Wednesday, September 13, 2023

Cool Schools: LA County Looks to Help Districts Beat the Heat for Students

CITY NEWS SERVICE

The county Board of Supervisors Tuesday directed its staff to meet with local school districts and assist them with obtaining state and federal grant money available for cooling measures at campuses in an effort to protect students from extreme heat.

“Due to the nature of their design, many schools are some of the hottest locations in the county,” Supervisor Hilda Solis, who introduced the motion, said in a statement following the unanimous vote. “Play yards dominated by asphalt increase heat risk, and the lack of trees on many campuses results in fewer opportunities for cooling shade. It’s clear many schools need to reimagine their campuses to address extreme heat.”

According to Solis, there are various funding opportunities available for school districts, including a recent state allocation of $73 million for schools to replace asphalt surfaces with green spaces, trees and vegetation.

Her motion directs various county departments to meet with interested school districts to provide them with information about possible funding sources for cooling projects,

Tuesday, August 8, 2023

L.A. County Board of Supervisors Form Two New Entities to Boost Regional Approach to Homelessness Planning, Service Coordination, and Innovation

Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion introduced by Supervisor Kathryn Barger and co-authored by Supervisor Hilda L. Solis that accelerates the County’s efforts to tackle homelessness by debuting a new regional approach to deliver solutions, cultivate collaboration, and stimulate innovation.

Two new entities – deemed in the motion as an Executive Committee and a Leadership Table – will be formed in the coming days to that end. The Executive Committee will consist of nine members, including two L.A. County Supervisors, two elected representatives from the City of Los Angeles including the Mayor, elected representatives from four municipalities representing regions specified in the motion, and a representative appointed by California’s Governor.

The complementary and more expansive Leadership Table will serve as an advisory body to the Executive Committee. Members will also harness private funding sources to support regional homelessness solutions. The Leadership Table will consist of representatives from various sectors, including but not limited to business, faith-based, advocacy, academia, people with lived experience,

Thursday, August 3, 2023

Add a REAL ID to Your Back-to-School Checklist

STAFF REPORT

About 16.2 million Californians now have a REAL ID – an increase of 165,613 from the previous month – according to California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) data.

School bells will soon be ringing and there is much to do to get ready. Before all the shopping and lunch packing starts, head to your nearest DMV office to get a REAL ID driver’s license or identification card. There is no need to wait for the federal enforcement date of May 7, 2025, that requires a REAL ID or other federally approved document to board flights within the United States and access secure federal facilities. Doing it now means one less thing to worry about in 2025 if you want to use your driver’s license or ID card to fly around the country.

“Once the school supplies and new shoes are bought, take a minute for yourself and get your REAL ID. It’s never been easier,” said DMV Director Steve Gordon.

Tuesday, August 1, 2023

Supervisor Barger Leads Way in Re-Election Campaign, Raising Over $700,000

Tuesday, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger announced she has raised $715,000 for her 2024 re-election campaign for Fifth District County Supervisor — outpacing all other candidates.

The announcement comes at the mid-year reporting deadline.

“I truly appreciate the support I have received across the board from our Fifth District community,” said Supervisor Barger. “Many of my supporters do not regularly give to political campaigns, which makes reaching this amount at this time all the more special. I am very grateful that so many of our neighbors have invested in our campaign.”

Supervisor Barger has raised $650,000 of her funds from within Los Angeles County. A majority of her support was from individual donors, not special interests or political action committees. She also currently has the most cash on hand of any candidate, with $650,000.

“I have committed my three-decade-long county career to working with all stakeholders including business, labor, Republicans and Democrats alike. The support I have received reflects that commitment,” said Supervisor Barger.

Thursday, July 27, 2023

L.A.County Property Assessment Reaches Nearly $2 Trillion

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Confirming an earlier forecast, this year’s assessment of property values in Los Angeles County rose by 6% over last year, reaching nearly $2 trillion, county Assessor Jeff Prang announced Thursday.

According to the Assessor’s Office, the total assessment came in at a record $1.997 trillion, translating to roughly $20 billion in property tax dollars that will fund “vital public services such as public education, first responders and health care workers, as well as other county services.”

The Assessor’s Office noted that the housing market overall has cooled since 2021, but median residential prices still reached a record high of more than $900,000 before falling to $865,000 in June.

“To say this has been a challenging couple of years is an understatement,” Prang said in a statement. “Our analysis does indicate property value growth at this time and that’s certainly good news for property owners and for local governments, which depend on property taxes to fund public services.

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

L.A. County Board Backs Striking Hollywood Workers, Looks to Help Impacted Businesses

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors formally threw its support behind striking Hollywood writers and actors Tuesday, voting to send a letter urging studios to return to the bargaining table while also agreeing to explore efforts to support small businesses being impacted by the work stoppages.

“The people who power Los Angeles are on strike and deserve a fair deal,” Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said in a statement after the vote. “Instead of returning to the negotiating table, the (Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers’) strategy is to inflict pain, causing people to lose their housing and livelihoods, with the futures of small businesses also on the line.

“While billionaires continue ruthless games, L.A. County will stand in solidarity with the actors, writers, and workers without whom this industry would not exist, and in support of the small businesses that fuel entertainment operations and productions. We can all reduce the impacts of the ongoing entertainment strike by supporting small, local businesses.”

Under a motion introduced by Horvath and Supervisor Hilda Solis,

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

New L.A. County Landmark Designated in Altadena

STAFF REPORT

Iconic 116-year-old Craftsman-style Pearson House to be preserved in perpetuity

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted today to designate the Pearson House, located at 931 New York Drive in Altadena, as a Los Angeles County Historic Landmark. The 116-year-old home is a two-story single-family residence that was built in 1907.

“The Pearson House is not just a house – it is a representation of the rich architectural heritage of Altadena,” stated Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “By designating it as a Los Angeles County Landmark, we will make sure this beautiful home remains protected and preserved for generations to come.”

The designation of the Pearson House as a County Landmark aligns with work underway at the County to preserve and celebrate the architectural and cultural heritage and identities of unincorporated communities.

More information about the property, along with a copy of the resolution approved by the Board of Supervisors, is available here.

Wednesday, July 19, 2023

L.A. County Supervisors Approve New Design Standards for Residential and Mixed-Use Construction Projects in Unincorporated Communities

During Tuesday’s Public Hearing meeting, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to approve a new ordinance that will implement design standards for residential and mixed-use construction projects across all 42 of the County’s unincorporated communities.

The affected areas include Altadena and portions of East Pasadena that are unincorporated, such as Chapman Woods.

The design standards, presented by Los Angeles County’s Department of Regional Planning, provide an objective menu of options for developers’ use that support compatibility with the various architectural styles that are present throughout the County.

“I appreciate the work that has gone into crafting this ordinance,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger.

“The state is continually eroding local government’s control and nowhere is that more evident than in the construction of ‘by-right’ housing projects. These projects will move forward whether or not they have local community support due to changes in state laws and cannot be opposed by the County. These new design standards will at least provide some guidance up front so that construction projects don’t completely go rogue.”

The standards are organized into seven categories,

Thursday, July 13, 2023

LA County Adopts Countywide Racial Equity Strategic Plan

Comprehensive plan addresses racism and creates a roadmap for a more equitable, inclusive, and just LA County

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (Board) has unanimously adopted a groundbreaking Countywide Racial Equity Strategic Plan with five strategic goals intended to measurably improve the lives of residents and communities throughout Los Angeles County (County).

The Board, acting on a motion by Supervisors Mitchell and Solis, declared its commitment to fostering meaningful and lasting change through the adoption of the Countywide Racial Equity Strategic Plan. Developed by the Chief Executive Office’s Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion (ARDI) Initiative, it outlines dozens of strategic goals and initiatives aimed to address structural racism. Co-created with residents, community-based organizations, civic leaders, philanthropic organizations, academic partners, and public/private agencies, the plan presents a 10-year roadmap to foster a more equitable and inclusive County where all residents are healthy, experience justice, and thrive.

The creation of the Countywide Racial Equity Strategic Plan was a directive of the Board when a motion was unanimously adopted on July 21,

Tuesday, July 11, 2023

Former Altadena Native and Manson Follower Van Houton Released From Prison

STAFF REPORT

Former Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten was released from a California prison on Tuesday.

Van Houten, now 73, was serving a potential life prison sentence for taking part in the infamous murders of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca in their Los Feliz home more than 50 years ago as part of the Charles Manson family.

The former Monrovia High School cheerleader — who was 19 at the time – did not participate in the Manson family’s killings of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and four others in a Benedict Canyon mansion the night before.

Van Houten was born in Altadena and was a homecoming princess at Monrovia High School in 1966.

Van Houten was originally paroled earlier this year. In the 2-1 ruling by the panel from California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal, Associate Justice Helen I. Bendix wrote, “Van Houten has shown extraordinary rehabilitative efforts, insight, remorse, realistic parole plans, support from family and friends, favorable institutional reports,