Los Angeles City Council Regular Meeting - October 1, 2025
Los Angeles City Council Regular Meeting - October 1, 2025
On Wednesday, October 1, 2025, the Los Angeles City Council held its regular meeting starting at approximately 9:32 AM with 12 members present. The meeting covered consent calendar items, public comment, separate votes on several agenda items, and closed session settlements. Key actions included a vote to prohibit city employees from outside employment with ICE, approval of multiple settlement agreements, and an adjournment motion honoring community leader Mary Garcia.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of minutes from September 29, 2025, moved by Councilmember Park and seconded by Councilmember Lee, passed unanimously (13 ayes).
- Commendatory resolutions approved without objection.
- Item 45 (City Attorney request) continued to Tuesday, October 7, 2025, without objection.
- Items 1 through 29 (public hearings held) were voted on collectively with 13 ayes. Item 8 was approved on a separate vote (13 ayes). Item 3 was called separately and passed with 10 ayes and 3 noes.
- Items 46 through 53 (closed session settlements) were considered by the Budget and Finance Committee and approved with 13 ayes.
Public Comments & Testimony
- One speaker, Mr. Herman, addressed items 30–44 (rent escrow account properties) and gave general public comment. He strongly criticized the council for corruption and incompetence, demanded investigations, and repeatedly insulted council members. He was warned multiple times to stay on topic and eventually removed from the chamber after continued disruption. The city attorney noted a recommendation for extended suspension.
- No other public speakers were present.
Discussion Items
- Item 12 (Outside Employment with ICE): Councilmember Rodriguez introduced a motion to prohibit city employees from seeking outside employment with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). She argued it would enshrine city values and foster trust in local government, especially given federal immigration enforcement actions. Councilmember Soto-Martinez supported the motion, noting that some city employees who are reservists welcomed the protection. The motion passed with 13 ayes.
- Item 3: Called for separate vote by Councilmember Hutt. Passed with 10 ayes and 3 noes (specific content not detailed in transcript).
- Item 13: Called for separate vote by Councilmember Hutt. Passed with 11 ayes and 3 noes (Councilmember Hernandez recorded as no).
- Item 24: Called for separate vote by Councilmember Raman. Passed with 13 ayes and 1 no.
- Item 25: Technical amendments (25A, 25B, 25C) were circulated and adopted; the item passed with 14 ayes.
- Closed Session Settlements (Items 46–53): The Budget and Finance Committee recommended and the council approved settlements in the following cases: Renee Mercado v. Christopher Brandis ($180,000); Hino Amercanian v. City of Los Angeles ($375,000); Candace Rodney v. Christopher J. Curry ($292,750); Amgard Insurance Company v. City of LA ($600,000); Jaffet Martinez v. City of LA ($2,275,000); Rosemary Hathorne v. City of LA ($400,000); Janine Jones v. City of LA ($1.5 million). All approved with 13 ayes.
Key Outcomes
- Item 12 passed: Prohibition on city employees' outside employment with ICE (13 ayes).
- Item 3 passed (10 ayes, 3 noes).
- Item 13 passed (11 ayes, 3 noes).
- Item 24 passed (13 ayes, 1 no).
- Item 25 passed as amended (14 ayes).
- Closed session settlements: Authorized a total of approximately $5.6 million in settlement payouts (13 ayes).
Announcements
- Councilmember Hutt announced the 52nd annual Los Angeles Korean Festival, October 16–19 at Seoul International Park, and invited colleagues to attend.
- Councilmember Rodriguez announced a 50th anniversary screening of "Jaws" on October 4 at Hansen Dam Aquatic Center, with gates opening at 3 p.m. and the movie at sunset.
Adjournment
- Councilmember Nazarian led a motion to adjourn in memory of Mary Garcia, a foundational community leader, arts advocate, and first president of the Midtown North Hollywood Neighborhood Council. He highlighted her role in creating the NoHo Arts District, the Chandler Bike Path Outdoor Mural Gallery, and other civic contributions. Councilmember Rodriguez joined in condolences. The meeting then adjourned.
Meeting Transcript
For kids who have suffered a lot and had a really hard go of it. And um it's a really cool thing to experience and cool thing to help with it's a nice way to balance out the hard times. By being sworn in, hopefully they feel a part of uh the Los Angeles Police Department. It's an honor to be able to have the young people who are members of the Sunshine Organization as part of that. It's a really really noble cause, and it's cool that they care too. Because there's a lot of people who couldn't and wouldn't, and they do. So it's it's awesome to have that. Tree trimming or sidewalk repairs, these local concerns can often feel sidelined in a big city. At a recent public works town hall, Angelino's brought their queries, questions, and yes, even complaints straight to the bureaus involved. The Board of Public Works and the Department of Public Works are here at Augustus Hawkins High School located in Council District 9 for our Public Works Town Hall with Councilmember Kern Price. Having current Deep Price, our council member in front of us for him to hear our concerns, our complaints is very important. We hear from all of our residents, issues related to our lights, our sidewalks, streets, trees, uh everything that encompasses infrastructure, and we have all of our bureaus here in one sitting. So you have a one-stop shop opportunity to get your voices heard and to get many of your answers related to your 311 questions as well. Good evening, everyone. So this is the first uh town hall of this kind here in Council District 9. But with the new Board of Public Works here uh at the City of LA, we're going around the city in all 15 council districts to present our ideas and listen to our constituents. And we're so excited to be here at Augustus High School in CD9 to listen to some of the concerns related to public works. And our next one will be in November, hopefully in a neighborhood close to you. So please follow our social media and our website for additional information. And we are here to serve. And so if you have any questions, problems or concerns, don't hesitate to contact the council office. And the next town hall could be your chance to connect with public works. A recent job fair at Los Angeles Mission College was all about knocking down some of those barriers and supporting those seeking a second chance. So today we are having a second chance job fair for individuals who are just as involved and have been on probation or parole and are looking for that second opportunity back into the workforce. So currently today my involvement with this program would be I'm here to assist the participants that come in looking for a job. We have more than 10, 15 employers giving job opportunities to individuals who come in looking for employment. We also provide help and resources for people who want to continue or start a trade. Um they just need to know what they want to start and we're here to help. Some individuals have different types of barriers to employment, and what we do here is we assign them a case manager who will help them with assisting them with their barriers, whether they're experiencing homelessness or their re-entry and they're trying to get some type of expungement or trying to find a program that better suits them. Along with the help of EWDD, we want to make sure that we're able to help them become self-sufficient, help them land a good paying job and then be able to support themselves. A mayor executive directive will help in LAPD hiring. The Diane Watson Corridor is named for the retired congresswoman and a rapid response relief grant from Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez. Mayor Karen Bass has issued an executive directive to accelerate the hiring of more officers for the Los Angeles Police Department. The directive will establish new protocols between the LAPD and the LA City Personnel Department with the aim of completing officer selection within 180 days. The executive directive will also install a new LAPD hiring division within the LA City Personnel Department. Councilmember John Lee, Chair of the Public Safety Committee, said the directive will ensure efficiencies in LAPD hiring and aligned with commitments to a safe city. Currently, the LAPD has over 8,000 officers, around two officers for every 1,000 Los Angeles residents. For more information, visit mayor.lacity.gov slash press. Councilwoman Heather Hutt announced that a portion of Coliseum Place from Victoria Avenue to Crinshaw Boulevard will be co-named as Diane Watson Corridor. Diane Watson is a retired Congresswoman whose legacy led to significant advancement in civil rights, health care, education, and humanitarian efforts. Watson was the first African American woman elected to the California State Senate. And later, she represented the 32nd and 33rd California congressional districts. Though retired, Watson continues to advocate on behalf of vulnerable communities, with her next focus being to protect seniors from financial exploitation and fraud. For more information, visit cd10.gov. Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez announced that she has secured funding to replenish the grant relief program for those impacted by ice rates in her district. According to Rodriguez, the relief program is for individuals and families she represents who have faced financial hardship due to current immigration activity.lacity.gov. Since LA's inception, multiple cultures have been intertwined with the city. Councilmember Ulysses Hernandez led this year's city celebrations of El Grito and Mexican independence, addressing the current challenges and meeting the moment with joy. The people of Los Angeles El Grito is something that it's been celebrated all over the city all my life. Years ago, it got brought to City Hall, and it's one of our biggest celebrations of the year.
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