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ERIC PREVEN'S NOTEBOOK -
Smart Speaker: Good morning, Supervisors, Councilmembers. Let’s talk about how you treat the public. At the County, it’s like boarding a budget airline: “LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION,” followed by a litany of don’ts—don’t clap, don’t swear, don’t even blink wrong. It’s a code of conduct straight out of a penal code.
At the City, it’s kinder and gentler—one minute per item, stay on topic, we’ll pause for interpreters. Sounds friendly. But stray off script, and your mic’s cut, LAPD's circling, and you’re out the door. It’s like a restaurant taking your order then rushing you out before dessert. Same hostility, different vibe.
The County flaunts its ceremonies: invocation, pledge, pet adoption, land acknowledgement—30 minutes minimum. The City skips the acknowledgement but wastes half the morning on surprise scrolls and unlisted tributes. Both honor Indigenous communities, veterans, and pets—all deserving. But when folks like the Van Nuys mom fighting for homeless services, speak on policing, corruption, or tax hikes, the clock turns brutal, and the eject button’s primed.
The message? Rituals first, residents last. Challenge the script, and you’re silenced. That’s not respect. That’s awful!
Call to Action: Start meetings with public comment—thirty minutes guaranteed up front. And if more people sign up, take additional comment later in the agenda. Put people before pageantry.
An Olympic competition...
Van Nuys and the Broadway Showstopper
The Council’s “neighborhood-friendly” roadshow hit Van Nuys on Aug. 29, 2025, and left nothing but echoes. Five items, all “Items for which Public Hearings Have Been Held.” No testimony, no debate—just the Council’s favorite trick: Note and File.
Three Prop HHH quarterly reports, a “Homelessness Emergency Declaration” update, and a CAO note on the County’s Emergency Response Center were swept aside. Residents who trekked to Sylvan Street got scripted intros, polite smiles, and a robust attack on Imelda Padilla, as the junta presided over a quiet burial of documents that may never resurface.
Smart Speaker: Thank you, Mr. President. I salute this Council’s slickest move: Note and File. It’s a Broadway showstopper. Consultants log 600 hours, staff churn out 200-page reports, the public lines up to speak. And then? A flick of the wrist, a nod of the chair: Note and File. It’s like ignoring a customer complaint at a coffee shop—smile, nod, toss it in the trash. Read nothing. Learn nothing. Do nothing. But keep the file! Picture the City Clerk belting, ‘Note it and file it, deep in the pile,’ while DROP checks rain like confetti. Sergeants-at-arms do a soft-shoe, Council hums along, and the General Fund vanishes offstage.”
That’s Van Nuys in a nutshell. How long did you wait to speak at a Council meeting? Share on X with #LANoteAndFile.
Overdressed for a hot day...
Supervisors: Emergencies Without End
On September 2, 2025, the Board of Supervisors tackles two headliners: a CEO budget update and a homelessness “implementation” report, delayed more times than a Hollywood sequel. With only two set items, you’d expect breathing room, but the agenda’s packed.
Parking Games
Item 12 spends $10,782 on “homeless outreach” parking fees in Malibu—not for the unhoused, but for staff.
Insurance Fog
Item 18 streamlines land use for Eaton Fire survivors to rebuild, while Item 19 drops $1M to keep foster agencies afloat under soaring liability premiums.
Perpetual Emergency Contracting
Items 27, 39, and 50 extend no-bid “emergency” contracts from January’s windstorm. Nine months later, “emergency” looks like the default.
Sole Source Season
The spigot flows: Child Support’s $5.3M SaaS deal, ASCII extensions, $7.5M in CalFresh amendments.
Lindsey P. Horvath in white tennis shoes...
Supplemental Twist
Supervisor Mitchell pushes a $0.74/hour wage hike for IHSS workers, plus $3/hour for backup attendants—a big labor deal, pending SEIU and State approval. (FINALLY!)
Public Access Shuffle
The County swapped its participation system: “Discover the new platform to address the Board remotely.” Call (213) 306-3065, Access Code 2532 923 2285, Password 2672025. The public chases moving targets while contracts sail through. That’s why I’ve filed a Public Records Act request for AT&T and Cisco/Webex agreements, related RFPs or RFQs, and sole-source justifications since January 2023. Nothing to hide? Nothing to redact.
The City and Imelda Padilla and "Youtube." What happened Friday?
Olympics: Legacy or Lipstick?
On August 27, the Council’s Ad Hoc on the 2028 Games met at 8 a.m. Diving’s moving from Exposition Park to the Rose Bowl—LA28 saves $12M, but taxpayers still foot Expo’s renovation bill. Curren Price calls it “legacy,” Katy Yaroslavsky calls it a “nice-to-have.”
Construction freezes, glossy reports, and “sustainability” slogans look pretty in press releases, but it’s lipstick on a pig when kids can’t afford park fees. Council touts “no-build” and “transit-first.” Reality? Secretive meetings, venue shuffles, and legacy plans that shine for cameras while taxpayers take the hit.
What’s your take on LA28’s “legacy”? Post on X with #LA2028.
The People’s Agenda
Let’s rewrite the script. Public comment should come first, with thirty minutes guaranteed at the very start of every meeting. That’s the baseline. If more people sign up, additional time must be provided later in the agenda so no one is silenced. Ceremonies should come last, capped at ten minutes. No more “Note and File” without a public vote. Every contract over $1 million should be openly bid, no exceptions. And every agenda should be streamed with real-time cost breakdowns so taxpayers can see where their money is going.
Which way, LA?
Closer: Whether it’s scrolls, ceremonies, or Olympic hype, the pattern’s clear—performance first, public last. If Smart Speaker were there, he would have said: “We’re always the last boarding group, and dessert’s off the menu. That’s not public service — that’s showbiz!”
(Eric Preven is a Studio City-based television writer-producer, award-winning journalist, and longtime community activist. He is known for his sharp commentary on transparency and accountability in local government. Eric successfully brought and won two landmark open government cases in California, reinforcing the public’s right to know. A regular contributor to CityWatch, he combines investigative insight with grassroots advocacy to shine a light on civic issues across Los Angeles. )
