1 THESE MINUTES ARE NOT OFFICIAL
UNTIL APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL,
CULVER CITY PARKING AUTHORITY,
CULVER CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY BOARD,
AND SUCCESSOR AGENCY TO THE CULVER CITY
REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD
REGULAR BUDGET MEETING – CITY WORK PLANS March 6, 2023
MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL 3:00 p.m.
SUCCESSOR AGENCY TO THE CULVER CITY
REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD,
CULVER CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY BOARD
AND CULVER CITY PARKING AUTHORITY
CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA
Call to Order & Roll Call
Mayor Vera convened the regular budget meeting – City Work Plans of the City Council, Successor Agency to the Culver City Redevelopment Agency Board, Culver City Housing Authority Board and Culver City Parking Authority to order at 3:08 p.m. in the Mike Balkman Chambers at City Hall via Webex.
Present: Albert Vera, Mayor
Yasmine-Imani McMorrin, Vice Mayor
Göran Eriksson, Council Member
Dan O’Brien, Council Member
Freddy Puza, Council Member
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Pledge of Allegiance
Former Mayor Jim Clarke led the Pledge of Allegiance.
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Community Announcements by City Council Members/Information Items from Staff
None.
March 6, 2023
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Joint Public Comment – Items Not on the Agenda
Mayor Vera invited public comment.
The following member of the public addressed the City Council:
Jim Clarke, Culver Arts Foundation, discussed reinstituting the summer concert series; partnership with Culver Arts; bringing the community together; and he requested that the City Council direct staff to investigate what would be necessary to reinstate the summer concert series and provide a report on possible venues, producers, time frame, schedule, costs, and funding.
Mayor Vera received consensus from the City Council to direct staff to provide a report at a future meeting.
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Receipt and Filing of Correspondence
MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER PUZA, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER O’BRIEN
AND UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED, THAT THE CITY COUNCIL RECEIVE AND FILE CORRESPONDENCE.
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Order of the Agenda
No changes were made.
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Item A-1
CC:HA:PA:SA - (1) Presentation and Consideration of Current and Proposed Work Plans for City Departments; and (2) (If Desired) Direction to the City Manager as Deemed Appropriate
Mayor Vera invited public input.
The following members of the public addressed the City Council:
Karim Sahli was called to speak but could not be heard.
Khin Khin Gyi was called to speak but could not be heard.
March 6, 2023
3 Jason Sims, Interim Police Chief, introduced staff; thanked the men and women of the Culver City Police Department (CCPD) for their high level of service and the City Council for their support; provided a status update on the 2022-2023 Work Plan; and a presentation on the Fiscal Year 2023-2024 proposed Police Department Work Plan.
Karim Sahli proposed testing the public speaking system before the meeting; asserted that the budget should match challenges faced by the City including systemic racism, climate change, traffic violence, homelessness, and housing; he discussed work done on equity; investing in commitments made; additional funding for the mobility crisis; funding necessary for
implementation and expansion of plans to mitigate traffic violence like Vision Zero; greenhouse gas emissions; the need to provide funding for better salaries to retai l drivers; the need to fund social services to address the homelessness emergency; creation of more housing; incentives to build more ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units); the disproportionate amount of money given to CCPD; dire consequences; people dying from traffic violence or from being poor; accountability at the next election; and he wanted to see the City Manager present a budget that reflects the City’s values.
Khin Khin Gyi provided backgro und on herself; discussed catalytic converter theft in the Culver Crest; wait time to get new converters; CCPD agreement to add a patrol car in early morning hours; and she asked that the CCPD budget be increased to add more patrols to deter thefts and add more outreach officers to neighborhood meetings.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation for the report; CCPD efforts to combat imbalance; recent police shootings; the pandemic; racial uprisings; work to be done; advantages of being a white man; who the system is designed for; those not served by the system; populations most impacted by over-policing; creating Public Safety systems for all; appreciation for transitioning crossing guards to Parks, Recreation and Community Services (PRCS); continued work to unburden CCPD from responsibilities not necessarily within their purview; re ducing violence escalation; appreciation for wellness programming; compliance with RIPA (Racial Information and Profiling Act) before the deadline; use of data; informing actions and protocols; the RIPA report; data collection issues; planned community mee tings; analysis and utilization of RIPA data to guide decision making processes; security and safety March 6, 2023
4 for Project Homekey; police accompaniment of outreach teams; use of Mobile Crisis Intervention (MCI) Teams to deescalate situations; the primary goal of s afety; the intent to reduce co-response; safe sleep sites; safety and security in the neighborhood surrounding Homekey; onsite security provided by the operator of the facility; homeless outreach efforts; cleanups; National Based Incident Reporting System vs. the Incident Based Reporting System; different types of crime reporting categories after March 2021; policy governing Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPRs); whether data can be sold; ALPR data as City-property; strict guidelines regarding utilization of the system; audits; clarification that data would not be used for immigration enforcement; the planned community meeting to obtain feedback from the public; clarification that the ALPR cameras are not functional for surveillance; access to data after vehicles pass through an intersection; total number of staff vacancies; and employees currently being processed.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation to the Interim Police Chief for helping since the departure of Manny Cid; challenges; appreciation for response times; overtime; vacancies; COVID protocol; increased numbers of planned events; protests; business events; emergency preparedness; the emphasis placed on training; changes in laws; use of force; de -escalation; crime statistics; street crimes; increased numbers of assaults and robberies; addressing crime trends; deployment of the SET (Security Enforcement Team) teams; use of ALPRs to provide real time information; the importance of deploying the SET on the bike path as soon as possible; community policing; lessons learned and value of the
park/bike/walk/talk program with patrol officers; growing the SET Team; continuing the walk and talk portion of the program; recruitment and retention; attrition; getting injured people back to work or off the books; retirements; catalytic
converters; and Council support of community policing.
Further discussion ensued between staff and Council M embers regarding a recent community meeting in Lindberg Park;
neighborhood response; visibility of the Coffee with a Cop event; value of community engagement; the importance of continued training; people who are injured or on long -term leave; over-hiring; catching up with vacancies; the inability to eliminate police overtime; clarification that the Crossing Program is under the jurisdiction of PRCS now; the MET (Mental Health Response Team); the service first approach; de-escalation training; the role of MCIUs; police presence; daytime population vs. nighttime population; the location of Culver City in the March 6, 2023
5 greater Los Angeles area; crime, safety, and security; ratio of police officers to residents; evaluation of staffing levels by the Center for Police Safe ty Management (CPSM); the need to provide staffing that matches the workload; call volume; calls for service; endangering public safety i f staffing is
insufficient; and investigative staff.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation for the breakdown of priorities; engagement with Housing and Homelessness Services; St. Joseph Center outreach without police presence; the presence of CCPD during weekly clean-ups to provide safety and security for staff;
clarification that most outreach is done without police presence volume of trash and debris removed weekly; length of time for weekly clean-ups; trends of RIPA data; data indicating that those with multiple arrests are likely to be poor and have less than a high school education; the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Survey on Drug Use and Health from 2017; clarification that income and education data is not tracked; looking at getting to the root of issues; RIPA rules on data collection; the Youth Diversion Program; crimes that people can be diverted for ; diversion rates; diversity; recruitment; demographics; department leadership; understanding the context of policing as a whole; issues with police violence when it comes to People of Color; how lived experience affects perceptions; taking the opportunity to acknowledge history and ensure that the gap is bridged between lived experience; encounters with CCPD; different experiences with the police; the importance of acknowledging history; whether there is education about existing tension; the importance of
acknowledging why a diverse work force is important; micro - aggressions; ongoing white supremacy; systems of oppressions; bias, racism, and equity; takeaways from the CPSM study; the Property Room; liability; changes made in response to the CPSM report; areas of concern; the need for regular audits; the Professional Standards Unit; the Emergency Response Team that functions as a SWA T Team; training; protocols regarding data; facial recognition and ALPR data; the 2022 Brookings Study regarding data; errors; faulty data collection practices; historically biased policing practices; overrepresentation of communities of Color in law enforcement databases; clarification that ALPRs just take pictures of license plates; clarification that SET Teams are armed; metrics of success for SET Teams; anecdotal response; appreciation for the presence of SET Teams on the bike path; improving visibility; deterring street crime; catalytic converter theft; furthering equity; a 2022 Child Trends Study indicat ing connections between negative
March 6, 2023
6 interactions for children and youth with the police in their community and poor emotional well -being, physical health, and social outcomes; feelings of helplessness and being dehumanized; magnification of negative affects to youth and children of Color due to extensive and disproportionate use of power by law enforcement; preliminary RIPA data indicating disproportionate outcomes; striking a balance; safety; housing; healthcare; mental health; access to earning a living wage; the focus on visibility and engagement; different historical and current experiences with law enforcement; employee wellness;
deescalating situations ; the trend of Wellness Dogs in law enforcement; collecting information to investigate crime; daily logs to keep the City Council informed; current clearance rates; frequency of response to violent crime; calls for service; response times to emergency calls; clarification that most CCPD employees do not live in the City; the service first approach to calls relating to unhoused individuals; frequency of calls from unhoused individuals needing help; referral mechanisms for calls relating to unhoused individuals; and available data.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding burnout and fatigue related to overtime; policy limiting the number of hours worked; ensuring that overtime is spread throughout the workforce; pursuit mitigation technology; disabling a car in a vehicle pursuit; technology to help CCPD do their job more efficiently and safely; appreciation to the CCPD officers who assisted an unhoused individual with a dog in finding housing; the importance of fostering relationships; continuing one-on-one relationships with the unhoused; use of SET Teams in high crime areas; acknowledgement of the importance of training; and appreciation to staff.
John Nachbar, City Manager, discussed increased taxes in the City; structural deficits in the preliminary ten-year forecast; and the unfunded pension liability.
Ken Powell, Fire Chief, introduced staff; discussed highlights of the 2022 -2023 Work Plan , accomplishments, and workload statistics; and he provided a presentation on the Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Fire Department Work Plan.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding the increased number of calls over the past several years; the unhoused crisis; mental health calls; the process; variables involved; frequency; behavioral emergencies; transport to a designated emergency room; alternative destinations; Exodus; March 6, 2023
7 CPR certification; usage of the training facility; use of goats for brush clearance; and staffing.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding trends; rising call volume; ways to educate the community about fire safety; homeless individu als; heating units; criteria to send people to Exodus; the limited number of beds at Exodus; the accreditation process; staff physicals; preventative care; and the Management Analyst.
Further discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding t he increase in fires driven by the homeless population; equipment replacement; response times; the third paramedic unit; reductions to resource draw down; CERT
(Community Emergency Response Team); integration into the readiness plan; encouraging CERT train ing; software; social media outreach for CERT signups; the importance of disaster preparedness; and increasing resources.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation to the department for their proactive actions in terms of prevention and addressing needs; working with the county on diversion; county criteria; efforts to increase bed availability; logistics; the current emergency plan for the Creek; increased density; balancing environmental impacts; awareness and education; automatic aid and mutual aid
agreements; neighboring agencies; immediate dispatch of resources; tracking of data and statistics; the potential need to request additional resources; public education; and outreach efforts.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding the importance of training; focusing on mental well - being of firefighters; low morale caused by vacancies in 2022; the Community Risk Reduction Division; changing conditions en route; transporting to outsid e areas; the sobering center in downtown Los Angeles; working to increase community engagement in CERT; frequency of mutual aid usage.
Armando Abrego, Parks, Recreation and Community Services Director, introduced staff; provided an update on the Fiscal Year 2022 -2023 Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department Work Plan; and he highlighted goals and objectives for the Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Work Plan.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding the Master Plan; funding; ensuring that public parks stay March 6, 2023
8 public; appreciation for assistance with the Pride event; plans to increase playgrounds and make them more inclusive;
afterschool and summer programming; meeting ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements vs. true -life application; providing options; universal planning; CityRide; senior mobility; and appreciation for communication efforts.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding support for increasing programming; the feeling that the parks are subpar; the fact that money has not been put into the parks; and the past practice of making modest funding requests.
Further discussion ensued between staf f and Council Members regarding the Master Parks Plan process; the community garden; Park Ambassadors; the Teen Center; communication; support for the important social media presence; joint use agreements between the School District and the City; the liais on
subcommittee; Dial -A-Ride; providing digital kiosks in the parks; lack of Wi -Fi; hotspots; bookings of meeting rooms; monthly meetings with regular renters; opportunity for growth and expansion; ensuring that fees are competitive; opportunities to incre ase revenue; decreased usage with COVID; additional facilities; the need to improve parks facilities; a suggestion to agendize a discussion of an RFP (Request for Proposals) for a feasibility study to see about redoing Vets and Bill Botts ; proceeding in the Master Plan process; and the Olympic
Subcommittee.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding ensuring that investing in the parks does not take away from providing services for the unhoused; choice of parks to be improved; conducting an equity analysis; access to resources; current level of services at each park; neighborhood parks vs.
City parks; concern with making policy and decisions on investment of funds without doing a thorough analysis of what needs are, but rather based on people’s personal opinions or observations; ensuring diverse use of the space; tools
available; concern with considering the Master Plan separate from investment; the Master Plan as determining where investment goes; and staff agreed to provide information on current usage.
Council Member O’Brien received City Council consensus from Mayor Vera and Council Member Eriksson to bring back an RFP for a feasibility study for Bill Botts and Vets Memorial Building Center.
March 6, 2023
9 Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation for the strong leadership and commitment to equity shown by PRCS; access to space; concern with the lack of a mention of, and historic lack of investment in, Fox Hills; mapping current programs available in the park to fill in gaps for who is not being served to make informed policy decisions; the mental health workshop; alarming mental health statistics for teens and LGBTQ+ students; the budget as a value statement; lack of investment in PRCS; increasing the frequency of mental health workshops; data indicating the need; the importance of promoting local, county, state, and federal resources; CPR classes in English and Spanish; equity; the Martin Luther King Jr. Committee; appreciation for including teens in programming; monthly community conversations; feedback from teens requesting volunteer opportunities; finding ways to connect; the online teen resource guide for volunteering; collaboration between high school students and seniors; creating community; installation of outdoor exercise equipment and lighting upgrades in Fox Hills; responsiveness to the homeowner associations; grading the hillside to create further parking; continued outreach and engagement; the importance of establishing bike lanes in Fox Hills; the senior who was killed last summer; and working to keep all residents safe.
Further discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding balancing different needs and interests; paddleball vs. pickle ba ll; dual purpose courts; surveying of the community; a proposed four -year plan; pub lic tennis courts; grants for park hydration; hydration stations; resources available through West Basin ; a suggestion to agendize a conversation about moving maintenance du ties over to Public Works; staffing; prioritizing community building; reparation of public facilities over administrative facilities; and the importance of dialogue.
Heather Baker , City Attorney , introduced department staff; thanked the City Council for t heir support and for the opportunity to serve; and she provided a presentation on the proposed 2023-2024 Work Plan for the City Attorney’s Office and a status report on the 2022-2023 Work Plan.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding micro kitchens; staff time for the Public Records Act ; costs; increased requests; significant resources used; appreciation for focusing on meeting procedures; decorum provisions; policies; and City Council approval of code amendments.
March 6, 2023
10 Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding prioritization of Work Plan items; City Council direction; operational issues; legal mandates; contracts; policy issues; use of consultants; innovation; software uses; streamlining the contract management system; concern that Safe Parking was not carried over on the list; additional information from Tevis Barnes; and appreciation for the work of the City Attorney’s Office.
Yanni Demetri, Public Works Director, discussed different divisions within the department; thanked the professional and dedicated staff noting the high volume of service requests; he provided an update on the Fiscal Year 2022-2023 Public Works Department Work Plan; and an overview of the proposed Work Plan for 2023-2024.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation to staff for all of their efforts ; Sustainable Business Certification; Safe Routes to School; the construction contract process; changing plans; sidewalk replacement; funding; staffing; vacancies; temporary repairs; Arbor Day; increasing the tree canopy; protocol for dealing with tree removal; rules that apply to all trees; the policy of not removing any tree that can be saved; addressing safety concerns; tree replacement; rainwater capture; prioritizing filling of potholes on major arterials; and support for composting efforts.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding support for improved street maintenance; the image of the City; safety; appreciation for the focus on sidewalk safety; the urban canopy; strategy for replacement of aging trees; the City Arborist; public sentiment; parking meters; mobile apps; annual repainting of crosswalks; micro-composting; methane gas production; parks maintenance; the grant from Sydney Kamlager; light pole replacement; lighting along Ballona Creek; Metro Bike; and collaboration between Transportation and Public Works.
Further discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding making improvements on the bike path from Overland to Duquesne; lighting; guardrails; collaboration with California Greenworks; the Adams Channel; Safe Routes to Schools; curb to curb elevated crosswalks; ensuring consistency in striping of stop signs; the area around schools; state requirements; irrigation; soil permeability; standing water; mosquito borne diseases; traffic signals at Elenda and Culver; addressing potholes in Los Angeles affecting Culver City residents; communication with Los Angeles about putting in a crosswalk to March 6, 2023
11 the island at Obama and Jefferson; street lighting a round Lindberg Park; graffiti abatement; municipal graffiti; state mandates regarding utilities; the abilit y of residents to request that Public Works pressure wash markings off; bioswales; tax assessments; sidewalk terminations where people are forced to walk in the street; resolution of a sewage smell at Farragut and Overland; and addressing backups at Duquesne and Culver.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding staffing vacancies; unreasonable expectations; focusing on wellness; recruitment; funding; the need to ensure that people have the tools they need to be successful; concern with the allocation of resources; appreciation for the incorporation of performance metrics; the budget process; utilization of the bike path on the Creek; jurisdiction; lighting; safety; project prioritization; equity; sustainability; micro -composting; education; recycling; and compliance with state regulations.
Further discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation to staff for their efforts and
accessibility; retrofitting old lighting poles; efficiency; lighting changes in Carlson Park; public input; use of dimmable products; outreach; signal timing; lack of connections between Culver City signals to those in other jurisdictions; sidewalk repair; water recapturing; response of Ting to issues; the Costco project; and support for private/public partnerships.
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Public Comment – Items Not on the Agenda
Mayor Vera invited public comment.
The following member of the public addressed the City Council:
Michelle Weiner indicated attempting to speak at the start of the meeting; discussed prioritization of 24/7 Mobile Crisis Unit as well as unarmed traffic stops; ensuring that SET Teams are unarmed; she requested that unarmed officers attend community meetings; discussed support for streamlined building processes; Complete Streets as the way of the future for the region; ensuring that pedestrians, cyclists, and transit users are prioritized, not just motorists; the importance of equity; and she expressed sup port for efforts of the Fire Department to create an emergency plan for the Creek.
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March 6, 2023
12 Items from Council Members
None.
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Council Member Requests to Agendize Future Items
None.
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March 6, 2023
13 Adjournment
There being no further business, at 8:54 p.m., the City Council, Successor Agency to the Redevelopment Agency Board, Culver City Housing Authority Board and Culver City Parking Authority adjourned the meeting to March 7, 2023.
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Jeremy Bocchino
CITY CLERK of Culver City, California
EX-OFFICIO CLERK of the City Council and SECRETARY of the Successor Agency to the Culver City Redevelopment Agency Board, Culver City Parking Authority, and Culver City Housing Authority Board
Culver City, California
ALBERT VERA
MAYOR of Culver City, California and CHAIR of the Successor Agency to the Culver City Redevelopment Agency Board, Culver City Parking Authority, and Culver City Housing Authority Board
Date: _________________________