First Community Congress of 2008 a success

Councilmember LaBonge and DWP General Manager & CEO H. David Nahai listen to the concerns of CD4 residents at the first Community Congress of 2008.

Councilmember LaBonge hosted his first Community Congresses of 2008 on Wednesday, February 27th. It was his latest in a series of meetings designed to bring city departments to the public.

“Information is knowledge is power,” Councilmember LaBonge said in welcoming about 50 CD4 residents to the event, held at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s (DWP’s) John Ferrarro building on Hope Street downtown.

The featured speaker was the DWP’s new General Manager and CEO David Nahai. Mr. Nahai discussed the proposed DWP rate hike, the bromide/bromate mitigation in two city reservoirs and other issues.

Mr. LaBonge said he would scrutinize the rate hike plan before voting. However, he supports the rate hike to provide much needed infrastructure maintenance and improvements. The City Council scheduled to consider the DWP rate hike in mid-March.

Mr. Nahai said the rate increase would cover upgrades to the aging electrical grid, including permanent repairs to circuits that have relied on temporary wiring that is sometimes strung in trees and through manhole covers to orange DWP “hog wagons.”

The proposed rate hike would also cover the cost of training programs for skilled workers and capital improvements, Nahai said.