Vote on Historic Ballot Initiative
HOW HOT WILL IT GET? CLIMATE CHANGE PROJECTIONS FOR CALIFORNIA CITIES
As California is failing to meet its ambitious climate goals, it appears that temperatures will continue to rise across the state, including in the LA area. If we don't get serious about reducing greenhouse gas emissions, a new mapping tool shows that LA's climate could become more like San Bernardino's.
Will Global Warming Turn LA. into San Bernardino?
SAN FRANCISCO SUPERVISORS BAN USE OF RENTAL PRICING SOFTWARE
Companies like RealPage and Yardi offer services which combine large data sets from landlords, who would ordinarily be competitors, in order to make rental price recommendations that maximize profits. An increasing number of local jurisdictions are expressing concerns about this practice, which they call price-fixing. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors just approved a ban on the practice. The Attorneys General of Arizona and Washington DC have both filed complaints.
SF Board of Supervisors Passes First-in-the-Nation Local Ban on Rent Price Fixing
RealPage Complaint Filed by State of Arizona
RealPage Complaint Filed by Washington DC
IS THE CITY OF L.A.'S PLANNING & LAND USE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE REALLY LISTENING?
Is the City of LA's Planning & Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee really listening to members of the public who attend their meetings? In pursuing a lawsuit related to a development project, the Crane Boulevard Safety Coalition (CBSC) says it uncovered evidence of secret notes prepared by an employee in the Chief Legislative Analyst's Office that are distributed to the members of the Committee before each meeting. CBSC believes these notes may guide PLUM's decision-making process, and asks why the City did not include these notes in the administrative record for the case.
The group's attorney, Jamie Hall, submitted a motion to the court asking it to compel the production of a number of documents, including the notes from the CLA analyst. At a July 15 hearing, the court granted part of the motion, but it remains to be seen whether these documents will support CBSC's allegations. Below are links to CBSC's press release on the case, Hall's motion to compel, and the court's order.
Press Release from Crane Boulevard Safety Coalition Alleging Secret PLUM Process
Court's Minute Order with Ruling on Motion
REP. MAXINE WATERS OPPOSES INGLEWOOD TRANSIT CONNECTOR
In a surprising twist, Rep. Maxine Waters recently voiced strong opposition to the proposed Inglewood Transit Connector (ITC). The project, a 1.6 mile people mover that would convey riders to SoFi Stadium and the Intuit Dome, is projected to cost at least $2 billion. The City of Inglewood offers no regular bus service to its citizens, and Waters points out that the ITC will not help most local residents get to work or connect with public services. Inglewood Mayor James Butts pushed back against Waters' statements, asserting that the project would provide thousands of jobs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Rep. Maxine Waters Seeks to Stop ‘Ridiculous’ $2-Billion SoFi Transit Project
L.A.D.W.P. OBJECTS TO VERDUGO WASH STORMWATER CAPTURE PROJECT
The Crescenta Valley Water District (CVWD), which serves unincorporated areas between Glendale and La Cañada, has been working on a project that would capture stormwater that travels through the Verdugo Wash. But the project has hit a snag, as the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LADWP) claims that the water belongs to them. CVWD points out that now the stormwater that runs through the Verdugo Wash ends up in the LA River, which carries it out to the ocean. Would it make more sense to capture the water for the benefit of local users?
A Water Rights Storm Is Brewing in the Foothills Above Glendale
