AGENDA REPORT
Meeting Date: September 17, 2024
Item Number:
To: Honorable Mayor & City Council
From: Cynthia Owens, Municipal Affairs Program Manager
Magdalena Davis, Community Outreach Manager
Subject: AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE AGREEMENTS AND THE NECESSARY FISCAL YEAR 2024-2025 PURCHASE
ORDERS RELATED TO THE ANNUAL COMBAT ANTISEMITISM
MOVEMENT (“CAM”) ANNUAL MAYORS CONFERENCE IN THE
NOT TO EXCEED TOTAL COMBINED AMOUNT OF $250,000
Attachments: None
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council authorize the City Manager to execute agreements and the necessary fiscal year 2024-2025 (FY 24-25) purchase orders related to the Combat Antisemitism Movement 2024 Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism in the total combined not to exceed amount of $250,000.
INTRODUCTION
The 2024 Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism will be hosted by the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) and chaired by Mayor Lester Friedman December 11-13, 2024, in Beverly Hills. CAM funds the venue, activities, and travel for mayors from across the nation to attend this very important three-day conference which is aimed at uniting leaders, policymakers, and advocates in a collective effort to combat antisemitism and promote a society of tolerance and respect. As Chair for this impactful conference, the City will provide support for the event in an amount not to exceed a total of $250,000 through the execution of various agreements.
DISCUSSION
CAM is a global coalition engaging more than 700 partner organizations and three million people from a diverse array of religious, political, and cultural backgrounds in the Meeting Date: September 17, 2024
common mission of fighting antisemitism. CAM’s advocacy spans from city councils and state governments to national governments and the United Nations.
CAM’s key initiatives include the Global Coalition of Cities Fighting Antisemitism as well as specialized collaborations with United States Governors and State Legislators. In Washington, D.C., CAM engages in a bipartisan manner with both the House of Representatives and the United States Senate to collaborate with committees and task forces.
CAM has prioritized building an international network of mayors to collaboratively confront antisemitism with a local city-oriented approach. In a program led by CAM Chief Government Affairs Officer Lisa Katz, a former town supervisor, CAM works hand-inhand with mayors on a daily basis to secure and nurture Jewish life in cities across the globe.
In 2022, former Mayor Lili Bosse attended the 2022 Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism - Safeguarding Inclusive Democracy. The conference was hosted by the City of Athens, Greece, and chaired by its Mayor, Kostas Bakoyannis, in partnership with CAM, Center for Jewish Impact, and Jewish Federations of North America. CAM and the City of Athens covered all travel costs and conference registration for municipal leaders from 53 cities and 23 countries.
As part of this Conference, all mayors in attendance signed a historic declaration to "fight antisemitism in all its manifestations" by working together in the areas of education, raising awareness, and promoting interfaith relations. The attendees shared the challenges and opportunities faced in the collective effort against religious hatred and offered innovative and pragmatic solutions to protect and foster Jewish life and build an inclusive and democratic global future, free of prejudice and bigotry, for all humanity.
In 2023, the North American Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism – Cities United Against Hate was hosted by the City of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and chaired by its Mayor, Dean Trantalis, in partnership with the CAM. This Conference brought together municipal leaders from dozens of cities throughout North America and across the globe to share the challenges they face and compare best practices on the city-level in the collective best practices to stamp out the world’s oldest hatred. Simultaneously, the summit explored creative and pragmatic solutions to secure and foster Jewish life and build a more inclusive society for all. CAM and the City of Fort Lauderdale covered all costs associated with travel, conference and conference related events. Both Councilmember Mirisch and former Councilmember Bosse attended the Conference and participated on panels.
This year, the 2024 Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism – Directing Change from City Hall will be hosted by CAM and chaired by Mayor Lester Friedman December 11-13, 2024 in Beverly Hills. The Conference will unite leaders, policymakers, and advocates from across the United States and Canada in a collective effort to combat antisemitism and promote a society of tolerance and respect. As part of the three-day event, the City is being asked to provide funding in an amount not to exceed $250,000 for various conference events, including those hosted at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel and Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. Staff may return to a future City Council meeting regarding the potential use of one of the City’s free use days at the Wallis to support one of the conference events.
Meeting Date: September 17, 2024
FISCAL IMPACT
For the 2024 Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism in Beverly Hills, CAM is providing approximately $1.02 million for costs related to air travel, hotel rooms, food, and other conference related expenses. The host city and Mayor who chairs the annual conference typically cover some of the direct expenses related to the event venue. This year, CAM is requesting Beverly Hills to cover and amount not to exceed $250,000 for various costs at the proposed event venues.
Funds for any agreement executed by the City Manager related to this conference are available in the FY 24-25 Policy & Management budget (00101311). Staff is requesting the City Council authorize the City Manager to execute any agreement and the associated FY 24-25 purchase orders in a total combined amount not to exceed $250,000.
Keith Sterling
Deputy City Manager
Approved By