By an 11-to-1 vote, the council agreed to ask the Board ofAirport Commissioners to determine how best to help stores,restaurants and other retailers at LAX cope with a sharp slowdownrelated to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the East Coast.Councilman Nate Holden cast the lone dissenting vote, saying publicfunds shouldn't be used to bail out failing businesses.

Some LAX business owners say their receipts are down by morethan 50% because fewer airline passengers means fewer people tomake purchases at airport gift shops, dine at its restaurants, ordrink at its bars. Compounding problems, new security measuresenacted since Sept. 11 prevent non-ticketed people from enteringthe areas where most of the businesses are located.

Earlier this month, the city agency that runs the airportapproved a $9.5-million package of rent concessions that allows LAXbusinesses to skip their required minimum monthly rent payments andinstead base their rent strictly on their actual sales. Theprogram, which is retroactive to Oct. 1, is set to expire at theend of this month.