Building a New LAX

After working on the Comprehensive Homeless Strategy for the City Administrative Officer, I had the opportunity to shape new airport policy and capital projects by working for Councilmember Bonin as his LAX Liaison. The liaison position is one which required a near-constant balance between the political priorities of the Councilmember, the priorities of communities he represented near the airport, and the priorities of LAWA (Los Angeles World Airports), the city department that administers LAX and funds the position. This role required me to build consensus among stakeholders who often had competing priorities. Communities near the airport had historically opposed modernization and new facilities at LAX that could mean additional noise, traffic, and pollution. Finding consensus meant listening with intent and persistence to those I served and reflecting their priorities back to them, while clearly communicating what was and was not possible based on federal statutes and oversight from the Federal Aviation Administration. Throughout the five years that I served in this position, I gained the trust of the Councilmember, the community and major external stakeholders, and airport leadership.

ATMP Project — New Terminals For LAX

In addition to the major construction currently underway that will connect the airport to Metro's growing network of buses and trains, LAWA is planning for new terminals and improved roadway access into LAX. Though modernization of these facilities offers the region a much-needed state-of-the-art airport, asking the community to accept yet another modernization and construction after years of construction and years more before the completion of current projects was a tall order. After years of building trust with community members and listening to their concerns, I reflected these concerns back to airport leadership and assisted community groups and labor to ask for fair concessions that LAX leadership could secure to address their needs. These concessions will ultimately mean a better-connected, more sustainable airport, helping the community, airport workers, and LAWA. A rare win-win-win.

SECURING A WIN-WIN-WIN

With an in-depth knowledge of airport policy and years of trust built up with the community, I worked closely with SEIU-USWW labor leadership when they approached Councilmember Bonin with their concerns about the ATMP project.

I had already understood the project's challenges and concerns after fielding them from the Westchester Playa Neighborhood Council over the past year or so. There were gaps in LAWA's original plan for ATMP that needed to be addressed and I put myself to work to do just that.

In the end, the Westchester Playa Neighborhood Council, an entity with a long history of opposing plans for LAX supported the ATMP project that would bring new gates and additional capacity to the airport. They supported the project for the same reason SEIU-USWW supported the project, I secured fair concessions and improvements to the project that community stakeholders could support.

In addition to public support of the project, I assured approval of a significant Memorandum of Understanding between labor (SEIU-USWW) and LAX leadership codifying new transportation funding, additional workplace oversight, and a health study of airport-based employees. This allowed ATMP, a 5 billion dollar capital improvement project, to move forward without litigation while addressing the needs of workers and reducing traffic and air pollution for workers and nearby residents to the airport.