Public Works Committee · Held

Los Angeles City Council Public Works Committee meeting, September 22, 2026

September 22, 2026, 2 p.m. · Updated October 10, 2026

From official records: On Sept. 22, 2026 the Los Angeles City Council's Public Works Committee approved an ordinance allowing rapid micro-trenching for telecom lines, a 30-day plan for a citywide vacant and nuisance property abatement program, and, as amended, cannabis license renewals for businesses behind on taxes. It again put off the Board of Public Works' Capital Infrastructure Program recommendations. The Council adopted the micro-trenching ordinance and the cannabis motion on Oct. 6, 2026, each 12-0, and the ceremonial signs motion on Oct. 9, 10-0; the two nuisance property motions go to the Planning and Land Use Management Committee on Oct. 13, 2026 (CF 26-1280).

As of October 10, 2026, outcomes for the September 22, 2026 meeting of the Public Works Committee of the Los Angeles City Council come from official records posted so far, such as council files, recorded votes and filed statements. Some results may be missing until the full minutes are posted and read.

Committee members, per the agenda: Eunisses Hernandez (chair), Imelda Padilla (vice chair) and Heather Hutt. The committee reports posted for items 3, 6 and 7 record Hernandez, Padilla and Hutt voting yes (report on CF 24-0041). No committee report was posted for items 4 and 5 as of Oct. 10, 2026 (CF 24-0196-S1, CF 26-1280). The Council adopted item 6, the ceremonial signs for the Madrid Theatre, Taxco Theatre and Canoga Park Youth Arts Center, on Oct. 9, 2026, 10-0, with Bob Blumenfield, Eunisses Hernandez, Tim McOsker, Curren D. Price Jr. and Katy Yaroslavsky absent (CF 26-1242, Oct. 9 meeting).

1. Board of Public Works’ ten recommendations for a citywide Capital Infrastructure Program

• What it does: The Board asks the Council to require a Capital Infrastructure Program that lists every capital project, funding source and maintenance need. Other recommendations include a stronger Capital Planning Steering Committee, authority for the Bureau of Engineering to create the program, project intake reform and scoring, priority for 2028 Games projects in the first program, and support for a Charter change creating a Director of Public Works (Board of Public Works report).
• Who brought it: Board of Public Works, report BPW-2026-241, dated May 19, 2026 (Board of Public Works report).
• Money: The Board reports no General Fund impact (Board of Public Works report).
• Neighborhood council positions: North Westwood filed a five-part statement on Sept. 21, 2026 that describes sidewalk conditions in its district (North Westwood CIS).
• What happened: Continued to a date to be determined, as it was on Sept. 8 (CF 26-0758).

2. Engineering report on capital project intake and guiding principles for the Capital Infrastructure Program

• What it does: A Bureau of Engineering report, dated July 9, 2026, on the Capital Project Intake Process and guiding principles for capital infrastructure (agenda).
• Who brought it: Motion by Katy Yaroslavsky, seconded by Eunisses Hernandez, dated July 1, 2025; the Council adopted a joint committee report on it Sept. 30, 2025, 13-0 (CF 25-0752).
• Neighborhood council positions: Statements on file from Historic Highland Park, Los Feliz and North Westwood, filed in 2025 (agenda).
• What happened: Continued to a date to be determined, as it was on Sept. 8 (CF 25-0752).

3. Ordinance allowing rapid micro-trenching for telecom lines, with the same street damage fee as micro-trenching

• What it does: Amends Municipal Code Sections 62.00 and 62.03 to allow rapid micro-trenching under City Engineer rules. The ordinance defines it as a milled path no more than 0.4 inches wide and 1.4 inches deep for telecommunication or other low-voltage lines, closed with a preformed seal (City Attorney report).
• Who brought it: Motion by John Lee, seconded by Imelda Padilla, dated Jan. 10, 2024; the Council adopted a Public Works Committee report on it March 27, 2026, 11-0 (CF 24-0041).
• Money: Users pay the same Street Damage Restoration Fee as for regular micro-trenching (City Attorney report).
• What happened: Approved, 3-0 (committee report).
• What’s next: The Council adopted it Oct. 6, 2026, 12-0, with Traci Park, Curren D. Price Jr. and Katy Yaroslavsky absent (Oct. 6 meeting). The City Clerk sent the ordinance to the Mayor on Oct. 7; the last day for the Mayor to act is Oct. 19, 2026 (CF 24-0041).

4. Release pending reports on streamlining nuisance abatement, fines and state law changes

• What it does: Asks the Chief Legislative Analyst and City Attorney to release all pending reports under CF 24-0196, including options to streamline nuisance abatement, a way to issue abatement orders for owners who are willing but unable to do the work, higher penalties for ignoring a Notice to Comply, and possible state law changes (motion).
• Who brought it: Tim McOsker, seconded by Adrin Nazarian (CF 24-0196-S1).
• What happened: Approved (CF 24-0196-S1).
• What’s next: The motion is also referred to the Planning and Land Use Management Committee, which scheduled it for Oct. 13, 2026 (CF 24-0196-S1).

5. Plan a citywide program to secure, clean, repair or demolish vacant and nuisance properties

• What it does: Tells Building and Safety, with Public Works, Fire, Police, Housing, the City Attorney and the Mayor’s Office, to report in 30 days on a Citywide Vacant and Public Nuisance Property Abatement Program, and on the number, location and status of priority properties by Council district with criteria for ranking them (motion).
• Who brought it: Adrin Nazarian, seconded by Tim McOsker and others (agenda).
• Money: The motion says Building and Safety counts more than 100 priority vacant nuisance buildings, and that the Mayor asked the Council to restore $2 million to clean and secure them (motion).
• Neighborhood council positions: For: North Hollywood Northeast, by a 10-0 vote with one abstention (CIS); Studio City, by an 11-0 board vote on Sept. 23, 2026 (CIS); and Empowerment Congress Central Area, by a 10-0 board vote on Sept. 28, 2026 (CIS). The last two were filed Oct. 7, after the committee acted.
• What happened: Approved (CF 26-1280).
• What’s next: The motion is also referred to the Planning and Land Use Management Committee, which scheduled it for Oct. 13, 2026 (CF 26-1280).

7. Renew 2027 cannabis licenses for tax amnesty-eligible businesses that apply on time and pay renewal fees

• What it does: Would renew calendar year 2027 licenses for licensees who would have been eligible for the City’s Cannabis Tax Amnesty Program, file complete applications on time and pay all renewal fees, whatever their tax delinquency status (agenda).
• Who brought it: Motion by Eunisses Hernandez for Imelda Padilla, seconded by Curren D. Price Jr., dated Sept. 15, 2026 (CF 26-1321).
• What happened: Approved as amended, 3-0. The committee report adds a request that the City Attorney draft an ordinance removing Municipal Code Section 104.12(c)(1), the tax requirement, for the September to November 2026 renewal period (committee report).
• What’s next: The Council adopted the committee report Oct. 6, 2026, 12-0, with Traci Park, Curren D. Price Jr. and Katy Yaroslavsky absent (Oct. 6 meeting). The file records the Council action as final on Oct. 7 (CF 26-1321).

Previous meeting: September 8, 2026 · Next meeting: October 13, 2026 · All meetings