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 20, 2024 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 McMorrin 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 3:13 p.m. in the Mike Balkman Chambers at City Hall via Webex.
Present: Yasmine-Imani McMorrin, Mayor
Dan O’Brien, Vice Mayor
Göran Eriksson, Council Member
Freddy Puza, Council Member
Albert Vera, Council Member
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Pledge of Allegiance
Mayor McMorrin led the Pledge of Allegiance.
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March 20, 2024
2 Community Announcements by City Council Members/Updates from Commission, Board and/or Committees /Information Items from Staff
Vice Mayor O’Brien apologized for keeping people waiting noting that he had come from a Sanitation District meeting in Torrance.
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Joint Public Comment – Items Not on the Agenda
Mayor McMorrin invited public comment.
Jeremy Bocchino, City Clerk, indicated that all requests to speak pertained to Item A-1.
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Action Items
Item A-1
CC:HA:PA:SA - (1) Presentation and Consideration of Current and Proposed Work Plans for City Departments; and (2) Direction to the City Manager as Deemed Appropriate
Lisa Soghor, Chief Financial Officer, introduced the Department Work Plan Presentations meant to inform budget preparation; discussed the focus on priorities for the upcoming fiscal year; thanked Financ ial Systems and Purchasing Manager Elizabeth Shavelson for her efforts; discussed preparation of the annual fiscal year budget; the process and schedule; public meetings; public input; annual City operations; compliance with state and federal laws and regulations; staff functions and workload; balancing daily assignments with new projects; alignment of work plan priorities with adopted strategic goals for 2024-2029; the goal of balancing the budget; the 10 year trend of General Fund revenue and expenditures; reserves; expenditure appropriations projected to exceed revenue; decisions made on what to fund for the fiscal year; and final adoption of the budget on June 10, 2024.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding the basis for what the City strives to maintain for reserves; the City Council policy on contingency reserves; and impacts on the City’s Municipal Bond Rating.
March 20, 2024
3 Jason Sims, Police Chief, introduced staff; thanked everyone for their support; provided general Culver City Police
Department (CCPD) updates; discussed highlights of the 2023 - 2024 CCPD Work Plan; and priorities for the proposed Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Police Department Work Plan.
Mayor McMorrin invited public input.
The following members of the public addressed the City Council:
Michelle Weiner asked about best practices when CCPD is using their vehicles to quickly respond to incidents; discussed reducing the use of speed on the streets; she asked about exploring responding to traffic stops with unarmed personnel; and reducing the number of police officers through attrition in order to distribute resources more equitably through other departments.
Karim Sahli expressed appreciation for the presentation; echoed comments from the previous speaker regarding police chases; discussed options to plac e a tracker on the vehicle being pursued that can reduce the need to push the person fleeing to go faster and put people in danger; he asked for more granular data regarding traffic violence; discussed injuries and deaths for pedestrians vs. drivers; CCPD enforcement of bike lanes; trimming the fat from the large CCPD budget; and he stated that the quality of the department had not been diminished when there were 38 fewer employees noting that money saved could be used on infrastructure and improving quality of life in the City.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation to CCPD for their work; positive feedback from constituents; overtime; wellness; training; the plateau on violent crime and efforts to get the numbers down; the rise in street crime; effectiveness of technology in locating stolen vehicles; the community oriented police department; the SET (Special Events Team); addressing unhoused issues; providing a greater sense of safety and crime deterrent with staffed footbeats in the downtown area; taking a load off sworn officers with the Mobile Crisis Team (MCT); and the budget and work plans as reflecting the value Culver City places on public safety.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding the total number of sworn officers in the budget; RIPA (Racial and Identity Profiling Act) data; the RIPA presentation on April 4; incorporation of feedback; work with the consultant; the Chief’s Advisory Panel (CAP); community representation; March 20, 2024
4 thoughtfulness of decision-making processes; the high level of transparency; overtime; finding a way to streamline the paperwork process; increasing efficiency; an observation that the budget has not tracked with staffing costs over the years; annual examination of how to be more efficient; use of non-sworn officers for special events; use of sworn personnel for events that could cause a safety concern for the community; emergency management; the presidential visit; speed on the streets; response to calls; call types; the requirement to use due regard when driving; and Pursuit Mitigation Technology.
Further discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding the importance of training; acknowledgement of police department efforts to cut down overtime; pursuits terminated by the Watch Commander; tracking technology; CCPD opposition to unarmed traffic stops due to the dangers involved; state law; support for wellness measures being taken; and success of the Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs).
Jeremy Bocchino, City Clerk, reported issues with sound on Webex and requested a short recess to re-set the system.
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Recess/Reconvene
The City Council took a brief recess from 4:14 p.m. to 4:23 p.m.
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Item A-1
(Continued)
CC:HA:PA:SA - (1) Presentation and Consideration of Current and Proposed Work Plans for City Departments; and (2) Direction to the City Manager as Deemed Appropriate
Jeremy Bocchino, City Clerk, reported that Webex had no sound; noted staff would continue to troubleshoot the issue; stated that comments could still be submitted via chat on Webex or in person; and indicated that a message would be added to the meeting on Webex with instructions on alternate ways to watch the meeting.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding daily incident logs received from CCPD; chases that are terminated for being deemed t oo dangerous; feedback from the consultant that CCPD is without peer; thoroughness and
March 20, 2024
5 transparency; the plateauing of violent crime statistics in Culver City; year-over-year trends; regional issues; clearance rates as reflective of the effectiveness of investigators; staffing levels; ALPRs that measure the number of cars passing through intersections; unique license plates read; the daytime population of Culver C ity; call volume; increases to the administrative workload; unfunded legislation; contacts from citizens vs. police initiated contacts; traffic stops vs. arrests; and arrests generated by community calls for service.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding criteria for logs; metrics being shared with the City Council; showcasing the positive work being done; appreciation for efforts to provide transparency; quarterly reports shared with the community on the website; raw numbers vs. percentages; information provided to the City Council; the hybrid RIPA community meeting in April; differences between state data and City data; the consultant leading the April community meeting; addressing discrepancies; preventing crime before it happens; generating leads for crime investigations; civil liability associated with pursuit; the choice to initiate a pursuit; the ability of the Watch Commander to view the in -car camera and monitor the pursuit; collection of traffic violence data; injury and non-injury accident data included in quarterly reports; providing an accounting of staff time related to time spent on unhoused engagement; potential fluctuation with increased enforcement; motel vouchers; the Housing and Human Services Department; planned events; daily interactions; frequency of CAP meetings; involvement of the Community Engagement Manager; in-person meetings; policy review of when sworn officers are required for events; the process for determ ining when sworn officers are necessary; prevention and supports for domestic violence; overlap between domestic violence in law enforcement and the military; continued emphasis on wellness and support in the department; violence interruption; de-escalation; assessing the situation and determining the proper response; goals accomplished from the CPSM (California Public Safety Management) Report; scaling back of staffing; the significant administrative workload; concern with the weaponization of police to target or harm People of Color; and educating neighbors as to when it is appropriate to call the police.
Ken Powell, Fire Chief, introduced staff; discussed highlights of the 2023-2024 Culver City Fire Department (CCFD) Work Plan, core functions; response times; and priorities for the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Fire Department Work Plan.
March 20, 2024
6 Mayor McMorrin invited public comment.
Jeremy Bocchino, City Clerk, indicated that no public comment had been received.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding in-house fire and life safety; sharing costs with Beverly Hills and Santa Monica; the Community Risk Reduction Division; costs for training time and hours; a suggestion to establish an additional EOC (Emergency Operations Center); increased incidents; maintenance and replacement schedule; increased call volume; impacts to response time; examination of trends; reliance on mutual aid agreements; similar issues faced by surrounding agencies; and data regarding services to the unhoused.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation for the Class 1 rating; lack of available data until the budget presentation; distribution of the digital survey; feedback from people transported to the ER; digital vs. hard copy information; the report on collaboration with the MCT; and appreciation for information available on the Fire
Department website.
Further discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding the continuing trend toward increased call volume; current number of paramedics; requests for more paramedics in the upcoming budget; use of services from other agencies; increased daytime and nighttime population; necessary resources to respond to communi ty need; the Mobile Emergency Operations Center; the advanced digital survey program; people who do not have the ability to participate digitally; the goal to reach as many people as possible; first responder mental health; the mentoring program; posted numbers for those needing help; AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators); and agreement to create a training video on AEDs.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation to the Fire Department for their work and for being community ambassadors; response time measurements; availability of the Pulse Point app to locate where AEDs are located; ways to track emergencies; collaboration with parks; a suggestion that there be a mandatory requirement that AEDs be made available and that PRCS staff be trained on their usage; the Great Shakeout; the Paradise Fire; ensuring against chaos during an emergency; distribution of available emergency preparedness information; finding a way to ensure the community has
March 20, 2024
7 information; the Emergency Preparedness Division and Community Risk Reduction; fire clearance in the Crest and Blair Hills; and emergency evacuations.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding how homelessness factors in to the scope of work since it is not listed as a priority this year; homelessness as a part of daily operations; collaboration with the M CT; outreach to prepare unhoused individuals for storms; multi -family
recycling; fire safety and community engagement for multi-family buildings; CCFD focus on the hillside areas and open flame usage by the unhoused; the fire alarm program several years ago; agreement to examine a broader section of fire safety;
appreciation for the Mobile EOC; increased events with the climate crisis; the importance of investing in an EOC location and providing resources for response; the Community Risk Reduction focus on the urban interface areas; devastating large campaign fires; strike team deployments in California; the mentorship program; creating a mo re diverse fire department; the fire program for young girls and annual girls camp; efforts to achieve diversity in the recruitment process; equipment concerns; innovations pertaining to smaller units; use of a fast response unit; the variety of call types ; the potential for increased response time; electrification of fire engines; costs; use of drones; investigation of different technologies; cross training; and high school training.
Mark Muenzer, Planning and Development Director, discussed different div isions within the department; thanked the professional and dedicated staff for their diligent work; he presented a video for the launch of the new ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) design manual and handbook; discussed core functions of the department; accomplishments; highlights of the Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Work Plan; and Planning and Development Department Work Plan priorities for Fiscal Year 2024-2025.
Mayor McMorrin invited public input.
Jeremy Bocchino, City Clerk, indicated that there were no requests to speak.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding meeting resident needs; speeding up processes to move things forward; a lawsuit in Berkeley regarding gas infrastructure; whether the Housing Element needs to be updated to m atch the General Plan; SB9 (Senate Bill 9) ; modifications to the land use map to revert to single family; the need to adopt the General March 20, 2024
8 Plan and the Zoning Code Update and then clean up
inconsistencies; meeting RHNA (Regional Housing Needs
Assessment) units with planned projects; market -rate housing vs. affordable housing; subsidies and grants for affordable units; following the law; the number of the planned projects actually built; the report on different development scenarios and necessary subsidies to fund affordable units; usage and size of the development; placing density along certain corridors; current zoning; the option for a lesser development scenario with fewer dwelling units per acre; the potential for increased RHNA requirements; the current bo ard of SCAG (Southern California Association of Governments); and appreciation to staff for their work.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation for the ADU Handbook, digitization of records, transition of onli ne services, and streamlining processes to add convenience; updating the landscape ordinance to promote water efficient plantings; and green roof
installations.
Further discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation for staff r esponsiveness; emails from constituents regarding the online process; inspections and identification of issues; continued mandated inspector
training; appreciation to Information Technology (IT) for their assistance; scheduling; community outreach for the Fox Hills and Hayden Tract Specific Plan; consensus; compromise; and community engagement included in the RFP (Request for
Proposals).
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation to staff for helping make things understandable; a request that a density bonus matrix be created including state and local requirements that impact the number of units allowed in a given space; highlighting the City’s role in the process; the upcoming online community meeting on March 28 with the State Department of Housing and Community Development; the
digitization of old permits and plans; business owners
frustrated with Building and Safety requirements; subjectivity; kitchen ventilation; compliance with state building codes and regulations; and openness to alternative methods to accomplish the same objective.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation for the impact of the Director on the Department; supporting departments and collabora tive efforts; March 20, 2024
9 identification of relevant grants; coordination with affordable housing developers; ensuring that resources are available; concern with meeting RHNA numbers; addressing the obligation; the active role of Housing and Human Services in funding for particular projects; land use entitlements and approvals; the complicated, layered financing models reliant on private, state, and local financing to be accomplished; the role of the City to streamline project approval; demonstrating City support for development; approved design standards; the most common ADUs built; including two story ADUs in phase 2; the Fox Hills and Hayden Tract Plans; affordable housing overlays; streamlining for mixed use; and ensuring that diverse voices are heard during the process.
Ted Stevens, Parks, Recreation and Community Services (PRCS) Director, introduced staff; discussed core functions and objectives; daily operations; and he highlighted priorities for the PRCS Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Work Plan.
Mayor McMorrin invited public input.
Jeremy Bocchino, City Clerk, indicated that there were no requests to speak.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding SB1000 qualifying neighborhoods; expanded youth and adult programs; staffing challenges; in-house adult sports programs; work with outside companies; making youth sports a priority for 2024-2025; community outreach and surveys done; the Senior Center; the role of PRCS to support Transportation; the schedule at The Plunge; providing opportunities for everyone to get into the pool with limited supply and high demand; difficulty of hiring lifeguards; the return of swimming lessons; increased staffing and programming; identification of appropriate parks for the installation of exercise equipment in the Parks Master Plan; and eagerness for youth pilot sports programs to begin.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding replacement of playground equipment; community input; other SB1000 neighborhoods in the City; addressing the mobility issue for the Senior Center; intergenerational programming; micro-events; rentals; revenue -generating opportunities; the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service event that had to be postponed; establishing annual or quarterly beautificati on events; and mulch at the Expo.
March 20, 2024
10 Further discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding de-escalation training; CityRide; youth sports; concern from the schools regarding outsourcing the pool to outside entities; priority given to pool programming and the schools before any other permit groups; past miscommunication causing confusion; efforts to formalize the process; efficiency; programming of every lane of the pool every minute of each day; lane timing; returning to processes in place before COVID; concern with overcrowding; fairness; providing equity for everyone who wants to get in the poo l; and grant money for El Marino.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding pay to play sports; equity issues; advantages for those who can afford to participate in for -profit travelling club teams; creating publicly sponsored travelli ng teams; Teen Center membership; basketball courts at Veterans Park and Blair Hills; other parks that need renovation; appreciation for the follow - up on the basketball rims at Fox Hills Park; the need for community outreach with the water reclamation project at Syd Kronenthal Park; concern with a previous lack of community input; the need for diversity of choices; playground replacement at El M arino and Culver West; support for inclusive play structures; community meetings for each location ; providing a fully accessible park; Aidan’s Place in Westwood; National Volunteer Day on April 20; grants for irrigation replacement; including identification of grant opportunities in the RFP; acknowledgement that the parks also serve the surrounding community; the online reservation system for the pool; and agreement to look into providing the ability of one person who books two hours in a row at the pool to stay in the pool for their reserved time.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding the importance of PRCS to the City; strategies for community engagement; engagement with the community in the park; marketing; appreciation for the Complete Parks Master Plan; support for the teen programming; partnering with the schoo l district for mental health; increased rates of suicide for younger people; summer camps and programming; climate; water efficiency; sustainability; and a potential City partnership with California Volunteers to host events.
Heather Baker, City Attorney , thanked the professional and dedicated staff; discussed core functions of the Legal Department; costs; and she provided an overview of priorities March 20, 2024
11 for the Legal Department Work Plan for Fiscal Year 2024-2025 noting the function of the department to serve others.
Mayor McMorrin invited public comment.
Nancy Barba was called to speak but could not be heard.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation for the new format for the presentations; support for efforts put into meeting procedure guidelines; the sign code update; staffing; appreciation for the work and responsiveness of the department; accomplishments; and specific gratitude to Lisa Vidra.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding work done on the Inglewood Oil Field; stability of the budget; efforts to reduce the budget and bring more things in-house; staffing shifts; priorities; year -over-year trends; identification of ways to be proactiv e; and appreciation for efforts to investigate making different choices to be more fiscally conservative.
Nancy Barba was called to speak but could not be heard.
Mayor McMorrin encouraged Ms. Barba to send an email.
Yanni Demetri, Public Works Director, defined Public Works; discussed divisions within the department; core functions; and priorities for the proposed Public Works Department Work Plan for Fiscal Year 2024-2025.
Mayor McMorrin invited public comment.
The following members of the public addressed the City Council:
Michelle Weiner indicated being a member of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) speaking on behalf of herself; discussed the extensive reach of the department; she proposed that Culver City adopt something akin to Measure HLA (Health LA) where any paved street considered a walkable area receives bike treatment and pedestrian upgrades; expressed appreciation for Safe Route to School upgrades in her
neighborhood; discussed a proposed sidewalk along Rhoda Way; the importance of adding a sidewalk next to the park as part of the grant application for the affordable housing project; and she noted the undesirability of using decomposed granite.
March 20, 2024
12 Conor Proffitt asked that Culver City conduct studies regarding bike accessibility and bike lanes; discussed bike lane markings on Girard; the need for signage; and he suggested extending the two-way bike lane from Culver to Washington on Elenda.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding staffing levels; installation of new parking meters; City Council policy to provide coin operated meters; costs to operate coin operated meters; providing centralized parking stations; the grant to modernize light poles; outreach; settling on one product to streamline maintenance; staffing issues leading to delays in the work of the Maintenance and Operations Division; funding for the installation of solar powered lights on the Expo Bike Path; a suggestion to add the Ballona Bike Path to the project; opportunities to bring in more money for the project; exit and entrance points of the Higuera Bridge; volunteer s offering to prune parkway trees at street -level; standard insurance required; support for having residents participate in helping to maintain the City; creation of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan without impact studies; the importance of studies before implementation; ensuring that the neighborhood is involved in any changes made; studies required by law; industry standards; fighting between interest groups; working from data; implementation of organic recycling; businesses receiving complaints from the trash police for items that were placed in unsecured bins in the alley; staff agreement to contact affected businesses to find ways to address the issue; and the state vehicle code requiring that coins be allowed for parking meters.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation for the recent Complete Streets event; pursuit of grants; assistance from the grant writing consultant; the process for sidewalk installation; storm water projects; adding catch basins to alleviate water pooling in the City; support for expanding the Sustainable Business Certification Program; tree planting to increase the tree canopy; design for ongoing bikeway projects; and funding for permanent
improvements.
Further discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding the definition of Public Works; appreciation for the amount of work done; Metro grants for the Fox Hills Neighborhood Traffic Management Program; Graffiti-Free Friday; training of all staff to scan the area they are working on and address issues; overlap between Public Works and PRCS; increased efficiency; collaboration with PRCS; CIPs (Capital Improvement March 20, 2024
13 Projects); providing assistance to PRCS when they are short staffed at the parks; and appreciation for responsiveness.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation for the customer service oriented department; providing an historical marker for the Jackson/Farragut Walkway; the contingency budget for the project; communication with Hope Parrish; features available with streetlight replacement; the sewer video inspection; ensuring that Los Angeles maintains their sewer lines that r un through Culver City; grant funding for design or construction; leveraging consultants; street sweeping requirements; ensuring the quality of storm water runoff; replacement of parking meters in the Hayden Tract; addressing narrow sidewalks with bulb -outs at pinch points; encouragement to take advantage of any opportunity to
underground utility poles; Rule 20A terminated by the state to end credit allocations; particulate matter associated with leaf blowers; research into the effectiveness of leaf vacuums; monuments; using engraved stone instead of brass plaques; different options for quick build delineators; extending the drop zone on Ocean Avenue; Baldwin and Farragut; bioswales; rain gardens throughout the City; maintenance by the landscape contractor; additional information available by contacting Sean Singletary; and agreement to add information on the website if it does not exist there.
Further discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding additional best practices in terms of cost savings; the rate study for the recycling program; the importance of education; multi-family Zero Waste; continued outreach; the HLA example; concern about infrastructure and safety; ensuring that streets are safe for everyone; expansion of the Sustainable Business Program; parking solutions; appreciation for
responsiveness; an available app for people to submit requests; effectiveness of the department even though it is short-staffed; ensuring a healthy work-life balance; support for the wellness of all employees and appreciation for the ir dedication; and prioritizing hiring additional staff.
Karim Sahli noted that Public Works impacted everyone’s life every day and warranted a significant budget increase; discussed saving lives; meeting traffic calming goals; implementation of more traffic calming measures; the grant writer; leaders ready to help Culver City; daylighting intersections; and he offered to volunteer to buy the paint, get the necessary insurance, and paint intersections red.
March 20, 2024
14 Mayor McMorrin discussed AB413 regarding pedestrian safety at crosswalks and staff indicated that they would contact Mr.
Sahli.
Tevis Barnes, Housing and Human Services Director, provided a video to highlight the Mobile Crisis Team (MCT) Launch and Mental Health Wellness Fair , and a video on the M CT van ; discussed requests for an annual Mental Health and Wellness Fair; she provided a department overview; discussed core functions; different divisions; MCT response rates; and requests and priorities for the proposed Housing and Human Services Department Work Plan for Fiscal Year 2024-2025.
Mayor McMorrin invited public comment.
The following members of the public addressed the City Council:
Nancy Barba, Culver City for More Homes, thanked staff for the work done in the past year; discussed optimizing limited City resources; maximizing benefits to the community; the number of residents that can be supported vs. the number of people served; the significant investment in the well-being of the community; prioritizing increasing resident intake at both sites; ensuring that more individuals benefit from the resources; presumptive eligibility; exemption of local housing providers from the rules that require applicants to produce identification and document their homeless status and income before moving in to their apartments; allowing for assembling necessary documents after moving in; the lengthy process; and she wanted to advocate for a department grant writer.
Radoslawa Warner provided background on herself; discussed conditions for people housed at Paradise; other women who are being harassed and insulted; property confiscated, missing, or stolen by Urban Alchemy; she expressed concern with the manager; reported that St. Joseph Center did not provide any receipts or paperwork and she was told that she had no tenant rights there; she indicated that there was no proof of residency provided and that residency could be terminated at any time; noted
requirements for full cooperation or expulsion to the street; she questioned whether that was the normal treatment of people in the program to be denied basic human rights and
documentation; reported many people in the community that d id not have substance or behavioral issues; and she thanked the City Council for their help.
March 20, 2024
15 Discussion ensued between staff and Council M embers regarding staff efforts to engage with the speaker; the limited ability to discuss individual cases; agreement to follow up with St.
Joseph Center and Urban Alchemy regarding comments from Ms.
Warner; looking back at the expansion of the department to evaluate for possible redundancies and increased efficiencies; empty beds in Wellness Village and Project Homekey; concern with investing more money into the program and the department ; responsibility of the county and the state; preserving what has an impact; lack of sustainability in the long run; feedback from clients and guests involved in the process expressing
dissatisfaction with St. Joseph Center; issues with Urban Alchemy; the MCT; the clinician within CCPD; whether use of St.
Josephs is requ ired; internal resources; reevaluating the function of St. Joseph; and offering people who live in their car short-term hotel solutions.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation for the presentation and the wor k done as well as for following up on public comments; the importance of addressing the homeless issue; concern that money would be invested for one year, the anti -camping ordinance would be implemented, and then the City would turn a blind eye; the need for more than one year to solve the issue; budget concerns; firmness with regional, state, and federal partners; metrics of success for the MCT; the cost-effective safe parking program; students who live below the poverty line; meeting people where they are; people shifting into their cars due to the anti - camping ordinance; and the report on the anti-camping ordinance.
Further discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding creation of the department; large accomplishments in a short period of time; the need to give St. Joseph prior notice of concerns; and staff consideration of comments.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation for staff responsiveness; efforts to collaborate with neighboring Los Angeles districts; the number of available spaces vs. occupancy rates; the inability of St. Joseph Center to be effective in their outreach; other available options; the budget work plan ask; new funding for housing and homelessness; the preliminary look a t programs; costs for Project Homekey; lack of hot water and poor water pressure at Wellness Village; efficiencies; hosting Safe Parking at Paradise; shared resources such as food and security at the same location; getting people indoors if possible; resolution of issues with the neighbors; reduced calls for service for CCFD and CCPD; services provided March 20, 2024
16 to unhoused individuals to reduce conflict with the surrounding neighbors; 24/7 security; and appreciation to Ms. Warner for her comments.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation for all that goes into trying something new; supporting the number one issue in the region; the importance of seeing the commitment through; development of Safe Parking; the relatively doable price point; increases to the number of people living in their cars; supportive services; success of the Mental Health and Wellness Fair; providing support and resources to mental health; funding concerns; a suggestion to contract with someone to i dentify potential grants; grants available for capital money, but not for operating costs; the current grant writer working on affordable housing sustainability grants; the importance of being service enriched 24/7 in order to have a successful program; a
suggestion for a Bill of Rights to provide understanding for what is to be expected and who to reach out to for people who participate in programs; clarity with regard to procedures; layers to homeless services; presumptive eligibility; allowing expediency with getting people indoors; ensuring that people are taking advantage of programming; participation agreements and code of conduct; low barrier programs; challenges with documentation; verification of homelessness for permanent supportive housing; the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS); HCD (Housing and Community Development) regulations for Project Homekey; appreciation for the work charts provided; the significance of creating a new department with a large community impact; utilization rates; the number of people moving from Safe Sleep to Project Homekey; the goal of moving people into permanent supportive housing; up -to-date occupancy rates; fluctuating numbers; the expectation that Project Homekey will be filled within the next few weeks; work to bring more people into Safe Sleep; the By Name list of people who are waiting; and people placed into different housing options.
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Public Comment – Items Not on the Agenda
Mayor McMorrin invited public comment.
Jeremy Bocchino, City Clerk, indicated that no requests to speak had been received.
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March 20, 2024
17 Items from Council Members
None.
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Council Member Requests to Agendize Future Items
None.
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March 20, 2024
18 Adjournment
There being no further business, at 9:59 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 21, 2024.
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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
YASMINE-IMANI MCMORRIN
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: _________________________