An Update on DWP Reform One of the barriers in the way of restoring trust in the DWP are questions about how ratepayer dollars are being spent by non-profit safety and training institutes affiliated with the DWP union. Reforming the Department of Water and Power is at the core of my Back to Basics agenda for Los Angeles. It is essential that every ratepayer dollar is being spent appropriately, and...

It is certainly no secret that our sidewalks are broken and buckled throughout Los Angeles. Their condition poses pedestrian safety concerns and diminishes our quality of life. An estimated 40 percent of the city's sidewalks, 4,600 miles, need to be repaired. Yet, coming up with a workable plan to fix them has proven elusive. Over the last decade, there have been many valiant attempts to deal with...

Concerned about your Neighborhood? Join City Attorney Mike Feuer to meet your newly appointed Neighborhood Prosecutor Gabrielle Porter Taylor on August 21 at 6:30 pm. The meeting will take place at the Goodwill Community Enrichment Center, 3150 N. San Fernando Road, Los Angeles, CA 90065. Gabrielle Porter Taylor will represent the following areas as Neighborhood Prosecutor: Atwater Village, Cypress... 

Seleta Reynolds started last Monday, August 11, as the General Manager of the city of Los Angeles Transportation Department (LADOT.) Reynolds made her first GM report to the city council's Transportation Committee yesterday, though she had already appeared before the committee during her confirmation process. Reynolds had championed pedestrian safety as a manager at San Francisco's Municipal Transportation... 

Drought fuels backlash against proposed downtown water-slide event A permit application to set up a 1,000-foot water slide in downtown next month is facing opposition from thousands of people who say the event would be irresponsible, and certainly unseemly, given California's severe drought. More than 6,000 people have signed an online petition to stop "Slide the City" from setting up on Olive... 

On September 15, 2014, Metro is changing its bus and rail fares. The change was approved by the Metro Board of Directors on May 22, 2014. Under the new fare structure, a 1-Way Trip purchased using a TAP card will include transfers to other Metro lines for up to two hours to complete a one-way trip. If the fare is paid using cash, transfers will not be included. Complete details on the new fares can...

City Councilmembers Push City to Conserve Water & Battle Drought LOS ANGELES - City Councilmembers Felipe Fuentes and Mike Bonin today introduced initiatives to combat drought and steer residents and DWP into rethinking their use of water. The councilmembers called on LADWP to: explore expanding its tiered-pricing system for water; help residents establish reasonable "water budgets" for...

Connect with your stakeholders by disconnecting from your land-lines and cell phones. All it takes is a virtual phone and an email account. The telephone is one of our most powerful and effective tools for communicating and they are everywhere. We carry them with us, they sit on our desks, they hang on our walls, and they are an important element in any Neighborhood Council communication strategy...

Join City Controller Ron Galperin and City Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell for a demo of Control Panel LA, the City's first open data portal and your window into the City's finances. Check out ControlPanelLA yourself at controllerdata.lacity.org. When: Tuesday, August 26, 2014 at 7 pm - 9 pm. Where: Emerson College located at 5960 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028 Free Parking available at Emerson...

Bringing the Los Angeles city parks system into the 21st century, a pilot program began Thursday to create Wi-Fi hot spots at five parks and a beach site to allow residents to remain connected and report any problems they see. Called "Oh Ranger! Wi-Fi," the program became available at Reseda Park, Cabrillo Beach, Echo Park Lake, Griffith Observatory, Pershing Square and Venice Beach. Funding for...

The Los Angeles Police Commission on Tuesday appointed Charlie Beck to a second term as chief of the city's police department. With Beck enjoying the strong support of Mayor Eric Garcetti, who appointed the commissioners and made clear in recent weeks that he wanted Beck to remain, the panel's 4-1 vote was widely anticipated. Calling Beck "a man who has been a distinguished part of this department...

Fun and Food in Boyle Heights and South L.A. this Weekend If you like to get out and about on the weekends, there are some really great events you might want to plug into. SATURDAY afternoon, women and those who identify as women are invited to join the Ovarian Psyco-Cycles on their third annual Clitoral Mass ride. The first ride, held in 2012, generated some controversy for excluding men. But, the...