PANEL OKS PLAN FOR COUNCILS; NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS BACKED.

Byline: Patrick McGreevy Daily News Staff Writer

A City Council panel tentatively agreed Wednesday to create 150 neighborhood councils throughout Los Angeles but grant them only advisory power.

The Government Efficiency Committee endorsed the concept of creating neighborhood councils without waiting for the two reform commissions to decide on whether to include them in a new city charter to be put before voters.

However, the committee delayed a final vote on its proposal until next month to work out several important details such as whether the panels will be selected by the community or appointed by City Council members. The full council would have to approve the plan.

``We are going to come up with something that can be implemented now,'' said Councilman Joel Wachs, the committee's chairman. ``The only thing the council can implement (without voter approval) is advisory. The (charter) commissions are free of course to go beyond that.''

Erwin Chemerinsky, who heads the elected Charter Reform Commission, said it is premature for the City Council to be acting on the neighborhood council issue when his commission hopes to have a more comprehensive proposal before voters in April or June 1999.

But he said it is good the council wants to decentralize city government.

``On the other hand, I'm concerned about creating another layer of government structure when so soon the voters are going to be considering a proposal for an overhaul of the government structure,'' he said.

Some charter reform commissioners have talked about creating neighborhood councils with decision-making power on planning and local budget issues.

Wachs and council members Mark Ridley-Thomas and Laura Chick said most other cities that have tried neighborhood councils have made them advisory.

Wachs and Chick said that the advisory councils could, after two years of operation, seek to increase their powers if they are dissatisfied with their advisory role.

``Nobody is saying it can't evolve into something else,'' Chick said. ``But you have to start somewhere and we think this is the best place to start.''

The panel tentatively agreed that on major issues affecting local areas, neighborhood councils would have a specific period of time to provide input before the City Council can act.

The council panel also tentatively agreed on a three-tiered system.

Wachs envisions about 150 to 200 identified neighborhoods which would each have a neighborhood council. Those councils in turn would send representatives into 15 to 35 community councils representing larger areas. Representatives of those groups would serve on a Citywide Neighborhood Council, which would provide input on citywide issues.