The City of Los Angeles is currently in discussions about a plan to repair your sidewalk and who should bear the cost of sidewalk repair. Should it be the City, the property owner or both? The purpose of the ECSWANDC Sidewalk Summit is to bring together local stakeholders with City of Los Angeles officials, nonprofits and private contractors for a discussion of the sidewalk policies that are being discussed at City Hall and to answer questions about tree root removal, tree removal and sidewalk repair.

It’s not just the sidewalk in front or on the side of your home. City officials estimate that 4,600 miles (40%) of the 10,750 miles of sidewalks in Los Angeles need repair, at a cost of $1.5 billion dollars. However, there is information which indicates that only 600 miles (5.6%) of these sidewalks have been damaged by trees. In 1974, the City assumed the responsibility to maintain tree damaged sidewalks. This overrode a 1911 State law that charged the property owners with the responsibility of maintaining their sidewalks. Unfortunately, the City failed to maintain the sidewalks because of the lack of funding. Policy initiatives currently being considered would place some, if not all of the burden of repairing sidewalks back on the property owner.

The Empowerment Congress Southwest Area Neighborhood Development Council would like to know what you think. Please participate in our survey so that we may gauge what stakeholders what to see the City do about tree damaged sidewalks. Then join us on November 22, 2014 and listen as officials discuss the process and the policy of sidewalk repair.

The discussion panel will include representatives from Public Works, the Bureau of Street Services, Urban Forestry Division, Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative (LANI), Empowerment Congress Southwest NC, and Council District 8 (tentative).

Date: Saturday, November 22, 2014
Time: 9:00am – 12:00pm
Location: PUENTE Learning Center, Mark Ridley-Thomas Auditorium
10000 S Western Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90047