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ERIC PREVEN’S NOTEBOOK - Coming up on Tuesday, the Neighborhoods and Community Enrichment Committee Report relative to approving the proposed Citywide Coach LA Plan Agreement with the Los Angeles Parks Foundation and Nike USA, Inc., to accept funds and in-kind support for the Equitable Coaching Program Initiative. The proposed Agreement is collectively valued up to approximately $750,000 as set forth in the agreement.
Not sure how it works, but one can assume that Nike is doing something supportive in exchange for a direct tap into the minds of youthful Angelenos to pump "Just Do it" or JDI branding.
Smart Speaker: Gesundheit!
There is another interesting item on Tuesday's Council agenda relative to an amendment to the SB2/Permanent Local Housing Allocation Plan (PLHA)... It's the old, Deobligate, Deobligate, Obligate, Obligate, Obligate and then finally Transfer, item. Item ten for municipal confusion scholars.
Backup Comment:
Last week, at City Hall there were several strong public comments, but once again I was actively deselected. Thanks to public integrity for not so much as acknowledging my pleas for help.
City Attorney, Jonathan Groat: Thank you. Next speaker, please. Good morning. Which items would you like to speak to?
Rob Quan, UnrigLA: I'd like to speak on items 21, 22, 25 and general public comment.
City Attorney, Jonathan Groat: Okay. So you have three minutes for the items and one minute for general public comment. Please begin with the items.
Rob Quan, UnrigLA: And I only see seven council members here. So I hope you have a firm pulse on who's actually back there. Make sure the speakers are on, so Paul Krekorian can hear me with whoever he's being--.
City Attorney, Jonathan Groat: I'm going to need you to stick to the agenda items. Thank you.
Rob Quan, UnrigLA: Sure thing Groat. Bob, I hope you get on that, item number 21 is related to the Sunshine Canyon landfill. Staffer B John Lee wants to throw some money around. It's campaign season. And it's just amazing that three months after the LA Times first reported on kids having to line up for school inside canceling recess, it took nearly three months for John Lee to just today introduce a motion to try to do something about that, but he doesn't want to spend a dollar to address it. No, it's campaign season. So he's got money that he's throwing around.
And I just wonder why my council member is seconding this motion. I get that you might be happy that for once, just once John Lee is spending money from this fund on something other than LAPD, but he's got all kinds of friends over here, he can scheme with to do that. This is a shameless attempt to pander on election Eve.
And I don't know why anybody's enabling it, including Paul Krekorian by cooperating and throwing it right on this agenda. My how this guy has fallen. No, not everybody's been around here that long, but back in the day, his colleagues could not stand the ethical high horse that he sat on. And now look at him rolling in the mud with the pigs.
Item number 22. This is just insulting because these two items are interrelated and I don't think any of you really fully appreciate this. He wants to give over half a million to Jewish synagogues in his district. Good thing to do. I don't know what it has to do with the landfill and remitting the effects of that, but okay. Surely, surely, this has nothing to do with the election. Next week.
Surely it has nothing to do with his opponent being Jewish or the head of Jewish World Watch. That's actually a bunch of horse shit. And we got confirmation of that because this wasn't enough.
John Lee, what did he do last week before this thing was introduced? He called up a certain local rabbi and asked if he could speak at their synagogue to announce the gift that happened last Friday. Guess which synagogue just so happened to be the one he's throwing over 117,000 to. The one that his opponent attends. What kind of shameless corruption is this?
John Johnny boy. You got nothing to say about that? Are you all going to, are you all going to vote for this shit? The same day this guy's in court. Paul Krekorian seconded that motion. And we just see this continue.
What is his website?
City Attorney, Jonathan Groat: General public comment
Rob Quan, UnrigLA: Councilmember johnlee.com. Does that not sound like a misuse of city position and title? How many of your names are on his website listed as endorsing him as he misuses his city title and position on his fucking case? As he misuses his city title and position on his fucking campaign website. I know a lot of you straddle that shit, but to use your name as a council member as your domain name. I just don't know what to say to you. This guy was obstructing justice. This guy was tipping off Englander about an investigation. He's facing 10 corruption counts and you're all going to second this shit.
Speaking of political stuff, Kevin, somebody did a CPRA and found that 67 mass mailers have been sent out by Kevin De Leon with city money over the last year. The next closest district was District Eight or District Seven that had eight. That was the next closest. 1.7 million pieces of lit that cost the city almost half a million dollars enough mailers to send every single voter in his district 17 pieces.
City Attorney, Jonathan Groat: Speaker, we need you to vacate the podium. Your time has expired. Thank you, speaker. Next speaker. Speaker, this is your only warning. We need to move on to the next speaker. So please vacate the podium.
Ultra-Lite 4 Hump Day:
The Board of Supervisors is back with an extra lite agenda in compliance with section 2 of the Rules of the Board that provides that in even-numbered years when the regular Tuesday Board meeting falls on a Statewide primary or general election day, the meeting shall commence at 9:30 a.m. of the next succeeding day which is not a holiday it's Hump Day.
Hopefully, the late addition to the supplemental agenda for Wednesday, item 25-B. Proclaiming the “33rd Annual Latina History Day” and Recognize Hispanas Organized for Political Equality, will slip by unnoticed by UnrigLA.
Wednesday the 6th is also the National Dress Day, National Oreo Cookie Day, National White Chocolate Cheesecake Day, National Frozen Food Day, and obviously, Hospitality Workers in HealthCare Day.
That may not be one of the biggies for all, like Indigenous peoples' formerly Colombus day... but the the Hospitality Workers in HealthCare deserve certificates of appreciation as well as a special lunch or afternoon tea for staff, where they can receive additional... awards.
Smart Speaker: How about reasonable and competitive wages and megaflex? And why not maternity care like every other self resepcting health care provider in the county?
In The Mud:
Jay Rock: Yeah, man, Top is a funny but amazing dude, just as far as the things that he's been able to accomplish. From being in Def row and being on the outside looking at you, I think you're a better version of Def row Records. And that's with no disrespect, that's with all respect, because once you look and you see somebody do it the right way, and then you see them do it the wrong way, and then you've got a chance to do it your own way, then you're able to take the wrong guy and do it the right way. That's why y'all been able to sustain for so long. You and Top Dawg, y'all some dope Top Dawg bosses the way y'all run, y'all... (record scratch)
McOsker may be one of the Top Dawg bosses for all we know.
"Hold up! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!"
Tim McOsker: I want to have Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson say a few words and introduce a couple of special guests.
Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Council member CD8: Thank you so much. First, before we get to recognizing Top Dawg and TDE, I want us to give another big round of applause to Councilmember McOsker.
[Applause]
Not only does he have TDE in the LA City Council today, a months back he had Lonzo Williams and the founders of NWA, so his street cred is very, very high. One and only Tim McOsker.
[Applause]
After thoroughly lathering up McOsker Harris-Dawson clumsily recommended that everybody on the Council one December, ought "to attend the concert in Jordan Downs. It is an amazing show," he said.
Ooops, there was a gasp, as Harris Dawson realized he'd mixed up one community for another.
"I'm sorry. Nickerson Gardens (not Jordan Downs). Everybody ought to attend!"
[Off mic exchange]
"Thank you, sir. Yeah, that's not a thing you want to get confused."
When Top Dawg stepped up, that shit was tight.
He commented about Jay Rock,"Remind me of myself when I see him over in the projects. When I started to label, I heard one of his demos and I went and hunted him down and found him and put him out of there and showed him, you know, hey, you don't have to do all these crazy things around here. Let's go here, go in here and build something great. I never thought, you know, I'll be standing here in city council, getting an intersection named after me. Never in my wildest dreams. But I appreciate it. Thank you, guys."
Very Exciting Glitch: Next Speaker...
" Hi, my name is Timmy. I'm here to speak to you today about item number 15 and I request that you please do not honor a continuance but you hear it today. We deserve that right to have closure.I want to thank all the council members who are seated right now and listening. I really appreciate it. I especially want to thank Councilwoman Padilla for her exhaustive effort in trying to understand the situation and the development liability that has been created at Van Nuys. She put a lot of time into research listening to all sides and what we are asking for is in the best interest of airport businesses themselves as well as the public. It is this City Council's duty to protect the public. I don't even want to get into the impropriety of the Bonseph Helinet proposal. I just want you all many of you have read my reports. I want to thank Councilman MCosker, Soto Martinez and Park for your diligence in exploring what we put forward with respect to this deal. You guys know its critical flaws."
The City Council once again found a way to not quite get to my telephone number in the murky queue. I listened until the end and then there was a long pause, during which time I left the room.
When I returned coming out on my iPhone speaker was what seemed to be a closed session meeting led by the attorney Strefan Fauble to confer about relative to threats of litigation regarding the City's proposed lease between the LAWA and Bonseph Helinet LLC. up to 25 years for potential redevelopment of land and existing facilities at 16231 Waterman Drive at Van Nuys Airport (VNY).
LAWA will collect $265,957 in rent revenue during the first year and $1,460,854 through the primary five-year term, yielding approximately $8,698,709 over the 25-year term.
The discussion was about disapproving the recommendations in the Board of Airport Commissioners report dated December 15, 2022, which authorizes the Chief Executive Officer, LAWA, to execute a lease with Bonseph Helinet, LLC
Here, there was substantial discussion about the way the approval was handled and whether or not the claimants had an expectation based on the city's processes which Fauble characterized... "the city has no official processes" or something similarly disheartening and maddening.
Somehow, Fauble felt there was legal exposure, and the Manatt Phelps & Philips, LLP clients could claim 20 to 25 million dollars. Yikes, for what!
Traci Park CD11 where LAX is located gave the impression that she felt this claim was bullshit. Imelda Padilla of CD6 where the facility at Van Nuys airport is located did not seem to be buying Fauble's effort to whip up fear of liability.
The feeling in the room we were not supposed to be in, was that this matter would probably not impact the CIty’s General Fund. \
There was a weird laissez-faire attitude about the poor conditions of the facility about which Helinet could reasonably complain, it seemed. Fauble was in the role of making the claimant's case -- noting how a judge might find against the city, given what an obvious and egregious POS the city is and always has been. (my paraphrasing there.) At one point during the illicit call, I wished I was savvy enough to make an illicit recording. Collect my Pulitzer, like Peltz, sorry. The Times got the Pulitizer, right? Was that ever challenged? I digress.
[This is a CPRA for the audio of the Friday, March 1, closed session meeting.]
In the end, it seemed like the dumb dumbs (council) were going to ignore the assholes (advice of counsel), who it seemed to one listener who definitely should not have been listening, but for a glorious technical mistake, that Fauble was sort of pimping for Manatt Phelps & Philips LLP. Working his money maker.
This could be the routine format for assessing legal exposure, but in any event a very entertaining process and these legal updates should always be done in public, now that the privilege has been properly punctured. I'm happy to write this one up for Judge Becklofff, Fauble, or would you like to... from the front-row! cc Hydee Feldstein-Soto, City Attorney.
Smart Speaker: Well done, Fauble. Certainly, once you pack it in at ye olde City Attorney's office after the Olympics or possibly more 366 days before the torch ignition, nothing would prevent you from jumping aboard the HMS Manatt! They don't do a 100% terrible job over there... do they?
Just be cautious that the revolving door doesn't clip you in the back of the head as you go.. as with Richard Bruckner, Mayer Brown via Director of LA County Regional Planning with an assist from MRT. Insert long list. [Hello, Khalatian!]
As for Manatt ... what an adorable and effective crew. Noah Adler, Keith Allen-Niesen, Victor De la Cruz, Randall Keen, Alfredo Medina and Fernando Villa.
TIME LIMIT FILE - MARCH 7, 2024 (LAST DAY FOR COUNCIL ACTION - MARCH 6, 2024)
Hello and Goodbye.
The LA Delegation in Sacramento
(Eric Preven is a longtime community activist and is a contributor to CityWatch. The opinions are of Mr. Preven and not necessarily those of CityWatchLA.com.)
