The whole idea behind our programs are to involve community residents, community volunteers, make it as easy as possible for them to get involved in cleanup efforts and beautification projects.

We have events going on throughout the city all year long.

And I encourage anybody to check out our website, which is LAOCB.org.

We have a calendar of events, and people can just take a look and see what's going on in their neighborhoods and come out and enjoy the fun and make a difference in their neighborhoods.

Neighborhood events like donuts and coffee with the deputy chief are closing the gap between the perception of LA's police department and the reality.

This kind of direct networking can help dispel some myths and build up community trust.

Right now we're in front of a restaurant called 3030 Mexico, and we're just here to invite the community, right?

Uh we want the community to see us in a different light than actually uh radio calls or stops.

This is a restaurant where a lot of people patron to come and have breakfast, and we're just here to offer uh any questions and answers that people may want.

When we say community policing, it's events like coffee with the cop.

It's us being out in the community, networking with our businesses, networking with folks that live and work in this community, and just sharing dialogue over a cup of coffee.

We're taking this as a great opportunity to engage with the public and close that gap and build that bridge between community member and also police officer and explain to them what it is that we do in regards with immigration and go ahead and brief them on our policy and at the same time give them information.

We have them in English and in Spanish, these booklets that states with the policy of the Los Angeles Police Department with respect to immigration, and we also have a QR code where that information can be downloaded on the cell phone.

It's a situation, tanto seres humanos, como it comes to immigration, so people are clear, we don't participate in civil immigration enforcement.

One of the things that we like here is that people are coming in in their own environment.

This isn't a radio call, this is an enforcement action, this is just having coffee.

The past couple of months have been a little bit of a strain, but by us doing these events frequently, it gives us the opportunity to go ahead and speak to the community member so they know not to be in fear of the police department and let them know that we are here to support them, but at the same time educate them so they understand what the role of law enforcement is with respect to immigration instead of listening to the false narratives that keep getting pasting homelessness is never easy, but a new community is easing the path.

Atlas apartments in South LA are new, affordable, and already helping.

Council President Marquis Harris Dawson joined the city's housing authority to celebrate this opening.

Thanks to a partnership between Link Housing, the City of LA, the housing authority, and the county.

It's always nice to get to the finish line and cut the ribbon.

But more than that, every time you do one of these buildings, you talk to someone who has a story, and the story usually goes something like I thought I might die living in that alley, or I didn't know if I was ever gonna make it out of living out of my car.

Seeing people have hope who've been at their lowest points is absolutely by far the best part of these buildings.

Being homeless, living in a shelter, recovering from making bad decisions and what have you.

And this is like a big relief from roughly 2005.

Jack, right now.

I was home.

I'm so grateful to the whole organization for all that they're doing.

You know, I'm just eternally forever be grateful.

The Housing Authority of the City of LA provides affordable housing to Angelinos across our city.

So 110 vouchers have been committed to this site, and that will allow uh individuals that are extremely low income to be able to live here.

Across the city, we have about 38 projects that will come online uh in 2025, about 2,000 units.

And this is how we will continue to end homelessness in our city.

Well, you know, in Council District A, we're very excited.

We are confronting the housing crisis head on.

We're building as much more housing than anywhere else.

But we're also trying to do it in a way that makes our neighborhoods even more livable than they are.

So traffic and safety improvements, making sure we do things like bring in new grocery stores and many, many other amenities for the neighborhood.

That makes this a whole place where we can all first and foremost live indoors, but secondly, have a good quality of life.

The opportunities are limitless.

Any obstacles that's in front of me, I plan to face to head on.

Delivering hope as well as homes in South LA.

Learning more even before starting school with the Los Angeles Public Library.

The library has thought of everything.

Their programs are for everyone, and that means all Los Angeles families and children, including preschoolers.

At the Los Angeles Public Library, we have resources for we like to say birth through infinity, but in terms of back to school specifically, we have a program for pre-kindergarten little ones called Get Ready for Kindergarten.

We also have story times to help support early literacy across our 72 branch locations as well as at our Central Library.

Each one is different depending on the children's librarian who's hosting it.

Sometimes there's a song.

Maybe it's numbers, maybe it's letters, maybe it's colors, to help little ones just get used to talking, reading, singing, playing, all of those early literacy skills that will help them with reading in the future.

One of our mottos is the library welcomes everyone.

We really encourage all families, all students of any background to come to the library to take advantage of our resources.

They are by the city, for the city.

Why not?

Because it's made for everyone.

So we have both in-person and online programming too, depending on how people prefer to access our resources.

That's really important to us, too.

That it's not only in person, it's not only online.

We're always looking to make our resources more available to more people.

The best place to go for more information is your local library, but also online.

Our website is LAPL.org.

And for littler ones, the website that has the children's resources is LAPL.org slash kidspath.

And the city attorney settles short-term rental and party house lawsuits.

These stories up next on City Beat.

Mayor Karen Bass has announced her appointment of Steve Kang, president of LA City's Board of Public Works as the liaison to the film and television industry.

According to Bass, Kang's deep knowledge of city's infrastructure and permitting will help improve local film processes and experiences for the entertainment industry.

Kang is the official who oversees the city's contract with Film LA, balancing film industry needs with community impact.

Kang said filming is vital to the city's economy and city departments must prioritize their success.

For more information, visit mayor.lacity.gov slash press.

September is National Preparedness Month.

An LA City's emergency management department has advice to follow if you haven't yet made an emergency plan.

According to the department, steps include making a family emergency plan, building a kit, preparing for disasters, and teaching youth about preparedness.

Sign up for Notify LA to get city alerts or ready LA County for emergency notifications across the Greater Los Angeles area.

LA City Emergency Management Department has disaster and emergency preparedness resources available online.

For more information, visit emergency.lacity.gov.

LA City Attorney Heidi Feldstein Soto announced her office has settled lawsuits involving violations of the city's short-term rental and party house ordinances.

Since late 2020, illegal short-term rentals were facilitated at one complex for over 3,000 nights, resulting in increased nuisance activity and complaints from neighbors.

This housing falls under the LA Rent Stabilization Ordnance, which bars it from the city's home sharing ordinance.

As part of the settlement, the litigants are to pay civil penalties and are prohibited from violating the home sharing ordinance at any properties they manage or own.

For more information, click the news tab at cityatorney.lacity.gov.

The Department of Cultural Affairs runs arts centers throughout Los Angeles.

But wait, there's more.

They also support three multidisciplinary artists who connect even more directly with the communities, bringing ideas to life through art.

What is the outreach and engagement for DCA?

Community Arts has been active for a long time with our art centers all across Los Angeles.

Community engagement has been, I would say, augmented by our community engagement outreach team.

We have three art instructors.

They are amazing, talented, creative, multidisciplinary artists who go out into the community and are providing true meaningful arts activities with the community.

What inspired me to become a teaching artist for DCA was uh number one, their mission.

I loved DCA's mission as far as giving back to my community.

I love the idea of spreading out going throughout LA and going to all the different communities and giving them opportunities, grants, all sorts of amazing things that we offer.

It really aligned with my morals as an artist.

When I heard about DCA and I saw the opportunity of them having this outreach team that was going straight to the community, it felt like a perfect place for me to give back and to share what art is to me.

But I like to think that me as a person, I can be an example.

You know, I'd rather be an example more than an impact, I suppose.

And what I mean by that is like while I'm working with the community, while I'm teaching, while I'm talking, sharing ideas, exploring ideas through the medium of art.

I like to think that maybe somewhere out there, like while I'm working on the field, I'm able to interact with somebody, and that me being an example to them opens up their mind to like other possibilities in their lives and in their community.

As we know, Los Angeles is huge, and a lot of folks do not have that access.

And so we really want to make sure that we're bringing that arts access as far reaching as possible to as many people as possible, regardless of age, background.

We're really trying to have people participate in activities that they might not be used to that might be interesting and engaging for them, getting people to think about the arts in different ways, and um just bringing it to as many people as we can.

The library is so much more than a building, it's a community hub.

So when the Venice Branch Library is celebrating 30 years, they feature the 30 community members who've helped the Venice branch become the unique place it is today.

We are here at the Venice Branch Library, and we are celebrating the 30th anniversary of this beautiful branch library, this beautiful building.

This library is such a hub to the community.

We wanted to honor a lot of people in the Venice community who've kind of made this place what it is.

We selected 30 of the most influential people for the Venice 30th, and we've had several people from this healthster.

They are here today to help us celebrate.

And it's been a wonderful day of celebration.

We have B.

Coleman unveiling of her artwork, which is in the children's section.

We're doing swing dancing, we're doing a zine program today.

It brings in an incredibly diverse population, you know, people who really need the services, and then people who like a little extra.

The extra is also where the friends of the Venice Library come in because we fund, I'd say about 98% of the programs that happen at the library.

This is much more than just a place to go to get your book or to be on the computer for a bit.

This is a real community place, and it is an honor to serve it and honor the people who serve the community.

I think what we're really celebrating are the people, the people in this community who have benefited from this library all of these years, the incredible city staff who work for the library department and the LA Public Library who provide outstanding service at this library, and all of the lives that are changed, whether it's a young person who develops a lifelong love of reading by coming to Storytimes and craft programs here at this library, whether it's a senior that comes to a book club here, or someone who comes to explore our collections and just make use of this incredible space to our wonderful friends of the library who are signing new members up today and who are providing extra treats for a reception.

And it's just a very celebratory day, and it's a reminder of how important libraries are.

From the neighborhood block where it began to a city rooftop, the Lamert Park Jazz Festival is now in its sixth year.

While rooted in the black cultural hub of Lamert Park, the festival encompasses the best jazz in the country.

We are at Lamert Park Jazz Festival.

It's their sixth annual jazz festival.

It's starting in a neighborhood.

And look what it's grown to.

We're right here at Bawwen Crenta Plaza, upstairs on the park lot.

It's been transformed into a festival with folks that are selling hats and rings, earrings, clothes.

And we also have all these food vendors.

It is really wonderful.

Top notch musicians at play.

And even we have our local drums that are all women that come from LaMarque Park Village.

Music, joy, beautiful handcrafted goods, artwork, lots of booths from your city departments, and a sense of community.

We are rooted here in LaMerque Park, but people are coming from all over the city because the jazz is hot.

One of the nice things about this event is this isn't the idea of the city or the mayor or the department of cultural Affairs or the council members.

This is the idea of the community.

They did the work, they came to us for help.

We helped, and here you see what we have.

Well, every year it gets bigger and bigger, but what it does is it anchors our community as one of the jazz centers, not just in Southern California and California, but in the country.

This is the black cultural hub of Los Angeles, the Merc Park.

And that's what they'll walk away knowing for sure that black aspirants lives here.

Shutting down Los Angeles and Main Street in the heart of downtown isn't normally a cause for celebration.

But when it comes to a classic car show, El Pueblo got some traffic stopping models and celebrated the pride of lowrider culture.

We're happy to have the third annual El Pueblo de Los Angeles car show here at El Pueblo Historical Monument.

We're really lucky to have this for the third year where we shut down Los Angeles and mainstream here in the heart of downtown LA to have show cards on display.

For us is it's more like a religion.

You know, we like to bring the Chicano South back to Los Angeles and especially Alberta Street.

It is an art and it's very difficult.

It takes thousands and thousands of dollars to keep these cars to look original and classic and original look.

The motivation more is just for the young generation, you know.

They love coming out here seeing the cars, and one day they're gonna want to build a car themselves, or we just hand our cars down to our kids.

They love it.

Well, I loved it growing up as a kid too, watching my dad driving his low rider.

So having a third annual car show just shows support to the community and to draw more visitors in to celebrate the history of Los Angeles and low riding culture.

An LA car show wouldn't be complete without going low and slow with the low riders.

Well, it's a win-win.

Take a senior to a game is our first um initiative.

We're working with the department of aging.

The game is just the first step, but we will be out visiting the seniors at their facility and just giving them an opportunity just to have some fun and to be on the move.

When the seniors found out about it, they're super excited to have a night out and um enjoy this WNBA game.

So we're really excited.

For the Department of Agent to put on an event like this, it really means a lot to us.

They always take us on different events, and now we're here at the crypto.com to see the spike, and they're gonna give us a win.

I'm very, very excited.

I can't wait to part a game to start.

I could be jumping up and down for the sponsors.

Obviously, these are the benefactors, right?

Our older adults, they need to know that we're a very active community.

Uh we get involved in all sorts of community events and they love to have a lot of fun.

It's not just sitting around playing games and stuff all day.

We like to get out and move.

This keeps us active.

So we don't want to be sitting at home, you know, maybe watching TV or whatever.

Them providing outside activities for us is great for us because you know, we don't want to just be sitting around.

These are our golden gears, and we would like to keep them golden.

Exactly.

And very active.

We are fighting for a playoff spot.

So I hope they are ready to cheer loud.

I hope they're ready to catch some t-shirts, but we're gonna spotlight them.

So the Department of Aging is our community spotlight for tonight.

We will put the camera on them in their seats.

You know, just catch them having fun.

It just shows how the Los Angeles Parsons and the Department of Age and how we're bringing the community together.

No matter the age, you know, everybody can have fun.

In this week's things to do, get to Central Avenue for the Jazz Festival.

Head to San Pedro for its festival of the arts, and pull some strings for Puppets in the Park at Hollyhawk House.

All this up next on Things to Do.

Thousands of toads will be tapping throughout the day on Saturday, September 20th, celebrating its 30th year with four pavilions and three stages of live music.

It's the Central Avenue Jazz Festival.

The festival is presented by Council Member Curren Price and pays tribute to jazz greats while also shining a spotlight on emerging artists.

Enjoy hot, cool, and swinging jazz sounds with over a dozen performances taking place along Central Avenue from MLK Boulevard to Vernon Avenue.

Central Avenue Jazz Festival is on Saturday, September 20th, from 11 a.m.

to 7 p.m.

For more details, visit Central Av Jazzfest.com.

On September 20th, Los Angeles choreographers and dancers present the San Pedro Festival of the Arts in the heart of the harbor.

Enjoy performances from 19 vibrant dance companies to mark the 19th year of the festival.

There'll also be interactive performances and free family fun.

Bring a picnic and get set to join in.

Try a Bollywood step or a flamenco turn or simply enjoy the mix of dance performances by local companies.

Head to the Upper Green at Peck Park for the San Pedro Festival of the Arts on Saturday, September 20th, beginning at 1 p.m.

For more details, visit TryArtSP.com.

Bring a blanket, sing along, and make art at Puppets in the Park.

Puppets in the Park is presented by the Department of Cultural Affairs and the Bob Barker Marionette Theater.

On Sunday, September 21st, enjoy two performances of Fiesta.

There will also be art activities led by Barnesdall Junior Art Center instructors.

Gates open at 9 a.m.

Each performance will be followed by art activities.

It's all happening on the West Lawn outside Hollyhawk House.

Head to Barnesdall Park for Puppets in the Park on Sunday, September 21st, with performances at 9 30 a.m.

and 11 a.m.

For more information, visit Hollyhawkhouse.org.

And that's a look at some things to do.

And that's all for this week.

I'm Susan Huckle, and from all of us here at LA This Week, thank you so much for joining us.

Remember that you can watch us online anytime at LACityview.org.

We're also on Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube.

See you next time for more LA This Week.

We schedule meeting of your Los Angeles City Council.

Today is Friday, the twelfth day of September in the year twenty twenty five.

Public comment for this morning's meeting will be taken in person in this chamber.

Madam Clerk, let's uh start our proceedings by uh calling the role.

Yes, sir.

Bloomenville, Harris Dawson, Hernandez, Hut Herado, Lee, Mikoscar, Nazarian, Padilla, Park, Price, Rahman, Rodriguez, Soto Martinez, Jarvaslavski, eleven members president of corn, Mr.

President.

All right.

First order of business.

Approval the minutes of September ten, twenty twenty-five.

Council Member McCoster moves.

Councilmember Hernandez seconds.

What's next?

Commendatory resolutions for approval.

Councilmember Padilla moves, Councilmember Bloominville seconds.

Can we run through our agenda?

Yes, sir.

Items one through five are items which public hearings have been held.

For item number four, the planning and land use management committee report has been submitted and is available online under Council File two five-0532.

All right.

All right, without objection, that'll be the order.

What's next?

The council may now move on to public uh to presentation, sir.

All right, we have an exciting morning of presentations.

Uh, and we will begin in the San Fernando Valley with Council District Three, Council President Pro Tim Bob Blumenfield.

That's such a great part.

And then I have the rest of the team ones right here.

That's okay.

Let's get started.

All right.

Alright, this morning, folks, I have a great opportunity to honor the Lanark Dragons walking soccer team.

Now, a lot of times we come to this podium with uh high school champions, sometimes professional athletes.

But what we're often missing is our senior athletes.

And before I go any further, when I talk about walking soccer, I want you to understand what I'm talking about.

So before I continue, I'd like ITA to roll a clip.

So we are in Canoga Park at Lanark Recreation Center, and we have our walking soccer world cup today.

So the intention behind creating the World Cup, they play every single Wednesday and Friday here.

So they train twice a week.

Each year we do a culminating event where they get together with their countrymen and play against one another in a tournament and end up with awards.

So it's a really fun thing that helps the program grow because they have something to look forward to at the end of each year.

So we have six teams here.

We have United States, we have Israel, we have Peru, South America, England, and Okraine.

All the players were born or have citizenship of the country that they have.

And it's like being a kid.

So that is encouraging, isn't it?

That is amazing.

I love that.

I'm 71 years old, and every time I see them, it's like, you know, my heroes.

They're amazing.

Mostly the people 70 and they're looking for for activity to do something.

No, they can't play regular soccer.

We called all the physical limitations.

So this is the place that we offer them.

This is medicine for you guys.

You know, think about instead of going to your doctor or sitting and complaining or eating manches at the TV, you can come out, enjoy the sun, social, and walking soccer, and you have the competitive, the energy again.

So all these, it's really medicine.

The sense of community they have, it's really quite wonderful.

I think so many older people are having trouble finding things to do in community, and this is a really active way for them to do things.

I think a lot of senior activities that are offered tend to assume that the senior community is sedentary already, but there's quite a few people that want to move.

They want to play, they want to continue to be active, and it helps their psychology, it helps their physiology.

We're really excited about the program and what it's done for the players.

So walking soccer was a concept that Dr.

Ben Drillings, who witnessed this sport being played outside of the city of Los Angeles, he decided, Pat, I want to bring this to Los Angeles.

And not just to Los Angeles, but to the West Valley, not just to the West Valley, but specifically to Lanark Park in Canoga Park.

Dr.

Drillings, who was a lifelong soccer player, was then unable to continue to participate in traditional soccer due to some injuries.

But he craved that spark that he once had, which he loved so much when he was playing playing the sport.

So approximately three years ago, Dr.

Drillings figured out a solution.

He established a league for individuals age 60 and above with teams organized by nationality or ethnic background.

And the sport has just gone gangbusters.

It's gained popularity among seniors who maintain active lifestyles, but either can't or don't want to continue to compete in the way that they used to.

One great thing about this league is, as I understand it, injuries are very rare.

This year, the Lanark walking soccer team represented team USA in the walking soccer World Cup in Malorca, Spain.

And as I said, you know, we bring up champions here.

Well, these guys represented LA in Spain for our United States, and they achieved a remarkable fourth place finish.

So let's hear it for the Lanark Dragons.

So next, I'd like to introduce Lanark Park Director Jeremy Aldridge, who was here, he was here a few months ago, has been here a number of times, but often it's with the young champions that he's coming here.

So today he's here with some older champions.

Uh, but he does such a bang-up job in Lanark Park.

I can't tell you how he's turned that place around.

I'm so proud, Jeremy, the work that you've done there and continue to do there.

So without further ado, Jeremy Alfred.

Thank you.

Thank you so much, Bob.

We really appreciate your support, and it's only really through your support and the uh the city council's support that our department of recreation parks continues to uh help make Los Angeles uh the great city that it is.

Um, about three years ago, uh Ben literally came in off the street and sat down with his energy and with his uh commitment to and passion uh and convinced me that we could do this program together.

So uh it was uh it was a great day meeting him.

Uh I'm so proud of this program and of this group of seniors uh for what they've done and and what we're accomplishing at the park.

So uh along with uh with Bob, I'd really like to thank uh Ben for bringing the idea.

I really said yes, and then we've had a very uh very good um partnership since then.

So I'm just gonna step aside and let Ben talk about the program.

Thank you so much for having us.

Uh we always come here with gratitude for your support.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good morning, City Council members.

My name is Dr.

Ben Drillings.

I'm a chiropractor and a former professional soccer player.

After a career-ending injury, I spent decades searching for a way to get back to the field in a safe, sustainable way.

Three years ago, I created the walking soccer, a simple low-impact version of the game I love for players ages 60 to 85.

There is no running, no tackling, and no high contact.

We have removed barriers so older adults and those returning to activity can play safely.

What began in just four people has grown to over 100 participants across three locations.

We have organized community-based World Cup events that celebrate the diversity of our neighborhood neighborhoods.

And we are preparing for another one this November.

Walking soccer promotes exercise balance and overall physical health.

It also brings meaningful social connection among the players, supporting mental well-being.

With both the World Cup and the Olympics coming to Los Angeles, this is the perfect moment for our city to lead.

I'm asking the council to adopt a citywide walking soccer initiative, designate fields, promote programs in our parks, and help publicize city-sponsored walking soccer leagues.

The infrastructure is already here.

We just need your support.

I'm ready to coordinate training, organize volunteers, and help launch these programs before the World Cup.

Let Los Angeles be the first major city to embrace walking soccer.

Now, it's very important before I close.

I want sincerely to thank Jeremy, who runs the Lanoch Recreation Park in Canoga Park, for believing in this project from the beginning.

Thank you, Jeremy.

And now I want to bring Dove and Rachel here.

Come one second.

Can you please hold it for them?

Dove and his wife, Rachel, who keeps things moving on the ground.

We cannot have done it without your help.

Thank you.

And thank you for all the players that took time and came here today.

And thank you for everyone.

All right.

And uh Dr.

Drillings, before you uh go too far, I've got a certificate for you, and when we get to the back, I've got a certificate for all the players that are here.

But uh I'll present this to you publicly here.

This is uh on behalf not just me as the council member, but the entire council and the city of Los Angeles.

We congratulate you uh and recognize walking soccer and Lanark Park team.

So congratulations.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

And thank you for the Ola City Council to give us a chance to present it to you.

Thank you again.

All right, we have uh Mr.

Soto Martinez on the queue.

Thank you so much, Mr.

Chair.

Uh Councilmember Bloomfield, thank you so much for giving me joy, so much joy this morning.

Uh, and I'm sure other people here and city council, uh, you know, I I love playing soccer, I play soccer almost every weekend.

Uh, and I'm I'm 42 now, and I'm playing with 20 year old kids.

And I'm like, I don't know how longer I could do this because it's it's very physical, it's true.

So I had no idea this program existed in the city of LA, and it it is it's making me think about my retirement and where I'm gonna be spending my time.

And so uh, so Jeremy, thank you so much for leading on this.

Ben, thank you for your vision.

And it is very true.

All the things you said right now are absolutely true.

Uh as you know, folks get older.

Uh, you can't go shoulder to shoulder, you can't fight for that bond anymore because it could be very serious injury.

So the fact that you're having so much joy in something that you love, I think it's a wonderful example.

It's great leadership for the city of LA, and uh uh, and Ben, you have my support.

I do want to see this citywide.

I think it's a great idea, but again, thank you for bringing this in and demonstrating uh an alternative way of doing things.

Uh and so, and so thank you so much, Councilmember Bloomfield.

Thank you very much.

I just I just want to invite the city councils to have a team or watch us on Lanark Park on Friday, nine o'clock.

All right.

We'd have to move the whole council meeting there, but you know, field trip is always a good idea.

Thank you very much.

You guys are inspiration.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Another big round of applause.

Mr.

Nazarian, I'm sorry.

You're on the queue?

Hold on.

Like, you don't want to miss this, guys.

Yeah, you don't want to miss this.

No, it all I just wanted to say is thank you very much, Councilmember Bloomfield.

I'm echoing the sentiments of my colleague, but but the funny thing is I'm 52, so there's hope, and I'm looking forward to to joining all of you.

And I just wanted to say for the record football is God.

So thank you for what you're doing.

All right.

Thank you all so much.

She wants a picture, one last picture.

Okay.

We'll get some photos and then we'll prepare to hear from Councilmember Price of the New 9th District.

Mr.

Price.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Colleagues, we have a lot to celebrate today, and I'm just so honored that we're celebrating the contributions of a real Shiro in our community, Veronica Lewis.

She has been with Hoppics for the past uh 21 years, providing exemplary services to our community and to the city of Los Angeles, helping to eradicate homelessness.

Hoppics, as you know, stands for homeless outreach program integrated care services.

And that exactly is what has occurred.

After over 21 years of service, 14 years, which she spent as director of Hopics, Miss Lewis is stepping down while moving on to other uh her next journey.

This departure marks the closing of a fond chapter, and while Veronica's time is coming to an end at Hoppics, her legacy will not be forgotten.

Veronica is a pillar in the South LA community, her commitment to advocating for vulnerable populations, courage to speak out for what is right, and the dedication to equity and throughout all of her work is admirable.

Over the course of her tenure, Veronica has simplified, solidified relationships with strategic partners to further Hopics' mission, served as a mentor to many future local leaders, and empowered her team to think outside the box and problem solve with a first uh people approach.

Veronica's impact on the CD9 will be felt for decades to come.

Her passion for housing, mental health, substance abuse recovery, and reentry services for unhoused folks is unmatched and unwavering.

To know Veronica is to know someone who never wavers in her commitment to doing what's right and to doing what's just.

So, Veronica, we applaud your efforts, your decades of hard work, the lasting influence that you've had over the city of LA and specifically in C D 9.

We applaud we no matter where you go next, we know that those around you are going to be lucky to have your guidance, your encouragement, and your support.

Joyce Kelly, her mom.

Good morning.

Um, it's really an honor and a blessing to be here.

Um, thank you so much for honoring my daughter, uh, Veronica Lewis, and having had the privilege of watching her grow and develop.

I think there's some important things that you need to know about Veronica's history.

As a young child, her father made sure that she and her brother attended community coalition meetings, at which time Karen Bass was just getting her start.

So she's always had a passion.

Being born and raised in South Central Los Angeles, she was always very observant of the needs of her people.

So I had the opportunity to watch her career bloom over the years as she grew at Hoppics.

And I tell you honestly, a lot of times we say things, but the passion that this young lady has to help is unsurpassed.

So I want to thank the council for recognizing her, but I also have to point out that while we're recognizing Veronica, the efficacy of which she achieved her excellence could not have been done without a lot of the support of our council members who she didn't mind getting in their ear.

And then we also have a wonderful advocate here.

You know, that they have collaborated.

So just know that there are people that genuinely care.

And again, thank you for honoring my baby, Veronica Darnell Lewis.

And listen, we can't uh forget the uh the man behind the throne.

Uh, Japan, thank you, brother, for being such a big for being a positive force and a real partner in this process.

Next up, we're gonna invite uh Rebo Stevens to say a few words.

Longtime community activist uh who is uh knows Veronica and knows the work that she does firsthand.

Good morning, honorable council members.

My name is Reba Stevens.

I'm a community advocate and a resident in the Spa Six community.

It is my honor to stand here before you today as we recognize and celebrate the incredible contributions of Veronica Lewis.

For many years, Veronica served as the director of HopEX with unmatched dedication, vision, and compassion.

Her leadership not only strengthened an organization, but it also uplifted an entire community.

She has been a tireless advocate for unhoused individuals and families, ensuring that people receive not only housing, but also dignity, hope, and opportunity.

Veronica Lewis's legacy is one of service, collaboration, and impact.

She built bridges across systems and sectors, always keeping people at the center of her work.

This exemplifies in her leadership as the founder of the Spa Six Homeless Coalition that's going on right now.

Where we brought to where she brought together a diverse group to create more coordination and effective response to houselessness in South Los Angeles.

She has inspired so many of us, myself included, to keep pushing for equity and justice in South Los Angeles.

Today, as she transitions in her journey, we don't just want to celebrate the work that she's done.

We want to also honor the countless lives that she's changed by her unwavering commitment to the cause.

Veronica Lewis, you're a golden thread in the tapestry of my life.

And I want to thank you for your leadership, for your heart, for your dedication and commitment, and for all of the things in which you have bestowed in my life as an advocate.

Thank you.

And thank you, Councilmember Price, for this moment.

And now our she row Veronica Lewis.

Thank you so much.

Good morning, City Council.

Thank you, Councilmember Price and the whole council for recognizing the work that I have done.

There is so much despair in our city.

There are so many people suffering.

There are injustices happening every second.

In particular, the people who look like me, black and brown folks, and there is so much harm that's being done by the systems when we just allow the status quo to continue.

And so I'm grateful for the recognition.

But the reality is everywhere, every time I showed up anywhere in the course of the 21 years I was with this organization, it was to change the status quo, to undo the harm, to push against the norms, to push against the narratives and the ideologies and the biases that have led our systems to hurting so many families and so many people.

And so I'm so grateful for the partnership I've enjoyed for so many years with the City of LA, in particular Council Districts 8, 9, 10, and 15 have been our closest partners in this work, but also reaching across and working with CD4 and folks that were well outside of South LA just to push for change.

And so I am so honored that tens of thousands of lives have been saved and under my leadership.

Hundreds of lives have literally been saved from overdose reversals through our harm reduction street work and all kinds of things.

But I'm really grateful that we are making progress.

It's slow, and especially in this climate in our nation right now, the notion of really still digging in, appreciating and being aware and making changes to all of the inequities that exist within our communities, it's really important.

So I appreciate that this council has not completely turned a blind eye to addressing racial inequities, gender inequities, income inequities, social economic challenges, because right now, more so than ever, the most vulnerable people living in the city of LA need our help.

And so while I am have walked away from something I've built and grew and loved and I'm very proud of, and is a part of my legacy and my prayers that it will continue to be a beacon of light.

I encourage everybody sitting here, elected or not, to make sure that we remember that people need our help, people are dying, people are suffering, and it's not a handout.

Humanity should be at the center of the way that we approach everything, including homeless services, social services, and we need to continue to make sure folks that have been impacted most negatively by the systems are supported through our efforts, through our neighborly um kindness, through the legislation and the policies and the ordinances, through your funding, your resource allocations.

And so I'm still here fighting, I'm still gonna speak up.

I'm not going away, I'll just be here in a different capacity.

But all of us have a role to play in helping improve people's lives and helping to save people's lives, and so thank you for honoring my work because that's all I've been trying to do for the last 21 years.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

On behalf of a grateful city, hold on, Mr.

Price.

We got a handful of speakers on the queue, beginning with Council Member Hutt.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Veronica.

I I certainly appreciate the work that you've done in our community for all of these years.

I think that not only council members, but people in 8910 and 15 are gonna look for you because you have last left a lasting impression on everybody in these last 21 years.

It is amazing that you gave so much of yourself to make better lives for other people.

And I can't tell you how important that is.

What a beautiful spirit.

Your mother talked about how uh great of a daughter you are, but what a beautiful spirit you have.

We're gonna miss you at Happix, but we're gonna find you wherever you are, and and really get your advice on how to make a difference in our homeless community.

Thank you so much for all your time and energy that you've given to this space, and and I wish you well on the next part of your journey.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Price for giving us the opportunity to give her flowers.

Thank you.

Councilmember Rodriguez.

Thank you, Councilmember Price for bringing this wonderful woman in to be honored today.

And I want to thank you for your work and your words.

And I wanted to, particularly for your mother, uh, the amount of emotion and pride that you've given your mom and all of your friends and family, the outpouring of emotion says everything about your commitment, your passion, and your work.

And if there's anything that makes a community proud, it's to see someone excel in a role that they're very passionate about.

So I want to thank you for dedicating your life to this important work for being of service to our community.

We know that the work continues.

Where I'm certain you don't just walk away from something like this.

So I'm certain there's probably more on the horizon in your advocacy, but thank you for your service to our city uh for the work and the imprint that you leave behind.

Uh it's gonna continue.

But again, I just taken by the amount of uh of emotion this morning, it really does uh in a moment like this when our communities, so many of our communities are suffering.

Uh it just it's a reminder how one person can in fact make a difference.

So I just wanted to say thank you for your service.

Councilmember Hernandez.

Thank you, Council President.

Thank you, uh Councilmember Price for bringing in Veronica and honoring her for all the work that she's done in this city, but not only the city, the county of Los Angeles.

Your work has impacted 10 million people, and that we haven't uh done a lot of work together since I've come into office, but the decade before I came into office, we've been working together from LARP to Measure J to Care Force Community Investments.

We've been there, you've been changing the systems, you've been making the county work better to serve our communities and not leave people behind.

What you said here today, the humanity of people, that is what has got us to this point where we invest more in some of these programs that keep our people alive.

Where before I had the conversation was, why even invest in harm reduction?

Why even invest in these people?

And you've been in it since then, and you've gotten us to this point where we do more recognize the humanity of our community members, and that helps us save lives.

So I'm grateful for everything you've done.

I'm looking forward to where you're taking your energy, your leadership, the way you problem solve, and the way again you bring people with you.

Don't hesitate to lean on us.

Um, but I'm just very grateful for for all the effort that you put into the millions of people here in the city of Los Angeles and the county of Los Angeles.

Thank you so much for your work.

Thank you.

Thank you so much, Councilmember.

Councilmember McCosker.

Thank you so much.

Councilman, thank you.

Veronica for all of your work.

People know that we call ourselves the one five, and one of the greatest inspirations for the one-five is one of our five communities is the beloved community of Watts, often overlooked.

We remind ourselves every day we're the one five, so we don't overlook a community within the community of Watts.

Who's the most overlooked or most vulnerable?

And so, on behalf of a grateful one five, on behalf of the beloved community of Watts, thank you for all of your great work in our community, and God bless you.

Thank you so much.

And uh thank you, Mr.

Price, and thank you to all the members uh that you know made comments uh about our our beloved uh Veronica.

Uh and I you know appreciate uh one hearing from your mom and seeing your family, but also hearing from you about being grounded in values and grounded in the dignity and the value and love for every human being, no matter where we find them or what the situation is.

I you know, members of this council, I think everybody on this council can relate to this.

And one of my first interactions with you, and you only get this when you love the people.

One of my very first interactions with you is we had stood up a new shelter that Hopix was managing, and we were touring the Lhasa director.

This is a few Lassa directors ago, so nobody think about the people that you know now.

And while we're touring, it's about six o'clock in the evening in the summer, and a man comes up to the shelter and says the police just made me move my car that I live in, and they told me to come here and I could get a place to stay.

And your staff said, Well, you know, we have to make this call, we have to fill out this paper.

We have you know, we have a million excuses not to help people in this city and county.

But so we kind of went through those, and I remember the Lhasa director said let me call someone downtown and we can smooth it over and you can stay here tonight.

And that person made a phone call, and no one picked up, and he kind of looked at me and said, Well, there's nothing we can do.

And at the moment he said that, you went into action.

And I don't know, to this day, I don't know what you did or what papers you moved around or what administrative process you went through, but we got that person in a bed that night.

Uh and that, and and ever since then, every time we've come to you, uh, you're one of the few people in our entire homelessness establishment.

You're one of the few people who starts with, how do we get this human being in a bed and safe right away?

No matter what the funding stream is, no matter what the losses this group says or that group says, or the other group says, uh, you're always grounded in in believing that no human being should sleep on the street for any reason uh anywhere in our city.

And so uh with that type of fire, I know you'll continue to make uh a contribution, and you won't be able to stop yourself uh from helping our folks.

So again, thank you for all you have done and and uh a great honor to you and your family for everything that you will do.

Mr.

Price.

Thank you, Miss President.

Uh again to our Shiro, just want to present this as a token of our appreciation by the mayor, every member of the council.

We love you, we honor you.

Thank you so much.

All right, now we will uh hear from Council District Seven, Councilmember Monica Rodriguez.

You guys want to come up too?

Sure.

There's everybody.

Come on, the whole family.

All right.

Good morning, colleagues.

Well, it's a very special morning here in Council Chambers, and uh at this particular juncture, and by the way, it's only for this man that I would actually take hat here today, uh, for the person that we are honoring, but it's really a tremendous honor to have an opportunity to celebrate the individuals that really help to ground our community in our cultural history, our traditions, at a time especially when our community is under attack, and I'm proud to honor today a man who has helped to continue to ground us in tremendous cultural pride, in so much of what our community represents from the hard work, the spirit, the ganas, the unwavering commitment to being authentically who we are.

And ladies and gentlemen, it's my great honor that today we are recognizing and honoring and celebrating Don Leonardo Lopez.

Please give him a round of applause.

Don Leonardo Lopez is a leader that has strengthened our communities, inspired generations, helping to make sure that we tell the vo the very important story of our Latino heritage.

Born in La Noria Durango, Mexico, Don Leonardo was raised with the values of perseverance, dedication, and faith in family.

When he came to the United States back in the 1960s, he carried those values with him and began working as a dishwasher in Santa Monica.

From those early days, he built a legacy that has touched thousands of lives.

With the love and partnership of his wife, Doña Iris, Leonardo went on to become a pioneer of many Latino owned businesses.

He founded the beloved restaurants such as El Mariachi, Leonardo's, and Labum.

These establishments went became more than just places to eat.

They became the places where our culture, our music, and our community came alive to celebrate many wonderful occasions.

And most notably, his stewardship of the Pico Rivera Sports Arena has cemented its status as an international landmark.

Generations have gathered there to celebrate Charriadas, Escaramusa, concerts, which I had the privilege of being at recently, and the festivals that celebrate and honor and preserve our heritage.

Pico Rivera has served as the community where and was even used as an evacuation and holding area for horses during the most recent January wildfires.

Through his work, Leonardo has created thousands of jobs, empowered entrepreneurs, and provided a platform for cultural celebration.

Right now, given the unconstitutional immigration enforcement that continues to assault our community, his spaces have created a place where we can continue to be authentically who we are, proudly celebrate our cultural traditions, and it's a reflection.

His story is really a reflection of everything of what it means to be a Latino, everything that I believe is our Mexican cultural heritage.

So many of our families can share these same stories.

We are a community of dedicated, hardworking entrepreneurs that make it work for our families, taking the opportunity that this country gives us every single day to turn turn nothing into something.

And what he has done is created a magnificent history here in our communities, not just in the city of Los Angeles, but in Pico Rivera, but it has emanated and rippled in so many parts of our city, our county.

And I am for one very grateful that he had the tenacity and the strength and the entrepreneurial spirit to do everything that he's done.

When I think about the lives that have been changed, when I think, I mean, you can cite the musicians that have been discovered as a result of you giving them an audience and a platform to perform.

When I think about the jobs and the economic strength that has been created by his spirit, and make no mistake, for anyone that thinks building a business is easy.

Boy, do you got another thing coming?

There are so many obstacles that are put before you to create a business, and you have done it, it seems almost effortlessly, but it's been grounded in great community pride.

And when I think about growing up as a first-generation American of Mexican descent, and I think about how so many of us have been forced to abandon the language, the music, the storytelling, because in the eras that we were raised in, it wasn't quite celebrated.

And I think about when Linda Ronstadt produced Ganciones de mi padre, how that was an inflection point for our community, and how we continued to just grow and strengthen in our community pride, in our musical traditions.

Those were moments, and we're in another moment like that today, that we will not redact, retreat.

We will continue to be strong as a community celebrating our incredible, beautiful culture, and I'm incredibly grateful to this man, his entire family that have helped to sustain our community through the celebration of music, of cultural pride, and just a tremendous sense of just love for our community and our culture.

So I just want to say, Don Leonardo, it's been an incredible honor getting to know you, getting to spend time with you and your family, and I really appreciate and value not only the friendship, but the incredible work and dedication that each of you exude every day, generations that continue this important legacy.

It gives me such pride to say I'm a Mexican American and to see how you've built this empire.

And make no mistake, it's an empire.

It's really remarkable and refreshing to know that you took the opportunity that was afforded you in this country, and you made something of it, and you did it grounded in being authentically who you are, and for that I'm incredibly grateful and honored to know you to celebrate you and give you this well-deserved honor.

And I am joined today by my friend, the former mayor of Huntington Park and the 41st Treasurer of the United States, Rosario Marin, who would like to offer a few words.

Thank you, Councilmember Rodriguez.

It's an honor to be here on this very spacious uh occasion celebrando a Don Leonardo Lopez.

Very fitting, and thank you, Council members and Mr.

President of the Council.

Thank you for this opportunity.

You really, really have done something very special here today.

You're doing something that will be in the memory of the entire family and the community that supports Leonardo.

I have known him for more than 40 years, and when I was first elected to the city council in Huntington Park back in 1994, Leonardo was there.

Leonardo has always been there.

He has been there for the city, for his family, for his community, for all the beautiful traditions that his heritage evokes.

His hard work, his steadfast commitment to upholding our culture, make him in my book a real treasure.

And I know a little bit about treasures.

So I want to thank you.

There's nothing more that I can say that the council member has already said, but I do want to state to his family, you do have somebody to look up to, and please continue his wonderful legacy that all of you represent.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Let me see that it's your turn.

And so now, colleagues, it is my great honor to now invite the man that we honor today, helping us.

You know, when I think about El Grito and what it represents, it's that moment to remind everyone in our community that that was the cry to fight.

That was the calling for us to continue to be strong in the face of adversity, and we will continue to push back.

And I want to thank you, Don Leonardo, for being that example of how we can really be the force of resilience and strength in the wake of adversity.

You are that example, and it's a reminder to everyone who's feeling down, is that we will persevere.

And so, ladies and gentlemen, please help me welcome our honoree today, Don Leonardo Lopez.

Thank you.

Lobele.

Monica, you really made it.

It's been a hard work, and I'm very honored to be here.

I thank you very much for the hard work.

I thank everyone that is been with me.

And uh everybody that is here with me today, my family, my beautiful wife, my in-laws, my nieces, and uh, my sons, and my uh granddaughters and girls and grandsons.

Thanks to the city council of this beautiful city of uh angels.

Thanks, Mr.

President.

Thank you very much.

Thanks again, and uh, viva Mexico, viva la charreria, viva.

We lower culture and uh and our music.

We did uh everything for you guys for a lot of Mexican people that are still there working, and uh I really want to thank everybody.

I want to introduce my son Fernando, but uh he's been with me.

Most of all of my sons are here today.

So thank you very much, City Council of Los Angeles.

Thank you.

Thank you, Monica.

Thank you for honoring my father and Festas Patrias and El Grito, it's a it's gonna be forever in our memory.

I would like to thank the city council.

Thank you, President.

Uh, my mom for all the patience that she's had for my dad to do what he does.

And uh most importantly, um, the city of LA.

Because I think my dad's first love is the city of LA, and then it's the horses.

Because if it wasn't for the city of LA, he wouldn't afford the horses.

So thank you, thank you, uh dad.

Congratulations.

Uh, God bless America, like he says, and viva Mexico.

All right, we got a few members on the queue.

Councilmember Padilla.

Uh, Councilmember Rodriguez, what a great presentation to bring in as we you know start the celebration of Latino Hispanic Heritage Month here in the city of Los Angeles.

Um Leonardo, uh, felicidades, felicidades to the entire family.

You know, when I look at this presentation, I see uh a presentation honoring a family and what a family that's united can accomplish when they're in a place that's so far from their original, you know, place from home.

So uh and making uh an empire by preserving uh the traditions that we bring from Mexico.

So thank you for all you do.

Thank you for being part of that uh that group of folks that make it so that we are unapologetic about our music, our food, and our presence, and you know, recognizing that we're just next door, you know.

Um, so as was said right now, you know, uh God bless America, it can be about Mexico.

That really is how we've been uh uh indoctrinate indoctrinated here, right?

That's the that's the theme.

We always remember Mexico, but at the same time, we know why we came here, and your family, Don Leonardo Lopez, you guys embody exactly what that means.

So congratulations, y que Dios lo siga beneficiando because you're definitely the kind of family that pays it forward, and I appreciate you for all of that.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Councilmember Lee.

Thank you, Mr.

President, and thank you, Councilmember Rodriguez, for bringing in Don Leonardo.

I can't think of a more fitting person to honor today to Don Leonardo.

You you know how I feel about your entire family.

I want to say just uh thank you for our everything you've done to share your culture with our city.

You are another example of what makes this city so incredible.

Uh you are an icon in the Chato community, but you've also shared so many other beautiful things of the food, the music with all of us, and I just want to say thank you.

But I want you to look around when you see your family, you are that piece that keeps that family all together.

You don't just ask them to come over and see each other once a year or different things.

You make sure that this family stays together, whether it's you know, your weekend dinners at your house or the different events that you throw together.

I want to say thank you to you, but also to your amazing family.

When you look around, what this family has done.

They've done there's so many members of this family that have done so much for the different communities of the city of Los Angeles.

You have people, you know, successful businessmen, you have uh people who have built things, you have uh a great doctor over there.

Uh and I just want to say, I just want to say thank you so much, Don Leonardo.

Thank you for letting us, you know, sharing those things for us and really, really all your contributions to this great city of ours, and just want to say thank you for allowing me to be a part of your 50th wedding anniversary where you renewed your vows to your lovely wife Iris to the Lopez family.

Thank you very much for everything you all do.

But thank you, Don Leonardo.

Thank you so much, members, and thank you so much, Councilwoman Rodriguez, for bringing in the Lopez family and for showing up as you always do.

You're you are such angels in this city.

LA is not LA without uh Don Leonardo and the Lopez family and all that you uh contribute.

I'm uh the proud representative of not one but two uh Leonardo's uh ballrooms, one of them I can walk to, and and uh you know, members in public, I want folks to know what a big deal this is because there was a period there in the late 80s through the early 90s where all of a lot of businesses, especially ones that did live music just went away.

They left.

And you all never left.

You opened up every weekend to this day, you opened up every weekend.

I the only time I've seen you closed is that weekend where we had those terrible ice raids.

It's the only time I've seen you, and you all were back the next week, ready to go, and you had security out and uh you were doing your thing.

So it's you know, it's a great uh you all are a great example of what it means to be Angelino and what it means to be community uh members and was proud to be at your 50th wedding anniversary.

I think my wife's a little bit upset with me because I forgot to mention that you were being honored today, she probably would have wanted to be here uh to to hug you all and thank you all for treating us like family.

Uh, from the moment that we we met you and interact with you, and you all both promote your organization and your business and your family, but also the neighborhood.

So when we have a jazz festival and the neighborhood goes to you, you all deliver food to the jazz festival.

When there's a uh a sporting event with young people in the community, you all step up and participate in those events even for parts of the community that may or may not use your your businesses.

So uh thank you for everything that you've been, and and we look for forward to uh the years when the grandkids take over and uh we build an even bigger empire and shine a brighter light uh from here in the city of Los Angeles from the Lopez family.

Thank you all so much.

Councilmember Rodriguez.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Harris Dawson.

And I I brought up the example of the next generation that uh is also helping helping to carry on the tradition.

I'm surprised he didn't show up on a horse because uh he generally doesn't like to not be on a horse.

But it's uh it's really remarkable, and I think at this time, I want what makes this moment very special for me.

It's a reminder of the incredible economic value and strength that our community holds, and I want it to be a reminder and a call to action for our community that you are valuable, that you matter, and that you need to be reckoned with.

We should not be running and hiding in fear.

We should be standing strong and proud in the economic strength that we possess, and I want us to better exercise that economic strength because I know for one that this city would not survive without it.

So, from our labor to how we and where we spend our money.

This is a reminder during this Latino Heritage Month that I want everyone to recognize the incredible economic power that you hold and to support the businesses that reflect our values and reflect a commitment to invest and support us, especially in this moment in time, and not just here in the city of Los Angeles, but across the country.

We matter, we count, we're gonna be valuable, and go to Pico Rivera Sports Arena for a show because you're not gonna regret it.

Thank you very much, colleagues.

On behalf of the city of Los Angeles, Don Leonardo Lopez, my gratitude for helping to make sure that this Mexicana continues to have a place to go dance, to have a good time with her family, and thank you for creating a space where our culture will continue to be embraced and persevered and celebrated.

Thank you so much for everything that you can do.

All right.

Next, we'll hear from Councilmember Hernandez.

Of the heart of the city, the first council district.

However you'd like.

However you'd like.

He is removed from this meeting.

We will pause until he has exited Council Chambers.

Mr.

Herman, you were ordered removed from the rules committee meeting.

You were also ordered removed from a meeting earlier this week.

I would note that as soon as you came into this meeting for which you are not permitted to be in, because you were on probation when you were removed, that you are continuing to disrupt this meeting.

And you have been ordered removed.

Okay.

And whoever else is in the aisle will ask you to vacate the aisles while this presentation is happening.

Wonderful.

And uh the floor is yours, Councilmember Hernandez.

Thank you, Council President.

Good morning, everyone.

Buenos días.

Today I'm proud to announce that the city of Los Angeles officially recognizes Latino Heritage Month.

Yes.

At a time when our communities are under attack, when ice raids terrorize our neighborhoods, when a racist federal administration fuels division, and when the Supreme Court has given a green light to racial profiling, we are here to stand tall and proud as Latinos in a moment where we are told to shrink and hide.

Today we will honor two extraordinary Latinos who live whose lives remind us that the fight for justice takes many forms.

Carlos Montes, a pioneering Chicano activist and founding member of the Brown Brays, represents decades of direct action, courage, and organizing in the face of injustice.

Francisco Letilier, an internationally recognized muralist, illustrator, and poet, has carried the has carried forward the tradition of resistance through art, memory, and storytelling.

Together, they show us that in the struggle for justice, there is a lane for all of us, whether it's in the streets, through organizing, or by creating art, and that you know, make sure that our stories are never forgotten.

Tomorrow, we continue this celebration.

We continue the celebration with El Grito at Grand Park from 5 to 11 p.m.

It is our city's largest Latino Heritage Month celebration, a night of culture, music, and community power.

In these dark times, we remember that joy is an act of resistance, and that, and as this year's Madrina of the event, I hope to see y'all there.

I can't wait to see you there, colleagues, and everybody from your teams.

In just a moment, you'll hear from all the Latino Council members, or as I've called us the Latino caucus, who joined me in this chamber today.

We are here and we are proud.

We carry a shared struggle.

Many of us are children of immigrants, raised in households that knew sacrifice, hard work and resilience.

Our presence here is proof of what our parents and grandparents dreamed for us.

That despite the obstacles, despite the discrimination, we would claim our place in shaping the future of this city.

I'd love, I now would like to invite my colleague, Councilmember Padilla, to share a few words.

Thank you for joining us.

Good morning, everyone, and thank you, Councilmember Ulises, for bringing this uh to our chambers today, and congratulations on being the Madrina for this year's El Grito.

I'm honored to join you in celebration of Latino Heritage Month and to uplift two extraordinary individuals whose legacies embody this year's theme of Viva La Resistencia, reminding us that what we're going through, we've been through it, and we will supersede.

Carlos Montes is a pioneer Chicano activist and co-founder of the Brown Braids.

Francisco Letier is an internationally recognized muralist, illustrator, and poet.

Through though their paths are different, their work has carried the same purpose.

Advancing justice, advancing our people, and ensuring that our stories are never erased.

Carlos represents the spirit of direct action and organizing.

From the East LA walkouts to the Chicano Moratorium, he stood on the front lines demanding dignity and equality for generations of Chicanos and Latinos to come.

His courage shows us the impact the voices raised, barriers challenged, and communities united in struggle, and a history that we can very much learn from.

There is no single way to properly resist.

There are those who march, organize and mobilize, and those who paint, write and tell our stories.

Both are necessary, both are powerful, and both deserve to be celebrated and acknowledged.

Because in the struggle for justice, there is a lane for each and every one of us to participate.

We should participate and bring to the table our talents in doing so.

So in a time when we are we are being, there's a target on us.

It is important to know more than ever to be proud and unapologetic of who we are, remember our past, learn from it, and propel forward.

So thank you, colleagues.

Now I'd like to introduce our next speaker, who I believe is still taking pictures in the back.

So, Councilmember Eunices, we should go to Councilmember Hugo Soro Martinez.

Adelante.

Thank you so much, Councilwoman Padilla.

And thank you so much, uh Councilwoman Hernandez, for serving as this year's Madrina for Latino Heritage Month.

And you do it with such grace and with such strength.

I had the honor of doing this last year, and I know it's not an easy job, not just putting the event together, but trying to capture the moment and trying to capture the Latino identity is not an easy thing.

We are indigenous, there are Afro-Latinos, we have Spanish and so many other different cultures that come together because Latinidad is not something that's easily boiled down to.

We know we're a mix of cultures, histories, cuisines, and traditions.

And so you've managed to pick a theme that I think resonates across all cultures, la resistencia.

In celebrating resistance, you are celebrating a value that is part of all of us because we know that our resistance, our resilience, our collective power, and our ability to envision a future is worthy of our struggles.

And I think every single person that identifies as Latino can resonate with those words.

Especially in a moment like right now, where our culture, our communities, and our identity is under attack against this white nationalist president.

And we know that weak men will try to bring us down, but people like Carlos Montes and the Brown Berades, like they did before, we know we have to come together in this moment and fight.

And not just among Latinos, but find solidarity among all working people, because we know Latinos are not the only ones under attack in this moment.

So I'm happy to join you today and mark the start of Latino Heritage Month once more with a rallying cry.

Que viva la resistencia.

Que viva el pueblo.

And now, our one of our Madrinas from two years ago is here.

And so I want to pass it back pass it back to Councilmember from the 7th District, Councilman Rodriguez.

Thank you.

Thank you, colleagues.

And I just uh it's been a pretty eventful day, but I want to thank and congratulate uh Councilmember Hernandez for being the Madrina this year at such a pivotal moment in time for our community.

And what a special time for us to continue to tell the stories of who we are and to share it and remind everybody about the strength of who we are.

And I'm just incredibly grateful and proud of your example in the resistance.

Uh and being that uh being that example for our community.

But you know, this this month has extra special meaning.

And I've said many times that heritage months aren't something that we should be just limited to for 30 days.

It's something, it's an exercise in the resistance every single day, and that isn't that's actually even more uh meaningful today than it ever was before.

So I want to thank you because I know how much this grito celebration means to our community now more than ever.

Uh I know how special it is and how much effort it is, and congratulations to you and your staff because I know what an extra lift it is on top of all of the daily grind of the work that we do every day.

But I will tell you that there's no more special time than to do it right now.

And I want to thank you and congratulate you for sticking with it to continuing to do it, because I think what we need now is that example of solidarity and strength, tomorrow, today, every day more than ever.

So thank you very much for your uh for continuing on and forging forward, and it's a reminder to the community to uh, you know, again, don't this this is our moment to stand strong together in solidarity during these most difficult times and be proud of who we are and not hide who we are.

We are what makes this country great, and no one should ever forget that.

Thank you.

Thanks.

Thank you for your kind words, colleagues, and uh thank you for being here today.

We gather here today not just to celebrate heritage, but to affirm our resilience at a time when Latino communities are under attack.

In the last three months alone, ICE has raided parking lots, work sites, churches, and hospitals in Los Angeles with military-style tactics and language.

We are living in a federal administration that is openly racist.

And just this week, the Supreme Court ruled again to essentially permit racial profiling, a decision that will put black and brown lives at even greater risk.

That's why honoring Latino community members like Carlos Montes matters so much.

Carlos is a co-founder of the Brown Berets and one of the leaders of the East LA Chicano blowouts, and walk and a series of walkouts of East Los Angeles High Schools to protest against racism and inequality in Los Angeles area high schools.

With the Brown Berets, Carlos organized the first Chicano Moratorium protest against the Vietnam War in East Vietnam War in East LA.

He's been on the front lines of the Chicano movement for decades.

From the walkouts that transformed our schools to the community defense networks that challenged police abuse to his mentorship and advocacy on Centro CSO.

His life's work is a testament to what happens when ordinary people organize with extraordinary courage.

When we honor Carlos, we're honoring Latino history, and we're honoring the new generation of Latino activists who will continue to demand justice across Los Angeles today.

It is my great honor to present him with a certificate on behalf of the city of Los Angeles.

Thank you so much.

Carlos, on behalf of the city of Los Angeles, we want to recognize you for your lifetime of service and commitment to social justice.

As a founding member of the Brown Berets and a leader of the Chicano movement, you have fought tirelessly for the rights of students, workers, and communities of color.

Your courage inspires me, and I know it inspires a lot of us here in the city, and you have a vision that is gonna continue to take us for generations to resist the attacks on our communities and oppression and to build a more just and equitable Los Angeles.

So thank you so much for your dedication and leadership.

Thank you.

Wonderful.

Please share a few words with us.

Y'all hold it for you.

Yeah, viva la resistencia.

Thank you, Keviva.

No, I love this theme because uh years ago, I have to sneak into these things.

You know, when the people that are in jail organized the independence programs, I had to like wait for people coming out.

Give me your little wristband, you know, and go in there, right?

Because they did it really private.

So, my thank you very much, you need to serve this for this great honor.

All the council folks here, and I also want to do a shout out to our awesome Isabel Jurado, you know, has hit the road, hit the street running and helping our community already helping Holland Back Park, where I'm the uh park advisory board chair, right?

I have all these titles.

But you know what?

It's all it's great to talk about the past, the Chicano power movement, but but I'm still active today.

Tell me what you've done today, right?

You know, my daughter right now is at uh teaching Chicano studies at Cal State Long Beach, she said, I can't go, you know, dad.

You know, I'm I'm busy.

And then all our young folks are at the ACLU right now talking about the struggle against police brutality because we recently had uh Jeremy Flores killed in Boyle Heights in July.

We're working with the family, helping them out, you know, uh organizing protests at Holland Back police station, you know.

Like we did in 2016, where five young men were killed by the Holland Back uh station, right?

When all the nonprofits are afraid to take on that issue, right?

So you know this recognition, you're right.

It's about the people, the movement that I happen to be part of.

I'm just a little kid from the border town at Paso Juarez that got thrown into this nightmare.

I remember the watch rebellion, talking with the with the black janitors when I was working, you know, and and discussing you know, I was fascinated by the argument.

We always say, Yeah, let's do it.

The other one said let's not do it.

I was the Rodney King Rebellion.

I was there in front of Parker Center with all the young folks.

All our older generation was saying, no justice, no peace picket signs.

The young black Chicano Asians were saying, hell no, let's take it on.

So I had to join them, even though it's spontaneous mass anger, you know.

But we learned during the George Floyd rebellion.

We were well organized.

We had bullhun, we had banners, we had trucks, we united all the Chicano black, Asian community to say, you know, justice for our community.

So, yeah, you know, I wanna, you know, it's good to say Viva La Independencia, the struggle against the Spanish colonization.

But remember that we suffered a Mexican American war, 1848.

So we have been fighting for against racist oppression since that time, lynchings, uh, massacres, discrimination, right?

And the struggle continues.

I happen to be part of the 60s, like many of your parents, maybe, right?

Right.

And thank you all for continuing the struggle here in the city council, right?

So, you know, I just wanted to point out that it's great to commemorate our struggle.

You know, I was there in the poor people's campaign.

I learned about the importance of black and brown unity and uniting all working people together.

MLK invited the Mexicans to come before before he was assassinated, right?

Some of his reverend didn't want the Mexicans because we didn't believe in so-called nonviolence, right?

So let me kind of wrap it up.

That, you know, I'm proud of the movement that we've all created in our history.

You know, I want to point out that the mega marches of 2006, I was there at 8 o'clock in the morning when I looked up Broadway and it was already packed all the way to the city.

How many of you were there?

Should raise your hand, you know.

The mega marches, right?

And um, you know, the marches against the war in Iraq, right?

I learned from the struggle of against the war in Vietnam when our homies came back that I went to high school with with trauma and shrapnel, and one of them, Andy, showed me his album about the atrocities he committed.

We tried to help him.

He ended up dying of a heron overdose in a garage, an abandoned garage.

That radicalized my generation to say, not only US out of Vietnam, but we were controversial.

We said the Vietnamese struggle needs to win.

We supported the struggle of the Vietnamese people, and today, yes, today may be controversial, maybe not.

We support the struggle of the Palestinian people for self-determination, national liberation, and the right of return of all Palestinian refugees and an end to all USA to Israel.

That's right.

Let's hear it.

Come on, let's hear it.

I know it's controversial, but when we said Vietnam should win, we were saying, Oh, you're a patriotic.

But hey, now Vietnam is one of our partners.

So let me wrap it up.

I don't know how much time I stand.

But what, you know, what we've always done as an organizer going door to door, meeting with the families, is that we are not only have we survived all these attacks, but we're gonna survive the current reactionary racist Trump regime, and we will win by building a mass, powerful movement that relies on the power of the people, not on isolated acts of individuals, okay?

Say that again.

Yeah, yeah, no, absolutely.

The power of the people.

I've always relied on the moms, the youth in our community.

Whenever I've been arrested and beat up many times, you know, they've always supported me to stay out of jail, right?

So, you know, in wrapping it up, I mentioned that the Mexican-American War, 1848, we developed a unique culture, which was celebrated today a little bit more Mexican.

I'm proud of my Mexican roots, but I am Chicano.

And Chicano has a history in the Southwest.

We're unique, we developed into a distinct people striving for what we call self-determination.

And we popularize self-determination to oppress of oppressed people.

We popularized it by saying Chicano.

So when I say Chicano, everybody will say power, and we said raza ciguer, no.

So, you know, I'm just to wrap it up.

I keep saying wrap it up, right?

Yeah.

But you know, my grandfather, I met him, he was in the Mexican Revolution.

You all say, Viva la revolution, abajo los federales.

That's appropriate today, right?

And then, of course, we now unite with the call to viva la resistencia, abajo con Trump, y abajo con la migra.

Muchas gracias.

Muchas gracias.

All right, all right, let's do it.

Well, yeah, and and the young people that I work with, I said they're over at uh at UCACLU at a big forum.

Photo Wow, we should have which we have.

All right, as you're doing the uh photo up, uh Mr.

Montes and and members, we got a few speakers on the queue, beginning with Councilmember McCosker of the 15th district.

Thank you very much.

Uh I know, I know.

Hey, uh, growing up in L.A, you know, Mexican American culture, Mexican culture is so important to all of us.

And I grew up with this story of the battalion of the San Patricios.

Yeah.

In the Mexican American War, a whole bunch of conscripted Irish Americans or Irish immigrants were fighting on the side of the US against the Mexicans and reached a point where a significant number of them said we have more in common with them than we have with our bosses, and actually deserted.

This is a story that we talk about in our family a lot.

Actually, deserted, went over to the Mexican side and fought as the battalion of the San Patricios.

And I have a giant flag in my office in San Pedro of the battalion of the San Patricios.

And what's I wouldn't take time on this except there is really a significant thing for today.

Now, not surprisingly, the San Patricios lost to the Americans, and they were hung as deserters.

Most of them were hung on September 12th.

Wow.

Today.

Wow.

Today in Mexico City, in the Plaza of San Jacinto, I believe, there is always a celebration on September 12th in honor of the San Patricios.

We celebrate them two times in Mexico City, St.

Patrick's Day and September 12th.

And so it is appropriate that on our day of El Grito and talking about the resistance.

I just say that Mexican American culture, Latino culture is special to you, but it should be special to every single one of us.

So thank you.

Thank you so much, Councilmember Jurado.

Thank you to La Madrina, Councilmember Hernandez for hosting this presentation.

It's such a joy and honor to celebrate Latino Heritage Month with all of our colleagues in the Latino Caucus and honoring the people and the stories that make LA extraordinary.

Carlos, I'm so glad you're being honored.

I mean, what has it?

What didn't you say that hasn't been said about you?

For me representing this district, which is so diverse, it has El Pueblo, it has a fashion district, it has El Serano, it has Boyle Heights.

And so you showing up, especially as part of the historic east side is so important.

You know, co-founder of the Brown Berets, a lifelong activist, tireless organizer, and someone who has never stopped showing up for the community.

When we set up our CD 14 uh fires, resilience hubs at our uh Boyle Heights community field office.

Guess who is there?

Every single day.

You know, you always pound the pavement.

You're able to make community anywhere that you go with everyone that's around you.

And everyone, even on our campaign, has a story of when they met you, or how they got to know you.

And of course, we always poke fun at you about the walkout movie, and whether you got to choose who got to play you uh in that movie, but you know, you always remind us that you keep heritage alive by doing, and you continue that activism, and you never let um let a moment pass by saying what's on your mind and in your heart, and you show us what solidarity looks like every single day.

So thank you so much, and thank you for honoring him.

Thank you so much, thank you so much, members, and uh thank you, Councilmembers Rodriguez, Padilla, Soto Martinez, and the leader uh for uh our celebration this year, Councilmember Hernandez uh for bringing this and I especially want to thank our uh council colleagues for centering and lifting in this celebration the spirit of resistance and the spirit of struggle because these you know this happens with Black History Month with other celebrations where you know some people try to make it about beer or food or dancing or music and all of those things are great, but we have these celebrations and commemorations to remind us of the struggle and how we got to the stage that we are now and how much further we have to go.

And I I couldn't be prouder, this is one of my proudest moments sitting up here to uh be chairing this meeting as we honor uh the great Carlos Montes.

Uh, it's rare that you get to see uh your your heroes in the flesh.

I can remember watching you growing up as a young activist, and then um uh at during my time at the community coalition where you know uh the Karen Bass would say, Yeah, we got I go back with Carlos, but you, you know, be careful uh out there, uh be careful about getting locked up.

Don't go too far, don't take it too far.

Uh but I I I appreciate you because you embody the spirit of resistance when it's popular, but you also do it when it's not popular.

When the media and society says, Oh, we're having a good time, why don't you go over there and be quiet?

Stop bothering us about police brutality, stop raising you know racism.

We're trying to celebrate our progress, and here you are continuing to raise issues.

So I thank you for sticking, uh, sticking to the struggle because it always comes back around.

And right now we're in a moment where it's back around where you know, uh, I think that the world looks at you and others and says, yeah, that's this is what this is what he's been talking about the entire time.

When racism goes from being dog whistle to just being whistle, which is what it is now, just straight up anti-Latino sentiment, unashamed, unembarrassed, uh immoral, and out front.

Uh, and and you've been uh an opponent of that when it's subtle, but also when it's direct.

So thank you so much for everything that you've done, and we're proud to be able to honor you.

And with that, uh, Councilmember Hernandez.

Thank you, Council President.

We have one more person to bring up.

Uh, thank you, Carlos, for being here with us today.

Latino resistance also lives in our art, murals, poetry, and storytelling that carry memory and connect us across generations.

And Viola Resistencia is not about how we just we resist today, but it's about recognizing how we resisted in our past generations in different communities in different ways.

Many of you have seen our Bridge Art Gallery exhibition, Viva La Resistencia, a celebration of Latino resistance and joy in a time of peril.

That work would not have been possible without the partnership with the Department of Cultural Affairs.

Today we have the privilege of unveiling the newest cover of the Latino Heritage Month edition of the DCA booklet in honoring the artist behind it.

To introduce our second honoree, Francisco Latillier, please join me in welcoming Daniel Tarica, general manager of the Department of Cultural Affairs.

Thank you so much, Councilmember Hernandez.

It's truly an honor to be here today to celebrate Latino Heritage Month on behalf of the Department of Cultural Affairs.

In a time when pervasive discrimination continues to negatively impact our communities, lifting up and recognizing the city's rich cultural heritage and legacy through the arts is so important in that in now more than it has been in recent history.

Telling those stories and sharing experiences as a city's Latin X community is an important way for us to bring truth to power.

Together, we honor the diverse Latinx communities that have shaped Los Angeles, our Southern California region, and across our nation for centuries.

The community's impact is felt every day through its civic leaders, change makers, entrepreneurs and educators, caregivers and artisans, students and culture bearers enriching our community in countless ways.

This year, we continue the tradition by presenting the 2025 edition of Latino Heritage Month calendar and cultural guide that recognizes the accomplishments of our actors, our performers, our poets and our writers and our artists.

It contains visual art and poetry from a wide selection of talented artists emerging and established, as well as many art exhibitions.

The generations of artists and storytellers and culture bearers from communities across Latin America and here in Southern California that live here that have shaped our city, and while their descendants carry that legacy forward every day through arts and culture, as well as through business and civic leadership.

The guide reflects the partnership of our many collaborators, and I want to express our appreciation to our partners for the work of the offices of the mayor, the controller, the city attorney, city council, and very much especially for the work of Councilmember Hernandez and her team.

So, as Councilmember Hernandez mentioned, in addition to the guide, we are also proud to support the work of the Bridge Gallery exhibition with Councilmember Hernandez and her team, as well as Altura LA on the Viva La Resistencia.

It is really a wonderful exhibition, and I encourage you all to see it.

So before we unveil the artwork of today's Latino Heritage calendar and cultural guide, I have the honor of introducing the artist who developed the guide's cover artwork.

Francisco Letelier is an award-winning visual artist, graphic designer, illustrator, muralist, and poet.

Letelier creates art that crosses disciplines and cultures.

His work blends history with contemporary experiences with an emphasis on the social circumstances that affect our individuals and our communities.

Mr.

Letelier received a Grabby nomination for his work on musician Jackson Brown's World in Motion release.

He has also been recognized through LA Art Corps as well as through Spark.

And we also are very proud of his work, Todos Las Manos at American University in Washington, DC, that was dedicated by Chilean president Michelle Bachelet.

Please join me in welcoming El Maestro, Francisco Latillier.

It's so nice to be here and for my artwork to be selected for this wonderful guiding calendar because when you get a chance to look through it, you'll see that we are a city rich in talent and artistic accomplishments.

So I could be a waiting for a long time to be on this cover.

There are so many that deserve to be on it.

But I just want to tell you a little bit about what inspired me.

The illustration is called El Cantante, the singer.

And it's inspired by the vibrant culture that was repressed in Chile, where I was born, after the rise of the authoritarian dictatorship that overthrew democracy on September 11th, 1973.

It led to the imprisonment of thousands and the death of thousands, including my father and many people in my family, relatives, and friends.

Now, through arts and culture, Chileans built solidarity and hope, they spread information, and helped create the social movements that led back to democracy.

Inspired by the diversity and knowledge held in the cultures of Los Angeles and across the Americas, my work recognizes travelers, the exchange of ideas, and it affirms our complexities, our celebrations, and our challenges.

I'm grateful to this council and the Department of Cultural Affairs for their ongoing efforts to defend and reimagine cultural heritage as a tool for progress and action.

And today I want to say resistance, que viva, la ciudad de los Angeles.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mike.

On behalf of the city of LA, we want to recognize Francisco.

Let's, yeah, we'll do a picture because we know folks are on the recognize you for your extraordinary contributions, Francisco, to the arts and your shared struggle for justice.

And I want to point something out.

We're going through authoritarianism, what feels like a takeover here in this country.

And oftentimes, I know I've said this, it's like, oh, we don't have a playbook.

What to do?

But places like Chile that have survived authoritarianism have playbooks.

They have showed us what it takes to build community community power to survive moments like these.

So I appreciate you, Francisco, for lifting that up.

Colleagues, what you've seen today is that Latino resistance is not just about protests, it's also about creation.

It's about building a world where our stories, our struggles and our joy are reflected back to us in art in history and community.

Carlos Montes and Francisco Latillier show us two sides of the same coin: the power of action and the power of imagination.

That is the spirit of Latino Heritage Month, honoring our past, fighting for our future, and celebrating the beauty and resilience of our people.

I'm so proud to officially recognize this month as Latino Heritage Month on behalf of the city of Los Angeles.

And I hope to see each and every one of you tomorrow at El Grito celebrating with us.

Colleagues, now please join me in the unveiling of our Latino Heritage book this year.

Thank you, Ikevivo La Resistencia.

Oh man, thank you so much.

Yes, Mr.

President.

I will go through the abbreviated the instructions as members of the public.

If you are here to provide public comment, uh please note that the items on the agenda have already had public comment satisfied.

So you will have up to one minute for general public comment if you'd like.

So keep in mind during general public comment, you still need to speak to something that's within the subject matter jurisdiction of this body.

Um we would ask as well that uh because it looks like there's not a ton of people here for public comment.

Feel free to line up in any order on your left-hand side of the council chambers.

Uh if you see more than five people lined up, I would just ask that you please wait so that we don't create a fire hazard, but it and then we can cycle people through.

Uh, and you can line up in any order.

You will have one minute total.

So as soon as you get to the podium, we will start your time.

Uh, and if you require assistance or have an accommodation request, uh please let the sergeants know.

Thank you.

What are we going to call in?

So again, to repeat, we are not going to call names, but you can line up.

If you see more than five people uh on the left to the left-hand side of council chambers, I would ask that you please just wait um until the line gets a little bit smaller.

And we're gonna start with the woman with the handheld mic.

Good morning.

You have one minute.

Go ahead.

She let's before we start our time, let's make sure it's working.

Can you hear me?

I think so, Tessa.

Hello?

Yes, we can.

Go ahead.

You have one minute.

Good morning, Councilwoman Gerardo and members of the council.

My name is Carmela Liggins, and I am here on behalf of my friends' house foundation, which has faithfully served the ski road community every Wednesday for the past 16 years at 540 South San Pedro Street.

I am asking today for something simple, but a vital weekly parking and loading permit on Wednesdays from 11 to 2 p.m.

The premier will allow our volunteers to uh unload full clothing, shoes, housing resources, and other essentials.

For me, the request is deeply personal.

My daughter suffers from mental health challenges, and her known area of homelessness is the ski road community.

She knows and I know that every Wednesday between 11 and 2, she can find me, and she can find the volunteers of my French House Foundation.

So we're just asking for a weekly parking permit so that we can continue to service the community like we have been for the last 16, 17 years.

Thank you, Carmella Liggins.

That was good.

Thank you.

And we will have the sergeants collect the handheld mic.

Thank you.

Good morning.

You have one minute.

Good morning.

My name is Marvelous, and I am also with this young lady Carmilla out here to advocate for the uh parking situation that's been going on for the past 17 years this October.

Um we come out one day a week for three hours.

And we've been harassed, uh, we've been ticketed, uh, everything but, and we're looking for some kind of an answer to maybe having a pass to have us out there for those three uh three hours.

It's been overwhelming.

The tickets are like a hundred dollars.

We've even uh the foundation, my friend's house, which is what I'm wearing, uh again have been out there 17 years this year, and we serve the homeless with food, clothes, shoes, and our love.

And we're out there every Wednesday, rain or shine.

And I don't understand why we can't get some type of help where we can load, offload, just have our volunteers come out and serve the community.

I'm sorry, ma'am.

Before you go, uh what's the addresses of the places that you're concerned about?

Uh 540 South San Pedro.

Okay, thank you.

And it's called the bin.

Got it.

That we serve at.

We know the bin on fifth and San Pedro.

Got it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We'll try to get someone from CD 14 to talk to you.

All right, next speaker.

Good afternoon, City Council, uh, President Dawson.

I'm here to request uh for a three and a half hour parking uh moratorium on 540 South San Pedro.

So my friend's house can provide humanitarian aid, which we've been doing for 17 years consistently, rain or shine, Wednesday from 11 to 2 p.m., 540 South San Pedro, providing humanitarian aid, groceries, food, and clothing.

So we would just like a moratorium for all of our um volunteers between the hour of 11 to 23 so that we can come and serve the homeless population on Hope Row.

Thank you.

Hello, speaking general comment.

Um I'm R.

Peter Castelline.

I'm a resident of CD1, and I'm also the LA chapter chair of the Equal Vote Coalition.

The Charter Commission has nominated both star voting and rank choice voting as topics for further study, and I want to share my recommendation for star voting.

Star voting lets voters provide scores from zero to five as opposed to ranked choice voting where voters provide their first, second, third choice, etc.

With the star ballot, voters can show their full and honest preference for each candidate regardless of how many options are on the ballot.

In addition to showing their favorite, they can also show exactly how much they like their next favorite, whether it's a one-star candidate, a four-star candidate, or even a five-star candidate.

With star, that's allowed.

If a voter feels the same about multiple candidates, they can give them both the same score.

That means it's almost impossible to avoid a star voting ballot, and it also means voters can be as expressive as they please.

If they just if they want to give a nuanced opinion, that's great.

But if they just want to give fives to everyone in their party, that's also great.

I urge council to support star voting if it's included in the council recommendation.

Thank you all so much for your time.

I'm Dr.

Sam Davidson, and I volunteer with Equal Vote.

I recently completed my PhD in bioengineering at Caltech, and now I'm planning to move from Pasadena to LA.

I endorse star voting, which fully eliminates the spoiler effect.

Statistical modeling shows that STAR produces the most accurate elections.

Simulations run by a statistician from Harvard show that under the current top two system, the candidate who best represents as many voters as possible will be elected 90% of the time, whereas ranked choice is better, electing the ideal winner roughly 93% of the time, and STAR is even better than that, electing the ideal winner 98% of the time.

These figures were published in a peer-reviewed journal article, which can be found at equal.vote slash accuracy alongside simulations developed independently by UC Berkeley Computer Science PhD and a Cornell University professor.

LA now has a chance to become the world leader in electoral accuracy by adopting star voting before any other city.

Thank you.

Okay, so as usual, we're making public participation as difficult and little as possible.

Going through like extended period of presentations, you know, cutting off all preventing the public from speaking on agenda items because they had a hearing earlier, even though that was the committee vote, not the full council vote.

And many of these members of this council have never heard public comment on any of the agenda items.

Because it was in committees that they weren't on, which means that they didn't get a full public hearing.

They didn't get a hearing for every member of this council.

So you're preventing people from speaking on these items because again, you don't want to sit here and learn about all the terrible stuff about the agenda items.

Because you're trying to limit public participation.

Just like calling comment that you've made zero statement on why that was eliminated.

Why is there no call and comment anymore?

Fire Jim McDonnell, cancel the Olympics.

And what's going on outside?

It's like mess out there.

Um I just wanted to say thank you to Carlos Montez for advocating for an end to aid to Israel.

He probably didn't know how many Zionists he was speaking to.

And I wonder if he's aware how many of you voted yes on adopting the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism.

Uh that renders any criticism of Israel hate speech.

So hopefully you guys don't um try to incriminate him for what you would consider hate speech.

Uh Nithya Raman is the chair.

Whoa, of the homelessness committee.

Whoa, yeah.

But I don't think she really does care no for the unhouse day in the city.

No way.

Elecan raised concerns.

She looked them in the eye.

They asked for repairs at the Mayfair, and she told them a lie.

Mayfair hotel elevators.

How long have they been broken down?

Mayfire hotel elevators.

She lied when she said that they're working now.

Nithya, why did you say those elevators were fixed when they still have cones in front of them and residents can't get to their apartments.

Why would you say that if you?

That's not cool.

Um, I guess we want to get the public comment, right?

Oh, yeah.

Thank you, thank you.

Go ahead, you have one minute.

Um, I noticed that Marquise Harris Dawson waited on to the black community activist Veronica left today before he told uh there was a a black lady here in a scooter in a chair, and she was pulled up here, and he and he he waited on to the black community activist left before he told her nah, you all got you gotta put that chair in the back, and then you gotta walk over here and sit in the pew.

You can't just be right here in your scooter.

So that was fucked up.

Um, and there wasn't hardly anybody here.

There was like maybe a dozen and a half people here, and nobody be walking through that spot.

Um that's kind of bullshit.

I don't like that shit.

You know, black people would take care of me.

Uh I don't like when I see especially other black people like that in positions of power tear down black people in the public or like make their life unnecessarily inconvenient.

I know Marquises do a lot of good work, and he's very strategic.

You gotta watch out for that.

He's a very tact tactical person, and he does everything with like a agenda in mind.

I respect that to a degree, I respect the skill, but um I gotta call it out.

Uh and we gotta come together, y'all.

Uh a lot of people that we don't agree with, we won't have to come together and resist even this government because they they take away our public spaces and our public comment.

And they don't really care about trans people who don't have your time is expired.

I need you to vacate the podium so we can move on to the next speaker.

Speaker, you are now disrupting this meeting as we cannot continue the public comment.

This is your first and only formal warning.

Good morning.

I'm sorry, good afternoon.

You have one minute.

Go ahead.

Good morning, counsel.

My name is Akile.

I'm with Black Lives Matters LA, and I came here to commend to celebrate and and uh be with my friend Carlos Montes.

Carlos has demonstrated real solidarity, not just implied solidarity.

And his work with CSO uh has supported Black Lives Matters ever since we got started.

So I'm here today.

One to acknowledge him, two, to celebrate him, and three to thank him.

Thank you so much, Carlos.

We uh glad to call you a friend, we're glad to call you a conrad, and this is well deserved.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, go ahead.

You have one minute.

Thank you.

Sorry about that.

General public comment.

Uh public here we go.

Public.

When you hire clowns, you get a circus.

Sleazy Marquisey Dawson and the rest of these clowns again have absolutely zero items on today's agenda.

None.

Why?

With all the massive city problems.

This is how these clowns have run the city into the ground by just sitting there collecting their 20 to $30,000 per month salaries.

Tens of thousands homeless epidemic emergency.

$275 billion, fire damage emergency.

And Sleazy D and the rest of these clowns sit.

They're giving stupid presentations, not all of them, with nothing on the agenda.

No plan at all.

Nothing.

This circus of incompetence is unbelievable.

Good afternoon.

You have one minute.

Thank you, sir.

Mr.

McCosker, thank you for that history lesson.

That was a you gotta know people need to know about that.

Quickly, uh volunteers cleaning communities.

They were in Porter Ranch on Rosita, and they did a beautiful job.

What a great bunch of seniors.

But you know what's the hard part about this is it's already looking like it did before they were there, and they worked at least six hours cleaning.

You know what the answer is, Mr.

Dawson?

Why doesn't this council reinstate restrictive parking so those seniors don't have to go there and in their 70s to clean somebody else's mess?

Why do they have to endanger their lives standing on streets where people are going 60, 60, 70 miles an hour, Mr.

Dawson?

Why don't you and Mr.

Lee finally do something about this?

This has been going on and on, and you folks can just continue.

Uh Mr.

Price, I want to say good morning to you, sir.

God bless you.

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

You have one minute.

The Brown Act does not allow you to discuss general public comments at meetings, but it does allow you to respond to the public's concerns via email or by issuing your own statements.

So please explain why you don't think we're entitled to the highest level of police oversight.

The governor won't step on the toes of local officials, so it really is your responsibility to request it.

Secondly, the city attorney always asks people to send in written comments, and I'd actually prefer to do that, but the instructions do not include the file numbers necessary to read or write general public comments like 25-0000-s9.

So only people who've asked the city clerk for that information have had the ability to read general comments.

For anyone else, written general public comments effectively don't exist.

Good afternoon.

You have one minute.

All your evil upset the baby.

See that?

So anyway, um, while I was here.

Turns her head and tells me to fuck off.

So you see, when she does that, she's a government official in front of a police officer.

I can't say anything to respond to that.

She's putting me in fear and coercion and violation of federal and state law.

So, you know, um, I haven't been coming around a lot.

Something's coming to this building.

Something's coming, man.

You know, you can just smell the fear in this fucking air.

Cops all over the place, informants all over the fucking place.

There's so much activity.

They've got 39 new agents that came out of state last week to come into that building.

So they're not here for ice, they're here for you.

Finally, I'm gonna get my 10,000 dollars.

Have a good weekend, nigga!

It's your time.

Please exit.

That's your time, Mr.

Spindler.

You're no longer allowed to speak because your time has expired.

This is your first and only warning for disrupting the meeting for not baking in the podium, and we cannot continue the public comment.

Next afternoon, speaker.

Next speaker.

You have one minute.

Uh good morning, guys.

Last, first time I've ever been last.

Uh these are force multipliers.

Uh, details about my proposition.

Two five-year tax plans, and at the end of 10 years, you get an application to naturalization because you required all the prerequisites of the current immigration plan and the competing interests you come to a satisfactory conclusion, and you get your citizenship, and you're off and running.

Pay for it.

We're getting out now.

Five thousand dollars for ten years, now we know you're gonna obey the cash laws.

Something you never had to do before.

Hello, simple as that.

I think, anyways, and maybe it balls in your court.

Maybe somebody in this building can proper the idea up a chain of command, and we can stop all this.

Have a good next week.

Nope.

Looks like that concludes our speakers for today.

Thank you, everybody who uh came out to share with us this uh morning.

Uh, Madam Clerk, what items are before us?

Council has motions for posting a referral.

They are posted and referred.

The desk is clear, sir.

All right, the desk is clear.

Are there announcements, members?

Announcements, Mr.

McCosker.

Thank you very much, Mr.

President, colleagues, all Angelinos.

I invite you down to Point Fermin Park in San Pedro tomorrow for the 31st annual festival.

I'm sorry, hold on, Mr.

McCosker.

The person with the ponytail in the back yelling, you're removed from this meeting.

This is your second infraction.

I ask you to leave the chambers immediately.

Councilmember McCoster.

Thank you so much.

Mr.

President, colleagues, and all Angelinos.

I invite you down to uh Point Fermin Park in San Pedro tomorrow for the 31st annual Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture.

The festival was actually originally planned by the city's Department of Cultural Affairs back in 1990.

The first festival took place on Mother's Day, May 14th, 1992, at LA City College.

Since then, it has grown exponentially.

It moved to Gabriel Beach in San Pedro in 94, and then Point Furman Park in 2001.

It did move to Echo Park in 2017, but we are proud in the one-five to have it back.

The 15 is grateful to host.

We hosted last year and tomorrow.

This year's theme translates from the Tagalog that I will not risk to arm in arm reflecting the unity and the resilience of the Filipino American community.

Please join us for vibrant performances that highlight incredible Filipino culture, music, art, and more.

There's also going to be plenty of great food, so please show up with an empty stomach.

The festival will begin at 10 a.m.

It will continue till 6 p.m.

Admission is free.

Parking is limited, also free, but limited.

We encourage you to consider public transportation or use rideshare services.

We look forward to seeing you down in San Pedro in the 1-5 at Point Furman Park tomorrow, and thank you to all of our great sponsors and underwriters for this beautiful event.

Thank you so much, Mr.

I feel like Mr.

Lee.

Thank you, Mr.

President and Ms.

President.

My mom taught me to always be respectful.

My elders, and so I want us all to wish a happy birthday.

Wow.

To our President Pro Tem tomorrow, Bob Lumenfield.

Happy birthday, Bob.

All right, Mr.

Price.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

So members, Team Price is uh excited to kick off the countdown to the 30th annual Central Avenue Jazz Festival with a special community preview that's happening this weekend at Vermont Square Park.

We're gonna it's gonna be the place to be on Saturday the 14th for an afternoon of live music, great food, and family fun.

Performances will feature the neighborhood orchestra, the top brass shelf band, bringing the spirit of jazz to South LA ahead of this year's big celebration.

Local vendors, uh Bootsy Barbecue, Ruegos, and others are gonna serve a flavors alongside free food, kids' activities, and the community resources for the neighbors.

So plan on being there.

And then on the 20th, uh please join us for the 30th anniversary of the Central Avenue Jazz Festival, up and down Central Avenue from Vernon to King Boulevard, music, fun, food, and celebration.

So everyone is welcome.

Look forward to seeing you.

Saturday, or the Sunday the 14th, and then uh Saturday the 20th.

Thank you.

Central Avenue Jazz Festival, a Los Angeles institution.

We look forward to that.

Thank you, Mr.

Price.

Any other announcements, members?

Mr.

Nazarian.

Thank you, Council President, for allowing the opportunity to make the announcement from the podium.

Um the continued theme of resistance that we've all been discussing today.

I wanted to ask all of you to join us today as we honor the memory of Massa Amini.

On September 13, 2022, Masa Amini was arrested in Tehran by Iran's morality police for nothing more than the way she wore her hair.

Three days later, she was dead in a hospital.

Her life was cut short at 22 years old by the physical trauma inflicted on her while in custody of the morality police.

Her story is not a rare occurrence, unfortunately.

For the last two generations, women in Iran have been told how to live, how to dress, and how to behave under the threat of violence and punishment.

This is a system that denies women agency over their bodies, their choices, and their futures.

Massa Amini's death ignited a movement.

Her name has become a battle cry not only in Iran but across the globe.

Women, life, freedom.

Those three words have echoed from the streets of Tehran to the capitals of the world.

Women under oppression have risked everything, removing their headscarves, cutting their hair, standing shoulder to shoulder to demand recognition as human beings.

They stood bravely in the face of brutality, fueled by the truth that no regime is able to silence the voice of women.

The power of courage and resistance shines through the movement.

It reminds us that dignity and equality are forever worth fighting for.

Today, we speak her name to keep her spirit alive, to stand with the women of Iran and with women everywhere who face discrimination and violence.

Let her memory be a call to action, and I ask all of us to stand in a moment of silence, please.

Thank you all very much.

Um today I'm joined with many community members that I'd like to uh, because no one's gonna be speaking, I'd like to just uh offer a moment to mention everyone.

Joining us today are Ali Bozorgman, Sasan Arani, Jimmy Delshad, Farzan Del Jew, Asal Pahlevan, Niloufar Mansuri, Fred Minegar, Ali Emadi, Morteza, Barjesh, Bajesh, John Ardalan, Dr.

Miriam Azerbaijani, and Amir Tabach, who couldn't be here with us, but helped with organizing this event as well.

Maneli Rashtan Rashadan and Mike Arili.

I'd also like to take this moment and recognize three individuals, Miss Manity Roshidan, who's a biologist with LADWP.

I want to present her with a certificate of the Masa Amini Day.

I'd also like to present to Jahan Ardalan uh a certificate for recognizing his work for establishing this day when a year ago he joined Councilmember Bob Blumenfield to establish this day.

Thank you for your work, and I'd like to ask the councilman to join us also for the photo.

And last but not least, I'd like to recognize Farzan Delju for making the film documenting the last 10 days of Massa's life.

Thank you all for this opportunity.

Thank you so much, Mr.

Nazarian.

Mr.

Boomfield, you were on the board to speak.

Yeah, thank you.

I just wanted to thank Mr.

Nazarian for bringing this forward, and really everybody who's up there, especially uh John Ardalan, who is a constituent and a friend, and really was the one who first brought uh this idea to me last year to recognize Masa Amini Day and it just it spiraled from there with events in the park.

Uh and obviously the movement, as was mentioned, is so important now more than ever, not just to spark that spirit of resistance uh in Iran, but but here in this country, we need to be motivated and inspired by Masa Amini.

So thank you for bringing this forward.

Uh thank you, John.

Thank you, everyone, a lot of friends here who uh helped make this day possible and who are continuing this tradition, but it's great that we are continuing to recognize Masa Amini Day as it is so important.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Blumenfield.

With that, uh Mr.

Nazarion, thank you for this very important uh announcement and presentation today.

Any other announcements, members?

Seeing no other announcements, I'll ask everyone in the chambers to rise for adjourning motions and ask if there are adjourning motions to my left.

I see you, Mr.

Nazarian.

Um, so I will begin with an adjourning motion.

I should go to the commodity.

Uh colleagues, it's uh with heavy heart and a great spirit of sadness that I ask all of us uh to adjourn in the memory of the honorable Robert O'Dell Knight Sr.

He lived to the age of 89 years old, uh, leaving a remarkable legacy of faith, dedication, and community service.

Uh Mr.

Knight was born in Soso, Mississippi in the 1930s.

Uh, he was four of seven children.

He was raised on a working farm uh where you learn to work when the sun goes up and keep working until it goes down, and your livelihood depends on your uh labor.

He also was raised in a devout uh Christian family and church membership was a very uh important part of his life, later attending Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama, and through his father's guidance, he applied his skills to plastering and construction and completed notable projects across the campus and throughout the city of Huntsville, Alabama.

He served honorably in the United States Army in the late 1950s, where he assisted a flight surgeon between Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia.

His time in Central America and South America broadened his worldview and allowed him to become bilingual in Spanish, a skill that would become very, very important in later years as he moved to the great city of Los Angeles in the 1960s.

He started a family here and began a dual career in elementary education and construction.

While teaching in local schools, he continued to build homes and work with his brothers in the building trades.

And this is before people like Mr.

Knight could be in the union and be a part of the big construction companies.

During the 1980s, the construction of the 105 freeway, also known as the Century Freeway, it prompted the relocation and demolition of numerous homes that were in its path.

And if you're old enough to remember there along Imperial and 100 between Imperial and 120th, all those houses that we lost, most in the 15th district, but some in Athens and other parts of South LA.

Robert saw an opportunity there through, I will point out to this council a community benefits agreement, one of the first ones that we ever had in the city of Los Angeles through a community benefits agreement.

Mr.

Knight was able to require acquire several of those homes at one dollar a piece and had the ingenuity and the drive to figure out how to move them to other places.

So he had houses in West Adams in South LA and Inglewood and other parts of Southern California.

But his involvement didn't stop there.

Once he figured out he could move a house, he figured out he could then build a house.

And so he built houses throughout Southern California, single-family homes, multi-unit apartments, housing developments, and expanded his portfolio, but never became a corporate landlord.

He was the kind of landlord that came personally and knocked on your door if something was broken and stayed there until the plumber or the painter or the fixer got things done.

He believed every person deserved a decent place to live, no matter how wealthy or how poor you were, and he worked to improve the lives of his tenant and was the kind of landlord that we all long for here in Southern California, not some big giant company across the country that you know maybe we'll take your call or maybe won't, but would show up when something went wrong with the apartments and would keep the apartments at a rate that working people could uh afford.

He helped stabilize neighborhoods, prevent displacement, and provided affordable options for people throughout uh the region, was an active member in his uh church and built a great family network.

You can see all of the folks uh standing there uh on the east side of the the gallery uh who've joined uh today to to celebrate and uh commemorate the life and the gift of Mr.

Knight.

I'm proud to be joined by his wife June and his children, his daughter Giselle Giselle and Nicole, and his son uh Lonnie uh for this a journey motion.

Uh I would be uh remiss, and it's a very difficult thing to do.

89 is a good life.

Uh, it's a it's a full uh tenor of years, but we didn't lose Mr.

Knight because of old age or because of sickness.

We lost him because of gun violence.

And so I point that out because the scourge of gun violence visits all of us, unfortunately.

What station in life you're in.

You think if I make it to 70 or 60, I'm safe from gun violence in this environment that we have.

And here, Mr.

Knight was on the doorstep of 90 years old.

Uh, and we lose him and mourn him uh because of the scourge of gun violence and the availability of guns, the ready availability of guns to frankly people who should not have them.

And uh so with that, I ask uh this council and uh recognize his family and community and ask that the entire city uh adjourn in the memory of of Mr.

Robert Knight.

All right, Mr.

Nazarian.

Thank you, Council President.

Colleagues, I rise today to honor the memory of Hushmand Areli.

In honoring him, we celebrate a life devoted to beauty, to art, to the sublime, and to the deep resonant power of music and memory.

Born in 1937 in the historic city of Isfahan in Iran, Hushman began a journey that would shape the course of Persian music and touch the hearts of the world.

By the age of 13, Hushman was studying with the great master Taj Esfahani, a revered figure in Iranian classical music.

Through performances at Radio Isfahan and with the Isfahan students orchestra, Hushman's voice became a cherished presence at cultural and academic events throughout the city.

At the inauguration of the Iranian National Television, Hushman was the invited, was invited to perform with the prestigious National Orchestra.

His collaborations with the composers and instrumentalists during this time helped shape the soundscape of an era.

His work earned him a UNESCO scholarship, allowing him to travel to the United Kingdom, where he expanded his artistic reach and cultural understanding.

In 1977, as Iran stood on the brink of cataclysmic change, Hushman made the difficult decision to move to the United States, but he never left his music behind.

He brought with him the soul of Iran, preserved in every note, every performance.

Here he continued to sing, not just with his voice, but with his heart, his history, and his hope.

Hushman Dahrili was more than a vocalist, he was a messenger of memories.

His music was filled with the essence of Persian poetry, emotion, and longing.

Through his voice, generations found connection to their homeland, to their language and to their roots.

Thank you, colleagues.

Thank you so much, Mr.

Nazarian.

Any other adjourning motions?

All right, that with that we are adjourned.

Thank you so much, everybody.