Panel on Contracts Opens Its Sessions

Mayor James K. Hahn’s blue-ribbon commission on city contracting began its work Wednesday by overruling the mayor’s office and opening the panel’s work to the public.

The meeting about contracting practices at the airport, port and Department of Water and Power was convened after audits faulted the airport and port for failing to adequately document their business.

Hahn’s office initially refused to allow visitors into the meeting, but after a reporter requested access, the commission members voted unanimously to open the meeting, according to USC law professor Erwin Chemerinsky, whom Hahn had tapped to head the panel.

“I think we hadn’t thought about it,” Hahn said later. His staff earlier said the meeting would be closed because some commission members might feel uncomfortable if media representatives were present.

Chemerinsky said after the meeting that he had always felt the commission’s work should be done in public, even though the mayor had informed the panel that it was not required by law to hold open meetings.

Hahn created the commission in February amid criminal probes into city contracting and complaints by City Controller Laura Chick and others about possible links between campaign contributions and the awarding of contracts.

The panel includes members of the public and several former city officials. The city is also in the process of hiring a consultant to propose ways the three multimillion-dollar agencies could improve their contracting.

“The end result will be a contracting process that is transparent, efficient, reflective of the highest ethical standards and consistent across departments,” the mayor said in a statement.

The panel heard reports from the airport and port and plans to reconvene in the next few weeks.