City Council Could Vote to Privatize Zoo

Who should run the Los Angeles Zoo in Griffith Park? That’s a question the City Council is expected to take up later Friday morning.

The vote will center on a proposal from City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana, which he says could save $20 million over five years.

It will ask the City Council to vote on whether the city should open bidding on management contracts from private companies and nonprofit organizations.

Under the proposed plan, the city would retain ownership of the zoo.

City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana says the shift would help the city deal with fiscal challenges.

LA Zoo Has Already Cut Staff

The Zoo has already cut staff from 270 to 228 over the last three years. Under the the proposed privatization, no current employees would lose their jobs.

All new hires would work for the private operator. Workers performing “non-zoo” functions like carpenters and plumbers would be shifted over to other city departments.

Current zoo employees--many of whom have worked there for years--worry the new managers will not understand the "culture" of the zoo.

The City Council is also expected  to ask analysts to explore if cost cuts and efficiency measures could keep the zoo in city hands.

According to the LA Times, the zoo proposal is part of a larger plan to turn some city functions over to private companies and nonprofits.

The City Council will also consider a proposal Friday to turn over a Mission Hills animal shelter to a private operator. The shelter is currently empty.