The Los Angeles City Council approved a motion Friday that seeks to streamline and improve proceedings of nuisance properties.
Council members voted 10-0 in support of the matter. City departments involved in the administrative, enforcement and oversight of abatement proceedings, as regulated by the city's laws, will be expected to report back on ways to enhance the current system.
As part of the report back, city staff might consider consolidating abatement proceedings to one department or office rather than have multiple authorities involved in the matter. In addition, city staff will consider including the Administrative Citation Enforcement Program or Nuisance Abatement Program, or possibly incorporating the Vacant Building Ordinance, as part of their tools to address challenging properties.
Council members Bob Blumenfield, Kevin de Leon, John Lee, Paul Krekorian and Tim McOsker were absent during the vote.
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In February, a motion had been introduced by McOsker and Blumenfield with support from others council members.
Nuisance abatement-related enforcement has grown over time to include multiple layers of "disjointed departmental review and responsibility," according to the motion. The aim of this motion is to develop a "clear understanding" of which body has authority and involvement in nuisance abatement proceedings, which in turn can help the council legislate ways to restructure and streamline solutions to problematic properties.
"In practice, city departments and offices appear to lack clarity in governance when it comes to which entity has the authority to initiate or engage in proceedings, as well as alternative procedures for this process," the motion reads.
"Whether through the issuance of administrative nuisance abatement proceedings or by the declaration of a public nuisance by way of council authority, there are existing bureaucratic inefficiencies with how nuisance abatement is carried out across departmental engagement and sites across the city," the motion reads.
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