Election of Redevelopment Critic Nullified

Citing allegations of intimidation, the Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday nullified the election of a redevelopment agency critic to a citizens advisory panel that would oversee the proposed creation of the city’s largest redevelopment area in the northeast San Fernando Valley.

In addition to invalidating the Dec. 17 election of North Hollywood attorney Glenn Hoiby based on charges that he attempted to intimidate backers of other candidates, the council certified the election of a strong majority that favors a Community Redevelopment Agency project in the northeast Valley.

“If there is one way to quickly improve the quality of life of all people, it is to bring about revitalization, to bring about hope and bring about jobs,” said Councilman Alex Padilla, who denounced Hoiby’s actions at the meeting.

Hoiby, who serves as a judge pro tem for Los Angeles Municipal Court, strenuously denied that he acted improperly when he sent a letter to six nonprofit groups warning that the law prohibits tax-exempt organizations from actively supporting political candidates.

“There was and is absolutely no intimidation, malice nor interference on my part,” Hoiby said in a letter read to the council. “To contend otherwise is unfounded and absurd.”

City Clerk Mike Carey recommended that Hoiby’s election be nullified based on an “attempt to intimidate those community organizations.” Carey cited the decision of at least one other candidate representing a nonprofit group to drop out of the race after the organization received Hoiby’s letter.

Padilla denounced the letter sent by Hoiby, who is also chairman of the Project Area Committee overseeing the North Hollywood redevelopment project area.

“Mr. Hoiby, an attorney, a member of the bar in this state, is intimidating people in my district and telling people not to get involved, not to get involved in a project that will bring about change,” Padilla told his colleagues.

A group of Valley activists that is critical of the redevelopment agency, including Ann Hoyt, Gary Hendrickson and Don Lippman, told the council the action against Hoiby was unfair.

Lippman said it violated Hoiby’s rights to free speech and said the protests by nonprofit groups were unfounded.

“This protest is mean-spirited,” Lippman said. “It is intimidation.”

Hendrickson, a member of the North Hollywood PAC, described Hoiby as a “respected” chairman, while Hoyt said Hoiby is “a true gentleman of integrity.”

Hoyt said Hoiby is considering a legal challenge.

Some opponents accused Padilla of stacking the election by providing buses to groups backing pro-CRA candidates, but Councilman Hal Bernson said Padilla and the pro-CRA groups did what any successful politician must do--they got out the vote.

Half a dozen supporters of the redevelopment project told the council that Hoiby is one of a group of “naysayers” who are standing in the way of revitalizing poor areas of the city.

“The people like Mr. Hoiby who have come in to be divisive on this are the people who have turned the CRA into a project that the City Council and the mayor are now facing having to revamp,” said Dennis O’Sullivan, past president of the Sun Valley Chamber of Commerce.