Valley Council Contingent Off to Shaky Start as 3 of 8 Skip First Unity Luncheon

The first meeting of the new and old San Fernando Valley representatives on the Los Angeles City Council got off to a rocky start Tuesday.

Three of the eight Valley representatives failed to attend or send representatives to the luncheon organized by Councilman Hal Bernson to discuss common problems.

And, of those who did attend, Councilmen Bernson and Marvin Braude couldn’t agree over how future meetings should be conducted.

Braude said he favors holding town hall-style meetings open to the public and attended by Valley council members. Bernson said he prefers gatherings of council deputies, contending that having council members at meetings would invite political speeches.

The two councilmen said they would try to work out their differences.

Bernson set up the meeting recently after the council’s redistricting “created an opportunity for the Valley to have greater influence at City Hall.” The redistricting, for the first time, put the districts of eight members--a majority of the 15-member council--entirely or partly in the Valley.

Bernardi Boycotts Session

Councilman Ernani Bernardi, who opposed the plan which gave him a largely new East Valley district, boycotted Tuesday’s meeting. He said last week that the meeting was an effort by Valley councilmen who supported the redistricting to placate their constituents.

The redistricting was opposed by many Valley residents who complained that it would assign them council members whom they did not elect and who are unfamiliar with their communities.

Councilman Joel Wachs, still angry over the redistricting, which eliminated 90% of his old district, did not attend Tuesday’s luncheon either because, an aide said, of a scheduling conflict.

Bernardi and Wachs met behind closed doors for about half an hour Tuesday to discuss possible challenges to the plan. No decision was reached. Bernardi said he is preparing to lead an initiative drive to repeal the redistricting plan.

Bernson told the near-dozen people in attendance at the Airtel Plaza in Van Nuys that the purpose of the meeting was to establish “some kind of dialogue” between Valley council offices on Valleywide issues.

“The purpose of the meeting is not to establish any blocs,” Bernson said, referring to a comment made by Braude last week about organizing a Valley bloc on the council. “The purpose of this meeting is to discuss Valley issues.”

Among the issues the council members and aides agreed to consider for future meetings are police deployment, transportation and the lack of Valley cultural facilities.

Bernson and Braude said afterward that they were pleased with the meeting. They also expressed regret at the failure of Bernardi and Wachs to send representatives.

In addition to Braude and Bernson, Councilman John Ferraro attended. Ferraro’s Wilshire district was extended into North Hollywood and Toluca Lake by the redistricting.

Also present was Marlene Bronson, a former assistant director of Common Cause in Los Angeles who was recently hired by Zev Yaroslavsky as his new Valley deputy. Dodo Meyer, Mayor Tom Bradley’s Valley deputy, also attended.

Councilman Michael Woo, whose Hollywood district was extended into Sherman Oaks and Studio City in the redistricting, also was not represented. Woo said he had asked a staff member to attend but that the aide had a scheduling problem.

State Sen. Alan Robbins (D-Van Nuys) also dropped by to invite all of the new and old Valley members to a “topping out” ceremony Monday for a new Van Nuys courthouse. “Each councilman who comes will receive a top hat to take home,” Robbins promised.