Tom LaBonge Newsletter: Wind, Preparedness and More

VOLUNTEER BULLETIN

On Dec. 1, Los Angeles and parts of Southern California were raked by a ferocious wind-storm, packing the strongest gale-force winds most of us can remember.  The result was what amounted to an “Above-Ground Earthquake”.  And, while the damage in Los Angeles wasn’t as severe as what we saw in Pasadena and parts of the San Gabriel Valley, we still lost many trees and power-lines, and thousands of Department of Water and Power customers were left without electricity for days.
Even though the immediate emergency is past, the damage and debris will be with us for several weeks to come.  This is a call to action for all residents to join hands and help us get the job done.
My staff and I – along with neighborhood councils and associations -- are responding all over Council District 4 With a series of clean-ups, including one Saturday, December 10th focusing on Griffith Park, Los Feliz, Franklin Hills, Silver Lake, East Hollywood, Little Armenia and Thai Town.  We’ll gather at our Command Post just off Vermont Canyon Road, across from the Roosevelt Golf Course at 8:00 A.M.  We’ll form teams, issue tools and fan-out to the various areas.    Please join us as we clean-up the debris left by the ferocious winds of 2011.

Emergency Sewer Repair on Riverside Drive
The contractor for RSC4 project is performing an emergency sewer repair on Riverside Drive. The repair work will continue until sewer is repaired (the contractor will be working tonight).
 One southbound lane of the current worksite traffic plan on Riverside Drive is closed. Los Feliz Boulevard is not being impacted by this repair work.

Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation Responds to the Wind-Storm
Sanitation officials report that on the Saturday after the storm, the Bureau sent out and FILLED three supplemental trucks filled with debris, mainly palm fronds.  Each of those trucks holds 3 tons, so 9 tons in total, 18,000 pounds.
On the regular Monday pickup, the Bureau picked up 348 tons versus a typical Monday of 180 tons -- that's 168 extra tons of debris!  Tuesday was reportedly similar, with 150-160 extra tons picked up. 

On December 1, 2011, following the historic windstorm that hit the City of Los Angeles, the Bureau of Sanitation (BOS or Bureau) began to deploy additional collection crews to remove palm fronds, tree branches and other fallen debris.  Additionally, 311 and Sanitation Call Center operators provided special instructions for callers to place fallen debris next to the green bins for removal on their scheduled collection day.  This effort was duplicated in areas most-affected by the storm including El Sereno, Eagle Rock and Vermont Canyon. 

As part of a comprehensive effort to contain and remove storm-related debris, BOS will continue the Windstorm Clean-Up Operation as follows:
 
(1)   The Bureau will continue to collect storm debris (including palm fronds and other fallen green waste) on scheduled collection days through week ending December 17th.
(2)   311 and Sanitation Call Center operators will continue to instruct customers to place all windstorm green waste next to their green containers for removal on scheduled collection days
(3)   On Saturday, December 10th, additional crews will target the hardest hit areas of the city for collection of fallen debris.
(4)   Mayoral and Council staff are encouraged to report any fallen debris directly to BOS Collection Yard Superintendents via telephone or email.  
 
BOS Superintendent Contact Information:
 
East Valley:  Ray Cruz (213) 840-6356 or ray.cruz@lacity.org
 
West Valley:  William Reese (213) 840-6042 orwilliam.reese@lacity.org
 
South LA:  Russell Zamora (213) 840-6101 orrussell.zamora@lacity.org
 
Harbor:   Darvel Vance (213) 840-6632 ordarvel.vance@lacity.org
 
North Central:   Jose P. Garcia  (213) 840-6109 orjose.garcia@lacity.org
 
West LA:  Lloyd Gaines (213) 840-6056 orlloyd.gaines@lacity.org
  
The Bureau appreciates the coordinated efforts of the Office of the Mayor, City Council and other city agencies working in this clean-up effort. Total collected weight will be reported to the office of the Mayor and City Council offices after clean up is completed. If you should have any questions or concerns, please contact Bladimir Campos at (213) 840-6392 or Janice Murray at (213) 485-3113.  Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.


LAFD CREWS SCRAMBLE TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE IN THE WIND
Los Angeles firefighters were extremely busy during the wind-storm, responding to various calls for help, predominately for arcing power-lines downed by the savage winds.  For example, Engine 56 at Fire Station 56 in Silver Lake responded to 20 such calls on the first night of the wind-storm, according to Fire Captain Gregg Olson, who says that was from 630pm on November 30th to 630am on December 1st.  The Captain says the crew will run 3-5 calls during a normal 24 hour period.  56's ran 18 and 15 calls the next two nights respectively.  Los Angeles Fire Chief Brian Cummings says during the 48 hour period November 30th to December 2nd, firefighters department-wide ran 3800 calls.  It's nice to know the men and women of the Fire Department always stand ready to help us in any kind of emergency.


Councilman LaBonge makes another Plea for Preparedness
Seeing a wide-swath of damage and residents left without power for days on end, Councilman LaBongeintroduced a motion in City Council this week on Emergency Preparedness in the wake of the damaging wind-storm last week.  The motion calls for residents and City Officials to heed the wake-up call provided by what Councilman LaBonge calls this "Above-Ground Earthquake" to prepare for disaster.  When the so-called "Big One" hits, infrastructure will be affected both above and below-ground, causing disruptions of critical services that well need to be mindful of.  Residents and City Departments will need to be ready.
This motion was referred to the Public Safety Committee. 
Read the Motion

New City Council Leadership in Los Angeles

The Los Angeles City Council voted-in new leadership recently, approving current Council President Eric Garcetti's request to be removed. The new Council President will be Herb Wesson of the 10th Council District. 1st District Councilman Ed Reyes becomes the Council President Pro-Tempore. Wesson chose 4th District Councilman Tom LaBonge to be the Assistant Council President Pro-Tempore. The new leadership team will officially take office on the 4th of January 2012 after the Council Holiday Recess.

Get Involved in City Re-Districting

Make your voice heard as the City of Los Angeles re-draws City Council and LA Unified School District Boundaries, in light of the new 2010 Census Population Figures.
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Dedicating a new Sign for the Barnsdall Arts Park

Councilmembers Eric Garcetti and Tom LaBonge (far left and far right, respectively) pose with members of the Barnsdall Arts Park Board (from left) Jim Heaton, Nyla Arslanian, Marshall Lewy and Cheryl Johnson at a dedication ceremony for the beautiful new sign welcoming visitors to the Barnsdall Arts Park in Hollywood.
Councilmember LaBonge and Council President Eric Garcetti joined the Barnsdall Art Park Foundation, the Community Redevelopment Agency Los Angeles, the Department of Cultural Affairs and the Deparments of Recreation and Parks and Public Works for the dedication of the eagerly awaited new entrance sign to Barnsdall Art Park in Hollywood. The completion of the sign culminates a process that began more than six years ago. The Barnsdall Art Park Foundation raised the majority of the funds for the project, with additional support from the CRA/LA. The Hollywood Arts Council -- a key partner from the beginning of the process -- secured additional funding from AT&T, Edison International and Occidental Petroleum.

Signposting Art in Los Angeles at LACMA

Councilman LaBonge presents a specially-made sign to LACMA Chief Michael Govan to draw attention to a series of excellent exhibits on display at LACMA and other Los Angeles and Southern California museums.  "Pacific Standard Time: Art in LA, 1945-1980", which chronicles the tremendous influence of west coast art and design on America during those post-war boom years.
Click here for more information 


Celebrating 30 Years of Los Angeles' Sister City Relationship with Guangzhou, China

 Councilman LaBonge hosted a reception in the Tom Bradley Tower of Los Angeles City Hall this week to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Sister City Relationship between Los Angeles and Guangzhou, China.  Pictured from left to right Jeffrey Cheung and Katerine Whitman of the Los Angeles Guanzhou Sister City Association, Councilman LaBonge and Chinese Consul General to Los Angeles Qiu Shaofeng.

Councilman LaBonge honors "Jackson" and Guangzhou, China in City Council on Friday, December 9th.  "Jackson" was a tour-guide on the Councilman's recent Sister-City-funded visit to Guangzhou with an official delegation from Los Angeles.  Upon returning home, the Councilman and the delegation paid to have "Jackson" flown to Los Angeles for a visit that included the sights and landmarks of the City of Angels.  "Jackson" said he'll never be the same after this visit.