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LA City Council In 2023: Your Guide To Who’s Who (And What They Do)

Things are settling down after a period of scandals and elections. New faces are in, and longstanding members are gone. We help you understand who’s who and what’s next.

Los Angeles voters changed out multiple City Council members after the 2022 election, but 2023 is shaping up to be an evolving year of its own.

The first among those changes was a small cohort of progressives who took office on December 12, 2022. Their districts’ support signals that Angelenos may be looking to change course. The council’s previous makeup enacted nearly citywide anti-camping laws and saw systemic racism fester behind closed doors.

The special election for the sixth district seat, which has had a non-voting caretaker since last year, is headed to a June 27 runoff between Imelda Padilla and Marisa Alcaraz. The previous council member, Nury Martinez, was one of three elected officials caught on tape engaging in a racist conversation about redistricting last year.

Another change came from the City Council on April 11, which appointed Heather Hutt to serve out the rest of Mark Ridley-Thomas’ term in the tenth district. The seat opened up after he was automatically ousted under the city charter because of a March 30 conviction on federal corruption charges. Hutt was previously an interim replacement and then briefly a non-voting caretaker.

Here’s your guide to who’s who on the City Council.

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LAUSD Deal Reached For Smaller Class Sizes, 21% Teacher Raises

The Los Angeles Unified School District and the teacher’s union announced a tentative labor deal Tuesday morning.

The Los Angeles Unified School District and the union representing its teachers announced Tuesday they have reached a tentative labor agreement that includes a 21% salary increase and reductions in class sizes.

“With this tentative agreement, LAUSD now has an opportunity to become one of the most successful school districts in the country,” United Teachers Los Angeles President Cecily Myart-Cruz said in a statement. “We held the line during bargaining on a number of initiatives because educators are the experts on what has the ability to transform LAUSD into a more equitable environment that not only improves students’ learning but also the quality of life for L.A. families.

“Smaller class sizes will give our kids the attention and care they require, and competitive salaries will ensure our schools can successfully hire, retain and develop successful teachers and educators to mold our young leaders of tomorrow.”

The district issued a statement saying the agreement “significantly increases salaries for teachers across the district.”

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Storm Damage Resources

In order to advocate for State/Federal disaster assistance on behalf of residents, the LA County Office of Emergency Management is conducting a survey of all County residents (including those within the City of Los Angeles) to submit information on their property damages resulting from the February and March 2023 storms. Visit https://bit.ly/40VCuHg to report major damages. The survey is not an application for financial assistance, nor does it indicate that assistance is now or will become available.

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How to Report and Recoup Damages from Potholes

In Los Angeles, drivers reported more than 2,000 potholes a week as storms wreaked havoc on roads and potholes disabled cars by the dozens.
The relentless stream of atmospheric rivers have ravaged Los Angeles roads and led to thousands of potholes on freeways, highways, and surface streets across the Golden State. If it seems worse than usual — it is.

From a pothole on an overpass that sent debris flying onto the 5 in Glendale in mid-March to several large potholes that developed on State Route 71 in Pomona that damaged 30 vehicles, snarled traffic for miles, and prompted several nights of closures to repair, navigating the storms has been anything but pleasant.

In the first three weeks of March, residents reported nearly 6,000 destructive potholes on Los Angeles City streets alone, according to the Los Angeles Public Works Department.

The city is averaging just under two weeks to repair most potholes lately, a jump from the norm of two days, according to Los Angeles Department of Public Works spokesperson Elena Stern.

Residents in Los Angeles neighborhoods can report a pothole for repair simply by dialing 311 or use the city’s website to report portholes and receive updates on repairs.

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HGNNC Election Day flyer April 1_2023 ENGLISH

Neighborhood Council Board Election – Saturday, April 1 – How to Vote

Forty candidates have been certified for the Harbor Gateway North Neighborhood Council Board election. There will be an in-person election day on Sat. April 1 from 10 am to 4 pm at the Home Assembly Church, 13515 S. Figueroa Street. A free shred van will be on site from 10 am to 2 pm.

These are the documentation guidelines

For the Youth Representative seat only, those who are 14 years of age or older can vote for this seat.

For any questions about voter registration, contact the City Clerk at clerk.electionvbm@lacity.org or call 213-978-0444 or 888-873-1000 on Mondays through Fridays from 8 am to 5 pm, except holidays.

The list of HGNNC candidates and their statements is here. (more…)

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Neighborhood Council Board Election – Candidate Forum and How to Vote

For the Youth Representative seat only, those who are 14 years of age or older can vote for this seat.

For any questions about voter registration, contact the City Clerk at clerk.electionvbm@lacity.org or call 213-978-0444 or 888-873-1000 on Mondays through Fridays from 8 am to 5 pm, except holidays.

The list of HGNNC candidates and their statements is here.

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National 311 Day

The Board of Public Works and Information Technology Agency, will promote city services during the week of March 6-10 to celebrate National 311 Day which takes place on Saturday, March 11.

During the week leading up to March 11 (March 6-10), the City will use traditional and social media, videos broadcast on the City’s Channel 35, and e-blasts to constituents to spotlight highly requested services and the ease with which Angelenos can use 311 or MyLA311 to request such services.

Monday, March 6 – Graffiti removal
Tuesday, March 7 – Bulky Item pickup
Wednesday, March 8 – Pothole repair
Thursday, March 9 – Broken streetlights
Friday, March 10 – Street Sweeping schedules

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SoCalGas Announces $10 Million to Support Low-Income Families, Seniors and Small Restaurant Owners Impacted by Unprecedented Regional Gas Market Prices

Thousands newly eligible for winter bill assistance after SoCalGas bolsters United Way’s Gas Assistance Fund with historic $5 million contribution $4 million will revive Fueling Our Communities – a collaboration with local nonprofits that has provided free meals and groceries to tens of thousands of Californians since 2020 $1 million in aid to small restaurant owners through the Restaurants Care Resilience Fund

Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) today announced $10 million in shareholder funding to help customers with bill assistance and to bolster community resources for those who may be struggling financially.

The company committed $5 million in shareholder funding to the Gas Assistance Fund, a program administered by the United Way that provides income-qualified customers with one-time grants to help pay their natural gas bills. The contribution is the largest in the fund’s 40-year history and will help the United Way expand access to the program to thousands of additional Southern Californians this winter.

SoCalGas also announced it will contribute $4 million from its donor advised fund to relaunch its popular Fueling Our Communities program, a collaboration with local food banks and nonprofits that has provided free meals and groceries to thousands of Californians facing food insecurity since 2020.

In addition, SoCalGas will contribute $1 million in aid from its donor advised fund to small restaurant owners through the Restaurants Care Resilience Fund, a fund that was started in 2021 to help small restaurants with improvements, upgrades, employee retention and to manage debt, losses and rising costs.

“This winter’s unprecedented natural gas prices, on top of already high inflation, have been a real hardship for many Southern Californians, especially our most vulnerable, our seniors, and people facing difficult circumstances,” said SoCalGas CEO, Scott Drury. “Thanks to the incredible work of the United Way, and the network of tireless, nonprofit leaders who support our work in the community, we will be able to help many more of our neighbors, families, and small businesses in cities and towns across Southern California this winter.”

“These contributions will provide much-needed relief for some of our most vulnerable residents at a time when cold temperatures make it harder to turn down the heat,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “As we learn more about the West Coast market conditions that led to unusually high bills, proactive partnerships like this one are addressing the immediate very real needs of our community. I continue looking forward to what soon may be a return to more normal natural gas prices.”

EXPANDED ACCESS TO GAS ASSISTANCE FUND

SoCalGas’s latest contribution to the Gas Assistance Fund will help the United Way expand income eligibility for the program and increase the grant amount available to each qualified customer from $100 to up to $400 for the remainder of the 2023 program. Additionally, income-eligible older adults (55+) and those facing certain financial hardships may be eligible for extra grant funding.

“Over the last four decades, the Gas Assistance Fund has helped hundreds of thousands of vulnerable Californians who face difficult choices during cold months between staying warm and other basic necessities like food and medicine,” said Elise Buik, president & CEO at United Way of Greater Los Angeles. “This historic contribution will help the United Way dramatically expand our reach and allow thousands of individuals, older adults, and families across our region to remain healthy and housed this winter.”

FUELING OUR COMMUNITIES – 2023

The Fueling our Communities Program began in 2020 as a collaboration between SoCalGas and five regional nonprofits to provide free meals to individuals impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. During the program’s first summer, SoCalGas and its partners provided more than 140,000 meals to 40,000 individuals from underserved communities across Southern California. With its latest $4 million contribution, SoCalGas aims to significantly expand the Fueling our Communities program via new and existing partnerships with food banks and nonprofits with a focus on serving families and seniors in need.

SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESSES

The Restaurants Care Resilience Fund was started in 2021 to help small restaurants with improvements, upgrades, employee retention and to manage debt, losses and rising costs. SoCalGas has supported the fund since its inception.

“What started as a lifeline to restaurants during the pandemic has grown into a robust fund to assist small restaurants with grants to strengthen their businesses and invest in their people,” said Alycia Harshfield, executive director of the California Restaurant Foundation. “SoCalGas’ incredible generosity, commitment, and leadership has a lasting positive ripple effect, and we are proud to partner with them again to make such a meaningful impact.”

MARKET CONDITIONS IMPROVE

After a significant drop in February from January’s unprecedented natural gas commodity prices, market prices for March 2023 usage are currently forecasted to be significantly lower than February’s prices. In addition, the restoration of service to an out-of-state pipeline, which has been offline for two years, is expected to increase supply capacity to the Southwest. Consistent with regulatory requirements, SoCalGas will file March core procurement prices (rates) with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) at the end of February.

The core procurement rate reflects the price SoCalGas pays for natural gas for residential and business customers. That rate changes each month. SoCalGas does not set the price for natural gas. Instead, natural gas prices are determined by national and regional markets. SoCalGas buys natural gas in those markets on behalf of residential and small business customers, and the cost of buying that gas is billed to those customers with no markup.

WHAT CAUSED PRICES TO SPIKE IN JANUARY?

According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), a number of factors have contributed to higher natural gas commodity prices:
• Widespread, below-normal temperatures on much of the West Coast, including Washington and Oregon;
• High natural gas demand for heating by customers in areas with below normal temperatures;
• Reduced natural gas supplies to the West Coast from Canada and the Rocky Mountains;
• Reduced interstate pipeline capacity to the West Coast because of pipeline maintenance activities in West Texas (the out of state pipeline mentioned earlier in this news release); and
• Low natural gas storage levels on the West Coast.
According to the EIA, the U.S. set a natural gas consumption daily record on Dec. 23, 2022, further exacerbating supply and demand challenges. Several experts discussed these market conditions at a California Public Utilities Commission public hearing earlier this month. Video of that proceeding is available here.

IS ADDITIONAL HELP AVAILABLE?

In light of unprecedented market conditions, the California Public Utilities Commission voted earlier this month to accelerate the California Climate Credit. As a result, SoCalGas customers will receive a credit of $50.77 in their February or March bill, depending on their billing cycle.

In addition, SoCalGas continues to encourage customers to take advantage of programs and services that can help manage usage and save costs.

Eligible customers may sign up for a Level Pay Plan (LPP), for example, which averages their annual natural gas use and costs over 12 months. There are also financial assistance programs for eligible customers who are experiencing hardships.

SoCalGas’ free Ways to Save tool may also help customers with energy savings options through a personalized savings plan that offers a household energy analysis, customized energy-efficiency
recommendations, bill comparisons, and energy usage comparisons that could help save on natural gas bills. Customers can also sign up for weekly Bill Tracker Alerts to monitor natural gas consumption, take steps to reduce usage, and avoid bill surprises.

Customers can visit socalgas.com/ManageHigherBills for more information on the factors that lead to higher bills and ways we can help.

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