SPECIAL MEETING OF THE March 19, 2024
CITY OF CULVER CITY/ 3:30 p.m.
WEST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE
LIAISON COMMITTEE
CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA
Call to Order & Roll Call
The special meeting of the City of Culver City/West Los Angeles College Liaison Committee was called to order at 3:32 p.m. in the Technology Learning Center at West Los Angeles College.
Present: James Limbaugh, Ph.D., President, WLAC
Michelle Long-Coffee, Public Relations Director WLAC
Dan O’Brien, Council Member, Culver City
Freddy Puza, Council Member, Culver City
Staff: Elaine Gerety Warner, Economic Development Director, Culver City
Ted Stevens, Parks, Recreation and Community Services
Director, Culver City
Jeremy Bocchino, City Clerk
Mimi Ferrel, City Clerk Specialist
o0o
Pledge of Allegiance
The City of Culver City/West Los Angeles College Liaison Committee recited the Pledge of Allegiance.
o0o
Receipt of Correspondence
No correspondence was received.
o0o
City of Culver City/West Los Angeles
College Liaison Committee Minutes
March 19, 2024
Items from Members/Staff
Meeting attendees were introduced.
o0o
Public Comment for Items NOT on the Agenda
Michelle Weiner expressed excitement that WLAC had facilitated the bike lanes and she suggested that WLAC look at increased connectivity.
o0o
Consent Calendar
Item C-1
Approval of the November 29, 2023 CC-WLAC Liaison Committee Meeting Minutes
MOVED BY MEMBER LIMBAUGH, SECONDED BY MEMBER O’BRIEN AND
UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED, THAT THE CITY OF CULVER CITY/WEST LOS
ANGELES COLLEGE LIAISON COMMITTEE APPROVE MINUTES FOR THE MEETING OF NOVEMBER 29, 2023.
o0o
Order of the Agenda
Item A-4 was done after the second opportunity for Public Comment – Items NOT on the Agenda.
o0o
Action Items
Item A-1
Update and Discussion of Affordable Student Housing on Campus, Development at 10100 Jefferson
James Limbaugh, Ph.D., President, WLAC, discussed affordable student housing on campus; providing housing for students, but not acting as a residence hall; and identification of a location and an architect for design.
City of Culver City/West Los Angeles
College Liaison Committee Minutes
March 19, 2024
Discussion ensued between meeting attendees, staff, and Committee Members regarding construction funding; operating costs; degrees offered; avionics; the aircraft industry; proximity to LAX; partnerships with airline companies; efforts to reposition the college post-pandemic; the timeframe; backwards engineering the selection process; encouraging people who need housing to learn a trade; and the current number of housing insecure students.
Ted Stevens, Parks, Recreation and Community Services (PRCS) Director, and Adam Ferguson, Senior Management Analyst, introduced themselves.
James Limbaugh, Ph.D., President, WLAC, provided background on the 10100 Jefferson project; discussed the proposal for soundstages to support the Motion Picture Arts and Crafts program; changes proposed to the scope of the project by Hudson Capital; continued negotiations; outreach conducted by Hudson Capital; project delays; the timeline; and clarification that part of the project is in Los Angeles county.
o0o
Item A-2
Discussion Regarding the 2028 Olympics and Collaborative Partnership with West Los Angeles College Associated with the Utilization of Facilities
Discussion ensued between staff and Committee Members regarding partnership to increase the amount of field space available to residents; limited space in City parks; the tour of campus; availability of the track to the community at certain hours; the baseball field and practice soccer football field; current utilization; permitting processes; non-profits or private entities renting field space; City space that the College might want to use; funding and staffing issues; lighting issues; neighborhood impacts; the Olympics; exclusive use of the field for the baseball team; the Fourth of July Fireworks Show; gopher issues with the community field and construction that has prevented the field from being maintained; track and football field rentals; lack of lighting due to neighbor issues; private schools and local high schools using the track; prioritization; capacity; lack of available weekends; summer availability; single use opportunities; FIFA and the Olympics; confirmation that the annual fireworks show would not be held at West Los Angeles College this year; pickleball; the gymnasium; filling City of Culver City/West Los Angeles
College Liaison Committee Minutes
March 19, 2024
gaps; soccer and adult softball; scarcity of land; funding; Measure LA; providing Olympics housing as a revenue generator; using housing to provide a shield between the neighborhood and the fields to allow for lighting; technology for focused lighting; rehabilitation of the community field; increased noise; and the growth of WLAC.
The following member of the public addressed the Committee:
Art Nomura asserted that housing was at such a premium, that people would enroll in the College just to get a place to live and he discussed the importance of proper management of the housing facility.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Committee Members regarding previous removal of courts for noise, space, and enrollment issues; the Parks Master Plan for the City; accessibility; pool facilities; potential event space at WLAC; hosting countries that need training and practice facilities; housing; event space; the goal of the City to be a cultural center of Los Angeles in terms of Arts and Entertainment during the Olympics; valuable open space that can be used for pop up opportunities; understanding the venue portfolio; the recent New Zealand tour in Culver City; space and parking at WLAC; community organizations looking for a satellite location; identifying venues that are possible options; the intent of the City to create a subcommittee of different organizations in the City; agreement by Culver City and WLAC to share information, interest, and opportunities; contact information; desirable event space; the library; outdoor cinema; use of the tiered parking lot for events by different entities; creation of semi- permanent space; updating the schedule of fees for Culver City and for WLAC; showcasing WLAC; the view; temporary lighting; events held away from the fence line; creating a partnership between WLAC and Culver City for parking and shuttles to Syd Kronenthal Park; and ensuring that residents are not forgotten during the Olympics.
o0o
Item A-3
Discussion of Next Steps, Future Agenda Items, and Next Meeting Date/Time
Discussion ensued between staff and Committee Members regarding the Olympics; housing; bike racks; converting parking spaces City of Culver City/West Los Angeles
College Liaison Committee Minutes
March 19, 2024
into bicycle parking; extending the Circulator to WLAC; the Climate Center; and potential meeting dates.
o0o
Public Comment for Items NOT on the Agenda (Continued)
Art Nomura discussed the new housing element on campus; the opportunity to dovetail with the emphasis on climate change; parking; ensuring that active transportation is emphasized; and sending a message that WLAC is serious about the environment.
o0o
Item A-4
Conduct a Tour of West Los Angeles Community College Campus Facilities
Staff, Committee Members and meeting attendees toured West Los Angeles Community College campus facilities.
o0o
Items from Members/Staff
None.
o0o
City of Culver City/West Los Angeles
College Liaison Committee Minutes
March 19, 2024
Adjournment
There being no further business, at 5:09 p.m., the City of Culver City/West Los Angeles College Liaison Committee
adjourned.
o0o
_____________________________________________________________
JEREMY BOCCHINO
SECRETARY of the CITY OF CULVER CITY/WEST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE
LIAISON COMMITTEE
APPROVED ____________________
_____________________________________________________________
FREDDY PUZA
COUNCIL MEMBER, CITY COUNCIL
Culver City, California
I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that, on the date below written, these minutes were filed in the Office of the City Clerk, Culver City, California and constitute the Official Minutes of said meeting.
_________________________ _________________________
Jeremy Bocchino Date
CITY CLERK