1 THESE MINUTES ARE NOT OFFICIAL
UNTIL APPROVED BY THE
CULVER CITY
STANDING GOVERNANCE SUBCOMMITTEE
OF THE CITY COUNCIL
REGULAR MEETING OF THE October 8, 2025
CULVER CITY STANDING GOVERNANCE 3:00 p.m.
SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE CITY COUNCIL
CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA
Call to Order & Roll Call
Chair Fish called the regular meeting of the Standing
Governance Subcommittee of the City Council to order at 3:03 p.m. at City Hall.
Present: Bubba Fish, Council Member
Yasmine-Imani McMorrin, Council Member
Staff Present: Jesse Mays, Assistant City Manager
Shelly Wolfberg, Assistant to the City
Manager
Christina Burrows, Deputy City Attorney
Jeremy Bocchino, City Clerk
T’Ana Allen, Deputy City Clerk
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Pledge of Allegiance
Chair Fish led the Pledge of Allegiance.
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Public Comment – Items NOT On The Agenda
Chair Fish invited public comment.
Standing Governance Subcommittee
of the City Council
October 8, 2025
2 Shelly Wolfberg, Assistant to the City Manager, reported that no requests to speak had been received.
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Receipt of Correspondence
Shelly Wolfberg, Assistant to the City Manager, indicated that no correspondence had been received.
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Consent Calendar Items
Item C-1
Approval of Minutes of the Standing Governance Subcommittee Meeting Held on August 6, 2025
MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER MCMORRIN, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER
FISH AND UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED, THAT THE STANDING GOVERNANCE
SUBCOMMITTEE APPROVE MINUTES OF THE STANDING GOVERNANCE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON AUGUST 6, 2025.
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Order of the Agenda
No changes were made.
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Action Items
Item A-1
(1) Discussion of Democracy Vouchers and (2) If Desired, Recommendation to the City Council
Shelly Wolfberg, Assistant to the City Manager, provided a summary of the material of record.
Discussion ensued between staff and Subcommittee Members regarding review of the Seattle program; potential cost obligations to the City; number of registered voters in Culver City; amount allocated to be given per voter; amount of voter Standing Governance Subcommittee
of the City Council
October 8, 2025
3 participation in other cities; examination of matching programs; providing a budget for an information campaign; removing financial barriers for people; gaining information to look at likely amount of participation; cost; and fiscal ramifications.
Chair Fish invited public comment.
The following member of the public addressed the
Subcommittee:
Philip Lelyveld asked about the source of the money to fund the Seattle program; questioned whether data was available to gage the success of downplaying outside influence in
elections to give people more power; discussed increased candidate spending; and looking at measurable impact of making the elections more tied to residents.
Discussion ensued between staff and Subcommittee Members regarding significant special interest money from corporate donors not based in Culver City spent in the last two election cycles; lack of limits on outside funding; strengthening what candidates can do to get their message out there; combatting PAC (Political Action Committee) money that has become a mainstay in elections; use of vouchers vs. a matching program; not being beholden to special interests; appreciation to staff for their efforts; the FPP C (Fair Political Practices Commission); the Contributor Committee; allowing for people to make a contribution of under $200 per year in order to make a bigger difference by more people to support multiple candidates; voter turnout; redemption rate; level of
engagement; education; communications; including an item in the upcoming budget cycle; running a pilot program for 2026; next steps; and making a recommendation to the City Council.
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Public Comment - Items NOT on the Agenda (Continued)
Chair Fish invited public comment.
Shelly Wolfberg, Assistant to the City Manager, reported that no requests to speak had been received.
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Standing Governance Subcommittee
of the City Council
October 8, 2025
4 Items from Members/Staff
Jesse Mays, Assistant City Manager, reported that
consolidating public comment and the new Council Member guidance process were tentatively on the agenda for the November 10, 2025 City Council meeting.
Discussion ensued between staff and Subcommittee Members regarding number of items on the November 10, 2025 City Council agenda; backed up action items; new requests; the participatory budget scope discussion; alerting people who fly in to make presentations if their item is pushed; number of City Council meetings left in 2025; date for the next Subcommittee meeting; lobbyist registration remanded to the Governance Subcommittee; rules about campaign advertising disclosures; independent expenditure committees; use of similar names to obscure who is behind the ads; lack of reporting of who donors are; providing a portal to see
campaign contributions for and against candidates based on what San Francisco has done; the bar chart for each candidate that details the amount of money being spent by the candidate, against them, or for them; clarification that mailers do not have to be registered with Culver City; the requirement by the FPPC that donors are included in flyer information; consideration of requirements for campaign disclosures and a request for having an online repository for campaign ads, requiring top donors to be listed on campaign ads, and
providing information on the amount of spending per campaign per PAC; having a substantive meeting in December; holding a special meeting; and changing the Charter.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Subcommittee Members regarding making submitted e-comment accessible to the public without initiating a PRA (Public Records
Act)request ; ensuring the public can see what is included in the public record; ensuring personal information is not revealed; timing issues; comments made prior to the meeting date; e-comment that is part of Granicus that already redacts personal information; email; allowing access for those who do not have a computer or who are not able to get online; and logistics.
Further discussion ensued between staff and Subcommittee Members regarding upcoming items; consolidating public
comment; reforming the way new items get on an agenda; civic assembly; the lobbyist registry; campaign finance disclosure; Standing Governance Subcommittee
of the City Council
October 8, 2025
5 campaign ads disclosing top donors; creation of an online repository of campaign ads; providing information about for and against spending per candidate, per PAC; public
financing; democracy vouchers and comparisons with matching funds; the Charter update; timing; consultation and
involvement with the City Attorney’s Office; making e-comment part of the public record; potentially limiting candidates on self-donations; election priorities over the lobbyist
registry; timing; money having influence over Culver City during elections; and agreement that the lobbyist registry could wait until after the election.
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Standing Governance Subcommittee
of the City Council
October 8, 2025
6 Adjournment
There being no further business, at 3:45 p.m., the Standing Governance Subcommittee of the City Council adjourned to a meeting to be held on December 3, 2025 at 3:00 p.m.
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___________________________________________________________ Jeremy Bocchino
SECRETARY of the Culver City Standing Governance
Subcommittee of the City Council, Culver City, California
APPROVED
___________________________________________________________ Bubba Fish
COUNCIL MEMBER, Standing Governance Subcommittee of the City Council, Culver City, California