A summary of selected City Hall actions last week that affect the Westside.

CITY COUNCIL

* RENTAL REGISTRATION FEE--Gave preliminary approval to an ordinance that would waive the 1994 registration fee for rental units declared uninhabitable due to the earthquake, in cases in which the units are to remain vacant for the reminder of the year. If a unit is repaired and re-rented, the registration fee will be due the first day of occupancy, and deemed delinquent if not paid after 45 days.

* POLICE EQUIPMENT INSTALLATION--Approved using $208,000 in the Police Department’s General Service Fund to employ 10 non-city, union personnel to install communications equipment in 353 newly purchased black-and-white police cars. The installation work is usually done by police personnel, but due to the large number of vehicles, hiring outside help was judged the quickest way to get the cars onto the streets.

* SURPLUS EQUIPMENT SALE--Approved the sale of surplus city equipment, such as tables, desks, chairs, and file cabinets, to the Los Angeles Unified School District for $1 per item.

HOW THEY VOTED

* WALKING TO WORK--Endorsed a state Senate bill that would exempt from taxation employer subsides to employees who walk or bike to work. Some employers pay employees to car-pool or take public transit to their jobs, and this money is exempt from state taxation. In opposing the effort to expand the scope of this exemption, Councilmen Nate Holden said: “A person with a job gets paid to work, not to walk to work.” Passed 9-1.

Voting yes: John Ferraro, Marvin Braude, Jackie Goldberg, Zev Yaroslavsky.

Voting no: Holden.

Absent: Ruth Galanter, Mark Ridley-Thomas.