Group to Unveil Plan for New City Charter

The Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley today will unveil its proposal to establish a commission to draw up a new city charter.

It will outline the plan at a 10:45 a.m. news conference at the Sheraton Universal Hotel, 333 Universal Terrace Parkway in Universal City.

On June 19, the Local Government Committee of the state Senate is set to consider the bill sponsored by Assemblywoman Paula L. Boland (R-Granada Hills) that would eliminate City Council veto power over a movement to split the San Fernando Valley from Los Angeles.

The Economic Alliance, which legally cannot take a position on the bill, believes that a new charter would help provide greater autonomy for Los Angeles communities, said David Fleming, the alliance’s chairman.

The current city charter, written in the 1920s, does not provide enough “flexibility for change,” Fleming said.

Valley Voters Organized Towards Empowerment, which favors the Boland bill, has also scheduled a news conference this morning, at 9:30 at Van Nuys City Hall, 14410 Sylvan St. The organization will discuss its strategy to help win passage of Boland’s bill.

On Saturday a public forum on the bill, sponsored by the Valley Industry and Commerce Assn., will be held at 10 a.m. at Beverly Garland’s Holiday Inn, 4222 Vineland Ave. in North Hollywood.

Under the Economic Alliance’s proposal, each of the city’s 15 council members would appoint one constituent to serve on the commission, while the mayor would appoint six. Political officeholders and city employees would not be eligible.

Public hearings would be held in the first two years, after which the commission would spend another year drafting a proposed charter that would go before voters in 2000 and take effect in 2001.