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REVISED
TORRANCE CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA
Tuesday, August 05, 2025
REGULAR MEETING
5:00 P.M.
LeROY J. JACKSON COUNCIL CHAMBER
3031 TORRANCE BLVD.
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the City Manager’s office at (310) 618-5880. Notification 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting. [28CFR35.102-35.104 ADA Title II]
Direct questions or concerns to the City Council at (310) 618-2801, City Manager at (310) 618-5880, or the individual department head prior to submission to the City Council. Parties will be notified if the complaint will be included on a subsequent agenda.
VIEW THE MEETING via CitiCABLE Channel 3 (Spectrum) and Channel 31 (Frontier), streaming on TorranceCA.Gov, Facebook @ City of Torrance CA Government, and YouTube Channel TorranceCitiCABLE.
PARTICIPATE BEFORE THE MEETING by submitting a public comment on the OneMeeting Public Portal at https://torranceca.primegov.com/public/portal?fromiframe=true. Hard copies of public comment may be submitted to the City Clerk’s Office during regular business hours. All comments submitted before 5:30 p.m. on Monday, August 04, 2025, will be published for public review prior to the meeting. Comments received after 5:30 p.m., but prior to the adjournment of the meeting will be added to the record.
The revised agenda was posted on the Public Notice Board at 3031 Torrance Blvd and on the City’s Website on Friday, August 1, 2025 /s/ Rebecca Poirier.
ORDER OF BUSINESS
The City Council meeting begins with regular session at 5:00 p.m. The City Council may take action on any item listed on the agenda.
*Denotes that an agenda item was modified on Friday, August 1, 2025.
1. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL
2. FLAG SALUTE/NON-SECTARIAN INVOCATION
Flag Salute – Councilmember Gerson
Invocation – Councilmember Kaji
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3. ANNOUNCEMENT OF WITHDRAWN, DEFERRED, AND/OR SUPPLEMENTAL ITEMS
4. MOTION TO WAIVE FURTHER READING OF RESOLUTIONS AND ORDINANCES AFTER
NUMBER AND TITLE
5. COUNCIL COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
6. COMMUNITY MATTERS
6A. Community Services – Introduction of Students from Kashiwa, Japan Participating in Torrance Sister City Student Cultural Exchange Program. Expenditure: None.
6B. Community Services – Launch of the City Academy of the Arts - Torrance
6C. Community Services – Something Rotten! - 2025 Summer Musical
6D. Proclamation Declaring August 7, 2025 as Purple Heart Day in the City of Torrance, CA.
7. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS #1 (Limited up to a 15-minute period) This portion of the meeting is reserved for comments on items under the Consent Calendar or items that are not on the agenda. Under the Ralph M. Brown Act, City Council cannot act on items raised during public comment but may respond briefly to statements made or questions posed; request clarification; or refer the item to staff.
Speakers under Orals are limited to either Oral Communications #1 or Oral Communications #2 and no longer than 1 minute per speaker. Time starts when you step up to the microphone. If presenting handout material to Council, please provide 11 copies to the City Clerk before speaking. Handouts will be distributed while you speak.
8. CONSENT CALENDAR
Matters listed under the Consent Calendar are considered routine and will be enacted by one motion and one vote. There will be no separate discussion of these items. If discussion is desired, that item will be pulled by a Councilmember from the Consent Calendar and considered separately.
8A. City Clerk – Approve City Council Minutes. Expenditure: None.
Recommendation of the City Clerk that City Council approve the City Council minutes of June 03, 2025, June 10, 2025, June 17, 2025, June 24, 2025 and July 08, 2025.
8B. City Treasurer – Accept and File Investment Report for the Month of May 2025. Expenditure: None.
Recommendation of the City Treasurer that City Council accept and file the Investment Report for the month of May 2025.
8C. SECOND AND FINAL READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 3951
Second and Final Reading of ORDINANCE NO. 3951 amending Section 91.3.2 regarding districts established of the Torrance Municipal Code and adding Article 52 of Chapter 1 of Division 9 regarding religious and higher education institution housing overlay zone.
8D. City Clerk – Adopt ORDINANCE 3953 Amending Torrance Municipal Code Relating to Compensation of Commissioners. Expenditure: $16,650 (General Fund).
The City Clerk recommends that City Council adopt ORDINANCE 3953 – an Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Torrance, California, amending Sections 13.1.1(c), 13.2.1, 13.3.1, 13.4.1, 13.5.1, 13.9.1,
13.10.1, 13.11.1, 13.15.1, 13.16.1, 13.18.1, 13.20.010, and 13.21.020 all titled “Created, Composition, Compensation, and Qualifications” of the Torrance Municipal Code relating to Compensation of Commissioners and adopt an ordinance summary for publication.
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8E. Civil Service Commission and Human Resources – Approve Revised Class Specifications for Fire Prevention Manager/Fire Marshal, Fire Prevention Specialist, Fire Prevention Supervisor, and Senior Fire Prevention Specialist. Expenditure: None.
Recommendation of the Civil Service Commission and Human Resources Director that City Council:
1. Approve a revised class specification for Fire Prevention Manager/Fire Marshal; and
2. Approve a revised class specification for Fire Prevention Specialist; and
3. Approve a revised class specification for Fire Prevention Supervisor; and
4. Approve a revised class specification for Senior Fire Prevention Specialist.
8F. Civil Service Commission and Human Resources – Approve Revised Class Specification for Lead Maintenance Worker. Expenditure: None.
Recommendation of the Civil Service Commission and Human Resources Director that City Council approve the revised class specification for Lead Maintenance Worker.
8G. Public Works – Award Public Works Agreement for the Cabrillo Urban Forestry Project, Approve Plans and Specifications, and Adopt Finding that the Project is Categorically Exempt Under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Expenditure: $1,442,035.60 (General Fund $148,088.60 & Non-General Fund $1,293,947).
Recommendation of the Public Works Director that City Council:
1. Award a Public Works Agreement to Gentry General Engineering, Inc. of Colton, CA (B2024-16), in the amount of $1,253,944, with a 15% contingency of $188,091.60, for a total not-to-exceed amount of $1,442,035.60, for the Cabrillo Urban Forestry Project(I 198-RW0001) for a one-year period beginning August 6, 2025, and ending August 5, 2026; and
2. Approve the plans and specifications for the Cabrillo Urban Forestry Project; and
3. Adopt a finding that the project is categorically exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Section 15301(c).
8H. Transit – Approve the Transit Department’s Submittal of Annual Claim for Transportation Development Act and State Transit Assistance Funds for Fiscal Year 2025-26. Expenditure: None.
Recommendation of the Transit Director that City Council approve the Transit Department's submittal of the annual claim to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) for $7,267,655 in Transportation Development Act funds and $1,819,692 in State Transit Assistance funds for fiscal year 2025-26.
8I. Historic Preservation Commission and Community Development – Adopt a RESOLUTION Establishing a Mills Act Application Process and Review Procedure and Determine this Item is Exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Expenditure: None.
Recommendation of the Historic Preservation Commission and Community Development Director that City Council:
1. Adopt a RESOLUTION establishing a Mills Act application process and review procedures; and
2. Determine that this item is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15331 – Historic Resource Restoration/Rehabilitation.
*The following item was modified on Friday, August 1, 2025.
*8J. City Manager – Approve Assignment and Assumption of Ground Lease and Ground Lessor Estoppel Certificate for City-Owned Property Located at 3455, 3511 and 3525 Pacific Coast Highway.
Expenditure: None.
Recommendation of the City Manager that City Council:
1. Approve an Assignment and Assumption of Ground Lease from JAS Madison I, LLC (“Assignor”), to KLM Madison, LLC (“Assignee”) for lease of City-owned property located at 3455, 3511, and 3525 Pacific Coast Highway; and
2. Approve a Ground Lessor Estoppel Certificate to JAS Madison, I, LLC for lease of City-owned property located at 3455, 3511 and 3525 Pacific Coast Highway.
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8K. City Attorney – Approve Fifth Amendment to Fee Agreement for Legal Services. Expenditure:
$7,327.27 (General Fund).
Recommendation of the City Attorney that City Council approve a fifth amendment to the fee agreement with law firm Liebert Cassidy Whitmore of Los Angeles (C2023-115), in the amount of $7,327.27, for a new not-to-exceed amount of $362,327.27, to provide the City with legal services pertaining to Civil Service Appeal Matter #A23-000790.
9. HEARINGS
9A. Planning Commission and Community Development – Conduct a Public Hearing on Land Use Study 25-00001 Regarding Proposed Amendments to the Torrance Municipal Code Pertaining to the Regulation of Accessory Dwelling Units and Junior Accessory Dwelling Units, Determine a Statutorily Exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and Adopt an ORDINANCE Amending the Torrance Municipal Code. Expenditure: None.
Recommendation of the Planning Commission and the Community Development Director that City Council:
1. Conduct a Public Hearing on Land Use Study 25-00001 regarding proposed amendments to the Torrance Municipal Code pertaining to the regulation of Accessory Dwelling Units and Junior Accessory Dwelling Units; and
2. Determine the proposed amendments are Statutorily Exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 21080.17 of the California Public Resources Code; and
3. Adopt an ORDINANCE amending the Torrance Municipal Code; and
4. Approve Ordinance Summary for publication.
10. ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS – None Scheduled
11. AGENCY AGENDAS – None Scheduled
12. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS #2 (Limited up to a 15-minute period) This portion of the meeting is reserved for comments on items that are not on the agenda. Under the Ralph M.
Brown Act, City Council cannot act on items raised during public comment but may respond briefly to statements made or questions posed; request clarification; or refer the item to staff. Speakers under Orals are limited to either Oral Communications #1 or Oral Communications #2 and no longer than 1 minute per speaker. Time starts when you step up to the microphone. If presenting handout material to Council, please provide 11 copies to the City Clerk before speaking. Handouts will be distributed while you speak.
13. CLOSED SESSION – None Scheduled
14. ADJOURNMENT
Adjournment of City Council meeting to Tuesday, August 12, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. for closed session in the LeRoy J. Jackson Council Chamber.