Ed Fuentes

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Today is Monday, December 14, and there's just one week left before the City Council's winter recess. Medical marijuana will again be the week's big-ticket issue, but also on the agendas are live/work changes, Vote By Mail for neighborhood councils and support for extending Empowerment Zone statuses.

MONDAY: Public Safety committee meets, both by itself and in a joint session with the Personnel committee.

At Public Safety, item 6 is CF 09-2723, which asks for a timeline on what's next for Parker Center and the land that it sits on.

TUESDAY: Council is in session, as are four committees.

At Council, item 35 is CF 09-1845, a change in the City's live/work definition. We covered the topic on Friday.

Item 55 is CF 09-1222-S2, a motion instructing the City Clerk to report to Council on the steps needed to restore Vote by Mail as an option for neighborhood council elections.

At Information Technology and Government Affairs, CF 09-1639 asks General Services to work with the newly formed Human Services Department and the Department of Aging on moving to Figueroa Plaza, the pair of office buildings the city owns on Figueroa north of 1st street.

CF 09-0002-S194 is a motion supporting two state bills (HR 1677 and S. 1222) that would extend Empowerment Zone and Renewal Community statuses through December 31, 2015. Downtown has several of the zones.

Related items go to Jobs and Business Development committee as CF 09-2749, CF 07-1376 and CF 08-2497.

WEDNESDAY: Council meets, with only Housing, Community and Economic Development committee joining it on the agenda.

Council will continue to consider CF 08-0923, proposed rules governing medical marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles. The council last week lacked consensus on language governing where the dispensaries could be located. We published maps showing the proposed residential buffer on Friday.

Item 17 is CF 09-2711, zoning changes for "Crazy" Gideon Kotzer's proposed live/work development in the Arts District. We checked in with Kotzer on timeline last week.

Item 49 is CF 09-2984, a motion asking for permission to apply for funds from the Federal Transit Administration's Urban Circulator grants program. Funds would support the Downtown Streetcar project.