Council moves to lock in Port of Los Angeles public-access investments and require job analysis before permits

The Los Angeles City Council voted to adopt charter-related amendments affecting how the Port of Los Angeles invests in local communities and evaluates job impacts when issuing permits.

Councilmember Dan McOsker said the measure would add protections in the charter for public-access investment funds (PAIP) and require harbor commissioners to analyze both construction-era and long-term operational job impacts before issuing permits. “One section has to do with the PAIP or the public access investment funds that come from the port,” McOsker said. He added the intention was to ensure that “for future generations, the port continues to invest in our local communities.”

On the jobs analysis provision McOsker said the change would not compel the port to create jobs but would require discussion and disclosure: “It is not designed to say that you have to create those jobs, but it is designed to say, you have to discuss it. You have to analyze it. You have to put it out there.”

Proponents said the amendments are aimed at reducing harmful interfaces between industrial port operations and nearby residential communities in Wilmington, Harbor City and San Pedro and at making community impacts part of the port’s permitting calculus. Councilmembers noted the timing coincides with activity at the city charter commission and the need to fold these concerns into broader charter deliberations.

The council opened the roll and recorded the vote at 12 ayes. The amendment was presented as a charter change rather than an ordinance and proponents emphasized embedding PAIP protections in the charter so future mayors or commissioners cannot remove them without a charter change.