By Emily Alpert Reyes | Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has banned city planning commissioners from meeting or communicating privately with real estate developers whose plans they are vetting, following through on a pledge made last year
The mayor, who signed an executive directive Thursday to halt the practice, said it would enhance trust in the planning process. Critics have argued that such private meetings tilt city decisions toward politically connected developers
“We need to bring transparency and accountability to a process that, for too many, doesn’t feel like there’s enough,” Garcetti said. He signed the order two days after L.A. voters reelected him by a landslide and soundly rejected a controversial ballot measure that would have imposed new restrictions on development.
