AGENDA REPORT
Meeting Date: December 3, 2024
Item Number:
To: Honorable Mayor & City Council
From: Magdalena Davis, Community Outreach Manager
Subject: REQUEST FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER A FREE USE
DAY FOR THE US CONFERENCE OF MAYORS AGAINST
ANTISEMITISM ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2024, AT THE
WALLIS ANNENBERG CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
Attachments: None
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council approve the allocation of one of the City’s free-use days at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (“The Wallis”) for conference sessions of the US Mayors Conference Against Antisemitism on Thursday, December 12, 2024, hosted by Combat Antisemitism Movement and chaired by Mayor Friedman.
INTRODUCTION
This item is a request for the City Council to consider an approval for a free-use day of The Wallis facilities and theater to host a portion of the 2024 Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism. The conference 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 is asked to utilize a free-use day for general and breakout conference sessions.
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 common mission of fighting antisemitism. CAM’s advocacy spans from city councils and state governments to national governments and the United Nations.
BEVERLW
HILLS
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Meeting Date: December 3, 2024
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-in-hand with mayors on a daily basis to secure and nurture Jewish life in cities across the globe.
City Council members former and current have attended and spoke at previous events, including the 2022 and 2023 Mayor Summit Against Antisemitism, held in Athens, Greece, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, respectively.
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 is slated to host 200 Mayoral 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 Council approved funding at the September 17, 2024, Council meeting in an amount not to exceed $250,000 for various conference events. Separately, this request is to utilize one of the City’s free-use days at The Wallis for the second day of the conference, which could include a lunch, general and breakout conference sessions. It should be noted that while the City would sign the agreement for Wallis free-use, CAM would be responsible for any other costs for labor and production associated with the event, such as technicians or cleaning, directly with The Wallis.
Through the City’s lease agreement with The Wallis, the City may sponsor or host up to ten (10) daytime events and up to ten (10) evening events in the Theatre, the Studio, or any other interior portion of the property, or the exterior Promenade or Motor Court, or other grounds of the property, during each calendar year. To date, only three free-use day has been approved for this calendar year, for City Council Installation, the Nova Exhibition Pop-Up, and a Yalda Winter Soulstice Celebration with the Farhang Foundation.
FISCAL IMPACT
Outside the free-use day from the City, any additional costs associated with conference at The Wallis, including cleaning, technical or other staff from The Wallis, will be funded by the organizers of the 2024 Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism through nonprofit Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM).
Keith Sterling,
Deputy City Manager
Approved By