City Announces from Highland Park $1.5M Plan to Fix Sidewalks, Graffiti

Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar announced a $1.5 million plan Tuesday to spruce up his district by fixing sidewalks, cleaning up illegal dumps and painting over graffiti, as well as tackling other quality of life issues.

The Clean Communities initiative, which includes a $250,000 for street repairs approved earlier this month, is expected to receive more funding to buy for video cameras for catching polluters, trimming trees, removing graffiti and community clean-up crews in Huizar's downtown and Eastside 14th Council District.

The district also will get a "roving truck" to pick up bulky items.

Huizar said $500,000 from a discretionary will be used to pay for the services.

Huizar said cleaning up the area would help show off other improvements - - parks, bike lanes, crosswalks and corrals -- along Broadway and other major streets.

"That work continues, but I also want to re-focus time and energy on improving quality-of-life services cut back due to city budget cuts," he said. "The Clean Communities Initiative will allow us to do that."

Huizar made the announcement today as crews poured a new section of sidewalk outside the Highland Park Senior Center.

He said the effort would result in increased maintenance along commercial corridors; the monthly installation of dumpsters for getting rid of bulky items; putting 100 public trash cans along sidewalks, planting about 200 trees and monthly community clean-ups.

—City News Service