Rep Watch

Barragán to Get an Office in San Pedro Municipal Building

Last month, the Los Angeles City Council, through a motion made by 15th District Councilman Tim McOsker, voted to provide office space for Rep. Nanette Barragán in the San Pedro Municipal Building on 7th and Beacon streets.

City staff decided that a suite currently occupied by the Department of Public Works on the fifth floor would be the best place for the congresswoman’s new office.

To accommodate this proposed lease, the Department of Public Works will be relocated to another suite on the same floor.

The Department of General Services, with the help of the City Attorney’s office, was directed to negotiate a no-cost lease with Barragán’s office. 

Council To Study Adding Medical Personnel On Police Calls 

On Jan. 13, the Los Angeles City Council moved a motion to the public safety committee that would pay for a presentation by Denver Colorado’s Support Team Assisted Response (STAR) Program, which deploys, through 911, emergency response teams that include emergency medical technicians and behavioral health clinicians to engage individuals experiencing distress related to mental health issues, poverty, homelessness, and substance abuse.

In the first three days of 2023, three Angelenos suffering from mental health breakdowns were killed by the Los Angeles Police Department in three separate incidents, including Takar Smith, Keenan Anderson and Oscar Leon.

But no mental health experts were contacted, as Police Chief Michel Moore pointed out during a news conference following the shooting. 

“Our City’s emergency response not only failed them and their loved ones but took their lives,” the city council’s motion stated. “Every Angeleno should be able to trust that when they call Emergency Services they will deliver safe, compassionate, effective services that truly meet the moment.” 

City council staff said that while Los Angeles has seen success with pilot programs such as the therapeutic vans operated by the LA County Department of Mental Health and the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), neither have yet acquired the capacity to meet the demand, nor the severity of certain mental health crises. 

Street Improvements Coming to Anaheim Street in Wilmington

The Department of Transportation has implemented a number of changes on Anaheim Street in Wilmington, with the goal of improving traffic safety and connectivity between Figueroa Street and Henry Ford Avenue. Some of the revisions include: 

• Removing one travel lane in each direction between Figueroa Street and Eubank Avenue;
• Curb extensions with paint and plastic bollards;
• Removing parking between Eubank Avenue and Alameda;
• A new protected bike lane;
• Upgrades to sidewalks, traffic signals, and pedestrian crossings;
• Bicycle intersection improvements, pedestrian-scale lighting, and street trees.

Residents have expressed concern about the impact of these changes, and it is appropriate for the city council to receive an update on the status of the project, as well as the methodology and metrics for evaluating its effectiveness.

Councilman Tim McOsker made a motion to direct the Department of Transportation to report on the effects of traffic calming measures and safety improvements to Anaheim Street between Figueroa Street and Henry Ford Avenue.