The Death of Councilman Finn
For the last 2 1/2 years I have had the profound honor of sitting next to City Councilman Howard Finn during the monthly meetings for the preparation of a transportation/land use plan for the San Fernando Valley.
Councilman Finn chaired these meetings with complete impartiality, fairness and dignity. His knowledge of planning, transportation, citywide issues, developers, and the needs of the residents in the San Fernando Valley was ever evident. Under his guidance, a grateful committee of politicians, public agencies, developers, various interest groups, chambers of commerce, realtors, homeowners groups, and private citizens developed a short-range mobility plan that various newspapers and elected officials have called “ultimately workable.” His unfortunate death in the middle of our long-range study effort will leave a huge hole in this effort to deal with the very serious growth and congestion issues that face the San Fernando Valley.
In my 12 years as a transportation planner for government agencies, I have personally never met a more dedicated public servant.
LARRY FOUTZ
Los Angeles
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