Councilman McOsker Pushes for Local Voices on Harbor Commission with Charter Amendment Measure HH
Councilman Tim McOsker is still firing on all cylinders nearly two years into his term. By the councilman’s count, he’s been to 485 community events across the One-Five this year to date. By year’s end, the number of events he would have attended would number around 600. Towards the end, McOsker urged voters concerned about automation to vote for Charter Amendment Measure HH, which he says aims to close ethical loopholes and provide for reforms to the city’s governance.
McOsker said he drafted the part of HH that would modify the composition of the Board of Harbor Commissioners to include two Harbor Area residents on the commission to represent better the interests of communities most affected by the Port of Los Angeles operations — Wilmington and San Pedro.
“By requiring local representation on the board, the measure would advance equity and fairness by elevating concerns and experiences of Harbor Area residents, workers, and businesses.”
Unity and Beautification
Just last week, the councilman got kudos from Pastor Adam Stevenson of Warren Chapel’s CME Church for quickly and personally responding to a request for graffiti cleanup next to the church, with a fresh coat of paint and paintbrushes in the trunk of his car.
He spent time speaking on the Clean 15 Program for which he secured $1 million last year to assist city services in clearing trash, illegal dumping, overgrown vegetation, and cleaning out storm drains throughout the district with a dedicated team working throughout the district.
“I remember standing up here last year, proud to share with you that in just two months, the Clean 15 Program had picked up 1493 tons of debris in our communities,” the councilman said.
“Well, today, the team is still made up of two key city council district staffers, but now they lead two dedicated support teams, one focuses on the north communities of Watts and Harbor Gateway, and the second covers our Harbor Area communities. They cycle through our One-Five neighborhoods Monday through Saturdays and sometimes Sunday; and we’ve also enhanced our capabilities to include power-washing — improving sidewalks and public spaces by removing dirt and grime; making them more appealing for residents and visitors.”
Since the Clean 15 Team was formed two years ago, it has picked up, removed, and discarded more than 27,000 tons of trash, debris and overgrown vegetation on streets, alleys and other public spaces throughout the district.
Maintaining High Levels of Service Amidst Budget Cuts
The councilman noted that Mayor Karen Bass’s budget initially proposed cutting 2,100 funded positions. He noted that most were vacant, but not all of them, across various city departments. Through budget hearings, he touted the successful reinstatement of nearly 400 jobs, prioritizing roles in critical service areas.
“Ultimately, I am proud to say that we passed a ‘no layoff’ budget,” McOsker said.
The councilman, referencing a campaign promise, highlighted the importance of not only filing the right vacancies but also creating career opportunities for residents of the 15th District by utilizing his position as chairman of the Personnel Committee.
“We’ve worked to bring city, county, state and private employers to the district for career fairs, helping One-Five residents find and grow careers in their own neighborhoods, from Watts to the Waterfront,” McOsker said.
The councilman also highlighted the expungement clinics he’s hosted throughout the 15th District.
Public Safety
On public safety, the councilman noted the number of sworn Los Angeles Police Department officers has fallen to its lowest level in 20 years.
In response to this, McOsker noted that, in concert with his colleagues on the Executive Employee Relations Committee, he raised salaries and added retention incentives to the LAPD. The effort is starting to pay off with some success, as the police department achieved a two-year high in the number of applicants with 1,200 new applicants.
“But, there is more to public safety than police officers,” he said.
McOsker highlighted his work in ensuring that this year’s budget provided significant funding boosts to gang and violence prevention programs like GRYD and Summer Night Lights.
He noted that after a surge in violence last summer, he advocated for Watts to get additional Peace Ambassadors, which resulted in the hiring of Safe Passage workers around Markham Middle and Jordan High Schools.
“This budget focuses on proactive solutions — unarmed responses — that address underlying issues in our communities,” McOsker said. “By focusing on prevention and support, we can create safer environments.”
Other programs that have been expanded include the Unarmed Model of Crisis Response (UMCR) and Crisis and Incident Response through Community-led Engagement (CIRCLE), two programs that respond to mental health and homelessness crises.
McOsker noted that each program employs civilians with social services training to respond to non-violent 911 calls, including incidents like indecent exposure, intoxication, public disturbances, well-being checks and mental illness-related calls.
He also noted that this past July, a mini-unarmed crisis response program was launched in Wilmington, contracting with a private security firm to maintain a presence within the Avalon Merchant Business Improvement District (MBID). Modeled after the San Pedro PBID, it takes steps to ensure residents, visitors and businesses feel safe and protected.
Port infrastructure and other environmental stuff
Perhaps unknown to his audience, the most controversial part of his speech was his comments regarding the South Coast Air Quality Management District rule reducing emissions from indirect sources at the port and railyards, on which its board will vote in the next couple of months.
The environmental justice organization, Protect Port Communities, ran a full page ad in Random Lengths, which ran the same day as McOsker’s State of District address. The ad blasted the coalition of Big Business, major labor unions, and the top executive leaders of Los Angeles and Long Beach for not having offices in the port communities and refuted industry arguments about the rule impacting jobs and the economy.
McOsker kept his remarks brief on this issue, but his stance was clear that he believed the proposed rule had the potential to threaten jobs and disrupt the local and national economy.
The councilman announced the commencement of the SR-47 Connector project, or the Lomita Punchthrough as he called it, which aims to improve Lomita Boulevard from Eubank Avenue to Alameda, along the border of Wilmington and Carson.
McOsker noted that the eastern end of Lomita Boulevard is a poorly maintained dirt street that should instead be a major thoroughfare for truck traffic.
“The project will provide safe travel options for people and goods, allowing truck-related businesses to use it instead of cutting through nearby residential neighborhoods,” McOsker said.
“The Lomita Punchthrough will be a major improvement to the goods movement and an environmental justice victory for Wilmington and the whole Harbor Area.”
On the Vincent Thomas Bridge Deck Replacement Project, he was less upbeat, but no less hopeful as he called for the district’s support as he makes greater demands of Caltrans to mitigate the impact of the coming “Harborgeddon” in the EIR process. And hold Caltrans accountable for diverting traffic away from the harbor, repairing existing damaged streets before they commence work, and re-repair them when the project and detours are done.
On the training and retraining of waterfront workers to preserve good union jobs, McOsker announced the opening of the ILWU-PMA Maintenance and Repair training center. The 20,000-square-foot facility located on 4 acres at Pier 400 includes classrooms, hands-on training areas for equipment like forklifts, and welding stations that will be used for training future generations of workers at the port.
“In addition to the Maintenance and Repair training center, we also need to advance the Goods Movement Workforce Training Facility,” McOsker said. “This project is also too long delayed, and we will be working closely with the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to make sure it stays on track to open in 2029.”
Waterfront Development
On San Pedro’s waterfront development, McOsker reported on the progress of West Harbor, noting the progress along with the Waterfront Promenade, the continuous pathway for walking, cycling, and other recreational activities.
For Wilmington, the councilman highlighted the Wilmington Waterfront Promenade and the recent completion of Phase 1, and the commencement of Phase 2, to connect the promenade to Avalon Boulevard.
McOsker mentioned AltaSea’s May ribbon cutting for the renovated Center for Innovation, the largest research and development facility in the world dedicated to ocean solutions to climate change, and the fulfillment of the Battleship Iowa’s park project on Lot 61 — the Museum of the Surface Navy. The new 5,000-square-foot multi-purpose community center will feature educational exhibits, a veterans’ memorial, maritime displays, public art, and 35,000 square feet of landscape and hardscape.
Outside Dining and Walkable Communities
In regards to the Al Fresco program, the councilman said he was pleased that he was able to work with the city council and the mayor to amend the final proposal that struck a balance between supporting Al Fresco dining for small businesses and ensuring reasonable, simplified city rules for the permanent program.
McOsker offered a brief mention of the progress on the One San Pedro — the proposed redevelopment of Rancho San Pedro Housing Development. He noted the first public hearing took place a week before the State of the District address.
“We’re working with Community Advisory groups and the Planning Department to reimagine a new future, an inclusive, dignified community, worthy of the residents who will live there,” McOsker said. “This will be the LARGEST affordable housing project in the entire city.”