Council to finally take up arena plan-but behind close doors.

The L.A. City Council has scheduled a closed-door hearing this week to iron out the final sticking points in a deal to build a sports arena near the Convention Center, prompting a vow from Councilman Joel Wachs to force a public airing of the issues.

Negotiators for the city and for Los Angeles Kings owners Ed Roski Jr. and Philip Anschutz, who are proposing to build the 20,000-seat arena, have reached an agreement on 95 percent of the issues, according to a press release issued by Council President John Ferraro.

John Semcken, a negotiator for the developers, said last week that 10 deal points remain to be resolved, down from more than 55 a week earlier.

The council session has been scheduled to make a "determination" on the outstanding issues, according to Ferraro's statement.

Wachs, a critic of using taxpayer money to subsidize a new sports arena, said he will ask the council to hold the Dec. 4 public hearing. "If it is such a good deal, what is everybody afraid of?" Wachs asked rhetorically. If they don't open up the debate, Wachs added, "there may be people in the audience who will challenge it as a violation of the Brown Act."

The Brown Act is the state law that requires legislative bodies to meet in public when discussing most matters.

Gail Weingart, assistant city attorney, said that holding the Dec. 4 session in private is legal. She said that "you can go into closed session with your negotiator regarding the purchase, sale, exchange or lease of real property by or for the local agency."

Terry Francke, a Sacramento-based attorney who specializes in public-meeting law, noted that the only real estate issues that can legally be discussed in closed session are those directly related to price and terms of payment.

Semcken said all 10 unresolved points do relate to price and terms of payment, adding that all 10 points could be resolved before Dec. 4, thereby removing the need for a closed-door meeting.

The sports arena deal calls for the city to issue $70.5 million in bonds to purchase about 25 acres around the Convention Center. The city would then lease the land to the developers for $1 a year, paving the way for the developers to build the arena, and later, a hotel and entertainment complex on the land.

Weingart noted that the Council plans to hold a public hearing immediately prior to the closed session, at which time members of the public will be allowed to comment on the arena proposal.

Steve Soboroff, senior advisor to Mayor Richard Riordan, said the $70.5 million bond issue would be paid back through revenues generated by the arena.

"No taxpayer money will be used," he said. "Therefore, all 15 council people should go for it (the deal), and thank our lucky stars because we have the greatest transaction that has ever happened in downtown."