Hopeful Politicians Get Serious About a New City Politics by Jacqueline Fox Aside from state Sen. Richard Alarcon’s recent announcement that he’s considering a run for mayor of a new Valley city, rumors have had to suffice for fact with regard to who in the San Fernando Valley could be pondering a race of their own. Former state Assemblyman Richard Katz; David Fleming, chairman of the Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley; and Jeff Brain, president of Valley VOTE, are the three names bandied about most often. But according to Valley VOTE Chairman Richard Close, there is plenty of interest out there, even if we’re not hearing much about it. “No question, we are getting more inquiries about how to run, what the rules are and what the next step in the process is going to be,” said Close. “I think once the (Los Angeles Times) polls favoring secession came out, along with Alarcon’s comments, people began to get more active.” Last week, Close, also an alternate on the Local Agency Formation Commission, the agency weighing secession, asked his colleagues to consider “tweaking” the latest version of the proposed council district map for a new Valley city. He said it doesn’t define the district boundaries as clearly as it should and could be confusing for residents and potential candidates. “The maps that have been available have been very large scale, so people couldn’t see where the boundaries were,” said Close. “Some people, because the maps were so big, don’t know which side of the line they are on.” LAFCO commissioners rejected Close’s request to alter the maps, saying it was too late in the game to do so. The commission is expected to release final terms and conditions for a Valley breakup April 24, not the 17th as planned. LAFCO will determine next month whether to put a secession initiative on the ballot, although it’s widely believed commissioners have already decided voters will have an opportunity to vote on the issue Nov. 5. Close said Valley VOTE would serve as “the clearing house” for all interested candidates by providing up-to-date information in person or via the organization’s Web site. “We want as many people to run for council and mayor as possible,” said Close. “The more the better.” LAFCO commissioners still have to vote on whether to approve the proposed council district map, as well as boundary maps for a new Valley city. They agreed informally last week to place Universal Studios in a new Valley city, with no objections from Universal’s attorney, William Delvac. Portions of Universal Studios currently are in both the city of Los Angeles and unincorporated Los Angeles County. However, earlier versions of maps for breakaway Valley and Hollywood municipalities put the park in both jurisdictions and the county. Delvac asked the commission to consider redrawing the maps so that it’s in one or the other, but not both, along with some property remaining in a county island. Speaking of the Senator Sen. Alarcon (D-Sylmar) and comedian George Lopez have teamed up to launch a charity for Valley organizations and youth programs. The Community and Arts Resources for Education (CARE) Foundation has already raised approximately $85,000 for scholarships for the Young Senators program and Lopez’ alma mater, San Fernando High School. Other unnamed beneficiaries will also receive funding from the charity. “George and I have been friends for about 12 years now and we feel we are blessed to be in the position of being on the cutting edge of both of our fields,” said Alarcon. CARE hosted its first fundraiser April 14 in San Fernando. Lopez, who recently launched his own TV sitcom on ABC, provided the entertainment. Jacqueline Fox is the Business Journal’s politics reporter. She can be reached at [email protected]. Lawsuit Seeks to Kill East-West Busway A group called Citizens Organized for Smart Transit has sued the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to block construction of an east-west busway in the San Fernando Valley. The lawsuit accuses the MTA of ignoring public concerns about safety, failing to consider alternatives to the $329.5-million bus corridor and violating the California Environmental Quality Act, which requires public agencies to consider the likely effect of proposed projects. Two months ago, the MTA board approved an environmental impact report on the proposed bus corridor, a 14-mile route from the North Hollywood Red Line subway station to Warner Center in Woodland Hills, which would run along a former Southern Pacific railroad path along Burbank and Chandler boulevards. The board is scheduled to award a contract in December, and the busway would open in 2005. Among those listed as plaintiffs are people who own property that the MTA may have to acquire to make way for the busway. Other opponents include members of the Orthodox Jewish community nearby.
