Second Animal Shelter Proposed for East Valley

Citing the dire need for more animal control services in the east San Fernando Valley and South-Central Los Angeles, the city’s top administrator recommended Monday adding two new shelters to a proposed November bond measure.

The new shelters would double the number serving those areas and would increase the proposed $110-million bond proposal for animal services to about $150 million.

“The Valley has a growing problem and we need to address it,” said Bill Fujioka, director of the city’s Office of Administrative and Research Services.

Fujioka had previously proposed a bond measure to renovate and expand existing shelters in the West Valley, North-Central and South-Central Los Angeles, and replace the East Valley, West Los Angeles and Harbor shelters. His new proposal would provide the East Valley and South-Central each with a second shelter.

“Up to 27,000 additional dogs could be removed from the streets, and kennel overcrowding would be eliminated,” according to a report by a committee of city managers that includes Fujioka.

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Los Angeles City Council members must weigh whether the city can afford all the work. If the animal shelter bonds are added to a $378-million bond measure proposed by Fujioka to build 19 fire stations, Los Angeles voters would be asked in November to approve more than half a billion dollars in bonds and tax increases.

Last year, the city failed to win a two-thirds vote needed for a $744-million police and fire bond measure.

Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski, who chairs the Public Safety Committee and sits on the Budget and Finance Committee, supports the plan but wants to make sure the city only asks for funding for what it can realistically deliver, said Lisa Gritzner, an aide to Miscikowski.

“She is really optimistic about the voters embracing this,” Gritzner said.

Councilman Mike Feuer, who chairs the Budget and Finance Committee, supports the fire bond measure, but has asked Fujioka to explain why the cost of fire stations has increased substantially since voters narrowly rejected a similar bond measure last year, a spokesman said.

Councilwoman Laura Chick said she supports asking voters to consider bonds for fire stations and animal shelters, noting that the city has, in the past, provided more priority in funding new police stations.

“The fact that we’ve let these other important pieces of public safety go has had dire effects,” Chick said.

Fujioka recommended that the city delay any new police bond until April 2001, saying the city needs more time to analyze police needs.

Gritzner said there is also a growing consensus among top city officials that they should wait to submit police bonds to voters until they can also submit reforms expected to be recommended by an independent panel investigating the Rampart police corruption scandal.

“Then we can say this is going to be your better Police Department,” Gritzner said of combining police bonds and reforms on the same ballot.

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The fire bond measure would include $53 million for a new Fire Department air operations base at Van Nuys Airport, as well as 19 replacement fire stations in communities including Arleta, Watts, Woodland Hills, Northridge, North Hollywood, Sun Valley and Encino.

“Nearly all of the existing fire stations are too small to adequately house the equipment and personnel needed for the efficient deployment of resources,” Fujioka said.

Mayor Richard Riordan will not take a position until he sees what the council recommends, a spokesman said.