Los Angeles City Council Meeting Summary - April 1, 2025
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Los Angeles City Council Meeting - April 1, 2025
The Los Angeles City Council convened on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, at approximately 9:34 AM, with all 15 members present. The meeting covered a wide range of items including routine approvals, public comments, and substantive debates on homelessness programs, port charter amendments, a right-to-counsel ordinance, and budget scheduling. Key votes included adoption of the Right to Counsel ordinance, approval of Inside Safe funding with amendments, and charter changes for the Port of Los Angeles.
Consent Calendar
- Approved minutes of March 28, 2025, and combined resolutions (unanimous).
- Confirmed liens and routine items (items 1–25, 26–38) with multiple 14–0 votes.
- Continued several items: Item 15 to April 8; items 5, 6, 12, 22 to various dates in May.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Homelessness & Inside Safe: Multiple speakers criticized the Inside Safe program for high per-bed costs ($3,300/month) and lack of data. Some urged withholding funds until accountability improved. Others (e.g., Adam from LA CAN) argued the program prioritizes shelter beds over permanent housing.
- Right to Counsel (Item 45): Over 20 speakers (tenants, legal aid attorneys, community organizers) voiced strong support for the ordinance, citing that over 90% of tenants face eviction without legal representation. Testimony highlighted the life-threatening consequences and cost savings seen in other cities.
- STEP Funds (Item 37): Several speakers opposed reallocating $1.5 million from an EV carshare program in South LA to a senior shuttle program, arguing it violated community promises and eliminated clean mobility options.
- Port Charter Amendments (Items 34, 35): Support from Councilmember McOsker and community for requiring two local commissioners and institutionalizing the PAIP reinvestment program.
- General Public Comment: Speakers raised concerns about LAPD funding, airport worker wages, living wage ordinances, and the city’s fiscal crisis. Some comments were disruptive and included profanity.
Discussion Items
- Item 38 (HEA / Inside Safe Funding): Extended debate over releasing $46 million for Inside Safe operations. Councilmember Rodriguez strongly opposed, citing lack of data and no recalibration since the mayor’s state of the city address 351 days earlier. Councilmember Blumenfield and Raman introduced amendment 38E to hold back the Q3 advance ($14M) pending a demobilization plan and cost data. Councilmember Soto Martinez defended the program as effective in her district. The CAO clarified that the Q3 advance covered work already performed, but invoices were not yet submitted. After discussion, 38E passed 11–3, and the overall item passed 13–1.
- Item 45 (Right to Counsel): Ordinance to codify a right to legal counsel for low-income tenants facing eviction (those at or below 80% AMI). Councilmember Lee and Soto Martinez introduced a friendly amendment specifying
Meeting Transcript
We do it in the languages spoken by the Armenian population. We work in partnership with Councilmember Nazarian on how we can make sure that LA is a welcoming place for all. And we on the other side have the ability to make sure that we prevent discriminatory practices from happening by bringing cases against folks who violate your civil rights. And we include financial institutions as well as retail banks in that space of making sure people are protected in all ways. We can't say LA is your home. LA is for everyone without making sure people feel secure and protected against discriminatory practices, even in the private sector. Shovels and Brooms were readied for Service Day LA 2025, which took place at 54th and San Pedro. City leaders and departments organized to lift up local communities and make a clean sweep. It is a way for us to show our commitment to our community. But we want to underscore the fact that we all deserve a clean, green environment. And that's what we're here to celebrate. We have people coming out of their houses, joining us, walking with us to clean the streets here in South Los Angeles. So from the Valley to San Pedro and all areas in between East and West. Families come out, kids, youth, especially on a day like this, which is a very beautiful day. This shows the community that we are invested in them. Parents can now go and sign up on our Play LA initiative. We have a very affordable pricing for all our recreation and physical activities here. Parks are a place where communities can come together, where young people through team sport will learn fair play and how to be part of a group. Key findings show that in three of the four geographic bureaus within the LAPD, there was a reduction in homicides with the greatest decline in Operations Valley Bureau, which had 28% fewer homicides in 2024. According to Chief McDonald, these improvements can be attributed to strategic policing, targeted enforcement, and collaborations with community organizations dedicated to violence prevention. For more information, visit mayor.lacity.gov/slash press. The Los Angeles Zoos Team Council for Conservation recently hosted its second annual Youth Conservation Symposium with the theme Conservation is Magic. Now in its third year, the Teen Council for Conservation is a nine-month program engaging young Angelinos to think and work towards future conservation solutions. The Teen Council centers on conservation issues such as social and environmental justice with a specific focus determined by the students each year. Applications and recruitment for the next Team Council for Conservation begin later this summer. Interested teens are encouraged to follow at LA Zoo on social media and check out the program at LAZoo.org slash team council. All new fosters interested in caring for bottled baby kittens or puppies need to complete an orientation class. Three LA Animal Services locations at Harbor, East Valley, and West Los Angeles are hosting upcoming foster orientation sessions. LA Animal Services also offers fostering for cats and dogs, which gives them a break from kennel life. Provides socialization and helps them find forever homes. For more information, visit LA Animal Services.com. They come from across Los Angeles and work in a variety of fields. But these women have one key thing in common. They are all recipients of this year's Women of Impact Awards. As part of Women's Heritage Month, Mayor Bass, LA Civil Rights, and elected leaders joined in honoring these women for all they do in their communities. Today we were honoring 18 of the most amazing women in the city of Los Angeles. Women of Impact Awards happened here in the Bradley Tower. Just think of all of the incredible women leaders we have in our city. All of you should give yourselves a round of applause for what you do day in and day out. We are participating in our government that we remind ourselves that we are government and that we fight for a democracy that includes all of us. Couldn't be more grateful to have the support of our city leaders as elected officials, but the commission on the status of women led by Tracy Gray. Those women help build a better Los Angeles in the areas of business, philanthropy, education, and running our nonprofits as well. She has been helping Spanish-speaking members of the community learn English at no cost. We know how to get people to do more with less. We know the needs and we know how to be empathetic. To the women of Los Angeles, not only is this your month, this is your city, and you've built a better Los Angeles, a Los Angeles for everyone. March is women's Heritage Month, and we're celebrating the elected city of Los Angeles' women, including LA's first women's city attorney, Heidi Feldstein Soto, and the newest council member, Isabel Jurado. But first up, Councilmember Nithya Rahman shares her journey of civic engagement. I'm really excited to celebrate Women's Heritage Month this month. It's really exciting to be part of a majority woman council for the very first time in the history of the city of Los Angeles.
openpublica.com