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The proposal from Los Angeles City Councilmembers Katy Yaroslavsky and Tim McOsker seemed to come out of nowhere.
On Tuesday, the two presented a simple idea: Ask voters for permission to reduce the number of required weekly council meetings from three to one.
Several of their colleagues weren’t ready to put the proposal on the Nov. 5 ballot, saying it needs more study. But Yaroslavsky made clear that she is keen on the idea, saying she is “restless and frustrated.”
Yaroslavsky, who represents part of the Westside, told The Times she wants the council to be more efficient. She argued that “an overwhelmingly majority” of her colleagues feel the same — and believe the meetings are too heavily dominated by activities that range from the frivolous to the foul.
“A lot of it is the public comment,” said Yaroslavsky. “A lot of it is the same 15 people screaming racist, misogynistic, antisemitic epithets.”
As it turned out, the idea of fewer council meetings has been bubbling under the surface for a while. In January, while discussing ways to reform the Los Angeles City Charter, Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez broached the idea of scaling back to one meeting per week — the same schedule as the five-member Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.
Hernandez, who represents part of the Eastside, argued that fewer meetings could give council members more time to meet with constituents. She pointed to the county’s schedule as a potential model, saying it gives community organizations a single day each…