COMMITTEE OKS REVISED BUDGET.

Byline: Rick Orlov Daily News Staff Writer

Cutting $2.6 million from street repairs, a Los Angeles city panel on Tuesday recommended adoption of Mayor Richard Riordan's proposed $4.2 billion budget.

The City Council will begin its deliberations Monday on the mayor's plan for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

Even as Riordan aides protested a cut in the number of miles of streets to be repaired from 225 to 212.5 miles, the members of the council's Ad Hoc Committee on the budget said they believed the spending plan was a realistic package to cover costs for the coming year.

``This budget will do a lot with relatively little new money,'' Councilwoman Jackie Goldberg said. ``I think we made less than 1 percent in changes, which means the mayor got 99 percent of what he proposed.''

But Deputy Mayor Jennifer Roth said the Mayor's Office would be looking at ways to find the $2.6 million cut from the street resurfacing to see it restored.

Councilman Richard Alatorre, who chairs the committee, warned her that it would be at the risk of cuts elsewhere.

``We would not have had to take this if the mayor had funded all the programs that were needed,'' Alatorre said. ``A lot of these were obligatory, and you had not provided for.''

The budget did maintain Riordan's plan to add 157 new police officers during the coming year with all their salaries and benefits to be covered by federal grants.

Committee members insisted that all be assigned to patrol duties as part of an ongoing community policing effort.

The Fire Department will grow by 127 recruits and will be provided with funds to replace all breathing apparatus and make improvements at its air operations field.

The budget also continues Riordan's plan to eliminate the fees at city swimming pools for youngsters under the age of 18 at a cost of $800,000 a year, and the council extended that program to include seniors at an additional yearly cost of $32,000.

The only other major change involved including $200,000 to the Department of Animal Services to provide for 4,000 spay and neuter vouchers.

The spending plan also calls for expanded library hours at the Panorama City, Platt, Sherman Oaks, Sylmar and Chatsworth branches after the plan is adopted, with six additional Valley libraries to be designated later.

It also will provide increased staffing at the East and West Valley animal shelters, improvements at the West Valley Constituent Services Center, equipment for the Madrid Theater, commuter and shuttle transportation improvements, and additions of clerical staff to the Valley offices.

The Valley is also targeted to see 80 miles of streets resurfaced and 51,000 trees trimmed.