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

* ALLEY CLOSURE: Approved the closure of the alley between California Avenue and Santa Clara Court in Venice to prevent illegal acts, including drug dealing, loitering, public drinking, trash dumping and graffiti writing. Gates will be installed to prevent access to the alley.

* L.A. FESTIVAL: Approved the temporary closure of 43rd Street between Crenshaw Boulevard and Leimert Park, and Degnan Street between 43rd Street and 43rd Place from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. each weekend from Aug. 20 through Sept. 19 for the L.A. Festival. The festival is a citywide celebration produced yearly by artistic director Peter Sellars. This year’s festival will focus on African, African-American and Middle Eastern arts and culture.

* AFRICAN MARKETPLACE: Approved the temporary closure of Exposition Boulevard between La Brea and Farmdale avenues on the weekends of Aug. 21-22, Aug. 28-29 and Sept. 4-6 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. for the African Marketplace and Cultural Fair at Rancho Cienega Recreation Center.

RECREATION AND PARK COMMISSIONERS

* PONY RIDES: Approved increasing the ticket prices for Griffith Park pony rides from $1.25 to $1.50, effective Sept. 1. The concessionaire asked for the increase to offset the rise in feed prices and increases in expenses for workers’ compensation and Social Security.

HOW THEY VOTED

How Westside representatives voted on selected issues.

* ‘POETIC JUSTICE’: Approved a proposal expressing disapproval of Cineplex Odeon Corp., which runs the 18-screen Universal City Cinemas, for its refusal to show the film “Poetic Justice” during its opening weekend out of fear of violence. The council also asked the district attorney to investigate whether the action by theater complex was a violation of state civil rights legislation. PASSED: 11-0.

VOTING YES: Marvin Braude, John Ferraro, Nate Holden, Jackie Goldberg and Zev Yaroslavsky.

ABSENT: Ruth Galanter and Mark Ridley-Thomas.

* LEARN: Approved a proposal supporting the LEARN plan to reform the Los Angeles Unified School District. The Los Angeles Educational Alliance for Restructuring Now would decentralize the district’s bureaucracy . PASSED: 12-0.

VOTING YES: Braude, Ferraro, Galanter, Holden, Goldberg and Ridley-Thomas.

ABSENT: Yaroslavsky.

* BUS LINE: Approved extending Commuter Express Route 573 between Westwood/Century City and Mission Hills to the city of Santa Clarita. . The city of Los Angeles will receive $95,000 yearly from Santa Clarita or Los Angeles County to operate the extended route. PASSED: 13-0.

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

ON THE AGENDA

* SMOKING BAN: If enough signatures submitted by opponents seeking to repeal the city ban on smoking in restaurants are found to be valid, the council on Friday is to discuss placing a measure on the ballot for a special election Nov. 2.