Have you ever been aggravated when you parked in an area with multiple conflicting parking signs that you really had to struggle to figure out? I'm working to make it much easier for people to know when and where they can park. Continue reading

Since 1968 when the first call was placed, 9-1-1 has been an essential part of our nation’s emergency response and disaster preparedness system. It remains as important as ever , especially in the City of Los Angeles, but the technology has not kept up with society. We currently have a system that won’t accommodate the way most people communicate. Continue reading

What a day for California and our signature industry. On Sept. 18, I joined Mayor Garcetti, some of my City Council colleagues, and state lawmakers as Gov. Jerry Brown signed the Film and Television Job Creation and Retention Act. Gov. Brown held the bill signing in Hollywood at the TCL Chinese Theater (formerly Grumman’s). Continue reading

At a recent summit on veterans, First Lady Michelle Obama challenged the City of Los Angeles to end veterans' homelessness by 2015--we accepted her challenge. One of the best ways to combat homelessness is to create more good jobs for our veterans. It's been a citywide priority since at least 2011, when Los Angeles established the Office of Veterans Affairs to centralize city resources, enable access to local and regional services, and serve as a one-stop information shop. Continue reading

On Aug. 26, the City Council took the next step toward repairing our city’s broken sidewalks by voting to approve the recommendations that I made with Councilmember Joe Buscaino. As chairs of the Budget and Finance and Public Works committees, respectively, we have made it our mission to craft a comprehensive solution to LA’s sidewalk woes. Continue reading

Imagine traveling from Pasadena to Bob Hope Airport, down to the NoHo Arts District and over to the Warner Center— all without having to navigate busy streets and packed freeways. Imagine making these connections by rail. We are poised to find out what it will take to upgrade our transit system in the San Fernando Valley. Continue reading

Our Los Angeles River is getting better, more beautiful and more usable by the day. The 51-mile river starts in the San Fernando Valley and winds its way through many Los Angeles neighborhoods, including Studio City. On Saturday, June 21, I proudly joined Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian and the Village Gardeners to mark the opening of Studio City’s North Valleyheart Riverwalk Project. Continue reading

The secret is out: NoHo is a happening place. It isn't just up and coming anymore. We have arrived. Within just a few blocks, you can ride your bike for fun, walk to great shops and restaurants, and hop on the Metro to get to work or anywhere else you want to go. Continue reading

Keeping film and TV jobs in Los Angeles is an urgent priority for our city. We cannot afford to allow jobs to be lured away by lucrative tax credits in other places. On May 30, the City Council passed two motions that I made as Chair of the city’s Ad-Hoc Committee on Film and TV Production Jobs aimed at securing these jobs and creating more in the years to come Creating a Feedback Loop, the first motion, will improve communication with film and TV production companies by having the city survey everyone who gets a film permit or has obtained one in the past two years. We want to be able to evaluate the experiences filmmakers have working with the City of Los Angeles.   Continue reading

We in the San Fernando Valley have a new task this month, helping the San Fernando Valley Rescue Mission get back on its feet. On May 3, a fire destroyed the Rescue Mission’s emergency shelter, vehicle fleet, clothing warehouse and food pantry. It started in the early morning at a warehouse next to the Saticoy Street shelter in North Hollywood and spread quickly. The good work of more than 130 brave Los Angeles city firefighters brought the fire under control. Fortunately, all shelter guests got away safely. But the impact on the Rescue Mission’s equipment and operations was devastating. Continue reading

As California continues to compete with other states and countries in the fight for production, entertainment industry workers, local businesses and markets have felt the direct impact of film and television jobs loss. With 44% of the state’s creative economy workers in L.A., this industry is a pillar of the region’s economy. For Los Angeles to remain the entertainment capital of the world, the city and lawmakers need to create a level playing field to compete with other states. Continue reading