Los Angeles City Council adopts new committee structure, renames 'Neighborhoods and Schools' to 'Education and Neighborhoods'

The Los Angeles City Council voted 14-0 on July 2001 to adopt a reorganization of its committee structure and to rename the Neighborhoods and Schools committee to Education and Neighborhoods.

Councilmember Galanter introduced the reorganization resolution and Councilmember Hahn offered a friendly amendment to change the committee name. "I would like to see that committee that you've initially entitled as Schools and Neighborhoods...named Education and Neighborhoods," Councilmember Hahn said during debate. The roll call on the amendment produced 14 ayes and the resolution as amended was adopted on a subsequent roll call that also registered 14 ayes.

The reorganization uses authority in the new city charter to realign committee responsibilities and emphasize priorities identified by councilmembers, including neighborhoods, schools, housing and a separate governmental efficiency function that will include audit activity. Council President (presiding) described the process leading to the proposal as built from "many, many conversations" and said committees were reshaped to keep city work focused.

Councilmembers debating the measure framed the changes as an effort to improve the council's ability to coordinate with neighborhood councils and to better align policy areas. Councilmember Wax said the new committee "is a great start" but cautioned it will need resources and an early-notification ordinance to give neighborhood councils meaningful input. Councilmember Misikowski supported renaming the committee, saying the change broadened the city's role in supporting schools as community centers.

Supporters said the reorganization also creates a dedicated housing committee to focus on affordable housing and the existing housing stock and moves some building-and-safety responsibilities into planning functions tied to housing oversight. Councilmember Garcetti described the vote as "a monumental step forward" in how the council does its business and called the structure "a beginning" that the council can revisit over time.

Councilmembers also discussed consolidating intergovernmental relations with rules and elections to improve coordination with the mayor's office in Sacramento and Washington, and the council president said the audits function would be provided a venue by placing it within governmental efficiency to receive periodic controller audits called for in the new charter.

The council agreed to finalize committee assignments soon after passage and to reinstate or form ad hoc groups as needed. The resolution was adopted forthwith as amended with unanimous support.