CRA DECENTRALIZING RECEIVES BOARD'S OK.Byline: James Nash Staff Writer A plan to jump-start redevelopment projects throughout Los Angeles, decentralizing de·cen·tral·ize v. de·cen·tral·ized, de·cen·tral·iz·ing, de·cen·tral·iz·es v.tr. 1. To distribute the administrative functions or powers of (a central authority) among several local authorities. the Community Redevelopment Agency, won the approval Thursday of the agency's board. By a 3-2 vote, the redevelopment agency board approved Chief Executive Robert ``Bud'' Ovrom's plan to decentralize the agency into seven zones, each tasked with rehabilitating blighted areas from Canoga Park to San Pedro. The agency has long been criticized for focusing on redevelopment in downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area. The sprawling, multi-centered megacity is such that its downtown core is often considered just another district like Hollywood or at the expense of outlying areas. A plan to transform an area of North Hollywood into an arts-oriented urban village languished for years and only now is beginning to take root. Ovrom's plan to decentralize the agency drew resistance from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) is the second- or third-largest labor union in the United States and one of the fastest-growing, representing over 1. , Council 36, which represents many CRA See Community Reinvestment Act. employees. Union officials said the plan could diminish coordination across the CRA. Ovrom said the union objected to his plan to exempt the seven regional administrators from union membership, which he said was key to making them accountable for progress in their areas. ``The biggest test is going to be getting projects completed,'' Ovrom said. ``The redevelopment agency for the last 10 years has frankly not gotten a lot of product out of the door.'' Ovrom said the plan, if approved by the City Council and Mayor James Hahn, would allow him to hire regional administrators for South Los Angeles South Los Angeles is the official name for a large geographic and cultural area lying to the southwest and southeast of downtown Los Angeles, California. The area was formerly called South Central Los Angeles, and is still sometimes called South Central. and East Los Angeles East Los Angeles, uninc. city (1990 pop. 126,379), Los Angeles co., S Calif., a residential suburb of Los Angeles, in an industrial area. It has a large Mexican-American population. There is a performing arts center and a cultural center. A junior college is there. . The City Council is expected to take up the plan in September. James Nash, (213) 978-0390 james.nash(at)dailynews.com |
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