Around the Halls: October 12 - 14

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Today is Monday, October 12, and City Council has the day off in observance of the Columbus Day holiday. It's a slow week, but LAPD hiring will dominate Tuesday's conversation. On Wednesday, LADOT will present a proposed budget for Local Return funds generated by Measure R, the recently passed half-cent sales tax.

MONDAY: It's Columbus Day.

TUESDAY: Council's in session, as are four committees.

At Council, expect to see LAPD Chief William Bratton make an appearance to urge the body to allow the department to continue hiring to make up for attrition. Items 6 and 7 (CF 09-2127 and CF 09-0600-S142) deal with the topic.

WEDNESDAY: Council's in session, joined by three committees.

At Council, the Planning Department gets a pair of new tools to use in Community Plan updates. Item 16, CF 09-2197 adds a PED zoning designation, for Pedestrian Oriented District. Item 17, CF 09-2198, adds a GFC or Ground Floor Commercial designation. Finally, item 18, CF 09-2199, adds a Community Plan Implementation Overlay designation. While Council passing the motions doesn't apply them to anything directly, they then become options for the Planning department to use where appropriate.

At Transportation committee, CF 09-2061 is a motion asking for free parking for "advanced technology vehicles" such as plug-in hybrids. The City in the past had a similar free parking program for hybrids.

Discussion will continue on CF 09-1384, the City's provision of traffic officers to special event venues such as the Coliseum, Staples Center and Dodger Stadium. LADOT's budget for such services got slashed in the current budget, and the department is telling venues it will no longer be providing the service.

Finally, CF 09-0600-S48 is a DOT report with a proposed budget for the City's spending of Measure R Local Return Funds. Primarily, the money would go toward local match funds for transit projects and lessening the budget deficit for DASH and Commuter Express funding.