COUNCIL THREATENS TO TAKE OVER CRA.

Byline: Rick Orlov Staff Writer

Eight years after Los Angeles voters approved a tough ethics law, the City Council on Wednesday threatened to take over the city's troubled Community Redevelopment Agency unless it puts itself under the same code.

In its 12-0 vote, the council said the CRA - which is legally a state-governed agency - should finally act to place itself under the jurisdiction of the city Ethics Commission and its guidelines covering business dealings and gifts by its workers.

``If there ever was an agency that needed an ethics law to cover it, it is the city Community Redevelopment Agency,'' Councilman Joel Wachs said. ``Billions of dollars go through its hands involving contracts and land purchases.

``It is about time the CRA agreed to adopt the city's ethics laws, and all of the excuses in the world are not going to be satisfactory.''

CRA Acting Administrator Jerry Scharlin said he agreed with the council and hoped to have the commission agree to abide by the city's ethics regulations by mid-February.

But Councilman Mike Hernandez said he remained skeptical the CRA would agree to the plan.

``I have been there for eight years and seen this (redevelopment) commission time and again refuse to adopt this as we asked them to when voters first approved the Ethics Commission,'' Hernandez said.

``I say, if they don't adopt this, then this council look at taking over jurisdiction of the CRA.''

Councilwoman Laura Chick said she was distressed at the CRA's refusal to follow the ethics laws for so long.

``This step is long overdue,'' Chick said. ``It's a black mark for the city of Los Angeles to have a model ethics ordinance and having it ignored by this agency.''

The CRA long has been a lightening rod of criticism, which escalated recently when City Controller Rick Tuttle issued an audit and asked for a criminal investigation of whether the agency overpaid for the acquisition of property in Hollywood.

Tuttle said the agency paid $1.46 million for property which was valued at $795,000.

Scharlin had asked for the Tuttle audit after he had hired a private investigator to look into allegations of wrongdoing within the agency.