State Veterans Home Update:
Jessica Lall of Consensus Planning Group reported the following:
• Schedule: Monday – Friday at7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Work may occur outside of those hours on an as-needed basis.
• Parking: Should residents on Bringham and Gorham incur parking problems resulting from our construction, DGS and VA have arranged for parking in Lot #7. You will need to call to obtain approval for processing. However, we don’t anticipate any parking issues at this time.
• Access: Trucks enter the property from Bringham Avenue at entrance opposite Gorham Avenue and typically exit via Bonsall Avenue to Wilshire.
• Overtime: From now until the end of October, work hours will be extended until 6 p.m. and from Saturday 8 a.m.- 4 p.m.
• Call the hotline (310) 651-5066 or visit the website at www.glavc.org
City Council Update:
Laura McLennan, Deputy Chief of Staff for Councilmember Bill Rosendahl announced that CD-11’s new Brentwood Field Deputy Jessyca Avalos starts on September 18, 2008.
Transportation Update:
Councilwoman Wendy Greuel Informs BCC of LA Strategic Transportation Plan Update: Los Angeles City Councilwoman Wendy Greuel spoke on the City’s plan to update the Los Angeles Strategic Transportation Plan, which has not been revised since the early 1980’s. The Strategic Plan is an effort to provide comprehensive, citywide solutions to our transportation crisis through a broad-based collaborative effort involving multiple City departments, regional agencies, the business community, the environmental community, transportation experts, and the general public. The Strategic Plan will articulate goals and objectives for the next 25 years – and outline the most effective methods for achieving those goals. Through this process, the current, deficient transportation conditions will be assessed, updated models for measuring future development and traffic impacts will be devised, and specific projects and strategies for change will be outlined, thereby serving as a blueprint for achieving our goals.
BCC Supports Half-Cent Sales Tax To Fund Local Transportation Projects: Assembly member Mike Feuer spoke to the BCC about AB 2321, a bill he authored that allows County Metro to put on the November Ballot “Measure R†– the half-cent sales tax measure for local transportation funding. The measure is intended to provide funding for new local transportation projects and accelerate work on local projects already in the pipeline.
Westside residents and businesses bear the brunt of ever-increasing gridlock, which afflicts the Westside of Los Angeles, more than any other area. Residents from throughout the City and County flock to the Westside for business and pleasure in ever-increasing numbers, while our transportation infrastructure has remained largely unchanged and wholly inadequate to meet the demand. Moreover, many Westside residents are so frustrated by gridlock that they will no longer travel downtown for business, cultural, entertainment or sporting events, while others have substantially reduced the frequency of such commutes. It is therefore not surprising that traffic congestion is a leading concern of Westside residents.
Assembly member Feuer explained that Measure R, if approved, would provide the resources needed to finance the necessary local transportation projects, including many on the Westside. Unlike transportation measures of the past, the revenues generated under Measure R would be used to construct designated projects that will be listed on the ballot and cannot be funneled to non-transportation projects. The expectation is that Measure R will generate approximately $30-$40 billion over a 30-year period for county-wide congestion relief projects and will also attract matching state and federal funding that would otherwise be allocated to other counties.
Measure R is also supported by the Los Angeles City Council, including our City Councilmember Bill Rosendahl, and our representatives County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky and State Senator Sheila Kuehl. The BCC voted to support the measure.
For more information on Measure R, visit metro.net/measurer
Public Comment
A member of the public expressed concern that oversized vehicles have been parking overnight on the east side of San Vicente Boulevard next to the VA property in violation of existing restrictions on parking. BCC member Ken Marks has requested that the County, which has jurisdiction over the parking, enforce the law. Flora Gil Krisiloff, Westside Senior Field Deputy for County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, offered to work with Ken Marks to resolve the issue.
Upcoming meetings: October 7, 2008. There will be no November meeting. December 2, 2008.
Future Presentations: The Great SoCal Shakeout (Emergency Preparedness), Brentwood School Project update, San Vicente Design Review Board presentation and updates on Land Use issues.
Next BCC Meeting on Tuesday, October 7, 2008 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The BCC meets regularly on the first Tuesday of each month at the Brentwood Kaufman Library. The BCC agenda is posted at the Brentwood Kaufman Library one week prior to the meeting date. To receive the BCC’s monthly agenda by e-mail, contact Chairwoman Wendy-Sue Rosen at RosenFree@aol.com or visit the BCC website: www.neighborhoodlink.com/la/brentwoodcc
