Los Angeles City Council News

The Port of Los Angeles has entered a long-term agreement with Hecate Energy Harborside LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hecate Energy LLC (HECATE), to build, operate, and maintain photovoltaic (PV) solar power systems (PV Systems) that will generate electricity at multiple site locations within the Port. The PV Systems will feed clean energy to the utility grid operated by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP). "This solar project is a perfect example of our city departments doing their part to adopt my Sustainable City plan," said Mayor Eric Garcetti. The agreement supports the Port’s larger goals under the San Pedro…

The Los Angeles City Council apprises that it has unanimously confirmed veteran shipping industry leader Gene Seroka as the new Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles. Earlier in June, the Harbor Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to approve Seroka for the executive director’s position. Mayor Garcetti’s May 27 announcement that he had chosen Seroka for the job concluded a global search to fill the Port’s top management post. As the Port’s Executive Director, Seroka will be responsible for managing a US$938.8-million budget, advancing major capital projects, growing trade volumes and promoting innovation and sustainable practices that strengthen the region’s economy.

Mayor Eric Garcetti has nominated Gene Seroka, an executive with APL shipping line, as the next Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles. The Board of Harbor Commissioners will consider Mayor Garcetti's nomination at its June 5th meeting. Seroka's nomination is subject to confirmation by the Los Angeles City Council. "I'm proud to nominate Gene Seroka to be the next Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles, the nation's top container port," said Mayor Eric Garcetti. "Gene Seroka is uniquely qualified to lead the Port of Los Angeles," said Ambassador Vilma Martinez, President of the Board of Harbor Commissioners. Seroka is Head of Commercial in the Americas Region for American Presidents Line (APL)…

A proposal by the LA 2020 Commission to merge the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach – the two busiest container ports in the US – has been slated by Long Beach leaders for being “condescending and disrespectful”. The Commission made the recommendation in its A Time for Action report, along with 12 other recommendations on minimum wage and promoting regional tourism, and defended its proposal by saying it will “put the city on a path to fiscal stability and renew job creation”.

The Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved a 50-year lease to transform  a 100-year-old pier on the L.A. Waterfront in San Pedro into a world-class urban marine research and innovation center called AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles. The lease agreement – signed between the Port of Los Angeles and Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, the latter who currently serves as the fiscal sponsor for the AltaSea project – involves approximately 35 acres of land and water at the Port’s City Dock No. 1 site, Berths 56-60 and Berths 70-71. “Public-private partnerships like AltaSea represent an innovative way to encourage investment and redevelopment in our communities,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.

The newly assembled Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners held its first meeting, with four of the five-member panel newly appointed by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. Three of the commissioners are Harbor Area residents. The Harbor Commission is expected to elect its president and vice-president at the next Board meeting on December 12 th. “Spurring investment and creating job opportunities at our nation’s No. 1 Port is critical to Los Angeles and the entire country,” said Mayor Garcetti.

Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Geraldine Knatz, Ph.D., has been honored by the University of Southern California Alumni Association with the prestigious Alumni Merit Award. Knatz earned a Master of Science degree in environmental engineering and a doctorate in biological science from USC. “The Alumni Merit Awards are given to individuals whose remarkable accomplishments speak well for the range and quality of a USC education,” said Patrick E. Auerbach, the interim associate vice president for alumni relations. “Dr.

The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners to support the city’s appeal against a proposed Port of Los Angeles rail yard project. The city’s appeal is of the Southern California International Gateway rail yard project approved recently by the Port of Los Angeles. The 153-acre facility proposed by BNSF Railway Co. sits just outside West Long Beach, alongside the Terminal Island Freeway on land owned by the Port of Los Angeles. Much of its impact would be felt by nearby Long Beach residents, businesses and schools.

The Los Angeles Harbor Commission certified the final Environmental Impact Report for the proposed Southern California International Gateway (SCIG) intermodal railyard and approved a landmark rail infrastructure project that would increase the efficiency and competitiveness of moving containerized cargo through the nation’s busiest harbor complex to U.S. and global markets. “Modernizing our transportation infrastructure is crucial to creating jobs, strengthening our economy and improving our quality of life in Los Angeles,” said Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino.

Maersk Inc. has committed to the building of a new state-of-the-art container terminal in the Port Of Los Angeles' Pier 400 facility. The Port of Los Angeles and Maersk Inc. signed a Memorandum of Understanding, agreeing to negotiate to reach a final lease agreement. The lease agreement is subject to regulatory approval of the A.P. Moller-Maersk Line acquisition of Sea-Land International and must also be approved by the boards of A.P. Moller and Maersk Inc., the Los Angeles Harbor Commission and the Los Angeles City Council. In making the Port of Los Angeles its new West Coast hub, Maersk Sealand will bring the port about $2 billion over its 25-year lease.