Jeffrey Anderson

The Human Teardown

Jeffrey Anderson
CITY CONTROLLER LAURA CHICK’S scathing audit this week shows an out-of-control Department of Building and Safety that allows developers to have their way with Los Angeles at the expense of public safety. Keeping with the harsh tone of the draft audit obtained two weeks ago by the L.A. Weekly, Chick......

Ignoring is Bliss

Jeffrey Anderson
THE CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED a residential project Wednesday, exposing the city to an environmental lawsuit over a land-use dispute involving a historic house on Mount Washington. The 14-0 vote came in spite of public testimony that the City Attorney’s Office did not thoroughly review the file, a full three......

Hammered by Auditors

Jeffrey Anderson
A DRAFT AUDIT OF L.A.’S DEPARTMENT of Building and Safety exposes deep cracks in the foundation of the pivotal city agency whose leader already faces a contempt-of-court hearing in Orange County and questions about selective code enforcement. City Controller Laura Chick’s preliminary audit, obtained this week by the L.A. Weekly,......

The Addled Department

Jeffrey Anderson
MAYOR ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA’S OFFICE called up the troubled chief of the Building and Safety Department last week demanding answers. A series of problems neared the breaking point: a city controller’s probe stirring up negative feedback, lawsuits alleging Andrew Adelman abuses employees, and an Orange County judge threatening to hold him......

the Cracked Foundation

Jeffrey Anderson
WHEN ANDREW ADELMAN TOOK OVER as general manager of the Department of Building and Safety in 1997, he embraced the mantra “Be a facilitator, not a regulator.” But along with a laissez-faire style that endeared him to property developers and politicians who craved a revitalization of downtown L.A. came a......

The Cracked Foundation

Jeffrey Anderson
WHEN ANDREW ADELMAN TOOK OVER as general manager of the Department of Building and Safety in 1997, he embraced the mantra “Be a facilitator, not a regulator.” But along with a laissez-faire style that endeared him to property developers and politicians came a bullying and, at times, abusive personality, according......
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Seeking Refuge

Jeffrey Anderson
OF ALL THE ENCOUNTERS IN HIS LIFE, Troy Williams’ stint as an accountant for the African Community Resource Center (ACRC) figured to be the most damaging. Williams, also known as Bilal Nadir, was scheduled for trial this week in Los Angeles Superior Court to face criminal charges that threatened to......
Half-time trivia: Is this the next Eliot Spitzer? (AP / Wideworld)

Rocky's Toughest Comeback

Jeffrey Anderson
Rocky Delgadillo was a long way from home, but not in unfamiliar territory, when he was spotted in Cambridge, Massachusetts, one Friday last October, wearing an overcoat and buying T-shirts at a Harvard University bookstore. The Los Angeles city attorney was attending alumni-association meetings at his alma mater and hoped......

What Would Jerry and Rocky Do?

Jeffrey Anderson
Talk about a study in personal contrasts: upstart Rocky Delgadillo from the rough streets of Highland Park versus “Governor Moonbeam,” the mercurial Jerry Brown, the son of a governor who has lived the life of a rock star. Delgadillo promises to keep the streets safe, fight for health benefits for......

Slapped Around

Jeffrey Anderson
DOWNTOWN LAND BANKER Richard Meruelo might not have asked the Department of Building and Safety or regional air-quality officials for permission to demolish toxic buildings on a contaminated industrial site, but he just might have to pay for forgiveness. The department has issued orders to comply with city laws, and......