Privately owned companies that provide electricity, natural gas, water and sewer, and telephone services are regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC or PUC). Located in the Los Angeles area, these utilities are accessible to everyone who lives in or visits the region. The Office of Sanitation is responsible for garbage collection, disposal and recycling services for 720,000 homes in the city of Los Angeles and several centers around the city. Additionally, this Office processes wastewater from homes and businesses throughout the greater Los Angeles area and 27 other cities and agencies by contract.
The Department of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) is responsible for managing the commercial cannabis licensing and regulation program established by the Los Angeles City Council. This Department processes all applications for cannabis business licenses in the city of Los Angeles, makes decisions or recommends licensing to the Cannabis Regulation Commission, and regulates the operations of commercial cannabis companies licensed in the city. The Department of Construction and Safety is dedicated to protecting the lives and safety of residents and visitors to the city of Los Angeles. This Department provides first-class fire protection, rescue and emergency medical services to nearly four million citizens of Los Angeles. Facilities managed by this Department include Los Angeles International Airport, City Hall, Hyperion and Tillman treatment plants, Hyperion and park facilities, among others. The Department of Urban Planning is responsible for creating and implementing plans, policies and programs that realize a vision of Los Angeles as a collection of healthy and sustainable neighborhoods.
This Department maintains museums, historic sites and horticultural sites such as Griffith Observatory, the Los Angeles Maritime Museum, the Banning Residence Museum, the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, Travel Town (in Griffith Park), Fort MacArthur, Exposition Park Rose Garden and other community gardens, Orcutt Ranch, Campo de Cahuenga, Barnsdall Art Park and the Drum Barracks Museum. The Port of Los Angeles is committed to managing resources and carrying out developments and operations in an environmentally and fiscally responsible manner. To this end, it complements its busy terminal operations with environmentally friendly alternatives. The Los Angeles City Employee Retirement System (LACERS) was established in 1937 by Statutes of the City of Los Angeles as a retirement trust fund for civilian employees of the City of Los Angeles. This System provides a defined benefit retirement plan that includes retirement for service, disability retirement, and survivor benefits. California began restructuring its electricity service in the early 1990s by introducing competition in electricity generation with the goal of reducing prices for bill customers. To this end, if a measure converts into law existing PUC processes and policies that are not currently required by law, it would make it difficult for the state to modify these practices and policies when electricity market conditions change.
In order to ensure compliance with its policy on public utilities initiatives, Los Angeles County has implemented several measures. These include regulations set forth by California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC or PUC), management of commercial cannabis licensing by the Department of Cannabis Regulation (DCR), first-class fire protection services provided by the Department of Construction and Safety, creation of plans for sustainable neighborhoods by the Department of Urban Planning, environmentally friendly alternatives offered by Port of Los Angeles, retirement benefits provided by Los Angeles City Employee Retirement System (LACERS), as well as competition in electricity generation introduced by California.
