City Council approves funding for Mulholland patrols after debate over parking enforcement and ticketing
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Summary
The Los Angeles City Council approved additional funding for Mountain Recreation and Conservation Authority patrols along parts of Mulholland Drive while adding requests for reports on hours and citywide park-enforcement policy after a contentious debate about parking citations and who benefits from ticket revenue.
The Los Angeles City Council on June 16 approved supplemental funding for the Mountain Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) to continue night patrols along sections of Mulholland Drive, but added two follow-up reports to address concerns about hours and the broader use of parking enforcement revenue.
Council members voted 11–1 to accept amendments directing staff to report back to the council committee that oversees transportation on (1) the basis for the 9 p.m. hour restriction at the Mulholland overlooks and (2) the broader policy implications of DOT enforcing parking rules at parks citywide rather than park rangers or other park-focused staff.
The vote followed more than an hour of discussion about whether parking enforcement at scenic overlooks was an appropriate funding source for park security. Councilwoman Goldberg said her concern was not who issues tickets but “our program of issuing tickets at all,” asking specifically about hours and signage at Compton Slauson Park and Mulholland overlooks. She said roughly 220–250 citations a month had been issued in affected areas.
Several council members said they supported funding the patrols for public safety but objected to tying the program to parking citation revenue or to private contractors that collect fees. Councilmember Holden said he would vote no, calling the arrangement “a waste of taxpayers’ money” and criticizing fees paid to contract collectors. Holden recorded the sole no vote in the roll call; the clerk recorded the final tally as 11 ayes, 1 no.
Councilmember Feuer said two distinct policy questions needed follow-up: why the hour restriction is set at 9 p.m. and whether the city should use Department of Transportation (DOT) parking enforcement revenues for park patrols rather than providing those funds directly to parks departments for rangers and security. The amendments the council adopted direct staff to return with reports to the relevant committee on both topics.
City staff and representatives of the MRCA explained that the MRCA and Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy built overlooks and conducted daytime patrols, and that a pilot project authorized in September 1998 had allowed MRCA to patrol Mulholland seven nights a week; city budget shortfalls required an additional appropriation to continue those patrols.
The council directed the reports to clarify the 9 p.m. restriction's origin and to analyze options for consistent enforcement and funding of patrols at parks across the city. The amendments were adopted as part of the item; the recorded vote on the amended item was 11–1 (Holden opposed).
