Alleging more than a year of foot-dragging by Los Angeles officials, lawyers for a group of businesses and residents are asking a federal judge to fine the city nearly $6.4 million over its failure to live up to a nearly 2-year-old settlement agreement to clean up homeless camps.
The request for sanctions comes amid growing tension between the City Council and Mayor Karen Bass over her signature Inside Safe program , which allocates $250 million for outreach and motel rentals to clean up encampments.
Council members have grown concerned that the money going to temporary motel leases does not count toward the city’s commitment in the lawsuit to provide beds through 2027.
Some council members have also objected to where the cleanups have occurred, suggesting the mayor has favored wealthier Westside and West Valley districts over less affluent areas.
Frustration rose to a point last month that Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez and the chief of staff for Councilman Kevin de León walked in uninvited to a negotiating session in a judge’s chambers to see what was being discussed.