Mayor Karen Bass and other LA officials visit Paris to prepare for 2028 Olympics

good morning. Welcome to LA on the Record. This is a newsletter about the comings and goings of the city government. David Wharton brings you the big-ticket items of the past week, with help from City Hall reporter David and his Zanizer.

Looking ahead to the 2028 Summer Olympics, Los Angeles may learn a thing or two from Paris.

The French capital, which will host the 2024 Games in July, is struggling with budget and security issues. Civil servants have threatened to go on strike, and the organizing committee's offices have been raided as part of a corruption investigation.

According to a recent opinion poll, 44% of residents think hosting the Olympics is a “bad thing.”

In light of this situation, the mayor Karen Bass And this week, several City Council members traveled to Paris to see firsthand the hurdles LA may face.

“If someone has done it before me, I'd like to know what they learned,” Bass said. “Advantages and Disadvantages”

Funding is always important, given that previous host cities are heavily in debt. Due to inflation and other factors, the price tag for Paris, including the cost of building and renovating the venue, is reported to reach $10 billion.

Los Angeles plans to save on construction costs by using existing venues, but the Olympic budget has already increased by $700 million to an estimated $6.9 billion. The private LA28 organizing committee has vowed to generate enough revenue to pay all costs. If they can't do that, city and state lawmakers will have to fill the gap with taxpayer dollars.

“Of course I'm concerned,” Bass said.

Also accompanied by city council members Paul Krekorian, tracy park and Katie YaroslavskyBass meets with the mayor of Paris Ann Hidalgo The purpose was to find out how French authorities have tried to ensure that the Olympics do not become a financial burden.

LA28 claims to maintain a lean operation, but in terms of revenue, it has only achieved about $1 billion of its stated $2.5 billion sponsorship goal. It's been several years since major deals were announced with Nike, Deloitte, and Delta Air Lines.

Organizers remain confident, claiming they have already secured 65% of the total funding needed.

“We track the four-and-a-half years before the Games better than any other organizing committee,” he said. Danny Kobrin, LA28's chief operating officer added that several major sponsorship deals will be signed in the next month or so.

Security costs can reach up to $2 billion, posing another budgetary challenge. Paris will receive support from the federal government, and LA and local organizers plan to copy the strategy.

The Department of Homeland Security is expected to take the lead in guarding against terrorist attacks by classifying the 2028 Games as a “national special security event.” This week, U.S. officials announced $139 million in funding to improve mobility and support transportation during the Olympics.

But perhaps the most important part of the L.A. contingent's three-day stay in Paris focused on homelessness.

Activists in both cities complain that efforts to address the issue are failing, and fear that authorities will simply push homeless residents farther away during the three weeks of the Games. have expressed concerns.

Bass, who visited a women's shelter in Paris, admitted she was worried that in 2028, television coverage would switch from sporting events to footage of tents lining nearby streets. She echoes her sentiments that Olympic officials have expressed over the years, and she hopes the Olympics will act as a catalyst.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass attends an International Women's Day event at Paris City Hall on March 8, 2024.

(Louis Joly/Associated Press)

“The world will be here,” Bass said. “I guess we don't want the world to see what we're seeing now.”

Back in Southern California, Park credited the trip with giving the city council a “new sense of purpose and direction.” A few months later, when Paris symbolically hands over the Olympic flag at the closing ceremony, the clock will begin ticking towards his 2028.

Hidalgo warned LA to use its time wisely.

“We need to act like the Olympics are going to happen in 2027,” Bass recalled his opponent saying. “Then you'll have a year to figure out what passes through the cracks.”

State of play

— Rahman Larry: Let's start with the election results: City Council members Nitya Raman This week, he narrowly avoided a runoff election on November 5th, securing just over 50% of the vote and winning re-election outright. She did so even though she was a deputy city attorney. ethan weaverOne of her opponents was supported by $1.35 million in outside spending from police and fire unions, landlords and others. Raman's second term begins in December.

— fight for 14th: Tenant Rights Lawyer Isabel Jurado He emerged in first place in the race for the 14th Congressional District on the East Side.She is now headed for a runoff with embattled lawmakers. kevin de leon. Jurado received support not only from progressives like City Council members, but also from a range of left-wing groups, including Ground Game LA and the Los Angeles Democratic Socialists of America. Eunice Hernandez.

— Burgos is feeling better: Eastern San Fernando Valley Business Owner Jillian Burgos There will be a run-off election with the first-place candidate. Adolin Nazariana former member of parliament and a former aide to the speaker of parliament. Paul Krekorian People who are resigning this year.Like Jurado, Burgos was supported by figures on the far left of the political spectrum, including City Commissioner Hernandez Kenneth Mejia and former mayoral candidate gina viola.

— Hat VS. Yu: In the 10th Council District, which runs from Koreatown to the Crenshaw Corridor, members heather hat Plans to participate in run-off election with lawyers grace yu.

— Metro Money: Bass announced this week that two major metro projects will be funded for a total of $709.9 million. The money will go towards the agency's subway extension to the Westside and construction of new light rail in the San Fernando Valley.

— Punish the police: Los Angeles city authorities are considering reviewing the police department's disciplinary procedures, saying it is difficult to weed out bad officers under the current system. Last year, of the 27 cases in which police chiefs asked for officers to be fired, 11 received minor disciplinary action. He was acquitted of police misconduct in two other cases.

– Second time: former vice mayor raymond chan went on trial for a second time this week on racketeering, bribery and other charges.The case is part of a larger investigation that led to the conviction of a former City Council member Jose Huizar last year. The first case against Chan ended in a mistrial because his lawyer was hospitalized.

– take out the garbage: City is adding 90 trash cans to Westlake and Pico Union City Council sections Eunice Hernandezs This is part of a larger effort to reduce the amount of trash littering neighborhoods. Hernandez said the initiative will also help raise awareness about the city's 3-1-1 hotline. The hotline can be used to collect furniture, mattresses and other “bulky items” left on curbs or sidewalks.

— Sewill Approval: Ann Seawill, LA's general manager of housing, announced this week that he will step down at the end of July. In her resignation letter, Sewill said she had been “on intermittent leave” for six months while dealing with “health issues.” “Thankfully, my prognosis is very good,” she said in her letter.

— Funding for Fracas: State lawmakers learn the Federal Emergency Management Agency may not reimburse cities and counties for an estimated $300 million in costs of housing homeless residents in hotel rooms during the coronavirus pandemic. I'm looking for answers. The city of Los Angeles, which spent millions on its Project Roomkey program to house homeless Angelenos, is at risk of losing an estimated $60 million.

— Are you ready for robotaxis? A fleet of Waymo robotaxis will soon be in business in LA, creating a new element of unpredictability on city streets. (For now, Waymo doesn't take you to the freeways.) The LA Times' Rachel Uranga and Allen J. Scherben took a ride in a Waymo taxi for a sometimes unnerving experience.

— Cool for Cuts: Nominated by Mayor Bass Richard KatzA veteran of Los Angeles politics, he will serve on the Water and Power Commission, which oversees the Department of Water and Power. Katz, a former state representative, was a member of the city's 2021 redistricting commission and served a long time on the board that oversees Metro.

— Bye-bye, B’nai B’rith: The City Council voted to authorize the demolition of a 100-year-old building in Los Angeles' Westlake neighborhood, a Jewish landmark and known as the center of the city's labor organizations. The vote was a victory for Catholic Charities, which purchased the building, historically known as B'nai B'rith Lodge, in 2018. The group said the building was “structurally unsound” and could pose a safety threat to the neighborhood.

quick hit

• Where is Inside Safe? The mayor's program to combat homelessness was implemented in South Los Angeles neighborhoods represented by City Council members. Current price — the fourth surgery performed in his district. About 10 people were moved indoors at the corner of Avalon Boulevard and Vernon Street, Price's office said.

• On next week's calendar: Bass is scheduled to appear Monday for the latest federal court hearing regarding a legal settlement between the city of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Human Rights Alliance regarding homeless assistance. The judge in the case said last week that he wants an audit of the city's anti-homelessness programs, including Inside Safe.