Flag Salute: Conducted by five members of By Youth For Youth from the Mar Vista
Family Center – Natalie Caisero, Aurora Pasilla, Alfredo Ramon, Ricardo
Mendez and Ruben Mendez.
Thanks to our Host: Marina Middle School Performing Arts Magnet, Ms. Anderson
introduced two students to perform – Tejuan Robinson, pianist, and Alex
Fong, flautist.
Additional
thanks to the principal, to Asst. Principal Helene Cameron and P.E. teacher
Lent.
Thanks
to our local police: Chief Richard Roupoli, Capt. Bill Williams, Capt. William
Hayes, St. Mar Pompani, Sr. Lead Officer Heidi Llanes, Sr. Lead Officer Pete
Llanes.
Introductions:
Sanjay Shah, field deputy for newly elected Assemblyman Ted Lieu; Lucia Diaz,
director of the Mar Vista Family Center; Gloria Prado, of the City Attorney’s
office; Ted Ponton of the Mar Vista Community Council.
Thanks
to Marlene Savage for handling the protocol for the meeting.
Del
Rey Day will be on December 10, 2005, and 300 people are expected to attend.
City
Council Member Bill Rosendahl:
Explained that the Mayor’s visit had to be rescheduled so he could speak
at the funeral of Rosa Parks, who “symbolized civil rights for all of us.”
People who make a difference include Lucia Diaz and Betty Factor, the co-founder
of the Mar Vista Family Center.
Rosendahl introduced his deputies Mark Antonio Grant, Kathryn Frengs.
Formal
Commendation to Robert DiMassa for his actions on September 28, 2005, when he
stopped a bank robber.
Mayor
Antonio Villaraigosa:
Apologizes for having had to reschedule.
[Throughout the meeting, about 30 tenants from Lincoln Place, a rental property
in Mar Vista, were gathered at the back of the room, carrying protest signs.
They had been evicted that morning after months of negotiations with the new
landlord had failed to resolve the dispute. He told them, “There are a
lot of people you could be upset at, but I’m not one of them.”]
Priorities of the Mayor:
1. Focus on the public schools because he had a great teacher who gave him a
second chance. Wants to see healthcare for kids, better land use.
2. Improve traffic by banning construction vehicles during rush hour, putting
traffic officers at the 50 worst intersections, synchronizing traffic lights
($240 million), putting a high occupancy vehicle lane on the 405 freeway ($130
million), using the Gold Line, introducing the Expo line, finding a way to eliminate
the federal prohibition on running a subway to the ocean.
3. Housing. Has put $100 million into a Housing Trust Fund, $50 million of which
will be for the homeless and extremely poor. Only 12 per cent of Los Angeles
residents can afford to purchase a home. Supports a $1 billion housing bond.
4. Public safety. Wants to add 359 new officers, but L.A.P.D. is losing 350
officers per year. Wants to get fair share of homeland security money.
Questions from the Audience:
[All questions were submitted on cards, and a team of people reviewed them before
they were read. Some people attempted to ask questions from the floor, but they
were directed to follow the established procedure so that everyone would have
an equal opportunity to have his question answered by the mayor.]
[At one point, Chris Nevil spoke to the audience in Spanish, advising that people
were available to assist with translation. We did not have the DRNC translator
available. Also, the mayor was able to listen to and respond to some questions
in Spanish.]
1. Land use – an issue for the City Council more than for the mayor.
2. Slow police response times – the 6.5 minute figure is for a Code 3 run.
3. How can we get a park in Del Rey (Mar Vista Gardens has two on its premises.)?
We should work with Councilman Rosendahl and look into uing Prop. 12 money.
(Want to spend $100 million on the L.A. River watershed)
4. The mayor sets the direction for the entire city and advocates at state and
federal government.
5. To prevent condominium conversions, moratoria can be considered. He favors
the housing bond.
6. Re the recent appellate court ruling requiring review of the methane remediation
efforts by Playa Vista, that is an issue for Councilman Rosendahl.
7. Not aware of the controversy regarding the intersection of Culver Blvd. and
the 90 freeway.
8. Mayor was one of the lone votes against the expansion of LAX. Many projects
will be eliminated, but the southern runway must be realigned to prevent incursions..
9. Development of Los Angeles should be coordinated so that there is “elegant
density.” Development should occur downtown and along the transit corridors.
Presently, we have housing on the outskirts and jobs in the core of the city.
10. He is working to get the utility companies to cooperate more with each other
when building.
11. We should count on being able to use Playa Vista’s ball parks.
12. Re: Lincoln Place. Mayor had tried to get the evictions delayed, and they
were close to an agreement. Tenants said the offers all contained “poison
pills” and were rejected.
13. Mayor has asked the City Attorney to review the evictions, but he cannot
direct the City Attorney, who is elected independently.
Meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m.