FIRST OFF . . .

The Los Angeles City Council formally approved a novel arts program Tuesday that could transform the city into one of the nation’s cultural leaders by requiring commercial developers to divert 1% of their costs to the arts. “This is a remarkable step forward for this city,” Councilman Joel Wachs said after the program was approved on a second council vote, 10 to 1. (The council voted initial approval of the program last week.) The new arts program, Wachs said, “will really catapult Los Angeles into the forefront of our nation’s cultural capitals.” The program is expected to generate $20 million a year, boosting the city’s arts spending to about $24 million annually. The program had several vocal opponents who argued that the money from developers could be better spent addressing the city’s low-cost housing shortage or putting more police officers on the streets, but only Councilman Ernani Bernardi voted against the arts plan.