In that program, LA City residents can get either a manual wheelchair, different type of rollators.

They also could get different types of shower benches, erase toilet seats, and air purifier.

This is a really amazing opportunity for our senior participants of the community to come out and get this durable medical equipment.

It's so needed within our community.

Oh, I'm here today to pick up uh you see a rise uh toilet and helping me to be safe in my home.

It's making life quality much better.

It goes without saying uh how dangerous it is uh for a senior to fall inside of their home.

Having this available to the community is essential.

Well, they made an announcement at my center, and they have us a sign up, and I checked off what was more important, transported me here, and I feel very independent by doing that.

But this way I won't have to ask, hey neighbor, do this or whatever.

Well, I want to highlight that this program is very important to the city of Los Angeles, especially for the Angelinos that uh either our low income and uh the unhoused individuals.

And I just want to emphasize how impactful this program is to the city of Los Angeles and how um direct it helps people uh live independently.

This street we live on has an incline from the corner to my apartment.

So I'm so glad to have that welcome now.

And I was very surprised about the uh room humidifier and the blood pressure equipment they offered me today.

So I got a lot of things almost like Christmas.

So I'm just so grateful that we have resources like this.

You feel like you're not doing it by yourself.

That's the major thing.

If anyone's interested in the program, they could apply at disability.lacity.gov.

Bye bye.

We'll have a good night tonight.

A new bill strengthens protections for crime victims and witnesses.

LA's Department of Water and Power offers three steps to take against utility scams.

And Angelinos are invited to shape the city's mobility action plan.

These stories of next on City Bead.

City Attorney Heidi Feldstein Soto and LA County District Attorney Nathan Hockman recently celebrated the signing of the Victim and Witness Protection Act into law.

Authored by Assemblymember Pilar Schiabo.

This bill strengthened safeguards for survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, and other crimes.

The act protects against post-charging, dissuading intimidation after charges have been filed.

According to Feldstein Soto, the bill will empower victims and witnesses to help law enforcement without fear of retaliation.

For more information, visit CityAttorney.lacity.gov slash news.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, LADWP, joined with Utilities United Against Scams to give customers an understanding of how they can protect themselves.

Because scammers often use pressure and scare tactics, this year's campaign offers a three-step strategy to slow down, verify, and stop the scam.

To slow down, end the conversation on unexpected payment requests as the LA DWP will reach out on a past due bill and provide assistance information.

To verify, customers can contact the LA DWP directly by using the phone number on their bill or by logging on to their LADWP account.

To stop the scam, report incidents immediately to the LADWP and local law enforcement.

For more information, visit LADWP News.com.

The Los Angeles Department of Transportation has launched its mobility action plan to identify long-range capital needs and is gathering input from Angelinos.

The Mobility Action Plan will provide a framework for how the city invests in streets, sidewalks, transit, biking, and walking.

The plan will consolidate projects across the city and include the Department of Transportation, Public Works, and other city departments.

Participate in the survey, a mobility action plan LA.org.

LA City's fire department hosts a special boots on the ground event for young Angelinos thinking about joining the service.

Not only do the teens learn about the range of skills needed for the job, they get to put them into practice.

And it's proven to be a path to success.

So today we're at Camp Spark in Panorama City, and we are putting on this camp to show young ladies and men kind of introduction to the fire service so they can get a taste of this career and be excited about it.

Camp Spark is open to all individuals from 14 to 18 years old, but it's primarily geared towards young ladies.

It's a women's empowerment camp.

We have firefighters from all over the city of Los Angeles who come here today to help these young women and several of the boys that are participating in.

Learn what it's like to be a firefighter.

They learn about the mechanical aptitude, but most importantly, they build leadership skills.

They're gonna walk away from here feeling empowered, feeling like they can take on the world.

So we're here to provide them with an introduction to some of the tools that we use as firefighters, some of our tactics and how we actually fight fire, and also how to be prepared for emergencies.

Being in California, you know, we have a wide array of stuff that happens, and so we kind of give an introduction as to how we respond to emergencies and disasters within our city.

Here we're just doing different things that you would do if you were a firefighter, climbing ladders, using hammers, using power tools, and just like seeing what's on the rigs.

I feel like it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Like there's not many other places that you can use chainsaws and climb these ladders and everything.

My dad's a firefighter.

He's been doing this for a long time.

And he always comes home and tells me like all these cool stories about his job.

It's like, oh, that's cool.

Like, I want to do that.

And he told me he's like, hey, there's this camp going on, like what do you want to do?

I was like, yes.

And I think it's a really cool experience for girls to like come try it out and like just see what it's all about.

A lot of the stuff I didn't think I'd be able to do, and I was able to do it and succeed, and it makes me want to be a firefighter even more.

I decided to come to Girls Camp and explore it because I wanted to know what it is to be a firefighter at first.

I've been doing this for five years.

So of course I enjoyed it.

I think the job is really hard to get, but it has to be hard.

Yeah.

Putting your life on the line, you know.

So like you have to train like you like depends on it.

It prepares you in the long run as a firefighter because you're easing into it slowly.

You're not just going at it in one shot.

So you can't be scared.

You have to just go ahead forward.

No, you're the best person you could be at the moment.

You're competent, you're strong, and you'll do good.

You just have to like try your best.

If you're anticipating coming to a camp like this, we ask that you have a great attitude and you come ready to work.

We're always going to make it a fun environment.

We want it to be positive and supportive and encouraging.

But we're here to work too.

As firefighters, our physical abilities are very important.

And so our campers get a little taste of that with some of the stations and some of the activities that we put on in this camp.

They see the energy that the campers have when they walk off our drill tower grounds, and they feel the energy that they're getting here.

They're really really motivated by our own firefighters who are leaders in themselves.

We've actually had success rates not only with the Los Angeles Fire Department, where we've seen graduates from the camp become members of the Los Angeles Fire Department, but they've also joined other fire departments.

And then we've also seen other fire departments emulate what we've created here in the city of Los Angeles.

Family and friends gathered to name the community members lost and honor their legacy.

So let's make sure that they can still hear us, even though they're not on this earth.

Make them right for every single one of them, y'all.

Today we are here for a sombre ceremony to recognize Transgender Day of Remembrance.

This gathering is something that hurts my heart every year.

281 people lost their lives to violence because of their identity.

We also know that in the United States, 58 people lost their lives.

58 people in the United States of America.

Two of those people actually died in LA City proper.

We want to send a strong message that hate has no home in Los Angeles.

Onyx Cornish.

Onyx Cornish.

J.

Lotus.

Joris.

Luisa Rivera.

Louisa Ria.

Their names rise through us as blessings.

Their journeys did not end in darkness.

They continue as guiding lights, inspiring us to build a world worthy of their dreams.

Honest cared deeply for others, and they would drive around town with food for local in house, can even help them rent motels for the night.

She is remembered as a vibrant soul who was full of love and trees.

And he was known for her kindness.

Leah's family, including her sister Jen, still celebrate her birthday every year.

A 60-year-old Latina transgender woman is remembered by an enormous impact in the HIV aides advocacy and on fighting for rights and dignity for sex workers.

We only have this one life, so please honor, honor the trans people, honor them, love them.

And now we have an administration who is targeting us, telling us that we are other, telling us that we don't belong.

That hatred leads to more violence, that hatred leads to more death, that hatred leads to more names on this memorial tonight.

But I am gonna show you that we can defy that.

We are a small but mighty community.

Rest in power, Supley.

All roads lead to the LA Auto Show, at least for a few days.

The show is the ultimate celebration of car culture.

And whether you prefer the classics or want to experience the latest in motoring technology, it's all under the convention center roof.

This is our time of the year.

It's the 118th edition of the LA Auto Show.

Everything for people to see from gas to EV to hybrid from compact to large SUVs, so people can come to the show.

There's a bunch of different automakers they can go to with no sales pressure, no hassle, and over 50 models to actually test drive or ride.

A lot of these automakers indoors have ride-alongs where you can get inside a car with a professional driver.

So I just came with my son to check out the LA Car Show.

Great experience.

It seems like every year the exhibits they level up.

This Jeep exhibit was really cool.

It was almost like riding a roller coaster.

This is probably the craziest thing that I've seen so far.

We have this big space to be able to bring families and or if you're just by yourself or a group of friends, whatever it might be.

And there's so much to do here.

This is, I think, my fourth day here because there's so much to see.

Um, right now I'm actually taking a look at this camera car um that I would not expect to see at the Toyota Fruit.

There's a lot here that I didn't expect.

LA Auto Show is in my backyard, and we get to talk about a new film that I've worked on called The Drifter, where this car, Lola, is the star of the film.

So Toyota has been very supportive of the film, and they said that we could bring Lola and display to all of these wonderful people in Los Angeles during the Thanksgiving holiday.

One of the things that the automakers really understand, especially about Southern California, is the car culture.

It's like nowhere else in the world.

It's literally the car culture capital.

And what they do when they build their exhibits is they try to connect to people through those passions.

So you might be into muscle cars, you might be into camping, off-roading, whatever it may be, and you see those different lifestyles come to life in all of these exhibits.

And then there are the car culture and auto enthusiasts.

They also want to see the new cars, but also enjoy all of the car culture.

We've got classics and low riders, all sorts of interactive exhibits, virtual reality.

So there's a little something for everyone, including kids.

We need more of this.

We need more of things that bring the world together.

When it comes to car culture, LA definitely leaves every other city in the dust.

In this week's feature story, the annual Valor Awards go to Los Angeles Firefighters who go beyond in any 911 situation.

And this year has been an extraordinary one in LA.

Even as they fought for others, Los Angeles firefighters found themselves personally impacted by January's wildfires.

This is our annual Valor Awards at the iconic Dodgers Stadium, and it's an amazing evening that we all look forward to each year because this is the best of the best.

These are our members who go above and beyond the call of duty who are rightfully awarded.

It's definitely not something that we sign up to receive.

It's definitely not something expected or anticipated, but it's humbling, and people that put on this badge and show up on these 911 calls.

We're there for you, and we want to do what's best for you.

It's pretty humbling to that there's uh recognition for we're not used to that.

It's we're just happy and to be doing the job that we get to do.

It's really a privilege.

It's a desire to help.

It's a desire to make a difference that draws firefighters to this profession.

Our firefighters were tested this year.

The Palisades Fire truly tested all of us.

I recognize that there are many people here today that were affected personally by the fire in some way.

I was caught off guard.

Uh everything was uh a total surprise.

I've never seen a fire come that close in that far south into Al Tadina before.

My wife, who was pregnant at the time, was thinking, okay, I gotta get her out of here.

Uh, got her in the car.

I see the neighbors' cars.

They're not aware what's going on or how close the fire is, so I started knocking on the doors, trying to get out as many people as possible.

I was thinking that maybe if I was able to get to the station, get my gear, I'd be able to defend some of the houses.

Walked in and uh my crew, everybody who was gearing up and get ready to go to Palisades.

And the captain, uh, Captain John, he's uh looking at the TV, and Al Dina comes on the screen, and he gives me a look.

I give him a look.

He was like, take what you need, go.

And uh, I made it back to Al Tadina, and uh the city was on fire.

Just like Palisades Aldina, the water grid tanked.

And thank God for uh Riverside Engine 73.

Without them, my my block would be gone.

On the opposite block, three houses had already fully burned down, and now we're screwing up to the private line in the back.

So I flaked out the holes and turned the water on and had no water.

So by that time, neighbors had been throwing me their extinguishers.

I ran to the house, got a shovel, throwing dirt and trying to put off the spot fires as best as I could to prevent the other structures from taking off.

Stayed up for four days, friends, family.

They were all sending me their uh addresses.

They had just left.

They didn't know if their houses were up or down.

And uh I would go to their where their homes were and uh have families on some speaker phone and you know, is it there?

And then they would one person will start crying, and the whole room is crying, and I'd have to tell them I'm sorry, it's not.

Did that like 15, 20 times.

There's nothing that prepared me for that.

It's a very strange space to be in because they are two cities of people and families that totally lost their homes.

And I have a home, and I'm having a hard time with that.

I want to say to you that we are with you, that the Los Angeles Fire Department is here for you, and together that we are going to move forward, working to rebuild a better Los Angeles, a stronger Palisades, and for those who are affected by the Eton Fire.

Stronger communities all around.

In this week's Things to Do, catch the 45th annual Black Doll Show.

Enjoy a winter festival in Expo Park, and celebrate Jane Austen with the LA Public Library.

All this up next on Things To Do.

Join the Department of Cultural Affairs for the 45th Annual Black Doll Show, which will run until February 14th, 2026.

The show's opening reception takes place on Saturday, December 13th, and will feature live music and performances.

This year's show is titled Sower of Seeds, Creating a New Tomorrow.

Through handmade and collected black dolls, the show reflects on today's uncertainties and asks what new worlds can emerge when imagination and resilience take root.

Head to the William Gradstill Arts Center for the Black Doll Show opening on Saturday, December 13th at 3 p.m.

For more details, visit WGSAC.com.

LA City's Department of Recreation and Parks hosts Expo Center's Winter Festival on Saturday, December 13th.

Join Council Member Current Price and Wreck and Parks at Expo Parks for all the family fun of this winter holiday festival.

There will be music, entertainment, games, community booths, and yes, even sledding.

There will also be giveaways, which are first come, first served.

Head to Bill Robertson Lane for Expo Center's Winter Festival on Saturday, December 13th, beginning at 10 A.M.

For more information, see the events tab at LA Parks.org.

The enduring work of Jane Austen will be the hot topic at a book discussion and tea party to honor the writers' 250th birthday.

Head to the Venice Abbot Kinney Memorial Branch Library to celebrate Austin's birthday with the Tea Party for All Ages and book discussion featuring the classic Pride and Prejudice.

Tea, scones, and other delightful treats will be generously provided by the Friends of Venice Library.

The Jane Austen 250th birthday book discussion and tea party takes place on Saturday, December 13th at 1 p.m.

For more details, visit LAPL.org slash events.

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

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

See you next time for more LA This Week.

Taking a five minute or less shower saves up to 15 gallons of water.

Washing only full loads of laundry saves up to 30 gallons of water.

And fixing a running toilet can save up to 50 gallons of water.

Keep it in mind all day, every day.

It's water conservation the LA Wayne.

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

Madam Clerk, let's begin our proceedings by calling the roll.

Bloomenfield, Harris Dawson, Hernandez, Hutt, Hurado, Lee, McCosker, Nazarian, Padilla, Park, Price, Raman, Rodriguez, Sota Martinez, Yaroslavsky.

All right, first order of business.

Approval of the minutes of December 3rd, 2025.

All right, Councilmember McCosker moves.

Councilmember Hernandez, seconds.

What's next?

Commendatory resolutions for approval.

Councilmember Jurado moves Councilmember Blumenville seconds.

Can we run through our agenda?

Thank you, sir.

Uh items one through twenty are items for which public hearings have been held.

The committee reports for items five through nine should be held.

The items five through nine should be held on the desk as the committee reports have yet to be submitted.

Items 11 through 20 committee reports have been posted and submitted to their respective council files.

All right.

Yes.

Item 13 for a separate vote.

Item 13.

Call special.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Because my wife's employer has worked with one of the organizations listed on the item.

In addition, I'm accusing myself from item 21, as I am a rental property owner.

All right.

Councilmember Hodato.

Yes, thank you, Council President.

I'd like to call item 21 special for comments.

All right.

Any other specials on this side?

Councilmember what?

No.

All right.

Um Councilmember Yarosovsky.

Um I I asked that we move uh the budget and finance committee report item eleven.

Uh uh 12, the budget and finance committee report as amended.

Um the budget and finance committee report as amended, and seventeen, move the budget and finance committee report.

All right.

That's that's the recommendations.

Okay.

All right.

Thank you.

Any other specials members?

All right.

Well, Madam Clerk, what items are available for votes at this time.

Thank you.

And just to clarify, the committee reports for items five through nine have now been submitted.

And the special for item twenty one is for the the called special by Councilmember Herado should be held in the special agenda meeting.

So now the council may vote on items.

All right.

Those items are now before us.

Let's open the roll.

Close the roll, tabulate the vote.

Twelve eyes.

All right, what's next?

The council may now move on to presentations.

All right.

Excellent.

Thank you so much.

We have an exciting day of presentations today.

Before we begin our formal presentations, though, I want to want to uh take a moment to remind uh everybody that we still are uh just about 200 days into the uh immigration enforcement operation from the federal government that has uh caused great strife in our city, uh compromised our quality of life, and and put many of our neighbors and many of us uh at risk.

And so we have a uh testimonial uh from a community member from Council District 11, so I'll yield the floor to Councilmember Park.

Thank you, Council President and colleagues.

I wanted to use this opportunity to share another testimonial and to contribute to the record that we are creating of these horrific sweeps and events that have been happening all over our city for the last 200 days.

On October 10th, my office received a report of ICE activity at St.

Andrew's Lutheran Church in Mar Vista.

This is a house of worship.

It is a place where our community often gathers, and it is a place that we are deeply, deeply offended to see this kind of conduct in our city.

I am incredibly thankful to our neighbors and our early response network, and especially our partners at Saluth who have been on the ground all over the West Side, helping us build the infrastructure that we need to quickly and urgently respond when these incidents happen.

It's an honor today to be here to introduce Pastor Damian Newton, sorry, and uh Damien Newton and Pastor got this completely wrong.

Caleb Craigner.

Caleb Kramer and Kim Newton.

Miller.

Kim Miller.

I my apologies, you're out of order today, but they were there on the ground and have been absolutely instrumental in our efforts to document what has occurred.

So, Kim, do you would would you like to start?

Yes, please.

Please tell us.

Thank you so much.

Uh, I live across the street from St.

Andrew's Lutheran Church in the Mar Vista area.

Um I'm just a homeowner in the area.

We it's a peaceful uh great neighborhood.

We have a school at one end, we have St.

Andrews at the other end, and on the date of October 10th, I heard shouting across the street at the church, which was unusual.

Their church is very active, there's many things going on.

Uh my dogs were just barking.

So I looked out the window and saw about eight spinner vans, white spinner bands, and a whole bunch of SUVs.

So my husband said, There's an ice action across the street, and I said, at the church, and he said, Yeah.

So I grabbed my phone and I ran down to the street and I stood in the middle of the street and I filmed.

As long as I was out there and as long as they were out there, I saw about, I'm gonna say 15 law enforcement types fully masked, had their guns, one had their gun out.

Uh they were arresting or had arrested neighbors, people in my community, gardeners, people that were just going to work that morning.

It looked like they had picked up um 15 or so people, they were zip tieing them.

Um I didn't approach and say anything because I didn't know at that moment as a neighbor that what St.

Andrew's church position was.

I couldn't imagine that they had allowed this, but I thought perhaps they had uh been deceived and they had rented out their parking lot.

But I called St.

Andrews shortly after that.

I filmed the whole thing.

I turned the film over to uh Councilman Park's office, and um I, as a neighbor and a community member, I'm horrified that this is going on in our community.

It shouldn't go on anywhere in our community.

It's wrong.

It's just wrong.

I don't attend St.

Andrews, I attend a different uh community church in Santa Monica.

But see uh St.

Andrews has been a great neighbor.

I remember doing COVID, they had all the little kids in the neighborhood come over and they were allowed to play in the parking lot.

So it's very important to me that we make a record of this and that this doesn't, it shouldn't happen anywhere in our community.

It you know, we're one community, we're not different communities, and most of us, at least in my neighborhood and people I know, are not in favor of these raids.

They think they're terrible and they want them to stop.

Thank you.

Kim, thank you so much for having the presence of mind to document what you saw and for your advocacy for members of our community.

Damien, thank you so much for being here today, and we look forward to your testimony as well.

Thank you.

Yeah, it's it's weird to be on this side of the dais.

Um, so obviously the church was not uh aware that this was going to happen.

Um we don't know why they chose our church parking lot to do this action.

Maybe it's because it was out of the way, maybe it's because we've been very outspoken about our support of immigrant and refugee communities over the years.

Um, and I think it's also important to notice that the Northwestdale portion of the Mar Vista community is not uh a neighborhood of just white single family homeowners.

Um, in addition to the diverse tapestry of people that live in the neighborhood.

Uh we do have an elementary school a quarter mile away.

We do have a middle school a half mile away.

Um, and this is if you've ever visited either of them, you know these are very diverse places uh with tar populations that would be at risk uh if ice actions were to happen.

So the immediate thing was to let people know that this had happened before we even thought about you know our position or anything like that or what we say to the neighborhood about us.

We just needed to let people know it was happening.

Fortunately, we do have a good uh electronic system to do that.

We have all our contact information and such and to do that.

Um but we want to be very clear that this was not something the church approved of.

Uh the council office has been great working with us to help get information around and provide support.

And also, I brought a statement the church prepared uh and Diana, who was uh the woman who confronted them in the parking lot prepared about what happened if people want that.

Um the response from the neighborhood uh and from our congregation as news came out uh wasn't fear, it was disgust, it was anger, and it was what can we do?

Um, how can we support this?

What can we do?

Uh, and if it's okay, I'll hand that off to Pastor uh Caleb to talk about what it is we're we're doing.

Pastor Caleb, please come up, and we really appreciate the work that you've done to be such an incredible caretaker of our community.

Thank you, and thank you, councilwoman, for your advocacy here too.

Our church responded with to this extreme violence with compassion for the neighbors who've been taken.

Let me be clear.

What happened in a church parking lot is not really the issue.

What the issue is that people are being taken from our community.

We need to keep the focus on the neighbors who are being abducted, disappeared without any way to contact them or legal recourse.

Our community responded with supporting the organizations in our community that are actually doing the legal response work necessary.

I want to bring attention to this matter today, not because of something that happened at our church parking lot, but something that will happen at more places in our city that are not city controlled, more private properties that where they're gonna show up.

They don't care about the rules anymore.

They're going to come wherever they want.

So we need to be ready.

We need to film like Kim did.

We need to show up with policy.

We need to establish protocols with LAPD so that they and faith communities know how to respond.

We need to do all of this.

And let me just preach for 30 seconds.

In Luke chapter 17, we hear about this story where two people are in bed and one is taken and two people are working and one is taken.

And a lot of us learned this as a rapture story, and we heard it as like a holy sword moment.

But what is happening right now is an evil rapture.

And it is happening in our city, and it is happening in our country, and we need to respond.

Pastor Caleb, thank you for your leadership, your wisdom, and your dedication to being a caretaker and a guardian of our most vulnerable community, and as always, to our partners on the ground, Salaf for the incredible work that you are doing administering our rental assistance program, helping us with food deliveries and essential supplies.

I can't wait to spend time with you all over the weekend and doing everything we can on the West side to ensure that every member of our community is welcome and safe in Los Angeles.

Thank you, Council President.

Thank you so much, Councilmember Park, and thank you to uh everyone from the church who who came to share with us, and thank you for standing tall uh in the face of the assault on our city and our neighbors.

Uh, it means a lot to all of us, and we will not ever forget it as long as there are a city, as long as there's a city.

All right, so uh we've got a handful of presentations this morning.

We'll begin with uh councilmember Bob Blumenfield with the very, very special recognition.

Mr.

President, if I may, there has been a request to send items 14 and 15 forthwith.

Without objection, that'll be the order.

Thank you.

Yeah, Patty, if you would join us along with your family and councilwoman Rodriguez on our way as well.

And and also Matt, all the assistant CAOs, chiefs, feel free to join us on the podium.

All the way over to the other side.

And if you open it, all right.

All right.

Well, colleagues, today we are joined by our city family to honor and celebrate Patricia Huber.

Known to many in our in our city as Patty, through her three decades-long career here in the city, she has shaped this institution, serving five mayors and 56 council members.

So none of us are all that special.

She's been around for 56 of us.

But most importantly, she's faithfully been serving the people of Los Angeles.

She began her career in the city in 1996, and in 1999 was soon promoted to the CAO's office, where she found her forever home here in the city.

Through her 26 years at the CAO's office, Patty has worked on everything from cultural affairs, transportation, public works, animal services, public safety, getting reimbursements from FEMA, you name it, she has been in the middle of it.

And she's done it.

And it's from her expertise that we all in this city and us as council members have truly benefited.

Whether it's the creation of the emergency management department, the unarmed model of crisis response, or establishing full recovery for the Bureau of Sanitation, she has trained and provided administrative guidance to departments staff really to set them up for success.

And her legacy lives beyond what she's created in the city.

It lives on through so many people that she has helped, uh, that she has taught, that she has guided, uh, that she has just transformed and made a difference in.

Her 17 years serving as the assistant CAO, she has mentored literally hundreds of people in the CAO's office.

And through the 12 years she served as the executive officer, she has guided and advised advised CAO and this city.

When I asked different members of our city family to describe Patty in one word, which is always an impossible task, the first response I got from many was this is an impossible task.

Why are you asking me to do one word?

But when forced, they uh came up with a couple of words I would share, such as present, wise, meticulous, thoughtful, caring, dedicated, leader, distinguished, excellent, honorable.

You know, if they did one of those those word clouds, it would be pretty incredible to see because it was really remarkable the words that people had for you and your service.

And I'll ask, add to that list uh the word stewardship, because she oversaw 26 budgets and has guided this city through so many financial hardships over these years, and we are better, and we are standing strong because of it and because of you.

So, as you can see by all of us in the room today, there are many more positive qualities that that all of us could say about you, Patty, uh, that we will remember you for and that we will uh suffer for because you're not around uh on a day-to-day basis.

So there's so much, but before we go on, I I wanted to turn over the mic to my my colleague, someone who is also thinks the world of you uh and has worked with you for many years, Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez.

Thank you.

Thank you, Bob.

And um, you know, if you asked the public what the CAO's office does, 9.99% of Angelinos wouldn't have a clue.

But in this building, the work of what Patty Huber has done has been so incredibly important to how we move this city forward in good times and in difficult times.

She has been that source of trusted information, the person that just very calmly goes up to the table and tells us all the things we don't want to hear.

But you do it so well.

And it's with such and and honestly, when um I think one of the biggest challenges that many people will find in this building is you know, you can ask the same question of multiple people and get different answers, but there's the answers that you get from certain people that you know you trust.

And Patty Huber, you are the individual who, when you presented information, it was trusted.

And that is earned, and a lot of people, frankly, don't have that skill set.

And it's something that sadly I know will be sorely missed, and I know we've got some wonderful people in the CAO's office, but it's one of those important pieces that really make a difference when we're faced with very difficult decisions.

There are obviously many politically expedient decisions that are made often in this building.

But making sure that you are informed with and guided by facts and by understanding the full financial implications of the decisions that we make.

That is one of the most critical parts of the job.

But you got to get that information from people you trust.

And we could always count on the fact that you did your due diligence.

You know you you said it very plainly, very directly, just as we experienced in ad hoc last week.

That was fun.

Thank you.

You know how to get a reaction out of me for some of the things that you share.

But it's uh, so I'm just gonna pin it on you.

But I'm I'm really sad to see you go, because you have been a very trusted voice in this building, providing some very important guidance.

I always look to you as being our FEMA recovery czar.

Uh I don't know how we're letting you go before we've actually recovered the FEMA money, but I'm you have put in so much time and energy into helping the people of the city, helping us as leaders of the city, and you will be sorely missed, but you have a well-earned retirement coming, and I wish you the very best and congratulate you and thank you for all of your incredible years of service.

The mentorship that you've provided has not just been among the CAO staff, it has been among all the council staffers who have learned to rely on you to know that they could get a trusted response, and of course, to your partners in the CLA's office as well.

So I just want to thank you for being an honorable and dedicated public servant.

You will be missed.

Enjoy your retirement.

As uh Councilwoman Rodriguez was noting, we are all going to be lost uh without you in this building.

But the person who will be most lost without you is our own CAO, Matt Sabo.

Uh thank you, Councilman.

I I will be very brief.

Um, but I just want to say, number one, uh, this is a tremendous loss to the office of the CAO.

Um, but it is also it's with gratitude that um that we're here to uh celebrate Patty's retirement.

Patty uh really represents what it is to be a public servant uh in the in the city of Los Angeles.

She has the highest standards for herself, she has the highest level of commitment to the truth.

Uh and as uh councilwoman Rodriguez mentioned, she Patty will tell the truth and tell the public the truth, whether you like it or not, and and we need that in the city.

Um Patty is also um has has been such an institution in the office of the CAO.

I don't remember uh ever, I don't I don't remember the CAO's office without Patty Hoover, and uh as uh as the councilman said, she's mentored and set an example for hundreds or potentially thousands of analysts, and that's a good thing for the city.

Um Patty leaves a huge hole in the office of the CAO, uh, but because uh she has spent so much time uh and effort with uh mentoring and bringing up uh staff and setting the highest standards again for herself uh and the highest expectations for everyone around her.

Um we have excellent people that are arising up and will be able to fill fill the hole.

So I I just um I just want to thank you, Patty, um, for everything that uh that you've done for the people that you've mentored for what you've taught me uh to be a better CAO, and I just wish the very, very best for you in your very well-earned retirement.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And now, Patty, we would be honored if you would share some words with us.

Uh I just want to say thank you so much for this honor.

Um, I have some memory, many memories of meetings in this room, uh, some of them funny, some of them challenging, some of them at midnight.

Uh but they were all interesting discussions of how best to support and do good for the residents that we all serve.

Um, I I have headed into my retirement with great joy and contentment, and I want to wish all of you the best as you continue the important work of running this city for our residents.

Thank you.

Okay, well, Patty, we have an official recognition here.

If you would be willing to accept this small token of appreciation on behalf of the entire city, all the council members, the mayor have signed this uh in recognition of the amazing work that you thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you so much for your service and your commitment to the city.

A big round of applause.

For this great life of service.

All right, uh, for our next presentation, uh, Councilmember Rodriguez will sit tight at the podium and be joined by Councilmember Hernandez.

One second.

I know.

Waiting for Councilmember Hernandez to join us.

I don't know what to show you, Salvadorian.

Yeah.

Honored.

It's right there.

It's good to see you.

All right, you ready?

There we go.

All right.

There she is.

There we go.

All right, good morning, everyone.

Colleagues, it is my honor to stand here today to recognize and celebrate Salvadoran American Heritage Day.

Uh, please give him a round of applause.

Yes, this day is more than just a date on the calendar.

Here in Los Angeles, the Salvadoran story is not a side chapter, it is a central part of who we are here in the city of Los Angeles.

Los Angeles is home to the largest population of Salvadorans outside of El Salvador, forming the world's largest and most significant diaspora here in our city.

The ties between LA and El Salvador were strengthened even further when El Salvador's capital city, San Salvador, officially became a sister city to Los Angeles 20 years ago.

So today I want to recognize the 20th anniversary of the establishment of San Salvador and Los Angeles becoming a sister city.

For 20 years, LA and San Salvador have built a sustaining, strong and productive relationship focused on civic engagement, cultural exchange, and shared commitment to mutual growth.

This milestone celebrates the enduring bond between our communities and the continued dedication to collaborate, understand, and unify across our borders.

Today we are also celebrating.

We got a lot of celebrations here today.

Today we also celebrate the 30th anniversary of Salef, the Salvadoran American Leadership Education Fund.

For three decades, Salef has been a moral compass and guiding force for empowerment.

It has helped so many young people pursue higher education, supported immigrants as they navigate complex systems, nurtured community leadership, and ensured that Salvadoran American voices are not only heard, but amplified.

Salef's legacy is written by the thousands of students who became first in their families to go to college, by the civic leaders who once began as youth volunteers, and their legacy is in every door that is opened because this organization refused to accept inequality as the status quo.

And finally, here with us today are six Salvadoran Americans in media, whose leadership and contributions have enriched the cultural, social, and economic fabric of Los Angeles.

Norma Roque from Univision, Leti Peniche from Power 106, Brown Bag Mornings, Balbino Aviles from Telemundo, DJ Eddie.

Come on, man, whoop it up here.

DJ Eddy One from 96.3 FM.

Saudi Jimenez from the Los Angeles Times and Antonio Ayala from Ola El Salvador USA.

Today we honor your vital and important roles in elevating the image and visibility of Salvadoran Americans in media and public life, an achievement that helps to open doors for everyone in our community, reshaping narratives and affirms the community's enduring place in the American story.

And if there's no more important time to do it, then now it's just incredible that you all have really forged a path in creating a strong presence in media, and it couldn't be at a more critical time in our country's history.

So I want to thank you for all of your work.

So thank you.

And it's now my honor to introduce our council member for the first councilmatic district, Eonisis Hernandez.

Thank you, thank you.

Okay, everybody.

Let's take a deep breath at the count of three.

One, two, three.

Okay, because I need your lungs for this.

Que viva El Salvador!

Que viva Salv!

Let's bring some life into these chambers.

It's Friday, but there's a lot to celebrate today.

Good morning, colleagues.

Today we mark the third annual Salvadorian American Heritage Day here in the city of Los Angeles.

To everyone who joined us in chambers, Las Familias y Los Amigos, bienvenidos a su casa.

Welcome to the People's House.

Now I want to be honest about what makes uh what it means to be here in this building right now, because celebrating today feels different.

The powers that are telling Salvadoreños, Nostra Gente, that you're that you don't belong.

That's what the federal government has been doing.

But look around this room, midense, you belong here, you thrive for years when laws changed and raids happen.

Norma Roque, who I've seen my entire life on Univision 34, has been a reliable source of news for our communities.

Today, Balbino Aviles, right here, is telling the stories of our communities that have been most impacted, but also has been doing this work for decades and doesn't skip up, doesn't skip a beat on his coverage at Telemundo.

Uh he just told us he wakes up at 2.15 every morning to tell the stories of our people.

Siempre listo, ready to inform our gente.

Then they try to silence us.

But how can anyone be silent when Leti Pinochet and DJ Eddie One are on the radio on Power 106 and Mega 96.3, you both make sure uh morning rush and uh morning and rush hour commutes are filled with cultura, pride, and opportunities for people to see themselves in.

They tell us our immigrant stories don't matter, but Saudi Jimenez of the LA Times, who's here with us today, Saudi Rajahan, right here.

He's documented them in his book Ecos Migrantes since 1996.

Antonio Ayala through Hola El Salvador USA has been reminding us of the beauty of Central America.

You are all proof that Los Angeles and this country are better because of Salvadoreños.

Please join me in a huge round of applause for this year's Salvadoran American honorees.

My deepest gratitudes to Councilmember Monica Rodriguez for leading this presentation, uh San Salvador Sister San Salvador Sister Com uh Committee on the 20th anniversary, Carlos Vaquerano, president and CEO of Clinica Romero, Jocelyn Duarte, CEO of Salvadoran American Leadership and Education Fund, Saliv, congratulations on 30 years of serving Los Angeles and beyond.

Congratulations on 30 years of serving Los Angeles and beyond.

Happy Salvadoran American Heritage Day and Salvador.

Thank you, Councilmember Hernandez.

And now I uh would like to invite uh the president and CEO of Clinica Romero, my friend for gosh 30 over 30 years.

Some like that, Carlos Vaquerano.

Woo!

Thank you, Consul Member.

Thank you, both of you.

Buenos días.

Good morning, Consul President, my friend, Consul members, honored guests and members of the community.

Again, thank you, Consumer Rodriguez and Consumer Bernandez for hosting this celebration and for recognizing the contributions of Salvadorian Americans across Los Angeles.

Today we honor a community that has helped shape Los Angeles through resilience through hard work, creating dreams into opportunities.

Our city, ours is the story of overcoming, rebuilding and raising again, always with the hope of creating something better for the next generation.

Los Angeles County is the home of the largest Salvadoran community outside San Salvador, with the second largest group in the city and the two in the country.

Our community has survived civil war, displacement, and economic hardship.

And yet, despite every challenge, we have risen to become one of the cultural and economic pillars of this city.

That resilience is our story.

Across Los Angeles County, more than 24,000 Latino owned employee employer businesses operate in the city.

We are a hard working community in Los Angeles.

Today we honor six Salvadorian American media professionals whose work has expanded visibility, shifted narratives, and ensure our stories are seen.

Heart heard and understood.

Through their work through their excellence in service, they have elevated representation, open meaningful pathways of opportunity, champion equity, and help build a stronger, more inclusive Los Angeles, where all residents of this diverse vibrant city can thrive.

This year we also celebrate 20 years of the Los Angeles San Salvador Sister City Relationship.

A relationship that has stood a bridge of connection and collaboration.

It has been defined by civic and cultural educational exchange.

And I want to thank those who made it happen.

Thank you.

You were part of that of that process when we established the sister city 20 years ago.

Thank you so much.

And for those council members who have joined me in those delegations, Culture Exchange delegations to El Salvador, my friend Council Member Corrin Price.

Brother, thank you for joining me in those delegations.

And recently, Councilmember Padilla, who just came back from El Salvador, three months ago.

Thank you.

The more defending us is voting.

Now it is my honor to invite the CEO of the Salvadoran American Leadership and Education Fund, Jocelyn Duarte.

Good morning, everybody, buenos Dias.

I want to start off by thanking all of you for joining us today.

It is very meaning and this very meaningful and historic day.

And I see so many wonderful friends with us here, and so it just really warms my heart.

Today, inside the heart of Los Angeles and here in City Hall, we gather to honor Salvadorian American Heritage Day, a day that recognizes not just our history, but our unbreakable spirit that continues to define our community.

For decades, our families have crossed geographic, linguistic, and cultural borders, driven by the belief that safety, dignity, and the opportunities were going to be made possible.

They came here with dreams for their children, and those dreams are carried in our community out today in the fabric of Los Angeles.

We stand here today as living proof that those dreams were not in vain.

But celebrating our heritage today also carries the deeper and urgent significance.

At a time when Latinos and Salvadorans in particular are facing renowned attacks, harmful rhetoric, and dehumanizing policies from the Trump administration, our present here becomes an act of resistance.

We are here to say clearly and unapologetically, we will not be erased, we will not be silenced, and we will not allow fear to define our communities.

Because this moment, when we have our living in this political climate, we must respond with unity, with joy, with culture, and with the power of our collective voice.

To our community, your story matters, your labor matters, your resilience matters, and your presence in this country and in this city is a gift.

And so to all of our honorees, um, thank you for uplifting the voices when others have tried to silence them.

Your hard work has opened doors, shifted narratives, and ensure that stories remain visible with truth with truthfulness and dignity.

Thank you very much.

Because when I first came here from El Salvador, my mama at the clinical Monsignor Romero.

So I'm gonna grab this.

I'm deeply grateful to the Los Angeles San Salvador City Committee, the City Council, and every partner who made this uh celebration possible.

Thank you for recognizing not just my work, but our Salvadoran American community as a whole.

I want to congratulate Norma.

So the igual Tamina in the LA Times, leading to us notes.

Letty, I know you're doing a great job in the mornings at power.

Antonio, gracias por esta entrevista que me dice casi 20 años.

Yeah, Balbino también de Telemundo.

Hey, oye, uh Dia de la Rencia Salvador American Ken Los Angeles is an honor to you in the corazon, not solo como professional, sino como each of El Salvador and Orgullo Angelino.

I'm a work kid from El Salvador.

She can demonstrate that nuestros sueños no need frontas and la frente and alto.

Muchas gracias for this reconciliation.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, colleagues, Mr.

Harris Dawson.

Yes.

There's a list.

Councilmember Hutt.

I thought there might be.

Thank you so much, Mr.

President.

And thank you to Councilmember Rodriguez and Hernandez for bringing in my spillover community.

Because the Salvadorian community spills into the 10th district.

And we do work together.

And you're a wonderful compliment to the tapestry of Los Angeles.

I appreciate the work that you do with our youth.

But I want to remind you to not be raised.

As mentioned, I had a chance to travel to El Salvador.

Certainly have had a chance to benefit from the hospitality and the wonderful cultural exchanges that exhibit.

And so we're just wonderful.

We know that uh there's a lot of work to be done, but you've got a board, you've got directors, you've got supporters who believe in you uh and who want to support.

So congratulations, keep up the work, Councilmember Blumenfield.

I just wanted to add my uh my voice to the to the choir here, and and I'm excited about this heritage month.

It's been a long time, Carlos, since we've uh gone to El Salvador together, we're due for another trip.

You know, it's gotta be at least once a decade.

I can't let it go that long.

Uh, and just just thank you all for being here, uh, Viva El Salvador.

Thank you so much.

And I just want to add uh my course before I go to Councilmember um Councilmember Padilla.

Um it's so exciting to be here for this celebration and to celebrate uh all of you and to celebrate Soliv uh and to uh uh bear witness to the presence and the fabric that um Salvadorians bring to South LA, my neighborhood.

I mean, there was one point in history where manual arts in Mr.

Price's district had more Salvadoran students than any school in the entire United States.

And so uh we we always remember that, we always uh uh feel that, and Solov has been sending kids to college out of South LA since the 90s at least, uh Carlos, and then you know, there's no station like Power 106 and Letty in the morning uh for those of us in South LA.

So thank you.

And with that, uh Councilmember Padilla.

Well, I want to begin by thanking Councilmember Rodriguez and Councilman uh Councilmember Hernandez uh for hosting this.

You know, I had a really good time also uh being part of this earlier in the year where we were able to celebrate it in Van I's you know, to this day, I still have friends and constituents who who thank me for that.

Um and I personally had a really good time texting and inviting all the friends that I grew up with to that and saying, come by and if you can't come send your your parents.

And the parents came, and to this day they're incredibly grateful.

But you know, um this wouldn't happen without those of you who are in this group um reminding us of your presence.

So I want to make sure that I thank you guys for your leadership because these things happened because of leadership, and even in the uh trip that we recently did um as Clinica Romero, you know, I'm glad that we went because it reminded me of the importance of have of you know uh knowing that with leadership comes great responsibility.

So I very much enjoyed um being able to visit the universities and the clinics and being able to have conversations about the importance of making sure that in our dysphoria, right?

The Salvadorian dysphoria, um we know that our folks here thrive when they can uh go to, for example, a clinic where they speak the same language, and that there is um someone that you can identify with and talk to about something as intimate about as health care with doctors that you can relate to.

So I'm forever gonna be grateful for that trip.

So thank you for the invitation, and I'm glad that I did it.

But I um, you know, just in closing, I do want to say um Carlos, Jose, Jocelyn, and Letty.

Um know that we appreciate you.

We appreciate you guys for for the help and for keeping us accountable and reminding us that your community exists.

And I wouldn't be I would be remiss if I didn't give props to to Liz, um, to Melissa, my very own mentee Joanna, um, because you guys are the future leaders.

Um mad props for being unapologetic about your identity and pushing us to remember um that you're here and you're not going anywhere, and that the background, your parents' background is who you are, and you're gonna continue to make sure that young people who um might be dealing with their own you know identity crisis don't have to um because you can be yourself and still thrive and do big things.

So thank you to those of those who you know were there to be an example to them, and congratulations to you guys for um being cool with it and pushing it forward.

So happy uh Salvadorian Heritage Day, everybody.

Que vive El Salvador Councilmember Lee.

Councilmember Lee.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Uh Councilman Hernandez, Councilmember uh Rodriguez, just say thank you to uh bringing this group in today.

I love when we bring in different heritages that make up this beautiful city that we live in, and it reminds us that the diversity of our city is always the strength of our city.

And so just want to say thank you.

I want to give a shout out to you know three special people on my staff.

You know, Roger, uh, who's my communications director, Mirka, who's my deputy distractor, and I I want to point this out because DJ Eddie, you DJed her quintetter.

So small we're up.

Hey, I got something for you.

All right, and Lorena, our transportation deputy.

I'm in Northridge.

That's right.

A constitution with a problem.

So I just want to say thank you, uh, always for highlighting them and uh Jocelyn.

We've worked together for many, many years, and I just uh personal story.

I usually have the news on, you know, when I'm driving around by myself, but every morning when I get into the car with a staff member, they say, can we listen to brown bag?

And so Letty, I want to say that it's so much better to laugh long with you and your group than it is to hear sometimes just the pressing news that we have uh on, and I just want to say thank you to all of you, and thank you very much for having us back to you, guys.

I just want to clarify before she was brown bag, she's always been a Northeast San Fernando Valley gal from Hello Silmar, somewhere in the house.

Um, but uh again, thank you, colleagues, and thank you to all of our honorees, uh, and of course, all the organizations that do incredible work for our communities each and every day, but to the honorees that help to amplify our voices, particularly at a time when they're under assault.

I want to thank you.

Your roles are incredibly important, but they've never been more important than they are today.

And what each of you represents is that when there's a generalization about who we are as a Latino community, we are you are an example of the diversity of the fabric and the and the uh uniqueness that each of our collective Latino uh communities represent.

As a Mexicana, I am proud to be here with all of my Salvadoreño sisters and brothers, but as a collective community, to make sure that we don't back down, that we stand together strong, and then we continue to amplify proudly exactly who we are.

So thank you so much for all of your incredible work and colleagues and uh friends on behalf of the city of Los Angeles.

We are proud to declare San Este Oh, I have this San Salvador.

Well, no, I have Salvador American Heritage Day, and I have certificates for everybody.

Thank you.

And if I could ask Councilwoman Park to come to the podium for a special presentation on the 40th anniversary of Heal the Bay.

Looking forward to that.

You're an OG.

You're an OG in the room.

From Heritage to Healing.

Try to make this transition uh quickly.

We have a lot of items.

If I could ask everybody to move to the back as quick as possible, so that we can move to the next uh presentation.

Shh, okay, Councilwoman Park, the floor is yours.

Welcome.

Thank you, Council President.

This is a really special day here at City Hall, and I am proud to welcome some of the incredibly talented and dedicated team members from Heal the Bay as we commemorate their 40th anniversary.

Colleagues, it's wild to think about now, but not all that long ago in my own lifetime.

LA was dumping barely treated sewage right into the Santa Monica Bay.

Spills were routine.

And I'm not talking about just a little bit of sewage being spilled and dumped into the Santa Monica Bay.

I am talking about a lot of it.

And no one in power seemed to treat this like the environmental disasters that they were.

We are talking about hundreds of thousands of raw sewage flowing into Bayona Creek and straight into our wetlands and out to our ocean.

Thank you for the announcement, GST.

Thank you for the second announcement, GST.

We're glad to know that your work has concluded.

Thank you for your service.

As I was saying, hundreds of thousands of gallons of raw and untreated sewage were regularly being dumped and spilled right into the Santa Monica Bay.

But residents, scientists, environmental advocates all saw what was happening.

Our marine life dying off, dead zones forming along the ocean floor, and people getting sick.

And still, the city fought the state, the courts, and even the EPA and kept doing business as usual.

If not for Heal the Bay and its founder Dorothy Green, we might still be there.

Back in 1985, Dorothy and a small group of volunteers did what government refused to do.

They held us accountable.

Their organizing forced the city to change course and become a real partner in protecting the bay.

They proved what's possible when the community refuses to give up.

Over the last four decades, Heal the Bay has built on that legacy through science, education, advocacy, and plain old, hard community work.

They monitor more than 700 local beaches.

They've educated hundreds of thousands of young people.

They have removed millions of pounds of trash off our local shores.

They've also helped pass landmark environmental laws that have made healthy water in our ocean the expectation, not the exception.

And their work hasn't slowed down.

After the devastating fire in January, Heal the Bay stepped up again, helping our communities understand the impacts on public health, our waterways, and our ecosystems.

These fires were unlike anything we've ever experienced, and their long-term effects on the coasts are still to be determined.

The data that Heal the Bay is collecting and studying will help guide the work that we do on the ground today to restore the damage that was done and the work that we will do in the future to continue protecting our coastline.

I also proudly stood with Heal the Bay last month against the Trump administration's reckless proposal to reopen the Santa Monica Bay to gas and oil drilling and our wetlands to development.

Another onslaught in a series of attempts by this administration to block the historic environmental protections that so many generations have fought for.

None of these actions are grounded in science or common sense.

And if Heal the Bay has taught us anything, it's when facts are ignored.

It's the public who has to show up and speak out to demand accountability.

That's why today this council will be adopting a resolution I introduced with council members McCosker and Nazarian, making it crystal clear, our coastline is not for sale.

Not now, not ever.

We're not going to go backwards.

And with that, we have a short video that we'd like to play.

She didn't have a blueprint.

All she had was a bullhorn.

And the courage to start.

You know, you see what needs to be done, you figure out how to do it and go do it.

That's how Heal the Bay was born.

And ever since, Angelinos like you have carried it forward.

We've pulled over two million pounds of trash from our beaches.

Inspired more than 280,000 students through our aquarium.

We've sampled, analyzed, and graded hundreds of beaches for three decades.

After the LA fires, when local agencies fell short, our scientists went behind the fire lines to test the waters.

We've led efforts for plastic bands across LA County and held polluters accountable.

We created equitable parks, stormwater solutions, and stronger communities.

But while the community impact is clear, it's only the start.

We are giving Angelinos the tools to understand, protect, and shape our coastal waters.

Whether it's speaking up for clean water, reducing plastic waste, or restoring our shared coastline, Heel the Bay's legacy reminds us that it just takes one small start to spark major change.

And with that, I'd like to turn the microphone over to my friend and partner in the fight to protect our coastline and our sensitive environmental areas, chief executive officer of Heal the Bay, Tracy Quinn.

Thank you so much, Councilmember Park.

Good morning, Council President, members of the Los Angeles City Council, and friends of the Bay.

I'm honored to accept this recognition on behalf of Heal the Bay, marking 40 years of protecting and restoring our coastal waters and watersheds.

Heal the Bay exists because our founder, Dorothy Green, saw a crisis and refused to ignore it.

In 1985, after learning that polluted ocean water was making lifeguards, swimmers, and surfers sick, she gathered community members in her Westwood living room and Heal the Bay took shape.

Under Dorothy's leadership, Heal the Bay galvanized communities across the region to take action.

Insufficiently treated sewage from Hyperion was contributing to a dead zone offshore.

Within a year, after strong advocacy and pressure on local and federal agencies, the city of Los Angeles finally committed to ending the discharge of partially treated sewage in Santa Monica Bay, cutting sewage pollution by 90%.

From there, Heal the Bay grew into a trusted voice for science, policy, public health, and environmental justice.

Under leaders like Mark Gold and Shelley Luce, we built a legacy rooted in accountability and collaboration.

Over the years, our victories multiplied.

We launched the beach report card in 1992, bringing transparency and accountability to beachwater quality.

Volunteers stenciled more than 60,000 storm drains across Los Angeles with this drains to the ocean, helping Angelinos understand how everyday pollution reaches our coast.

We expanded education and community engagement through Heal the Bay Aquarium, welcoming more than a hundred thousand visitors each year and educating more than 10,000 kids each year, mostly from LAUSD, and where we are also providing climate literacy training for LS LAUSD teachers.

And we helped advance major ordinances in the city reducing single-use plastics, including straws on requests, the plastic bag ban, and banning styrofoam.

But our work does not stop at the shoreline.

We know healthy oceans depend on healthy neighborhoods.

That's why our team has spent years supporting smart, community-centered water projects across Los Angeles.

A proud milestone this year was the opening of Annell Woods Park in South LA.

Through collaboration with community members, local leadership, and public partners like Councilmember Kern Price, we turned a once neglected half acre of land into a vibrant, multi-benefit green space that improves health, reconnects residents to nature, and reduces pollution reaching the ocean.

And when the Palisades fires struck, we saw again how essential these partnerships are.

We worked with LA Sanitation to ensure measures were deployed to reduce pollution from the burn zone flowing into the ocean.

And with the support of Councilwoman Park, we have continued our important sampling of sand, sediment, and water along our coast to provide clear, science-based information to protect public health.

And as we face record rainfall, we are grateful for Councilmember Katie Yaroslavsky's leadership in accelerating stormwater capture and climate resilient infrastructure.

This work is essential to protecting neighborhoods and improving water quality across Los Angeles.

And as we accelerate our important restorative aquaculture workforce development program, I must acknowledge Councilmember Tim McCosker's commitment to advancing Los Angeles' blue economy and ensuring that clean water, good jobs, and sustainable coastal infrastructure move forward together.

Still, after 40 years, our work is not done.

The bay continues to face significant challenges.

And the same facility that sparked our founding, Hyperion, again demands our attention.

As Los Angeles grows and climate impacts intensify, life in our city depends on investing in safe, reliable water recycling at Hyperion and significantly reducing nutrient discharges that fuel harmful algal blooms.

The devastating bloom this spring, which killed seals and sea lions and dolphins, is a stark reminder of what's at stake.

The health of the bay and the health of the communities that rely on it.

Today's honor belongs to everyone who has volunteered, spoken up, collected water samples, educated children, or demand action at public meetings.

It belongs to our extraordinary board and staff and the thousands of supporters who have powered our work for four decades.

To Councilwoman Tracy Park and the entire Los Angeles City Council, thank you for acknowledging the importance of this work and for partnering with us to protect our watersheds, our coastline, and our incredible Santa Monica Bay.

So here's to the next 40 years, stronger, cleaner, and united.

Thank you.

Tracy, thank you so much for your incredible leadership.

And I want to recognize the other people from Heal the Bay who are here with us today.

Carrie Nichols, Alexandra Babcock, Kim R.

Gillian Marshall, Marsley Ryan, and Annie Lopez.

You know, Tracy, honestly, these last several years getting to serve side by side with you, shoulder to shoulder on the ground, have been truly remarkable and eye-opening.

Um, this year, in per in particular, from those very, very early days after the fire on January 7th, you and I checking up PCH, climbing over rubble, noting places where there was still water valves that needed to be shut off, taking notes, evaluating what were our next steps going to be.

You have been out there on the ground in the water, looking for debris, conducting your testing, and I can't think of a single weekend when there hasn't been a Heal the Bay cleanup happening somewhere on our local coastlines.

Colleagues, for all of you upstream who work with Heal the Bay to organize your neighborhood uh cleanups, thank you.

All of that effort has a direct impact on the overall health and quality of our coastline and our Santa Monica Bay.

We wouldn't be here except for those partnerships, and with that, it is an honor to present you with this resolution on behalf of the City of Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass, and the entire city council, acknowledging your 40th anniversary and all of the incredible work that you've done for generations of Los Angelina.

Before you before you conclude, we have a couple of members on the queue.

Uh so I'd like to start with Councilman Yaroslowski, followed by uh Councilmember McCoscar.

Um thank you, Council President, and thank you, Councilwoman Park, for bringing this presentation here today.

I want to congratulate Heel the Bay on your and your outstanding staff, especially uh your fearless leader, Tracy with a Y, not to be confused with Tracy with the I.

Um Tracy stands on the shoulders of some real giants who've led Heel the Bay in the past.

Um, as was mentioned, like Mark Gold, Karen Hall, Shelley Luce, and of course its founder, Dorothy Green.

Um, it's with this strong leadership that Heel the Bay has spearheaded 40 years of doing the work to quite literally heal the Bay of Santa Monica.

And heal the Bay is also intentional, as we know, about doing the work on behalf of everyone in the watershed uh and across our city and our region.

Heel the Bay has been one of the key voices for a healthy and resilient oceanfront in Los Angeles, but that really starts upstream, way upstream.

Um, and for that we owe you a real debt of gratitude.

LA and our Bay are better because Heal the Bay has always pushed the city and the county and everyone to do more, from improving treatment at Hyperion water treatment plant to tackling the deluge of single-use plastics, for maximizing stormwater capture, especially as a partner on the Safe Clean Water Program, all the way from the very development of that program, and we're gonna continue to benefit from Heal the Bay's advocacy for generational transformational, transformative projects like Pure Water LA.

I know this year has been a tough one for you and for our Bay.

Um, so Tracy, to you, to your board, to your staff, past and present.

Thank you so much, congratulations, and here's to another 40 years of excellent work.

Thank you.

Councilmember McCosker, followed by Councilmember Price.

Thank you very much.

Uh Councilmember, thank you for bringing in Heel the Bay.

I can't express my appreciation any greater than you have, and I certainly can't add anything to Katie Yarcelovsky's comments.

I just want to say as representing a community from Watts to the waterfront that is basically at the at the tail end of the movement of water.

I cannot express enough appreciation to Heal the Bay in 40 short years, and you're going to have a longer history.

You have done more to educate our children and generations of people about the effects of what we do upstream on our waterways.

And I think we all know that the oceans bear a disproportionate impact of the environmental damages that we cause from plastics to even you know carbon emissions, because those are the lungs of our planet.

And so I just want to thank you because there's not a child that doesn't know today that it drains to the ocean.

We just need their parents to understand that it drains to the ocean.

And I really thank you for your great work.

It is it really is just democratizes the information that we all need to make sure that we that this planet can survive with us because it'll survive without us if we don't change our ways.

Thank you.

Councilmember Price, followed by Councilmember Padilla.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I too want to uh just thank Council Park for bringing Heal the Bay to us today.

Uh you know, Heal the Bay has such a great job all over our community, as was pointed out, not just healing the bay, but also doing stuff in the inner city.

So we appreciate the the unique partnership we had with you in uh the Annell Woods Park.

Uh it's an extraordinary uh green space uh in a densely overpopulated urban area, and so it really has made a big difference, and we appreciate the teamwork, the collaboration, and look forward to other projects as well.

Continued success.

Keep up the good work.

Councilwoman Pidia.

Uh Councilmember Tracy Park, thank you so much for bringing Heel the Bay in.

You know, I um I don't represent a beachfront community, but really early on in my uh career in environmental justice, Heal the Bay was always a very uh uh a very instrumental partner when I was a youth program coordinator at Pocoma Beautiful.

Um, one of my favorite uh messages that Heal the Bay always uh brought to the table when I was working with these young people was you know, the way the city of Los Angeles has its um its infrastructure built out is that on a rainy day, everything goes straight to the ocean.

So Heel the Bay was um instrumental in teaching these young kids that if there's trash in the city, it's going to eventually get to the ocean.

So it's important that we teach young people about not littering and not loiter um, you know, putting things out to the street because eventually it's going to get to the beach.

So I want to uh thank you for helping me work with a younger generation on the importance of starting in your own backyard in order to make sure that the coast is the place that we all can enjoy.

Um so thank you for that back then, and thank you for continuing the work today.

One of my favorite organizations by far, as people have mentioned, you have another uh 40 wonderful years and a hundred to be exact.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilwoman, and I just want to add to that.

Um may you have another another many wonderful fruitful years.

I'm so grateful for Heal the Bay for all that you've done for really for our environment and our help.

Thank you.

And back to you, Tracy to Clips.

Thank you, Council President and colleagues, for the remarks and the support.

And so again, on behalf of the city uh of Los Angeles, congratulations, and here's to another 40 years of protecting our iconic critical Santa Monica Bay.

Okay, as they're taking their final pictures, I'm gonna ask uh Councilmember Lee to head toward the podium.

Batting cleanup for our fourth presentation.

He will do a presentation about volunteers cleaning up.

Volunteers cleaning communities.

Welcome, Councilmember Lee.

Thank you.

The floor is yours.

A few more seconds to have an amazing group of volunteers, because on the heels of Heal the Bay, these are people who actually do something in our district to really help make sure that trash does not end up in our oceans, and I want them to be recognized.

Not sure how we're all going to squeeze in here.

As they're coming in, I colleagues, I just want to um say that it is my honor today to recognize an organization that has become one of the most dedicated, consistent, and uplifting forces of good in the San Fernando Valley.

Volunteers cleaning communities.

For years now, this remarkable nonprofit has shown what is possible when neighbors come together with a simple idea and a powerful belief that cleaner streets, safer neighborhoods, and a healthier environment start with each of us.

Under their leadership, volunteers of all ages and backgrounds show up week after week, not for recognition, not for praise, but because they care about the place that they call home.

Volunteers Clean Community has turned that sense of responsibility into action through neighborhood cleanups, park beautifications, freeway litter removal, and community education, they have created a culture of pride and stewardship that is felt across the valley.

Their commitment is visible in every block that they walk and in every bag of debris that they remove.

It fills me with pride every time I see their work highlighted in the news, or when I see that somehow they were able to turn out a hundred people on an ordinary Saturday morning to support their mission.

Because no matter how big they get, I know that this organization started in Council District 12, and I take and I take pride in that.

And although that they now serve the entire San Fernando Valley and across Los Angeles, their roots are still deeply felt here at home in CD 12.

You can see the work that they continue to lead in our own district, including their stewardship of a six and a half mile stretch from DeSoto to Balboa.

Maintaining that corridor is no small task.

That's mile after mile of litter, debris, and windblown trash that would otherwise just sit there.

Impacting our quality of life and our environment.

Instead, thanks to them, thousands of residents, commuters, and pedestrians benefit from an area that is cleaner, safer, and more welcoming.

What I truly admire about volunteers cleaning communities makes they make their service accessible to everyone.

Their adopt one street program gives residents the chance to take ownership of their block just one block at a time.

Their litter awareness days, earth day events, corridor cleanups, and even their litter scavenger hunts show that civic engagement can be both meaningful and fun.

They have built a model of volunteerism that is inclusive, creative, and community-driven, and in our community, it is infectious.

From being at just one of their events, people learn of the little amount that they can do that adds up to a big thing.

I love when I drive through our district and I see so many people who are walking at night that they have a bag in their hand.

Because I know they learned that at one of your events, that while you're walking around your streets, just carry a bag with you.

Clean up that little piece of litter.

It makes a difference in your neighborhoods.

So this organization truly is uh the very best of our city.

These are people who see a problem and refuse to look away, who roll up their sleeves, gather their friends, and take action.

Their impact is measurable, but even more important, it is lasting.

They are strengthening connections between residents, empowering new volunteers, and leaving every neighborhood they touch better than they found it.

So today, on behalf of the city of Los Angeles, I am proud to join my colleagues in recognizing volunteers cleaning communities for your service, your leadership, and your unwavering commitment to our community.

Thank you for everything that you do to make the San Fernando Valley and our city a cleaner, healthier, and more beautiful place to live.

Thank you for being an inspiration to all of us.

But before I give this recognition to this organization, I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge someone who truly represents the spirit of this organization.

Someone who I refer to as the heart and soul of VCC.

VCC has grown into a valley wide force for good, but there's one person whose dedication and heart have guided it every step of the way.

That person is its founder, Jill Maeher.

Jill is the soul of this organization.

She's the one who keeps the momentum going, the one who inspires volunteers to show up again and again, and the one who sees no active service as too small.

Her passion for cleaner, safer, and more beautiful neighborhoods is not something she talks about from a distance.

She is out there in the field setting the pace, encouraging others, and proving that through her actions, what exactly community stewardship looks like.

Anyone who has worked with Jill Jill knows that she does not seek attention.

She simply sees a need and steps forward.

She has created a model of volunteer engagement that is inclusive, creative, and genuinely impactful.

And she has done it with grace, humility, and an unwavering commitment to the valley she loves.

It is my privilege to introduce the person who makes all of this possible.

Please join me in welcoming the founder of Volunteers Cleaning Communities, better known as VCC, the incredible Jill Maither.

Thank you.

First of all, thank you for honoring us.

We're honored that you're honoring us.

We do not do it for the accolades that we have received over this year.

It's been five years since we have been picking up litter, picking up and arranging illegal dumping, cleaning the 118 freeway for that six and a half miles, and doing what we can to make the San Fernando Valley, Santa Monica, and West LA a better place for us.

Five years, and we do this not once a week, not once a month.

We do this every single day for two hours, these incredible volunteers, and you can see we're quite the spread of yellow vests here.

Um we meet in groups for two hours every day at a different place, somewhere in the valley, and uh I never know who's gonna show up.

Uh we have regulars that come uh every day.

By the way, they've been coming for almost five years, every single day following me.

And others just come once a week, maybe once a month, maybe once a year, which is just fine with us because as long as you do something in your community, that's what's important.

When I started this organization, um, it was not supposed to be what it is.

Literally, I retired, and this was not my retirement plan by any means.

I was gonna travel the world like every other person who retires does, and COVID hit.

We all remember that.

So uh I couldn't do what I had thought retirement was all about.

And therefore, to get out, I started walking in the neighborhood and noticed that the there was trash, and I'm pretty bored walking the same four miles every day by myself.

So I took a bag and started picking up the trash.

And every day I'd pick up three bags of trash in the same four miles, and I thought, hmm, this is a problem.

This is a neighborhood in the valley.

Um I asked on social media if anybody else wanted to join me in my first cleanup.

12 people showed up that I had never met before.

Complete strangers in my own community.

Uh, we had a great time, fun, and they wanted to do more.

So I adopted the 118 freeway right away because it's worse than the streets in some in some ways.

And uh then we started working the streets and the freeway.

Um and it just uh has grown organically to being over 200 people every week cleaning somewhere in the valley in groups, and that doesn't include the independents.

Um we have not like Keela Bay, millions of pounds cleaned up.

We've cleaned up in our five years 550,000 pounds of trash that we can measure in what we've done.

And the other things that we do, which are so important is in because we've evolved so much.

We have 311 experts on every um every yes, and we're known as the 311 king, and there's a 311 queen that couldn't be here today.

Um 31 either loves us or hates us because uh we are the ones that report everything.

So you can imagine we meet, we great we divide into four different directions from one location where we meet, and we do it for two hours every day.

So an hour going out, cross the street, come back an hour on the other side.

So it we completely clean this whole area.

We take down illegal signs.

There should be no signs on our poles, so we remove those.

Um we even paint now gray.

Uh we have spray cans, one of our volunteers paints the poles, so the ones that they're plastering on, and you can't remove, so we paint over those to make it beautiful.

Uh illegal dumping, we organize it if it's all along the street.

We organize it into one pile so it's easier for the city to pick it up.

Um, and if we, you know, whatever we find that needs to be picked up, we do.

We do find money too.

I did find $300 rolled up one time in a curb.

So it goes to VCC, of course, volunteers cleaning communities.

Um we do everything for that.

But I couldn't do this, it's not me, it's these people.

These people have fun going on people, the LA Times followed us for five days because they couldn't believe that you could build an organization over trash and picking up trash.

And they realize, and they joined us afterwards, they had a lot of fun, and now they're members of VCC.

Um, but we do, we have fun, we go out, we do something for the city, we don't complain about it.

People say the city should be doing this, and we say, hey, the city needs us, the city needs us, you should all volunteer in some way or another.

So just don't complain.

You don't have the right to complain unless you have the willingness to do something.

And these are that kind of people that go out and don't complain.

And then, by the way, we go to coffee after every single cleanup.

Five years of Starbucks is breaking me personally.

Um, but any new member that joins us, we buy the first cup of coffee in order to encourage them to join us because it really is a social group.

It becomes something you love to do, it's therapeutic.

Um, these are now my friends, and I knew none of them before I retired.

Uh, and it it can be something that not only helps the city but helps you personally.

Um most of us are retired, and uh we have actually saved some people's lives by giving them a purpose uh to join it and get up every day.

You gotta get up every day, and it gives us some reason to be able to do that.

So I thank you all.

And I we have Jill, round of applause for Jill.

Jill, we have some people who would like to talk about their experiences with VCC.

I'd like to introduce David Weisberg.

If you David, if you do want mine saying a few words.

I'd love to say a couple of words.

Um everybody, and um just want to thank everybody for being here today behind me, this beautiful group of uh yellow wearing uh jerseys and shirts and buttons and hats.

They've all become my family.

Umks here, really, to uh John Lee for inviting us here and Joe Mather for being our leader and our sergeant and our mother and our friend and everything else under the sky.

Whatever we need, we go to her, and she's got a great vision.

Great vision.

Uh, my name is David Weisberg.

Uh I'm a volunteer leader with the group.

I started four and a half years ago.

Uh was doing some cleanup on my own, just um I was coming off some health issues, and I needed to get back out there.

Um I'm an avid hiker.

I love the Santa Monica Mountains and uh Santa Susana Mountains and Chatsworth.

So I was out there cleaning one day, and I got a lot of bags from uh an abandoned homeless encampment.

I had about 70 bags, and it was in a remote area of Chatsworth Park over the mountain, past the railroad tracks, and uh somebody gave me uh the number to uh Jill and her organization.

I asked her, would you could you help me out uh picking these bags up and bringing them out to a truck?

It was like about a quarter mile from where the truck and the trash was, and she came out no problem with uh Steve Hirschberg and Don Larson and herself, and we picked up these trash and we got it off, and that started a relationship that's gone for four and a half years.

I've met a lot of people, uh including my girlfriend right here that uh I met on uh one of my first uh uh you know cleanups where we all kind of I met a lot of people there.

So that was amazing.

Uh when I was asked to speak today, I thought uh what am I gonna do and what am I gonna say?

So I did some research and I went to the internet uh to find out like what is a volunteer?

What is a volunteer?

And uh so I went to uh GPT, which is a form of AI, and that's artificial intelligence.

We all use that now.

Uh what I found there was were generic terms, and for examples, uh people that uh will offer their time and effort for no pay at all uh at soup kitchens, for on for disaster relief, uh animal shelters, and so we all got together, and uh what I think AI is with us for us is uh a different uh homonym, and that's authentic uh intentions, and that's what we have here.

We have very authentic people that come out, they're true to heart, they have a mission to give back to the community, and their intentions are there, and that's what we need in this community.

It's just very honest intentions.

So our group amplifies that, and uh, I'm just very proud of them and I love being with them, and they're my family, and we're gonna continue to clean up the city and Chatsworth to start and uh the world beyond.

So I'm very thankful for that.

And Joe, for our final speaker, I'd like to uh invite uh Lori Sola to come say a few words about the organization.

Thank you.

I just want to say I'm so proud to be part of ECC, and I'm especially proud to be the leader of North Hollywood.

I can't say enough about our amazing volunteers from Goldie, our 10-year-old volunteer, that the first time she came to clean with us, she was so proud of what we accomplished that she had to bring her dad back that night to show him what she had done.

To Mark, who went from being a first-time volunteer to a consistent leader within our organization, telling me I never thought I could be this person.

I'm really um I'm thankful for the partnerships we've created with North Hollywood, Northeast Neighborhood Council, uh, Noho Neighborhood Council, and the way to happiness.

We work all together because we know that's how things get done.

We're also very happy to have Assemblymember Schultz join us this year.

He worked with us side by side on the streets, picking up trash and moving furniture off our streets.

We've also worked with council member Nazarian and us working all together in just a few hours, we're able to remove 200 bags of trash off our city streets and countless bulky items.

I want to thank all volunteers and the city council for everything you do and your support.

Know that you also have our support, and we're working on creating more VCC groups all across Los Angeles.

So by this time next year, we're gonna have even more to celebrate.

Thank you.

Although I'd love to say to keep you all to myself, uh Jill, I know that I know you've ventured out into other communities, but just proud that uh this organization started in our district, proud of those first meetings that we we had so many years ago when you said that you only had a few volunteers, but I saw that you had a vision.

I saw that you were driven, and I saw that you wanted to make a difference, and so we were always happy to support you.

And I just want to say from the bottom of my heart, from all the residents of C D12 and the incredible part you play in keeping our district the most beautiful district in the city of Los Angeles.

Thank you, everyone.

And uh Mr.

Lee, before you go there, we have a few members on the queue.

Um Councilwoman Padilla, followed by Councilwoman Rodriguez.

Uh thank you, Councilmember Lee, for this great presentation.

Uh, the only thing that I really wanted to say was that it's a pleasure to know of your existence.

Thank you for all of the work that you do.

Um, you know, as your neighbor, I'm glad to know that you're doing the great work.

You know, and uh I just kind of wanted to put it out there, and like just this morning I was at one of my local high schools and talking about the importance of uh community schools and how you know we need the schools to be um to have a model that allows community inside.

And the reason why I bring it up is uh I hope that you also feel encouraged to work with your local schools because as I just mentioned in the presentation for Heel of the Bay, I appreciate them for the work that they did with me with young people.

Because one thing that I've always said is once you get a middle school or a high school student to participate in a community cleanup, you created an individual that will never ever in their lifetime again litter.

So when they see you cleaning up, I appreciate it because you know they uh well you're leading the example, but I also want to encourage you to keep going, keep growing, and be unapologetic about working with the schools uh to help you uh build a greater upgrader movement.

So pleasure again and congratulations on this recognition.

Councilwoman Rodriguez.

Thank you, Councilmember Lee, for bringing in this great presentation.

You know, it's wonderful to see what a tremendous community has convened uh through this volunteerism and this shared commitment to making sure that our communities are beautiful and clean.

So I just want to thank you.

I I love you know, Jill, you were talking about how this kind of was thwarted.

Your your retirement plans were thwarted by COVID.

But what a really remarkable and special way for that to have kind of deviated and become into become this.

This is really fantastic, and I just I love seeing all of you here, and uh uh this is what community is about, and this is what I feel like is so uniquely San Fernando Valley uh that you all have come together in this way, and uh I just wanted to say thank you so much.

It's really wonderful to see community members just helping to fill the need, see a need, fill a need.

And I think that's what's really beautiful, but this greater sense of community of you all coming together, then just meeting up for a cup of coffee.

We've got to figure out a coffee fund for you all to help uh offset that cost.

Don't give them any ideas.

Uh John's got Sunshine Canyon, he can he can help you out.

Uh, but it's it's really thank you.

Thank you for doing it.

Thank you for loving our city and our community as much as you do to take personal responsibility and action.

It's an example of how we have to do this everywhere, and how the city alone is never going to be the panacea to keeping it all clean.

It's our city, it's our community, and to see you all coming together to do that just on your on your own routes as you're going around taking walks.

I remember actually it was during COVID.

Uh, I was doing loops around the VA because it's not far from my house.

And uh I would actually send text messages to John.

I was like, hey, we the the trail is a little messy around here, but it was really important to see so many other members of the community that are also doing these loops where we could help pay attention to those areas, and so I want to thank you for taking that initiative and look at what a beautiful community has grown out of it.

So thank you so much.

Thank you for being that example and for doing what you do.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

Councilmember Nazario.

Thank you, Council President.

I just echo everything my colleagues from district six and seven have said, and I just wanted to uh stand to say first of all, thank you, Councilmember Lee, for recognizing the hard work of volunteers.

It's one thing to be an organization, even though much as I appreciate all organizations doing work, but it's another thing when volunteers raise their hands and step up and compliment the work, and thank you for saying what you said because yes, the city is obligated to do its work, but it can't do everything without the support of its residents.

So doing good is infectious.

Thank you for applying yourself to that cause, and thank you for what you do.

And I look forward to our partnership as well.

Continued partnership.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh just want to add, Mr.

Mr.

Lee, thank you for bringing this wonderfully trashy yet classy group uh here.

You know, and and representing the Southwest San Fernando Valley, I've had the benefit of the cleanups of this amazing group and and Jill and others.

I've been in the trenches and whether it's at in the river when we were cleaning up or in Ventura Boulevard, uh, to to not only have the benefit of your work, but have been able to be side by side with you doing that cleanup.

So thank you so much for doing this.

It really is taking charge of the community and and doing what we all talk about of what does it mean to really be a citizen of this great city and to to help and to care, and you guys are great examples of that.

So thank you for for what you do and for coming here today to be honored.

Thank you, Mr.

Lee, for for honoring VCC.

Back to you to close.

Oh Jill and to all of you, thank you for inspiring uh all of the communities that you've helped clean up.

Thank you for inspiring them to help keep their neighborhoods clean.

And I love what you said earlier that some people just complain, but then yet they do nothing about it.

And you are an example that you are the people that actually want to make a difference, and I appreciate all of you and all the work that you guys do throughout the San Fernando Valley.

So, on behalf of the city council, and of course C 12 at City of Los Angeles, like to present you with this proclamation.

Congratulations, BCC.

Okay, as they're finishing up.

Uh that concludes our our presentations for today.

What's next on our agenda?

Would the council like to go to item 13?

Yes, without objection, we'll go to item 13.

Is this uh this was called special for a separate vote?

Is that right?

Yes, that is correct.

And the motion before council is to move the budget and finance committee report.

Did you hear what you're doing?

Okay, and I believe Mr.

Price is recusing himself on this on this item.

And so Mr.

Price is stepped, let the record reflect Mr.

Price has stepped out of the room.

Thank you.

Uh we are taking up item 13.

Do any members wish to speak to this item?

Look to my left, look at my right, seeing no members on the queue.

Uh we can take this up for a vote.

Let's uh open the roll.

Close the roll and tally the vote.

Twelve eyes, one no.

Okay.

This item is approved.

What's next?

13.

Yeah, that was 13.

Uh, Mr.

McCosaker, for what purpose do you rise?

I just want to ask, given this opportunity if we can move 14 and 15 previously approved forthwith.

Okay, without objection, those items are moved forthwith.

Uh Councilman Rodriguez, what purpose do you rise?

I'd like to be registered as a no vote on item 13.

Okay, seeing as that does not change the outcome without objection, register Councilwoman Rodriguez as a no vote on that previous item.

Okay.

Thank you.

And for the record, that would be 11 ayes and two no's for item 13.

Okay.

Item still passes.

What's next?

The council may now move on to public comment.

Okay.

Uh we'll we'll commence public comment.

If you could read into the record the instructions, yes, Mr.

President.

To people providing public comment, please let us know.

Well, actually, today the only items that are open for public comment is general public comment.

So public comment has been satisfied at committee for all other items.

So if you would like to provide general public comment, please make sure to to sign up at the kiosks behind you.

Uh additionally, please keep in mind that although general public comment is quite broad, uh, if you are going to provide comment, you need to speak to something that's within this city's uh council's subject matter jurisdiction.

Um I have a couple more announcements.

If I could have the uh interpreters make this first one aloud to the room, please.

If you require a Spanish language interpreter, please make sure to pause every few sentences so the interpreters can interpret.

Don't worry, we will pause your time while the interpreters are interpreting, so you will get the same amount of time as everyone else.

Thank you.

One final announcement.

Again, in order to accommodate as many people as possible, we would ask that you please wait to hear the name that you signed up under before lining up to speak.

Once you hear that name called aloud, you can line up in any order.

The order is randomly generated.

So uh with that, we can begin calling names, and once you get to the podium, because there's only general public comment, uh, as soon as you get there and you start speaking, we will start your one minute.

Thank you.

Also, Mr.

Secretary, would you explain to folks?

We have the a lot of folks here are here to talk to the RSO item, I believe, and that is on the special agenda, which is a separate uh time to do to speak to.

Is that correct?

Correct.

So if you are here for the RSO item and you'd like to speak specifically to that and not just during general public comment, there will be an additional public comment period during the special meeting, but that is not now.

Right.

So we're gonna have general public comment on all different items.

But if you're here for RSO, you can wait, and then when we're done with all of that, we will come back and have a a special moment where each person on coming on the RSO item can speak.

So you don't uh you don't need to come to speak.

At this moment, we will let you know when it's time to have to speak to the RSO item.

That will be a separate time period.

Okay, with that, if you could call the names for general public comment, not RSO.

I will begin by calling the following names Dolores, Larry Lung, Jasmine Korion, Elita Morales, Catherine Anderson, and Fred Sutton.

And if you're if your name was called and you're actually here to speak to the RSO, just say pass, and then we will come back to you when we take up the RSO.

Comentario Publica.

Public comment.

In the Espanol, por favor.

Hold on just one minute.

Okay.

I think since everyone who's here is probably here to speak to the RSO.

Why don't we recess the special meeting, the regular meeting?

Take up the special meeting, and that way each person can come speak to the RSO item who wishes to do so, and they will get their time now.

So uh without objection, we are recessing the general meeting, and we are uh we are taking up the special meeting, and we will now have public comment in the special meeting.

So everyone who's here to speak to that will get that chance to speak.

I don't know why you're booing, it's giving you the time to speak now.

So that's the order of the chair.

If you could take us into the special meeting, please don't yell out.

We don't have time for this.

Let's uh take up this the uh special meeting.

If you could call the role for the special meeting.

Blumenfield, Harris Dawson, Hernandez, Hutt, Harado, Lee, McCosker, Nazarian, Padilla, Park, Price, Raman, Rodriguez, so to Martinez Yaroslavsky.

Fourteen members present in a quorum, Mr.

President.

Okay.

So we'll do public comment for special meeting.

Councilwoman, for what purpose do you rise?

Thank you, Councilmember for allowing us to open public comment for the special, which is RSO, so folks can speak on it first before going through the general meeting.

Um, I'd like to call item uh 21 and a move for uh version A for a vote.

Is there a second to that motion?

It's been seconded by Mr.

Soto Martinez.

Mr.

President, if I may, would council like all items on today's special agenda to go forth with?

Yes, without objection.

Okay, items 21 through 23 are items for which public hearings have not been held.

Ten votes are required for consideration.

Okay, without objection, they're before us.

These which ones you said 21 through 21 through 23.

Okay.

Doesn't we have to hear public comment on that first?

Would any members like to call any items special on today's special council meeting agenda?

Well, 21 has been called special already by councilwoman Harada with your amendment with her motion.

Okay.

Okay.

Now the council may go to public comment for the special agenda.

Okay, we'll move to public comment for the special agenda.

So each person will get one minute.

So there are three items on the special agenda.

So I know we just read in the instructions for general public comment during the regular meeting.

We are now in the special meeting.

So if you are here for general public comment, you'll need to wait until we go back into the regular meeting.

This is only for public comment on the items.

So because there are three items on the special uh meeting agenda, you'll have up to three minutes total, and that is up to a one-minute maximum for the item.

So if you are here for the RSO item, then you'll have up to one minute for the RSO piece.

If you would like to speak to all the items, you'll have up to three minutes to speak to all of the items.

Uh please keep in mind that you need to be on topic.

Uh if you are not on topic, or if we cannot tell whether you're on topic, you will get one brief warning from me or the council president.

At that point, you need to get immediately and clearly on topic.

If you do not do so, or if you again stray off topic, you will forfeit the rest of your speaking time and we will move on to the next speaker.

So again, the items that are open for public comment during this special meeting are items number 21, which is the RSO item, the rent stabilization ordinance, and items 22 and 23.

Uh if I could have the interpreters just one more time, let the room know if they would like a Spanish language interpreter.

Just please let us know when you get to the podium.

And with that, we can begin calling names for the special meeting only.

I would like to call up Catherine Anderson Dolores, Alita Morales, Fred Sutton, Jasmine Cure Curean, and Larry Lung.

Good morning.

Which items would you like to speak to?

Or sorry, good afternoon.

Which items?

Uh uh 21, 22, 33 special items.

Okay.

So you have three minutes for the items.

Go ahead.

Regarding the rent stabilization, uh, if you're not familiar, there was a order entered in early November, or I believe it was the 13th, on an order of contempt against the city for the practices of withholding records and information pertaining to rent, rent stabilization, and every other housing and homelessness service that the city provides, uh, not only at the city level, but the city in conjunction with the county and the county conjunction with the state.

It was surprising actually to hear the words from the special master that this very same item is based on very clearly uh express her frustration uh to say the least on how the CAO's office, uh, which is a big contributor to many of the policies that go into the RSO that we're talking about today, uh, clearly admit in open court that they're not willing to participate willingly and willingly offer the information that has been core ordered, not only the financial information, but the interdepartmental correspondence and putting up a next item.

You one minute per item.

Yep.

Uh and it's very fascinating, you know, on the special meetings too.

There's you guys know that you're supposed to at the very least put out the uh the agenda packet, right?

When you take a look at the one published at the front there, if you actually take a look, the special meetings are not posted.

Um in fact, I actually just had a conversation with about half a dozen people who literally didn't even know what 22 and 23 was.

They knew the RSO, uh, but that's only because they saw some of the online access packets.

Which item are you speaking to?

Uh 22 and 23, in fact, are actually not posted.

Nobody right here actually has access to what any of those agenda items actually state.

And so you cannot expect the people who took time out of their work day, took time out of their families, spent money on transportation to get here, child care, I imagine as well, and don't even have access to the information to effectively speak on this unless there's somebody like me who has insider information into people that actually work at the city.

How is that an effective use of public comment?

How is that not a violation of these people's first amendment rights, a violation of the Brown Act and countless other civil rights violations?

And it just seems to be that the silliest of things always seem to hang the city up, whether it be collusion with criminal enterprises, uh developers and hogging up real estate deals and sweetheart deals and giving gambling money to leave for and to go to Nevada and not reporting it to Ethice Commission and so on and so forth to not even posting a simple agenda item.

And that's where the state of these special meeting uh items are today at this special meeting period.

You cannot have an effective public comment period because the agenda items are not even posted for people to read.

Okay, and and before we have the next uh speaker, uh council member Nazarian uh has an amendment and just wants to telegraph that.

So if you wanted to read that into the record uh now, you can do so, please.

And then we'll go back to public comment.

What is your amendment, sir?

Thank you, Council President.

I wanted to take a moment.

Uh and I think we all work very hard on this issue.

I think we came to a good compromise, and I think leaving anything ambiguous doesn't help us moving forward.

So I wanted to read into the record uh uh how we can address the issue of dependents.

And as a precursor to that, I wanted to just speak very briefly.

Rent stabilization ordinance and the related provisions of the Los Angeles Municipal Code reference dependence for purposes including occupancy, rental agreement additions, and determinations regarding relocation, rent adjustments, and tenant protections.

Currently, the code does not contain a uniform definition of dependent, resulting in ambiguity for tenants, landlords, and the Los Angeles Housing Department.

To provide clarity, consistency, and ease of administration, it is appropriate that the city adopt a single standardized definition of dependent that aligns with an existing widely understood federal framework.

The IRS, the Internal Revenue Service, IRS definition of qualifying child and qualifying relative, provide clear objective criteria used nationwide and updated regularly.

Adopting these IRS standards will ensure uniform application across RSO regulated processes, reduce disputes, and provide clear guidance to both tenants and landlords regarding which household members qualify as dependents for purposes of the RSO.

For the purpose of defining dependence under the RSO, residency related criteria should be excluded as the IRS has specific criteria for dependence and citizenship residency.

So we won't get into the discussions of the merits of the moment, but you've read into the record to use the IRS deputy.

Let me, if you don't mind to read the actual uh uh language.

Okay.

Um therefore move that the city council instruct the Los Angeles Housing Department with the assistance of the city attorney to amend the transmitted ordinance version A to amend all relevant sections of the rent stabilization ordinance that reference dependents, including but not limited to LAMC sections 151.06, 151.09, and any other applicable provisions to define dependent using the internal revenue service criteria for qualifying child and qualifying relative, except that residency related criteria shall not be used.

Um, a qualifying child as dependent by the IRS, including requirements related to relationship, age, residency, support, and filing status.

Two, a qualifying relative as defined by the IRS, including requirements related to relationship, support, gross income, and filing status.

Three, exclude any residency related criteria.

Therefore, move that the ordinance specify that LAHD may update administrative reference references to IRS criteria as the federal definitions are revised without further amendment to the Los Angeles Municipal Code, provided that no substantive change is made beyond conforming to current IRS definitions.

Lastly, further move that LAHD report back on any administrative, operational or enforcement considerations related to implementing this standardized definition across all RSO related programs and procedures.

Thank you very much, Council President.

Thank you.

We can discuss the merits of that after public comment.

Thank you for reading your amendment into the record, and we will now uh continue with public comment.

Pardon me, Mr.

Chair.

Is there a second to that motion?

Mr.

McCoster, a second.

Thank you.

And before we continue with public comment, I just wanted to correct uh something for the factual record with regards to the agendas.

So I confirm with the clerk's office that if you would like a copy of the special agenda for this meeting, uh, that they were available in the back.

Uh as the public speaker said earlier, it was also available or it is also available online.

And my understanding is that it was posted the physical copy uh in City Hall East yesterday.

So thank you.

Good afternoon.

Which items?

Uh Fred Sutton, all available items, but I'll only take one minute.

Okay, so you'll have three minutes for the items.

Go ahead.

Hard for me to digest all that, uh, so I'm gonna stick to what was I was previously coming in, and I this is why I think this should have gone to committee first, is because there are a lot of nuances to this law that's very, very important.

This also goes into effect immediately.

For six months, LHD has broadcasted what this cycle's allotment was going to be.

This should not be rushed.

This should take place on uh in July of next year as regularly scheduled.

Under this proposal, you could have shared utilities.

Some people have paid utilities, now other people will not pay utilities in that building.

Uh the goalposts are shifting mid-cycle, and it's regulatory whiplash that's unnecessary.

As it relates to the dependence and the conversation around that, it's been specifically about minor dependence.

That's what happened in committee.

That's what's in the LHD guidelines.

LHD current guidelines have minor dependents.

Council member Rahman herself stated if you have a second kid in your RSO unit, you should not have to pay another 10%.

Everything was in regards to the minor dependent provision.

So of the guards.

Thank you.

Next speaker.

So we are holding your time, but it is you you're not allowed to speak until you get to the podium.

So which items would you like to do that?

Mr.

Candido.

Yes, sir.

Good to see you, but which items would you like to speak to?

Well, I like to speak to all items that I'm able to speak on this because there was no twenty.

Hold on, your time's not running.

This is the special meeting.

So if you'd like all, if you would like all items.

If you're if you would like all items, you can stabilization.

So this is your first and only warning.

Please do not disrupt me when I'm trying to give you instructions for your public comment.

I I I know you want to provide public comment, and you will have an opportunity to do so.

Thank you.

And again, we have not started your time.

If you'd like all items, you have three minutes for the items during the special meeting, and that would be items 21 through 23.

General public comment will have to wait until we're back in the regular meeting along with everybody else who's here for general public comment.

So for now, you have three minutes for items 21 through 23.

Go ahead.

All right, thank you.

Uh rent stabilization.

You know, the other uh I think it was Tuesday's meeting or Wednesday, Wednesday's meeting.

I want to thank Ms.

Parks because she she brought forth all of her residents from the Palisades, and we really really got to see how much they're suffering, what they're going through uh through, and the fact the people that own condominiums, the uh people who owned mo uh motor homes or mobile homes, uh you know how they were going to be impacted by it.

Uh again, uh Ms.

Parks, uh, thank you for showing that.

And also that your your uh residents were showing us that they can't trust the insurance companies.

You must make sure you must uh uh be sure that your insurance policy is up to date.

Folks, they will do everything to decline uh uh uh uh a settlement.

So please make sure that your uh it's it's one of the things I have to worry in Port of Ranch.

Uh you know, uh we're we're vulnerable to fires all the time.

Uh and you know uh you know, Mr.

Lee, I'm gonna take you on right now.

You bring these wonderful groups, the VCC and back to the Mr.

Candido.

Mr.

Candito, hold on, your time is paused.

This is not on the agenda.

So I'm gonna ask that you please stick for the rest of your one minute and forty-seven seconds during the special meeting.

If you'd like to speak to items 22 or 23, you can.

You've already exhausted your one minute on 21.

If not, you will have your one minute for general public comment during the regular meeting.

Thank you.

I uh I think I said enough, and uh Ms.

Parks, thank you for bringing uh the residents of the Palisades into this hall.

Okay.

Next speaker.

Next next speaker, please come forward.

Are there any additional speakers on this item on the special?

Okay, there's no one in line for the special.

I will call Jesus Rojas, Christina Boyer, Nico Gardner, Maria Brionis, and Enrique.

Okay, I see a few people coming up, and again, we're waiting for those people to come up to the podium.

Uh this is the special meeting.

So if you're here to provide public comment on the special meeting agenda that is items 21 through 23, uh, make sure you sign up to do so.

If you are here for general public comment, then we will go to general public comment when we go back into the regular meeting.

Okay.

So maybe most people are here for general public comment, which means we'll we'll try to finish this part up.

Is there anyone here?

Is there anyone else here who is here for the special agenda?

If so, please come forward.

And if not, we'll we'll get to move to the other part of the agenda so you can speak generally.

And if I could have also have the interpreters make this announcement to the room as well.

So just to repeat what the council president has said, if you are here for the RSO item or any item on the special agenda, you can line up to speak at this time.

And if you're here for general public comment, we appreciate your patience.

We will get to that later on in the regular meeting.

Thank you.

Very shortly we will.

Okay.

Ma'am, are you here for that?

Go ahead.

Good morning or good afternoon.

Which items are here to speak to?

21.

Okay, so you have one minute.

Go ahead.

Okay.

We don't want any more chances changes on Larso except the CPI from uh the 90% to the 60%.

We already have work so hard and uh landlords have made so much money over the years 40 years and there had been no changes.

Uh Larso has to be voted and implemented ASAP before February, because we know that it coming June, I mean july um January, the landlords are gonna start uh sending the letters of uh the increments on the rent.

And I would like to thank uh Nidia Raman, Isabel Jurado, Unises Hernandez and Ugos Otto Martinez for being the champions of Larso.

Thank you very much.

We greatly appreciate your effort and all your support, and we also uh support uh the living wages for the workers.

Thank you very much.

Next speaker, one good afternoon.

Which items?

21 21?

Okay, so you have one minute.

Go ahead.

Hi, my name is Christina Boyer.

You know, I'm all about the RSO.

Please vote for version A.

Please vote it today.

I understand clarifications, but please don't let this be delayed anymore.

We really do need this in place before the February cliff.

Uh I appreciate council for voting this through.

Could be stronger, but happy to see it go through, and we support living wages.

Thank you.

Go ahead, speaker.

Hi, my name is Casus Rojas.

I'll be speaking on 21.

Okay.

So you have one minute.

Go ahead.

Uh we please ask you guys to take uh uh a deep consideration of what's gonna be passed today.

There's a lot more things that need to be looked at.

Uh we know that there's an amendment coming by about the one percent addition to small mommy pop owners with 10 units or or or less.

So please just take your time to really fully consider what what was being passed today.

Uh also there's a lot of language that is vague, so please uh we ask you guys to take your time and I'll pass it in February or not make it uh for it to be um applied in February, but of next year in July.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next speaker.

Good morning, everyone.

My name is Marta Castro.

Article 21.

And I'd like to give a general public comment and a comment on item 21.

Okay, so before she begins, and we'll restart her time.

Um can you please let the speaker know?

So you have one minute for the item.

General public comment will be later if you would like it at that time.

Okay.

Okay.

Adelante.

Hi, good morning.

My name is Marta Castro.

I'm an ACE member, and I am a small landlord, and I'm a constituent of District 10.

And if there's anything to change, it should be the 90% uh CPI to 60% CPI.

Larso should be voted on and implemented before February when many tenants are facing rent increases.

And having this motion would disrupt that timeline and affect a lot of tenants.

And these tenants would be subject to unfair rent increases.

Good morning.

Which items or good afternoon, which items.

21.

Okay, so you'll have one minute for the item for right now.

Go ahead.

Okay.

I'm an ACE member from District 9, and I'd like to ask my council member, Mr.

Curran Price to please work with his team to schedule a meeting with us.

And we're uh there's 10 families that uh have been asking for at least a phone meeting, and we're here um also giving public comment, so I'm not sure what else we need to do to get to him.

And if there's anything that needs to be changed, it would be the 90% CPI and have it changed to a 60% CPI.

Please vote for version A.

La lay Larso de Votarse implementarse antes de February.

And this is when most tenants end up uh getting their rent increases.

And by uh having this motion, it would disrupt that timeline and cause a lot of tenants to face unfair um uh unfair rent increases.

Please vote for version A.

Thank you.

Um Article 21.

Item 21.

Okay, so you have one minute, go ahead.

I live in District 14.

So uh I'm here because I'm tired of seeing people having to live on the streets with their families.

And if there's anything to change to this Larso ordinance, it would be to change the CPI from 90% to 60%.

Larzo must be voted on and implemented before February because that's when most tenants are facing their rent increases.

And by having this motion it would disrupt the timeline, which would subject many tenants to unfair and unnecessary rent increases as well as evictions.

So it's time to vote now.

Please vote on version A.

Hola Wenos Dias.

Hi, my name is Maria Sanchez, and I'm here to comment on item 21.

I am from ACE and I'm also a tenant.

If there's anything to change, it needs to be from the 90% CPI to 60% CPI.

And that's when most tenants are facing their rent increases.

And this motion would disrupt that timeline and put uh tenants at risk.

And these tenants would be at risk for of unfair and unnecessary rent increases.

Please vote for version A.

Thank you.

Thank you for your support.

Good afternoon.

Which items?

21, please.

So you have one minute.

Go ahead.

Thank you.

My name is Lena.

I'm a tenant organizer with Sage and a tenant in District 13.

Also here speaking in for in support of version A of the Larso ordinance.

Again, as we're all sharing, please enact version A of this ordinance without delay.

This version A accurately represents the motion approved by this council in line with the intent to remove extra increases for additional dependent occupants.

Councilmember Nazarian, I definitely understand the desire to clarify the language around dependence, but please do not let this derail us voting on this historic ordinance.

Many, many Larso tenants, as my companies have shared, will be receiving their rent increases on February 1st.

And we need to ensure that they also can enjoy the benefits of this ordinance.

We and you have all worked too hard on this to allow there for be to be more delays for people to not get these really important benefits in this year of crisis after crisis for Angelino.

So please stand with renters and get this past the finish line.

So we have one minute.

And under the rules you all approved just a few weeks ago, it would lower the rent increase to 3%.

If we don't give this through now, it would be 4%.

The next percent means a lot to people who are on fixed incomes, people who you know live paycheck to paycheck, people who need your help, your support.

So I understand that you feel things are moving fast, but this report came out a year ago, and we sat on it for a year and didn't make take action.

So let's get this done today.

Let's get this through so we can help these people who need our help, and then we can figure out all the rest as we go forward.

Thank you very much for your time.

Have a great day.

Speaker, which I would you like to speak to.

Hi, good afternoon.

My name is uh Eloisa.

I would like to comment on um item 21 and public comment.

Uh there is no general public comment in this part of the meeting.

But estaparte de la brunion no se va acceptable commentary general for hours, but she put our commentary in the 21.

And you can give general comment when we go back into the regular meeting.

If there's anything that should be changed to Larso, it should be the CPI from 90% to 60%.

Nothing else should be changed on Larso.

Larso needs to be voted on and implemented right now.

This is a need for all of the tenants.

You all know that we in California are facing a crisis and an emergency because of the rates with ice and everything else.

Even the supervisors voted.

And you please council members, please listen to me.

All the people that you brought here were immigrants from El Salvador.

And you're all here.

It's not funny.

This isn't a joke.

You're all here kneeling before the corporate billionaires just so that they can fund your re-election campaigns.

The people here need you to work for them, not for the the working class, not for the corporate billionaires like Blackstone.

Which items would you like to speak to?

Item 21.

Okay, you'll have one minute.

My name is Elizabeth Hernandez, and it's really important that uh I mean, I'm actually very disappointed with some of your council members on the vote on Larso.

Uh you know, we have been mobilizing our communities.

We have been mobilizing uh the people out, knocking doors, and they're make the time to come and do public comment while you all, you know, having side conversations.

You know, it's important that uh Larso, it has to be implemented, it has to be finished, it has to be voted before February.

Uh, most of these tenants are gonna get races and uh on their underrent.

And also it's important for you guys to vote on the version A.

And yes, I agree it's important for us to define uh also you know who what what dependent means in our in our household because we also want to uh be clear on that.

Uh but uh I also want to take this few seconds to please ask current price.

I keep coming, emailing, calling for a meeting for the tenants.

Now one of the tenants is here, lives in an RSO building, and they're having a lot of harassment.

Please listen and have your stopping.

Which items would you like to speak to?

Item 21, item 22.

All right, you'll have two minutes.

Okay, item 21.

In my opinion, this item should receive a no vote unless wording is added that will include funding for investigation of what these incompetent clowns of the Sleazy Council did when the city was burning to the ground, and another investigation of where the billions in homeless funds were siphoned.

And in my opinion, a no vote if criminally insane indicted in on trial, criminal current price, and poverty pin Heather Hudd, Bob Genocide Bloomfield, and Sleazy Marquisi Dawson are allowed to vote.

Item number 22.

Same thing in my opinion.

This item should receive a no vote unless wording is added and will include funding for an investigation of what these incompetent clowns of the Sleezy Council did when the city was burning to the ground.

And another investigation of where the billions of homeless funds were siphoned.

And in my opinion, a no vote is if criminally insane indicted and on trial criminal current price, poverty pimp Heather Hutt, Bob Genocide Bloomfield, and Sleazy Marquisi Dawson are allowed to vote.

These items are the best these clowns can come up with in the face of tens of thousands of homeless conditions that they created.

Speaker, what chatters would you like to speak to?

21.

You'll have one minute.

My name is Hassan.

I'm a resident in District Gate.

I am with Ace.

Um Sarian, McCosker, Bob, Marquis.

I brought you small landers.

You have spoken to them.

You have heard them.

It's not in good faith that you hear today telling me that you want to fix things when you had two motherfucking years to have those conversations with our community.

We approach you, we make ton holes, we make calls, we made emails, and today you decide to have this conversation about little stuff.

It's not in good faith.

We had those conversations.

We'd met with you multiple times.

We asked you what was your questions around those things.

We got our signatures.

So get it together.

Let's bot on it.

Yeah, if you want to discuss it next year, let's do it.

But let's make sure that we protect huge amounts of renters in our community.

Thank you.

All right, that concludes public comments.

Uh Madam Clerk, what's before us?

The council may now vote on items 22 and 23.

All right.

Uh seeing no comments on the queue on that item, let's open the roll.

Close the roll, tabulate the vote.

14 ayes.

All right.

What's next?

Item 21 is before council.

Councilmember Price has requested to be recused.

Allow Council Member Price to recuse.

We'll see if there are members on the queue.

If not, uh Councilmember Park.

All right, we'll hold a second.

Can you tell us, Madam Clerk, exactly what's before us at this time?

The amending motion, Nazarian McCosker is before council.

If the council would like to take up the item separately, there's another motion, Herado Soda Martinez to uh move the version A of the ordinance.

All right, and those two things disagree with each other, yes?

No, they don't.

Okay.

Councilmember Park?

Okay.

Councilmember Hernandez.

Yes, can we have the city attorney come here and speak with us?

Thank you.

Absolutely.

Yes, we are working on this right now.

And to review the budget.

All right.

Uh members, the uh this council meeting will go into recess for uh 15 minutes.

City attorney is asking for time to resolve some of the questions that I think people have.

Uh Councilmember McCosker.

In case your box is on city attorney, somewhere out there, dependent shall mean a qualifying child and or a qualifying relevant relative as defined by the IRS, including requirements related to relationship support, gross income, and filing status, comma, without regard to residency status.

Just a proposal.

Councilmember Hernandez.

Since we're putting it out there, if y'all could also think about how what are the implications to our immigrant communities who perhaps aren't tied to the IRS, who perhaps having to be tied to the IRS, will put a red flag on them.

I'd like to know information about that.

Thank you.

Got it.

Um Councilmember Soto Martinez.

Thank you so much, Mr.

President.

Um I I am I am in in theory and in concept supportive of the amendment that Mr.

Nazarin has put forward.

I think it does clarify some some things.

Yes, thank you, Mr.

Soto Martinez.

I'm committed to getting something out of council today.

And if we have to, if it means we have to come back to this issue, we come back to it.

But the city attorney is right now working on uh developing developing a version that we can uh vote on today.

Councilmember Jurado.

Yes, Council President.

I want to echo what Council Member Salton Martinez said about the urgency of getting something out there.

That's why I move for option A.

Um, if there's too much ambiguity and not enough time for the city attorney to properly review this, I'm fully supportive of clarifying the definition.

I would move to bifurcate it or take this amendment and bring it back to committee so we can iron it out further, and we can just vote on the item as it stands right now.

Uh councilmember Park.

Thank you, Council President.

I just have some questions for city attorney and housing department, but I'll wait.

Okay.

Mr.

Nazarian.

That we're gonna take you, Council President.

Since we're all speaking right now, I'll just take a minute to make sure that I address some of the issues that came up from the public comment as well.

One of the reasons why I made sure that we read this into the record is so that it happens before the public comment actually started so that the issue is known and can have the opportunity to be addressed.

Second, the reason why I wanted to read it in full context was so that we know exactly what we're getting.

The IRS code is in black and white, and the two exclusions that I'm asking for actually have to do with residency as well as making sure that dependency of six-month requirement doesn't become an issue.

So all of that was accounted for to make sure that we're addressing these issues.

This is really technical in nature.

I know it was a lot of reading, but that was done in order to make sure that there isn't anything being missed or misaligned or misaddressed because we want to make sure this amendment, which is technical in nature, gets out of the floor today with the ordinance and is done so that we're not working on it again.

That was the whole intent of this.

So this is not gonna delay.

Thank you so much, uh, Mr.

Zarian, and appreciate the spirit of your contribution here.

I think uh certainly the opinion of the chair is uh we need to pass something today, uh, and we need to pass something as complete as possible.

Uh so we'll do that.

I think the city attorney has arrived uh and can join us at the desk.

And I I think the basic uh question is uh we're trying to tighten uh belt and belt and suspenders, as councilmember Bloom and Phil says, the definition of dependent to protect both tenants and landlords, uh, because we don't want a situation where a landlord can decide someone's not a dependent, and uh we don't want a situation where a landlord can't determine uh establishing independent.

So uh that's what's before us.

Uh we need to vote today.

Um so if you could speak to that issue.

Yeah, sure.

Thank you, uh Council President.

Uh Deputy City Attorney Peter Wolford from the Housing Division of the City Attorney's Office.

Um we've we've thought about this and we've discussed it quite a bit this morning.

Our recommendation would be that um the specific issue of the amendment to work on the definition of dependent.

Um we'd recommend that we do that separately.

It definitions are tricky and uh we want to make sure we get it accurate and 100% correct.

So our recommendation that if that is moved to committee we would work on it.

And my understanding is actually when we were speaking off to the side that that uh motion was already made by Councilmember Herado.

All right, all right.

Pardon me.

You sure?

All right, uh Councilmember Park.

Councilmember Park, did you have anything for the city attorney?

I I do.

Thank you.

Um, and this is actually a question for um maybe the city attorneys can offer it, can answer it.

Uh, maybe we need some additional input from housing, but um, what is the process for publicizing annual rental increases?

Uh as I understand council member, the housing department issues a votes in every year.

Uh I think the deadline is by May 30th.

So the for the uh the annual period that's going into effect, it's uh it's published by that date, and then it's widely published on their website and as well as in bulletins.

We have and actually uh Miss Anna Ortega from LHD can give more detail if you like.

Good morning, councilwoman.

Yes, um city attorney is correct.

The housing department publicizes it every year.

Umly through the annual bill that's sent to landlords, it's on our website.

We uh publish it in a newspaper various ways.

It's on all of our informational materials since it's a very important aspect of the RSO that everybody wants to know.

And that is done on or before May 30th of every year.

That's what the ordinance says, but actually we know the amounts in normal years.

We know the percentages in October, so we start publicizing it in October.

The annual bill goes out at the end of December or January.

So January is a big month when a lot of people get that information.

So as long as it's before that May 30th deadline got it.

So if I'm understanding this correctly, uh right that in May of last year, we told our housing providers that their annual allowed rental increase for the fiscal year would be three percent plus utilities, and now it may be three percent without utilities.

Is that right?

Well, we knew that this issue was under review, so for the past year or so, we've been saying the current percentage is three percent unless uh modified by the city council.

So we've been uh advertising that and warning people of that for many months.

So I just I it seems that there may it would be important to follow the same process that we have in place and that we've used this year already to notify uh providers and tenants of the annual increase.

Um when we requested this ordinance last month, um, I expected we were following our our usual process.

So how is this change here?

How are you going to get notice out to the impacted universe in a way that is consistent with the commitments we've already made?

So again, the um it would go out to all landlords with all notifications.

It would be part of the uh registration certificates that landlords receive when they register that rental unit.

The time the timing is is very good because that happens right now at this time of year when the we're getting ready to send the bills out, um, because the annual payment period is January through February, so that is good timing.

We'll put it on our our website and in all of our seminars, and just in all of the informational materials that we normally send out, but um January is a high volume time for us, so um that's a good time to inform the public about any changes.

Okay.

How far in advance um can a housing provider notify a tenant of a rental increase?

I I mean I know there's a minimum of 30 days, but is there also a ceiling?

I think the relevant code section is 8 to 7 of the civil code, and I would have to check.

I don't think it's prohibited to have a longer notice period, but I would want to confirm that, and I could do so separately.

Okay.

Um page four of the draft ordinance in the first paragraph.

It says, and I'm quoting an annual rent increase not previously noticed and served during the period beginning July 1st, 2025 through June 30th, 2026 shall comply with this subsection.

Any such rent increase shall not exceed 3% and shall not include any additional increase based on the housing provider's payment of utilities.

Does that mean that if a housing provider notices a rental increase before the effective date of the ordinance, they can still charge for additional utilities?

Yes, that's what that means.

Okay.

Um I'm gonna thank you for that.

So I'm gonna switch gears and ask about the dependence.

Um during our deliberations last month, I understood that the removal of an additional rental increase for dependents was specific to dependent miners.

Um this draft doesn't include that qualifier, and instead we're using other definitions.

Um I think the language was the subsection shall not apply for any dependent added to an existing tennis tenancy.

So in our version, there is no definition of dependent, is that right?

Or in the original version.

Yes, excuse me, council member.

If if I understand what you're asking, version A includes an update to the eviction provision relating to additional occupants, which currently covers uh the first two dependent minors and uh the first additional adult occupant uh it updates it to just to address additional uh dependents as well as the additional adult occupant.

Uh version B has no change, it just simply excludes that change.

So it's there for the uh council to consider.

So there's no change to the eviction provision for overoccupancy in version B.

Do our LAHD guidelines or have a definition, or are there any other existing definitions in our own City of LA codes?

Uh as to dependent, Councilmember.

There is a reference to in the definition of qualifying tenant in 151.02 of the LAMC, which is the definition section of the RSO, there is a reference to uh let me just find it for you.

Um thank you.

So there's a de there's a reference to qualify a qualified tenant.

Um it includes um a person residing with and on whom the person is legally dependent, as and then it says in parentheses as determined for federal income tax purposes, and then it says one or more minor children.

So that's the only reference I'm aware of of uh the federal tax guidelines as to dependent.

But there isn't a sort of a separate definition of dependent in the RSO.

So absent adopting some other version or definition, such as what you know, Councilmember Nizarian has proposed.

Would that just allow anyone to be added to a tenancy?

Well, they would the I mean I think it's a really a question of interpretation.

So it you know, a a judge, for example, can look at uh the definitions and the material in the RSO and determine what um what is intended by the word dependent in the absence of uh a specific definition.

Right.

Um I guess in either scenario, lacking a definition or choosing one that we all agree on and want to move forward, what even in either scenario, what is the recourse or is there any recourse for a landlord if someone claims to be a dependent but they aren't or they don't meet the test, what are the recourses?

Well, these are the kind of so did I mean these this is the kind of issue that can be litigated, excuse me, for example, in an unlawful detainer uh provision and an unlawful detainer proceeding.

So if there's a factual if there's a factual dispute, then um that's a potential remedy if if, for example, there was a belief that there was a fraudulent representation.

Okay.

All right, thank you.

I don't have any other questions, Council President.

Thank you so much.

Councilmember Padilla.

Not for the city attorney when the vote comes, please.

Okay.

Uh Councilmember Nazarian McCosker.

Is that are we now definitely?

Okay.

Yes.

Thank you very much, Councilmember Park.

I mean, for those questions really focus it.

And without clarification in the ordinance, this issue of dependent, which is important, an important issue, is one that might possibly be litigated, which is the worst possible place, the least efficient place to be able to do any of this stuff.

And so I think we'll only we have a few options.

One is to amend it right now on the floor, and I read something that apparently the city attorney is not comfortable with just because on timing.

The other is to move this thing and direct uh an amendment as quickly as possible, which we know is also problematic.

A third, and maybe not mutually exclusive option would be to look at the rent adjustment commission provisions in the code.

Uh section 15103.

The rent uh adjustment commission, which is an appointed commission by the mayor, has a subsection B in that section say the commission shall be responsible for carrying out the provisions of this chapter, which includes all everything we're doing today.

It shall have the authority to issue orders, promulgate policies, rules, and regulations to effectuate the purposes of this chapter.

Goes on to read more.

We could send this to the rent adjustment commission and say we want a clear definition so that owners and tenants understand what the rule is.

Again, we don't want judges deciding this.

That's an efficient, expensive, painful, terrible way of making law.

We should make the law.

So I'm just gonna ask you to respond to that.

I mean, I would propose that we change the language right now.

If we can't do that, direct the change language, and if we're gonna direct a change in language given the time that that might take, that we also send this to the rent adjustment commission.

Yes, thank you, Councilmember.

Most of our reports, when we're recommending policy changes, the council adopts the policy and the ordinance, but there's often nuances to the implementation that our recommendation is always to instruct the rent adjustment commission with the assistance of LAHD to promulgate any rules or regulations to implement the ordinance.

So the Rent Adjustment Commission, you know, is a citizen commission adopted uh appointed by the mayor uh who they can't change the the wording or intent of the ordinance, but they can add to it and expand it and add definitions, and so it's the perfect vehicle to resolve issues like this.

So a modest proposal, what if we move the language today, which I think is important for all the reasons we've heard.

I mean, move the underlying policy today with the ordinance.

Direct this city attorney to return with a definition of dependent consistent with this discussion, and in the meantime direct the rent adjustment commission to begin implementation within that policy parameter.

That that is a possible way to handle this, yes.

Councilmember uh Jurado?

For the record, I just wanted to show that I have moved for I move to move forward version A of the RSO presented in item 21 and have Councilmember Nazarian's amendment heard in committee.

And so just want to make sure that I correct the record for the city clerk.

And then the second thing is I want to add uh following up on Councilmember McCosker's recommendation.

It sounded like from your analysis that the RAC interprets after the council has and the city attorney have decided what the ordinance is, and then they add, they add a they clarify after, right?

That's correct.

And so my fear is actually this would create more ambiguity because the RAC would define a definition, and then the city attorney brings a new definition, and then after that we have to redo it all over again, which to council member Park's point, it provides too much instability for the notices.

Now this landlord has to reconcile maybe in the next year of this is the definition of dependent, now this is the definition of dependent, and now this is the definition of dependent.

And so that's why I stand by moving council member Nazarian's um definition into committee so we can hammer it out, where uh great mindsight council member McCosker will also be so that we can clarify it and then give it to the RAC so it'll be more streamlined.

All right, uh Mr.

Nazarian.

You're still on the board.

Um this is what they call an alley oop.

So I was uh thank you, Council President, and I don't know what happened to your 15-minute recess.

Um I think they gave us the answer, so I don't we don't need the recess at this point, but yeah.

Okay.

Um I wanted these amendments to be made today because I want us to vote on it.

I don't want us to send anything else to another committee or to let a non-elected body make decisions that we are responsible for making.

So if I can kindly ask that we do take the 15 minutes and figure this out right now, because part of the challenge in all of this is that we get one piece of information when we're having a conversation, and then we hear something different here.

So I want to clarify this right now, and I want us to vote on language right now.

Council President, if you don't mind, let's take the 15-minute break.

Well, yeah, and I'm not sure we need a 15-minute break because they've given us their opinion uh on this matter.

Uh, but I got council member Hernandez on the queue.

Council President.

My questions were uh in relation to uh immigrant families and mixed status families, what the impacts will be with these new def uh uh new changes on the on with the amendment, and also for same-sex marriages and same-sex couples.

What will be the impact there?

And if we don't have an answer, then I agree with council member jurado that we should send this to committee to get those answers because that's a huge population of our communities.

Both of those.

You're referring to council members specifically to the definition of dependent.

Yes.

I'm just thinking about like, you know, people's family members have been kidnapped by the feds, which has left young people in precarious situations of now different housing uh statuses.

So I want to know what does that look like, and also with you know the impacts of the federal government on also changing certain laws and impacting certain committees, such as our LGBTQIA plus community.

I want to know if there's going to be any impact on same-sex couples and their children and their families.

Council member John Heath for the city attorney.

I think I'm jumping in front of my colleague, but I think we'd want to be careful with how we respond to that and make sure we have ample time to do that assessment.

Thank you.

I would hope that we do that too, because it's these communities are very important to us, and we don't want to make decisions today where there's unforeseen consequences in the future.

All right, folks, uh, I got uh Mr.

Soto Martinez on the queue, but uh it's it seems mad of that we've got a few amendments before us.

Mr.

Padilla's asked for a vote on uh I'm sorry, Mr.

Nazarin has asked for a vote on his councilmember Jurado put forward uh motion to send that motion to committee.

Uh and I still have council member Padilla and Soto Martinez on the queue.

So uh before I go to uh uh Councilmember Soto Martinez, I think Councilmember Padilla wants to be heard during the actual vote.

Uh can you tell us what's before us and in what order?

Councilmember Jurado's restated motion to move version A of the ordinance and refer amendment Nazarian McCosker to committee.

If I can please confirm that Soto Martinez is still the second for that motion.

And also to confirm that would be the housing and homelessness committee.

So that would be before council first.

All right.

Um so is there any discussion uh any discussion on this particular amendment?

Councilmember Lee.

Does that end debate?

Yeah, I'm about to call for I'm about to open the roll on on that on Councilmember Jurado's amendment, which is to send Mr.

Nazarian's amendment to committee for further consideration.

Just the definition part of it.

All right.

Yeah, okay.

So there are a second to them.

So Councilmember Hernandez has called the question on this amendment.

Is there and Councilmember has seconded it?

Uh, not everybody has spoken on this twice.

A motion to call the question is not debatable, so it requires 10 votes.

So if you would like to continue discussion on this amendment, then you would vote no on calling the question.

If you would like to call the vote now immediately on the amendment, then you would vote yes to call the question.

Again, the so if you haven't spoken yet at all, and and council member Bloomfield has indicated he has not been given the opportunity to speak, then you should vote no on the motion to call the question.

He doesn't get to speak automatically?

Never mind, never because the attorney didn't I thought everybody got to speak once, no?

Okay.

All right.

If you would like to allow the speaker, you would vote thank you.

Okay.

I just got put in my place.

Thank you, Mr.

City Attorney.

All right.

All right.

So let's uh open the roll on ending debate on council member Jurado's amendment.

Close the roll, tabulate to vote.

Nine eyes for no's.

There you go.

Mr.

Blumenfield.

Okay.

Well, what I want to, I mean, uh, it seemed to me like this issue, we're arguing over something that's not going to really make much of a difference in the sense that if we if it goes back to committee and we change the definition, uh and then that when when does that definition go into effect?

And the practical impact is we're worried about somebody potentially being evicted or being charged a little bit more, but if we can get this done before uh February, it seems like it's not gonna have any impact.

Is that right?

Like what's the what's the danger in not in if if we fix the definition in committee and got it done in a couple of weeks?

I'm not sure what's at stake.

Yeah, I think um I'm just trying to think this through.

I if this passes today or very soon, then potentially an amendment could be heard really before it becomes a practically an issue in, say, like eviction court or somewhere like that.

But I'm I'm not entirely sure of the the timing council member, so I'd want to think about that a little bit more and respond.

But um yes, if it is fixed before the effective date, uh then um it doesn't seem to me likely that it would affect like uh court cases that go forward from that date.

So but I want to think about it.

We're not gonna see them for months, I mean months.

I mean that nobody goes to court that quickly.

So anyway, I I'm fine with sending it back to committee because not because I don't think it's important to get it done, but be I don't think there's any effective impact on whether we do it right now or whether we get it done in committee in a little bit.

I think we all want the same thing in terms of the definition.

So I don't think it's really a policy difference.

I think it's just a timing issue, and it sounds to me like there's no real impact to waiting a few weeks.

But if I'm wrong, I want to know what that impact is.

But seems fine to me.

All right.

Uh Mr.

Lee?

So can you explain to me as far as the February, July 1st?

Historically, it's been July 1st.

We prepare the notices go out in June, but because of the eviction moratorium, some notices went out in February?

No.

No.

Um the annual rent increase takes effect every July 1st, but we start publicizing it usually somewhere between the fall of the prior year and again in January of the year.

So the the percentage is set for the fiscal year, but the amount is known, the percentage is known ahead of time, and we publicize it ahead of time.

In this particular year that's coming up in 2026, a lot of landlords and tenants have a February 1st um anniversary date.

Right.

And they have to give at least 30 days, landlords have to give at least a 30-day notice.

So they would be looking to give that notice uh on January 1st.

Right.

So why would we have it on two different dates?

Why not just move that back in the in in subsequent years?

Won't they have it uh in in February again?

There's no building?

Well, there's no magic date or or required prescribed date.

It has to be at least 12 months from the prior rent increase that landlords notified tenants about.

But it happens throughout the year.

It's just that the rate goes into effect each July 1st.

And this year it makes even less difference because the rate now is 3%, and the rate on July 1st, 2026 will be 3%.

So it so I I still don't understand.

Those that that increase the rate on February, they this will go in effect in July or February for them?

It goes into effect when the ordinance takes effect, and from that then on, they have to go by this new formula.

So that's when the law takes effect.

In practical terms, it really won't make a difference because it's three percent under all of the scenarios.

And it just has to be 12 months since the last range of the.

No, it does make a difference.

There's what about the utilities?

Yeah, well, it does make a difference for the utilities, but that's a minority of the rental properties.

That's that's 19% or there still is a difference then.

The 19% still to me is close to one fifth, it's still a difference.

Yes, but that's not tied to July 1st.

That's tied to the effective date of this amendment.

So whenever this amendment takes effect, the 1% will be eliminated, unless the landlord already gave notice of the 1%.

And the 1% that uh I proposed an amendment that was sent to committee, and of course, not scheduled to be heard on the special to get this ordinance through.

If we were to pass that in in uh let's just say March, that would then affect everyone.

When?

It was April?

It would affect everyone that gives a notice after March, after the effective date in March.

If they've already given notice, then the way that it's currently drafted, um the notice that's already been given would govern.

And just the Housing Department, like I'm reading this amendment regarding the IRS.

Do you have access?

Do you do you know like an IRS, the code to know how many dependents are defined under IRS that live in the household?

We do actually refer to the IRS code for definitions of dependent for other programs like for rental assistance.

Okay, so landlord has that knowledge of under the IRS code how many people are legally allowed to be classified as dependents.

I just want to make sure that because I just don't know how that's going to be enforced.

I mean, I don't like either scenario.

I don't know why, you know, I'm I'm okay with with it the definition as is, but you're saying that housing department understands as defined under the IRS code regarding dependence.

You know how to and landlords know that information as well.

I can't speak to what landlords know, but uh the housing department does refer to the IRS code.

Okay, so if they checked with you, would you be able to let them know?

When these cases come to us usually when there's a dispute dispute between the landlord and the tenant, and yes, we would inform the landlord of our analysis and our findings.

Okay.

Okay.

So, you know, colleagues, you know, uh again, I just want to express you know uh my concern that we're being asked to consider the draft RSO ordinance that the city attorney released two days ago, that that there's significant policy and major implications for both housing providers and tenants, and again, this had an opportunity to go to committee and to be heard in committee, and for us to hammer out all these different little questions that we have, including there was a special agenda, my amendment uh to help small um mom and pop landlords who own less than 10, that additional one percent is not heard.

I have I this being considerable legislation, I would have thought that that would be heard along with it, but that wasn't.

I just it's the absence of that today just reflects a missed opportunity.

This council constantly says we should not we should stop grouping mom and pops and corporations in the same bucket, and we had that opportunity to discuss that, and it's it's it's it's just empty words, it's just empty words.

We sent that and we had the opportunity here to this, and again this issue is waived.

You know, I don't I don't understand why the the definition has been clear since when the definition of dependence.

I'm sorry, I don't understand that question.

It's been many, many years, and it seems to have worked.

I I just this whole process of us having significant legislation just moved and sped along quickly so we can just hurry up and get a vote on it is not what I think our our constituents expect from this body.

So I will be voting no on this.

I would be voting no on the uh you know I will accept the amendment if if you're saying that they they they can come to you and in a matter of a dispute, but again, I just want to uh register my disappointment that this item wasn't discussed at all in committee.

Yes.

All right, I've got uh council member Soto Martinez, Councilmember Nazarian Councilmember Nazarian.

All right.

For anyone watching this right now, I I feel for you, and I don't blame you for being frustrated with your government.

We advised the city attorney to come back with an ordinance.

One, not two.

You came back with two, which created confusion.

So some of us try to address that confusion by making sure we define it, give the definition needed in order to make sure there isn't future confusion.

When we asked questions, when my staff asked questions of you and came up with this language, it was technical and it was fine.

You come to the table to the desk, and that's changed all of a sudden.

So I don't know whether this confusion is done on purpose with certain intent, or you really don't have the answer.

Or you really don't have the answer.

Which, if that's the case, my staff should not have gotten the wrong information.

But I don't think you gave the wrong information.

I think you're just creating confusion now.

This was a simple definition.

That's all it was.

And I tried to make it as simple as possible by saying the I let's go with the IRS language.

But take away the whole citizenship issue so that no one is thrown out or evicted on that, based on that.

It's as simple as that.

And somehow it's led to a 30, 40 minute conversation and confusion.

Can you simply put a definition into this motion so we can vote on it and get it out or not?

I want a clear answer right now.

Councilmember, that's directed to the city attorney's office.

Yes, it is.

So you gave me something, my staff, you gave something, you you gave a response half an hour ago, an hour ago, with confidence, and now it's flipped.

You're making a great case of why the city attorney shouldn't be elected.

Who are you working for?

All right, Mr.

Nazari, we got a number of notions.

No, no, no, no.

I'm sorry, Council President.

No, no, this is the first one.

This is going to the crux.

This is going to the crux of issues that we have in this body.

I need a definition right now.

I asked for a simple definition.

So we can vote on it right now.

You've mangled it up right now.

So I want clarity.

So council member, can I just address your comments?

Um there's a difference between writing a motion or preparing a motion and a definition.

For example, after it became apparent the IRS guidelines also have things like residency, like periods of residency.

Like the IRS says talks about if you're you're a dependent, if you're uh in residency for 12 months.

So the concern I have, and it's a very honest, straightforward concern, is I I don't want to I don't want to write a very definition that might miss something important.

Um if in in a in real time, why didn't you give that answer before?

I didn't, I wasn't aware.

I have to No, no, you we we wrote this with your assistance.

I council member, I didn't I didn't know about the for example about the residency issue.

I have to review it.

I mean, I'm I'm happy to try it and produce a reasonable working definition, but I'm just saying if it's it's optimal to take a bit of time and produce a definition that really crosses uh dots all the I's and crosses all the T's, that's all I'm saying.

I'm not saying I I'm not saying we we can't, I'm just saying it's it's always better to take time because definitions are tricky, that's all I'm saying.

I'm not disputing anything you're saying.

I'm just saying it's difficult to produce and a precise definition.

And and Mr.

Nazaren, you have a definition that they gave you uh that that now there's some question cast upon.

This council can take a vote on that and dispose of that, and I'm suggesting that we do that now.

So with that, I want to call the question.

Is there a second to that motion?

All right, so I'm gonna ask that the members of the audience please.

I understand there's a lot of people who are interested in in this specific item, but we need to be able to hear each other, and the clerk's office or the city clerk just asked if there's a second to the council president's motion to call the question on this.

And I'm it's being indicated that council member council member Hernandez is the second, uh as we discussed earlier, it is not debatable.

I do not believe everybody's spoken twice yet, so the vote threshold is still 10.

All right, let's open the roll, close the roll, tabulate the vote.

Twelve eyes.

All right.

Mr.

Lee would like to be recorded as a no vote.

That would be 11 ayes and one no, the motion still passes.

All right, and so the question that has been called is council member jurado's motion to send the definition as proposed by Mr.

Nazarian's amendment to committee for further consideration.

All right.

And to move version A.

All right.

What's up?

One more time.

What's on the table is there is a motion.

I'm sorry, an amendment by Councilmember Jurado to send the definition or the amendment that Mr.

Nazarian submitted to committee for further consideration.

Now you would like to speak.

All right, Councilmember Puddy.

You know, I want to also I want to I very much I haven't spoken.

And I was trying to I'm sorry, I want to clarify it.

So the rules are quite clear when it comes to calling the question.

However, are you looking to speak to the amendment or speak to the approval of the item?

Because for the clarity of everybody here, the amendment.

This is all right.

Please vote yes for reconsideration.

All right, let's reconsider to open the roll and reconsideration of closing debate.

Close the roll, tabulate the vote.

12 eyes.

All right, Councilmember Petia.

You know, I understand um councilmember's least frustration with this habit of sending things to committee, and then they get waived at a committee, and then this committee has a habit of whenever they don't agree with something or they find it to be too controversial, they push it right over back over to us.

And I just want to say that I find that to be incredibly disrespectful and incredibly irresponsible.

So I do think I would like for Mr.

Nazarian's uh motion to go back to committee.

Um I'm not a fan as it stands because I actually was going to talk about how I think that this is not good for um young people who go to college and then want to come back.

But guess what?

I really hope that it can be discussed and elaborated in committee.

So what I just want to say is if we keep making amending motions, dear housing and homeless committee, please do the work.

And if you don't understand what the original intent is of some of these motions, you are more than welcome to talk to the individuals who make these motions for more clarification before it gets back to council.

So with that being said, best bet believe that I'm gonna be going to the homeless and housing committee to defend and push that you actually do some work related to John Lee's motion related to separating the definition between a small um landlord versus one that is not.

But I will be also voting that we push Mr.

Nazarian's to the committee, but please take some time to do the work, do some time to work with the council members who are trying to you know bring something up, because we're very accessible.

So I just want to throw that out there as we continue to now vote for the next thing.

I will be voting that Mr.

Nazarians didn't get go to committee, but I really hope that the update is not oh, it was waived, and that we're back here again in council fighting over why nothing was done or researched.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Councilmember Padilla.

All right, this question is now before us.

The amendment is to send the proposed definition in Councilmember Hernandez.

It was she's right.

Madam Clerk, can you clarify?

Thank you.

It was stated by Councilmember Hurado to refer the amending motion, Nazarian McCosker to the housing and homelessness committee and move version A of the ordinance.

Wait for the city attorney to give us a reset.

All right.

So we're we're gonna move here.

Uh we've got an amendment before us by Councilmember Jurado.

That amendment does is sends the Nazarian amendment to Housing and Homelessness Committee for further consideration.

And it moves uh option A.

If you are in favor of hearing Councilmember Nazarian's motion today, you vote no.

If you are in favor of sending it to committee and hearing it later, you vote yes.

I I think that's what's before us.

So Mr.

City Attorney.

That is correct.

And by voting By voting yes.

By voting yes on amendment Harado Soto Martinez, you would also be approving the underlying version A because that was what the amendment said, or what motion Herado Sotomartine said.

All right.

Close the roll, tabulate to vote.

Nine yeses, two no's.

And once you get to the podium, you can begin speaking because the only item is general public comment.

So you have one minute.

Go ahead.

Good morning, Council members.

Merry Christmas to all.

I would like to thank Mr.

Bob Bloomenfield and staff for hosting a wonderful Christmas party last night.

Mr.

Bloomfield staff was so welcome welcoming to all who attended.

We were honored to donate seven large bags of toys and clothes to the party.

When Candido and I asked friends and neighbors to help donate Mr.

Bloomfield's holiday party, they were happy to persist participate.

Thank you, Mr.

Bloomfield, for making residence throughout the city.

Welcome to the third district.

And before the next speaker comes up, uh Mr.

President, would you like to have the motions that have been introduced so far today be posted and referred?

Posted and referred.

All right.

Next speaker.

Yes, hello.

I know you guys are tired.

My name is Elita Morales.

I am working for a flying food group, and I'm here representing United Local Eleven.

We ask that you guys stay firm for your vote on the Olympic wage.

The vote that you guys made have actually changed my life.

And now I can uh help support me and my family and enjoy quality time with them as well.

I urge you guys to stay to stay working hard and strong and firm in this in this work.

Thank you so much.

Speaker, you have one minute.

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

I would like to ask why Lori Laughlin and Felicity Huffman got sent to jail for only attempting to bribe people when Irene Vasquez and Academia Semias del Pueblo Charter School has been bribing DW plea and LA County court and hall of records employees with UCLA admission by falsely claiming authorizing their relatives as Native Americans and then using their UCLA contacts like Kevin Terraciano and Teo Ruiz to get them into the UCLA Native American program when they don't qualify or meet basic UC requirements.

Irene Vasquez's own daughter, Ivan Vasquez, who's half white and half Iranian, got into UCLA with a 1.6 GPA and one elective.

Samias del Pueblo has been bribing people with UCLA admission in exchange for political favors.

Speaker, you'll have one minute.

So I'm here to represent the people and let you know that we will unseat every single one of you, every single one.

Because you work for us, and every week we come in here for months.

And we have provided testimony, evidence of illegal actions by LAPD and their use of force with military grade weapons against peaceful protesters.

You have the proof.

If you are being threatened, speaker, go public.

Let us know.

We will stand with you.

But this is unacceptable.

And Mr.

President, while we wait for the next speaker, there has been a request to send item 13 forth with la motion de Travajo justo in la comida rapida.

Hi, I would like to make a general um general public comment about uh fair wages for uh fast food workers.

Hi, my name good afternoon.

My name is Rosa, and I'm part of the Fast Food Workers Union.

I'm here to talk about the need to pass the fast food law that we need very deeply.

In my caso fui despedida injustament de my trabajo in comida rapida, después de las conditions antigenicas in my tienda Yoshinoya.

I was unfairly fired from a fast food job after making comments on the uh the unhygienic working conditions at a uh Yashi Soba uh restaurant.

Uh due to lack of soap gloves and uh roaches, a roach infestation, but because I knew my rights, I was able to get my job back.

You conosco my derechos y estoy luchando para que nuestros jefes los respetan demasiados trabajadores com the comida rapida in nuestra ciudad.

I know my rights, and so I'm here to fight for our our bosses to respect them and to respect us.

And that is for all fast food workers as well.

Other fast food workers don't know their rights, and that's that why there's so much abuse in the workplace.

Speaker, your time has expired.

And so I'm here to ask for you to pass the fast food workers ordinance for fair work.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

While we wait for the next speaker, there has been a request to send items 13 and 16 forthwith.

Without objection, that'll be the order.

Good morning, you have one minute.

Uh I normally don't uh agree with Mr.

Soto Martinez, but I want to thank him for the other day when he qu questioned and challenged Chief McDonald.

Back in 2009, as I stated before, I was back there when McUh Beck was pricked over McDonald.

I told him one day you will be before this council and you will have important issues.

Here he is.

He's probably the best chief we've ever had.

He really is.

Uh but you need people like Mr.

Soto Martinez to question because there are things that are happening out there that we should question.

These these protesters that were here before twice, they were polite, they were respectful, and then what happened?

The president of the council denied a public speaking.

They came back and they what did they do?

They were very polite and they asked for public speaking, and what happened?

You denied them.

Three times, three times you did that.

So Mr.

Soto Martinez, we may not agree, but when you challenge and you look at questions that are causing uh hurt in the city, I read your time as far.

Next speaker.

Hello, my name is Maria.

I'm a SEIU, USW uh member.

Um I'm here on behalf of the airport during one of the busiest times of the year.

We have we are here once again because the airlines are persuading and blackmailing our city councils to roll back our living wage that we fought hard to win.

We're asking the city of Los Angeles to stand firm and to stand with the working people, not corporations.

Los Angeles must continue to be the city where our families like mine can build a life with dignity without fear losing our homes, and so many already have.

Thank you so much.

Happy holidays.

Hello, I'm Javon Houston, airport worker at LAX.

Hello, City Council family.

I can say that because I've been here for the past three years, speaking to you guys every week.

Um we know what's going on.

It's ridiculous, it's absurd that you guys are allowing them to blackmail the city of Los Angeles.

You're siding with corporations rather than hard working Los Angeles people here at LAX and tourism workers.

We're tired of it.

We just want to live.

We just want to be comfortable.

We don't, we're not here to get rich.

We're trying to support our families.

Please don't sell out to this corporation bullshit.

We're fucking tired of it.

Enough is enough.

Good afternoon.

You might think that your job is to manage the different city departments, but it's not.

Your job is really high level law enforcement.

If you become aware of even a minor issue that is going persistently unfixed, it is your job to take it to the next highest level.

And if it still persists, you need to take it to the next level above that publicly.

Perhaps you have asked the deputy city attorney about the issues I've raised regarding apparent police misconduct.

That would have been the responsible thing to do.

But that dialogue itself should have been in the public record so that we can judge if the reasons are valid.

Remember, the criminal process is supposed to supersede the civil process.

There's too much of officials giving off the record assurances to each other saying everything is fine, it's being handled.

I assure you that it is not fine, and it is not being handled.

Good afternoon.

Go ahead.

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

I'm Joan Harper, and I'm a member of Clue, Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice.

And so it's clear there are many, many community organizations in support of the people here today, the hotel workers, the airport workers who have fought very, very hard for three years and trying to and succeeding in getting a living wage.

We're here to thank you, the council for being bold and for saying yes to that and making it happen.

But we also hear the rumblings.

And so we're also here to say stay strong, don't let corporate hijacking uh take over this law.

These are workers, they demand they deserve all the best that they can get.

They're trying to feed their families, etc.

So again, stay strong, and LA needs livable wages, fair wages, and also affordable housing, such as the Venice Dell project.

Thank you.

Before I begin, is it possible to address the audience rather than the council?

We have to treat everybody equally when we allow for public comment.

So you have to address the body, but obviously when you address the body, the audience will hear you.

Okay.

It speaks 200 languages in its streets, a multitude of religions, millions of people call this city home.

It survived so much, and it will survive these ice raids, and it will survive this inept city council that does not care about the people of LA, but pilfering their city for as much real estate dollars as they can get.

So as we enter the holidays, I want you guys to stay strong.

And as we enter 2026, remember this battle is not over yet.

I love this people.

I love the working community here.

Viva Los Angeles, free Palestine, and fuck ice.

Public, when you hire clowns, you get a circus.

Because these clowns bankrupt the city, giving one billion dollar increase to LAPD.

There are absolutely zero items on the agenda and which to spend anything on.

Let me introduce you to your sleazy council president, criminally insane, sleazy Marquisi Dawson.

CD8 has the highest unemployment rate in the entire country.

Over 12 and a half percent, the highest homeless rate, the highest incarceration rate.

Currently under investigation, Councilman Englander in person in prison for corruption.

Garcetti's deputy mayor, 12 years.

Dawson was appointed by the Petty Pink Face corrupt Armenian dictator, Paul Klu Klux Krikorian, a legendary food.

One billion dollar budget emergency, homeless.

All right, that concludes public comment for this mornings now afternoon's meeting.

Madam Clerk, what's before us?

Uh the council once again has motions for posting and referral.

They're posted and referred.

The desk is clear.

All right, we are adjourned.

Announcements members.

Councilmember Park.

Sorry, I hope I didn't miss the window.

Can we move 11 and 12 forthwith, please?

All right.

Did we already do that, Madam Clerk?

Yes.

That was already done.

Thank you, uh, Councilmember.

Uh any other announcements, Mr.

McCusker.

Thank you.

Thank you very much, colleagues.

I too have announcements regarding the holiday season.

We're kicking off these winter holidays in the 1-5 with the very first of our five winter wonderlands tonight in Wilmington.

Uh, please join us from 4 uh p.m.

to 7 p.m.

at the Wilmington Town Square Park at the corner of Avalon and I Street.

We will have plenty of holiday spirit, fun available for families, including our signature snow sledding runs.

I've already been challenged by Santa to uh race him.

We'll have tree lighting, uh, food from local vendors and more.

We may even get a special climb up a fire station ladder for me to light the top of the tree.

So I'm climbing, I'm going on the aerial ladder.

Snapchat.

So I'm warning the risk managers for the city of Los Angeles.

I am doing that tonight.

Uh mark your calendars for the other upcoming winter wonderlands as well.

We'll be in San Pedro tomorrow, December 6th at the port of LA Town Square.

We'll be in the Harbor Gateway on Wednesday, December 10th at the Enclave on 190th Street.

We'll be in Watts or Watts Winterland in front of our City Hall at the Watts Civic Center on 103rd Street, and we'll wrap up in Harbor City on Friday, December 19th at the Harbor City Record Center.

All of them will have snow and fun and food, and I'm told that Santa is gonna make time for all five of our events.

Excellent.

Councilmember Judano.

Thank you, Council President.

Colleagues, before I go, I wanted to invite you all to our Eagle Rock tree lighting happening today.

Hold on, Councilmember Judato.

Sir, you're just or you're disrupting the meeting.

The person in the purple vest or jacket.

You've been warned once.

Now you're excused from the meeting for disrupting the meeting pursuant to rule seven and tool twelve.

So the purple and the the person in the purple vest had asked you, please exit the room.

You have been excused for disrupting this meeting, and you've already been issued a warning.

Thank you.

Sorry, Councilmember.

Council Member Hudado.

Thank you so much.

Colleagues, come to the Eagle Rock Tree Lighting tonight, December 5 from 5 to 8 p.m.

Mayor Bass and I invite you to come along.

There'll be snow, there'll be Santa, there'll be music, you know.

They call me is a party, and I'm sure it will be one.

And Manila Sounds will be there DJing.

And so come to Eagle Rock City Hall to see uh Mayor Bass's satellite office in our building and to see all the festivities.

So come enjoy.

Thank you so much.

Councilmember Hutt.

Thank you.

I do not have a graphic, but I have some fun to talk about.

And that is West Side Park on Saturday from 2 to 8.

That's at 3025 Clyde.

We're gonna have a snow day there.

And then coming next Friday, Lamert Park is our winter wonderland.

And same thing.

That one is from 6 to 8.

So join us in the 10th.

Excellent.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Lee.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I just want to invite everybody to this Sunday to Granada Hills for our annual holiday parade.

We're celebrating 100 years of uh Granada Hills being the friendliest community in the city of Los Angeles.

Coming back to be in our parade.

And so we're really excited about it.

Hope you can join us for that community parade.

All right.

Exciting stuff this weekend, folks.

Seeing no other announcements, I'll ask everyone in the chamber to rise for adjourning motions.

Ask if there are adjourning motions to my left.

Seeing non-adjourning motions to my right.

Councilmember Rodriguez.

Thank you.

Colleagues, uh I'm being joined today by uh former colleague, Kelly Martin from the Reard Administration, and of course, joined by Mr.

McCosker in presenting this adjournment for a very special person who leaves a lot of stories and a lot of impact here at City Hall.

And so I rise to adjourn in the memory of the one and only Pat Gobbler, an extraordinary Angelino who passed away this November at the age of 89.

Pat was a friend, a truth teller, and an inspiration.

She worked for the city of LA for over 40 years, serving as council president John Ferraro's chief of staff and was truly one of a kind.

Pat served with John for more than 30 years until his death, and later became in 2001, Council President Alex Padilla's member of his team as a special advisor.

Pat was plainspoken and politically astute.

She had a gruff exterior with a heart of gold.

Pat was a devout Catholic and lived her faith through her care of others and animals.

She loved to golf and to poke fun.

Pat recently celebrated her 89th birthday, and we know the celebration is continuing up in heaven.

Pat will be deeply missed and remembered for her love of others and of her city.

Today we adjourn Pat's memory and let us honor her for the truth, compassion, and dedication she brought to our city and all she loved.

May her legacy live on, and may we honor her memory by serving our city and its residents well.

And I just want to add, obviously, there's a lot of really wonderful photos and walking down memory lane.

But for those of us that had the privilege of being in the building when Pat ran it, there was nothing else like it.

There was a lot of order.

There was a lot of respect for the institution for procedure and respect for one another and the role that everyone played.

That doesn't exist much anymore.

She really served an incredible time in our city's history.

But I'm thankful for having started my career in this building when she and John were sitting at the top of that horseshoe.

It was a very dynamic time here in the city when this council was comprised with some incredible individuals.

And I uh am greatly greatly appreciative of having seen her leadership in those early days, and really admire and respect how she led, how she really respected the institution and the work that we did here for the city.

And uh Pat Gobler, may you rest in power because I don't know what kind of peace there might be up there, but rest in power, Pat.

Thank you so much, Councilmember Rodriguez, Mr.

McCosker and then Mr.

Lee.

Can I thank you, uh, Councilmember Rodriguez?

I also knew Pat.

Uh she would never have remembered me because when I started in this building in 1996 as a young man, uh I used to Councilman Wax's office was right around the corner from Councilman Ferraro's, so I'd have to go, you know, visit there.

And she uh definitely ran that office, and some say the city.

Uh and uh she was just you know someone that I looked up to, and I appreciate you remembering her like this.

So if I can be added, I'd appreciate that.

Thank you so much, Mr.

McCosker.

It was so beautifully said.

Uh thank you, Monica.

And I know Kelly Martin agrees with every word of that.

When you look at those pictures, you just see giants that strode these the earth and these buildings from John Ferraro and Mayor Tom Bradley and Avok, who's with us, but not every day anymore.

She just commanded respect.

She no, she didn't command respect.

She earned respect.

Yep.

From every single person she encountered.

From the little kids like me who were just afraid of her to the John Ferraros, who wasn't afraid of anybody, but just completely respected every word she uttered.

And she she earned it, she lived it.

She was really a wonderful person.

And we will miss her.

And we should uh strive to emulate her deep character and her commitment to her boss, to her city, uh to her colleagues.

Uh and she just conveyed an honesty and a strength that you don't often witness in this life.

Thank you so much.

Uh Councilmember Rodriguez, yes.

Uh, I'd like to invite Kelly to doing it different.

That's okay.

That's okay.

Oh, thank you, Councilmember.

Um, for those who don't know me, my name is Kelly Martin, and I was Dick Reardon's chief of staff.

Um Pat was uh the boy you saw in one of those pictures was my son Kyle, and Pat was his uh godmother.

And I want to share a story that I think characterizes what Councilmember Rodriguez said, which is it was a different time.

Uh we Pat and I fought, as you can imagine, the mayor and the council, chief of staffs fighting.

But uh in late 1999, I broke my Achilles tendon and had to have surgery, and I could not drive for two months.

And my husband drove me to work for two full months, and every night Pat drove me home.

And that's right.

The president the chief of staff for the president of the council drove the chief of staff to the mayor home every night for two months, and she waited for me and did it on my schedule so I could still do my job.

And we got a lot of work done in the car, but I also got my you know what chewed out periodically because she didn't always like what we were doing.

But she was marvelous, and it was a time of people being human and kind to one another in a way that really deeply mattered.

And I I think that speaks highly to her character.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

And uh thank you, Councilmember uh Rodriguez and McCosker and Lee.

Um the the words uh that you spoke, but more importantly, the joy and admiration that you exuded is so moving to all of us who did not know.

Um Ms.

Gobbler.

And so I'm gonna ask uh with the permission of the makers of this motion that this be an all council adjournment.

All right.

See no other adjournments, we are adjourned.

See you all next week.