I’m Telling You, Sidewalk Repair is Within Reach of the Whole City

PARKS’ PLACE-I’m thrilled to announce that on Tuesday the Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative (LANI) and I will be celebrating and kicking off the 100th sidewalk repair in the district! 

It started with a simple question: why has the city stood idly by for decades while 40% of its sidewalks have crumbled and warped? 

It produced a simple answer: if you want something done efficiently and cost-effectively, you can’t rely solely on the city. 

This project has truly been a labor of love. These are tangible, see-it-to-believe-it results that you deserve. 

LANI and their project partner, Berg and Associates, were awarded with a 2014 Innovative Industry Solution Award from the Western Council of Construction Consumers earlier this year and will be recognized in Council tomorrow for their impressive work. I couldn’t be happier with the progress and strides they have made in my district. 

We began this process with a master list of sidewalks in need of repair that grew exponentially. Many thanks to all of you who reached out and called our field offices to let us know about other wretched sidewalks in the district. Since March 14 of this year, LANI has been executing extreme makeovers on the worst of the worst, haphazard sidewalks in the district. See some of the greatest hits below.

This project is being funded through AB1290 funds. These funds are discretionary and controlled by each of the 15 Council Districts. They originate from former redevelopment project areas that were eliminated by the Governor a few years ago. 

I’m telling you, sidewalk repair is within reach for the whole city. 

Right? 

Well, judging by the city’s sidewalk repair program that was adopted forthwith Wednesday, only sidewalks adjacent to city facilities need apply.   

Some background: $10 million was allotted for sidewalk repairs in the city in the 2013-14 budget but went unnoticed and unspent (except for $3M programmed around local parks and spent by our Recreation and Parks Department), by the time the end of the fiscal year (June 30, 2014) came around. The remaining $7M in funds were carried over to the 2014-15 fiscal year budget which allocates $20 million for sidewalk repairs under the management of the Bureau of Street Services. 

From the City Administrative Officer’s report: 

"In Fiscal Year 2013-14, an initial survey of sidewalk repair requirements produced a list of locations adjacent to City facilities that require repair. The Program included an estimate that 180,834 square feet of sidewalk repairs at 21 locations could be repaired for an estimated cost of $3.7 million (Attachment A). City staff and contractors were both used. The results of this program are still being officially reconciled and are not yet available."

That’s right- a year behind and millions of dollars that’ll more than likely roll into the 2015-16 fiscal year. I don’t have anything else to say. Hopefully the parks and city spaces you visit will have safe sidewalks coming soon. As far as having sidewalks repaired in other neighborhoods, well, go tax yourself.  

---

 

{module [862]}
{module [662]}

---

 

 

Wednesday, Council also adopted forthwith to establishing terms and conditions under which funds may be paid to the two Department of Water and Power nonprofits, the arbitrarily-named Joint Safety Institute (JSI) and Joint Training Institute (JTI).

As you may recall, City Controller Ron Galperin had previously halted releasing the $4 million yearly contribution the nonprofits were accustomed to getting because they would not allow the Controller to see how the money was being spent. As I like to say, they were cooking the books. 

Well now it looks like they’ll have time to preheat the books too. According to the Los Angeles Times, Galperin and his auditors, along with City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana will have full access to the nonprofit’s records, but they’ll only have four months to find any illegal activity. If they don’t find anything within that time frame, the DWP once again gets to cash their lottery ticket. I didn’t see this condition listed anywhere in the council file. Moving on …

 

(Bernard Parks is Los Angeles Councilman for the 8^th Council District. He is also  former Los Angeles Police Chief. He can be reached at [email protected]) 

-cw

 

 

 

 

CityWatch

Vol 12 Issue 93

Pub: Nov 18, 2014