Council Split on Dial-a-Ride TELACU Grant

A controversial East Los Angeles anti-poverty group that found itself in hot water over its use of grant money several years ago was back in that uncomfortable position Friday when City Council members clashed over whether it should be allowed to collect a $722,000 transportation grant from the city.

The fireworks came when council members tried to decide to whom it would award a grant for dial-a-ride services for the elderly and handicapped in East Los Angeles.

The council’s Transportation Committee, at the behest of Councilman Richard Alatorre who represents the Eastside, recommended that the council award the contract to The East Los Angeles Community Union.

That would have meant skipping over two other applicants that the city Department of Transportation ranked higher than TELACU when it evaluated eight proposals for the service.

In a Department of Transportation grading system that ranked the services each applicant was offering, Pacific Busing placed first with a score of 75.5, department officials said. The second-place finisher, Medi-Ride, came in with 69 points. Then came TELACU with 62.3 points.

More Vehicles, Lower Cost

The city’s chief administrative officer likewise favored Pacific, which offered to provide more vehicles and a lower cost per hour traveled than the other competitors.

But Alatorre persuaded the three members of the Transportation Committee to go with TELACU because it was more familiar with the community, has a strong affirmative-action program and is locally owned, council members said.

He had a more difficult time with the full council Friday.

“TELACU is way below the other two,” Councilman Joel Wachs said. “I’m not going to be a part of it.”

Councilman Marvin Braude asked Alatorre to discuss his reasoning with the other council members, but Alatorre refused outright.

“You don’t care to give us an explanation?” Braude said, surprised.

Higher Profile Praised

Councilman Robert Farrell, however, leaped to TELACU’s defense, noting that its roots as a community anti-poverty organization would give it a higher profile than other firms.

“The community realities are such that when they get into the field and have one cycle of experience under their belt, they’re superior,” he said.

The first-place finisher, Pacific Busing, had won points when it promised to employ one person to reach into the community to solicit interest in the dial-a-ride program. But Farrell derided that idea.

“One person is going to be superior to TELACU on the east side of town?” he asked. “TELACU itself is by definition an outreach system.”

After the debate, the council decided unanimously to send the grant contract back to the Transportation Committee for further study.