Weekly News Roundup – March 24, 2014

Gary Lee Moore Not Applying for Permanent Position as Port Director

Port of Los Angeles Interim Executive Director Gary Lee Moore announced last week that he will not be applying to fill the position permanently. Moore will return to his job as city engineer once a new port director is hired. He was appointed to temporarily take over the reigns in November after Dr. Geraldine Knatz announced her retirement after almost eight years as head of the port. Headhunting firm Ralph Andersen & Associates is leading a global search through mid-April to find Knatz’s replacement.

Sales Tax Increase Proposed to Fix Broken Streets and Sidewalks

In a report released last Tuesday, top city analysts recommended a half-cent sales tax increase to generate $4.5 billion in 15 years to help pay for the city’s backlog of badly needed street and sidewalk repairs. City Councilmen Joe Buscaino and Mitch Englander have spearheaded efforts to figure out how the city can fix its 8,700 lane miles of streets in D or F condition and 4,600 miles of broken sidewalks. A hearing on the proposal, which could appear on the November ballot, is being held on April 2.

Port Truck Drivers Win Settlement

Truck drivers transporting goods from the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach who are trying to unionize won a National Labor Relations Board settlement against a Carson-based trucking company last week. The board ruled that the truckers, who allege they were threatened by Pacific 9 Transportation, Inc. for trying to join the Teamsters, were misclassified as independent contractors.