Paul Koretz Newsletter: Resurfacing, Pets, Lucille Ball & More

It’s no secret that many L.A. streets are in worsening condition, with potholes and other problems in need of repair.  The City and its Bureau of Street Services (BSS) scramble to fix as many streets as possible as quickly as possible, but in an era of severe budgetary constraints, tough decisions must be made in prioritizing which streets must get immediate attention and which ones can wait. 

Take Roscomare, for example.  For years, dating back to when a prior Councilmember was representing the 5th Council District, this well-traveled road was among those submitted to the resurfacing division of the Bureau of Street Services as a candidate for repair, but even though parts were in horrible condition, it did not make the approved list. When Councilmember Koretz came in, things started to change.  Utility clearance was accomplished on the street, making it “shovel ready,” which meant that last year, when the submission for funding was made, the street could be eligible for American Recovery Act federal funds.  A project that would cost in the estimated range of $600,000 became doable.

And now, the two-week project has been completed.  Street Services used what’s called a profiler to grind the street and get it to its bare bones, and then hot mix asphalt was applied.  Speed humps were removed as part of the process, but Metro is in the process of installing two new speed humps, as well as two speed feedback signs.  

Councilmember Koretz went to the site while work was still underway, to thank the workers as well as to learn firsthand about the work involved. Yes, the Councilmember wielded the asphalt rake and rode the paving machine! He thanked the workers as well as the local residents, whose patience was outstanding throughout the completion of the project.

Ultimate praise for a smoothly done job in resurfacing Roscomare goes to crew 256 in the Resurfacing Division of the BSS and to Nazario Sauceda, the Interim Director of Street Services who has been incredibly helpful to the 5thCouncil District in getting so many of our streets repaired, though of course he’s also responsible for a wide array of matters, ranging from urban forestry to investigation and enforcement to street cleaning. He has tremendous organizational and leadership skills and was mentored by Bill Robertson (one of the savviest and community-friendly department heads in the history of Los Angeles).   Hi 5 asked Nazario to answer a few brief questions and here’s what he had to say:

Hi 5:  The work on Roscomare took place during some of the hottest days of summers, and it seemed like grueling, difficult, exacting work.  What can you tell us about how many people worked on it, what kind of equipment was involved, how much advance planning occurred and was any of the work dangerous or surprisingly challenging?

Nazario Sauceda:  Due to the uniqueness of this project (narrow, windy, isolated street) and in order to minimize the impact to the residents, the work was performed by crew 256 which is an elite "combination crew"; that is, this a crew that is capable of performing the cold milling of the street (preparation phase) and the paving of the road (final phase). The specialized equipment utilized to complete the project included big profilers, small profilers, skip loaders, dump trucks, pavers, and rollers among others. Meticulous planning takes place before a resurfacing project is scheduled; for example, each project has to be coordinated with over 200 utility companies to ensure that once the street is resurfaced, no utility company will show up later to trench it. 

Hi 5:  What is your background – how did you come to this work?

Nazario Sauceda: I have an Engineering background and a Master Degree in Public Administration but what I value the most is that I came through the ranks of the BSS. During my 23-year career, I paved miles of streets as a worker, I swept streets, I ran equipment, I supervised numerous Bureau maintenance and resurfacing crews, I had the opportunity to be in charge of the resurfacing operations in the Valley and later of the entire City as a Division Manager. For seven years I had the opportunity to serve as one of the BSS Assistant Directors and, most recently, the Mayor has granted me the privilege and honor to serve the city residents at the helm of this admirable organization. 

Hi 5.  In these days of terrible budgetary challenge, in a city of aging infrastructure and very modern equipment, what are the kinds of criteria you think we need to apply to protect and improve our communities and their quality of life?

Nazario Sauceda:  Indeed, these are historical times and historical decisions must be made. We all need to understand that we must balance our budget and that means tightening our belts. Like every other City Department, the BSS has seen an understandable reduction in the number of employees but I am on a mission to "hire" what I call "Honorary Employees of The Bureau of Street Services." I am dedicating numerous hours attending Neighborhood Council meetings to explain the ways in which neighborhoods and government can collaborate to get the services that residents need. By becoming the eyes and the ears of the BSS, neighborhoods can "walk" their streets and assess their infrastructure needs. I have created special service request forms that residents are using to report needed services and this kind of partnership has generated very successful results. 

  Update on apron parking

Residents all over the City are learning what too many in Westwood and all over the Fifth Council District already know – that the City needs a new policy on “apron parking.”

The apron is the portion of the driveway between the sidewalk and the street.In many parts of Los Angeles, particularly older multifamily neighborhoods, the sidewalks are fairly close to the buildings and residents have parked for many years on the aprons of their driveways between the sidewalk and the street. In years past, regulations against apron parking largely have not been enforced. 

Unfortunately, that changed this year.Law suits were filed against the City claiming, among other things, that apron parking interfered with the mobility of disabled residents. Partially in response to this litigation, the City Attorney’s Office instructed the Department of Transportation to enforce existing prohibitions on apron parking. This abrupt elimination of many parking spaces all over Los Angeles is causing great hardship in many neighborhoods.

Councilmember Koretz has a long history of support for the rights of the disabled and differently-abled and continues to strongly advocate for justice for the victims of disability discrimination.Nonetheless, Councilmember Koretz believes that the City can develop an apron parking system which fully protects the rights of the disabled and addresses the legitimate parking needs of neighborhood residents (some of whom are in fact disabled).

One issue is whether Sacramento must pass legislation before the City can act to meet the needs of all of its residents. The California Vehicle Code is silent on the issue of apron parking.Some have interpreted this silence as a prohibition on the development of a Los Angeles City apron parking altogether unless and until Sacramento revises the Vehicle Code to expressly provide for such a program.

The Councilmember therefore authored a proposal, which was adopted by the full City Council, to direct the Department of Transportation and the City Attorney to report on a dual strategy regarding apron parking – both the immediate development of an apron parking plan and also the development of a Sacramento legislative strategy. Again, either strategy should and in fact must fully protect the rights of the disabled. Councilmember Koretz has already begun seeking legislators willing to explore possibly writing and carrying any appropriate legislation, and has also urged the Department of Transportation and City Attorney’s Office to begin the necessary work leading to a report. 

 Encino Chamber of Commerce Day in the City of Los Angeles

Do you remember Al Jolson, who starred the very first feature length “talkie?” He was also the founder and very first president of the Encino Chamber of Commerce.  Recently, in a City Council meeting held in Van Nuys City Hall, Councilmember Koretz was privileged to celebrate the Chamber’s historic 75th Anniversary, by declaring that day to be “Encino Chamber of Commerce Day” in the City of Los Angeles. Over all these many years, the Chamber has done incredible work, providing formidable leadership benefiting Encino and Los Angeles.  Also, this Chamber is an inspiring example of an organization that goes above and beyond standard roles and duties to provide stellar service, including with its health and wellness committee (which produces a complimentary senior services directory) and the emergency preparedness committee (which takes a leading role with earthquake preparedness to make sure businesses are ready when an earthquake inevitably occurs).  Each year, the Councilmember looks forward to the Chamber’s big “Taste of Encino” event which is scheduled this year to take place in early October. 

For all the great years of promoting a prosperous, happy and safe community and city, Councilmember Koretz was thrilled to pay homage to the Chamber and its board of directors, staff and membership. 
 

A tremendous time was had by all!

Councilmember Koretz is flanked by (from left to right) LAPD Sergeant A.J. Kirby, LAPD Senior Lead Office Arthur Gallegos and LAPD Lieutenant Bryan Wong. 

On August 2, people came together to join in the annual “National Night Out” festivities held in neighborhoods across Los Angeles and throughout the USA.

As always, National Night Out prompted wonderful summertime celebrations full of friendliness, food, games and music.  Each year, the particulars might differ a bit from place to place, but what stays remarkably constant is how local residents and businesses enjoy getting together, often joined by law enforcement personnel, to support the related causes of neighborhood harmony and public safety from crime.

Once again, Councilmember Koretz and staff were delighted to attend and participate in National Night Out events.  CD 5 was represented at the following gatherings: Poinsettia Park, Stoner Park, Hollywood LAPD Station, West Valley Division and Van Nuys LAPD. Congratulations and thanks go to the neighborhood groups, community activists, local businesses and everyone else who volunteer their time and effort to make National Night out a big success.  

VICA Luncheon

Councilmember Koretz addresses the audience with David Adelman, co-chair of the governmental affairs committee of VICA, in the background. 

VICA – the Valley Industry & Commerce Association – is a vital organization that provides much leadership energy and wisdom in order to further the goals and interests of the San Fernando Valley and its communities and businesses. Each year, as part of its ongoing activities, VICA holds its annual officeholders lunch to meet with and hear from local elected officials from throughout Los Angeles, and to ask one question apiece to each of them.  As always, Councilmember Koretz was delighted and honored to attend.  He was asked about the Hospitality Express program – a pilot effort by the Department of Building and Safety aimed at restaurants.The program streamlines the permitting process in order to make it more easily understandable, gets rid of unnecessary red tape, allows the process to take place in a more timely manner, and gets the County and City to work together more cohesively on such matters. Councilmember Koretz explained that he wants to expand this pilot program. As always, through this and other interactions, the VICA event proved to be fun and informative.  

  Protecting our hills

The City of L.A.’s new Hillside Ordinance, which became effective on May 9th, was a tremendous step forward in protecting one of our greatest natural resources – our hillsides. But the Ordinance was not intended to be the one and only action taken in this regard. One lingering problem has been that development at the very top of a hill is not specifically addressed by the Hillside Ordinance – and too often in recent times, our majestic hills have been despoiled and decimated by developers who chop off the tops of hills to build mega-mansions.

That’s why, on August 17th, Councilmember Koretz introduced a motion to create a Ridgeline Protection Ordinance. When approved, this will help stem the tide of development that destroys our natural ridgelines.  In a month’s time, the motion will be heard in the Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee. 
 

Westwood FlyAway

As you may have read in our last newsletter, there was a possibility that the Westwood FlyAway that serves the UCLA and Westwood communities would be cancelled. Councilmember Koretz understands that the Westwood FlyAway is an important service for the Westwood community and has been working hard to keep things moving.

So far, with UCLA offering dedicated FlyAway parking spaces, additional financial resources and marketing help, the Board of Airport Commissioners (BOAC) has agreed to extend the service for the next 6 months. BOAC also implemented a fare increase to $10 for a one-way trip to reduce the service's deficit.

Now, after a meeting with neighborhood activists, and through the work of Councilmembers Koretz and Bill Rosendahl, more steps have been made to save the Westwood FlyAway.

Following a meeting between Council District 5, Council District 11, representatives from Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), and neighborhood lobbyists, additional changes were made to increase ridership for the Westwood FlyAway. Effective immediately, the additional hour of evening service for the Westwood FlyAway (10pm and 11pm, departing Westwood and LAX, respectively) has been restored.

Expect further steps to be made by Councilmember Koretz to save the valuable Westwood FlyAway. Remember to encourage friends, neighbors, students and out-of-town visitors to use the line as much as possible when heading to and from the airport. It is also a great way to commute to work, if your job is located near LAX. Additionally, Metro’s EZ Pass 4 is accepted for service. It is up to the community to show that this service is a vital asset, so make sure to use the Westwood FlyAway for your next trip!

 Northeast Animal Shelter update

Earlier this year, during the heat of the budget crisis, two of the city’s animal shelters were threatened with closure, which would have resulted in the deaths of thousands of animals deprived of the necessary, temporary care and housing given at shelters, and would have put a further burden on the remaining shelters.  Councilmember Koretz immediately led the successful charge to save one of the shelters, and since that time has worked closely with the City’s Chief Administrative Officer to try to achieve a public-private partnership capable of saving the remaining shelter. That has now been accomplished:  the Best Friends Animals Society is the organization that will be taking over the Northeast “Mission” Shelter with Animal Services providing any needed assistance. 

Very appreciative thanks go to Best Friends, the Mayor’s Office and Animal Services General Manager Brenda Barnette for their combined effort. 

  Palms fire station and park cleanup

Palms has been a continuing hotbed of cleanup and community beautification activities. The latest organized outburst of civic pride involved maintenance, green waste removal, trash pickup and even a bit of good old fashioned scrubbing at the old Fire Station 43 and – one block away – Woodbine Park.  The station is not currently in use but is the subject of significant discussion regarding potential future applications. In the meantime, the 5th Council District office, the Los Angeles Corps’s Clean and Green division, the Palms Neighborhood Council and various devoted community activists have been involved in the sustained effort to help make Palms shine with renewed splendor.  Hats off to all involved!

 I love Lucy (and Lucie) and she loves me

It’s hard to imagine anyone who has brought as much laughter and joy into people’s lives as did Lucille Ball.  Los Angeles is lucky to be home to the entertainment industry, but the world is lucky to have enjoyed the work she did as a beloved part of that industry.  That’s why Councilmember Koretz was so thrilled to join numerous dignitaries and celebrities and countless other fans in honoring Lucy on what would have been her hundredth birthday, at the lavish ‘I Love Lucy' at 60” festivities held at the Hollywood Museum.

At this wonderful event, Councilmember Koretz was especially pleased to give a special commendation to Lucie Arnaz, daughter to those entertainment legends and creative geniuses, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Jr.  Lucie Arnaz has herself been a shining light of stage, film, television and song, for she has charmed audiences wordwide as a tremendously talented performer who is also an acclaimed writer, producer, director and lecturer, and is the recipient of an Emmy Award, a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award, the Sarah Siddons Award and a Golden Globe nomination. A formidable champion of many charities, Lucie has also done the world a magnificent, lifelong service by being a passionate and distinguished caretaker and tireless advocate for her parents’ amazingly rich and beloved creative legacy, which dazzles and enthralls fans of each and every generation – a reality that is certain to continue for eons to come, putting sweet smiles and gut-splitting gales of uproarious laughter into the lives of millions upon millions of people. Happy Birthday, Lucy, and thanks for doing what you do, Lucie! 
 

Bark for Life

The American Cancer Society has a wonderful fundraising and awareness raising program called Relay for Life, which is held in communities across the nation and which involves countless participants and volunteer staff.  One of the amazing aspects of these events is the moving presence of survivors and also the family members of those who have faced cancer, as everyone joins together in a walk of unity in which pledged funds are also raised.

If Relay for Life is a phenomenally positive and moving event for human beings, it also offers the chance for dogs to be involved. Or to put it differently, sometimes people who love to walk with their dogs aren’t able to do so on particular paths that may have been chosen for a Relay for Life. Consequently, separate events have sprung up where people walk with their dogs – for example, here in Los Angeles, the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council was given an award by the American Cancer Society for its “Bark for Life” effort involving that community’s dog park population, and other Los Angeles communities are now following that example.    

Cheviot Hills has now done its first Bark for Life event, and it was a “doggone” good time!  Close to 100 people and a like amount of canines chivalrously showed up and showed their moxie, moving at diverse paces around the fields of Cheviot Park.  Despite the name of the event, more dogs panted than barked:  none howled. Some performed tricks before appreciative audiences. Needless to say, funds were raised for cancer research and care (over $11,000 gross).  The 5thCouncil District office was honored to support the event. Animals Services was there to provide animal adoption and Petco, Animal Surgical and Emergency Center and MyEcostand were among the key sponsors.  

  Camp Ruach

“Ruach” means “spirit” in Hebrew – and the girls of Camp Ruach sure have spirit, which was on vibrant display during their recent visit to City Hall.

Councilmember Koretz was delighted to greet them and answer their intriguing questions about city and local issues.  Reflecting on one of the hot topics of times, many of the questions had to do with the red light camera program.

Besides lunching with the Councilmember and quizzing him about issues as well as what brought him to a life of public service, the two dozen or so campers and their adult supervisors toured City Hall and went to the Los Angeles Fire Department’s 9-1-1 Call Center.

The Councilmember often meets with groups of young people from Council District 5 to hear their views and encourage their interest and participation in improving their community and city.  If you are part of a student or youth group that would like to visit City Hall, please feel to contact the Office of Councilmember Koretz at (213) 473-7005. 

  Westside Village Neighborhood Watch

Westside Village has come out in force to deal with the recent uptick in burglaries around the neighborhood.  Senior Lead Officer Juan Ceja was the invited guest to this meeting of the Neighborhood Watch, organized by Grant and Vanessa Jue.  Held at St. John's Presbyterian Church, the event was full of concerned and active residents -- neighborhoods needs more events such as this one where people get together, meet and discuss the safety of their neighborhoods, homes and community. Neighborhood watches also empower the neighborhood by teaching people to be the eyes and ears of your community in reporting potential criminal activity. 

LAPD Senior Lead Officers are community relations experts for the police force.  They often sit in unmarked cars and patrol your neighborhoods discretely to ensure public safety.  Together with Field Deputy David Giron, Officer Ceja was front and center at Westside Village to talk crime, safety and ways to make the area a better place.

After an informative 3 hour session, the event ended with people being better educated about safety tips...and hopefully making a new friend or two! 
 

New Council committee assignments

It’s that time of year again – the City Council will soon be returning from its brief summer recess, and with that will come some modest changes in the makeup of some Council committees, since Council Presidents historically make use of this time to do some reshuffling. In this instance, current Council President Eric Garcetti also has had to take into account the fact that the 15th Council District seat is vacant and will stay so until a new member is elected to replace Janice Hahn, who left the Council upon her election to Congress.

Councilmember Koretz will continue to serve as Chair for the Personnel committee and will return to Audits & Governmental Efficiency as its Vice Chair – as always, he looks forward to championing efficiencies, finding savings, and eliminating waste, fraud and red tape.  He will also be a member of Budget & Finance, Transportation (which has crucial significance for the 5th Council District), and the Ad Hoc Renew LA committee (with zero waste).

While City Council members are mostly known for their votes in Council meetings and their appearances in the community, some of their most important work takes place in committee sessions, which of course are subject to rules ensuring transparency and public access. 

If you want to see who serves on any Council committee, please look HERE.

 Sierra Club honors Greig Smith

Greig Smith (pictured above on the far right) recently left the City Council, where he had represented the 12th Council District and its northwestern L.A. portions of the San Fernando Valley.  One of his first major appearances after leaving government was to be honored by the Sierra Club because, as a city official, he had helped lead the charge when it comes to improving our recycling practices and technologies.  Councilmember Koretz, a past Sierra Club honoree, was asked to introduce the former Councilmember and present him with the annual award: with it, Councilmember Koretz gave his personal thanks for the great work done for the sake of the environment.

 In the community

In these tricky economic times, businesses and communities greatly benefit from timely reportage of breaking business news.  In the San Fernando Valley, one essential source of such information is the San Fernando Valley Business Journal (SFVBJ), which is why Councilmember Koretz was pleased to join with fellow Councilmembers Krekorian and Englander and (not pictured) Dennis Zine in thanking and saluting this publication. Pictured from left to right are SFVBJ Staff Member Jamie Chien, Councilmember Paul Krekorian, Publisher Pegi Matsuda, Councilmembers Mitch Englander and Paul Koretz and Editor Jaclyn Giovis.