Councilmember Holds Community Congresses on Budget
Councilmember LaBonge convened emergency community meetings this week to discuss the city's $212 million budget shortfall in the current fiscal year. The Councilmember is looking for ways to cut back in this difficult economy, and reached out to the public to have open discussions about where cuts are possible.
"Because of the seriousness of the situation, we have to put everything on the table, look at every possible way to cut costs while preserving core city services," Councilmember LaBonge said. "When I was elected, I promised to bring government to the people, and that's what I'm doing with these budget meetings."
The city is experiencing a budget shortfall because of a greater than anticipated drop in property and sales tax revenue. The City Council voted last month to lay off 4,000 city workers to fill the budget gap.
On Monday, the Councilmember met with community leaders from the Wilshire and Hollywood areas of the Council District. He had met with the leadership in Toluca Lake and North Hollywood prior.
On Thursday, March 11 at 8 a.m., he will meet with leaders from Los Feliz and Silver Lake. That meeting will be held at Griffith Park Adult Community Center Nutrition Room, 3203 Riverside Drive, Los Angeles.
He also held a district-wide Community Congress on Tuesday to discuss the budget. Residents asked that staffing for libraries, parks, and youth programs be preserved.
Jeanne Min is New Chief of Staff
Councilmember LaBonge proudly
announced the promotion of Jeanne Min to the position of Chief of Staff
for Council District 4.
Ms. Min, who has worked for Councilmember LaBonge since he took office
in 2001, has expertise in all areas of city government, having served as
Field Deputy, Legislative Deputy and Financial Director for District 4.
A Los Angeles native, Jeanne speaks fluent Korean and is the first
Korean-American Chief of Staff in a Los Angeles Council Office in 20
years.
“Jeanne Min is tenacious on follow-through, which is the key to
success for the office of any elected official,” the Councilmember
said. “I am very proud of Jeanne Min.”
Prior to working for Councilmember LaBonge, Ms. Min served as the
external affairs coordinator for the Korean American Coalition, a
non-profit community organization in Koreatown. Ms. Min is a graduate
of Walnut High School (Go Mustangs) and the University of California at
Berkeley. She and her husband Joe Min have a 10-month-old baby Noah.
“I am very humbled and proud to serve in this position,” Ms. Min
said.
Mulholland Drive Storm Repairs
Residents of the Hollywood Hills will be glad to hear that the City Council approved money transfers today to make emergency repairs to Mulholland Drive between Bowmont and Skyline drives. The road has been closed since last week when rainstorms caused the soil to erode beneath the street surface.
The $690,000 needed for the Mulholland project was left over from completed Bureau of Engineering projects. The repairs will begin as soon as possible and are expected to take about eight weeks.
Councilmember Presses for Metro to Arts District
During a temporary one-day appointment to a City of Los Angeles seat on the Metro Board yesterday, Councilmember Tom LaBonge took the opportunity to press for a Red and Purple Line extension that he has long believed would help to revitalize the Downtown Arts District. The extension would capitalize on an existing rail spur to the Red Line maintenance yard, which is situated in that area. It would therefore require no new tunneling or track installation.
The councilmember’s verbal motion directs Metro CEO Arthur Leahy to report back in 90 days on the feasibility, ridership and cost of extending the Red and Purple Line service from the current terminus at Union Station south to 6th Street. The motion was referred to the March meetings of two board committees, the Planning and Programming Committee and the Operations Committee.
“This is a no-brainer,” the Councilmember said. “The track is already there. It would help bring people to the lofts, galleries and restaurants in the Arts District and connect SCI-Arc (Southern California Institute of Architecture) to the rest of the city.”
The Councilmember said the train platform could be situated on 6th Street or near the existing rail yard on 3rd St. If approved and constructed, it would help invigorate the area, ease traffic congestion and shine fresh light on downtown’s rich and diverse cultural resources.
Council Eliminates 4,000 City Jobs
Councilmembers Tom LaBonge, Ed Reyes, Tony Cardenas, Greig Smith and Bernard Parks surround Council President Eric Garcetti in a press conference after a critical budget vote on Thursday.
Citing the urgency of the city's fiscal situation, Councilmember LaBonge joined a majority of his colleagues in voting to eliminate 4,000 city jobs yesterday. Because revenue fell far short of projections, the city has a $212 million budget shortfall in the current fiscal year and faces a $484 million shortfall in fiscal 2010-2011.
"In 35 years of public service, I have been through periods of adjustment and recession before," said Councilmember LaBonge. "This is the toughest period we've ever had to face."
The Councilmember said he will strive to stretch the public dollar and maintain the highest level of service possible given the seriousness of the situation.
Save The Peak (Cahuenga, That Is...)
Councilmember Tom LaBonge and officials from the Trust for Public Land announced the weekend fund-raising totals for land beside the HOLLYWOOD sign as the temporary banner, “Save the Peak,” dropped from the historic monument.
This rare, temporary covering of the world-famous HOLLYWOOD sign publicized an effort to raise $12.5 million to acquire Cahuenga Peak, a 138-acre parcel just to the west of the sign. (To donate, please click here.
Councilmember LaBonge has been working for nine years to set aside public park funds to acquire Cahuenga Peak. Private property owners have threatened to develop the land for luxury residential housing. The City partnered with the Trust for Public Land, a national land conservation organization, to raise private funds to cover the balance of funds needed.
“This weekend was a great start to this important fundraising effort,” said Councilmember LaBonge. “But we need more help. We hope that people around the world will become real Hollywood stars by helping us 'Save the Peak.’ We're grateful to the Trust for Public Land and everyone who donated over the weekend for helping the City buy this land to expand Griffith Park."
The Trust for Public Land has an agreement to purchase the land from the owners for $12.5 million, but they must raise the funds by April 14th. To promote this public fund-raising campaign the sign was covered all weekend with the message, “SAVE THE PEAK.”
“We have had a tremendous response from the public and we are seeing donations coming in, but we still need people to donate,” said TPL President Will Rogers.
The new figures mean $4.5 million still needs to be raised to meet the $12.5 million total by April 14th.
Save Cahuenga Peak
Councilmember Tom LaBonge and officials from the Trust for Public Land watched as workers draped the HOLLYWOOD Sign today. This rare covering of the famous sign will publicize an effort to raise funds to acquire Cahuenga Peak, a 138-acre parcel just to the west of the sign.
Councilmember LaBonge has been working for nine years to acquire Cahuenga Peak, from property owners who have threatened to develop the land for luxury residential housing.
“The Hollywood sign is one of the most famous landmarks in the country and it’s surrounded by some of the world’s great hiking trails. We have to work together to save this land, Cahuenga Peak,” said Councilmember LaBonge.
The Trust for Public Land, a national land conservation organization, has an agreement to purchase the land from the owners for $12.5 million, but they must raise the funds by April 14th to prevent the development of luxury estates next to the national monument. To promote this public fundraising campaign the sign will temporarily be covered with the message: that reads “SAVE THE PEAK.”
For more information on this effort, click here.
Help Us Preserve Cahuenga Peak
Councilmember Tom LaBonge and officials from the Trust for Public Land announced the launch of a $12.5 million fundraising campaign to preserve the view of the HOLLYWOOD Sign, expand Griffith Park and save 138 pristine acres from residential development.
Councilmember LaBonge has been working since 2001 to acquire the land, known as Cahuenga Peak, which was on the market for private residential development for $22 million. To preserve the land for hiking and recreational uses for future generations of Angelenos, he enlisted the Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national land conservation organization, to raise money for the acquisition.
TPL has until mid-April to purchase the land for $12.5 million under an agreement with the owners. About half of the funds have been raised through various sources, including the Tiffany & Co. Foundation which donated $1 million.
They must still raise about $6 million more to reach the asking price. To promote this public fundraising campaign the sign will temporarily be covered with the message, “SAVE THE PEAK” this weekend.
“More than one hundred acres of open land and the view of the one of the world’s most famous landmarks, the HOLLYWOOD Sign, are threatened with development,” Councilmember LaBonge said. “It is absolutely critical that we acquire this property.”
“To have the opportunity to protect 138 acres of untouched land in one of the most urban cities in the country is nothing short of miraculous,” said Jay Dean, Chief Marketing Officer for TPL. “We are getting support from the Hollywood community and from the Tiffany Foundation but we need support from anyone who cares about the Hollywood or parks and open space. We only have two months to go.”
“The Hollywood Sign is an American icon that holds a unique place in the nation’s collective imagination and the cultural history of Los Angeles,” said Michael J. Kowalski, chairman and CEO of Tiffany & Co.As an American institution, Tiffany has enjoyed its share of memorable movie moments and through our foundation, is committed to protecting our natural resources and pleased to assist The Trust for Public Land in protecting this historically significant site.”
For more information, see click here.
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