City Council met to discuss a $73 million transfer from the DWP

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The City Council met today to discuss a $73 million transfer from the Department of Water and Power to the General Public Fund. The City Council was hoping the DWP would bring good news to today's meeting. Yet, Brandon Marcus reports, the meeting was less about progress and more about chaos.
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Department of Water and Power to the general public fund. The city council was hoping the DWP would bring good news to today's meeting, but instead, it became a game of chicken between the two parties.

The situation at today's meeting was put best by Councilman Bill Rosendahl when he said, "I feel like the wild, wild west right now."

Today’s meeting was absolutely wild as the city council and DWP went back and forth all morning as to whether the DWP has the money to give to the city.

The council was counting on the excess money from the DWP to be put into the city's general fund. However, that was shut down pretty quickly. "We can't transfer money on the basis of having a surplus when we are running a deficit," said DWP Interim General Manager, David Friedman.

Friedman made his case by saying the rates customers pay need to increase in order for the DWP to have any sort of excess money. This point was met by criticism. "Transfer, schmanzfer. The transfer is bogus," said Councilman Richard Alarcon.

The feeling of deceit was felt by the whole city council. "Something fishy is going on here…you could come to us and say we can only do 43. I don't believe that, but that would be logical. But, to say you can’t do anything now because we are at 30 less defies logic," said City Council President Eric Garcetti.

Friedman continued to insist DWP has nothing to give to the city, so it seems like this game of chicken is going to continue at least until next week's meeting.