Yesterday I notified the City Clerk that I am making some changes to Committee assignments to facilitate our work flow and ensure that all districts of the City receive fair representation in the deliberations of this Council.
As the Council has moved forward with urgency in addressing the City’s needs, it has faced increasing challenges in processing the committee workflow without the full participation of all Councilmembers. With two members not serving on committees, many other members have been forced to manage excessive committee assignments. Reducing their committee schedules will allow them to focus their attention on advancing the highest priorities of the City and to perform committee work more thoroughly and effectively.
Also, the Council currently is deeply engaged in developing solutions to many significant and complex issues that are especially important to the half million people who live in Districts 9 and 14, including expansion of the Convention Center, homelessness, and continuing reforms and improvements to public safety, among others. The policy development work around such issues would not be sufficiently thoughtful, informed and effective without the direct participation of the representatives of the most impacted populations.
Being assigned to or removed from a committee should not be seen as either a reward or a punishment of any member. I have made all of these decisions solely to ensure the most effective use of the Council’s resources in developing policy and to include the representation of all of the people of Los Angeles in that important work.
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