DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — If you remember way back to last October, you might recall that at a board meeting DLANC had disscussed whether lobbyists should be allowed to serve on neighborhood councils. Our discussion was in response to a whole swirling controversy that had included talk of a Council motion to bar lobbyists from the councils. To many, that didn't seem like something the city would really be able to do. A report issued by the City Attorney's office this week agrees.

Regardless of the purpose of the prohibition, without an amendment to the City's Charter, lobbyists who are stakeholders of a Neighborhood Council may not be prohibited from serving on a Neighborhood Council board by virtue of their status of being a lobbyist.

The report does say that those paid to represent a position can be prevented from voting on the matters they represent, but not kept from being elected or serving.