1 THESE MINUTES ARE NOT OFFICIAL
UNTIL APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL,
CULVER CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY BOARD,
CULVER CITY PARKING AUTHORITY,
AND SUCCESSOR AGENCY TO THE CULVER CITY
REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD
REGULAR MEETING OF THE May 20, 2024
CITY COUNCIL, CULVER CITY 3:00 p.m.
HOUSING AUTHORITY BOARD,
CULVER CITY PARKING AUTHORITY, AND
SUCCESSOR AGENCY TO THE CULVER CITY
REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD
CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA
Call to Order & Roll Call
Mayor McMorrin called the regular meeting of the City Council, Culver City Housing Authority Board, Culver City Parking Authority Board, and Successor Agency to the Culver City Redevelopment Agency Board to order at 3:06 p.m. in the Mike Balkman Chambers at City Hall.
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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May 20, 2024
2 Community Announcements by Members/Updates from Commissions, Boards and/or Committees/Information Items from Staff
Jeremy Bocchino, City Clerk, announced that the deadline to apply to serve on a Commission, Board, or Committee was at 5:00 p.m.; indicated that the list of available positions could be found at culvercity.org/serve; and she noted that anyone having trouble submitting could receive help by calling (310) 253-5859.
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Joint Public Comment – Items NOT on the Agenda
Mayor McMorrin invited public comment.
Jeremy Bocchino, City Clerk, indicated that no speakers had signed up to speak for Items NOT on the Agenda.
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Receipt and Filing of Correspondence
MOVED BY VICE MAYOR O’BRIEN, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER PUZA
AND UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED, THAT THE CITY COUNCIL RECEIVE AND FILE CORRESPONDENCE.
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Action Items
Item A-1
CC:HA:PA:SA - Budget Study Session - City Manager’s Proposed Budget for Fiscal Year 2024-2025: Presentation of the Proposed Budget for Each City Department by its Respective Department Head
Mayor McMorrin expressed thanks to staff and community members; discussed the budget process; outreach; identification of priorities; strategic goals; advocacy by she and the Vice Mayor at Lobby Day in Sacramento to try to fill in budget gaps; the significant deficit faced by the City; benchmarking; looking at best practices of other cities; revenue generation; additional information and insight; providing dat a; understanding department goals; and receipt of continued feedback from colleagues and the community.
May 20, 2024
3 Lisa Soghor, Chief Financial Officer, thanked staff for their work on the budget, in particular, Mary Noller who would be retiring in the summer, Elizabeth Shavelson and Michael Towler; she provided a presentation on the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2024-2025; discussed the historical receipt of awards for budget excellence from the Government Finance Officers
Association (GFOA) and the California Society of Municipal Finance Officers; City Council adoption of Strategic Goals for the next five years on November 13, 2023; incorporation of goals into department work plans and budget enhancement requests; recovery from the pandemic; budget and economic o utlook; inflation and rising interest rates; the forecasted state deficit; the City-wide operating budget; General Fund reserves; revenue funds; General Fund revenue; General Fund expenditures; requested budget enhancements; a request for funding from the Culver City Unified School District ( CCUSD); operational expenses; retirement obligations; current amortization payment schedule; other retirement-related costs; changes to retirement cost structure; other funds proposed; internal service funds; enterprise funds; Capital Improvement Projects (CIPs); the new CIP portal; the General Fund reserve balance; General Fund balance; the 10 year forecast; and adoption of the final budget on June 10, 2024 for implementation on July 1, 2024.
Mayor McMorrin invited public comment.
Jeremy Bocchino, City Clerk, reported no requests to speak.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation to staff for their efforts; the basis for the 30% contingency reserve; the need to look at additional revenue to support homeless services; the importance of going after county, state, and federal monies; the unsustainability of expanded homeless services without additional revenue; concern with drawing from reserves; ensuring departmental needs are being met; staff workload; and staffing levels.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation for increased transparency in the budget; the importance of taking a wholistic look at all departments and programs; redistribution of resources; looking at new ways to create revenue; inclusion of Saint Joseph’s Center (SJC) in the budget; and the CCUSD request for f unding of crossing guards.
Further discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation for the CIP portal; concern with the May 20, 2024
4 budget deficit; money contributed to Measure H through sales tax vs. the return to Culver City; the Housing Authority contribution; appreciation for the accessible document
providing a more complete picture for the community; budgets of other cities of a similar size that do not provide the level of services that Culver City does; budget woes in Los Angeles and in the state; City Council direction regarding the crossing guard request; City Council consensus necessary to consider the request to add a crossing guard at Virginia; changes over the past few years; mission creep; contracting out crossing guards; the increase in costs for crossing guards; concern that CCUSD is backing off from covering the cost to keep children safe; the importance of revisiting the issue with CCUSD; the ability of Culver City to determine whether to support CCUSD each year; concern with items thrown in at the last minute; budget issues; and encouragement for the City Council/Culver City Unified School District Liaison Subcommittee to have a meeting before the June 10 City Council budget meeting.
Jason Sims, Police Chief, introduced staff and provided a presentation on proposed Fiscal Year 202 4-2025 Culver City Police Department (CCPD) budget enhancements.
Mayor McMorrin invited public comment.
The following members of the public addressed the City Council:
Jamie Wallace discussed the popular idea of changing funding for the police of to abolish police services; those who believe the police force needs as much support as they can; taking an ideological stance; the slow pace of change; constant CCPD training on use of force, de-escalation, how to deal with those experiencing mental illness, and how to make safe stops; work done to reform policing for the 21st century; her participation in the Citizen’s Police Academy and ride alongs; and she asked the City Council to take the work being done into account when considering the budget.
Karim Sahli reported putting in a request to speak online but receiving no response; discussed comments from the previous police chief indicating that nearly half of their time was spent on homelessness and mental health crises; inefficiency of using sworn officers to handle such issues; reducing the CCPD budget and reallocating funds to hiring dedicated social workers and mental health professionals; adjusting the budget to reflect priorities and ensure that individuals in crisis receive proper support; allowing CCPD to focus on killers and drug traffickers; May 20, 2024
5 appreciation for the ir service; making things work with a reduced budget; concern with the status quo bu dget; making practical and compassionate changes; and he asserted that Council Member Vera should recuse himself from that portion of the item due to his conflict of interest.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation to staff for their efforts; the modest requests being made; increased costs across the board; support for the DOJ (Department of Justice) grant; transparency and
accountability; new technology; the coin counter; the Records Manager; increased records requests; having CSOs (Community Service Officers) handle certain functions; the custodian; elimination of the janitor position; the existing City -wide contract; the transition of Dr. Dan from CCPD; and the officer assigned to the Mental Health Evaluation Team.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding the actions and policies of other police departments; support for CCPD by the majority of residents; the two civilian positions being added; Animal Services Officer positions; the contract with Los Angeles county to supplement services during off hours; the shelter contract; body -worn cameras; industry standards; and previous clarification received.
Further discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding capital expenditures for obsolescence or end of life; public records requests; groups and community members that generate complicated requests; changes in laws that have made certain documents subject to public records requests; reporting data for RIPA (Racial and Identity Profiling Act); replacement of body-worn cameras and in-car cameras as new models come out; different providers; inclusion of upgrades throughout the life of the contract; length of time th e City has had tasers and cameras; job specifications and require ments for the records management position; collaboration with the Human Resources Department; policies of other cities; identification of areas where cuts can be made; the budgeting process; annual evaluation of staff workload; maintaining service levels; industry standards; determining whether there has been decreased use of force or officer involved shootings correlated with the implementation of body-worn cameras; and the importance of body- worn cameras.
Ken Powell, Fire Chief, introduced staff ; provided a
presentation on the proposed Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Culver City May 20, 2024
6 Fire Department (CCFD) budget enhancements; and he discussed the accreditation process.
Mayor McMorrin invited public comment.
Jeremy Bocchino, City Clerk, reported that no requests to speak had been received.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding the radios; turnout gear; donations of items that have been replaced; the paramedic vehicle involved in an accident; reserve apparatus; staffing; ratio of paramedics to firefighters; fires related to the unhoused; decreased calls; reaccreditation; CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) efforts; the vacant CSO position; workload; integrating the CCFD Mobile EOC (Emergency Operations Center) wit h the CCPD trailer; the goal of
interoperability; paramedic training; appreciation for
increased email communication; the Pancake Breakfast; trailer storage; appreciation for the presentation; comparative data; accessibility to the public; differences between the CCPD and CCFD EOC trailers; using both trailers; clarification that CCFD oversees communication for all of Culver City; the difficulty of making cuts given increases to workload; potential affects to service levels; and shifting the workload.
Heather Baker, City Attorney’s Office, introduced staff ; provided a presentation on the Fiscal Year 2024 -2025 City Attorney’s Office proposed budget enhancements; and she thanked the City Council for their support and for the opportunity to serve.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding benefits of the proposed new position to the City; high volume tort defense litigation; bringing specialized litigation in - house; enforcement litigation; projects; workplans; daily operations; streamlining processes; in -house vs. outside attorneys; enhancing efficiency and communication; the time and place for outsourcing work; the significant increase in public records requests since 2020; staffing levels; the rationale for having a small s taff; appreciation for the work accomplished; requirements for Deputy City Attorney III; responding to the needs of other departments; bringing more things in -house; performance measures; workload; increased claims; and
appreciation for the work of the department.
Ted Stevens, Parks, Recreation and Community Services (PRCS) Director, introduced staff and provided a presentation on the May 20, 2024
7 Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department proposed budget enhancements.
Mayor McMorrin invited public comment.
The following members of the public addressed the City Council:
Jane Leonard discussed the many complex components to
formulating a budget and she expressed appreciation for the budget crafted by PRCS, the City Manager’s recommendations, and the dedication of the Finance Department.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding support from the community; misinformation; collaboration with the PRCS Commission; the playground at Lindberg Park; addressing other challenges with playgrounds; safety; priorities;
community meetings; capacity; number of projects being overseen; appreciation to staff for going above and beyond; the Expo Line mulch; the Kaizuka Garden; the upcoming sold out Senior Prom; security services; the playground replacement; annual vs. one - time costs; enhancements; the Parks Master Plan; the timeline; community meetings; neighborhoods built around parks in Culver City; a call to action; email received using the same text; lack of communication from Culver City indicating that requests were being denied; concern with lying to people to evoke a response; using parks as an opportunity to welcome neighbors and provide engagement; appreciation for public feedback; discrepancies; restructuring done to provide ongoing maintenance; figuring out where information comes from; rectifying confusion; the dense budget; staff turnover; salaries; part time staff; number of people served; community impact; moving money from under - utilized areas to impacted areas; cuts; non -essential non - revenue programs; special events; essential services; community support for the parks; increased engagement; and appreciation to PRCS staff for their efforts and for the communication.
Jack Galanty expressed appreciation for the parks; asked the City to fund the parks in the way they deserve to be funded; discussed park usage; the pandemic; and he hoped that Culver City continued to make the parks even better.
Yanni Demitri, Public Works Director, expressed gratitude to dedicated Public Works staff; discussed National Public Works Week; and he provided a presentation on Fiscal Year 2024 -2025 Public Works Department proposed budget enhancements.
Mayor McMorrin invited public comment.
May 20, 2024
8 The following member of the public addressed the City Council:
Jack Galanty, speaking on behalf of himself, noted that he saw the hard work and dedication of Public Works every month at Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) meetings; discussed projects in the pipeline that would make Culver City better and improve areas that are often overlooked; the Better Overland project; bicycle infrastructure; efforts to get state, federal, and local funding; staff that goes above and beyond; and the Analyst position.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding National Public Works Week; appreciation to staff; effects of Public Works on every aspect of people’s lives; responsiveness; bridge maintenance; lighting; sharing cost s with the Baldwin Hills Conservancy; sustainability goals; additional support for the staffing levels; ideal staffing levels; the growing need; increased ways for the public to report issues; stre etlight replacement; decorative street lights as under the jurisdiction of Economic Development; sidewalk repair; lawsuits; engineering interns; shaving uplifted portions of sidewalk panels; services that are contracted out; staff vacancies; funding for st reet light upgrades; qualifications for the Associate Analyst; the importance of grant writing skills and a dedicated position; pursuit of grant opportunities whether the position is filled or not; honoring and supporting requests; moving Sustainability Business Certification from a one-time cost to an institutional cost; support for sustainability goals; the deficit; and doing more in-house work rather than contracting out.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding order of the presentations.
Mark Mu enzer, Planning and Development Director, expressed appreciation to staff for their efforts and he provided a presentation on Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Planning and Development Department proposed budget enhancements.
Mayor McMorrin invited public comment.
Jeremy Bocchino, City Clerk, indicated that no requests to speak had been received.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation to staff for their efforts and for thei r
responsiveness; the online permitting process; continued work May 20, 2024
9 on the IOF (Inglewood Oil Field); length of time to address permits; streamlining the process for simple permit types; incomplete applications that slow the process ; meeting code requirements; licensing; examining fiscal impacts of the General Plan; effects to the tax base of converting commercial to residential; alignment of the requirements with work plan goals; the digitization project; workload; the state budget; the Hayden Tract and Fox Hills Specific Plan; impacts of completion of the General Plan on the workload to staff ing; the Zoning Code Update; the number of proposals received once rezoning is in place; the Specific Plans; valuation of permits; larger development projects; smaller infill developments along commercial corridors; the transition to FTE; projected trends; community outreach and education; best practices; support for cross-learning and sharing between departments; the processes of other cities; areas for possible cut-backs of shifts; freeing up staff through the electronic document and permit process to perform other functions; and the building inspection scheduling process.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding the order of departmental presentations.
Tevis Barnes, Housing and Human Services Director, expressed appreciation to staff for their efforts and to the City Council for their partnership in creating a positive impact in the community; discussed core functions and services provided; she provided a presentation on proposed enhancements for the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Housing and Human Services Department budget; discussed items supported by the General Fund vs. other funded items; she expressed appreciation for support received from other departments; and she provided statistics on current programs.
Mayor McMorrin invited public comment.
The following members of the public addressed the City Council:
Ryan Wolfe was called to speak but did not respond.
Dr. Ryan Smith, President of Saint Joseph ’s Center (SJC)), provided background on himself; discussed serving Culver City; challenges during the transition between the two presidents; the decision of Culver City to end the decades -long contract with SJC; he asked that the City consider continuing the contract during a probationary period while issues are
May 20, 2024
10 addressed; and he asked for the opportunity to review the contract with Culver City before it is ended.
Keith Anyon, Vice President of SJC, provided background on himself; discussed shared efforts to address homelessness; their desire to continue helping p eople; and he requested a chance for SJC to prove themselves and to continue to rise to the level of excellence provided to the community for nearly 47 years.
Ryan Wolfe was called to speak but did not respond.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation to staff for their efforts; installation of the electric pole at Wellness Village; pricing fluctuation with Edison; the therapy dog; Wellness Village; building awareness of available services; addressing continued encampments; the Mobile Crisis Team (MCT); building relationships; coordination with Public Works; activating space; appreciation for the wholistic approach taken with multi -pronged solutions; collaboration with PRCS; leveraging resources; not relying on the county; continued activity and engagement; the Homeless Plan Update; public comment regarding SJC; funding for homeless outreach; clarification that SJC w ould continue to provide certain services to Culver City; the coordinated entry lead for SPA (Service Provider Area) 5 through LAHSA (Los Angeles Housing Services Authority); nights and weekend service; internal outreach funded to reach the needed level of service for the community; the continued relationship with SJC; use of another vendor to assist in providing outreach services in the evening and on weekends; the decision made by staff to terminate the contract for extra services; City Council discretion to agendize reconsideration of the SJC contract; performance -based challenges with SJC; providing services within budget
constraints; staff exploration of other options to provide services; plans to expand outreach services; approval of any new contract by the City Council; the ability to terminate contracts with no consultation by the City Council and the need for City Council approval to enter into a new contract; people coming from out of the area; finite resources; porous borders; serving everyone possible; finding a way to fund services; recent statistics provided; MCT hours; calls from people in crisis directly to the MCT; the need for a Spanish speaker; staffing levels; the support dog; the narrative about cost; the cost of not addressing issues; impact of the changes made; quantifying the need; calls received afte r 6:00 p.m.; cost balance; tracking; promoting the people in crisis who have been helped; the incredible success in a short period of time; May 20, 2024
11 transparency and accountability; finding grant sources for wrap around support costs; being data forward; being in a good position for future grants; loneliness declared a public health issue; things that can be funded outside of the state; shifting the location of the Wellness Fair to make it more accessible; documenting the number of people being supported; appreciati on for the focus on the data; the Public Information Officer; bringing on an agency that can help after -hours requests; providing a portal to address requests; continued education and outreach; capital support vs. support for operation and maintenance; the inability to identify areas to cut back on; and additional consideration of contracts.
Ryan Wolfe, SJC, provided background on himself; discussed the ability of SJC to adapt and serve the community; concern that the contract was ended; communication; addressing
dissatisfaction; creativity in meeting needs; length of the relationship between Culver City and SJC; he urged the City Council to allow SJC a chance to demonstrate the ir ability to provide renewed flexibility and leadership; and he indicated being available to speak with anyone interested.
Michele Williams, Information Technology (IT) Director, expressed appreciation to staff for their efforts and provided a presentation on Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Information Technology Department proposed budget enhancements.
Mayor McMorrin invited public comment.
Jeremy Bocchino, City Clerk, reported no requests to speak.
John Nachbar, City Manager, announced that the Chief Information Officer would be retiring in December; he discussed the value of Michelle Williams to Culver City; the success of the fiber project; and he noted the importance of her understated and excellent work.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation to staff for their dedication and serv ice; replacement of equipment in Council Chambers ; reasonable proposals; other cities that provide laptops and cellphones to their Council Members; keeping hardware and software agreements current; appreciation for the work of the IT Department to keep Culver City safe and to meet the needs of the community; expanding Wi-Fi to the parks; integration of Wi-Fi and supports with the Transportation Department; heavy reliance on the IT Department; the vis ion for the IT Department; collaboration May 20, 2024
12 between IT and all departments to allow for greater efficiency; and implementation of leading edge technology.
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Public Comment – Items Not on the Agenda (Continued)
Mayor McMorrin invited public comment.
The following member of the public addressed the City Council:
Denise Neal asked about regional zoning overlays; discussed insufficient funding; the need for multi -designations; wanted to see Culver City qualify for funding; noted the need for a plan to provide a vehicle for funding connected with the Olympics, FIFA, and the Super Bowl; and consideration of items at upcoming meetings.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding upcoming meetings; City Council consideration of what other cities are doing; potential revenue sources; and the Olympics Subcommittee.
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Items from Council Members
Council Member Vera asked that the meeting be adjourned in memory of long-time Culver City resident Ruby Elbogen.
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Council Member Requests to Agendize Future Items
None.
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MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER VERA, SECONDED BY MAYOR MCMORRIN AND
UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED, THAT THE CITY COUNCIL ADJOURN THE MEETING IN MEMORY OF RUBY ELBOGEN.
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May 20, 2024
13 Adjournment
There being no further business, at 8:43 p.m., the City Council, Culver City Housing Authority Board, Culver City Parking Authority, and Successor Agency to the Culver City Redevelopment Agency Board adjourned in memory of Ruby Elbogen to a meeting to be held on May 21, 2024 at 3:00 p.m.
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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 Housing Authority Board, and Culver City Parking Authority,
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 Housing Authority Board, and Culver City Parking
Authority
Date: _________________________