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ERIC PREVEN'S NOTEBOOK - At Paul Krekorian's farewell party as council president, colleagues lavished him with praise, highlighting his role as the "stand-in" for Nury Martinez when she stepped away during the pandemic following the release of racist remarks caught on tape. Everyone agreed that Krekorian had expertly managed the "cover-up" of the city's deeper issues. The celebration began with a jubilant video presentation.
Your City Hall with Councilmember Paul Krekorian
Councilmember Paul Krekorian of CD 2 takes us on a tour of Los Angeles City Hall.
Councilmembers were quick to commend Matt Hale, one of Krekorian's staffers who is still lurking around LADWP or the mayor's office, for his thorough budget briefings and early outreach efforts that helped prepare new members. Despite the chaos Krekorian inherited, they lauded his ability to navigate the turmoil with grace and collaboration. Naturally, his role in creating the very mess he was praised for diligently cleaning up was left unspoken. There were no references to PriceWaterhouse, Huizar or Englander, though a man wearing Groucho glasses was about Englander's height. [Englander ht. = Wesson ht.]
Colleagues reflected on Krekorian’s ability to revamp the council's approach to city business, praising his transparency, fairness, and the personal touch he brought to his role—described as a "father figure" and someone who made an open-door policy a reality. What wasn’t mentioned was his innovative cleansing methods and closed-door policy. During his tenure, Krekorian effectively silenced city council committee meetings by restricting public comments to in-person speakers only. This sweeping ban on virtual testimony may be his crowning achievement and most successful attack on the public.
Matt Hale, City Hall's best-boy now a grown man, in a purple tie.
The council also noted Krekorian's skill in managing sensitive issues, such as the Olympics, with expertise and sensitivity. While emotional moments were few, Heather Hutt's (CD10) tears were particularly notable. He made sure to include her, no questions asked.
It's not fair to say that there wasn't a dry eye in the house, but Herb J. Wesson [still not indicted} showed up to flip off some public commenters.
Several city council colleagues begged Krekorian to take them on his famous self-promotional history tour of city hall.
Next Item:
As Paul Krekorian steps down, the role of docent-in-chief at City Hall awaits him. Here, he’ll guide visitors through city hall, regaling them with tales of drama, ongoing investigations, and bureaucratic theater. Picture him, ever the fussy schoolmaster, leading guests through Conflict of Interest Corner, just outside the mayor’s office, where his obsession with the Olympics took hold—though the taxpayer cost will remain unmentioned.
There's the stately forecourt where Herb Wesson and Mitch Englander chain-smoked and Mayor Garcetti danced the hora.
Of course, the landmark Preven v. City Hall legal matter, in which the city's beloved critic, pantsed the city council and attorney in broad daylight, won’t be on Krekorian's tour. [No word if an Early Negotiating Agreement for a rival tour has been progressing.]
Disgraced Kevin Deleon did the Spanish language translation for his honored guest, Governor-Elect Alejandro Armenta Meir of Pueblo Mexico.
Similarly, the infamous locked doors that Governor-Elect Meir referenced... are still locked.
But don’t expect Krekorian to dwell on decades of employees bypassing metal detectors or the Police Department’s “gentle” intimidation desk in the City Attorneys office.
Krekorian will, however, enthusiastically share sanitized stories from Ethics Corner, conveniently located beneath the Ethics Commission (high up, out of reach). The city attorney’s missing handwritten complaints and failure to help Spanish-speaking residents will be stories for another time—likely after lunch when the crayons come out to sketch the next big distraction.
"This is where Paul Koretz used to go off his diet under Jeff Ebenstein's leadership..."
Krekorian's tour nods to the colorful characters who graced (and disgraced) City Hall but conveniently omits how deeply he profited alongside them. Krekorian understood the secret: it’s perfectly fine to be wrong on the rules as long as you genuinely believe you’re right—and loudly admonish anyone who disagrees, no matter how bonkers your interpretation is.
"Get him out of my chambers!" still echoes in the halls… and now, onto the gift shop.
Paul Krekorian stands in front of a PFAS field in the Valley that Bob Blumenfield (CD3) wants to affix his name to.
County Lord of Supervisors:
Sup. Lindsey Horvath, chair: Thank you very much. We now have one speaker in the queue. Moderator, please go ahead.
Moderator: Our first participant is Mr. Eric Preven. You may begin.
Smart Speaker: Yeah, I'm upset because I've been in the queue for each of the first three items, including the fire department one, which was so important because our brave first responders have done such a good job during these fire times. And I know that a lot of them are also against a CEO that's elected and the insane power play by Lindsey P. Horvath--
Sup. Lindsey P. Horvath: This item is on short-term rental amendments before us. If you could focus your comments on that item, since this is a public hearing.
Smart Speaker: There's a short-term attention problem on the Airbnb stuff. And your transcripts are handing your weird comments to Holly J. Mitchell, which seems wrong and inaccurate. By pretending we're not here, when we are here, and incidentally, Airbnb has done a great job in the community. I know you remember David Ryu and his sidekick Estevan Montemayor who is now your chief of staff, and you're both doing a good job of holding off public criticism during this important time in America... for Airbnb. So thank you, Lindsey, for doing such a great job, but honestly, you should play by the rules that's what the people expect. That would be more appropriate. Winning is okay, but you have to be fair. Thank you.
Moderator: First remote speaker, please.
Moderator: Our first participant is Eric Preven. Your line is open. If you're muted, please unmute and speak directly into the phone. You may begin.
Smart Speaker: Thank you, what a miracle. I'm glad there's not a waitlist, and I'm glad that we are asking questions about how these services are being provided to the Transition Aged Youth TAY, if at all. It's a very hard story, and I heard clearly that our big dream is to own properties where we can stick the people in the housing, and not have to deal with the [bleep] vouchers. Good luck, but where are we getting the money for the properties? From all the money we are going to save bulking up on more Supervisors?
I saw a KCAL report about a foster mother who’s cared for over 150 children in 22 years, currently fostering two teenage boys through Aviva Family and Children's Services. California requires foster family agencies (FFAs) to have liability insurance, but NIAC, which covered 90%, is no longer renewing policies. Without insurance, FFAs will close, putting foster kids at risk of being sent back to group homes. FFAs are now pleading with legislators for a solution. Are the supervisors addressing this before heading off to lunch?
Moderator: Next speaker, please. Our next participant is Eric Preven. Please go ahead.
Smart Speaker: I've had to call back. Is this the general public comment?
Sup. Lindsey Horvath, Chair: No, this is set matter 1 on people experiencing homelessness, substance use, and mental health.
Smart Speaker: Right, I was listening. Okay, so, wow. What an exhaustive discussion, and I take note that Holly Mitchell said she really enjoyed it. I find it painful because though I do appreciate everybody's desire to try to make an impact, all of the desperation for additional resources... What can I say? It's not clear that pouring more resources that we're desperately trying to muster, into the same system that is—I don't want to say defective, because it's rife with major challenges. And some of that is not your fault, of course, but I just feel like it's like we need a different philosophy than cobbling together all these weird funding sources and confusing partnerships. Maybe we need a zone defense instead of human-to-human approach?
Moderator: Our next participant is Eric Preven. Please make sure your phone is unmuted and speak directly into it. You may begin.
Smart Speaker: How much time do I have for all the items and a general public comment?
Sup. Lindsey Horvath, Chair: One minute.
Smart Speaker: Oh, that's awfully tight. That's disappointing. Well, all right, then I'll make it brief. I appreciated the declaration of emergency discussion. I'd like to add to the scope: let's declare an emergency at Studio City Rec Center, Lindsey P. Horvath, and let's notify the MRCA and all of the local environmental groups about what's going on there. Also, I'd like to talk about prior agreements.
There's no water available for the residents and their animals at the park in Studio City. They said the unwanted project would take two years, but we need to drink water, even if we've begun tearing down trees and destroying the park. Hydration is key.
And we get it, Lindsey Horvath wants to go along to get along with an insidious Krekorian plan with an assist from Brad Sherman. We know how ambitious the chair is. This may be why she hasn't said a word or lifted a finger about the Harvard Westlake complex fiasco in our other last remaining open space.
Seriously, how you can live with yourself knowing that on your watch, a very special community had all its open space and culture commandeered for dozens of high school regulation basketball courts... brilliantly devised by Coro foundation geniuses like Areen and Senator Padilla and Ari Engelberg... let me hear you say, yuck. "Yuck."
Moderator: Thank you. Your time has expired. Next speaker, please.
Wednesday: Flush It Down
Smart Speaker: It's Eric Preven I'd like to provide a general public comment and a comment on the item, the Katy Yaroslavsky LAPD funding. My general will be about --.
Jonathan Groat, Deputy City Attorney became emotional when Paul Krekorian mentioned his name briefly. Proud papa Stefan Fauble looks on with satisfaction.
Jonathan Groat, Deputy City Attorney: Okay so you have one minute for the item and one minute for general.
Smart Speaker: Right, I was saying that my general comment will be about the most shameful city council ever discovered. Okay back to Katy. Katy Yaroslavsky (CD5), I think Mr. Quan adequately described what's going on here. There are some reactionary groups in her district that she has to calm down, so she's funding discretionary LAPD overtime like Staffer B John Lee does three times a week. $200 thousand, plus. Yeah, whatever. I mean, you get what you pay for in this city, and I agree it's really kind of sad.
And by the way, Estevan Montemayor who used to ride with David Ryu, the only City council member to overtly support Harvard Westlakes variouys incursions, pre-pandemic, has turned out to be a real piece of work (read: shit). He and his boss Lindsey Horvath spend a huge amount of time trumpeting their efforts on climate, equity first, care second, and youth probation atrocities will be continued to October 1...
All of this while ignoring the boots on the ground local residents in Studio City. These people are political operators not actual leaders.
Where are they when the Private Equity train rolls down Ventura Boulevard?
I'll tell you where: hands out, lining up to harvest more private investment to launch more board offices at zero cost to the public. Pfffft.
And now at the beloved Studio City Recreation Center Park, after years of diligent quiet work by Coro Foundation level criminals and a spectacular faux outreach campaign, including dirty tricks and Bureau of Engineering collusion, they're foisting yet another unwanted high school regulation basketball court into our open space. Why? Ask Mark Pestrella.
Because they have taken a $3 million dollar modernization project approved by voters and by bureaucratic shenanigan expanded the budget to over $30 million dollars, hats off to Brad Sherman, who ought to resign if he's so checked out that he thinks putting federal money into a huge campus to benefit BOE... It's a frickin heist. And a lot of that money comes from the failed Prop K projects in poorer parts of the city... Mr. Harris-Dawson. Shame on you, sir. We showed you and you did nothing. You said you couldn't keep track of all your developer donations. Yuck, yuck, yuck.
And we ought to take a close look at Sherman's chief of staff too. And, Solomon Rivera, Harris Dawson's former jefe, shimmied right over to the Mayor Bass's office to carry the torch of helping... LA28.
The Chiefs of Staff are like a really good rock band. But today we recognize Krekorian for his role in the decimation of Studio City's culture and open space. By the way, sir, we will never get the open space back.
It is not for me to judge if you were a terrible Council President or the worst or least bad in history.
Herb Wesson set the bar very low. In fact, when all the indictments are complete, Nury Martinez will be the council president who Angelenos remember best. She will be remembered for being the only one who at least had the balls to... step down.
Paul Krekorian, CD2, chair: Your time has expired, thank you very much.
Smart Speaker: Ditto.
(Eric Preven is a longtime community activist and is a contributor to CityWatch.)
