Category: City of Los Angeles

Earlier this year Mayor Eric Garcetti launched several Executive Directives, one of which was the first ever Sustainable City pLAn. Sustainability is about more than combating climate change and reducing pollution: it encompasses economic development, social development, and environmental protection. The pLAn looks at ways the whole city of Los Angeles: citizens, communities, and businesses, can be more cognizant about responsible waste, clean energy, water conservation, efficient transportation, improved air quality, and the creation of green jobs. Sustainability is about making sure that the natural resources we have today are available for future generations tomorrow.

Mayor Garcetti has taken a proactive approach in Los Angeles becoming a leader in sustainability. On Monday, Mayor Garcetti joined Vice President Joe Biden and leaders in the clean-technology industry for a roundtable discussion on ways to develop clean technology. Vice President Biden sees Los Angeles as leading the country in innovation and sustainability as Mayor Garcetti has pledged an aggressive goal for the City to cut emissions 80% by 2050, stop using coal by 2025, and embedding sustainability into everything that City Hall does. In addition, last week Mayor Garcetti announced a campaign called the Los Angeles Better Buildings Challenge (LABBC) or ‘Drop 100’ where commercial buildings will take the necessary steps to save 100 million gallons of water every year. This campaign helps by conserving water for the drought, as commercial buildings account for 19% of the city’s water supply. Learn more about the Mayor’s Sustainable City pLAn.

With the Mayor taking a proactive stance on sustainability, Neighborhood Councils can also engage with this important campaign by exploring new areas and ways in which they can help the city reach sustainability goals, specifically by submitting a Community Impact Statement on reducing greenhouse gas in the city as proposed in Council File #14-0907. A CIS is an opportunity for NCs to influence legislation. To learn more about Community Impact Statements, attend an upcoming EmpowerLA CIS training workshop!

Community empowerment starts with you, so thank you for your continued interest to stay connected, engaged, and empowered.

This week, a public hyperlink was established on the City’s website directing users to the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services’ website to provide information on adoption opportunities.

Every child needs a loving, supportive and nurturing family. Sadly, in the United States, there are 400,540 children in the foster care system with 104,236 children ready and waiting to be adopted. In California, there are 55,851 children in the foster care system with over 13,178 children ready and waiting to be adopted. In Los Angeles County, there are over 18,000 children in the foster care system with over 500 of them ready and waiting to be adopted.

The City of Los Angeles’s website: www.lacity.org is the main portal in which residents can access public services and receive vital information. The City’s website is also an important tool to facilitate instant and direct access to public resources for residents, and can be utilized to encourage people to consider adopting a child.

This link brings greater awareness about the need for permanent and loving homes for children in foster care and assists those interested in the adopting process, making it smoother and easier to navigate.

Click here to view the new link.

Looking for affordable housing? There is a new resource available from the Los Angeles Housing + Community Investment Department (HCIDLA).

Los Angeles County Housing Resource center, together with HCIDLA launched this new web-based ADA accessible application tool to match qualified tenants with affordable housing.

This application is 100% free and features searchable vacancies based on household amenities and location criteria. It can be accessed online or via toll-free phone and provides a platform for owners to list and update rentals.

The website updates regularly to reflect available units and can be found at http://housing.lacity.org/.

Los Angeles lawmakers voted unanimously Tuesday to pass a new law requiring Angelenos to lock up or disable their handguns at home if they aren’t close at hand.

In an impassioned speech before the vote, City Councilman Paul Krekorian argued that the new rules would help prevent deadly accidents and youth suicides by stopping the guns from falling into the hands of curious children or despondent teenagers. Krekorian said more preschoolers are killed with guns annually than police officers.

“It’s unacceptable to live in a country where it’s more dangerous to be a preschooler than to be a police officer — and we can do something about that today,” Krekorian said.

Under the new law, Angelenos who violate the storage requirements could face a misdemeanor charge. Gun rights activists have warned they may sue over the rules, arguing that city lawmakers shouldn’t decide how people choose to protect themselves in their homes. Read more »

Mayor calls for investments in long-term initiatives, and rolls out short-term proposals to address emergency needs.

Mayor Eric Garcetti today announced the first steps of a comprehensive strategy to address the homelessness crisis in Los Angeles, an effort that would invest at least $100 million annually in City funding to help house tens of thousands of homeless individuals.

To address immediate needs, Mayor Garcetti also announced a critical short-term strategy to secure an additional $13 million in emergency funding to expand homeless services and housing. The bulk of that funding, $10 million, will be allocated to veterans and non-chronically homeless people in the form of housing subsidies — to rapidly re-house individuals who need short-term assistance to get off the street and on with their lives. Mayor Garcetti called for shelters to remain open 24 hours a day during the rainy season, and for winter shelter availability to expand by two months. The Mayor also proposed seed money to incentivize new storage and access centers across the city — that would newly provide access to restrooms, showers, laundry, and services, as well as providing safe storage for personal possessions.

This comes as Los Angeles City Council leaders this morning declared homelessness in Los Angeles a “state of emergency” and introduced a motion to allocate $100 million in one-time funding for homeless services. Read more »

Mayor Eric Garcetti today announced that Los Angeles has met and surpassed his first benchmark goal of 10 percent water reduction by July 1, 2015. The City has rallied in response to the historic drought and has achieved a significant milestone in Mayor Garcetti’s water reduction plan as outlined by his Executive Directive No. 5 and in L.A.’s first-ever Sustainable City pLAn.

Since the roll out of the Mayor’s Executive Directive in October 2014, L.A. residents and businesses leaped to action by altering water use and taking advantage of conservation rebates offered by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP). Daily per capita water use for the year ending June 30, 2015 was 113 gallons per capita per day (GPCD), compared to 131 GPCD for the year ending June 2014, a reduction of more than 13%.

The City’s water use was also within the margin of measuring error of the state’s target, using 244 more acre-feet than the state allocated for June. This amount equates to about 4 hours of citywide water usage.

“Angelenos have responded to my call for action and have stepped up to significantly conserve during this historic drought– building on our City’s already impressive history of water conservation,” said Mayor Garcetti. “The most valuable solution to this water crisis is our willingness to change our relationship with water. Keep saving the drop, L.A.! Every bit counts.”

Today, Los Angeles uses just as much water as it did nearly 45 years ago despite the rise in population by more than one million residents. City Departments have also done their part to reduce water use, including a 33% estimated savings by the Department of Recreation and Parks this fiscal year, putting 76% of public golf courses on recycled water, and reducing irrigation for ornamental turf to two days per week.

When we take action, even problems as serious as the historic drought become surmountable. What action have you taken to cut your water use?

Mayor Garcetti also announced that the LADWP turf removal rebate will continue at $1.75 per square foot up to 1,500 square feet due to overwhelmingly high demand for the program, despite the pause on the additional $2 per square foot offered by The Metropolitain Water District of Southern California (MWD). L.A. water customers have replaced more than 23 million square feet of grass with low water using, sustainable landscaping—saving more than 1 billion gallons of water each year. Angelenos interested in applying for the turf rebate can do so at www.socalwatersmart.com.

“Los Angeles continues to be a model for sustainable urban water use, all thanks to our customers’ heightened awareness about the drought and their willingness to do their part with the help of LADWP rebates and incentives,” said Marcie Edwards, LADWP General Manager. “We’re doing great, but we must keep our eye on the Mayor’s goal of 20 percent conservation by 2017.”

Mayor Garcetti also announced that Liz Crosson has been hired as water policy advisor to support the Mayor’s Water Cabinet in continuing water saving progress internally in the City, meeting the city-wide water reductions required in Executive Directive No. 5, and achieving the longer term local water outcomes in the pLAn. The position is being funded with grants from philanthropic sources including Environment Now and the California Water Foundation. Crosson is currently the Executive Director of Los Angeles Water Keeper and will report to the Mayor’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Matt Petersen.

Water saving tips and information can be found via the Save the Drop campaign at www.savethedropla.org.

As the drought persists and LA weathers through another hot summer, Angelenos can do their part in helping achieve the next phase of Mayor Garcetti’s water goals (15% by 2016) and state conservation targets by:

• Following the watering schedule for your address and “Drop a Day” by voluntarily reducing outdoor watering to a maximum two days per week;
• Improving outdoor water efficiency through climate appropriate plants, stormwater capture, and efficient irrigation;
• Continuing to report wasteful water uses through the MyLA311 app or by emailing [email protected] (LADWP’s Water Conservation Response Unit continues to investigate all complaints); and
• Taking advantage of water conservation rebates, classes and other water saving tips, all available at www.ladwp.com/waterconservation.

To read Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Executive Directive No. 5, visit: http://bit.ly/1trYLv6

For information on the Sustainable City pLAn’s Local Water outcomes, visit: http://plan.lamayor.org/environment

This week, the City Council approved the Fiscal Year 2015-2016 Budget. The Budget and Finance Committee built on the Mayor’s proposed budget, finding an additional $50 million in net revenue. Here are some of the highlights of what was adopted: Read more »

For the first time in the history of Los Angeles, the City has made a commitment this week to establishing a sustainable, fair, long-term sidewalk repair policy by settling the Willits class action lawsuit. The City will invest $31 million per year for the next 30 years to fix our broken sidewalks!

“As chairman of the Public Works committee, I have been committed to finding solutions to fixing our streets and sidewalks since my first day on the Los Angeles City Council. The settlement of this lawsuit is a win for not only the mobility impaired, but for all Angelenos as it finally requires the city to fix its broken sidewalks. There are no losers here. I look forward to hearing from the public as we develop the details in the Public Works Committee on how residents can submit repair requests, which locations to prioritize and how quickly we can start the work,” said Councilman Joe Buscaino.

The basic terms of the settlement are as follows:

• 30 year agreement
• $31 million per year (in today’s dollars)
• 15% cost escalator every 5 years to keep up with inflation
• Will increase to $67 million per year in the final 5 years
• Total: just over $1.3 billion
• $5 million per year will be dedicated to curb ramps, and $26 million will be dedicated to sidewalks
• 20% will go toward addressing specific requests made by disabled persons

Locations will be prioritized as follows:

1. City offices and facilities (parks, rec centers, libraries, police stations, etc)
2. Transportation corridors
3. Hospitals, medical facilities, assisted living facilities and similar
4. Places of public accommodation such as commercial and business zones
5. Facilities containing employers
6. Residential Neighborhoods

FAQ

1. How can residents report broken sidewalks?

Call 311 or use the MyLA311 app

2. How soon will my sidewalk be fixed?

The settlement requires repairs next to city-owned facilities first. It will take at least 2 years before that work is complete and we can move on to repairs of sidewalks adjacent to private property

3. How can I see where my request is on the list?

There is no list of individual locations, only general direction on what types of locations get priority over what. The Budget & Finance and Public Works Committees will hold hearings in the coming months to solicit public input and develop a fair and transparent policy about priority of specific requests, as well as all of the other policy details like:

• whether the city will pay for sidewalk repair after the 30 years or return the responsibility to the adjacent property owner
• whether city workers or contract workers will do the work
• whether alternative materials like porous pavement and rubber sidewalks will be allowed
• whether the city will pay for 100 % of the repair costs, or implement a cost sharing program like 50/50.

After 40 years with no repair policy, we’re not going to get one in place overnight. But this week’s action commits the City to solving this problem.

Mayor Eric Garcetti, the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC), and the U.S. Department of Commerce announced today that the first annual National Aerospace Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Exposition will be held in Los Angeles. This is the first stand-alone FDI event in the United States co-sponsored by the Commerce Department that will focus on a single industry: aerospace manufacturing.

The Mayor and LAEDC collaborated last year to bring the exposition to Los Angeles, working jointly to find a suitable venue for the expo, and submitting the winning proposal in a competitive process against other cities and states. The selection of Los Angeles to host the first aerospace expo reflects L.A.’s dominant position in the United States’ aerospace market. More aerospace companies are located in Los Angeles County than any other county in America.

“The aerospace cluster surrounding the Los Angeles Air Force Base is the most concentrated in the U.S., and this event will help us leverage that built-in advantage to boost exports and create middle class jobs,” Mayor Garcetti said. “As a primary entry point for Foreign Direct Investment and as home to aerospace’s most innovative companies, Los Angeles is the natural choice for the Department of Commerce’s first Aerospace FDI Expo.”

The National Aerospace FDI Exposition will provide prospective investors with resources to make smart decisions about where and how to establish or expand their presence in the United States. These will include one-on-one meetings with state and local economic development organizations that are interested in attracting aerospace FDI. Other expo activities will include workshops geared specifically to aerospace manufacturers, such as contracting with the Defense Department and Federal Aviation Administration. The Aerospace States Association (ASA), a non-profit organization of state lieutenant governors and governor appointed delegates, is co-sponsoring the expo.

Read the full story here.

Dear Friends:

On behalf of Mayor Eric Garcetti, I invite you to nominate or recommend a few passionate students to partake in the Mayor’s Youth Council. We are looking for highly motivated 10th and 11th graders who are interested in civic engagement, community and youth issues, and the municipal government system.

Each of Los Angeles’ eight areas (East Valley, West Valley, South L.A., Downtown, Eastside, Harbor, Westside, and Central) will have its own Youth Council made up of around 25 local applicants, and they will participate in civic engagement and community service projects sourced from their local area. The students’ area will be determined by the school they attend, rather than the area they live.

The goal of the Youth Council is for young Angelenos to learn about civic engagement, while expressing their own views on how to improve government and affect change in their communities. Monthly meetings will consist of discussions and workshops focused on their communities as well as Los Angeles at-large. There will be quarterly meetings during which the 8 Youth Councils will get together and meet in a large group. Youth Council members will have the opportunity to meet many figures working inside of, outside of, and with government. They will also work on creating a long-term project that will affect their community. This is a wonderful opportunity for the youth and city to work together and learn from one-another. If you know of any qualified candidates for the Mayor’s Youth Council, please pass along the attached application. The application also includes the qualifications youth must meet to apply.

If you’d like me to make a presentation about this program or if you have any follow-up questions, please do not hesitate to e-mail or call me (direct line: 213-304-5869). You may pass on my contact information to the youth applicants as well. The application, recommendation, and unofficial transcript are due to me (via e-mail: [email protected]) by midnight on FEBRUARY 15TH. Please read the instructions carefully. 

Thank you for your participation and assistance in getting this important program started.

Kind regards,

Amanda Mejia, MSW

External Affairs, Area Representative East Valley
Office of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti
818.778.4990 Van Nuys