Motion on Port Deal Delayed

Councilmen Antonio Villaraigosa and Jack Weiss submitted a proposal Friday to have the Los Angeles City Council scrutinize a $540,000 consulting deal awarded to former port Executive Director Larry Keller.

Moments after submitting the motion, however, Villaraigosa pulled it back. His office said the councilman wanted to be able to co-present the motion with Councilman Tony Cardenas, who chairs the commerce committee and was out of town Friday.

Villaraigosa plans to resubmit the motion Tuesday.

The contract, which the port commission awarded earlier this week, has drawn criticism from council members.

Keller resigned amid concerns about how he handled the port’s relations with neighboring residents worried about pollution. He is also a witness in a federal investigation into city contracting.