Help Needed: Tuesday FULL City Council to go into closed session to discuss 901 Strada Vecchia
Here is an opportunity to voice our outrage and to help our neighbors, the Bedrosians and the Horaceks, with the City Council. Here are the details:
The full City Council is scheduled to go into closed session to discuss the 901 Strada Vecchia litigation on Tuesday, August 18, 2020. The meeting is at 10 am and we are Item No. 32 (the last item on the agenda). This is an opportunity for the Bel-Air residents to speak up and address the full City Council.
Members of the public who wish to offer public comment to the Council should call 1 669 254 5252 and use Meeting ID No. 160 535 8466 and then press #. Press # again when prompted for participant ID. Once admitted into the meeting, press *9 to request to speak.
To view the City Council Meeting agenda for Tuesday, August 18, 2020, link here.
Here are some of the issues that need to come to the attention fo the City Council. Feel free to use these as a guide or, better yet, use your own words!
Simply here to demand accountability. At every turn, this City has completely failed to hold Mohamed Hadid accountable for his actions despite the fact that City officials, having taken bribes, are complicit. The Board of Building and Safety Commissioners long ago ordered Hadid to tear down this illegal and dangerous monstrosity, yet the City has done nothing to enforce the order.
In fact, we were all shocked that the City Attorney agreed to let Mohamed Hadid’s probation expire despite Hadid’s failure to comply with the criminal court’s demolition order. That means that the City is now officially doing NOTHING to have this house demolished. We will hold the City Attorney and this Council accountable if nothing is done.
If anything, the City is enabling Hadid by fighting the litigation that has been filed by the neighbors. Instead of paying the neighbors’ litigation – since the neighbors are doing the City’s job here – we were appalled to learn that the City Attorney filed an anti-SLAPP case against the neighbors seeking attorneys fees from the neighbors! Can you believe that? Your officials take bribes, jeopardize the life of your constituents, and then you seek to intimidate those constituents for speaking up? Truly shocking.
The City’s criminal prosecution of Hadid in all of this was nothing but a slap on the wrist for Hadid. We are not fooled. It was the neighbors’ lawsuit that resulted in an order requiring the house to be demolished, but now that order is in jeopardy because Hadid’s failure to pay property taxes on this property has made it incredibly difficult for the receiver to finance the demolition costs. The City’s settlement in this case should involve funds for demolition of the home.
The City has the authority to declare Hadid’s illegal construction a nuisance and have it demolished. We are sick of hearing that the City can’t do anything. Look at what the neighbors have accomplished without the City’s help.
Make no mistake about it – this house poses a real risk of catastrophic injury or loss of life if there is an earthquake. And the City will be liable if that ever happens because the City’s acceptance of bribes is not protected conduct from which the City is immune.
Image from CityWatch LA