OFFICIAL MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING OF THE
CITY COUNCIL, CULVER CITY
HOUSING AUTHORITY BOARD,
CULVER CITY PARKING AUTHORITY,
FINANCING AUTHORITY BOARD, AND
SUCCESSOR AGENCY TO THE CULVER CITY
REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD
CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA
Call to Order
February 24, 2025
7:00 p.m.
Mayor O'Brien called the City Council to order at 6:46 p.m. with four Council Members present (absent Council Member McMorrin). oOo
Recognition Presentations - 6:30 p.m.
Item R-1
CC - Presentation of a Cormnendation to K-9 Officer Ander on the Occasion of his Retirement
Mayor O'Brien presented the Commendation to K-9 Officer Ander on the occasion of his retirement.
oOo
Regular Session
Call to Order & Roll Call
Mayor O'Brien called the regular meeting of the City Council, Culver City Housing Authority Board, Culver City Parking Authority, Financing Authority Board, and Successor Agency to 1 February 24, 2025
the Culver City Redevelopment Agency Board to order at 7:03 p.m. in the Mike Balkman Council Chambers at City Hall and via Webex.
Present: Dan O'Brien, Mayor
Freddy Puza, Vice Mayor
Bubba Fish, Council Member
Yasmine-Imani McMorrin, Council Member*
Albert Vera, Council Member
*Council Member McMorrin arrived at 7:15 p.m.
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Pledge of Allegiance
Ace Noriega from Pack 461 and Bobby Noriega from Troop 15 led the Pledge of Allegiance.
oOo
Land Acknowledgement
Mayor O'Brien read the Land Acknowledgement and stated that a more comprehensive version had been posted in Council Chambers. oOo
Community Announcements by Members/Updates from Commissions, Boards and/or Committees/Information Items from Staff
J. R. Wright, Chief Information Officer, discussed the audio visual upgrade to Council Chambers; expressed gratitude to Parks, Recreation and Community Services (PRCS) staff for allowing the use of the Senior Center by Commissions and Boards during the transition, to staff for their efforts, and to the City Council for their patience; discussed key features; and noted the transition from Webex to Zoom.
Jeremy Bocchino, City Clerk, encouraged anyone who needed an assistive listening device to come see her as she had some available.
Council Member Fish expressed gratitude for the upgrade to Council Chambers; congratulated those who worked on the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration; thanked staff and service providers 2 February 24, 2025
for their work on the Homeless Count; discussed addressing the homelessness and housing crisis; reflecting on policies that led to the spike in homelessness across the region; the recent Culver City Books Festival; he encouraged everyone to attend the Community Conversation: How the Middle East Crisis Affects Me, put on by the Equity and Human Relations Advisory Committee {EHRAC) on February 25, 2025; discussed the Walk More Bike More Festival on March 1 put on by Walk and Rollers, and the Screenland SK Run on March 2.
Vice Mayor Puza reported attending Strengthening Community, Resilience Through Collaboration to discuss coordinating emergency drill events to better prepare the community for crisis situations and thanked the organizers; discussed hosting a feedback session that was not sponsored by Culver City nor directed by the City Council; incidents at the Pan African Film Festival; he asserted the Culver City stands against hate and in solidarity with the Black and African communities; and acknowledged work necessary to increase diversity and to be more inclusive of other groups and cultures.
Council Member McMorrin joined the meeting.
Mayor O'Brien echoed previous comments; discussed attending the Independent Cities Association Conference; opportunities to learn from other cities; the Screenland SK on March 2; the 13th Anniversary of Walk and Rollers at the Ivy Station on March 1; and Women's History Month in March.
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Information Items
Item I-1
Update on Homelessness Emergency Including Project Homekey, Safe Camping, and Other Housing Programs (This update is made pursuant to the requirements of Government Code Section 8630(c) requiring a periodic review of the local emergency)
Tevis Barnes, Housing and Human Services Director, provided an update on activities being undertaken to address homelessness in the community; she introduced team members from Urban Alchemy and Health Care in Action; discussed the 2025 Homeless Count; Severe Weather Protocol; the new Homeless Outreach Portal; current number of people being assisted; and she thanked staff 3 February 24, 2025
and the City Council for the merit award from the Westside Urban Forum in the Affordable Housing category for Project Homekey.
Tim Kornegay, Urban Alchemy, thanked the City Council for their partnership; discussed being part of the solution to address people experiencing homelessness in Culver City; values of the team in their work on outreach and in Wellness Village; ensuring that people feel seen and valued; providing resources to move people to interim and permanent housing; and he introduced members of the Lifting Our Voices with Equity (LOVE) Team.
Melody Porter and Ariel Banks, Healthcare in Action, expressed appreciation to Tevis Barnes and Dr. Dan Richardson, provided an overview of services; discussed medical services provided; the team; 2024 achievements; increasing mental health and substance use treatment numbers; the request to add a Behavioral Health Specialist to their team for 2025; partnerships; proposed changes for 2025; the goal of doubling the amount of people served; and they shared a patient success story.
Discussion ensued between Healthcare in Action representatives, staff, and Council Members regarding the ability of the new Behavioral Heal th Specialist to write a mental heal th hold; service resistant individuals; building rapport; gaining trust; touch points from multiple organizations that may not have been helpful to them; and plans to improve outcomes.
Tevis Barnes, Housing and Human Services Director, provided a debrief on the 2025 Homeless Count; thanked those who
participated in the internal count; discussed ensuring an accurate count; coordination with LAHSA (Los Angeles Housing Services Authority); and Severe Weather Protocol.
Christine Staffers, Management Analyst, introduced the new Homeless Outreach Portal.
Johnnie Griffing,
collaborative efforts
Portal.
Information Technology, discussed
to create the new Homeless Outreach
Maggie Newman, GIS Technician, discussed features of the new Homeless Outreach Portal; the process to submit and address a request; and data.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding direction provided to contact LAHSA for people who are outside of Culver City's jurisdiction; protocol for engagement; building 4 February 24, 2025
trust; providing services; whether the person who initiated the request receives an update when the person has been contacted; the ability to provide an anonymous report; and notice that the request has been received.
Tevis Barnes, Housing and Human Services Director, expressed gratitude to Information Technology and the GIS team for their efforts to create the portal to allow for improved outreach and data collection; discussed current number of people being assisted; information on the Homeless Dashboard vs. what is in the report; and she provided a snapshot of the homeless continuum of care services as of February 21, 2025.
Dr. Dan Richardson, Human Services and Crisis Intervention Manager, highlighted statistics from the Mobile Crisis Team since the launch in March 2024; discussed number of people housed, hotline calls, and engagements; co-responses with Culver City Police Department (CCPD) and Culver City Fire Department (CC.FD) ; mental heal th assessments; and the upcoming Wellness Fair on April 23, 2025 in the courtyard at City Hall.
Tevis Barnes, Housing and Human Services Director, discussed awards received by Culver City from the Southern California Association of Non-Profit Housing (SCANPH).
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation to staff for their efforts and
collaboration; the build-out of the continuum of care; mental health and evaluations; measuring overlap; neighbors supported by multiple teams; resource levels; stages of care; ongoing care; consistency provided by Healthcare in Action; the flow of resources: identification by the LOVE Team, work by the Mobile Crisis Team to address the crisis, and continued care provided by Healthcare in Action; those slipping into homelessness; creation of the Housing and Human Services Department in 2022; relationships, systems, new portals, and dashboards;
identification of trends from data collected; CCFD and CCPD coordination with the severe alert on the Creek during the recent weather event; multi-day weather events vs. single-day events; increased need during certain times of the year; weather-driven placement; difficulty keeping some people indoors; things that prevent people from getting housing; putting more effort into helping people get paperwork and resources to rebuild; people who need a treatment program or a place that provides a higher level of care for those with health issues; identification of who might be ready to live in an apartment on their own; engaging in best efforts to keep people 5 February 24, 2025
in Culver City; funding for those who have to go outside of Culver City and tracking for one year after placement; release of data from the Homeless Count by LAHSA; adjustment factors used on the data by LAHSA; the goal to have a 911 Dispatch Diversion Program; and 988 used for the dispatch of mental health teams in Los Angeles.
Further discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding a report that there were no homeless individuals observed during a recent trip to the Creek; reporting raw numbers vs. adjusted numbers; the Point in Time Count; programs running at near capacity; keeping a couple of beds available for people in crisis in the event of an emergency; agreement to alert the City Council when all facilities are at capacity; regular updates to the City Council; gratitude for the work that has gone into the continuum of care; accountability to resident feedback on the programs; process and protocol; regular meetings with the guests to receive feedback; examination of a process to receive feedback; and providing the ability for anonymous feedback for those not comfortable speaking up.
oOo
Joint Public Comment - Items NOT on the Agenda
Mayor O'Brien invited public comment.
Jeremy Bocchino, City Clerk, read the City Council statement regarding hate speech.
The following members of the public addressed the City Council:
Ron Ostrin was called to speak but was not present in person or online.
Dr. Luther Henderson reiterated his previous comments to the City Council in January 2024 requesting that the City Council rescind the Sanctuary City Resolution of 2017 and he asked that the matter be considered at the next meeting; discussed unwarranted financial burden on the City's taxpayers; requesting that legislators rescind California State Senate Bill 54 Chapter
17.25; and violation of the Sedition Act of 1798.
Al the Zionist was called to speak but was not present in person or online.
6 February 24, 2025
Laurent Meler provided background on himself; requested an off cycle sponsorship for Los Angeles Fashion Week; and discussed the concept of the event.
Mayor O'Brien asked that Mr. Meler email the details for the event to Council Members.
Ron Ostrin discussed serious responsibilities ahead; efforts to address homeless issues; the need from outside sources; the inability to sustain costs being incurred; upheaval of the federal government; he asked that the City Council be sober in their assessments financially in taking upon responsibilities; and he expressed appreciation to everyone for their service.
Kellie Hawkins, Nike, requested that an off-cycle sponsorship for co-marketing opportunities for the upcoming Nike After Dark Run Tour on June 7 be agendized for consideration at the next meeting noting tourism opportunities for the cities that the event goes through.
Mayor O'Brien received consensus from Vice Mayor Puza and Council Members Fish and Vera to agendize consideration of the Nike After Dark Run Tour event.
Johanna Gullick was called to speak but was not present in person or online.
T'Ana Allen, Deputy City Clerk, reminded those who signed up online to ensure that their display name matches the name they signed up to speak with.
Carlos Valverde indicated being a member of the EHRAC, but speaking on his own behalf; provided background on himself; asked the City Council to consider adding Latino Heritage Month to yearly observances and celebrations; discussed cities around Los Angeles with observances; percentage of Latino students and residents in Culver City; the history of Culver City; bringing the cornmuni ty together; celebration of diversity; attracting people into Culver City; and efforts of the EHRAC to honor Latino Heritage Month over the past few years.
Mayor O'Brien received unanimous City Council consensus to agendize consideration of adding Latino Heritage Month to yearly observances and celebrations.
Mary Daval discussed Ciclavia; the importance of coming together in community; the need for safe streets; and the origination 7 February 24, 2025
and growth of Ciclavia in Bogota.
Samia Bano, EHRAC Chair, announced the Community Conversation:
Spark Healing Through Conversation: How the Middle East Affects Me on February 25, 2025 at the Senior Center; indicated speaking on behalf of Subcommittee Member Rebecca Rona, whose sentiments she shared; reported that Member Rona had to fly to Jerusalem to be with her husband who suffered a heart attack; discussed her strong Jewish identity; residents strongly opposed to a ceasefire and a community discussion about participants' experiences and feelings; polarization; she felt Culver City could do better, and could sit down together to talk and mirror the respect and good will they would like to see in the Middle East; stated that it was painful to hear Muslims and others who favor a ceasefire be referred to as antisemitic noting that some were, but some were not; noted rabbis and Jews in Israel who favor a ceasefire; and expressed concern with references to Israelis as occupiers.
Jeannine Wisnosky Stehlin observed that Council Members were allowed to have water, but security prevented people from bringing water into Council Chambers; discussed transparency and accountability in city government; noted that this was her third request to put the lobbyist registry and policy on the agenda; stated that last time she made the request of the previous City Council, there were three nodding heads; discussed the importance of ensuring residents know who is influencing decisions, how money is spent, and who is advocating behind the scenes; and she noted other cities around the region that require lobbyists to register with the city, disclose who their clients are, the issues they are advocating for, money spent on influence, and ensure that employees from entities seeking city benefits disclose that at meetings.
Mayor O'Brien indicated that discussion would be coming forward on an upcoming agenda.
John Matthews provided background on himself; discussed direct impacts to him from the Trump administration's hate toward transgender individuals; a study indicating that 1 in 10 Americans identify as LGBTQ+; negative effects of current politics to 90% of LGBTQ youth; 46% of transgender and non binary youth considering suicide with higher rates for People of Color; urged Culver City to be on the right side of history by fighting for human rights; noted that transgender rights were human rights and would positively affect everyone; wanted to see transgender and same-sex rights entrenched in Culver City 8 February 24, 2025
law; and indicated that the LGBTQ community was looking to local leaders for action.
Mayor O'Brien reported that an update would be coming forward on the statement on hate and that Culver City was working to address issues.
Michael Koppy stated that it was almost one year since the matter of public outreach had been remanded to the Policy Subcommittee; discussed the precipitating issue; efforts of the Planning Department to obfuscate the issue and ignore it; part time Council Members; the single issue on the agenda for the Policy Subcommittee; he suggested having Subcommittee Members Fish and Vera consider the item adjacent to one of the other subcommittees that they serve on together; and he indicated that he would address the issue further via email.
Melissa Sanders requested an update on what was going on with sidewalks; reported assurances that issues were being taken care of; discussed a massive tripping hazard on her corner; and she wished K-9 Anders well on his retirement.
Mayor O'Brien reported that the Director of Public Works had indicated that sidewalk issues would be addressed.
Yanni Demitri, Public Works Director, stated that Culver City had only one concrete crew with multiple sidewalk locations to be addressed, and he assured Ms. Sanders that the crew would get to her street as soon as possible.
Marci Baun expressed concern about money being spent; proposed getting money for homeless outreach through Measure HHH; discussed the amount of money being spent as being untenable to keep doing what needs to be done; focusing on grants or collaboration with surrounding communities on outreach
programs; using programs that are already available rather than constantly reinventing the wheel; the importance of the work; and she expressed hope that the City could find a way to make programming viable while keeping Culver City financially solvent.
Robert Zirgulis, Culver City Kennedy Democrats, asked Culver City to pass a resolution condemning the atrocities occurring in Ukraine that began three years ago; reported that he had been told he had to cut the posters he brought in to display in half; presented images of what shrapnel looks like and what it can do; discussed his trip to Ukraine and what he witnessed there; 9 February 24, 2025
interviews he conducted; and a documentary in the works about the situation.
Ryan Factora, Institute for Public Strategies, provided background on the organization; requested that the City Council agendize an off-cycle sponsorship of their upcoming Fentanyl Awareness Community Action Forum on April 8 at the Culver City Recreation Center; discussed marketing and outreach; event goals; the impact of the Fentanyl crisis in West Los Angeles; and proposed planning and engagement.
Michael Jung, Institute for Public Strategies, requested that the City Council place an item on the next agenda to consider an off-cycle grant for marketing support of the upcoming Fentanyl Awareness Community Action Forum; he acknowledged that funds for the fiscal year had already been disbursed; discussed making the event public and open to community members; their current insurance and the inability to afford an upgraded policy; and the importance of providing vital education to community members and direction to service providers, schools, and other partners to combat the crisis.
Discussion ensued between staff and Committee Members regarding the timeline; a request that information be provided to the City Clerk; and full City Council consensus was achieved to agendize consideration of an off-cycle grant for marketing support of the upcoming Fentanyl Awareness Community Action Forum.
Jack Galanty indicated that when not using his three-wheel bike he is in a wheelchair; discussed a bad experience with a Culver City Bus Operator; updating or enacting policies to improve the situation; and he expressed hope that training and operations would be updated.
Mayor O'Brien expressed his regrets about the experience of Mr.
Galanty and indicated that staff would follow up on the matter. oOo
Receipt and Filing of Correspondence
MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER VERA, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER FISH
AND UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED, THAT THE CITY COUNCIL RECEIVE AND FILE CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED BY 3:00 P.M. ON FEBRUARY 24, 2025. oOo
10 February 24, 2025
Order of the Agenda
Jeremy Bocchino, City Clerk, indicated that Consent Item C-4 could not be considered as a Consent Item because it required discussion and therefore it would be pulled and discussed separately before Item A-1.
Yanni Demitri, Public Works Director, provided a correction to Item C-5 noting that the subject property is a corner lot fronting two streets and the address should read: 10701 Ranch Road.
Item C-4 was pulled from the Consent Calendar to be considered as an action Item; a correction was made to Item C-5; Item C-6 was considered separately; and Item A-5 was considered before Item A-1.
oOo
Consent Calendar
Item C-1
CC:HA:SA - Approval of Cash Disbursements for February 1, 2025 to February 14, 2025
THAT THE CITY COUNCIL, HOUSING AUTHORITY BOARD, AND SUCCESSOR AGENCY TO THE REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD: APPROVE CASH
DISBURSEMENTS FOR FEBRUARY 1, 2025 TO FEBRUARY 14, 2025. oOo
Item C-2
CC: HA: SA: DC: PA - Approval of Minutes for the Regular City Council Meeting Held on February 10, 2025
THAT THE CITY COUNCIL, HOUSING AUTHORITY BOARD, DISASTER
COUNCIL, PARKING AUTHORITY BOARD, AND SUCCESSOR AGENCY TO THE REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD: APPROVE MINUTES FOR THE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON FEBRUARY 10, 2025.
oOo
11 February 24, 2025
Item C-3
CC-Adoption of a Resolution Approving the Amending Tract Map No. 73978-A for the Ivy Station Mixed Use Development Located at 8809 Washington Boulevard
THAT THE CITY COUNCIL: ADOPT A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE AMENDING MAP P2024-0224 (TRACT MAP NO. 73978-A) THAT REPLACES TRACT MAP NO. 73978 AT 8809 WASHINGTON BOULEVARD.
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Item C-4
CC - (1) Approve an Amendment to the Existing Professional Service Agreement with Healthcare in Action for Street-Based Medical Services for Unhoused Residents in an Amount Not-to Exceed $400, 000 for the Time of Performance from 02/01/2025 through 01/31/2026; OR 2) Approve an Amendment to the Existing Professional Service Agreement with Healthcare in Action for Street-Based Medical Services for Unhoused Residents in an Amount Not-to-Exceed $574,665 for the Time of Performance from 02/01/2025 through 01/31/2026 to Include the Integration of Behavioral Health Services
This item was considered as an Action Item after the Consent Calendar.
oOo
Item C-5
CC - Adoption of a Resolution Declaring the Intention to Order the Vacation of 543 Square Feet of the Portion of Drakewood Avenue Fronting 10701 Drakewood Avenue, Tract No. 18215 and Setting the Matter for Public Hearing on April 14, 2025 Yanni Demitri, Public Works Director, provided a correction to Item C-5 noting that the subject property is a corner lot fronting two streets so the address should read: 10701 Ranch Road.
Heather Baker, City. Attorney, indicated that the address had been corrected in the Resolution, with that address being used for public notice in the Public Hearing.
12 February 24, 2025
THAT THE CITY COUNCIL: ADOPT A RESOLUTION DECLARING THE INTENTION TO VACATE 543 SQUARE FEET OF A PORTION OF DRAKEWOOD AVENUE FRONTING 10701 RANCH ROAD, TRACT NO. 18215 AND SETTING THE PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER SUCH VACATION ON APRIL 14, 2025. oOo
Item C-6
CC - Approval of a Professional Services Agreement with Gibson Transportation Consulting for the Rancho Higuera Neighborhood Traffic Study Phase 2 for an Amount Not-to-Exceed $154,500 Mayor O'Brien invited public input.
The following member of the public addressed the City Council:
Marci Baun expressed concern
the City needed the study;
shortfall; the amount being
overall budget; and she felt
understand the need.
about expenditures; questioned why
discussed the structural budget
requested in relationship to the
more information was necessary to
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding City Council direction to staff to conduct the Traffic
Management Program in 2019; the phased process; assessment of the results and impacts of Phase One; moving into the
implementation of Phase Two; outreach meetings; presentation of pedestrian and bicycle safety enhancements to residents for their feedback; the request from the majority of residents in the area that was authorized by the City Council; impacts of cut-through traffic in the area; and the Mayor reported being struck in the area.
THAT THE CITY COUNCIL:
1. APPROVE A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH GIBSON
TRANSPORTATION CONSULTING FOR THE RANCHO HIGUERA NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC STUDY PHASE 2 FOR A TOTAL AMOUNT NOT-TO-EXCEED $154,500; AND,
2. AUTHORIZE THE CITY ATTORNEY TO REVIEW/PREPARE THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS; AND,
3. AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE SUCH DOCUMENTS ON BEHALF OF THE CITY.
13 February 24, 2025
oOo
Item C-7
CC - (1) Authorization to Accept Unallocated Community
Development Block Grant (CDBG) Funds in the Amount of $145,403; and (2) FOUR-FIFTHS VOTE REQUIREMENT: Approval of a Related Budget Amendment to Appropriate the Grant Funds
THAT THE CITY COUNCIL:
1. AUTHORIZE ACCEPTANCE OF UNALLOCATED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF $145,403; AND,
2. APPROVE A RELATED BUDGET AMENDMENT TO APPROPRIATE THE GRANT FUNDS TO CIP (CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT) PROJECT NO. PS-011 (FOUR-FIFTHS VOTE REQUIRED).
oOo
Item C-8
CC - Ratification of Purchase Orders with Sea-Clear Pools Inc. for Pool Maintenance Supplies in the Additional Amount of $30,000, for a Total Amount Not-to-Exceed $80,000 for Fiscal Year 2024-2025
THAT THE CITY COUNCIL:
1. RATIFY PURCHASE ORDERS WITH SEA-CLEAR POOLS INC. IN THE ADDITIONAL AMOUNT OF $30,000, FOR A TOTAL AMOUNT NOT-TO-EXCEED $80,000 FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024-2025; AND,
2. AUTHORIZE THE PURCHASING OFFICER TO EXECUTE SUCH PURCHASE ORDERS ON BEHALF OF THE CITY.
oOo
Item C-9
CC - Approval of Corrections of Typographical Errors on Approved Transportation Planning On-Call List, Effective Retroactive April 1, 2023 to June 30, 2028
THAT THE CITY COUNCIL: APPROVE CORRECTIONS OF TYPOGRAPHICAL
ERRORS ON APPROVED TRANSPORTATION PLANNING ON-CALL LIST, EFFECTIVE RETROACTIVE APRIL 1, 2023 TO JUNE 30, 2028.
14 February 24, 2025
o O o
Item C-10
CC - A p p ro v a l o f a T w o -Y ea r E x ten sio n to th e E x istin g T h ree Y ea r S o ftw a re S erv ices A g reem en t w ith S w iftly , In c. to P ro v id e S o ftw a re fo r C o m p reh en siv e D a ta R ep o rtin g a n d D isru p tio n M a n a g em en t fo r T ra n sit Op era tio n s in a n A d d itio n a l Am o u n t N o t T o -E x ceed $ 3 2 9 ,6 1 1 .9 3
THAT THE CITY COUNCIL:
1. APPROVE A TWO-YEAR EXTENSION TO THE EXISTING THREE-YEAR SOFTWARE SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH SWIFTLY, INC. TO PROVIDE
SOFTWARE FOR COMPREHENSIVE DATA REPORTING AND DISRUPTION
MANAGEMENT FOR TRANSIT OPERATIONS IN AN ADDITIONAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $329,611.93; AND,
2. AUTHORIZE THE CITY ATTORNEY TO REVIEW/PREPARE THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS; AND,
3. AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE SUCH DOCUMENTS ON BEHALF OF THE CITY.
MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER VERA, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER
MCMORRIN AND UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED, THAT THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVE CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS C-1 THROUGH C-3 AND ITEMS C-5 THROUGH C-
10. o O o
A ctio n Item s
Item C-4
C C - (1 ) A p p ro v e a n Am en dm en t to th e E x istin g P ro fessio n a l S erv ice A g reem en t w ith H ea lth ca re in A ctio n fo r S treet-B a sed M ed ica l S erv ices fo r U n h o u sed R esid en ts in a n Am o u n t N o t-to E x ceed $ 4 0 0 , 0 0 0 fo r th e T im e o f P erfo rm a n ce fro m 0 2 /0 1 /2 0 2 5 th ro u g h 0 1 /3 1 /2 0 2 6 ; O R 2 ) A p p ro v e a n Am en dm en t to th e E x istin g P ro fessio n a l S erv ice A g reem en t w ith H ea lth ca re in A ctio n fo r S treet-B a sed M ed ica l S erv ices fo r U n h o u sed R esid en ts in a n Am o u n t N o t-to -E x ceed $ 5 7 4 ,6 6 5 fo r th e T im e o f P erfo rm a n ce fro m 0 2 /0 1 /2 0 2 5 th ro u g h 0 1 /3 1 /2 0 2 6 to In clu d e th e In teg ra tio n o f B eh a v io ra l H ea lth S erv ices
15 February 24, 2025
Tevis Barnes, Housing and Human Services Director, provided a summary of the material of record.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding current protocol for dealing with behavioral heal th issues; proactive outreach; whether there is an urgency to the ask beyond the homelessness crisis; including the item in upcoming budget conversations; county resources; filling a need that isn't fulfilled in any other part of local government; work done internally that cannot be found on the level that the City wants to provide; ensuring that people are not being kept waiting for months; clarification on a typographical error: $574,665 is the amount that should be reflected for the amendment; reimbursement from Medical; and application for emergency Medical.
Melody Porter, Healthcare in Action, clarified that Medical paid for a portion of operational costs; discussed contract support; services provided; staffing; the mobile medical van;
transportation services; and funding for food and medicine.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding engagement with service resistant individuals through consistent, persistent, and compassionate outreach; the behavioral health element necessary; and support for Option 2.
Mayor O'Brien invited public comment.
The following members of the public addressed the City Council:
Jeanne Black expressed appreciation for the detailed staff report; discussed data provided by other contract providers; support for Healthcare in Action; supplementing costs by Culver City rather than having to pay the full cost; the importance of providing trauma informed care; getting continuity of care and transportation from the county; confusion with the physician and Behavioral Health Specialist listed as current staff; support for adding a Behavioral Health Specialist; and a suggestion to reduce services provided by Urban Alchemy and Exodus if the more effective model provided by Healthcare in Action is approved.
Melissa Sanders received clarification that Healthcare in Action is not a federally approved health center; discussed the importance of keeping wraparound services; concern that since Healthcare in Action is not federally approved, they are not receiving the full reimbursement; she asserted that if Culver City were working with a federally approved health clinic such 16 February 24, 2025
as the Venice Family Clinic, Culver City would be paying less; suggested that Culver City look at other options; and proposed that the City Council postpone the item.
Discussion ensued between Melody Porter, staff, and Council Members regarding the process to be federally certified.
MOVED BY MAYOR O'BRIEN, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER VERA AND UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED, THAT THE CITY COUNCIL:
1. APPROVE AN AMENDMENT TO THE EXISTING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
AGREEMENT WITH HEALTHCARE IN ACTION FOR STREET-BASED MEDICAL
SERVICES FOR UNHOUSED RESIDENTS IN AN AMOUNT NOT-TO-EXCEED $574, 665 FOR THE TIME OF PERFORMANCE FROM 02/01/2025 THROUGH 01/31/2026 TO INCLUDE THE INTEGRATION OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES. AND,
2. AUTHORIZE THE CITY ATTORNEY TO REVIEW/PREPARE THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS; AND,
3. AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE SUCH DOCUMENTS ON BEHALF OF THE CITY.
oOo
Item A-5
(Out of Sequence)
CC -(1) Discussion Regarding a Pause on Rent Increases and a Moratorium on Evictions in Response to the Recent Wildfires; and (2) Direction to the City Manager as Deemed Appropriate Mayor O'Brien reported that the County Board of Supervisors would be discussing and making decisions on a pause on rent increases and an eviction moratorium on February 25, 2025; he proposed that it would be good to get a copy of the resolution before discussing it; and he requested City Council consensus to have the item considered at the very next meeting of the City Council.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding support for still having the conversation; previous instances where Culver City has led in areas and been a beacon for the city and county of Los Aneles; concern with putting off the item; being sensitive to people who are struggling due to the wildfires; being a partner city with the county; rental assistance; making an informed decision about whether to do more 17 February 24, 2025
or accept what the county is moving forward; support for having additional information before moving forward; holding a special meeting to consider the i tern; Culver City as an independent jurisdiction; the urgency of the item; availability of Council Members for a special meeting; and agreement from Mayor O'Brien, Vice Mayor Puza and Council Member Vera to incorporate Item A S into the March 3 City Council agenda.
oOo
Item A-1
Appointment of a Planning Commissioner to fill Vacant Seat #4 for an Unexpired Full Term through June 30, 2028
Jeremy Bocchino, City Clerk, provided a summary of the material of record noting that Dennis Park had withdrawn.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding lack of gender diversity; support for opening up the application to a wider pool of applicants; urgency of the matter; the prior Planning Commissioner who was a Woman of Color who was replaced by a white male rather than being reappointed; and support for moving forward with the item.
Mayor O'Brien invited public input.
The following members of the public addressed the City Council:
Ron Ostrin was called to speak but was not present in person or online.
Jeannine Wisnosky Stehlin discussed transparency and
accountability; length of the term for the position that has been vacant for four months; concern about being in a hurry to fill the position; the upcoming cycle in June; she felt it more appropriate to wait to make the appointment during the regular appointment time in June; expressed concern with the limited outreach process; noted the need for more women and for more People of Color; discussed creating an unfair and opaque process; and she felt the process was the opposite of
accountability and transparency in local government.
Alexander van Gaal en provided background on himself, and he indicated that he had no work or clients in Culver City so there would be no conflict of interest.
18 February 24, 2025
Discussion ensued between Mr. van Gaalen, staff, and Council Members regarding clarification on the area of expertise for Mr. van Gaalen; support for more multi-family units to help with the housing crisis; the role of the Planning Commission; expertise to fill the position; Donald Shoup; parking policy; climate change; parking minimums; the car-dependent society; ensuring that resident voices are included in the process; avoiding the use of acronyms; and support for using plain language.
Andrew Flores provided background on himself and discussed his accomplishments and desire to serve.
Discussion ensued between Mr. Flores, staff, and Council Members regarding parking policy and impacts on housing affordability and climate change; the impacts of Professor Donald Shoup on the profession; support for parking reforms that reduce the cost of building, energy consumption, air pollution, congestion, and improve quality of life in the community; the Parking Reform Network; Green Trip Connect; the ability to commit the time necessary to serve; planning challenges in the community that should be prioritized; community engagement; and support for use of plain language.
Edward Sim was called to speak but was not present in person or online.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation for those who took the time to apply; the important job of Planning Commissioners; support for Mr. Flores; having a clear vision for moving forward; background; professional affiliation; skills; the importance of providing a balanced approach; clarification that the appointment process is not unusual; interim appointments; gender parity; the former Commissioner who was a Woman of Color and was not reappointed or replaced with another Woman of Color; acknowledgement that the process is not perfect; clarification that recruitment on a global scale would take place to fill another vacancy coming up in June; the importance of the community knowing that there is a way to get involved; acknowledgement of the qualifications of both applicants who spoke to the City Council; understanding that the job is to uphold the policies of Culver City; and whether a project is buildable or financeable with whatever parking numbers they have.
MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER VERA,
UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED, THAT THE
SECONDED BY MAYOR O'BRIEN AND
CULVER CITY COUNCIL: APPOINT
19 February 24, 2025
ALEXANDER VAN GAALEN TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO FILL VACANT SEAT #4 FOR AN UNEXPIRED FULL TERM THROUGH JUNE 30, 2028. oOo
Item A-2
CC - (1) Presentation on the Unaudited Fiscal Year-End 2023- 2024 Report and the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Mid-Year Budget Monitoring Report; (2) Receipt and Filing of the Unaudited Fiscal Year-End 2023-2024 Report and the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Mid-Year Budget Monitoring Report; (3) Notification to Public Inviting Comment and Input for the Upcoming Proposed Budget for Fiscal Year 2025-2026; (4) Approval of Proposed Blanket Purchase Order Amendments; (5) Approval of Personnel Position Allocation Amendments; and (6) FOUR-FIFTHS VOTE REQUIREMENT: Approval of Proposed Budget Amendments
Lisa Soghor, Chief Finance Officer, provided a summary of the material of record; thanked Finance staff for their assistance putting the reports together; and she announced community budget workshops on March 11 at Veterans Memorial and on March 19 in Council Chambers.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding the projected deficit for the fiscal year; uncommitted reserves; the unassigned fund balance; the ten year forecast; a potential sales tax measure; the need to think creatively; evaluation of current programs; Measure K in Santa Monica; privately owned parking facilities in Culver City; the parking occupancy tax in Malibu; current amount generated; appreciation for the public workshops; ensuring that money is secured for Fox Hills; City Council prerogative; unassigned funds; receipt of feedback from Public Works; leaving placeholders for the Safer Fox
Hills/Better Overland project; reducing the unassigned fund balance; the failed grant; matching funds; addressing issues during the budget presentation; the upcoming work plan
presentations; and final decisions made in May.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation for the work of staff and for the community budget workshops; the Rental Registry; outreach and education; the recently approved User Fee Update; potential tariffs; preparation for potential increased costs and decreased revenues; the request put to staff for belt tightening; uncertainty with the federal government; the state fiscal 20 February 24, 2025
office; money that comes from the federal government; providing core services; streamlining processes; shutting down capital spending; freezing positions; measures that can be taken if the bottom falls out; potential revenue generators; previous voter approval of tax measures; Transit Occupancy Tax (TOT); the annual CPI (Consumer Price Index) increase; the quarter cent sales tax; the potential for the county to go after the tax which would not come to Culver City and would reach the cap; the agreement with Airbnb; enforcement; Measure A; TOT with short term rentals; best practices; information gathered at the Independent Cities Association (ICA); challenges with auditing Airbnb; requiring registration and permits; the Facilities Planning Reserve; City Council Policy 5002; different revenue formulas for different cities; the impact of Amazon workers returning to in-person work; the dominant portion of sales taxes in Culver City; the Parks Facilities Reserve; the Needs Assessment; taking a bottom-up budgeting approach; evaluation of existing programs and their efficacy; feedback from
departments that they do not have enough resources; expenditure drawdown; the request to add video surveillance on municipal buses; ticketing in the bus lane; the budget request for an appropriation; and looking at ways to increase revenue moving forward.
Mayor O'Brien invited public comment.
The following members of the public addressed the City Council:
Ron Ostrin with one minute ceded by Leslie Ostrin, expressed appreciation for the presentation; discussed the amount of information to process; economic upheaval; concern with heading into a multi-decade depression; avoiding pre-judgement; making decisions based upon ideology vs. preserving the core needs of Culver City; the upcoming Olympics; the fires; concern with not allocating enough to Public Safety; catastrophes in the region; he cautioned against harming "mom and pop" landlords; and expressed concern with handcuffing landlords who made it through the pandemic.
Jeanne Black expressed appreciation for the thorough reporting and transparency; discussed expenditures reported for Wellness Village; costs for the LOVE Team; figures reflected on the Homeless Dashboard; occupancy rates; cost per person; respect for the Urban Alchemy model; the need for competitive bidding; the declared Homeless Emergency; and she hoped that the 21 February 24, 2025
expenditure would be addressed in the Fiscal year 2026 budget rather than waiting until 2028.
Dorothy Sadd was called to speak but was not present in person or online.
Melissa Sanders was called to speak but was not present in person or online.
Mary Daval expressed appreciation for the thorough report; discussed Fox Hills; support for the placeholder; ensuring that money is reserved for Fox Hills; making a significant difference in Fox Hills; concern with increasing density in the
neighborhood while safety and mobility options are removed; and she indicated that while she does not live in Fox Hills, she does not appreciate the injustice.
Travis Morgan with one minute ceded by Christopher Michel, discussed creative revenue generation; value capture; upzoning; options to recoup some of the millions that developers are making off Culver City; taking a look at the Hayden Tract; he emphasized that pushing Fox Hills funding to the next year was not good enough; discussed the repaving project coming to Fox Hills in the current calendar year; lost opportunities for valuable safety features in a paving project that will save large sums of money; new encumbrances inserted into the mid cycle; holding the new HVAC system for the Police Station or improvements to the Finance Department for the next cycle; and providing a raised crosswalk in an area where someone died.
Jack Galanty was called to speak but was not present in person or online.
David Metzler expressed concern with losing public safety improvements promised for many years; the state grant that was not received for Fox Hills; the intersection of Doverwood and Green Valley Circle where a resident was killed; deadly door zone cycle lanes on Overland; spreading budget shortfalls across departments; much needed Public Works projects; real dangers to delaying safety improvement projects; and promised funding for Farragut improvements that has still not happened.
Stephen Jones asked the City Council to modify the budget amendment to delay the line items and use placeholders for Safer Fox Hills and Better Overland and as previously discussed. 22 February 24, 2025
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation for the work of staff; appreciation for the community workshops; outreach; recurring concerns about the budgeting process where everyone gets what they got before and gets to ask for more; concern that methods do not evaluate the current system of budgeting; using additional tax as a solution; the budget as a statement of values; programs that yield dividends that are held up for cuts; investing in those who need support; opportunity to evaluate department impact to the community and stakeholders; providing a mechanism to evaluate communities getting investment over others from year to year; evaluating the efficacy or efficiency of departments; lessons learned; alignment with strategic goals; the actions of peer cities; ensuring that all areas of Culver City feel supported and a part of Culver City; measuring areas where investments are made; priorities; the forecast that illustrates that the City cannot afford everything; core services; tough choices; solving the problem by either increasing revenue or reducing expenditures; cost cutting procedures; resources added back after deep cuts have been made; expenditure reductions resulting in a reduction in services; policy decisions made by the City Council; using a better tool to evaluate efficacy; regional investment as an opportunity to look at what is getting investment and what is not; trends across departments;
partnership in evaluating the budget process; best practices; the many ways to approach city government processes;
opportunities for learning; and the value of understanding processes for the City Council and the community.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding comparisons with other cities with regard to
homelessness; the feeling that the county has been cheating Culver City out of money; lack of work being done by surrounding districts; cities that are not spending the same amount of money to address homelessness; homeless programming as the reason Culver City is in the red; the placeholder of $500,000 for the Safer Fox Hills and Better Overland Project; and leaving the CIPs (Capital Improvement Projects) for Fox Hills and Better Overland in place for the current fiscal year.
MOVED BY MAYOR O'BRIEN, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER VERA AND UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED, THAT THE CITY COUNCIL:
1. RECEIVE A PRESENTATION ON THE UNAUDITED FISCAL YEAR-END 2023- 2024 REPORT AND THE FISCAL YEAR 2024-2025 MID-YEAR BUDGET MONITORING REPORT; AND,
23 February 24, 2025
2. RECEIVE AND FILE THE UNAUDITED FISCAL YEAR-END 2023-2024 REPORT AS PROVIDED IN ATTACHMENT 1 AND THE FISCAL YEAR 2024- 2025 MID-YEAR REPORT AS PROVIDED IN ATTACHMENT 2; AND,
3. PROVIDE NOTIFICATION TO PUBLIC INVITING COMMENT AND INPUT FOR THE UPCOMING PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025-2026; AND,
4. APPROVE THE PROPOSED BLANKET PURCHASE ORDER AMENDMENTS AS PROVIDED IN ATTACHMENT 3; AND,
5. APPROVE THE PROPOSED PERSONNEL POSITION ALLOCATION AMENDMENTS AS PROVIDED IN ATTACHMENT 4; AND,
6. APPROVE THE BUDGET AMENDMENTS AS PROPOSED IN ATTACHMENT 5 (BUDGET AMENDMENT REQUIRES A FOUR-FIFTHS VOTE) WITH THE PLACEHOLDER FOR $500,000 FOR SAFER FOX HILLS AND BETTER OVERLAND CIPS LEFT IN PLACE.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members about having a robust and consistent way to evaluate City programs; the Audit Financial Planning and Budget Subcormnittee; and adding the topic to the meeting planned during budget preparation.
oOo
Item A-3
CC:HA -(1) Consideration of a Request from Community Corporation of Santa Monica (CCSM) for a $16 Million Residual Receipts Loan for the Jubilo Village Affordable Housing Project; (2) FOUR FIFTHS VOTE REQUIREMENT: If CCSM's Request is Granted, Approval of a Related Budget Amendment; and (3) Direction to the City Manager as Deemed Appropriate
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding the request from CCSM that the City Council not take action on the item, and discretion of the City Council.
Jesse Mays, Assistant City Manager, provided a surmnary of the material of record.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation to staff for the report; the important project; pursuit of Homekey funding; facilitating more affordable housing; the current funding structure; the City as the last party to be reimbursed; the residual receipts loan; the unlikelihood that the conventional, for-profit major banks would 24 February 24, 2025
be in any less than first position for being repaid;
conventional permanent loans; number of affordable units currently being planned for Culver City; number of very low income units being proposed; Project Based Vouchers (PBVs); approval of PBVs by Housing and Urban Development (HUD); average value of vouchers; the analysis of Jubilo Village; preparing for potential cuts to HUD and affects to PBVs; the three months of reserves required by HUD in the event of slowdown of appropriations; the proposal to cut 80% of staff at the field level and program cuts; the Housing Choice Voucher program; being conservative due to current uncertainty; and potential 100% affordable housing projects in Culver City.
Mayor O'Brien invited public input.
The following member of the public addressed the City Council:
Ron Ostrin was called to speak but was not present in person or online.
Stephen Jones discussed affordable projects in Culver City that have not, and most likely will not come to fruition; taking a hard look at why Culver City is inhospitable to affordable development; affordable projects that get built in other areas; using every available tool for affordable housing; placing affordable housing uni ts in market-rate housing; and concern that if the City Council lets the project die, other affordable developers will not come to the City.
Simon Fraser was called to speak but was not present in person or online.
Johanna Gullick with one minute ceded, discussed use of affordable housing funds; the opportunity for real affordable housing; the commitment letter provided in April 2024 for 93 Section 8 PBVs for Jubilo Village; reliance on the letter by the Tax Credit Allocation Committee and California Debt Load Allocation Committee to allocate funding; competition for tax credits and bond financing; the gap of $16 million dollars; staff agreement to provide 50 PBVs in December 2024 that is now down to 42; the binding commitment letter; mistakes and errors; acceptance of $42 million in credits and bonds; and lack of experience and training of Culver City staff.
Mary Daval was called to speak but was not present in person or online.
25 February 24, 2025
Jamie Wallace discussed promises made; the HUD issue; worth of the PBVs; likelihood of HUD disappearing under the current regime; she asked about a By Name List to advance Culver City residents; and she felt that this was not the time for the project.
Jeanne Black asserted that a continuum of care could not be provided without housing; discussed those at Wellness Village needing a permanent home; Culver City Redevelopment Agency defiance of state law for at least 20 years; continued bond repayment; lack of funding to support a development like Jubilo Village; unanswered questions about financial structure of the project; and identification of an outside housing finance expert to find a way forward to build the development.
Jeannine Wisnosky Stehlin discussed desire to make the project happen; the inability of Culver City to afford the project; the $16 million dollar grant, not loan; percentage of the City's entire budget; she urged the City Council to vote against the proposal and look toward alternative solutions that align with priorities; discussed misplaced frustration and anger; and elected officials who promise affordable housing but do not help fund it.
Solomon Namala provided background on himself; discussed the work of Culver Palms Methodist Church with CCSM on the 100% affordable housing project; various sized apartments proposed to be built; cost of housing in Culver City vs. average income; lack of permanent affordable housing built since 2013; the lost cause; work done to address homelessness; and the amount of money in reserves.
James Boedicker indicated being part of the neighborhood impacted by the proposed Jubilo Village project; provided background on himself; discussed previous frustrating
interactions over the past few years with CCSM; bare minimum effort put in to listen and respond to the neighborhood and the choice to ignore reasonable requests throughout the planning phase; the misleading of residents; assurances made in November 2024 by CCSM that the funding was 100% secured; awareness of the pullback in funding; he encouraged the City Council not to approve additional funding for the project and to be wary of any future projects with CCSM; expressed concern with the project moving forward given the disingenuousness of the developer; and he acknowledged the need for affordable housing but he felt CCSM was not the right developer for Culver City. 26 February 24, 2025
Steve Siegel was called to speak but was not present in person or online.
Melissa Sanders was called to speak but was not present in person or online.
Ann Treleven asserted that the proposed project was the piece that Culver City needed to complete the continuum of care; discussed temporary housing programs with no permanent housing available for people to transition to; projects in the pipeline that do not include low or very low income housing; percentage of uni ts proposed for low or very low income; opportunities provided for two and three bedroom apartments in Jubilo Village; the project that has been planned for six years and is ready to go; and the amount of money spent on housing over a large period of time.
Nancy Barba urged the City Council to take action and make sure that the shovel-ready project is ready to move forward; discussed the once in a lifetime opportunity to create permanent affordable housing for working families in Culver City; the moral issue; the decades where Culver City did not create any affordable homes with Redevelopment Agency funds; she asserted that the project would die without City funding; and she asked Culver City to invest in community by investing in Jubilo Village.
Ken Palmer discussed affordable housing; the cost of living; the contract between the church and CCSM; whether CCSM is the best choice; increased budgets; more money requested before the project even started; whether there were any other bids to build at the location; comparable apartment buildings; and he questioned where the money was going.
Marci Baun was called to speak but was not present in person or online.
Steve Siegel stated that there was no reason to take a big risk; discussed Culver City policy that does not allow going into General Fund monies; generosity toward unhoused and low-income individuals; concern with using funds in this way; whether the project would add to the quality of life for current residents; issues coming up; and the need to keep reserves.
Tara Barauskas, CCSM, with one minute ceded, provided background on the organization; discussed the only 100% affordable project ready to start construction; the commitment letter; PBVs; work 27 February 24, 2025
with staff to create a roadmap to funding; tax credits already received that will disappear and penalties that will be exacted if the project does not move forward in the next month or so; harm to CCSM if the situation is not remedied; project costs already being carried by CCSM; she requested that Culver City make a loan commitment to fully fund the project so that construction may commence; she asserted that monies would be a loan, not a grant; indicated there would be some repayment with a zero or low interest rate; noted that only a portion of the money would be needed in 2025; discussed budget impacts; work to submit funding applications; philanthropic requests; advocacy for government funders to prioritize the project; the ability of Culver City to generate more revenue for Jubilo Village and other housing projects; other housing projects in the works; she asked that the City provide a loan commitment to move the project forward; and she hoped the City Council would be a champion for affordable housing.
Margaret White, Power to Workers, Section 3 Coordinator for Jubilo Village, discussed Section 3 policy; YouthBuild; training and employment opportunities on the job site; the established workflow and referral process; the proven track record; and she was looking forward to making a positive impact at the Jubilo Village project for Culver City and its residents.
Jack Galanty was called to speak but was not present in person or online.
Gary Zeiss discussed cost per unit; efficiency; lowering the cost of the project by $16 million dollars; he questioned why CCSM was coming to Culver City to ask for more money rather than making the project more affordable; and he asserted that Culver City did not have the money to put into the project.
Denise Neal discussed handling
Front Porch; Homes For Life;
accessing multiple sources of HUD
funding; the timeline; and she
deadline to get the money.
issues with private funding;
Caring Housing Ministries;
funding; support from private
wanted to know the absolute
Additional discussion ensued between CCSM, staff, and Council Members regarding whether the item is to be continued; how in depth the discussion should be; the suggestion to engage a financial consultant who deeply understands affordable housing finances; strong support for the project; lack of a plan on how to get the money; allowing for additional time to work on the plan and for everyone to be on the same page; use of concrete 28 February 24, 2025
numbers; the KMA analysis; funding for the church portion of the project; the land price as going toward building a new church; and concern with the City being in a position to build churches.
Further discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation to everyone who provided comment and worked on the project; the systemic issue of lack of housing; the obligation of policy holders to ensure that neighbors are welcomed and fair housing is provided; costs to inaction; documented lack of investment; unwillingness to welcome new neighbors; being part of a solution; blame; responsibility; looking at finding a way forward to make the project work; the 5-6 years of work put into the project to date; projects that could fill the gap in the future that are not ready to move forward; the history of being exclusionary; undoing previous harms; being solution-focused; clauses and conditions written to include exploration of other sources; concern with letting years of work and potential homes for working families go away without any viable alternatives; the deep loss to diversity already occurring with increased housing costs; and the choice of Culver City.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding acknowledgement of concerns; the budget as a statement of values; the moral argument; the project as meeting many City goals; alignment with strategic goals; financial health of the City; uncertain times; federal leadership; support for moving the item to the next meeting; appreciation to staff and CCSM; the importance of keeping in mind how expensive Culver City has become; rent burdened indi victuals; the housing crisis; other westside cities; the continuum of care for homelessness; Culver City population that has not increased much since the 1970s; allowing time to make a plan and see projections; seeing the impact visually; the inability for any employee to guarantee distribution of City funds without the authority of the City Council; staff efforts to make the project happen; the letter of support with caveats included; institutional history in the industry of CCSM; conditions that are out of the City's control; the fact that Culver City really wants the project to happen; the amount of money Culver City has given to the county from Measure H vs. the percentage given back to Culver City; the failure of the county; the high resource zone where the shovel ready 100% affordable housing project is located; other sources of funding; and City Council consensus to defer the matter to the March 10, 2025 City Council meeting.
29 February 24, 2025
oOo
Item A-4
CC -(1) Discussion and Direction on the Submission of a Grant Application under the California Department of Housing and Community Development Homekey+ Notice of Funding Availability; and (2) If Desired, Direction to the City Manager to Submit an Application under Homekey+; and (3) Other Direction to the City Manager as Deemed Appropriate
Tevis Barnes, Housing and Human Services Director, provided a summary of the material of record.
Mayor O'Brien invited public input.
T'Ana Allen, Deputy City Clerk, indicated that Ron Ostrin, Nancy Barba, and Denise Neal had signed up to speak but were not present in person or online.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding the number of Homekey+ applications that can be submitted; considerations; whether the application is competitive; completion of the project within the defined guidelines; amenities included; conversion projects; lessons learned from Project Homekey; delays to the project with relocating current motel occupants; viability of available options; the need for site control; adjacency to sensitive receptors; lack of a buffer between the motel and single family homes; installation of kitchens to convert to permanent supportive housing; potential costs per unit; improving someone else's property; ongoing operating costs; current costs; the need to bring in additional capital and operational dollars; the minimum 30 year leases on top of the capital improvement costs; the Homekey+ application being submitted with CCSM; and the difficulty of determining which application is most viable.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding barriers to the process; the inability to meet the deadline to access additional funds during the first round for Project Homekey; other examples; previous Homekey applications that allowed for interim housing; providing a way to store and prepare food; conversion of motel rooms; difficulty of
comparisons with other cities; Homekey projects done by larger cities, the county, or other governmental entities; the absence of examples of projects done by cities of a comparable size; whether other cities are applying; disappointment that there 30 February 24, 2025
does not appear to be a path forward; the application with CCSM; the importance of site control and being shovel-ready;
prioritizing of projects by HCD (Housing and Community
Development); tax credits; communication with Smallwood-Cuevas' office; areas impacted by the wildfires; the request for additional funding from the state; funding subject to
availability of state funding; disqualifiers; comparing different options; pros and cons of each project; the staff report; projected yield of units; the challenging nature of all the projects that likely would not yield competitive
applications; the difficulty of conversions; the feeling that none of the projects are viable; the difficult conditions; waiting to see what happens with Jubilo Village; funding commitments; operating costs; Intensive Case Management Services ( ICMS); identification of a service provider; the shovel-ready project in a high-resource area; and agreement regarding the infeasibility of moving forward with other Project Homekey applications.
Denise Neal asked about refurbishing Arts Corridor properties for mixed-use; discussed increasing foot traffic; Ivy Station; homeless incentive programs; incorporating fire victims; and lack of participation by Culver City property owners.
oOo
Public Comment - Items Not on the Agenda
Mayor O'Brien invited public comment.
The following member of the public addressed the City Council:
Denise Neal asked about available private funding; discussed City collaboration with the hedge fund she is working with; protocol to connect; and she received agreement from staff to communicate with her to discuss the matter further.
oOo
Items from Council Members
None.
oOo
31 February 24, 2025
Council Member Requests to Agendize Future Items
Council Member Fish discussed Executive Directive 1 in Los Angeles to increase affordable housing and he received City Council consensus from Mayor O'Brien, Vice Mayor Puza and Council Member McMorrin to direct staff to provide a report back to the Housing and Homelessness Committee on ways Culver City can fast-track approvals for 100% affordable housing projects.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding the updated homelessness plan that will be coming forward to the City Council; goals to consider; and community input into the new plan.
Consensus was achieved to agendize the following items:
• consideration of the Nike After Dark Run Tour event
• consideration of adding Latino Heritage Month to yearly observances and celebrations
• consideration of off-cycle City sponsorship of a Fentanyl Awareness Community Forum being held April Sth
• Planning Department report to the Housing and Homelessness Committee on ways the City can fast track approvals for 100% affordable housing projects in the City and how Culver City can become more attractive for 100% affordable housing projects
oOo
32 February 24, 2025
Adjournment
There being no further business, at 1:28 a.m. on Tuesday, February 25, 2025 the City Council, Housing Authority Board, Parking Authority Board, Financing Authority Board, and Successor Agency to the Culver City Redevelopment Agency Board adjourned to a meeting to be held on March 3, 2025.
oOo
Jeremy Bocchino
of Culver City, California
EX-OFFICIO he City Council and SECRETARY of the
Successor Agency to the Culver City Redevelopment Agency Board, Financing Authority Board, Culver City Parking
Authority and Culver City Housing Authority Board
Culver City, California
DAN
O'BRIE���
MAYOR of Culver City, California and CHAIR of the Successor Agency to the Culver City Redevelopment Agency Board,
Financing Authority Board, Culver City Housing Authority Board, and Culver City Parking Authority
Date: Mwch 10,..2Q2.5
33