Councilman McOsker Making Good on Campaign Promises; Barragán Calls for Medicare to Cover Dental Care

A Fix for the Paseo del Mar Slide?

Last month, Councilman Tim McOsker moved the Los Angeles City Council to instruct the Bureau of Engineering and Department of Recreation and Parks to report back on updates to the Paseo Del Mar Roadway Plan and its options. He further moved the city council to request that the city administrative officer, in partnership with the Bureau of Engineering and Department of Recreation and Parks, report back with a multi-year phased funding plan for the Paseo Del Mar roadway plan’s options.

The Paseo Del Mar roadway in San Pedro provides east-west access to residents in the southernmost area of San Pedro. Paseo Del Mar is bound by the White Point Nature Preserve to the north and property owned by the County of Los Angeles Department of Beaches and Harbors, and the Pacific Ocean to the south. To the east is Weymouth Avenue and to the west is White Point-Royal Palms County Beach Park.

In 2011, an approximately 400-foot section of the Paseo Del Mar roadway collapsed due to the White Point landslide.

The city undertook several construction projects to mitigate the effects of the landslide. This work included: stabilizing the slope; rerouting the utilities; grading the site to drain stormwater; and fencing the portion of Paseo Del Mar and the immediate surrounding area impacted by the landslide. The total landslide mitigation cost was approximately $9 million.

Turning Food Deserts Into Food Oases

On March 3, Tim McOsker moved the city council to instruct the Economic and Workforce Development Department (EWDD) to report on expanding the Healthy Neighborhood Market program to Council District 15, with a focus on the qualifying neighborhoods of Harbor City and Watts.

He further moved to instruct EWDD to collaborate with the council office and local stakeholders in determining site selection to ensure community and operational support for future applicants and program participants, subject to eligibility.

Healthy Neighborhood Market Network (HNMN) was formed to ensure, for all Angelenos, access to fresh produce available within a half mile of their residence. Many areas of the harbor region and South Los Angeles are considered food deserts, as there is a high concentration of comer markets, liquor stores, and fast-food restaurants in junction with a dearth of supermarkets. This phenomenon primarily impacts lowincome neighborhoods and communities of color and infringes upon access to healthy diet options in these areas.

Since 2016, the HNMN program has completed six transformation projects, provided training to more than 50 store owners, helped increase average produce revenues by 124%, and increased average weekly profit for these stores by $1,453. These markets are providing critical access for residents in these areas to healthier food options and increasing the economic vitality of their communities. By expanding the existing program into underserved areas of Council District 15, the HNMN program can enhance food options in these communities and build toward a healthier future for all Angelenos.

Police Reps for Unarmed Service Calls

Last week, McOsker moved the city council to request the Personnel Department and the Los Angeles Police Department to report back on the current hiring, training practices, and policy protocol for police service representatives when it comes to unarmed crisis response-related service calls. This should include procedural mapping and technology needed for implementing a “decision tree” for unarmed crisis response-related service calls. He argued that the departments should report on best practices from other municipalities.

The motion asking for the creation of the office of unarmed response and safety itself names eight different agencies that could potentially be responding to 911 calls. With so many different resources available, and with the possibility of more pilots and programs coming online, it’s crucial that PSRs have the tools to make swift and accurate referrals for the sake of our communities’ safety.

On March 2, McOsker moved the city council to have the chief legislative analyst (CLA), with the assistance of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), report on the feasibility of diverting 28 types of calls identified by the Los Angeles Police Protective League in its released statement to the press on March 1.

The report should include: An analysis of each call identified, including entities with the jurisdiction, expertise and capacity to respond absent an LAPD first response; and an overview of communication systems and dispatch capacity needed to allow for diversion of calls to appropriate responders, including personnel, equipment and training. He further moved that CLA, with the assistance of the LAPD, city attorney, and any other departments as necessary, report on the feasibility of deploying non-sworn civilian first responders to 9-1-1 calls for service that do not require an armed response and identify potential departments, including any authority required for civilian responders to enforce city laws and an overview of any calls for service legally requiring a sworn response by a law enforcement officer or another first responder.

McOsker Calls for More Parking

On March 3, McOsker moved the city council to call on the Department of Transportation, in coordination with the Department of City Planning, to prepare a parking study of Downtown San Pedro to assess the area’s parking needs, including an inventory of existing parking, an evaluation of current and future parking needs, recommendations for improving parking management, such as the implementation of diagonal street parking and other creative solutions.

McOsker’s call for the parking study comes

as multiple developments have come online over the past few years, from commercial to residential units in downtown San Pedro and the LA Waterfront. This resurgence has spurred local and visitor traffic, leading to greater demand for parking.

McOsker specifically identified the development that is about to be raised at the former San Pedro courthouse into a high-rise apartment building, which eliminated a surface parking lot, at a loss of 80 spaces that served customers of the nearby shops and restaurants.

Barragán and Cardin Call for Medicare to Cover Dental Health

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On March 6, Rep. Nanette Barragán (CA-44) and Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) reintroduced legislation that would extend comprehensive dental health benefits to all adults who rely on Medicaid, replacing the current state-by-state system and providing mandatory dental coverage to all of the nearly 48 million adults currently on Medicaid.

The congresswoman noted that dental care should not be a luxury and that adding mandatory adult dental coverage to Medicaid will make it accessible for millions of low-income individuals across the country and allow them to get the care they need, regardless of where they live.

“Dental health is critical to overall health,” she said. “Expanding dental coverage to all adults who rely on Medicaid is vital to reducing health disparities.”

Poor oral health can make chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke more difficult and expensive to manage. Among adults facing cost barriers to dental care, racial disparities have widened in the last decade and barriers to accessing dental care are among the most overlooked examples of health disparities. Adults with low incomes; Black, Hispanic, and other people of color; tribal communities; people with disabilities; and those in rural America face the steepest barriers to accessing high-quality and affordable dental services. This kind of healthcare barrier has forced nearly twice as many Black and Latino American adults to suffer from untreated cavities than white adults.

The Medicaid Dental Benefits Act would require state Medicaid programs to provide mandatory adult dental and oral health services. At a minimum, this bill would require state Medicaid programs to provide coverage to prevent and treat disease, promote oral health, restore oral structures to health and function, reduce pain, and treat emergency conditions. This coverage would include: routine diagnostic and preventive care including but not limited to dental cleanings, exams, prophylaxis, fluoride treatments, X-rays and other necessary services; basic dental services such as fillings and extractions and major dental services such as root canals, crowns, restorations and both complete and partial dentures including adjustments, repairs and relines; emergency dental care; Temporomandibular (TMD) and orofacial pain disorder treatment; other necessary services related to dental and oral health (as defined by the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services).