Garcetti signs order to make city services more available remotely amid COVID-19 pandemic

LOS ANGELES - Mayor Eric Garcetti said on Wednesday that he signed an executive directive to make city services more accessible online and contact-free whenever possible amid the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Garcetti said people can already pay bills online, and contact-free pickup services of materials from libraries is available, but "this directive is a critical step to not only modernize government but to keep us safe as we open up city services or the city services that have stayed open and that you depend on don't put you at risk."  

"We're laying the groundwork for universal login to city services," Garcetti said. "So the same password will let you pay your water bill and allow you to have a contactless pickup at a local library.

We're ending the days of keeping track with 1,000 different accounts and 1,000 different passwords."   The mayor said the city is starting the directive by releasing a beta version of its Los Angeles Business Assistance Virtual Network, or LABAVN, in the next couple weeks.

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The site is for people to check the status or availability of contracting bids.  

Garcetti said the transformation of city service accessibility is also starting by immediately establishing a contactless task force with leaders across city departments to develop payment systems and program enrollment.  

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"Whether it's a young person who might live in your household who was part of our summer programs at our Recreation and Parks facilities to safely have a place to go so that you could work, whether it's checking out those books that are available contactless, or whether it's paying one of yourcity bills, no Angelenos should have to wait in line, no Angelenos should ...(be) exposed to COVID-19 unnecessarily," Garcetti said.