Wednesday, the Los Angeles City Council took steps forward in crafting an aggressive ban on single-use plastic and paper bags. The council's Energy and Environment Committee unanimously passed a recommendation for a three-phase ban that would, if enacted, become "one of the most-far reaching measures in the nation," describes Heal the Bay. more ›

If an ordinance passed unanimously today by the Los Angeles City Council gets Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's signature, all forms of mobile billboards are about to be outlawed. The ban includes billboards on trailers, cars, mopeds, or bikes, reports City News Service. more ›

Los Angeles City Firefighters involved in providing fire trucks for two adult films will not face disciplinary action, according to an investigation ordered by Fire Chief Brian Cummings. more ›

Since most of L.A.'s top officials have to head in and out of City Hall to get their work done, what they think of the current "occupation" of the area by protesters is surely worth noting. It took one of the Council's regular meeting speakers, John Walsh (L.A. Now generous calls him "a well-known political gadfly" to goad the Councilmembers to not only acknowledge the Occupy L.A. participants, but to go outside and tour their "tent city" and talk to the protesters. more ›

Though to most it's a glorious snoozefest, sometimes the Los Angeles City Council meetings provide moments of levity thanks to the many colorful characters who sign up to speak, or, in some cases, serve as elected. Earlier today, it seems someone with an albeit childish sense of humor might have pulled off a little prank at Councilman Dennis Zine's expense. more ›

The FBI arrested Kinde Durkee, a big-shot Democratic campaign treasurer trusted by everyone from Councilman Dennis Zine to Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Friday. Durkee's arrest at her firm's office in Burbank, first reported by to The Orange County Register, was the first hint for many of her clients that anything might be awry. more ›

Aaron Brothers has caved in to pressure from City Hall and canceled its "urban art" events in Los Angeles County. The company was planning on showcasing the work of professional street artists at live events. It was also going to offer free "graffiti starter kits" to attendees (that really just had snazzy-looking markers and paper and no spray paint whatsoever). more ›

Aaron Brothers' Artrageous campaign is actually sparking some genuine outrage in some corners of city hall. As a part of a back-to-school promotion, the company is showcasing the work of prominent street artists at live events and offering free "graffiti starter kits" to attendees. Those kits are what have really riled up councilman Dennis Zine. Yesterday he introduced a resolution to the city council asking Aaron Brothers to stop the campaign that he says glorifies vandalism — never mind that the so-called "graffiti starter kits" don't even have the right materials to launch would-be Shepard Faireys or Banksys. The kits themselves are little more than cleverly marketed markers and paper. more ›

An international online "members only" child pornography network called "Dreamboard" has been raided by federal authorities, and of the more than 600 of the users targeted, 72 have been charged and 52 arrested, including 6 men from Southern California. more ›

There's a new position opening up at City Hall for someone who doesn't mind getting tough about bills getting paid. It's what's being called the "Collections Czar," and the role was approved by a 9-1 vote this morning during today's regular City Council Meeting. more ›

A unanimous vote by the Los Angeles City Council yesterday brought approval to the proposed signage for the Wilshire Grand project, which will light up two future DTLA skyscrapers. The 12-0 vote gave the okay to "an elaborate package of new flashing signs, illuminated graphics and moving text," for the 45-story hotel and 65-story office building, according to the LA Times, and, in doing so, the Council "created a new one-block sign district" to accommodate the project. more ›

Following the turn of the calendar page to January 1, 2011, one of the new state laws to go into effect sees to it that local governments have the authority to have mobile billboards driven off the streets, and, locally, the focus is on the blighted San Fernando Valley, where those parked and hitched ads are the scourge of many a block. more ›

With new state legislation giving local governments the power to ban mobile billboards, San Fernando Valley politicians are ready to party. Literally. Assemblymember Bob Blumenfield, who co-authored the ban with Assemblymember Mike Feuer, today announced that next week he's holding a party to celebrate the passing of the legislation. more ›

A state law that will take effect January 1st will allow local governments to regulate mobile billboards, those unhitched trailers that display advertisements and are left on streets for weeks or months at a time, mostly in the San Fernando Valley. Complaints over the years have piled up about the signs because residents see them as blight, a public safety hazard and reason why parking can be difficult in some areas. more ›

It was all but officially confirmed until this week. Costco will be the anchor store for The Village at Westfield Topanga in West San Fernando Valley. The news comes after letters sent to community members last month saying the grand vision for the upscale mixed-use project had been scaled back due to the economy. Originally, the $700 million plan to connect the Topanga and Promenade malls was said to rival Century City. more ›

When the year began, Los Angeles' stock of 83 libraries were open seven days a week. Then budget cuts forced shorter hours, leaving them open six days a week. This week -- once again, thanks to budget cuts -- hours will be shortened to five days a week. more ›

Nearly a year after the costly public funeral for Michael Jackson the costs incurred by the city of Los Angeles will be paid back, AEG and the Jackson Estate announced today. The issue last Summer became a controversy: Los Angeles was dealing with (and still is) a depleting budget and had just shelled out over a million dollars -- permits, street closures and mostly a boat load of police -- for an international event that AEG eventually turned into a movie. more ›

The L.A. City Council is being ultra careful this time around with the budget and yesterday claimed Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's budget proposal overly optimistic, ultimately rejecting it. Of main concern were revenue projections such as one that has the city earning $53 million from parking revenues. "To me, you're coming from Fantasyland," said Councilman Dennis Zine. "Either this money is real or it isn't. We shouldn't be budgeting if the numbers aren't real." The city's top budget analyst Miguel Santana said he believes "the money will be there." Mayor Deputy Matt Szabo said the office thinks the numbers "can be backed up." more ›

Here we go, Los Angeles. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa handed out his latest budget proposal last week and now comes its dissection by city councilmembers. Considering the dire state of the city's budget--we're running around a $222 million deficit right now--this year is especially important so Council President Eric Garcetti last week appointed two more members to the Budget & Finance Committee, adding Jan Perry and Dennis Zine. more ›

Leaders of the Los Angeles City Council today requested that the head of the Department of Water and Power recommend fulfilling a budgeted money transfer, which would save the city from bankruptcy on May 5th. Citing $1 billion in reserves, a letter to David Freeman said there was no need to withhold a transfer of $73.5 million. Freeman said the utility doesn't have sufficient funds to warrant a transfer without jeopardizing its bond rating. more ›

A state senate bill making its way through Sacramento has ruffled the feathers of some Los Angeles politicians. SB 949, authored by Senator Jenny Oropeza of Long Beach, would strip a local municipalities right to enact moving violations penalties... more ›

A resolution to support a ballot initiative that would fully fund state parks, thus protecting them from budget raids that prompt closures, failed to garner support from a L.A. City Council committee (.pdf) yesterday afternoon. At issue for Councilmembers Dennis Zine and Tony Cardenas were the fees associated with the proposal. more ›

On Wednesday morning a team of LAPD and probation officers, along with Councilman Dennis Zine and the Department of Children and Family Services, conducted tagger probation compliance check operation. 11 West Valley homes of subjects who were on probation, with search and seizure conditions, for graffiti and related vandalism offenses were checked and one person was netted. more ›

It may seem like it, but parking enforcement officers are not everywhere. Who is everywhere, however, is the public. And in the Valley, one of the most complained about quality of life issues are mobile billboards, specifically ones sitting atop unhitched trailers. So why not educate the already-exasperated residents on how to spot illegal mobile advertisements and report them? more ›

Los Angeles could be seeing some neighborhoods with bicycle rental kiosks in the near future, perhaps Hollywood, Koreatown, downtown and around the USC campus. For over a year, the City Council has been interested in exploring bicycle sharing programs that have been seen in Paris, Montreal, Washington D.C. and in Denver at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. more ›

When a City Council panel met last week met to discuss state legislation the city would like to sponsor or support, transportation staff said they were seeking the ability to boot vehicles after three unpaid tickets (or at least four) instead of current legal limit of five. Although that was approved, Councilmember Dennis Zine was disappointed to see one of his district issues not addressed: mobile billboards. more ›

A Los Angeles city council committee will look into the long-delayed outdoor smoking ban draft ordinance this morning. If approved, it will then move on to the full city council where if passed, the ban will go into affect after a six-month education campaign. Basically, the ban says no smoking--unless you're just walking by--within 10 feet of an established outdoor dining area (think restaurants and cafes with sidewalk dining or outdoor food courts). more ›

World-renown acrobatic entertainers Cirque du Soleil have been dangling a 2011 permanent stay here in Los Angeles for several months now. Talks to have the troupe set up their act at Hollywood & Highland's Kodak Theatre for a ten-year residency at the venue have been in the works for sometime, but now it falls to the City Council to decide if Los Angeles can afford to have them here, according to the Daily News. more ›

It's about time, no? After weeks of rejecting bogus medical marijuana dispensaries, three LA City Councilmembers brought forth a motion to explore a tax on legal medical marijuana sales in the city. “In this current economic crisis, we need to get creative about how we raise funds. A tax on medical marijuana could enable the city to continue providing services we might otherwise have to cut,” said Councilwoman Janice Hahn. Retired LAPD officer and West Valley Councilman Dennis Zine said "Part of becoming a legitimate business in the City of Los Angeles means supporting local government by paying a fair share of municipal taxes.” Councilman Bill Rosendahl also brought forth the measure. A motion for a resolution in support of H.R. 2835, the Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act, which allows for state law to prevail with regard to medical marijuana use, was also introduced. more ›