Bradley to Review City Departments

Mayor Tom Bradley said Friday that he will review the performance of 21 city departments, beginning with the Community Development Department, where problems have been noted over the last month.

Each month, beginning in March, one department will be the subject of a two-day hearing before a panel selected by his office, Bradley said at a news conference.

Bradley said that problems regarding the Community Development Department that had been brought to his attention involved “shortfalls” in the expenditure of state and federal grant money by the department and community-based agencies.

He said he had learned that the department had “failed to monitor subcontractors.”

The plan drew sharp criticism Friday from Councilwoman Joy Picus, who said she was “upset” that the City Council was excluded from the process.

“We are the connections between the departments and the citizens,” Picus said.

The panels will be made up of a deputy mayor, another member of the mayor’s staff who serves as a liaison to the department involved, representatives of the city administrative office and the chief legislative analyst’s office, an independent expert from the field under review, a volunteer management consultant and a “citizen-at-large.”

Bradley on Friday ordered the removal of Ralph Esparza as acting director of the housing division of Community Development and temporarily assigned his duties to Parker Anderson, the general manager of the department. Bradley also ordered a nationwide search for a new director of the housing division.

Both Esparza and Anderson said Friday that they were unaware of any problems with Esparza’s performance. He has been deputy director of the housing department for 10 years and will remain in that position, they said.

Bradley also moved William Bruce, head of the CDD’s job-training programs, to a new position and replaced him with Steve Porter, assistant general manager of the CDD.

Bruce will head a new division responsible for internal audits, planning of innovative programs and solicitation of grants.