City Council to Hold Meeting in Valley

The Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday to hold a special meeting in Van Nuys on Oct. 29, marking the third time that the council has convened in the San Fernando Valley in the past 12 months.

At the request of Councilman Mike Feuer, who represents parts of Van Nuys, the council voted to meet at the Monarch Hall Campus Center at Valley College at 10 a.m.

Last October, a council meeting at Pierce College in Woodland Hills attracted 350 people. To accommodate the crowd, city officials had to put tents and folding chairs on the lawn outside of the auditorium.

In July, the council met at Mission College in Sylmar, attracting about 250 residents.

Most council meetings in City Hall attract fewer than a dozen people, unless the council is deciding a highly controversial issue.

The past Valley meetings have included discussion of issues of concern in the area, such as earthquake repair, landfills and library construction.

Feuer had introduced a measure last year requiring the council to meet regularly in communities throughout the city. The council rejected the motion, saying that each council member can instead make individual requests for meetings outside of City Hall on a case-by-case basis.

“By scheduling meetings in local communities, we hope to bring government closer to the people we serve,” Feuer said.