Civic Assembly
Recommendations
1 Monday - September 28, 2026
Public Affairs Office
2 Thank You,
Civic Assembly Participants
60 residents • 40+ hours each • 42 recommendations
3 Examples of Engagement - Social Media (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter)
- GovDelivery (Email) - News & Events - Monthly Newsletter - From the City Manager’s Desk - Website News Updates - Digital Kiosks – New Program - Physical Posters/Postcards for Upcoming Events/Initiatives
- Pop-up Informational Tents at Events
- Community Conversations
4 02
01 03
LISTEN & ESTABLISH A BASELINE September – November 2026 Understand what residents value and establish a baseline of community priorities. ● Community
Conversations ▥ Baseline Survey ◌ Focus Groups
↓
PRIORITIZE & EXPLORE TRADE-OFFS November 2026 – January 2027 Identify what matters most and help residents consider budget choices and trade-offs. ● Community
Conversations
Budget
Simulation ▥ Representative
Surveys ◌ Online
Engagement
↓
VALIDATE & INFORM BUDGET DECISIONS March – April 2027
Connect community priorities to specific budget decisions and show how resident input was used. ● Deliberative
Workshops
Online
Engagement ▥ ✓ Results & Updates
Priority-based Budgeting Process
A phased process to identify community priorities, explore trade-offs, and connect resident input to budget decisions.
Representative
Surveys
5 PARTICIPANT SELECTION
A representative group of residents
is selected through a random process.
01 Random invitations
Invitations are mailed to a
random sample of residents.
▤ Lottery pool
Interested residents opt in
via application.
Representative selection
Participants are selected to reflect
Culver City’s demographics.
Participation support
Accessibility and other support
needs are identified in advance.
ASSEMBLY SESSIONS
Residents learn, deliberate, and
develop recommendations.
02 Learn
Hear from experts, advocates,
and community members
representing different perspectives.
Deliberate
Discuss evidence and perspectives
and weigh trade-offs in facilitated
small groups.
Recommend
Develop and vote on
recommendations, with differing
views documented where
appropriate.
RECOMMENDATIONS & RESPONSE
Participants share their recommendations
and the City provides a response.
03 Report
The Assembly’s recommendations
are submitted to Council and
City staff.
Present
Participants present their
recommendations and share
their experience.
Respond
The City clearly identifies which
recommendations will move
forward and explains why others
may not.
→ →
Civic Assembly Process
6 Status of Civic Assembly Recommendations
The Civic Assembly developed 42 recommendations to increase public participation in Culver City’s budget process. Here’s where things stand:
30 Fully Support
✓
The City supports 32
recommendations and plans
to move forward with
implementation.
9 Evaluating
⌕
Nine recommendations
are under further review. Based on
initial analysis, most are likely to be
partially or fully supported, with
additional evaluation needed to
determine the best path forward.
7 Online
Engagement
Platform
In-person
Conversations
Multi-Channel
Communications
Inclusive
Participation
Accessible
Budget
Information
Feedback Loop
and
Transparency
Recommendation Themes
Online Engagement Platform
One place for residents to learn, provide input, and
see how their feedback influences budget decisions.
The platform provides:
Plain-language budget information
Surveys, prioritization & engagement
▥ Interactive budget simulator exercise
? Public Q&A and feedback
Progress updates
1 Meet People
Where They Are
2 Feedback
Loop
4 Budget Recap /
Comparisons
5 Specific /
Direct Asks
8 Budget
Simulation
10 Dashboard, Key
Indicators &
Metrics
14 Make Budget &
Process Info
Accessible
17 App /
Portal
19 Condense &
Summarize the
Budget
27 Budget
Q&A
SUPPORTS 10
RECOMMENDATIONS:
In-person Community Conversations & Outreach
Expand in-person engagement beyond traditional
Council meetings to meet residents where they are:
in neighborhoods, community spaces, and at events.
In-person Engagements include:
Neighborhood Outreach
Kitchen Table Conversations
Public Goal Sessions
1 Meet People
Where They
Are
6 Departmentspecific Activities
and Information
7 Targeted
Engagement
with Subgroups
12 Resident
Orientation
Sessions
24 Prevention vs
Response
30 Budget Town
Halls
36 Engagement
Beyond
Technology
SUPPORTS 8
RECOMMENDATIONS:
3 Neigborhood
Ambassador/
Champion/Groups
Multi-Channel Communications
Reach residents through multiple channels with
clear, accessible, and engaging information
about the budget and how to participate.
Multi-Channel Engagement will include:
Email & Text Alerts
Community Partners & Local Media
City Website & Digital Content
In-Person & Community Locations
Social Media
SUPPORTS 8
RECOMMENDATIONS:
13 Using Social
Media to
Increase
Awareness
15 Marquee,
Boards, &
Kiosks with
Information
18 Creative
Campaigns &
Communicatio
n Strategies
23 Working with
Businesses to
Increase
Awareness
28 Video
Assets
29 Email & Text-Specific
Alerts with Budget
Information /
Newsletter
31 Social Media as
an Engagement
Forum
42 Budget
Terminology in
News /
Commercial Media
Inclusive Participation
Design engagement to reduce barriers to
participation while proactively reaching a
broad and representative cross-section of the
community.
Broadening participation includes:
Representative Input
Accessibility
27 Targeted
Engagement
with Subgroups
16 Incentivize Input
/ Participation
32 Redefine
Accessibility
36 Engagement
Beyond
Technology
5 Specific /
Direct Asks
SUPPORTS 5
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Accessible Budget Information &
Education
Make the budget and budget process easier to understand through plain-language explanations, visual materials, concise budget summaries, clear timelines, and information about City departments and services.
Clearer budget information includes:
Visual & Concise Materials
Budget Education
6 DepartmentSpecific Activities
& Information
14 Make Budget &
Process Info
Accessible
19 Condense &
Summarize the
Budget
24 Prevention vs.
Response
33 Budget
Education
Opportunities
(e.g. classes)
42 Budget Terminology in
News / Commercial
Media
SUPPORTS 6
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Feedback Loop & Transparency
Make it easy for residents to see what the City
heard, what changed, and how their input
informed budget decisions.
A clear feedback loop includes sharing:
What Happened & Why
What We Heard
2 Feedback Loop &
Impact
Documentation
4 Budget Recap /
Changes /
Comparisons
27 Budget Question /
Comment / Answer
Repository
35 Prevention vs.
Response
SUPPORTS 4
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Additional Recommendations Made by the Civic Assembly
#16 Incentivize Input / Participation
#20 Budget Information AI-Assistant
#22 Incentivize local businesses as partners
#25 Budget Engagement Commission / Committee
#26 By-appointment budget meetings
#33 Budget Education Opportunities
#34 Fun Events / Games
#37 Gamify Participation
#21 Council Meeting Standards of Engagement
#40 Increase Public Comment Time
#41 Lower Voting Age
Outside City Staff Control
Launch Online Engagement Platform
• Q&A (ongoing)
• Ideas wall (Fall 2026)
• Ranking activities
(Winter 2026)
• Budget Exercise
(Spring 2027)
In-Person Community Conversations
• “What’s Next”
Priority-setting
• September 30
• October 20
• November 2
• November 21
Statistical Surveys
• Set baseline (Fall
2026)
• Flash Votes to weigh
in on emerging
priorities (ongoing)
Next Steps
Next Civic Assembly, new topic, Spring 2027