A summary of significant Los Angeles City Hall decisions affecting the Westside in the last week. : CITY COUNCIL
* FAIRFAX BOULEVARD: Agreed with city transportation officials to increase the speed limit along a stretch of Fairfax Boulevard to 35 m.p.h. from 30 m.p.h. The new limit, designed to improve traffic patterns, would apply only between Pico and Venice boulevards. Also instructed city traffic engineers to report back in four months on the number of citations arising from the change in speed limit.
* AIRPORT: Concurred with Airport Commission’s decision to approve a new lease with American Airlines at Los Angeles International Airport. The agreement, approved June 14 by the commission, reduces American’s current 7.4-acre leasehold to 5.8 acres, allowing the renovation of an air freight building on Avion Drive and work on a taxiway extension.
* AUTHORS: Authorized $200 from the office budget of Councilwoman Ruth Galanter to partially fund the operating expenses of the Independent Writers of Southern California. The amount will go to the group’s book fair and will come from the council office’s public services account.
HOW THEY VOTED
* CRIME FIGHTING: Approved an application for a $156,000 state grant to be used for local law enforcement. The grant is designed to help focus the LAPD’s resources on arresting and prosecuting career criminals. Authorities estimate that about 30% of all convicted criminals are responsible for 80% of crimes. The grant would finance the third year of a four-year program administered through California’s office of criminal justice planning. In all, the city expects to receive $1 million.
PASSED: 13-0
VOTING YES: Marvin Braude, John Ferraro, Ruth Galanter, Nate Holden, Mark Ridley-Thomas and Zev Yaroslavsky.
ABSENT: Jackie Goldberg.
* SEWER SYSTEM: Directed the city’s chief legislative analyst to review Los Angeles’ overall waste water system, which includes the Hyperion Treatment Plant in Playa del Rey. In the next year, the operating and capital budgets for the waste water system will reach $830 million and officials expect a total of $5 billion will be spent by the end of the decade on the sewer system, which includes the multibillion-dollar treatment plant.
VOTING YES: Marvin Braude, John Ferraro, Ruth Galanter, Nate Holden and Zev Yaroslavsky.
ABSENT: Jackie Goldberg and Mark Ridley-Thomas.
More to Read
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.