LOS ANGELES CITY HALL JOURNAL

A summary of significant Los Angeles City Hall decisions affecting the Westside in the last week.

CITY COUNCIL

CRUISING: Approved Councilman Michael Woo’s request to continue using police and traffic officers to help control cruising along Hollywood and Sunset boulevards on Friday and Saturday nights. The plan started in June. The special police task force has made 569 arrests, written 3,805 citations, impounded 488 vehicles, cited 480 juveniles for curfew violations and confiscated 16 guns. There have been no homicides in the area during that period, whereas before there were six attributable to cruising, Woo said.

CLEANING FEES: Approved the continuation of annual assessments levied on certain businesses for maintenance services, including cleaning the sidewalks, trimming trees and emptying and cleaning trash cans. More than $132,000 in fees will be collected from Westwood Village businesses for fiscal year 1991-92. More than $45,000 will be collected from Venice area businesses.

CLEANUP FUNDS: Approved providing $1,000 to help volunteers with a Sept. 7 cleanup of Runyon Canyon Park above Hollywood Boulevard. The park is being cleaned for the annual art festival, which will be held Sept. 15 from noon to 6 p.m.

TEMPORARY CLOSURE: Approved the temporary closure of 10th Street at Victoria Avenue in the Windsor Village/Oxford Square community in an effort to reduce crime by reducing traffic in the residential area. Eventually, residents hope to place a gate at 8th and Lorraine streets. There has been a recent outbreak of burglaries and robberies. Several weeks ago, a woman was shot to death.

HOW THEY VOTED

LAWN PARKING: Approved a motion to have the city attorney prepare an ordinance giving traffic control officers authority to issue citations to residents who park their vehicles on their front lawns. Councilman Nate Holden introduced the motion. Holden said: “We’re trying to get the attention of individuals who continue to violate an already existing law. . . . Some individuals park on their lawns to make major car repairs.” The law is not being rigorously enforced because the city’s building and safety officers who have authority to issue tickets are understaffed, a spokeswoman for Holden said. The new law will permit traffic control officers to go onto private property to issue the citations. Passed 10 to 0. Voting yes: Marvin Braude, Holden, Joel Wachs, Michael Woo, Zev Yaroslavsky. Absent: John Ferraro and Ruth Galanter.

APPOINTMENT: Approved Mayor Tom Bradley’s appointment of Maria Elena Durazo to the Board of Airport Commissioners. Durazo’s term ends June, 30, 1996. She replaces Diane Pasillas, who was appointed to the Community Redevelopment Agency’s Relocation Appeals Board. Passed 14 to 0. Voting yes: Braude, Ferraro, Holden, Wachs, Woo, Yaroslavsky. Absent: Galanter.