good morning. Welcome to LA on the Record, City Hall’s newsletter. That’s Dakota Smith, assisted by David Zahniser.

(Also, sorry if it’s a little slow to arrive in your inbox. We’ve been following fire news during this devastating disaster.)

Tuesday’s Los Angeles City Council agenda included the usual variety of topics, including zoning changes, legal settlements, homelessness, and more.

Still, something was missing.

Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the council has allowed residents to comment by phone during public meetings, except for short breaks. of call-in instructions It was displayed prominently in bold at the top of the agenda and on the second page.

I didn’t see those instructions Tuesday’s agenda.

council chairman marquise harris dawson After the meeting, it was confirmed that the call-in option had been abolished. During the meeting, none of his colleagues objected.

Public comment during government meetings is an important feature of American democracy, giving residents an opportunity to weigh in on important issues of the day.

Even at City Hall, a small number of commenters regularly send out bigoted messages. City Council members are increasingly expressing their disgust at racist, sexist, homophobic and anti-Semitic comments, both in person and over the phone.

Harris-Dawson received feedback from her fellow city council members last year when she was seeking the city council president position. He said one thing that always comes up is the desire to spend more time on constituency issues.

One way to accomplish that is to shorten Congressional sessions.

After Tuesday’s meeting, which coincided with the Palisades fire, Harris-Dawson spoke briefly about the decision to eliminate call-in comments and said she hoped the Legislature would return to its pre-COVID-19 practices. .

“People who come to council can give public testimony,” he told the Times. “If you wish to testify without appearing in court, you are free to do so in writing or otherwise.”

When asked why he made the change, he replied: “We just wanted to get back to normal order. We wanted to pivot and give the city an opportunity to recover from this time and move forward into the future.”

Critics have criticized the fires, especially in light of the devastation and evacuations caused by fires that broke out across the region, flattening neighborhoods like the Pacific Palisades and Altadena and killing at least 13 people. He condemned the move.

Telephone options allow people who live in far-flung areas of the city or who are unable to travel to City Hall for meetings during the day to discuss issues large and small. , supporters said.

rob quanOrganizers with the good government group Unrig LA said the council should reconsider its decision and reinstate public comment by phone.

“It’s just generally worth it,” Quan said. “But in an emergency like this, nothing is more important.”

Eric PrebunThe City Council watchdog and regular on the City Council sent a stronger message, calling the changes “outrageous.”

“Marquise Harris Dawson is launching an all-out attack on public participation,” he said.

During the pandemic, city leaders also allowed comments by phone to City Council committee meetings. But that practice ended once in-person meetings resumed.

Last year, Unrig LA asked several candidates running for City Council where they stood on this issue. Member of Parliament Nitya Raman and Isabel Jurado Supported reinstatement of telephone comments at City Council committee meetings.

“Not all residents are able to directly participate in public comment,” Jurado, who won the seat in the Nov. 5 election, wrote in a response to Unrig LA. “We must make public comment more accessible and giving residents the option to participate remotely will ensure we provide broader access for residents to have their say.”

Member of Parliament Adolin Nazarianissued a similar message during his candidacy, urging Unrig LA to “ensure broad public participation, accessibility, and inclusivity in the Los Angeles City Council decision-making process by allowing remote public comment during committee meetings.” I advocate revival.” ”

State of play

— running dry: Crews fighting the Palisades fire faced major challenges after many fire hydrants stopped or slowed the flow of water due to huge demand. governor gavin newsome It called for an investigation of the fire hydrants and a decision to keep the Palisades’ reservoir, which holds 117 million gallons of water, shut down for maintenance this month.

— left in the dark: Power outages aimed at reducing the risk of further fires have left hundreds of thousands of people in the dark across the Southland region this week. More power outages are expected as stronger winds are expected next week.

— Unravel your budget: Mayor Karen Bass Fire department personnel cuts and overtime work have been criticized. But a Times analysis found that the agency’s overall budget will actually increase this year, thanks to a firefighter pay raise package approved in November.

— Fire Chief Media Blitz: fire chief Christine Crowley On Friday, she set out on a media tour that shocked the city by criticizing the city for its handling of fire department funds. Bass met with Crowley after Crowley told Fox11 the city had let her agency down. At one point, news outlets even reported that Crowley had been fired. In response, the fire department said the chief still has “full command of LAFD.”

— false alarm: The emergency alert system that issues evacuation warnings to Los Angeles County residents was like a train wreck this week, with false alarms blaring repeatedly on cellphones and causing further panic in an area already on the brink.

— Outside Africa: Bass was out of the country on a diplomatic mission in Ghana when the Palisades fire broke out and was on his way back to the United States as the fire spread and other fires broke out. real estate developer rick carusoopponents of the 2022 election said the buses should have been in the city during the state of emergency. Bass said he was in “constant contact” with public safety officials on his way home. She returned on Wednesday.

— Rising rent: Rent prices in the Los Angeles area are likely to rise following the eviction of thousands of homeowners and renters, experts say, while people rebuilding their homes face fierce competition for contractors. will face.

— I want a TVC: The City Council unanimously approved Hackman Capital Partners’ plan to expand and modernize the 25-acre Television City site near the Grove and Original Farmers Market. Both Mr. Caruso, who developed the Grove, and AF Gilmore, which owns the farmers market, worked with neighborhood groups to oppose the project. Critics say it is too large and will worsen traffic without changes.

quick hit

• Next week’s record: More Santa Ana winds. Stay safe!