Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Redevelopment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council extends interim CRA administratorcontract 30 days after contentious debate over search process
Summary
After a lengthy debate about process and a public hearing, the Los Angeles City Council voted to extend the interim Community Redevelopment Agency administrator's contract for 30 days and to require briefing by the City Attorney's Office on pending legal matters.
The Los Angeles City Council voted to extend the contract of the interim administrator of the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) for 30 days and continued the matter for further action, after weeks of debate about how and when to begin a national search for a permanent administrator.
The council recorded 11 ayes and 1 no on the 30-day extension; the council also approved a separate motion by Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas asking the City Attorneyto provide a briefing on pending lawsuits and related items at the continued hearing (that motion was recorded as 12 ayes). The extension came after sustained discussion about the agency's stability and the proper role for the council in approving a permanent leader.
Council debate centered on competing proposals: committee and commission recommendations that would keep the interim administrator in place for a longer transition (committee report recommended a one-year term with an option to extend), and substitute motions from Councilman Ridley-Thomas calling for a six-month interim appointment with an immediate open search. Council members who supported the longer transition argued that organizational realignment and financial stabilization would take more than six months; critics said the commission had cut off an earlier public national search and the council should insist on an open, competitive process.
Public commenters and stakeholder groups were split. David Cochran of AFSCME Council 36 told the council his members supported an open, competitive search and backed Councilman Ridley-Thomas's substitute motion: "We are not here because we don't like Jerry Charlene. We are here because we are concerned about the promises made by the CRA board to this council, to the public, and to our members, and those promises were not kept." Central City Association legislative director Judy Schwartz urged giving the interim administrator time to stabilize finances, saying the organization supported "a reasonable amount of time to restructure and stabilize the CRA."
Interim administrator Jerry Charlene addressed employee morale concerns and the timing of a search, saying, "My particular concern, comes from living inside this agency in sort of a social fabric. The closer the sooner you have the search, the more focus the employees will have on the leadership change or potential change rather than understanding that there's gonna be some level of stability for some time and that they need to go along with our programs." He said the agency's internal realignment would take nine to 12 months.
Chief Legislative Analyst (CLA) representative Robert Deaton clarified that the CRA is governed by an oversight ordinance rather than the city charter and that existing ordinance rules on selection and budget oversight remain in effect. Several council members asked that the CLA and City Attorney be prepared to brief the full council at the continued hearing.
The council recorded the 30-day extension vote (11 ayes, 1 no). The council also approved Councilman Ridley-Thomas's motion directing the City Attorney to brief the council on pending litigation and related actions; that motion passed 12 ayes. The item was continued for further action and public briefing on Wednesday; the clerk will provide a list of the motions and the council asked the City Attorney and CLA to prepare information for the next hearing.
