BRIEFLY : BOARD CREATING RULE FOR BILLBOARD ADS.

Los Angeles County supervisors on Tuesday ordered the creation of an ordinance that would prohibit billboards near schools, parks and residential areas from displaying ads selling tobacco, alcohol and phone sex.

The supervisors' 5-0 vote sends the issue to the county Regional Planning Commission to begin the public hearing process needed to create a record that would be used in any court fight.

Interest among governments in drafting such an ordinance was bolstered after a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision left intact a Baltimore law that bans alcohol and tobacco ads on billboards.

A similar ordinance proposed for the city of Los Angeles ran into a glitch Tuesday, when a City Council panel delayed consideration until a study can be done on its economic impact on the city.

?13Daily News

Prop. BB spending to be meeting topic

Proposition BB, a controversial school bond measure that was passed by voters April 8, will be discussed tonight at a meeting of the Blue Ribbon Citizens' Oversight Committee.

The $2.3 billion proposition sparked public outcry after the Los Angeles Unified School District board of education voted to use $43.5 million in bond money to build the Belmont Learning Center downtown.

The committee will discuss how to keep tabs on the expenditure of the bond money.

The meeting will start at 7 p.m. at William Mulholland Middle School, 17120 Vanowen St.

?13Daily News

15 more cats found at Tarzana home

TARZANA - About a week after animal regulation officers seized 40 neglected felines from 74-year-old Fleeta Kovanda, officials Tuesday found 15 more cats at her home.

Although authorities say these animals were in better shape, they nonetheless put Kovanda on notice that she has too many, and this time she must get rid of all but three.

This latest stash of cats was uncovered when city workers went to the Coldstream Terrace home to turn off the water. Where Kovanda gets the cats remains a mystery. Meanwhile, all of the animals seized in the last inspection are doing well and are under veterinary care, said Peter Persic, spokesman for Los Angeles city Animal Services.

Authorities continue to investigate whether to bring animal cruelty charges against Kovanda for the April 29 discovery of animals at her home in the 4000 block of Coldstream Terrace.

?13Daily News

Faulty line causes Burbank outage

BURBANK - Most of the city's residents and businesses lost power Tuesday night after the failure of an electrical line that Burbank's Public Service Department shares with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, authorities said.

The power outage began about 5:30 p.m. and was restored by 7:45 p.m., police Lt. Edward Skvarna said.

Skvarna said the outage later triggered three minor traffic accidents.

?13Daily News

Panel considers tax for police budget

A City Council committee on Tuesday raised the possibility of seeking a special tax to pay for part of the Los Angeles Police Department budget as well as build and staff new facilities.

The Ad Hoc Committee on the Budget suggested a special council committee be formed to determine if the city would be better off seeking voter approval for such a tax instead of seeking bond issues. Both would require support of two-thirds of voters.

However, council members said the advantage of a tax is it would allow the city to pay for staffing of present and new facilities while bond issues only cover the cost of construction.

?13Daily News

GM site examined for police station

The Los Angeles City Council took the first step to accept a 5-acre site on the abandoned General Motors site for a new police station.

Council members asked several city agencies, including the Police Department, General Services and Engineering, to report on what steps need to be taken and the work required to accept the land.

General Motors, as part of its sale of the land for development, said it wanted to turn over a portion of the land to the city for a police station. City fire officials also have said they are looking to develop a temporary station on the site.

?13Daily News

Man gets fine, work for posting leaflets

VAN NUYS - A Mission Hills man was sentenced Tuesday to 30 days on a Caltrans work crew and fined $2,138 for illegally posting diet plan and work-at-home signs along streets and freeway ramps deemed public property.

David Paul Desaegher, 37, pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge in Van Nuys Municipal Court before being sentenced by Judge Barbara Koppel.

Along with the work crew assignment and fine - restitution that will be paid to the state Department of Transportation - Koppel placed Desaegher on two years' probation, said Deputy City Attorney Don Cocek.

Desaegher was ordered not to illegally post any signs in the future, Cocek said.