LA Times, "Few parks, but city sits on a pile of green"
If Recreation and Parks General Manager, Jon Kirk Mukri, is not at some community function today. Then look for him in some dark hole.It has been a tough week for the James Hahn appointed General Manager of the Department of Recreation and Parks.
First, the Downtown News exposes the discontent of downtown developers, over the lack of return on their Quimby fees, ($77 million city wide). Mayor Sam needs some credit for blogging on this issue.
Next, the LA Weekly takes the department to task for cutting the Paddleboats at MacArthur and Echo Park. Then goes on to highlight excesses of spending on other dubious priorities.
Today, the Los Angeles Times, City Hall scribe, Steve Hymon reports on the "Q & A" between Mukri and the City Council. Leave it to the "OLD GREY HAG ON SPRING STREET" to be scooped again by a "weekly journal". Yet, Hymon's report does justice to the Quimby issue.
The Quimby issue is a microcosm of a larger problem in the Recreation and Parks Department. Lack of oversite of funds and projects is pandemic. Laura Chick has in the past, audited the department and found hidden millions in funds. Chick has promise to conduct a audit on the Quimby issue with a report due early next year.
Mukri for his part, sites a "lack of structure" in overseeing the Quimby fund. He talks of a "computer tracking system" to help with project and funding identification. Yet a five minute drive from the Garland Building sits a city cultural institution going unused for the want of funds.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-parks20oct20,1,2915747.story?coll=la-headlines-california
****Updated story from the "Downtown News****
http://www.downtownnews.com/articles/2007/10/22/news/news02.txt
Excerpts:
The admission that Recreation and Parks lacks efficient management of its Quimby funds came in an Oct. 12 letter from the department's general manager, Jon Kirk Mukri, to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
"The Department has no single database that gives a true and real-time picture of how much in Quimby fees have been collected; what projects Quimby is funding; what projects are contemplated for Quimby fees; and, an accurate accounting of any unobligated balance of Quimby fees," the letter read in part.
Labels: mayor antonio villaraigosa
Posted by Red Spot in CD 14 @ 10/20/2007 09:38:00 AM
5 Comments:
I would like to park my Rolls in a very large spot.
My house doesn't have space for that and my MBZ and Bentley. It's really embarrassing to admit that, since all the neighbors think I'm very, very rich.
But I'm no Jay Leno.
So how much can the city profit from my renting a generous space?
The Mayor and clowncil are saying the city is in a state of Emergency yet millions of dollars are being wasted in Housing Authority and not one damn politican is saying a word. Do they think its going to get fixed on its own..
A struggle to get Housing in order
The L.A. agency's director has discovered millions of dollars missing and thousands of residents unserved.It is the largest housing authority west of the Mississippi, with 8,000 public housing units extending from San Pedro to the San Fernando Valley. It also manages 44,500 Section 8 vouchers, federal subsidies paid to private landlords to cover rent for the poor. Run by a commission appointed by Los Angeles' mayor, the agency receives the vast majority of its $850 million annual budget from the federal government.
Three of the last four executive directors left after inquiries involving alleged misappropriation of funds or improper contracting.
NFL tells L.A. to forget about new team, cites $1 billion cost of coliseum overhaul
BY RICK ORLOV,
NO NFL IN LA? Los Angeles officials have refused to talk about it, but the NFL flat out told them three months ago that a professional football team will not be coming to the Coliseum, the Daily News has learned.
Another FAILURE for Antonio. Daily News has a great story about LA Murals also disappearing because of taggers yet again no one in city council or Mayor give a damn. More failures then any other administration
About 'Quimby"
HOW MUCH DID THE MAYOR GET FROM THESE DEVELOPMENTS AND HOW WAS IT USED?
How much do "Pocket Parks" cost?
File Number
05-2513
Last Changed Date
05/07/2007
Title
DOWNTOWN ARTS DISTRICT / POTENTIAL SITES FOR DEVELOPMENT AS PARK SPACE
Initiated by
Perry Mover 2005 / Reyes
Subject
Motion - The Downtown Arts District is rapidly developing with housing and retail opportunities. However, there is very little consideration being given to green space. The Open Space element of the City of Los Angeles' General Plan calls for the City to create and utilize open space, including the development of parks, particularly in parts of the City where there is a deficiency of this resource.
As the City urbanizes and the pressures of population growth and encroaching development activity increase the amount of land available for open space will likely continue to diminish. The City's General Plan, however, calls for the improvement and creation of open space, both on public and private property, as opportunities allow, and for that open space to be provided in a manner that is responsive to the needs and wishes of the residents of the City of Los Angeles.
The City, along with other government entities like the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, own vacant land in the Arts District area. It is important that the City continue to develop and expand the number and acreage of parks within its boundaries, especially in parts of the City that are themselves developing and expanding.
THEREFORE MOVE that the General Services Department be directed to report to the Arts, Parks, Health, and Aging Committee in 30 days with potential sites in and around the Downtown Arts District that could be developed as park space.
Council District
9
Date Received
11/18/2005
File History
11-18-05 - This day's Council session
11-18-05 - Ref to Arts, Parks, Health and Aging Committee
11-18-05 - File to Arts, Parks, Health and Aging Committee Clerk
2-14-06 - For ref - Communication from the Department of General Services, dated February 9, 2006, relative to potential sites for a pocket park in the Arts District.
2-14-06 - Ref to Arts, Parks, Health and Aging Committee - to Committee Clerk
6-28-06 - For ref - Communication from the Department of General Services, dated June 26, 2006, relative to locating potential sites for pocket parks in the Arts District, Bunker Hill District and Old Bank District.
6-28-06 - Ref to Arts, Parks, Health and Aging Committee - to Committee Clerk
5-4-07 - This day's Council session - Motion - Perry Mover 2007 / Parks - The Open Space element of the City of Los Angeles' General Plan calls for the City to create and utilize open space, including the development of parks, particularly in parts of the City where there is a deficiency of this resource. The Downtown Arts District is rapidly developing with housing and retail opportunities, yet there is very little consideration being given to green space. It is important that the City continue to develop and expand the number and acreage of parks within its boundaries, especially in parts of the City that are themselves developing and expanding.
In November 2005, the General Services Department (GSD) was instructed to survey potential sites in the Downtown Arts District that could be developed as park space. After touring the Arts District, Council District Nine and GSD have identified a property that would be suitable for development as a pocket park. Council District Nine proposes to use Quimby funds to purchase this property which is located at 735 East 3rd Street.
THEREFORE MOVE, that the City Council instruct the Department of General Services, the Bureau of Engineering and the City Attorney to conduct all necessary appraisals and environmental clearances, and to make an offer to purchase the property located at 735 East 3rd Street in Council District Nine, and to report back within 30 days on the status of negotiations.
FURTHER MOVE, that the Council instruct the Department of Recreation and Parks to report in 30 days on the identification of potential funding sources for the purchase of this property.
5-4-07 - Ref to Arts, Parks, Health and Aging and Information Technology and General Services Committees
5-4-07 - File to Arts, Parks, Health and Aging Committee Clerk
File Number
06-2575
Last Changed Date
12/15/2006
Title
510 SOUTH SPRING STREET / APPEAL
Initiated by
Los Angeles City Planning Commission
Subject
Communication from the Los Angeles City Planning Commission, dated October 20, 2006, relative to:
APPEAL REQUEST: An appeal on the entire City Planning Commission determination for:
CASE NO: VTT-63368-2A
LOCATION: 510 South Spring Street
COUNCIL DISTRICT: 9
APPELLANT: Security Building Loft Partners, LP
REPRESENTATIVE: Joel Miller & Paul Garry, PSOMAS
APPLICANT: Security Building Loft Partners
Final date to Appeal: October 10, 2006
Council District
Link this story with the sale of surplus property and you'll see that the council controls all this money. They don't want Mukri to keep track of the Quimby money, that's theirs to play with for projects in their districts, just lkie the surplus proprty money.
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