A Change (or Two) for the Better : Valley representatives gain clout on policy panels

Change can be good. Just as summer begins its lazy slide into autumn, local government has undergone some welcome changes in recent weeks--giving San Fernando Valley residents more of a voice in everything from cops to copters. With the reshuffling of standing committees on the Los Angeles City Council, Valley members have gained clout on key panels overseeing public safety and transportation.

For instance, each of the three members of the council’s Public Safety Committee--which oversees police and fire service--represents at least part of the Valley. Chairwoman Laura Chick represents the West Valley, new member Richard Alarcon represents the northeast Valley and Vice Chairman Mike Feuer’s district straddles the Santa Monica Mountains to include Sherman Oaks and Studio City. Also in the shuffle, Alarcon won the chairman’s seat on the Transportation Committee, joining East Valley representative Joel Wachs and Rudy Svorinich from San Pedro. And two of three members on the powerful Planning and Land Use Committee represent the Valley--Chairman Hal Bernson from the northwest Valley and first-termer Cindy Miscikowski, whose district stretches from Van Nuys to Pacific Palisades.

Why should any of this matter? Critics of the City Hall bureaucracy often complain that the Valley gets shortchanged by politicians who think the area is still a homogeneous enclave of the upper middle class. But as residents know, that stereotype hasn’t been true for years--if it ever was. Key concerns of Valley residents include how services such as police protection and public transit are allocated and where new development is located.

Having strong Valley representation on key panels gives the region a stronger, more knowledgeable voice in critical decisions. Yet that voice should never drown out the legitimate concerns from residents in other parts of the city--many of which face greater problems than the Valley--lest the Valley be guilty of what it says others do. The Valley delegation should seek to broaden, rather than narrow, the view of Los Angeles from City Hall.

Likewise, the news that longtime Van Nuys Airport critic Gerald Silver of Encino will join the airport’s citizens advisory panel adds a fresh perspective to the future of one of the Valley’s most prized--and contentious--properties. Although the citizens advisory panel has less overt power than the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority, recent personnel changes on that board have allowed stalled negotiations over expansion of the passenger terminal to move forward. In the same way, Silver’s appointment to the Van Nuys panel should help balance the needs of commercial aviators using the airport and the surrounding neighbors who bear the brunt of aircraft noise.

Yes, change can be good.