OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Los Angeles City Council Regular Meeting - February 11, 2025

City CouncilTuesday, February 11, 2025
BodyLos Angeles, California
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, February 11, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record

STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE

Transcript — Verbatim
0:06

Those individuals were not just individual workers, but actually had small businesses.

0:12

They might have attended to five or ten homes.

0:17

Our informal workers are going to really appreciate that she's also here engaging in the conversation of how to support those who lost work.

0:32

Our program basically provides them that immediate real-time support right now to help pay rent, help put food on the table, help us support their families.

0:53

Please follow us on social media at CD6 Los Angeles.

0:56

And you can also follow our website for more information.

1:02

Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez and the Korean American Federation celebrated the Lunar New Year with a food giveaway.

1:09

Community members in Pacoima got to enjoy the celebration with much needed essentials.

1:18

Today we're at Pacoima City Hall where we have this wonderful collaboration with Hanui Bank and the Korean American Federation, my friend Robert On, who's brought all of these incredible resources to help make sure that we're closing the gaps for a lot of families that are in need.

1:51

A lot of folks out here have also been affected by the recent wildfires.

1:56

A lot of the attention has been on the Eden and Palisades fires, but also we had the hearst fire out here in this district.

2:02

And so we also want to be cognizant and mindful of those folks that have been impacted out here.

2:07

These wildfires have devastated a lot of communities.

2:11

Not just the immediate burn areas, but the economic impact is something that is being felt throughout the region.

2:16

So we've got a one-stop shop with FEMA that is here as well, so that we can make services more accessible to the people that need them.

2:23

So I'm just grateful that as Angelinos, we are come together as one Los Angeles to make sure that no one gets left behind.

2:51

Oh, I just got good groceries from good people, you know.

2:54

Easy access, just pull up, get in line, wait, you know.

2:58

I receive good water, I receive rice, all healthy food.

3:01

I receive milk.

3:02

I receive a lot of good stuff that I need because right as of right now today, I don't have nothing to eat.

3:07

So you know it was a good gesture.

3:09

I really appreciate it.

3:13

I always say the one thing that binds all of our communities, regardless of what your ethnic background is, is rice.

3:19

So it's really wonderful that we have all of these incredible ways of sharing what we all know to be familiar at a time when we all need that sense of security.

3:34

It's that time of year again.

3:36

Welcome to tax season.

3:38

This need not be painful on your pocketbook, as the city can help with free tax preparation.

3:43

LA's community investment for families department explained how you can get earned income tax credits.

3:51

And the child tax credit.

3:53

Today we're launching our 2025 Free Tax Prep LA campaign, which offers free tax preparation services to low and moderate income families.

4:03

This is a service that the city offers.

4:05

People should not have to pay for this if they qualify.

4:08

Anyone that makes less than $67,000 a year qualifies for this program.

4:13

It doesn't matter if you have a social security or an ITIN number.

4:16

We want you to come in, use our service because if the IRS owes you money, we want to make sure you get it in your pocket.

4:25

Take advantage of the available tax credits.

4:27

There's upwards of $10,000 available for families who qualify, both federal credits and state credits.

4:34

For example, the earned income tax credit is something that was passed many years ago that has been the number one sort of driver to get people out of poverty.

4:42

People could get up to 10,000 dollars in their pockets if they qualify.

5:10

We're very proud that we offer multilingual certified IRS trained staff that is available throughout our 45 locations that can help people.

5:20

We want folks to just please see the city as a place where they can get many different resources, including getting their taxes done.

5:26

We're here to serve people.

5:28

For anyone that is interested in learning more or finding the location nearest to their home or to their place of work, they can visit Free Taxprep LA.com or our website at LA4Families.org.

5:43

LA's public library is also on this free tax prep kick.

5:48

And we're here for it.

5:49

Don't pay to pay when you can get one-to-one guidance and assistance on your tax case at the library.

5:55

We went to the branch at Lincoln Heights to find out more.

6:02

We are here at the Lincoln Heights branch library, offering free tax preparation services in partnership with Cal Center Lay.

6:11

We are super thrilled to be offering this free service to support the financial well-being of our community.

6:17

This is all free.

6:36

Somebody that has their business, they shouldn't need to bring like their documentation of like of the workers they paid or you know the expenses they use for their business.

6:45

Not only was it my first time doing my taxes here, it was actually my first time doing my taxes in general.

6:51

It's like a small taste of like full-fledged adultness.

6:54

I feel like I'm somewhat growing up in a sense.

7:03

It's all one-on-one.

7:04

So usually when people come to do their taxes, they are uninformed of certain credits and deductions they have available to them, um, such as like the renter's credit or being a student has deductions or credits, and being an educator.

7:18

If you work at a school, you also have a deduction.

7:20

So it's just simple stuff like that that people are uninformed of.

7:33

We are going to be offering these tax preparation services for various weeks at different locations.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural████████████████16%
Public Safety███████████████15%
Public Comment████████████12%
Public Events██████████10%
Economic Development████████8%
Public Health███████7%
Budget and Finance█████5%
Cultural Recognition█████5%
Public Engagement█████5%
Summary of Proceedings

Los Angeles City Council Regular Meeting - February 11, 2025

The Los Angeles City Council held its regularly scheduled meeting on February 11, 2025, at 10:14 a.m. (14 minutes late). The council addressed routine approvals, public comments, and voted on several items, including business tax relief for wildfire-impacted businesses. The meeting concluded with adjournments honoring notable individuals.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of the minutes of February 7, 2025 (moved by Councilmember Price, seconded by Padilla).
  • Commendatory resolutions for approval (moved by Councilmember Soto Martinez, seconded by Kosco).
  • Items 8 and 9 were continued to February 25, 2025, without objection.
  • Items 1–12 (noticed for public hearing) and items 13–23 (items for which public hearings have been held) were considered. Items 24–25 (no public hearing) required 10 votes.
  • Councilmember Hutt moved to note and file items 24 and 25 and have the housing department report back in 60 days (seconded by Hernandez). Approved.
  • Councilmember Nazarian moved to receive and file item 17 since the Department of Transportation already provided a report (seconded by Hernandez). Approved.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • One speaker protested alleged Brown Act violations by Council President Dawson, criticized the cost per unit in item 12 ($393,000 per unit), and suggested funds from REAP accounts should be redirected to repair fire department vehicles.
  • A speaker in Spanish discussed a book on cancer prevention and shared personal experiences.
  • Ann Job of Simi Valley commended Councilmember Hernandez's comments on MacArthur Park and expressed support for youth marches advocating acceptance.
  • James Finney Conlin, representing the LA Area Chamber of Commerce, thanked Councilmember Hernandez for amendments to item 23 providing equitable tax relief for small businesses impacted by wildfires.
  • A speaker in Chinese commented on items 1–3 and then gave general public comment criticizing the city for allowing lawlessness (freeway takeovers and illegal immigration) and questioned enforcement.
  • A speaker reported theft issues at homeless shelters.

Discussion Items

  • Item 23 (Business Tax Relief for Wildfire Victims): Councilmember Hernandez introduced an ordinance to assist businesses that lost records or equipment in the wildfires. She stated the effort would have an $8 million impact on tax income but is necessary to prevent a larger economic crisis. The measure was supported by Councilmember Park. The council voted 12-0 in favor.
  • Item 17 (Transportation Report): Councilmember Nazarian noted the Department of Transportation had already addressed the recommendations, so the item was received and filed.
  • Items 24–25 (REAP Account Property Removals): Councilmember Hutt moved to note and file the department report and request a report back in 60 days. Approved with 15 votes.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved minutes and commendatory resolutions.
  • Continued items 8 and 9 to February 25, 2025.
  • Voted on items 13–16 and 18–22: 11 eyes.
  • Item 17 (received and filed): 11 eyes.
  • Item 23 (tax relief ordinance): 12 eyes.
  • Items 1–7 and 10–12: 15 eyes.
  • Items 24–25 (noted and filed): 15 eyes.
  • Adjourned in memory of:
    • Professor Donald Shoup (moved by Councilmember Raman), UCLA urban planning scholar known for parking reform.
    • Sergeant Felicia Robinson (moved by Councilmember Price), LAPD sergeant who served South LA for nearly two decades.
    • Mario Gersham Reyes (moved by Councilmember Jurado), photojournalist who documented the Japanese American community for over 40 years.

Meeting Transcript

Those individuals were not just individual workers, but actually had small businesses. They might have attended to five or ten homes. Our informal workers are going to really appreciate that she's also here engaging in the conversation of how to support those who lost work. Our program basically provides them that immediate real-time support right now to help pay rent, help put food on the table, help us support their families. Please follow us on social media at CD6 Los Angeles. And you can also follow our website for more information. Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez and the Korean American Federation celebrated the Lunar New Year with a food giveaway. Community members in Pacoima got to enjoy the celebration with much needed essentials. Today we're at Pacoima City Hall where we have this wonderful collaboration with Hanui Bank and the Korean American Federation, my friend Robert On, who's brought all of these incredible resources to help make sure that we're closing the gaps for a lot of families that are in need. A lot of folks out here have also been affected by the recent wildfires. A lot of the attention has been on the Eden and Palisades fires, but also we had the hearst fire out here in this district. And so we also want to be cognizant and mindful of those folks that have been impacted out here. These wildfires have devastated a lot of communities. Not just the immediate burn areas, but the economic impact is something that is being felt throughout the region. So we've got a one-stop shop with FEMA that is here as well, so that we can make services more accessible to the people that need them. So I'm just grateful that as Angelinos, we are come together as one Los Angeles to make sure that no one gets left behind. Oh, I just got good groceries from good people, you know. Easy access, just pull up, get in line, wait, you know. I receive good water, I receive rice, all healthy food. I receive milk. I receive a lot of good stuff that I need because right as of right now today, I don't have nothing to eat. So you know it was a good gesture. I really appreciate it. I always say the one thing that binds all of our communities, regardless of what your ethnic background is, is rice. So it's really wonderful that we have all of these incredible ways of sharing what we all know to be familiar at a time when we all need that sense of security. It's that time of year again. Welcome to tax season. This need not be painful on your pocketbook, as the city can help with free tax preparation. LA's community investment for families department explained how you can get earned income tax credits. And the child tax credit. Today we're launching our 2025 Free Tax Prep LA campaign, which offers free tax preparation services to low and moderate income families. This is a service that the city offers. People should not have to pay for this if they qualify. Anyone that makes less than $67,000 a year qualifies for this program. It doesn't matter if you have a social security or an ITIN number. We want you to come in, use our service because if the IRS owes you money, we want to make sure you get it in your pocket. Take advantage of the available tax credits. There's upwards of $10,000 available for families who qualify, both federal credits and state credits. For example, the earned income tax credit is something that was passed many years ago that has been the number one sort of driver to get people out of poverty. People could get up to 10,000 dollars in their pockets if they qualify. We're very proud that we offer multilingual certified IRS trained staff that is available throughout our 45 locations that can help people. We want folks to just please see the city as a place where they can get many different resources, including getting their taxes done. We're here to serve people. For anyone that is interested in learning more or finding the location nearest to their home or to their place of work, they can visit Free Taxprep LA.com or our website at LA4Families.org. LA's public library is also on this free tax prep kick. And we're here for it. Don't pay to pay when you can get one-to-one guidance and assistance on your tax case at the library. We went to the branch at Lincoln Heights to find out more. We are here at the Lincoln Heights branch library, offering free tax preparation services in partnership with Cal Center Lay. We are super thrilled to be offering this free service to support the financial well-being of our community.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI
TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com