City Agrees to Secession Data Requests

City officials vowed Wednesday to provide vast reams of data to a commission studying the San Fernando Valley’s proposed secession from Los Angeles, but accused the panel of seeking far more than it needs.

The Local Agency Formation Commission has asked for payrolls, contracts, budgets and inventories on everything from helicopters and fireboats to parking meters and traffic lights.

It has requested the name of every licensed taxi owner in Los Angeles, a geographic breakdown of police vice cases, a map of city sewer lines (including the diameter of each one) and a list of every place the city picked up horse manure last year.

Ron Deaton, the city’s chief legislative analyst, said the panel’s 25-page request, the first of several, was too broad.

“I think they are making a mistake,” he said. “It’s just too much detail. It’s an enormous amount. They may have a level of detail they won’t need.”

He also indicated that LAFCO might not get everything it’s seeking.

“We’ll see what kind of availability there is on the data,” he said. “Some of it may be readily available, and some of it may not.”

William Fujioka, the city’s chief administrative officer, was more conciliatory. He said the city was “absolutely committed to ensuring this information is provided in a timely manner, and that it’s complete, accurate, everything.”

Fujioka has assigned two members of his staff to work full time on collecting the data.

LAFCO will use the data as the foundation of its study on whether the Valley can break away from Los Angeles without harming residents on either side of Mulholland Drive. If LAFCO finds that it can, a secession proposal will be put before city voters.

Larry Calemine, LAFCO’s executive officer, said the state panel requested only “the bare minimum of what we need to do our job.

“We did ask for a lot of stuff, but it’s a major undertaking,” he said.

Richard Close, chairman of the Valley VOTE secession group, called the scope of the request “good for all residents in the city. This is the opening of the secret files of the city.”

But he raised concerns about city officials suggesting the request was too much.

“It’s like when my kids used to say they had too much homework,” Close said. “Are you whining? Or are you saying you’re not going to do it all?”

If the city withholds key data, he added, “it will help Valley VOTE get an even higher percentage of approval for a Valley city.”

Mayor Richard Riordan and Council President John Ferraro have pledged cooperation with LAFCO. The council last month adopted a plan that calls for joint supervision by the mayor and council of all responses to LAFCO’s requests for information.

The city will route each request through as many as 14 steps before releasing information. In some cases, agencies might need full council approval before they can start gathering records. Once the records are prepared, the council’s ad hoc secession committee and the mayor will have to screen them before they’re released.

Several City Council members voiced concerns Wednesday about the scope of LAFCO’s first request. Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski, who heads the secession committee, said she had qualms about providing specific addresses requested for things like the city’s “bulky-item” garbage pickups.

“I would have a concern about invasion of privacy,” she said.

Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas said, “I’m just not sure that the city doesn’t have much higher priorities for its staff and time.

“Persistence is one thing,” he said. “Nuisance is another thing.”

But Councilman Joel Wachs, who represents the East Valley, said the city “has an obligation now to provide the data objectively and completely.”