LAFCO to Review Its Executive’s Work for Lobbyists, Builders

The commission weighing cityhood proposals for the San Fernando Valley, Hollywood and the harbor area decided Wednesday to review its top executive’s outside work for lobbyists and developers.

The Local Agency Formation Commission for Los Angeles County “needs to decide whether to countenance” the flourishing private business of its executive officer, Larry J. Calemine, said county Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, a member of the panel.

The nine-member commission accepted Yaroslavsky’s proposal to review Calemine’s outside income on March 13 at a meeting that will be closed to the public.

“This board needs to understand what’s been going on,” Yaroslavsky said.

LAFCO pays Calemine $100,000 a year. He is in charge of drafting plans that would be used to slice up Los Angeles if voters approve a municipal breakup.

At the same time, Calemine has collected tens of thousands of dollars in fees from builders and lobbyists for advice on winning City Hall approval for Valley real estate projects, The Times reported last week.

In one case, he did at least $10,000 worth of consulting work for a lawyer who was arguing a Valley secession group’s case before Calemine and the LAFCO commissioners, records show. Calemine says his outside income poses no conflict with his government job.