STANTON

A 4-foot-by-6-inch hole in a wall along Cerritos Avenue and Courson Drive has created a greater gap between public wants and private costs. For the third time since January, City Council members reconsidered whether general funds should be spent to close the hole. The council voted earlier in the year to allocate $1,500 from the general fund to close the opening, since the city was responsible for creating the hole to allow for a gutter to drain water from nearby homes. But the completion of a nearby drainage project means the hole is no longer necessary. The council on Tuesday said property owners should pay since most of the wall is on private property. Under the law, the city cannot do the work at the public’s expense unless there is a “public purpose” for it.