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Keys to the City: Bureau of Street Lighting

Published on: 25th May, 2026

Los Angeles has 223,000 streetlights, and the assessments that fund their upkeep haven't been updated since 1996. In this episode, we sit down with two leaders from the Bureau of Street Lighting to break down the ballot landing in property owners' mailboxes right now and what's at stake for neighborhoods like ours if it doesn't pass. The deadline is June 2nd. Listen up and pass it on.

Guests:

Ansar Mustafa is a lifelong Angeleno who has spent 20 years improving the city he calls home. As a licensed Civil Engineer and ENVISION Sustainability Professional, he currently leads the Community Impact Division for the Bureau of Street Lighting — overseeing everything from decorative neighborhood lighting and community banners to major council-funded infrastructure initiatives. Before joining BSL, Ansar managed complex, multi-million-dollar infrastructure projects at the Bureau of Engineering

Rodney Fulton is a seasoned infrastructure professional with nearly three decades of hands-on experience in fiber optics, field leadership, and street lighting systems. He got his start in 1997 with PacBell and rose through the ranks to play a key role in the E-Rate initiative, helping bring fiber connectivity into classrooms across Los Angeles. A proud member of Local 11 for over 24 years, Rodney joined BSL in 2024, where he continues to lead complex fiber projects and mentor the next generation of skilled tradespeople.

Resources

lalights.lacity.org/residents/prop_218.html

For questions or concerns, contact Bsl-assessment@lacity.org

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About the Podcast

MHD Off the Record
Dive into the heart of South Los Angeles with Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson on MHD Off The Record—where culture drives leadership and community voices lead the way!
MHD Off the Record takes you inside Los Angeles City Hall with Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson. Each episode explores the culture, politics, and policies shaping life in Los Angeles from housing and homelessness to city planning, public safety, and immigrant rights.

Focused on uniting neighborhoods across the city, the MHD Off the Record podcast blends political insight with community-driven solutions. Listeners hear conversations with civic leaders, activists, and community stakeholders that reveal how multicultural organizing, music, and personal stories influence the direction of Los Angeles.

If you’re curious about how Los Angeles City Council makes decisions, want to learn about city resources, or care about the future of South LA and beyond, this podcast gives you the context and voices behind the policies that impact Angelenos every day.

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Marqueece Harris-Dawson