Council Finance Committee to Decide on Adding to City Budget

The City Finance Committee on Thursday will consider amending the city’s operating budget to add funding that could be used by the city’s library system and its Housing, Health, and Police departments.

“Throughout the fiscal year, budget amendments are necessary to account for unanticipated changes to the adopted budget. These revenue and appropriation amendments are presented to the City Council for consideration,” according to a city staff report.

In the Housing Department, city staff is recommending the utilization of two grants totaling $1.8 million for housing, community development, and homeless prevention activities.

Staff is recommending the department use $676,595 for the Rental Assistance Programs Fund. The funds were awarded under the CARES Act to support coronavirus-related activities specific to the federal Housing Choice Voucher Program.

Funds from three additional grants totaling $410,403 would be used to hire four full-time employees in the city’s Public Health Department. The department would spend $115,000 on disaster mental health planning and training to ensure mental health services in the event of terrorist attacks.

In addition, $258,995 would be used to fund outreach and enrollment of owners and tenants in a lead remediation program for residential structures built before 1951 that are home to children under 6, pregnant women, or properties frequently visited by pregnant women. An additional $36,408 would be spent to address immunization and control and fund temporary city personnel.

Two grants to the Police Department totaling $345,000 would be appropriated to the general fund for DUI checkpoints, bicycle safety programs, and other law enforcement programs. A $12,000 Los Angeles County Real Estate Fraud Prosecution grant would be used to investigate fraud and real estate fraud cases.