CONVENTION CENTER PANEL PICKS PANNED HAHN NAMES NONRESIDENTS.

Byline: Mariel Garza Staff Writer

Four of the six people recently appointed by Mayor James Hahn to a committee overseeing the Los Angeles Convention Center live outside the city, and critics are asking why.

Last week, the City Council confirmed the mayor's choices for the Los Angeles Convention and Exhibition Center Authority.

``I have a hard time believing the mayor can't find four qualified commissioners from the city that are residents of the city, taxpayers in the city, and interested in the best interests of the city,'' said Richard Katz, a former state assemblyman and leader of the pro-secession Valley Independence Committee. ``This is not a knock on the people appointed because I don't know them, but I'd think there's more than enough qualified people in the city.''

The 15-person board is a joint city-county panel that requires its members to live in Los Angeles County. The Board of Supervisors names five people to the panel and the mayor appoints 10.

The mayor's appointees who live outside Los Angeles are Sergio Rascon of the city of San Fernando, Sheldon Lytton of Calabasas, Barry Glaser of Topanga and Major Alan Langer from Rolling Hills. Two other new members appointed last week - George Luk and Clarence Daniels Jr. - are city residents.

Hahn spokeswoman Julie Wong said this commission is different than others because it has a countywide scope and the requirement for members is that they live in the county. Hahn was looking for the best candidates, she said.

``Certainly, the mayor wants to find people he thought were qualified,'' Wong said. As an example, she pointed to Rascon, who lives in the San Fernando Valley and is the business manager of a local labor union for construction workers.

``He represents thousands of laborers in the city, many who live in the Valley,'' Wong said.

Otherwise, she said, the mayor generally seeks out city residents to name to city boards such as the fire and police commissions.

The convention authority was created to develop, finance and construct the L.A. Convention Center as part of a joint agreement between the city and county.