DWP Asked to Put Armenia Appeal in Bills

If the Los Angeles City Council has its way, Department of Water and Power customers will receive in their utility bills an appeal for contributions for Armenian earthquake relief.

The council made the request Wednesday to the Board of Water and Power Commissioners, which in the past has shied away from sending out inserts on non-DWP-related matters with its 1.2 million bills because of the cost.

It was one of a number of steps taken by officials in earthquake-prone Los Angeles to aid victims of the devastating Dec. 7 temblor, which killed at least 55,000 and perhaps as many as 100,000 people.

Waiver on Fees Asked

Airport and harbor officials were asked to waive fees for supplies bound to Armenia. City departments were directed to identify surplus equipment and organize a team of experts that could be sent on request to Armenia to aid in the reconstruction effort.

City Controller Rick Tuttle was also requested to include an appeal in city payroll envelopes for contributions toward the relief effort.

Councilman Mike Woo, whose Hollywood district includes a large Armenian population, proposed the actions. He said the appeal in the DWP mailer will help remind Los Angeles residents about the dangers of a quake.

“It’s important for us to be part of an international response to that tragedy because if and when we have a major earthquake here, I hope that we’ll have an international response helping us as well,” Woo said.

The five-member Board of Water and Power Commissioners, appointed by the mayor, has not taken a position on the council’s request. But Dan Waters, assistant general manager of external affairs for DWP, said in an interview, “Normally, our inserts are related to DWP business, such as water conservation, rates or water quality.”

Minority Recruitment Program

Several years ago, DWP sent out with bills an insert on behalf of the Los Angeles Police Department’s minority recruitment program. But more recently, commissioners have rejected requests for inserts on pedestrian safety and pictures of missing children.

Waters said the commission is mailing with utility bills a six-page brochure on water quality. Adding other material would increase the postage costs, probably to more than $100,000, he said.

The Los Angeles Board of Education on Monday voted to begin collecting money for Armenian earthquake relief from students and parents when schools reopen after the holidays on Jan. 3. In 1985, the district raised $460,000 for famine relief in Ethiopia and $300,000 for earthquake relief in Mexico City.