CITY DELAYS VOTE ON PUBLIC WORKS APPOINTEE : COUNCIL QUESTIONS ABILITY OF RIORDAN'S SELECTION TO REPRESENT CENTRAL, EAST CITY AREAS.

Byline: Patrick McGreevy Daily News Staff Writer

In an unusual move, the Los Angeles City Council delayed approval Friday of a Public Works Board appointee amid charges that Mayor Richard Riordan's choice slights the central and east city areas.

Riordan appointed West Los Angeles businessman Todd Burnett to the five-person board to replace Frank Cardenas, who had lived in the downtown area and actively represented Spanish-speaking residents of East and Central Los Angeles, according to Councilman Mike Hernandez.

Each board member is assigned three council districts to cover and represent and Cardenas had represented the east-side districts.

Hernandez led the criticism of Riordan, saying that the mayor has promised to appoint someone with Cardenas' same constituency after Hernandez twice had questioned the lack of such representatives on other commissions.

``What the mayor continues to do is not right when he's ignoring portions of the population,'' Hernandez said.

Hernandez was joined by council members Richard Alatorre, Rita Walters, Nate Holden and Mark Ridley-Thomas in challenging the appointment of Burnett to the $79,000-a-year post. All said their opposition had nothing to do with Burnett personally.

The council delayed a vote until Friday to allow for meetings with the mayor's staff.

``I think people have to be more sensitive,'' Alatorre said. ``I think it (the mayor's action) is wrong. I think it's inappropriate.''

However, Councilman Richard Alarcon said issues about geographic diversity on commissions should be discussed in another setting because Burnett has proven to have provided good service on the city's Environmental Affairs Commission.

``He did a good job and everybody seems to agree he would be good'' on the Public Works Board, Alarcon said.

City records show that Cardenas lived in the 14th Council District represented by Alatorre on the east side when he was first appointed but later moved into the downtown area of the 9th Council District.

Current board member M.E. Martinez also lives in the 14th District.

Hernandez said the San Fernando Valley has two representatives on the board, J.P. Ellman of Reseda and Ellen Stein of Encino.

The other commissioner, Valerie Shaw, lives in the Baldwin Hills area of the 8th Council District.

Hernandez denied that his complaint is about ethnicity, but said Cardenas spoke Spanish and represented Latino and central city constituencies well on the board.

There was concern about whether a Westside resident could adequately take over the representation of the east-side districts.

In addition, the appointment of Burnett means there are no representatives on the board from Hernandez's Central and East Los Angeles 1st Council District nor in the 9th, 10th, 13th and 4th Council Districts representing the central city area.

Councilman Nate Holden of the 10th District said the board needs someone from the central city area.

``The sensitivity level is not there unless somebody is from that community and can see with their own eyes what the problems are,'' said Holden, who noted that the council approved a policy earlier this year calling for geographic diversity on city commissions.

Mayoral spokeswoman Noelia Rodriguez said the mayor is committed to making appointments that reflect the city's diversity.

``The mayor's got a solid track record of naming commissioners that represent the diversity of the city,'' she said, but added, ``Over the next few days, the mayor will be talking to council members to address their concerns with this appointment.''

The Public Works Board is not the only battlefield between Hernandez and Riordan.

The councilman chairs a committee that is holding up the appointment of San Fernando Valley resident Sally Thompson to head the city's new Department of Children, Youth and Families.

Hernandez said Thompson was recommended over a qualified Latina even though there is a dearth of Latino department heads in the city.

There are some Latino department heads, including Cultural Affairs General Manager Adolfo Nodal and Rebecca Avila, Ethics Commission director.