1 September 9, 2025
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
SEPTEMBER 9, 2025
A special meeting of the Santa Monica City Council was called to order by Mayor Negrete at 5:35 p.m., on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, at City Council Chambers, 1685 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA, and at a teleconference site in San Sebastián, 20004 Spain.
Roll Call: Present: Mayor Lana Negrete
Mayor Pro Tem Caroline Torosis (arrived remotely at 5:35 p.m.) Councilmember Jesse Zwick
Councilmember Dan Hall
Councilmember Ellis Raskin
Councilmember Barry Snell
Councilmember Natalya Zernitskaya
Also Present: City Manager Oliver Chi
Acting City Attorney Heidi von Tongeln
City Clerk Nikima S. Newsome
CONVENE/PLEDGE On order of the Mayor, the City Council convened at 5:35 p.m., with all members present. Councilmember Raskin led the assemblage in the Pledge of Allegiance.
STATEMENT OF
ACCOUNTABILITY
(LAND
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT)
The City of Santa Monica is located on the land of Tovangaar. With great respect, the City acknowledges the Gabrieleño/Tongva as the First People of this ancestral and unceded territory of Kuruvungna, a village that we know as Santa Monica. We honor their elders, past and present, and the Gabrieleño descendants who are part of the Gabrieleño /Tongva tribes.
We recognize that these peoples are still here, and as settlers and kuyam (guests), we recognize our responsibility and obligation to care for their land in partnership with them. The City of Santa Monica commits to work in partnership with the Gabrieleño/Tongva people to uplift their voices and visibility on their ancestral land.
The City of Santa Monica Statement of Accountability (Land Acknowledgement) was read into the record by Councilmember Raskin.
LEVINE ACT
DISCLOSURE
Pursuant to the Levine Act (Govt Code Section 84308), any party to a permit, license, contract, or other entitlement before the Council is required to disclose on the record any contribution, including Docusign Envelope ID: 71E36EA0-F02D-4C37-9E61-0E4129FD295B 2 September 9, 2025
aggregated contributions, of more than $500 made by the party or the party's agents within the preceding 12 months to any City official.
Participants and agents are requested to make this disclosure as well.
The disclosure must include the name of the party, participant, or agent, and any other person making the contribution; the name of the recipient, the amount of the contribution, and the date the contribution was made.
No Councilmembers recused from any items on the agenda pursuant to the Levine Act.
PUBLIC INPUT FOR
CLOSED SESSION ONLY:
Member of the public Denise Barton commented on Closed Session items.
CLOSED SESSIONS
(Mayor Pro Tem Torosis
excused at 7:15 p.m.)
(Mayor Pro Tem Torosis
returned at approximately
7:45 P.M.)
On order of the Mayor, the City Council recessed at 7:15 p.m., to consider Closed Sessions and returned at 9:30 p.m., with all members present, to report the following:
5.A. Conference with Legal Counsel – Existing Litigation - Gov. Code § 54956.9(d)(1): Leonid Pustilnikov, Jon Farzam v. City of Santa Monica, City Council, Downtown Santa Monica, Inc.; LASC # 25STCP03460
The City Attorney advised this matter was heard with no reportable action taken.
ADJOURNMENT On order of the Mayor, the City Council meeting adjourned at 9:31 p.m.
ATTEST: APPROVED:
Nikima S. Newsome Lana Negrete
City Clerk Mayor
Docusign Envelope ID: 71E36EA0-F02D-4C37-9E61-0E4129FD295B