AGENDA REPORT
Meeting Date: November 12, 2025
Item Number:
To: Honorable Mayor & City Council
From: Ryan Golich, Assistant City Manager
Subject: AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF BEVERLY HILLS AMENDING THE
BEVERLY HILLS MUNICIPAL CODE TO CONSOLIDATE THE HEALTH
AND SAFETY COMMISSION WITH THE HUMAN RELATIONS
COMMISSION TO CREATE THE HEATH AND SOCIAL SERVICE
COMMISSION
Attachments: 1. Ordinance
2. March 18, 2025 City Council Report
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council move to waive the full reading of the ordinance and that the ordinance entitled “AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF BEVERLY HILLS
AMENDING THE BEVERLY HILLS MUNICIPAL CODE TO CONSOLIDATE THE
HEALTH AND SAFETY COMMISSION WITH THE HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION TO CREATE THE HEATH AND SOCIAL SERVICE COMMISSION” to be introduced and read by title only (ATTACHEMENT 1).
INTRODUCTION
On February 18, 2025, the Commission Standardization Ad Hoc Committee Liaisons, consisting of Mayor Nazarian and then Councilmember Corman, met to discuss several matters pertaining to the City’s commissions. One of the topics of discussion was reviewing opportunities to streamline operations of various commissions. The Commission Standardization Ad Hoc Committee did a deep dive into the work being carried out by the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) and the Human Relations Commission (HRC) to determine whether overlap existed between the two commissions, and whether merging the commissions into a single commission would be a more efficient use of resources while still providing the same level of support and information to the Council and community.
On March 18, 2025, the full City Council considered the Liaisons’ recommendation to consolidate the two commissions (Attachment 2). At the conclusion of the discussion, the Council voted unanimously to direct staff to move forward with consolidation of the two commissions.
G-2
Meeting Date: November 12, 2025
DISCUSSION
Content of Ordinance. The attached ordinance carries out the Council’s March 18, 2025, direction to consolidate the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) and the Human Relations Commission (HRC). The ordinance does the following:
• Merges the two commissions together and establishes a new name of the “Health and Social Service Commission”.
• Merges the two commissions’ mission to advise, recommend, assist, and promote activities and programs that foster positive human relations and enhance the overall health and safety of the community in Beverly Hills. • Increase Public Awareness: Promote and broaden community awareness of health and safety and human relations issues, including issues of public health and welfare, healthy lifestyles, mitigation of safety risks and hazards, the importance of disaster preparedness (hereafter "health and safety issues") and encourage citizen participation in efforts aimed at promoting health and safety issues. • Provide a Public Forum: Provide the community with a public forum that allows community members to discuss and share their views on health and safety issues.
This forum will also serve as a way for citizens to submit complaints about interactions with city employees, offering an alternative to sending those complaints directly to the relevant city department.
• Inform The Public: Educate and inform members of the community regarding heath and safety and human relations issues and risk avoidance through various means, including, but not limited to, public discussion, website publications and postings, community outreach, sharing of information and by assisting at and supporting City sponsored activities and programs which promote these issues. • Promoting the concepts of diversity, tolerance, and acceptance in the community. • Defining, identifying and tracking existing and emerging issues that may benefit from intervention or conflict resolution.
• Support Efforts Aimed At Disaster Preparedness, Prevention, Mitigation, Response And Recovery: Support the work of all city departments before, during and after a medical, natural or manmade disaster, and strengthen ties with the community's disaster related stakeholders.
• Temporarily retains a total of seven commissioners in order to allow all commissioners to finish out their full terms. Beginning in July 2026 there will be a total of six commissioners through the end of 2026. Beginning January 2027 there will be a total of five commissioners, consistent with the City’s other commissions.
If approved, the ordinance will become effective in January, thereby formally consolidating the two commissions in the municipal code.
Chair and Vice Chair Assignment. Given that two commissions will be merging, each with its own existing chair and vice chair rotation, staff recommends that the Council assign
Meeting Date: November 12, 2025
the roles of chair and vice chair to ensure that any existing member that has never been chair will have an opportunity to do so before their term ends. In addition, it is important to ensure that anybody serving as chair will be able to complete a full year of service to avoid any complications when it comes to commissioner rotations. Staff has analyzed the remaining terms of all sitting commissioners and has also reviewed which members have and have not yet been able to serve as chair. Based on this analysis, staff recommends the following assignments:
Chair: Staff recommends that Commissioner Kaiserman be appointed as the chair of the merged commission. Commissioner Kaiserman is currently vice chair of the Human Relations Commission and would otherwise rotate into the position of chair beginning in January, 2026. Commissioner Kaiserman has not previously served as chair and her term does not end until December 31, 2027, which means that she will be able to complete a full year as chair.
Vice Chair: Staff recommends that Commissioner Kraushaar be appointed as vice chair of the merged commission. Of the sitting commissioners that will become a part of the merged commission, Commissioner Kraushaar is the only commissioner that has not been vice chair or chair. In addition, Commissioner Kraushaar is the only sitting commissioner that will still be on the merged commission in 2028, and having experience serving as chair will be helpful in offering guidance to what will be an almost entirely new group of commissioners in 2028.
Staff believes that the above recommendations are not only the most equitable way to assign duties, but also the most logical to ensure continuity of leadership for the merged commission. The make-up of the merged commission is provided below, and helps to show how the membership will change over the next several years, as well as when new commissioners will need to be appointed.
2026: Kraushaar, Kaiserman, Nisim, Margo, Batista, Felsenthal (term ends 6/30/2026), Rosenthal (term ends 12/31/2026)
2027: Kraushaar, Kaiserman (term ends 12/31/2027), Batista (term ends 12/31/2027), Margo (term ends 6/30/2027), Nisim (term ends 6/30/2027) 2028: Kraushaar (term ends 12/31/2028)
FISCAL IMPACT
There are no material fiscal impacts, although the consolidation will likely result in some cost savings associated with reduced staffing attendance, setup, and supplies associated with running commission meetings.
Ryan Golich,
Assistant City Manager
Approved By
Attachment 1
ORDINANCE NO. 25-O-___________
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF BEVERLY HILLS
AMENDING THE BEVERLY HILLS MUNICIPAL CODE
TO CONSOLIDATE THE HEALTH AND SAFETY
COMMISSION WITH THE HUMAN RELATIONS
COMMISSION TO CREATE THE HEATH AND SOCIAL
SERVICE COMMISSION
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BEVERLY HILLS DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Article 16 (“HEALTH AND SAFETY COMMISSION”) of Chapter 2 (“COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES”) of Title 2 (“ADMINISTRATION, PERSONNEL, AND PROCEDURES”) of the Beverly Hills Municipal Code is hereby repealed.
Section 2. The City Council hereby amends and restates Article 14 (“Human Relations Commission”) of Chapter 2 (“COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES”) of Title 2 (“ADMINISTRATION, PERSONNEL, AND PROCEDURES”) of the Beverly Hills Municipal Code to read as follows:
“ARTICLE 14 HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICE COMMISSION,
2-2-1401: ESTABLISHMENT:
There is hereby established a Health and Social Service Commission. Except as otherwise provided in this article, all provisions of this Code and any other rules and regulations generally applicable to commissions shall apply to the Health and Social Service Commission. The Health and Social Service Commission shall be advisory to the City Council and other officials and staff of the City and the commission shall have the authority to make recommendations to the City Manager or City Council regarding matters within its purview. 2-2-1402: MISSION STATEMENT AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Health and Social Service Commission shall advise, recommend, assist, and promote activities and programs that foster positive human relations and enhance the overall health and safety of the community in Beverly Hills. The Commission is dedicated to improving community health and safety and advancing a just and equitable multicultural society, actively working to reduce conflict, tension, discrimination, prejudice, and stereotyping based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or any other arbitrary factor.
A. Increase Public Awareness: Promote and broaden community awareness of health and safety and human relation issues, including issues of public health and welfare, healthy lifestyles, mitigation of safety risks and hazards, the importance of disaster preparedness (hereafter "health and safety issues") and encourage citizen participation in efforts aimed at promoting health and safety issues.
B. Provide a Public Forum: Provide the community with a public forum that allows community members to discuss and share their views on health and safety issues. This forum will also serve as a way for citizens to submit complaints about interactions with city employees, offering an alternative to sending those complaints directly to the relevant city department.
C. Inform The Public: Educate and inform members of the community regarding health and safety and human relation issues and risk avoidance through various means, including, but not limiting to, public discussion, website publications and postings, community outreach, sharing of information and by assisting at and supporting city sponsored activities and programs which promote these issues.
D. Promoting the concepts of diversity, tolerance, and acceptance in the community.
E. Conducting and/or recommending such educational programs related to health and wellness as will increase good will throughout the community.
F. Defining, identifying and tracking existing and emerging issues that may benefit from intervention or conflict resolution.
G. Support Efforts Aimed At Disaster Preparedness, Prevention, Mitigation, Response And Recovery: Support the work of all city departments before, during and after a medical, natural or manmade disaster, and strengthen ties with the community's disaster related stakeholders.
H. Notwithstanding any provision of this section, the Health and Social Service Commission shall not be a department oversight commission, a police oversight commission, or a fire oversight commission. The Health and Social Service Commission shall not become involved with:
a. Police or fire response issues;
b. Issues that involve special technical expertise;
c. School safety issues;
d. Monitoring or overseeing any enforcement activities of any city department, including, but not limited to, enforcement of this code, enforcement of traffic laws, or enforcement of state criminal or civil laws. (Ord. 16-O-2701, eff. 5-6-2016) 2-2-1403: MEMBERSHIP:
The Health and Social Service Commission shall consist of five (5) members who shall be residents of the City, except that one member may be a nonresident who is active in religious, educational, medical, or social service agencies serving the Beverly Hills community.
The Health and Social Service Commission shall request that the Beverly Hills Unified School District and the Police Chief appoint a representative to attend meetings when the Commission deems it appropriate.
2-2-1404: ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT:
The Fire Chief, or staff designated by the City Manager, shall provide administrative support to the Health and Social Service Commission.
2-2-1405: MEETINGS:
The Health and Social Service Commission shall meet at least once each month on regularly scheduled dates. Meetings will be scheduled the 4th Monday of each month from 4:00pm – 6:00pm.”
Section 3. Purpose. The purpose of this ordinance is to merge the Health and Safety Commission with the Human Relations Commission. As of January 1, 2026, the effective date of the changes made by this ordinance, there will be one remaining Health and Safety Commissioner whose term will expire on June 30, 2026, and one Health and Safety Commissioner whose term will expire on December 31, 2026. As a consequence, and notwithstanding any other provision of this ordinance, the Health and Social Service Commission will have a total of seven members for the period of January 1, 2026, through June 30, 2026 and a total of six commissioners for the period of July 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026. After December 31, 2026 the Health and Social Service Commission will have a total of five members.
Section 4. Severability. If any section, subsection, subdivision, sentence, clause, phrase, or portion of this Ordinance or the application thereof to any person or place, is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by the final decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, the remainder of this Ordinance shall be and remain in full force and effect.
Section 5. Publication. The City Clerk shall cause this Ordinance to be published at least once in a newspaper of general circulation published and circulated in the City within fifteen (15) days after its passage in accordance with Section 36933 of the Government Code, shall certify to the adoption of this Ordinance, and shall cause this Ordinance and her certification, together with proof of publication, to be entered in the Book of Ordinances of the Council of this City.
Section 6. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall go into effect and be in full force and effect at 12:01 a.m. on the thirty-first (31st) day after its passage. However, the provisions of this ordinance shall not come into operation until January 1, 2026.
Adopted:
Effective:
SHARONA R. NAZARIAN, PSYD
Mayor of the City of Beverly Hills,
California
ATTEST:
_________________________(SEAL)
HUMA AHMED
City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM: APPROVED AS TO CONTENT:
___________________________ _____________________________ LAURENCE S. WIENER NANCY HUNT-COFFEY
City Attorney City Manager
Attachment 2
AGENDA REPORT
Meeting Date:
Item Number:
To: Honorable Mayor & City Council
From: Ryan Gohlich, AICP, Assistant City Manager
Subject: REVIEW OF COMMISSION STANDARDIZATION AD HOC
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING THE
CHARITABLE SOLICITATIONS COMMISSION, HEALTH AND
SAFETY COMMISSION, AND HUMAN RELATIONS
COMMISSION
Attachments: 1. August 14, 2024 Commission Standardization Ad Hoc Memo Regarding the Charitable Solicitations Commission
2. February 18, 2025 Commission Standardization Ad Hoc
Memo Regarding Commission Mergers
RECOMMENDATION
In accordance with the Commission Standardization Ad Hoc Committee’s recommendations, this report recommends that the City Council sunset the Charitable Solicitations Commission effective July 1, 2025, and that the Health and Safety Commission be merged with the Human Relations Commission effective July 1, 2026.
These changes would require the adoption of an ordinance, and if the City Council concurs with the Committee’s recommendations, staff seeks direction to prepare the necessary ordinances and return at a future date for consideration.
INTRODUCTION
As part of ongoing efforts to standardize the functions and practices of the City’s various Commissions, as well as reduce costs and reallocate City resources, the City Council has created a Commission Standardization Ad Hoc Committee. The Committee meets on an as-needed basis in order to address matters pertaining to the City’s commissions. The Committee’s most recent meetings focused on whether the Charitable Solicitations Commission’s duties have become outdated and should instead be folded into staff’s dayto-day work, and whether there is sufficient overlap between the Health and Safety Commission and Human Relations Commission, such that their duties could be merged into a single commission.
G-1
March 18, 2025
Meeting Date: March 18, 2025
DISCUSSION
This section provides an overview of the above topics, with information on the Ad Hoc Committee’s recommendations.
Charitable Solicitations Commission
The City first began regulating charitable solicitations in 1942 (Ordinance No. 562) in response to numerous individuals conducting unscrupulous solicitation of funds and other assets, largely related to supporting the war effort, when in reality the funds were being used for their own personal gain. The 1942 ordinance created a framework of regulations intended to prevent fraudulent solicitations, and in 1962 a “Solicitations Advisory Commission”, which is now the Charitable Solicitations Commission (CSC), was created (Ordinance No. 1145).
Presently, the primary responsibility of the CSC is to ensure the compliance of charitable organizations that solicit donations or funds from Beverly Hills residents. The goal of the Commission is to protect the community from fraudulent, fictitious, or otherwise unscrupulous solicitations and keep the community aware of the many charitable events held in Beverly Hills. In coordination with the Police Department, the Commission regulates solicitation permit issuance, reviews charities' financial statements, and maintains a dedicated website for the public to obtain information regarding permitted solicitations. There is no cost to apply for a permit.
Based on the discussion held by the Committee on August 14, 2024, the regulation of charitable solicitations, as well as public access to charitable information, has changed substantially since the inception of the CSC. Over time, federal and state regulation of charitable organizations has been strengthened, and organizations now must file Form 990 with the IRS annually, which documents finances and spending information by nonprofits. This information is readily available online and can be inspected by interested individuals with ease. In addition, the duties of the CSC have become more administrative in nature, with the bulk of review and processing being performed by the Police Department. Moreover, the surrounding cities of West Hollywood, Santa Monica, Culver City, and Los Angeles operate a more streamlined process that does not rely on a commission.
In light of the changes to regulations over the years, the fact that the processing of Charitable Solicitations Permits has become more administrative, there is ample public access to charitable information, and in order to better align with surrounding jurisdictions by reducing confusion over the permitting process, the Commission Standardization Ad Hoc Committee recommends that the Charitable Solicitations Commission be sunsetted, and that any remaining processing duties be carried out by staff in the Police Department.
Ordinarily, it has been the Council’s practice to not cut the terms of sitting commissioners short whenever possible; however, when a commission is sunsetted it is not possible to have all terms completed since a commission must have at least three members present for a quorum. Based on the current terms of sitting commissioners, staff recommends that the CSC be sunsetted effective July 1, 2025, which is when the CSC will be reduced down to three members via natural attrition, thus preventing the formation of a quorum in the event of any absences. In the event the Council would like to maximize the terms of remaining commissioners, the CSC could alternatively be sunsetted effective January 1, 2026, which is when the CSC will be down to two commissioners via natural attrition and be unable to form a quorum.
Meeting Date: March 18, 2025
Merging the Health and Safety Commission with the Human Relations Commission At its most recent meeting on February 18, 2025, the Commission Standardization Ad Hoc Committee did a deep-dive into the work being carried out by the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) and the Human Relations Commission (HRC) to determine whether overlap existed between the two commissions, and whether merging the commissions into a single commission would be a more efficient use of resources while still providing the same level of support and information to the Council and community. As part of this analysis, staff reviewed the meeting agendas for both commissions over the past approximately two years to identify similarities and differences. That analysis is provided below and served as the foundation for the Commission Standardization Ad Hoc Committee’s discussion.
The HSC and HRC both meet monthly, with the HSC being supported by the Fire Department and the HRC being supported by the Community Services Department. The following list is not intended to be exhaustive of every single agenda item, but is intended to highlight themes (often recurring), as well as specific programs worked on or discussed by the commissions.
Topics of Discussion Common to Both the HSC and HRC
• Monthly reports from BHPD and BHUSD
• Day of Wellness
• National Night Out
• Learning about and addressing hate crime
• Unhoused issues and City's related responses/programs • Mental health and wellbeing
• Bullying and social media
• Safety-related discussions
• Community Assistance Grant Funding
Topics of Discussion Unique to the HSC
• Monthly reports from BHFD
• Smoking
• COVID
• Water quality and supply (during emergencies)
• Emergency preparedness
• Chronic illnesses
Topics of Discussion Unique to the HRC
• Civility programs
• Beverly Hills Reads
• Kindness Matters
• Critical Conversations
While there do appear to be topics that are unique to each commission, on balance there appear to be more similarities than differences between the topics covered by each commission. Moreover, the general theme of items routinely discussed by both commissions appears to revolve around health, community education, wellness, and safety. The Committee took this information into consideration, and ultimately concluded that the similarities between the commissions tended to favor a merger of duties, and Meeting Date: March 18, 2025
therefore recommends that such a merger be implemented, but that major duties be preserved and/or consolidated.
As discussed elsewhere in this report, it has been the Council’s practice to not cut the terms of sitting commissioners short whenever possible. Based on the current terms of sitting commissioners, staff recommends that if the commissions are merged, it be effective July 1, 2026. The relevance of July 1, 2026 is that it will be the first opportunity that the merged commission would be reduced down to seven commissioners via natural attrition, which is a manageable number of commissioners for a single commission.
Ultimately, the merged commission would naturally reduce down to the typical fivemember make-up as of January 1, 2027 without the need to cut any commissioner terms short.
Resource Utilization
One of the goals of the Commission Standardization Ad Hoc Committee is to achieve cost reductions and/or more efficient utilization of City resources. As part of the Committee’s work assessing commissions, additional information was requested regarding the level of resources required to support each commission. To many, operating a commission may seem like a somewhat simple undertaking with limited resource needs for a single meeting per month, but there is in fact a substantial amount of staff time (and budget) that is required to effectively support a commission. Staff time spent supporting a commission typically includes:
• Creation of agendas
• Drafting and review of reports
• Coordinating with other departments
• Digitizing of agenda packets
• Printing of agenda packets (often 15 or more copies)
• Delivery of agenda packets to commissioner homes or businesses • Online publication of agenda packets
• Physical posting of agendas
• Placement of physical agenda packets in public places • Pre-meetings with commissioners
• Preparation of presentations
• Setup and teardown of commission meeting room
• Recording and broadcasting of meeting (typically at least two cable TV staff) • Editing and online uploading of completed meetings
• Attendance by staff at commission meetings (typically four or five department staff) • Attendance by other departments or agencies (BHPD, BHFD, BHUSD, PW, etc.) • Preparation and distribution of meeting minutes
• Commissioner training
• Engaging with stakeholders and interested parties outside of the public meeting • Coordinating guest speakers and preparing them for the meeting • Coordinating ad-hoc/standing committee and liaison meetings • Preparation for and attendance at ad-hoc/standing committee and liaison meetings • Advancing initiatives to the full City Council
While the above list is not necessarily exhaustive, it is intended to demonstrate the timeintensive work that goes on behind the scenes in preparation for almost every single meeting. Although the workload for each commission meeting will vary based on the number and complexity of agenda items, it is not uncommon to spend between 100 and 200 staff hours on a single meeting that typically lasts for two to four hours.
Meeting Date: March 18, 2025
In terms of dollars, the cost of supporting a single commission easily runs into the hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, and perhaps of equal or greater importance, results in the opportunity cost of staff time being focused on commission support instead of ongoing services and programs.
FISCAL IMPACT
Sunsetting the Charitable Solicitations Commission and merging the Health and Safety Commission with the Human Relations Commission will result in direct cost reductions related to supplies, printing, and packet deliveries. Over the longer term, it will allow for staff time to be refocused on ongoing services and programs, and may also allow for the reallocation of duties in a manner that reduces overall staffing costs for the various programs supported by the impacted departments.
NEXT STEPS
If the Council is supportive of the Ad Hoc Committee’s recommendations staff will return with the necessary ordinances to implement the Council’s direction.
Ryan Gohlich, AICP,
Assistant City Manager
Approved By
Attachment 1
August 14, 2024 Commission
Standardization Ad Hoc Memo
Regarding the Charitable Solicitations
Commission
CITY OF BEVERLY HILLS
POLICE DEPARTMENT
MEMORANDUM
TO: Commission Standardization Ad Hoc Committee Liaisons FROM: Mark G. Stainbrook, Chief of Police
DATE: August 14, 2024
SUBJECT: Review of Charitable Solicitation Commission Duties
INTRODUCTION
At the most recent meeting of the Commission Standardization Ad Hoc Committee Liaisons on May 14, 2024, the Liaisons requested that staff begin looking at the history and duties of various commissions to determine whether a given commission’s duties are still relevant or could be merged with another commission. In particular, the Liaisons requested that staff return with information regarding the duties of the Charitable Solicitations Commission.
The City first began regulating charitable solicitations in 1942 (Ordinance No. 562) in response to numerous individuals conducting unscrupulous solicitation of funds and other assets, largely related to supporting the war effort, when in reality the funds were being used for their own personal gain. The 1942 ordinance created a framework of regulations intended to prevent fraudulent solicitations, and in 1962 a “Solicitations Advisory Commission”, which is now the Charitable Solicitations Commission (CSC), was created (Ordinance No. 1145).
Presently, the primary responsibility of the CSC is to ensure the compliance of charitable organizations that solicit donations or funds from Beverly Hills residents. The goal of the Commission is to protect our community from fraudulent, fictitious, or otherwise unscrupulous solicitations and keep the community aware of the many charitable events held in Beverly Hills. In coordination with the Police Department, the Commission regulates solicitation permit issuance, reviews charities' financial statements, and maintains a dedicated website for the public to obtain information regarding permitted solicitations.
There is no cost to apply for a permit.
Beverly Hills Municipal Code Section 4-3-80 indicates that after filing the application, the application shall be submitted to the CSC for review and recommendation. The Commission shall review the application and shall also review any information furnished by the Police Department based on their investigation of the applicant, and the Commission shall then make a recommendation to the City of Beverly Hills official empowered by the City to grant or deny the permit. (Ordinance No. 17-O-2738). The Commission meets monthly to review permits.
BACKGROUND
Upon examining the regulatory framework of neighboring cities of Santa Monica, West Hollywood, and Culver City, these jurisdictions do not require a specific permit for charitable solicitations, and instead rely on broader state or county-level regulation to govern such activities. Notably, these broader state and county-level regulations largely did not exist at the time that Beverly Hills first adopted its regulations.
City of Los Angeles
The City of Los Angeles does require nonprofit organizations to obtain a charitable solicitation permit and provide a financial statement. Still, its process does not mirror that of the City of Beverly Hills. The City of Los Angeles Charitable Services Section is responsible for regulating and monitoring Charitable activities, Bingo Gaming Enforcement, and investigations related to non-profit organizations throughout the City of Los Angeles. The Section is comprised of civilian investigators and administrative personnel whose main function is to ensure charitable and non-profit organizations comply with Section 44.04, Article 4, of the Los Angeles Municipal Code and the City’s Charitable Solicitation Ordinance No. 185,605. All activity regulated by the Charitable Services Section is examined, and analysis reports are acted upon by the Police Permit Review Panel, which is empowered by the Board of Police Commissioners.
County of Los Angeles
The County of Los Angeles mandates a permit for charitable solicitations, covering a broad spectrum of organizations and activities. The Business License Commission holds hearings for business licenses within the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. It also reviews full non-profit organizations wishing to solicit within the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County; however, this does not include the City of Beverly Hills.
Public Access to Nonprofit Information
Since nonprofit organizations must file Form 990 with the IRS annually, anybody can review a nonprofit’s finances utilizing online resources. Additionally, program spending information can be found in Part III of Form 990; some nonprofits include program descriptions in supplemental information at the end of the document.
ANALYSIS
CSC-Provided Information: The information provided by the CSC enables Beverly Hills residents to thoroughly evaluate the efficiency of events and fundraising campaigns targeting funds from residents. However, this information is also able to be provided directly by the Beverly Hills Police Department (BHPD) staff that process the permits.
Regulatory Alignment: Aligning our regulatory approach with the regulations of neighboring cities West Hollywood, Santa Monica, Culver City, and the City of Los Angeles would simplify the process for charitable organizations and may encourage greater compliance and participation in charitable activities.
The City of Los Angeles does require a permit and reviews financial statements.
However, they do not support a Commission. Permit issuance and financial statement reviews are performed by Los Angeles Police Department administrative personnel. They charge a $42 application fee and ensure that the applicants are in compliance with the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Resource Allocation: The resources devoted to maintaining the City of Beverly Hills Charitable Solicitations Commission and monthly meetings could be redirected towards more impactful initiatives, particularly those that directly support and enhance charitable activities and public welfare.
RECOMMENDATION
Based on the analysis and considerations outlined above, staff seeks direction from the Liaisons regarding the duties of the CSC and whether those duties should be modified or transferred to BHPD staff. Any recommendations developed by the Liaisons will be presented to the full City Council at a future date for consideration.
Attachment 2
February 18, 2025 Commission
Standardization Ad Hoc Memo
Regarding Commission Mergers
1 M E M O R A N D U M
CITY OF BEVERLY HILLS
TO: Commission Standardization Ad Hoc Committee Liaisons FROM: Ryan Gohlich, Assistant City Manager
DATE: February 18, 2025
SUBJECT: Commission Merger Opportunities to Streamline Operations ATTACHMENTS: 1. Commission Duties
Since the establishment of the Commission Standardization Ad Hoc Committee, the Committee has met multiple times to discuss opportunities for standardization and streamlining of the City’s various commissions. Through these efforts, the Committee has made recommendations to consolidate and/or eliminate commissions where appropriate, and has also made recommendations to clarify a number of policies applicable to the recruitment of new commissioners as vacancies become available. At the Committee’s most recent meeting in November 2024, the Committee reviewed the duties of the Health and Safety Commission (HSC), Human Relations Commission (HRC), Recreation and Parks Commission (RPC), and Arts and Culture Commission (ACC). The Committee heard an initial report regarding potential overlap of commission duties, and considered whether there were synergies between the commissions that might warrant a merger of the HSC with the HRC, and a merger of the RPC with the ACC.
During the meeting, several current commissioners voiced concerns that proper consideration was not being given to the work of each commission, and that although there may be some overlap, there are distinct duties for each commission that involve some level of expertise in a given field that may not be conducive to mergers. After taking public comment on the matter, the Committee directed staff to further analyze the work of each commission, what goes into supporting each commission, and to provide increased notice to commissioners prior to the next meeting in order to allow for additional perspectives and analysis.
In response to the Committee’s direction, staff has reviewed commission agendas over the last several years to help identify similarities and differences between the commissions to better inform the discussion and identify the degree to which there may be overlap between commissions. In addition, staff has reviewed the level of staff support and resources that are typically associated with the commissions in question. The following sections in this report discuss staff’s findings relative to the Committee’s direction.
Health and Safety Commission / Human Relations Commission The HSC and HRC both meet monthly, with the HSC being supported by the Fire Department and the HRC being supported by the Community Services Department. The prior report to the Committee regarding the work of the two commissions highlighted the duties of each commission as described in the municipal code; however, this report looks more closely at the topics discussed 2 at each of the commissions’ meetings over the past several years to identify similarities and differences. The following list is not intended to be exhaustive of every single agenda item, but is intended to highlight themes (often recurring), as well as specific programs worked on or discussed by the commissions.
Topics of Discussion Common to Both the HSC and HRC
• Monthly reports from BHPD and BHUSD
• Day of Wellness
• National Night Out
• Learning about and addressing hate crime
• Unhoused issues and City's related responses/programs • Mental health and wellbeing
• Bullying and social media
• Safety-related discussions
• Community Assistance Grant Funding
Topics of Discussion Unique to the HSC
• Monthly reports from BHFD
• Smoking
• COVID
• Water quality and supply
• Emergency preparedness
• Chronic illnesses
Topics of Discussion Unique to the HRC
• Civility programs
• Beverly Hills Reads
• Kindness Matters
• Critical Conversations
While there do appear to be topics that are unique to each commission, on balance there appear to be more similarities than differences between the topics covered by each commission. Moreover, the general theme of items routinely discussed by both commissions appears to revolve around health, community education, wellness, and safety. The Committee should take this into consideration when weighing whether merger of the commissions would streamline operations and prevent overlap of duties and topics. If there is interest in merging 3 the commissions, staff recommends maintaining, but consolidating, the major duties of the commissions in order to provide a consistent level of value and service to the City Council and community. As in the past, staff would also recommend timing any merger in coordination with natural attrition of commissioners so as not to reduce the terms of any sitting commissioners.
If so directed, staff will develop merged duties and timelines to be presented to the full City Council.
Recreation and Parks Commission / Arts and Culture Commission The RPC and ACC both meet monthly, and both commissions are supported by the Community Services Department. The prior report to the Committee regarding the work of the two commissions highlighted the duties of each commission as described in the municipal code; however, this report looks more closely at the topics discussed at each of the commissions’ meetings over the past several years to identify similarities and differences. The following list is not intended to be exhaustive of every single agenda item, but is intended to highlight themes (often recurring), as well as specific programs worked on by the commissions.
Topics of Discussion Common to Both the RPC and ACC
• Greystone events and programming
• Farmers Market events
• Festival Beverly Hills
• Beverly Hills Art Show
• Wellness and kindness
• Concerts on Canon
Topics of Discussion Unique to the RPC
• Park projects and renovations
• Park programing and rules
• Pickleball
• BHUSD updates
• Senior programming and events
• Library and reading programs
• Youth and teen programming
Topics of Discussion Unique to the ACC
• Fine Art approval, acquisition, maintenance, and funding • Art and artist resources
• Cultural/social recognitions
• Artwalks
4 • Make Music Day
As with the earlier analysis concerning the HSC and HRC, both the RPC and ACC do appear to cover topics that are unique to each commission; however, there are an almost equal amount of similar topics or projects where there appears to be overlap between the two commissions. The vast majority of public events, cultural or otherwise, tend to occur in the City’s parks, which is likely a significant cause for overlap between the commissions. The primary differences between the commissions tend to be predominantly driven by fine art (or art in general), as well as day-to-day services offered at the City’s parks as opposed to event programming, which tends to overlap between the commissions. The common denominator between the two commissions seems to be use of the City’s parks, and the parks are often a central component (e.g. placement of art) even when there is not an overlap of duties. The Committee should take this into consideration when weighing whether merger of the commissions would streamline operations and prevent overlap of duties and topics, which seems to be a reasonable path forward given the similarities.
Although it appears that all relevant duties could be absorbed by a single commission, in the event that there is a desire to maintain some specialized knowledge for fine art, another alternative to consider would be to shift all duties to the RPC since parks are a focal point, but revert the ACC back to the former Fine Art Commission. Under this scenario, a Fine Art Commission could meet quarterly instead of monthly, with a focus strictly on fine art.
If there is interest in merging the commissions, staff recommends maintaining, but consolidating, the major duties of the commissions in order to provide a consistent level of value and service to the City Council and community. In addition, there should be a requirement that at least one or two commissioners have a background in the art field in order to maintain technical expertise for review of art. As in the past, staff would also recommend timing any merger in coordination with natural attrition of commissioners so as not to reduce the terms of any sitting commissioners.
Resource Utilization
Beyond simply comparing the work of each commission to determine what degree of overlap may exist, the Committee should also consider the level of resources required to support each commission. To many, operating a commission may seem like a somewhat simple undertaking with limited resource needs for a single meeting per month, but there is in fact a substantial amount of staff time (and budget) that is required to effectively support a commission. Staff time spent supporting a commission typically includes:
• Creation of agendas
• Drafting and review of reports
• Coordinating with other departments
• Digitizing of agenda packets
• Printing of agenda packets (often 15 or more copies)
• Delivery of agenda packets to commissioner homes or businesses • Online publication of agenda packets
• Physical posting of agendas
• Placement of physical agenda packets in public places • Pre-meetings with commissioners
• Preparation of presentations
• Setup and teardown of commission meeting room
5 • Recording and broadcasting of meeting (typically at least two cable TV staff) • Editing and online uploading of completed meetings
• Attendance by staff at commission meetings (typically four or five department staff) • Attendance by other departments or agencies (BHPD, BHFD, BHUSD, PW, etc.) • Preparation and distribution of meeting minutes
• Commissioner training
• Engaging with stakeholders and interested parties outside of the public meeting • Coordinating guest speakers and preparing them for the meeting • Coordinating ad-hoc/standing committee and liaison meetings • Preparation for and attendance at ad-hoc/standing committee and liaison meetings • Advancing initiatives to the full City Council
While the above list is not necessarily exhaustive, it is intended to demonstrate the time-intensive work that goes on behind the scenes in preparation for almost every single meeting. Although the workload for each commission meeting will vary based on the number and complexity of agenda items, it is not uncommon to spend between 100 and 200 staff hours on a single meeting that typically lasts for two to four hours.
In terms of dollars, the cost of supporting a single commission easily runs into the hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, and perhaps of equal or greater importance, results in the opportunity cost of staff time being focused on commission support instead of ongoing services and programs.
Recommendation
As part of the City’s ongoing efforts to streamline commission work, inclusive of reducing actual costs and reallocating resources associated with staffing and supporting commission meetings and activities, staff seeks recommendations from the Committee regarding the following:
1. Should the HSC be merged with the HRC?
2. Should the RPC be merged with the ACC, or should a hybrid that restores the Fine Art Commission be pursued?
Staff’s analysis generally concludes that there is significant overlap of like topics among the commissions as discussed in this report, and that mergers are a feasible means of streamlining operations without diminishing the value provided by each commission. Depending on the direction received, staff would plan to present recommendations to the full City Council regarding any mergers, necessary code changes regarding consolidation of duties, as well as a timeline to complete the mergers in a manner that does not reduce the terms of any sitting commissioners.
Attachment 1
Commission Duties
Health and Safety Commission
The health and safety commission shall strive to maintain and improve the overall health and safety of the community in accordance with its purposes and responsibilities. The commission shall have the following purposes and responsibilities:
1. Increase Public Awareness: Promote and broaden community awareness of health and safety issues, including issues of public health and welfare, healthy lifestyles, mitigation of safety risks and hazards, the importance of disaster preparedness (hereafter "health and safety issues") and encourage citizen participation in efforts aimed at promoting health and safety issues.
2. Inform The Public: Educate and inform members of the community regarding health and safety issues and risk avoidance through various means, including, but not limiting to, public discussion, website publications and postings, community outreach, sharing of information and by assisting at and supporting city sponsored activities and programs which promote health and safety issues.
3. Provide A Public Forum: Provide the community with a public forum within which members of the general public can discuss and/or comment on health and safety issues.
4. Provide Recommendations: Recommend strategies aimed at improving the health and safety of the city, including as directed by the city council, or as requested by members of the general public, and/or which relate to health and safety issues.
5. Support Efforts Aimed At Disaster Preparedness, Prevention, Mitigation, Response And Recovery: Support the work of all city departments before, during and after a medical, natural or manmade disaster, and strengthen ties with the community's disaster related stakeholders.
6. Recognize Achievement: Honor individuals, businesses or groups that have demonstrated leadership in the field of health and safety, have promoted health and safety issues and/or have otherwise made a contribution to the missions of the health and safety commission.
Human Relations Commission
The human relations commission shall advise, recommend, assist and encourage activities and programs to be undertaken to promote positive human relations in all aspects of community life in Beverly Hills. The commission shall actively promote a just and equitable multicultural society; and will endeavor to reduce conflict and tension, as well as discrimination, prejudice and stereotyping based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or any other arbitrary factor.
The purposes and responsibilities of the commission shall include:
A. Promoting the concepts of diversity, tolerance, and acceptance in the community; B. Conducting such studies and to hear such issues in any field of human relations in the community as will aid in effectuating the commission's general purpose; C. Inquiring into incidents of tension or conflict among or between various racial, religious or nationality groups, and encouraging action by means of conciliation, conference, and/or persuasion to alleviate such tensions and conflict; D. Conducting and/or recommending such educational programs as will increase good will throughout the community;
E. Defining, identifying and tracking existing and emerging issues that may benefit from intervention or conflict resolution;
F. Facilitating better communication and interpersonal relations within the city and between the city and members of the community and hearing and receiving oral and written communications, in an appropriate time and manner, from members of the public concerning any topic that relates to the relationships between members of the community or between the city or its staff and members of the community; G. Receiving citizen complaints, in an appropriate time and manner, concerning the interactions of city employees with the public. The commission shall serve as one alternative to directing complaints to the city department involved in the complaint.
1. The commission or its staff may communicate with complainants and city departments with regard to complaints received by the commission and may also arrange and facilitate communications directly between city departments and complainants;
2. The commission or its staff may inquire about the status of a complaint received by the commission and the progress of the review of a complaint; H. Landlord-Tenant Issues:
1. The commission shall hear landlord-tenant disputes in order to provide a public forum where tenants and landlords can address issues and resolve differences prior to pursuing mediation, requesting a formal hearing with the city, if applicable, or filing a civil suit.
2. The commission shall educate tenants in the City regarding tenant rights.
Recreation and Parks Commission
The Recreation and Parks Commission shall perform the following functions:
A. Act as an advisory body to the City Council on matters which relate to recreation and parks programs and facilities, including, without limitation, the Greystone estate grounds and mansion.
B. Advise and make recommendations to the Director of Recreation and Parks, or his designee, on the planning, evaluation and delivery of recreation and parks programs and facilities including:
1. Formulating general policies on use and delivery of recreation and park services;
2. Evaluating the effectiveness of programs in relation to City Council policy objectives;
3. Assisting in communications with the community concerning recreation and parks programs.
C. Advise the City Council and staff regarding capital improvements and program projects for recreation and parks improvements.
D. Provide recommendations on proposed user fees for use of recreation and parks facilities and programs.
E. Perform such other duties relating to recreation and parks matters as may be referred to it by the City Council, or the Director of Recreation and Parks, or his representative.
Arts and Culture Commission
The mission of the Arts and Culture Commission is to promote and nurture the arts and cultural life of the City of Beverly Hills.
The Arts and Culture Commission shall have the following powers and duties:
A. Act in an advisory capacity to the City Council on matters pertaining to the enrichment of the community through fine arts, visual arts, performing arts, digital and media arts, arts education, and community cultural activities, education and events; B. Serve as an advocate for cultural activities, community cultural programs and events within the City;
C. Promote arts and culture activities of and in the City to broaden the opportunities for residents and visitors' participation in the arts;
D. Implement the City's Fine Art Program, as specified in sections 3-1-801 through 3-1- 814 of this Code, including, but not limited to, the purchase of fine art for the public, consideration of donations and loans of public art, hosting art exhibits or art events, and performance of such other duties relating to procurement, display and maintenance of fine art as designated by the City Council; E. Foster public and private partnerships for providing arts and cultural programming, including enhancing and expanding community cultural events by involving artists, art galleries, fine and visual arts, performing arts, digital and media arts, literary arts and creative arts organizations, the creative community, residents and the business community;
F. Promote access to the highest quality arts and cultural opportunities possible; G. Encourage the integration of cultural programs and community cultural events into fabric of the City to improve the quality of life for City residents and welcome visitors to the world-class Beverly Hills experience;
H. Encourage and support arts education programs in the community and schools including docent programs or similar;
Perform such other duties, not inconsistent with this Code, as may be prescribed by ordinance, resolution, City Council policy or other City Council action.