16. Trying To Keep “Mom And Pop” Afloat

Recommendations 6

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  Probation officers who go out in the field to supervise probationers are not normally provided laptop computers or tablets to take with them. Notes are handwritten and entered into a computer later in the office. Also, without a laptop or tablet the probation officer going into the field cannot check for other probationers and any potential criminal activity in the area.
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  A probation officer dealing with Realignment Act probationers may share an office computer with another probation officer.
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  The cell phones issued by the Probation Department require a ten digit code to be entered before use, even to dial 911.
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  Sufficient office space and desks are not available for probation officers dealing with Realignment Act probationers. V. RECOMMENDATIONS 15.1. Los Angeles County and Los Angeles County Probation Department should ensure that laptop computers or tablets are available to probation officers going into the field. 15.2. Los Angeles County and Los Angeles County Probation Department should ensure that probation officers dealing with California Public Safety Realignment Act of 2011 probationers not have to share an office computer with another officer. 15.3. Los Angeles County and Los Angeles County Probation Department should issue cell phones to probation officers should allow dialing 911 without a ten digit code being entered first. 2015-2016 LOS ANGELES COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT 303 15.4. Los Angeles County and Los Angeles County Probation Department should initiate as study to determine the cost and availability of software that is available or could be developed that would allow probation officers to access both juvenile and adult probationers as well as communicate with other county and state agencies. VI. REQUEST FOR RESPONSE California Penal Code Sections 933(c) and 933.05 require a written response to all recommendations contained in this report. Such responses to recommendations shall be made no later than ninety (90) days after the Civil Grand Jury publishes its report (files it with the Clerk of the Court). Responses shall be made in accord with Penal Code, Sections 933.05(a) and (b). All responses to the recommendations of the 2015-2016 CGJ must be submitted on or before September 30, 2016, to: Presiding Judge Los Angeles County Superior Court Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center 210 West Temple Street Eleventh Floor-Room 11-506 Los Angeles, CA 90012 Responses are required from: Board of Supervisors: 15.1 thru 15.4 Los Angeles County Probation Department: 15.1 thru 15.4 VII. ACRONYMS CGJ Civil Grand Jury LACPD Los Angeles County Probation Department VIII. COMMITTEE MEMBER Stephen Press Co-chair Lorraine Stark Co-chair 304 2015-2016 LOS ANGELES COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT TRYING TO KEEP “MOM AND POP” AFLOAT TRYING TO KEEP “MOM AND POP” AFLOAT I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY According to the U.S. Census Bureau, “Employer Firms” with twenty or fewer employees make up 89.9% of all businesses in the United States. From 2009 to 2013 small businesses accounted for 60% of all new jobs.1 This means that small businesses are a significant resource to promote and maintain. In line with small businesses being a progenitor of economic energy, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) has established a Business Interruption Fund (BIF) to reduce the effects of light rail construction on small “Mom and Pop” businesses along the light rail corridors.2 The 2015-2016 Los Angeles County Civil Grand Jury (CGJ) commissioned G-Cap Services Audit firm to review the efficacy of the Metro BIF program as applied to the Crenshaw/LAX transit corridor and to review other similar programs to determine ways to improve the BIF program. The review and assessment examined the processes and practices undertaken to notify local merchants, possibly impacted by the Crenshaw/LAX transit line construction, about available grants, eligibility requirements to receive such grants, and the administration of the program. The work performed included the following elements: • collection and review of existing BIF related documents, • development of a merchant survey instrument, • conducting the survey using door-to-door, email, and mail approaches, • evaluating the survey results, • assessing and comparing other programs with the Crenshaw/LAX BIF, and • developing findings and recommendations. Survey results draw attention to the fact that most merchants believe the Crenshaw/LAX transit line construction has greatly impacted their businesses. Almost 40% of merchants surveyed have not applied for grant assistance despite outreach and marketing efforts conducted by the BIF administrator. Further survey results found that although grant assistance is the overwhelming element merchants found to be most helpful (84%), merchants also support supplementing the program to add more signage, 1 “Small Business Facts and Data,” Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council (January 2012). www.sbecouncil.org/facts and data 2 http://www.metrobsc.net/business_interruption_fund (generally, the Buisiness Interruption Fund)(hereafter “BIF Project Information”). https://www.metro.net/projects/crenshaw_corridor/ (specifically, the Crenshaw/LAX Transit Corridor Project). 2015-2016 LOS ANGELES COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT 305 to increase marketing to notify the public that businesses are open, and to provide alternate parking options. Many merchants believe the eligibility requirement that a business must be adjacent to construction should be expanded to allow merchants in the immediate construction area to also qualify for grants. Most merchants (58%) were unaware of the Business Solutions Center (BSC) and over three quarters of the merchants surveyed had not used the BSC. The BSC is a separate program implemented to provide technical and business assistance to merchants in the Crenshaw/LAX transit corridor area. The report evaluates the survey results and provides a comparison of this program with other similar transit projects and concludes that the Crenshaw/LAX BIF is an innovative way that provides needed funds to small businesses financially impacted by transit line construction. The program has been effectively administered, but, according to most survey respondents and comparable agency analysis, some refinements to BIF should be considered to further improve its offerings. Key recommendations are as follows. • The program should expand its marketing and collaboration with the BSC to provide services that directly relate to assisting merchants complete grant applications. One area that should specifically be addressed is the ability for merchants to prepare financial records that satisfy grant eligibility criteria. • Additional measures should be considered to address traffic and parking impacts such as expanding the discounts provided to prospective customers, providing free bus rides to business locations, subsidizing discounts, and providing alternate customer parking with complimentary shuttle bus services. • Revisions to the program’s eligibility requirements should allow for businesses that have less than two years residency in the Crenshaw/LAX transit corridor to participate in the program. • The program should be revised to include businesses not directly adjacent to the construction area. • Some relocation costs should be reimbursed by the program to offset merchant expenses resulting from the construction impact. 306 2015-2016 LOS ANGELES COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT II. BACKGROUND BIF is a pilot program designed by Metro to provide financial assistance to small “Mom and Pop” businesses that are being impacted by light rail construction of the Crenshaw/LAX transit line, as well as two other Metro light rail projects. A. Crenshaw/LAX Transit Project Construction of the $2.058 billion Crenshaw/LAX transit project began on January 21, 2014, and is expected to end in 2019. The Crenshaw/LAX transit project will extend 8.5 miles of light rail from the existing Metro Exposition Line at Crenshaw and Exposition Boulevards to the Metro Green Line near Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). By the end of the project, there will be eight new Metro stations throughout the Crenshaw/LAX corridor. Map on is taken from the Metro website with permission. The eight new stations will be located at:
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  Fairview Heights (Florence/West) Construction consists of the following aerial, at-grade, and below-grade segments: Aerial Segments: • Across La Brea Ave • Across Century Blvd • Across La Cienega Blvd/405 • Across 111th St/Imperial Hwy Freeway • Across Manchester Ave Below-grade Segments: • From Exposition Blvd to Brynhurst • Adjacent to the Los Angeles Ave International Airport South Runways • From 59th Pl. to 67th St. 2015-2016 LOS ANGELES COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT 307 At-grade Segments: • From Leimert Park station to Hyde Park station • From Fairview Heights station to Downtown Inglewood station • Along Florence from Beach to the 405 Freeway • Along Aviation between Hillcrest and Arbor Vitae 308 2015-2016 LOS ANGELES COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT 2015-2016 LOS ANGELES COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT 309 B. Overview Of BIF Metro launched BIF on February 15, 2015, as a pilot program designed to provide financial assistance to small “Mom and Pop” businesses located along the Crenshaw/LAX transit line, the Little Tokyo area along the Regional Connector and Phase I of the Purple Line Extension that are impacted by transit rail construction. Metro’s BIF program outreach materials defined “Mom and Pop” businesses as for- profit, or non-profit non-religious businesses that have 25 or fewer employees. This review only focused on the merchants along the Crenshaw/LAX transit line.3
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  Westchester/Veterans