1 THESE MINUTES ARE NOT OFFICIAL
UNTIL APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL February 16, 2024
STRATEGIC PLANNING MEETING 9:00 a.m.
CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA
Call to Order & Roll Call
Mayor McMorrin called the special strategic planning meeting of the City Council to order at 9:05 a.m. at the Culver City Senior Center and via Webex.
Present: Yasmine-Imani McMorrin, Vice Mayor
Daniel O’Brien, Vice Mayor
Göran Eriksson, Council Member
Freddy Puza, Council Member
Albert Vera, Council Member
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Pledge of Allegiance
The City Council recited the Pledge of Allegiance.
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Community Announcements by Members/Information Items from Staff
Vice Mayor O’Brien expressed appreciation for attendance of the meeting by so many department heads.
Mayor McMorrin welcomed everyone; expressed gratitude to staff for the work to hold the meeting ; discussed the intent of the meeting; adoption of strategi c goals; length of the period covered by the strategic goals; work plan support of strategic goals; the intent to provide guidance to staff; meeting procedures; and procedures for making public comment.
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February 16, 2024
2 Joint Public Comment – Items NOT on the Agenda
Mayor McMorrin invited public comment.
The following member of the public addressed the City Council:
Meg Sullivan discussed the Expo Bike Path between the Platform and Washington Boulevard a nd Syd Kronenthal Park; the need to continue to improve services along the Bike Path; appreciation to staff for their efforts; issues with keeping the streetlights running and litter collected; the importance of getting people out of their cars; connectivity; women attacked on the path ; vandalism; safet y concerns at night if the lights are not running; she proposed hav ing a patrol along the path; stated that her comments related to items 2, 5, and 7; and she encouraged the City to take care of existing infrastructure that is not meeting its potential the way it is currently being maintained.
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Receipt and Filing of Correspondence
T’Ana Allen, Deputy City Clerk, indicated that no correspondence had been received.
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Order of the Agenda
No changes to the agenda were made.
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Action Items
Item A-1
CC: Discussion of the Adopted Strategic Goals for 2024-2029 to Help Inform the Budget Process and Direction to the City Manager as Appropriate
Lisa Soghor, Chief Finance Officer, reported that the City had received the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Distinguished Budget Presentation A ward for over 30 years; discussed mandatory requirements; strategic goals adopted in February 16, 2024
3 November that reflect the work that the departmen ts do throughout the year; presentation of 2024 -2025 work plans on March 20-21, 2024; City Council direction to inform the work plans and the budget; fixed costs in the General Plan budget ; providing community services; money for special programs and projects; money allocated to the unhoused population in the City; General Fund Reserves; non -spendable funds; restricted funds; encumbered contracts and carryover; unassigned funds; appropriations; budget shortfalls; one -time budget
enhancements; Capital Improv ement P rojects (CIPs); remaining unassigned funds; offset of the General Fund structural deficit; the importance of prioritizing strategic goals to allocate limited resources and staff time to those projects that best reflect the highest City Council priorities; and helping inform departments as they prepare their work plans.
Drew Corbett, DKG Consultants, provided background on himself; discussed the process; development of department budgets; demand for City services vs. supply; the need for compromise; adoption of the 2024 -2025 budget; feedback on work plan priorities to inform creation of work plans in March; goals adopted in November; limited resources; the first goal to ensure long-term financial stability; department capacity issues; creation of work plan strategies; open discussion regarding compromise on the work plans; and work plan strategies for each goal.
Discussion ensued between the consultant, staff, and Council Members regarding appreciation for the overview; allocation choices since demand for services outweighs resources; staffing levels; department jurisdiction; understanding resources and how departments are flowing; the goals already set; items already in the work plans; providing a five -year look ahead; alignment with strategic goals listed in the draft General Plan Update; identifying three items to focus on in the next year; the ability to change the list; responding to unforeseen circumstances; goals that align with the General Plan Update; the core framework for service delivery to the City; resourcing highest priority items; percentage of the budget put toward a goal; addressing deficit; assessing the structural deficit over the long -term; int erdependency of goals; the importance of weaving Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) into overall practices; sustainability; housing; the commitment and
relationship between the City Council, staff, and residents; the need for a plan moving forward over time; acknowledgement of the budget; approaching neighbor concerns; ensuring an open attitude to doing things in other ways; finding new ways to engage and work together; items that fit a number of goals at February 16, 2024
4 the same time; appreciation for the collaborative executive team; goals interwoven into core City services; making the most of limited resources; the focus on creating work plans for the next fiscal year; and the five-year plan.
Additional discussion ensued between the consultant, staff, and Council Members regarding prioritizing mobility, housing, and public safety; crossover between mobility and sustainability; proactive actions taken by Culver City regarding housing; the Mobile Crisis Unit; public safety; the interwoven nature of mobility, housing and public safety; integration of diversity and equity; the importance of focusing on public spaces; staying current with maintenance; staff hours dedicated to homelessness; Measure H; maximum sales tax for municipalities; the ability to get a legislative exe mption; preemptive tax increases; local funding and control; appreciation for the additional layer of planning; ensuring everyone is included, not just the majority; financial stability; support for sustaining and refining homeless services; feedback from residents regarding street infrastructure, homelessness and public safety; improv ing public infrastructure and community spaces; primary
responsibilities of a city; the interdependence of the community upon each other; people without an entry point into ho me ownership; people falling into homelessness; policy failure; identification and mitigation of barriers to enter into housing; production of housing and ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units); new development; the importance and interconnectedness of housing; community engagement; DEI; connecting with those who work, live, and play in the City; concerning trends with outreach; groups that are traditionally heard from in the City; evaluation of what is working well and what is not; financial stability; lessons learned from neighboring cities; regional and county partners; the climate; mobility; difficulty prioritizing; the responsibility of focusing on homelessness; and the importance of being creative to address issues.
Drew Corbett, DKG Consultants, noted repeated use of the term intersectional; discussed execution of the goals; tangible goals; foundational goals that should be part of everything being done; and creating work plans that focus on tangible items while ensuring that foundational goals are in place.
Further discussion ensued between Mr. Corbett, staff, and Council Members regarding cost of implementation vs. the cost of inaction; evaluating trade-offs; resident perspective; the small business perspective; elimination of unnecessary
bureaucracy; barriers to efficiency; using technology to enhance February 16, 2024
5 and simplify; improved productivity; evaluating processes; outsourcing; public funding; use of a third party entity to manage and accept fees; use of non -profits; Measure RE; consideration of fund usage on a case by case basis if significant revenues are generated; flexibility; rainy day funds; ongoing expenses; the Economic Development Department; General Fund revenue from businesses; the importance of sustaining a healthful business environment in the C ity; and the importance of all departments.
Drew Corbett, DKG Consultants, expressed appreciation for the direction.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation for the work of the consultant; feedback from the management team; the importance of street maintenance; damage caused by water; increased costs with delayed maintenance; and the speed with which pothole reports are addressed in the City;
Ken Powell, Culver City Fire Chief, felt that he had received clear direction that he would use moving forward when creating a work plan.
Additional discussion ensued between Mr. Corbett, staff and Council Members regarding addressing increased population with additional housing projects; future operating and maintenance costs that are not included in current forecasts; clarification that housing is not a revenue source to cover the obligations; balanced development in terms of business vs. residents; forecasting and planning for increased calls for services; similar challenges faced by other cities; making use of language in the General Development Plan Update document; intersecting goals; accessibility of information; and work with the
Communications Manager to summarize the vision of the General Development Plan.
Mayor McMorrin expressed gratitude to all involved in the planning process and to those who attended the meeting; noted how easy it is to default into thinking that change and new thinking is impossible; discussed her belief in dynamic leadership in the City; ensuring that all neighbors feel a sense of belonging and feel heard; she was looking forward to seeing how the priorities discussed would be reflected in the work plans; and she welcomed any feedback.
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February 16, 2024
6 Items from Council Members
None.
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Council Member Requests to Agendize Future Items
None.
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Adjournment
There being no further business, at 10:42 a.m., the City Council adjourned to a regular meeting to be held on February 26, 2024.
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Jeremy Bocchino
CITY CLERK of Culver City, California
EX-OFFICIO CLERK of the City Council
Culver City, California
YASMINE-IMANI MCMORRIN
MAYOR of Culver City, California
Date: _________________________