With the city of Los Angeles facing budget shortfalls of almost $700 million over the next 16 months, officials Wednesday outlined expected service cuts ranging from fewer potholes filled and streets swept to fewer inspectors on duty.

Bill Robertson, director of the Bureau of Street Services, said his agency will fill about 300,000 potholes a year, down from 380,000, and will take about six or seven days to respond to complaints of illegal dumping rather than the current goal of four days.

"We will not be able to be as proactive as we have been," Robertson said. "We will be reacting more to complaints and emergencies than we are able to deal with this in advance."

The city expects 2,400 workers to retire early next year, and officials anticipate making at least 1,000 layoffs in the next months and potentially up to 3,000 more by the end of next year.

The council was told to expect the first layoffs within the next month. But Councilman Richard Alarcon said he thought layoffs would not commence until at least July 1, based on the City Council vote which authorized the cutbacks.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, however, had issued an executive order to department heads to begin the layoff process for the initial group of workers, and City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana said that order was later confirmed by the City Council.

Harbor Area Councilwoman Janice Hahn also voiced displeasure at the layoff procedure, saying she was made aware of it by a worker who had received a layoff notice.

"Why weren't we told ahead of time that this was happening?" Hahn asked. "It is disappointing to hear of this from a worker. When are we going to know what's going on? We have asked which positions are going to be affected."

Santana said Villaraigosa plans to release his budget for the coming fiscal year in the first week of April, three weeks earlier than required, to give the City Council more time to deliberate.

The council also began to look at changes in the city's three pension systems, and their $18 billion portfolios, to reduce the annual expenditures.

Part of the problem, they were told, is it will take city charter changes and a public vote to amend some of the pension systems.

City costs this year are $370 million and are expected to quadruple over the next several years.

Any changes now, however, will not impact the current requirements.

"If you make changes, you will not see the savings for several years," said Sally Choi, general manager of LACERS. "You are still obligated for the benefits agreed to with the workers. Changes will only affect the new workers you hire."