Los Angeles City Council Regular Meeting - February 21, 2025
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Los Angeles City Council Regular Meeting
The Los Angeles City Council convened on Friday, February 21, 2025, at 9:31 AM, under the leadership of Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson. The meeting included presentations, public comments, and votes on several items. Key actions included approval of funding to resolve firefighter payroll discrepancies, a closed session settlement of $9.5 million, and the continuation of a controversial motion to exempt Olympic-related projects from environmental review. The council also recognized the retirement of El Pueblo General Manager Arturo Chavez and unveiled a new tourism campaign.
Consent Calendar
- Items 1, 3, 4, 6, and 7 were approved without discussion. These items had been previously heard in committee and public comment was satisfied.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Multiple speakers opposed item 5 (Olympic exemptions), citing concerns about bypassing community input, environmental review, and potential misuse for projects like the Dodger Stadium gondola. Speakers urged the council to vote no.
- Speakers supported item 8, calling for resolution of the fire department's payroll system issues (Workday) and fair compensation for firefighters. Many praised the work of the City Controller Kenneth Mejia.
- General public comment addressed topics including police accountability, veteran homelessness, film industry support, and the city's rent registry.
Presentations
- Retirement Recognition of Arturo Chavez: Councilmember Monica Rodriguez led a tribute to Arturo Chavez, retiring General Manager of El Pueblo de Los Angeles. Councilmembers and staff praised his decades of public service, advocacy for Latino communities, and mentorship. Chavez thanked the council and his family.
- LA Tourism Campaign Launch: Councilmember Tracy Park introduced the "We Love LA" campaign, a global ad campaign set to launch March 3, 2025, to boost tourism after the January wildfires. The campaign features the song "I Love LA" and highlights the city's resilience. It will air in key domestic and international markets.
Discussion Items
- Item 5 (Motion to Exempt Olympic Projects from CEQA): Councilmember Park requested continuation of the item to February 28, 2025. The motion would allow expedited review for projects related to the 2028 Olympics. Several public commenters expressed strong opposition.
- Item 8 (Fire Department Payroll Resolution): Councilmember Tim McCosker presented amendments to address hundreds of unresolved payroll tickets for Los Angeles Fire Department personnel, caused by the Workday system and pre-existing issues. The item authorized 30 additional temporary positions and overtime funding to resolve pay discrepancies. Councilmembers expressed support, emphasizing the need to properly resource the fire department. City Controller Kenneth Mejia spoke in favor, noting the severity of the problem.
- Item 9 (Closed Session Settlement): The council voted to approve a settlement of $9.5 million in the case Daniel Gonzalez et al. v. City of Los Angeles. The vote was 10-0 after closed session.
Key Outcomes
- Item 5 was continued to the February 28, 2025 meeting.
- Item 8 passed unanimously (10-0), authorizing funds and positions to fix firefighter payroll issues.
- Item 9 (settlement) was approved without objection, with the city attorney reporting no actionable items from closed session.
- Items 1, 3, 4, 6, and 7 were approved as part of the consent calendar.
- The council also noted the upcoming grand opening of the Watts Skate Park on February 22, 2025.
Meeting Transcript
The homeless council is important because it gives us insight into homelessness across the county. And that provides policymakers with the information they need in order to create better policies for addressing homelessness, getting our unhoused neighbors off the streets in interim housing, and hopefully in a permanent house. Super easy to sign up. You just have to, you don't even have to have a car. You can be like one of the people who ride or one of the people who walk. And everything is online and it's simple. People who want to help as well. I know that every year that we stand here and every day that we work to get Angelinos housed and work to end homelessness. This is an important evening because it will allow us to see progress made and how much more needs to be done. When it came to keeping this long-standing tribute to Martin Luther King going, city leaders and community members took a wildfire delay in their stride and didn't miss a beat. Today we're out on Crenshaw doing our annual MLK Day parade. We're doing it in the month of February because in Martin Luther King's birthday, we had the fires in Al Tadina and the Pacific Palisades. And so we're out here today. We didn't forget. We want to remind the whole world. We remember the struggle. We remember the legacy. We remember the dream. And most importantly, we remember our commitment to justice. Coming together as a community and knowing that we are our brothers keeping. We know that we've got some issues and problems in our community, but we can't be divided. We can't be separated. We can't be eroded. Celebration Day means celebrating the human spirit, the human values, but also celebrating the importance of working together and knowing that we can be successful when we do that. I do believe that there are people out here, not only in community, but at our schools and also on the council and in our local government, sharing some of the same values and uplifting some of the same values as Dr. King, making sure that we don't leave community behind, that we're not putting up barriers for other community members, and that we all fight together. And that's the kind of work that we're doing here today and uplifting. I can tell you one thing for sure is we're stronger when you're we're together and when we're united. That's what our firefighters are living by every single day, and we're here to connect and serve our community. I've been coming to this parade every year for the last 20 years, and it's just amazing how it's grown and the community comes together. I'm just so enthused to come out here and celebrate with everybody. But Dr. Martin Luther King, I know my parents used to march with Dr. Luther King, and it's just an honor and a privilege for me to do the same. Welcome everybody. It doesn't matter what your nationality is, is that we do this so all people can come together as one people with one voice. I'm here because I want to make sure I show my daughter her culture, the importance of our culture, and this is a year tradition, and I want to make sure that she know what she's a part of so she can keep the tradition for her own children. If Dr. King was alive, he would be right here with us today, making sure we hold up the light and make sure we provide a vision for peace, justice, and equality in our time. When so many Angelinos rely on a nearby space, it's great to keep it looking good and fit for purpose. Council Member Eunicis Hernandez and the Department of Recreation and Parks unveil the revived Hope and Peace Park. Today we're here in the Westlake neighborhood in Council District One to reopen the Hope and Peace Park. The Westlake neighborhood, which is one of the densest neighborhoods in the entire West Coast. Literally, there are 20,000 people that live just a half a mile radius of this park. And most of these people are renters living in apartment buildings. This is their front yard. This is their backyard. This is where they can bring their kids and family to play to enjoy some green space and some fun activities. So that's why it's important that we've done this work to reopen Hope and Peace Park here in Westlake. It is the only area with grass until we hit MacArthur Park, which is a few blocks down.
openpublica.com