A summary of significant Los Angeles City...

A summary of significant Los Angeles City Hall decisions affecting the Westside in the last week.

CITY COUNCIL

HOUSING FOR SINGLE MOTHERS: Approved a $20,000 loan from Los Angeles County to rehabilitate two residences at 650 Westminster St. in Venice. The structures provide housing for low-income single mothers and their children.

PRESERVING THE DUNES: Established as a policy the council’s intent to preserve the 302-acre LAX/El Segundo Dunes Habitat Preserve. The policy was established to protect any rare and endangered species that may exist within the Dunes. The city has a $430,000 state grant to aid in long-term habitat restoration efforts.

NEW LIBRARY: Adopted an ordinance approving a contract between the city and Steven Ehrlich Architects for the design of the Robertson Branch Library in West Los Angeles. The old facility, which is only 3,500 square feet, will be demolished and replaced by a 10,500-square-foot building.

MUSICAL HISTORY: Approved the closure of 54th Street from 10th to 11th avenues in the Crenshaw area from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Dec. 27 and Feb. 7 for the 70th Anniversary of the Institute of Musical Arts Salutes to Black Musical History.

HANUKAH CEREMONY: Approved the closure of a portion of the 200 block of Main Street from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Dec. 20 for Temple Mishkon Tephilo Hanukkah candle lighting ceremony.

AIRPORT MANAGER: Councilwoman Ruth Galanter asked the council to take jurisdiction over the Board of Airports commissioners’ selection of the new Department of Airports executive director. Galanter wants the council to review the recent process in which John J. Driscoll was selected to replace the retiring director, Clifton A. Moore. “The selection process was conducted completely out of public view,” Galanter said.

HOW THEY VOTED

How Westside representatives voted on selected issues.

VACCINATION PROGRAM: Approved spending $816,541 to inoculate 10,649 police and other city safety employees with the Hepatitis B vaccine. The program is to protect employees who might come in contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials while performing their duties. Passed: 11-0.

VOTING YES: Marvin Braude, John Ferraro, Ruth Galanter, Nate Holden, Mark Ridley-Thomas and Michael Woo. Zev Yaroslavsky was absent.

WHISTLE-BLOWERS: Approved a proposal co-written by Holden that asks the city to seek an amendment to the state law to explicitly state that an employee will be protected against being fired for disclosing government wrongdoing. Passed: 11-0.

VOTING YES: Braude, Ferraro, Galanter, Holden, Ridley-Thomas and Woo. Yaroslavsky absent.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT: Approved spending $143,793 to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit against a Los Angeles police officer by a female clerk-typist who worked for the Police Department. The harassment allegedly included verbal comments and two incidents of inappropriate touching, and occurred over a seven-month period during 1988 and 1989. Passed: 11-0.

VOTING YES: Braude, Holden, Ridley-Thomas and Yaroslavsky. Ferraro, Galanter and Woo were absent.