OFFICIAL MINUTES
SPECIAL BUDGET MEETING - CITY WORK PLANS
MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL,
SUCCESSOR AGENCY TO THE CULVER CITY
REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD,
CULVER CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY BOARD
AND CULVER CITY PARKING AUTHORITY
CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA
Call to Order & Roll Call
March 3, 2025
4:00 p.m.
Mayor O'Brien convened the special budget meeting - City Work Plans of the City Council, Successor Agency to the Culver City Redevelopment Agency Board, Culver City Housing Authority Board and Culver City Parking Authority to order at 4:00 p.m. in the Mike Balkman Chambers at City Hall.
Present: Dan O'Brien, Mayor Freddy
Puza, Vice Mayor Bubba
Fish, Council Member
Yasmine-Imani McMorrin, Council Member
Albert Vera, Council Member
oOo
Pledge of Allegiance
Mayor O'Brien led the Pledge of Allegiance.
oOo
Land Acknowledgement
Mayor O'Brien read the Land Acknowledgement.
1 March 3, 2025
oOo
Community Announcements by City Council Members/Updates from Commission, Board and/or Committees/Information Items from Staff
Mayor O'Brien received agreement that updates would be heard at the March 10, 2025 meeting.
oOo
Joint Public Comment - Items Not on the Agenda
Mayor O'Brien invited public comment.
The following members of the public addressed the City Council:
Dr. Luther Henderson asked that the City Council agendize rescinding the Sanctuary Policy as he felt it to be
unconstitutional and that the state of California needed to get back to being part of the United States of America; he wanted to see Police and Fire cooperate with the United States government to rid the country of illegal aliens; discussed human trafficking cartels; the first obligation of government as being public safety; and he thanked the City Council for their service.
Council Member McMorrin exited the dais.
Darrel Menthe discussed the recent meeting of the Downtown Business Improvement District to plan for the next three years; he asked the City Council to agendize a discussion of creating an Entertainment Zone in Culver City; discussed SB969; the actions of San Francisco; the purpose of the Entertainment Zone; upcoming events; visitors coming from other countries; the potential useful tool for special events downtown; and allowing staff to research the matter.
Mayor O'Brien received consensus from Vice Mayor Puza and Council Members Fish and Vera to agendize a discussion of creating an Entertainment Zone in downtown Culver City.
Brad Thompson was called to speak but was not present in person or online.
Jerard Wright was called to speak but was not present in person or online.
2 March 3, 2025
oOo
Receipt and Filing of Correspondence
MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER VERA AND SECONDED BY VICE MAYOR PUZA THAT THE CITY COUNCIL RECEIVE AND FILE CORRESPONDENCE.
THE MOTION CARRIED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:
AYES: FISH, O'BRIEN, PUZA, VERA
NOES: NONE
ABSENT: MCMORRIN
Council Member McMorrin returned to the dais.
oOo
Public Hearings
None.
oOo
Action Items
Item A-1
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 Shannon Louis, Rent Stabilization Coordinator, provided a report on the City Council request for a pause on rent increases and a moratorium on evictions in response to the recent wildfires Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding units exempted from the Rent Control Ordinance; Costa Hawkins; whether Culver City has ever enacted a rent freeze; data on Culver City residents impacted by the wildfires; Culver City employees impacted by the fires; county income qualifications; and potential extension of the anti-gouging policy.
Mayor O'Brien invited public comment.
The following members of the public addressed the City Council:
3 March 3, 2025
Marie Aragon was called to speak but was not present in Council Chambers or online.
Jamie Wallace discussed the actions of the county; work on another rental freeze and moratorium; ensuring that changes apply to those directly associated with the fire; and she felt that staff should step back and work on all the other things that they have to work on.
Goran Eriksson discussed the actions of the county; work done during COVID; staff workload; he recommended saying thank you to the county; and he echoed comments made by the previous speaker that staff be left to concentrate on what is really needed in Culver City.
Joshua Kamali provided background on himself; expressed concern with making a serious decision without data; discussed putting people in a difficult situation; he stated that if there were price gouging in Culver City, his property would not be sitting empty; and he asserted that if cities become too hostile, small landlords would leave.
David Kaishchyan, Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles, strongly urged the City Council to reject pursuit of a freeze on rental increases and an eviction moratorium; discussed unfair financial burden; the fact that no other businesses were being expected to forego prompt payment for services due to the wildfires; the county-wide eviction defense; concern with creating confusion; inappropriate utilization and compliance issues; prolonged impacts of COVID 19; rental policies; the tiny fraction affected by the wildfires; concern with implementing a blanket policy and unfairly benefitting those who are not in financial distress; two new rental assistance programs by the county; and he did not want to see additional regulation created.
Meg Sullivan with one minute ceded by Steve Roe, provided background on herself; urged the City Council to let state and county measures address issues; discouraged the City Council from any freeze on rent increases; discussed detrimental effects to small owners; Costa Hawkins; effects to older multi-family properties; smaller properties that provide the bulk of affordable housing but have the highest maintenance costs; expenses that are growing faster than rent control allows; expected renewal of the emergency by Governor Newsome; penalties and fines; and gouging ordinances.
4 March 3, 2025
Jerard Wright, Greater Los Angeles Realtors, provided background on the organization; echoed previous comments; discussed the Los Angeles county moratorium; helping impacted tenants; methodology in price gouging research; high market rate areas; and increases to utility costs.
Mike Winn discussed eviction moratoriums; the need to pay building expenses; increased costs for utilities, insurance, and repairs; concern with subsidizing renters; and he proposed having the City vet renters and provide vouchers.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding the importance of maintenance; evidence of sharp rent increases and price gouging after the fires; housing as the number one political issue voiced during the campaigns; rent burdened indi victuals in Culver City; low income households; loss of diversity in Culver City; benefits to diversity; increased costs overall; increases to housing costs over all others; stable population numbers in Culver City since 1980; lack of new housing; providing different solutions; protecting the most vulnerable; appreciation for the actions of the county; impacts to workers and housing in Culver City; providing a six month buffer to defer payments if necessary; cities that suspended lease term minimums; lack of enforcement of the short-term rental ban in Culver City; suspension of evictions related to unauthorized occupants or pets or based on failure to obtain rental insurance; doing what other cities are doing; support for a short rent freeze to allow time to determine impacts with the exception of "mom and pop" landlords who claim hardship; ensuring that renters know about their rights; finding ways to connect with renters; things missing as a City; establishing a right to counsel and a minimum evictable rent debt; large companies that are using algorithms to set rents that contribute to rent increases; and appreciation for the public comment provided.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation to staff for the tight turn around to address the emergency; eviction data for Culver City; number of rental units in the City; unregistered units; compliance; outreach; information on number of evictions for non-payment of rent; the Housing Element; percentage of rent-burdened residents in Culver City as defined by Housing and Urban Development (HUD); economic hardship as the leading driver of people falling into homelessness in Los Angeles county; data on rents from Zillow; appreciation for leadership from the county; support for suspending lease term minimums for six months, the eviction 5 March 3, 2025
moratorium for nuisances, a moratorium on evictions for failure to get rental insurance, and a short term rent freeze for six months looking at Culver City data; including eviction data in the Homelessness Emergency report back; additional
amplification of culvercity.org/rent on social media to raise awareness of what is available; Bet Tzedek; minimum evictable rent; and the concerning proliferation of involving AI in setting rents in the community.
Further discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding data indicating whether evictions are coming from "mom and pop" landlords or larger entities; concern with painting landlords as evil; appreciation for the actions of the state and the county; support for providing additional information; transparency; consideration of a minimum amount for evictions; return on investments; "mom and pops" as the lifeline for affordable housing in Culver City; concern with forcing businesses out; and support for getting information about what the state and county are doing.
Council Member Vera moved to put out information about what the county has proposed.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation to Council Member McMorrin for bringing the issue forward for consideration; impacts of the devastating fires on Culver City; the recovery phase; people looking to profit from the tragedy; the need for guardrails to prevent further devastation; housing as a human right; providing emergency protections; the Board of Supervisors move to increase penalties for price gouging; services available at the resource center in Culver City at 5446 Sepulveda Boulevard; contact information for tenants not included in the rental registry; ways to increase communication; the rent registration program modeled after other cities; outreach to alert people to resources; mailings to all tenant addresses; getting the word out without having tenant information; email; banning algorithmic rent setting; consideration of items by the Housing Subcommittee; and a potential bill from Isaac Bryan for a rent freeze.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding current gouging penal ties; absence of requests for assistance due to job loss or under-employment from the fires; having a larger renter protection discussion; clarification that the short term rental ban has never been enforced and therefore does not need to be lifted; clarification that county
protections for hosting unauthorized pets of guests only covers 6 March 3, 2025
unincorporated areas of Los Angeles and does not include Culver City; making an effort to amplify state and county protections available; and agendizing discussion of broader protections for the future.
Further discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding right to counsel and minimum evictable rent debt; the existing housing crisis compounded by the fires; thousands of people who have been displaced; people still in short-term housing who are still looking for longer-term solutions; the ongoing situation; length of time for agendized items to come forward; having a provision for hardship; the power dynamic between landlords and tenants; people who do not call the City for help; institutions that are not set up to help people without resources; reasonable expectations; schools that have taken in students from other districts that have been impacted; the responsibility of the City Council to do their part; having guidelines consistent with the current ordinance; City Council consensus; including right to counsel, minimum evictable rent debt, and a ban on algorithmic rent setting in the Rent Control and Tenant Protections Update; clarification that no other city has established a rent freeze; the need for careful findings to enact a rent freeze; narrowly tailoring the freeze to the people affected by the wildfires; support for bringing back items as soon as possible; the necessary budget to ensure the right to counsel; the practice to include Bet Tzedek in the budget; and codifying the existing process in the urgency ordinance.
Council Member Vera amended his original motion to codify including Bet Tzedek as part of the temporary urgency ordinance and include it in the update as a permanent solution.
Further discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding inclusion of a ban on algorithmic rent setting and minimum evictable rent debt as part of the cleanup, but not as part of the motion; right to counsel as part of the update and as part of the motion; "mom and popsn showing hardship related to a rent freeze; engagement around the burden on landlords; tracking hardships on landlords; and staff agreement to update the way inquiries are being tracked.
MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER VERA, SECONDED BY MAYOR O'BRIEN AND UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED, THAT THE CITY COUNCIL DIRECT STAFF TO:
1. FOLLOW THE ACTIONS OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY TO INCREASE
COMMUNICATIONS TO CONFIRM WHAT IS AVAILABLE AT THE STATE AND COUNTY LEVEL; AND,
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2. AGENDIZE A FUTURE DISCUSSION REGARDING POTENTIAL BROADER PROTECTIONS; AND,
3. CODIFY THE RIGHT TO COUNSEL AS PART OF THE URGENCY ORDINANCE.
Council Member Fish received full City Council agreement to agendize including a ban on algorithmic price fixing,
establishing minimum evictable rent debt, and right to counsel as part of the Rent Control and Tenant Protections update. oOo
Item A-2
CC:HA:PA:SA - (1) Presentation and Consideration of Current and Proposed Work Plans for City Departments; and (2) Direction to the City Manager as Deemed Appropriate
Lisa Soghor, Chief Financial Officer, introduced department work plan presentations meant to inform budget preparation; discussed the focus on priorities for the upcoming fiscal year; thanked Assistant Chief Financial Officer Elizabeth Shavelson for her efforts; discussed preparation of the annual fiscal year budget; the process and schedule; public meetings; public input; annual City operations; compliance with state and federal laws and regulations; staff functions and workload; balancing daily assignments with new projects; the goal of balancing the budget; the 10 year trend of General Fund revenue and expenditures; reserves; expenditure appropriations projected to exceed revenue; the projected current year deficit; General Reserves; the unsustainability of operating at a deficit; department work plan priorities; resource and budget requests; the inability of the budget to accommodate all the requests; refinement of budget requests; City Council adopted Strategic Goals from 2024-2029; alignment of work plan priorities with adopted strategic goals; incorporation of icons to illustrate which strategic goals are reflected in each task; review of department requests;
development of the budget; decisions made on what to fund for the fiscal year; reliance on reserves to maintain current programs; the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 budget schedule; and final adoption of the budget on June 9, 2025.
Mayor O'Brien invited public comment.
The following members of the public addressed the City Council:
8 March 3, 2025
Marie Aragon, Southern California Hospital (SCH), provided background on herself; expressed strong support for Culver City Police Department (CCPD) and Culver City Fire Department (CCFD) employees; discussed the diverse population served at SCH; first responders; and she expressed personal and professional support for CCPD and CCFD. ·
Jamie Wallace suggested that those interested in understanding CCPD go on a ride along; discussed percentage of the budget spent on salaries and pensions; response times for both CCPD and CCFD; and she asked that funding not be reallocated.
Dr. Luther Henderson discussed the first duty of government as being public safety; improvement of CCPD and CCFD; support for the work plan; achievements; diversity; response time; and he asked that the City Council not defunct the quality services provided by CCPD or CCFD.
Candance Simmons provided background on herself; expressed support for CCPD and CCFD; discussed response time;
professionalism; ensuring proper staffing, training, and equipment; and she urged the City Council to fully support CCPD and CCFD.
Goran Eriksson asserted that what is said from the dais matters; discussed employees taking cues from what is said; the top notch police department; unrelated comparisons with other agencies; and he encouraged the City Council to stay focused on the current and future needs of CCFD and CCPD.
Darrel Men the, Downtown Business Improvement District, expressed support for funding CCPD and CCFD at the level they need to carry out their work plan; discussed the importance of providing a sense of safety in the downtown area; diversity of people that visit Culver City; and upholding the reputation of Culver City as being a safe place.
Brad Thompson provided background on himself; discussed CCPD as an important factor in deciding to move to Culver City; reductions to the police force made in 2021; he felt that further cuts would slow emergency response and put public safety at risk; discussed cuts in the Los Angeles Police Department {LAPD); the growing population in Culver City that increases demand on CCPD and CCFD; and the budget deficit with increased spending on homelessness.
9 March 3, 2025
Marie Frimbres was called to speak but was not present in person or online.
Meg Sullivan echoed previous comments about keeping support of CCPD and CCFD at the amount necessary to maintain and improve service levels; discussed response times, closure rates, and progressive approach; quality of life in Culver City; and concern with the safety of renters.
Marci Baun asserted that one of the reasons Culver City was an attractive place to live in was because of the safety; discussed positive experiences with CCPD and CCFD; and she wanted the City Council to make sure they had the resources they needed.
Deborah Wallace, Fox Hills Neighborhood
compelling stories and expressed gratitude
experiences with CCPD and CCFD.
Alliance, shared
for her positive
Marta Valdez provided background on herself; urged the City Council to reject any budget cuts to CCFD, CCPD, and any emergency services; she asserted that public safety should remain a top priority with funding maintained; discussed response times; staffing; training; resources; providing effective response; she shared statistics about number of incidents addressed; and she stated that Culver City deserved a well-funded, fully staffed CCPD and CCFD.
Maria Lopez expressed support for CCPD and CCFD; urged the City Council to increase safety in Culver City; and she discussed her positive experiences with CCPD and CCFD.
Marie Leyva provided background on herself; discussed her positive experiences with CCPD and CCFD; and she asked that funding be maintained for CCPD and CCFD.
Jason Sims, Police Chief, introduced staff, including several new hires; thanked everyone for their support; commended CCPD staff for their dedication; provided status updates on the 2024- 2025 CCPD Work Plan; and discussed priorities for the proposed Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Police Department Work Plan.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation for the presentation and comment from the
community; eagerness to collaborate and improve outcomes; the reduction to response times and vacancy rates; fluctuations in violent crime; alignment with fluctuations in Los Angeles county; the increase in violent assaults and street robberies; 10 March 3, 2025
regional trends; efforts made to reduce vacancy rates; metrics of success; referrals to diversion programs; RIPA (Racial Identity Profiling Act) reports; juvenile diversion programs in Culver City; recidivism rates; confidentiality; including metrics as part of the work plan; making a goal to increase referrals; the Ambassador Program on Culver City Bus; resolving incidents through de-escalation; partnership with the Mobile Crisis Team (MCT); the dynamics of Culver City; reducing racial bias; evaluating the success of individual programs and expenditures; the significant deficit this year and the structural deficit moving forward; response times; average national case clearance rates vs. those in Culver City; use of force; expansion of the Arrest and Control Team; training provided; reduced use of force incidents; traffic safety; addressing increased injury traffic accidents; OTS (Office of Traffic Safety) grant funding; enforcement and education; patrol efforts to identify reasons for accidents; and a suggestion to include references to recommendations made and goals set in reports created and passed by the City Council such as the Center for Public Safety Management (CPSM) study, the Solidarity Report, and the General Plan.
Further discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding additional calls for specificity; goals reflected in the stated values and mission of the department; delineating goals that could be achieved in a year or within a specific timeframe; use of percentages vs. actual numbers; understanding the scale that the percentages are related to; information in quarterly reports; wellness supports; the grant that requires tracking of equipment usage; key measures of success with the overall wellness program; the 24% reduction in absenteeism and reductions to injuries on duty; the inability for other departments to use the Wellness Center; percentage of grants in relation to the overall budget; multiple staff members who focus on grants; management team collaboration on grants; overall amount of grants covered in the budget presentation; reductions to complaints; the ability to commend officers or report complaints online at culvercitypd.org or by calling the Watch Commander at (310) 253-6202; the Community Engagement and Public Information Manager; police officer positions cut in 2021; the process for reclassification of positions to be administrative positions; cuts made in response to budget constraints related to COVID-19; community events and meetings; the importance of building trust and legitimacy; usage of the Vacation Check program; extra patrols; the Chief's Advisory Panel; departmental decision-making processes; community meetings that are open to everyone; widening the age range for diversion; transition-age 11 March 3, 2025
youth; diversion at the adult level; Functional Zero
Homelessness in Redondo Beach; data on types of calls received; efforts to identify crime patterns; security at the mall; improving efficiency; vacant space at the mall; a suggestion to have a space at the mall for CCPD, Housing, and Parks and Recreation and Community Services (PRCS); police funding per capita compared to other departments; daytime population; population dynamics; Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR) data; red light cameras; non-residents in Culver City; measuring staffing by workload; the CPSM study; determining the adequate number of police officers; cost per capita; and higher salaries for local government labor on the west side of Los Angeles.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding clearance rates; length of time to hire and train police officers and other professional staff; recovery from vacancy rates in 2020; overtime; liability; areas of
improvement; lack of resident diversity based on census data; diversity of daytime population; demographics of red light camera citations; availability of the RIPA report on the City website; increased traffic in Culver City; bolstering the motorcycle police officer program; vacant positions in the traffic section; stabilization of the patrol force;
effectiveness of targeted enforcement; enforcement, education, and engineering as components of traffic safety; ensuring adequate resources and tools to keep the community safe; emergency preparedness; the Olympics; security concerns; understanding impacts to Culver City and providing solutions and a plan for Culver City; and a request for a presentation on Real Time Crime Centers and what other cities are doing.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding vacancy rates; transparency reports; fluctuations in response times; correlations between the budget, response times, and level of crime; police presence as a deterrent to crime; nuances and different factors that go into public safety; mental health calls handled by CCPD vs. by the MCT; tracking of calls; the Regional Dispatch Center; diversion of calls by the Watch Commander to the MCT; valuable service provided to the
community; the co-response model; calls the MCT cannot respond to; calls for the MCT to assist; the Street Medicine Program; data related to pedestrian and bicycle safety; addressing primary collision factors; the partnership with Walk and Rollers; OTS grant funding; and mirroring work done by the Community Engagement and Public Information Officer at the City level.
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Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding clearance rates; calls for services as determining the number of police officers needed; empirical data indicating that greater police presence reduces crime and decreases the number of interactions with the public; an experience with the Real Time Crime Center in Beverly Hills; other agencies looking to implement Real Time Crime Centers; coordinated discussions with area agencies; the Los Angeles County Police Chief's Association; appreciation for the community outreach;
addressing crime; recruitment; competitiveness; the work of the Human Resources Department; being on par with neighboring agencies leading up to the Olympics; the supportive family atmosphere; morale; City Council support; and the importance of setting differences aside to put the community first.
Further discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding the current year deficit and the ongoing structural deficit being faced by Culver City; the goal of the budget process to address the deficit; necessary services; concern with relying on cuts to City services to solve budget issues; adequate reserves to see if the community is willing to pass a quarter cent sales tax; cost cutting processes that would cause a reduction in services and morale; receipt of flexible funding options from each department; options presented by all
departments for areas that could be cut if needed; reductions in community services that would not be well-received; taking risks and trying new things; having the ability to look at things that do not work out and eliminate them; cuts made in 2021; the strong position of CCPD as reported by the Police Chief; the call to action put out indicating that Public Safety was endangered when in fact the CCPD budget has been
significantly increased over the past 10 years; trade-offs being asked because of the City's deficit; being critical of what is being done across all departments; providing options at the end of the process; City Council direction; reductions to personnel resulting in service reductions; appreciation for the dialogue; questions that will be asked of every department; opportunity to understand how the City is running and evaluating how Culver City is performing from year to year; program usage; those who feel that asking questions is a sign of disrespect;
understanding how community dollars are invested into the functional running of the City; and looking at options.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding the significant deficit faced during COVID that was effectively addressed; the request to support an affordable housing project that the City has indicated they cannot afford; 13 March 3, 2025
understanding increases to department budgets; vacant positions in 2021 that have been reinstated; disproportionate effects in the organization; halting capital spending as a cash flow maneuver in a recession; the structural deficit; prioritization of services; reclassification of positions; the permanent loss of 4 positions that resulted in the loss of the SET Team and a reduction of service; understanding scenarios from each department that can help reduce the deficit; allowing decisions to be made based on necessary cuts; opportunities to be good stewards of the public money; and making substantive changes to the budget if opportunities exist.
Further discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding the process for each department to present their needs; the goal as a City Council to direct staff based on Council goals; balancing the budget on an austerity practice; the proposed quarter cent tax; services as what makes Culver City great; accessibility of Council Members; the ability to address issues quickly; clarification that 80% of the budget is personnel with the rest being capital to fix facilities and equipment; the mid-year budget presentation that indicated that staffing accounted for 66% of the budget; staff agreement to provide information on the percentage of each department that accounts for personnel; the need for City Council direction if staff is to be identifying reductions; examination of various options; measuring efficacy; what items could be placed on a temporary hold; respect for the work of every department; providing information to help Council Members understand the process; approaches taken during an economic crisis; increased operational expenditures over the last few years; the need for permanent reductions to address the structural deficit; appreciation for the valuable discussion; and agreement to make the decision at the end of the budget discussion.
Roger Braum, Assistant Fire Chief, indicated that Fire Chief Ken Powell was ill and regretted not being able to be present; introduced staff; expressed gratitude to CCFD staff for their work over past and previous years; discussed highlights of the 2024-2025 Culver City Fire Department (CCFD) Work Plan, core functions; response times; and priorities for the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Fire Department Work Plan.
Christine Parra, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, discussed creation of a more robust disaster recovery plan; evolving challenges; current plans; providing additional clarity and guidance specific to recovery efforts; outlining
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responsibilities; restoration of key services; and tailoring response to the specific needs of Culver City.
Roger Braum, Assistant Fire Chief, discussed alignment with strategic goals; the mobile stroke unit; and Measure B funding.
Dave Rindels, Battalion Chief, discussed consideration of launching a Youth Fire Explorer Program.
Chris Miller, Fire
Operating Procedures
Severity Zones.
Marshall, discussed review of Standard
and Programs in relation to High Fire
Mayor O'Brien invited public comment.
Jeremy Bocchino, City Clerk, indicated that no public comment had been received.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding the mobile stroke unit program in collaboration with UCLA; funding; the additional position created; addressing climate change; becoming a climate emergency city; start-up costs for the Fire Explorer Program; funding for staff; program mission; improved community outreach; encouraging community service; and other area cities with Fire Explorer programs.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation for the presentation and for the work of CCFD; mutual aid requests; willingness to support climate disasters; eagerness for the March 10 climate change discussion; costs of the Fire Explorer program in relationship to other cities in the region; decreased costs over time; the girls program; continued outreach; appreciation for information on completed i terns; impacts of the in-house trainings for Life Safety Officers; supplemental services provided; the Fire Safety Officer program; communication with the State Fire Marshal's Office and LA City Fire; development of a class pertinent to CCFD; frequency of training; the ability to offer training to other departments; appreciation for the sustainability of the digital survey; collaboration with other departments on big events coming to the area; and excitement and appreciation for staff.
Further discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding clarification that a budget reduction would result in a reduction in services; appreciation for the deployment of firefighters to help in the recent wildfires; drones; best 15 March 3, 2025
practices and lessons learned with regard to mutual aid provided; appreciation to Christine Para for keeping the community informed at all times during the recent wildfires; the mentorship program; and increases in the Incidents Report.
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding the large emergency response summit; brush clearance in the Crest and Blair Hills; Annual Brush Inspections; compliance; enforcement; feedback from inspectors; the state park; the inability to go onto private properties to inspect; cooperation; Sentinel Peak Resources (SPR) annual brush clearance; and a suggestion to offer an annual community meeting to alert affected neighborhoods about escape routes and how to prepare.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding being cognizant of staff time; length of the meeting; clarification on time constraints if the City Council meets on Wednesday, March 5; and agreement to move the Civil Service Commission meeting.
Tevis Barnes, Housing and Human Services Director, provided background on the relatively new Housing and Human Services Department; discussed the MCT; department mission; work plan strategic goals; overall budget; different divisions within the department; core functions; the upcoming joint meeting between the City Council and the Advisory Committee on Housing and Homelessness (ACOHH); accomplishments; highlights of the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Work Plan; work plan priorities for Fiscal Year 2025-2026; and she expressed appreciation for the tireless dedication of department staff.
Mayor O'Brien invited public input.
The following member of the public addressed the City Council:
Nancy Barba discussed the top priority of addressing housing insecurity and homelessness; managing the budget to maximize available resources; the inability to take advantage of county programs; tax dollars contributed to the county; consideration of exploring opportunities to not duplicate efforts;
encouragement to take advantage of existing programs; Measure H funds; outreach teams from the Department of Mental Heal th; strengthening partnerships; and focusing on creation of permanent affordable housing rather than services that could be provided by the county.
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Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation for the impressive and transformative work of the department; creation of new systems; the Housing Dashboard; calls for service for the MCT; ensuring the community knows about the hotline; the Wellness Fair; increasing visibility; continued improvements to the City website; social media; posting information on CCPD pages; accessing county resources; Exodus; the LOVE Team; interim and permanent supportive housing sites; background on Project Homekey; funding, grants, and support received; LAHSA (Los Angeles Homeless Services
Authority) ; efforts by staff and elected officials; repeated requests to the county for support; receipt of one-time monies; money received from Measure H; Measure A; opportunities to reduce costs; policy questions; number of people being housed vs. the number of people counted; cuts vs. identification of additional funding opportunities; and the Safe Parking Program.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding uncertainty related to federal funding; the request that HUD reduce their workforce by 80%; public housing agencies across the nation; the required three month reserve; grants in jeopardy; maintenance of Section 8 at current levels; the dissolution of the Redevelopment Agency; mixed families; requiring work initiatives and potential time limits for Section 8; Constitutional rights; shared values; other departments with federal funding; state and county levels; ongoing volatility; level of attendance at legal clinics over the last cycle; program expenses; the rental registry; penalties and fees; support for the Wellness Fair; appreciation for the breakdown of department costs and for the outreach done; the By Name list; permanent supportive and interim housing at 100% capacity; tracking unhoused contacts with the police department outside of Tuesday outreaches; data gathering and classification by CCPD; comments in the Daily Report regarding housing status; confidential information; a suggestion to share data with the county; areas of opportunity; reluctance of the county let go of any of their funds; Culver City as being held as an example of a city that is spending its own resources to solve their problems; communication with the county; services provided by the county outside of outreach; and referrals to the county or the city of Los Angeles.
clarification
to services;
and Council Members
in terms of services
mortgages paid by HUD;
Further discussion ensued between staff
regarding comparisons to other cities
provided; money invested into programs;
the Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) program;
that cuts in funding would result in cuts
17 March 3, 2025
connections made by staff with a good portion of the unhoused population; appreciation for
provided; and helping people
something.
the level of
to feel that
personal service
they are part of
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding measuring the need for Code Enforcement staffing; calls received; areas addressed; the request for an additional Code Enforcement Officer; Park Patrol; standards; increased property maintenance calls; maintaining level of service; repeated requests for more staff; effectiveness of policies without enforcement; promotion of legal services; evaluation of effectiveness; monthly reports from Bet Tzedek; the process; legal clinics; the upcoming joint meeting between the City Council and the ACOHH; the release of a Request for Proposals (RFP) to help with the update of the Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness; the MCT; the policy decision as to whether to expand hours of the MCT; the need to double staff in order to expand the program; and probable difficulty staffing the graveyard shift.
Further discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding the Point in Time Count; continued successful outreach; appreciation for staff efforts; questions about whether an equal level of service would be achieved from county service providers in order to reduce expenditures; actions taken by Culver City to address lack of services or response from the county that resulted in current programs; lack of accountability from the county; responsiveness and feedback from contractors; ensuring quality services; potential improvement by the county; being open to exploring all possibilities including programs offered by the county; further collaborations moving forward; opinions vs. facts; professional experience; partnerships with new service providers; changes that take place over the years; outreach; lack of reciprocity; and agreement to continue to try.
Mayor O'Brien invited public input.
The following members of the public addressed the City Council:
Marci Baun spoke as an indi victual in support of parks as an asset to the comrnuni ty and she hoped Culver City would do everything they could to provide the spaces for as many years as possible, into the future.
Denise Neal discussed the relationship between the Parks Plan and housing; outreach to Apple for funding; communication 18 March 3, 2025
between Culver City and Manchester Bidwell; assistance with connections and strategies; threats to funding; Measure A funds; the hedge fund; money promised by Tim Cook to help the economy; and offers of help with housing by Apple.
Ted Stevens, Parks, Recreation and Community Services
Director, discussed core functions and objectives;
operations; and he highlighted priorities for the PRCS
Year 2025-2026 Work Plan.
(PRCS)
daily
Fiscal
Discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding appreciation for the report and for efforts to be more
sustainable as a department; critical examination of programs; keeping programming accessible; senior mobility services handled under Transportation; PRCS outreach to promote services; fee increases; clarification that most programming has some level of subsidy; repeated requests for more services; looking at trying to raise salaries to help with retention; AB1881; the need to modernize the reservation system; the process for prioritizing planned implementation for improvements to the parks; unfunded improvements; equity; the decision making process; investments based on the Plan; items that need support; appreciation for the Teen Mental Health Expo; a suggestion for a tie in with the MCT; procedures to examine revenue and the efficacy of programming; the report corning before the City Council on the Fee Study and subsidy levels; and reports available with City Council direction.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Council Members regarding clarification that services would have to be cut if the budget is reduced; the Youth Sports League and Clinics; SBlOO neighborhoods; events and micro-events at different park sites; a suggestion for events without cellphone usage; the Mental Health Expo; the Age-Friendly Action Plan; the Senior Prom; parks maintenance; irrigation; regular general
maintenance; adding issues that come up; revenue generation; prioritization of Tellefson Park; pickleball; support for the motto: "community over competition"; daily usage of the Senior Center; and efforts to get some money from Prop 4.
oOo
Items from Council Members
None.
oOo
19 March 3, 2025
Council Member Requests to Agendize Future Items
Council Member Fish discussed the possibility of losing the Jubilo Village project; he received consensus from Vice Mayor Puza and Council Member McMorrin to receive a 10 year financial projection showing the impact of Jubilo Village on the City's finances; he asked that those projections be included in the staff report; and he suggested adding two additional scenarios to the projection to include the sale of the gun store property and the sunset of the Exodus contract with Project Homekey.
Lisa Soghor, Chief Financial Officer, received clarification that removal of Wellness Village in 2028 when it is transitioned into a housing project should be included in the item.
Consensus was achieved to agendize the following items:
• discuss creating an Entertainment Zone in downtown Culver City
• discuss a ban on algorithmic price fixing, support for establishing minimum evictable rent debt, and right to
counsel as part of the Rent Control and Tenant Protections Update
• receive a 10 year financial projection showing the impact of Jubilo Village on the City's finances
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 proposed looking into an entity called National Corps to assist in funding Jubilo Village and other housing projects; discussed the need to connect with the CEO of Apple; funding offered; she encouraged Culver City to push Los Angeles to do their part; discussed communication with Sydney Kamlager Dove; land use issues; the hedge fund; strategizing and connection to funding with Manchester Bidwell; the parks; Measure A; overlap; and she indicated wanting to sit down with staff to bring resources forward.
oOo
20 March 3, 2025
Adjournment
There being no further business, at 11:21 p.m., the City Council, Successor Agency to the Redevelopment Agency Board, Culver City Housing Authority Board and Culver City Parking Authority adjourned the meeting to March 4, 2025 at 4:00 p.m. oOo
eremy Bocchino
C f Culver City, California
EX-OFFICIO CLERK of the City Council and SECRETARY of the Successor Agency to the Culver City Redevelopment Agency Board, Culver City Parking Authority, and Culver City Housing Authority Board
Culver City, California
DAN
MAYOR of Culver City, California and CHAIR of the Successor Agency to the Culver City Redevelopment Agency Board, Culver City Parking Authority, and Culver City Housing Authority Board
21