Council approves three LAX consultant contracts after heated public debate

The Los Angeles City Council on April 17 voted to allow three consultant contracts connected to the Los Angeles International Airport master plan to stand, after several hours of public comment and debate. Council members rejected motions to disapprove the contracts, leaving the agreements in place as approved earlier by the Board of Airport Commissioners.

The contracts are tied to the city’s joint environmental impact report/environmental impact statement (EIR/EIS) for the LAX master plan and include work on technical studies, community outreach and land-use planning. Supporters said the city needs the technical work to complete the EIR/EIS; opponents said portions of the contracts go beyond technical response work and amount to promotion of an expansion.

The issue matters because the EIR/EIS and related consultant work will shape what options the council considers next year on whether to approve any LAX build-out. The contracts will fund studies, outreach and planning tasks needed to respond to public comments and to refine alternatives that feed into the master plan.

Speakers who urged approval included Victor Franco, deputy director of legislative affairs for the Central City Association, who told the council, “we urge you that, you move forward these contracts and they not be withdrawn in mid…