As City Council watchers learned a couple of years ago, when “4043” is on the agenda, all other topics, regardless of their appeal and disputatiousness, are remanded to the rear-most row of attention.
And so it was with what was a sizzling subject a year ago this month — a Council-imposed and court-supported moratorium for one more year that prevents Plains Exploration & Production Co. from drilling within the borders of Culver City.
While intermittent negotiations continue in downtown Los Angeles to settle four resident-generated lawsuits before the next scheduled court appearance in September, PXP has sustained another setback in its fractious ongoing relationship with City Hall.
Tacking another year onto the drilling ban first imposed last summer has become such a flat topic that the moratorium sailed down the Council dais for unanimous approval without any chatter.
A four-fifths vote was required for the introduction of what is called an interim ordinance. A unanimous vote was regarded as a cinch. There was no likelihood even the Councilman regarded as the weakest link would dissent.
Yet a year ago, on Aug. 24, there was a patch of rhetorical thunder and lightning when the then-new drilling ban did not slow down as the Council passed the measure.
Another time this subject would have brought howls from both camps. But the lone voice last night belonged to the veteran activist Sandra Kallendar.
With her tongue strategically lodged in her cheek, Ms. Kallendar scolded the Council for making no allusion in the ordinance to the mineral rights that accrue to residents whose property is atop oil.
“Go ahead and pass the moratorium,” she dared the Council, adding that she intended, in the meanwhile, to purchase available mineral rights at bargain rates.
