make parks. The more people are getting out and getting to meet their neighbors and the safer the

places become because there's more eyes in the parks on our children, on our kids. So I believe

in making sure that it's multi-generational and it's also a busy environment. So we're expanding

soccer fields. We've already opened two different parks in the area to make sure that there's

a lot of activity going on inside the parks.

We're turning small patches into pocket parks

so that it's a place for folks to be able to congregate

and get engaged.

I want to make sure we have enough chess tables

so that some of our more aging or senior members

can get together and congregate in parks

so that that way the park also becomes multi-generational.

Small things like this create a spinoff opportunity for things to grow.

And my goal is to make sure that we're making parks as utilized as possible and as available to as many people as possible.

I hear a lot of hope and promise in everything that you've been saying.

What do you love best about being a council member right now?

Being able to make an impact.

That's the goal of this.

You want to make an impact.

You want to make things, obviously you want to make things better off than when you took the role.

But I also want to make sure that this is a place that my kids, my children are able to succeed in the same way I was.

I came to Los Angeles with English being my fourth language, not knowing the culture, not knowing my surroundings.

I think every child that's the bare standard if every child comes in with that circumstance

what are the things that need to be done for them to succeed and that's what we need to strive to

make Los Angeles a place where everyone who is coming in for a second chance is able to find

their success and able to be contributing members back to their society. Well your office is doing

an immense amount of work. I mean, just even going through when I was learning about you and what was

happening out here in Council District 2. There's a lot happening. So if people want to keep up on it

and people want to know what you're doing or ask you questions or just keep informed, what's the

best way for them to follow up on our conversation in a more intimate way? Multiple ways. They can,

first of all, call our office, traditional way. They can follow us on one of our handles,

Instagram handle is CD2 Los Angeles or they can go to our website at LACity.org and be able to

follow us as well. I also have to thank your office for being so gracious and so quiet. Well,

we've been chatting this morning. They've all been very kind and very courteous. We really

appreciate it. Thank you for saying that. I have a wonderful team. They make me look good.

I'm sure they're attracted to that because you are such a good person. So thank you so much.

It's been wonderful to talk to you, and I hope we get a chance to talk again.

Looking forward.

Thank you.

And that's a wrap on this LA Currents.

Hello everyone, I'm Natalia Bobao and I'm here at the historic Watts Towers Arts Center

campus, a place that much like Los Angeles itself stands as a testament to creativity,

resilience and community.

Welcome to LA This Week.

More than six decades ago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stood before a nation at the March on Washington and shared a dream.

One rooted in justice, equality, and hope.

This week in South Los Angeles, that dream continued to echo through the streets as Mayor Karen Bass,

City Council members, and thousands of Angelenos came together to honor Dr. King's legacy

and to reaffirm a commitment to keep his vision alive for future generations.

This is a time for us to certainly celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King.

And we're reminded every day about the values, the principles that he died and he fought for.

We celebrate MLK every year here in Los Angeles, but this year is special

because we're in a fight and we're fighting over all the things that Martin Luther King stood for.

So freedom to work and freedom to be in your home and freedom to walk the streets as a human being,

to not be targeted because of how you talk or how you look.

Those are things that Dr. King left to us that we got to fight to make sure we leave to the next generation.

I've never been, so it's my first time.

Martin Luther King is kind of cool because he helped black people and white people come together as one.

So it's kind of cool to see that.

This day means a lot.

I think there's an effort being done to erase days like this,

and I think it's important to show up to events like this

so it can't be erased.

We're all equal, and we're all trying to enjoy the day,

a sunny day with MLK.

that we continue to listen to this voice of support for color people who have been fighting

for decades and we believe it is important to continue for the generation that continues.

Life is hard enough, and if we lean on each other, we can make it so much easier.

When we begin to talk about what we're faced with in the headlines with immigration rights and everything like that,

at the epicenter of all of Dr. King's advocacies, we're advancing full citizenship rights.

We have the right to protest via the Constitution, and so when we disagree with government, then we can peacefully protest,

and that was the foundation of his work.

I think it's important that people be able to look back and kind of see how we were able to move without causing a lot of hostility and violence and still get our point across and move us to where we are now.

He had no fear. He had courage.

And that is a role model for all of us, regardless of our ethnicities, to attack racism in whatever form it is.

That's why I believe that this holiday is very important,

especially now with the current administration.

We are certainly experiencing some real challenges

from our federal government.

And it's important that we come together as a community

and stand in solidarity with each other.

We've got so many great movements in Southern California,

whether it's the peace patrols that helps tell people

where ICE is going to be, to everyday people who say,

you can come to our church and we'll help you out.

Those are the kinds of things that people can do and are doing here in LA.

The state of the world, while it has changed, nothing has changed.

It's been many, many years and how many of his teachings can still be applied today?

I think a lot.

The legacy is one of service, one of commitment, and one of not giving up.

And really at the end of the day it's about loving humanity.

Love one another, y'all.

We must always remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Change is taking place in South Los Angeles where the revitalization of Jordan Downs is

bringing new life to a long-standing community. As older housing makes way for new, modern units,

city leaders and developers are keeping a critical promise that progress will not come at the cost of

displacement.

We are in the heart of Watts at Jordan Downs and we're here today to celebrate

the completion of another phase of our Jordan Downs revitalization, Cypress

View, and it's 119 units of beautiful housing.

Jordan Downs is a traditional public housing community of just over 700 units, built in

the 1950s, and over time grew dilapidated, not enough federal investment.

And so we started conversations with this neighborhood about redeveloping and really

reimagining what this community would look like.

From the beginning, we said to the residents of this community that the redevelopment would

not lead to any displacement.

This is a promise that we've kept.

Bridge Housing has been around for 40 plus years now

and has been 100% committed to providing affordable housing.

Coming into communities of need like this,

being able to guide it to the point that it is right now,

that's special.

El Nilo has been around for 100 years.

We provide a lot of supportive services in the community.

You know, we could open up these new facilities,

but if families get into trouble and they lose their housing

because they lost their job, because they got injured,

because they need counseling.

For example, we have the ICE race.

Some families can't go to work because of that.

There's so many things going on.

So making sure that the families are connected

to the resources that's going to support them

and ensure that they're able to stay in their housing

is very, very important.

This is a commitment we made to this community

to bring a safe home, a quality home.

We are going to create more parks, so today we celebrate the new park, Pearl Park.

And the vision of this community is that Watts has the amenities that any other community

in Los Angeles has.

Our history of a legacy of Jordan Down has been demolished and sold part of us too.

So I've been living here 46 years, really all my life.

The process is emotional.

It has a bittersweet moment

because my heritage as well has been demolished.

A lot of heartfelt moments

when you give birth to your kids

and when your mom raised you there.

So to transfer them from there to here

has been a challenge mentally.

But now that I'm here,

it's more, because I'm older now,

it's more my speed.

I can walk around the park.

I love to do that.

I love to sit on my porch and read a book or so

or just take it all in

And then just my bathroom is my therapy, it's my sanctuary.

So the help of counseling, therapy, therapists and people, coaching, you need to can't do it by yourself.

I grew up in this community.

I remember the challenges that were here in 1965.

And to see the transformation, it makes my heart feel good to see the families are starting to get the resources,

services and the type of facilities they deserve.

I think it's so important, you know, when we in government begin these efforts and these

initiatives, they really have to be centered on people and their dreams and aspirations.

The residents, right, they were here, they were cheering, they were celebrating, and

that's the barometer that we are on the right track.

The men and women who run toward danger are asking Angelinos for support.

The United Firefires of Los Angeles City are currently gathering signatures for a November ballot initiative.

Their proposal? A half-cent sales tax aimed at funding new fire stations and upgrading equipment.

We're here today because we kicked off our campaign for our ballot measure to fund L.A. Fire Department.

This is a perfect example of a fire station in the city of Los Angeles that is downsized.

We are not adequately staffed and resourced to serve the needs of our community.

They used to have two engines and a truck inside this fire station, and now we only have an engine.

We cut a truck and an engine out of this fire station in 2011.

Fifteen years later, we haven't got it back.

LAFD has been woefully underfunded.

I came on the job in 1992 and we have less firefighters today than we did in 1992 and it's a shame.

This is a ballot measure that we are gathering signatures to get on the November ballot.

It's a half cent sales tax increase that will raise funds dedicated to building and maintaining fire stations

and adding staffing and equipment here in the city of L.A.

From Angeleno's what we need right now is signatures, signatures, signatures in order to qualify to get on the ballot for November of 2026.

There's signature gatherers that will be in front of your grocery stores, in front of other facilities.

Please sign the petition and help support the LAFD.

We urge everybody to sign the petition, have your friends, have your neighbors sign it.

This is going to be an all hands on deck effort for the next few months.

This is a ballot initiative that is being led directly by our firefighters themselves,

not City Hall.

It's money that cannot be used for other purposes, and it finally makes an investment in dragging

our public safety resources into a modern century.

We're going to more fires, going to more medicals.

Our calls have gone from 100,000 to 500,000 from 1960 to this year.

We're going on more runs.

We need more resources.

We're short staff.

We're short handed.

It's like the Dodgers playing baseball with eight people on the field instead of nine.

You can still play the game, but you're not as effective.

In South Central Los Angeles, a long awaited green space is now open and it's already bringing

the community together.

Today we are at Richardson Family Park.

We are reopening the park after the council office spearheaded the complete renovation

and modernization of the park.

We are very pleased that the improvements of the park incorporate health and wellness

and also green space in a much needed South LA community.

In communities like South Central LA, you don't see a lot of green space.

And so when community members say, we want to see this in our community, you see the

what comes of that.

And it's incredible.

The fact that young people can come and have a place where they feel safe, and even the

families themselves be able to say, we want this and we're going to fight for it.

We're going to fight for what our community needs and deserves.

That's what this is, and those are the results and the outcome of that.

but other things, and I think it also serves to stimulate.

So we changed out the apparatus,

and we changed out the sandboxes

and replaced them with some more family-friendly materials,

put up this new fence for the basketball court.

We're still going to resurface the court and put a mural in here.

There are other things that still need to be done,

but we've turned the place into a real community center.

And it is a center not just for the kids to come and play,

but also for the adults to come and learn and exercise.

It's really exciting for the neighborhood to have a place like this where we can count that it's a safe space and that people can enjoy themselves without reservation.

Still ahead, a snapshot of some of the stories making waves around the city.

An international honor for a local star educator.

A dedicated street lab repair team, Brighton Council District 13, and a new care-based services division launching at Metro.

These stories and more, up next on City Beat.

Dr. Edwin Krupp, the director of Griffith Observatory, has been honored by the American Astronomical Society.

The international organization recognized Krupp with its 2026 Education Prize.

It cited his outstanding contributions educating the public, students, and future astronomers.

Krupp has been the director of the Landmark Griffith Observatory for over five decades

and has shown the workings of the cosmos to millions of visitors.

For more information, visit griffithobservatory.org.

LA City Council has approved $1 million to establish a dedicated streetlight

repair team for Council District 13. The team will work in the Council District

to address long repair times that currently exceed nine months. Hiring is

underway for electricians and laborers with repairs expected to begin in the

next two months. For more information go to CD13.LACity.gov slash news.

Metro has launched a new care-based services division under its Department of Public Safety,

which includes transit ambassadors, outreach, and intervention teams.

The new crisis response teams will address behavior-related incidents.

Metro's priority is the safety of riders and employees.

Learn more at thesource.metro.net.

California history came to life this week at the Campo de Cahuenga.

The signing of the Treaty of Cahuenga marked a turning point in the state's past.

And through a library enactment, that story is being preserved for younger generations.

Everybody ready?

Here we go!

We're here in Council District 2 in my district celebrating the 179th anniversary of the signing

of the Treaty of the Campo.

It doesn't get any more historical of a site than the Campo.

We here in Los Angeles have not the birthplace of California, but the place that preceded

by about 11 months the birthplace of California.

This is where Campo de Coenga is where the Treaty of the Campo was signed.

This is an amazing part of history.

It's really wonderful to have all the folks who are going to be doing the reenactment

keeping this history alive.

General Rodriguez Pico, an offer to join America at this time.

We're just really here, just really

just to celebrate the museum and all of its history

and the history of California.

It's really important for us to remember the past,

to learn from the past.

Events like this are critical to teach younger generations

so they understand how the history of California came about,

how California interacted with its indigenous peoples.

So the Campo were situated at a crossroads

where a mountain pass meets a river ford

and humans, as long as they've been in California

from the indigenous to today, pass through this pass.

That's why the armies that had been fighting met here

to end the fighting and transfer California.

And that's worth remembering.

The motivation is to teach California history.

This is the most historic site west of the Mississippi River

that no one knows about.

Equal rights and privileges are vouchsafed

to every citizen of California, as are

enjoyed by the citizens of the United States of North America.

Recreational parks just want to thank the Campo de Cahuenga

Historical Museum Association,

just really for their support year round.

To learn more about our programs,

please visit laparks.org.

From candy sculptures to a wall of wishes,

Osho Gatsu, the New Year's celebrations

of Japanese Americans brought the community together

in little Tokyo.

Today we're celebrating what we call Oshogatsu in Japanese.

It's the new year and it's put on yearly by the Japanese American National Museum.

So this is our celebration of the new year.

It's the Japanese new year and the Japanese American new year.

So we have lots of activities and performances really geared towards kids.

And it's everything from Taiko demonstrations from Kodama Taiko where they're also pounding

mochi or rice cakes.

We have Sean the Candyman.

He's doing candy sculptures.

We have lots of crafts that are all year of the horse themed and lots of other community

partners and activities happening as well.

I totally recommend coming out here.

Enjoy the great food, great people.

It happens every year.

Come on down.

Have some fun.

We have a variety of performances from local artists, performers, and community members.

We also have a wide variety of stands that you can visit from our America's Wish Wall

to Discover Nikkei to Nikkei Progressives who have all come together here to share their

resources, activities, and different things for the community members to come do today.

We're Japanese, so it's always kind of nice to show the kids what our heritage is all about.

We celebrate our heritage.

It's a yearly thing.

There's a lot of custom to it, and it brings good luck.

As a museum, we want to keep upholding our history and our culture of Japanese immigrants

to the present day, Japanese-American culture.

So it's really important for us to keep celebrating together.

My favorite part about these festivals is that you see families, different people, all walks of life that come through here to come celebrate the culture, to come celebrate community, and to be together.

So it's a wonderful way to ring in the new year, and we're really thankful for everyone who's been a part of this and making this happen to everyone who's come to celebrate with us.

They make it look effortless, but staying ready to save lives takes grit, endurance,

and constant training.

LA City lifeguards invited us behind the scenes to see the demanding recertification process

they must complete to stay on the job.

Let's dive in.

Today, we're here at Celeste King.

We are hosting the 2026 recertifications.

me we have our life-saving staff in which we will be testing them today in their water skills.

We will be testing them in the 500 meter swim.

All right, swimmers, take your mark, go!

500 meters, which is about 22 laps in this pool. It was a little bit tiring, but it's a good

metric for people to swim in open water. We have to get in under 10 minutes, so it's just to see

that all lifeguards meet the requirements to keep lifeguarding for the city of Los Angeles.

I think being a lifeguard is a great job because you learn a lot of water safety skills.

For our dummy toe, it does take some skill and effort to be able to bring out the dummy toe

from the bottom of the pool. It does take experience and practice for a lifeguard to be

able to complete this event. I think it's a really important life-saving skill. I myself

have almost drowned when I was little.

So it was definitely a big motivator for me

to learn how to swim.

And I think anyone that has struggled in the water

knows that fear and it's definitely

a good life saving technique to have.

I grew up swimming my entire life

and eventually started helping others swim,

teaching lessons, teaching programs.

Finally, I started swimming open water

and that changed my entire perspective on lifeguarding,

what we do and how we prevent people

from having a very unfortunate day.

Anybody that's interested in a job opportunity to work with aquatics, they're more than welcome

to visit any LA City pool.

There they can find resources and information about any job opportunities that they have.

If you want to become lifeguards, locker tenants or pool clerks, it is open to anybody.

I came back this year to do another year as being a lifeguard for the city.

I really think it's one of the best jobs out there.

That's what brings me back every year.

LA City Lifeguards!

Now in its 45th year, the annual Black Doll Show at the William Grant Still Arts Center

continues to inspire and educate.

More than an exhibit, it's a celebration of identity, craftsmanship, and the power of representation.

The Black Doll Show is something that goes on at William Grant Still Arts Center every

year. It's been going on for the past 45 years. There's a different theme every year.

The history is that we wanted to showcase dolls that represent people of color.

There have always been kind of a stigma, and this show exhibits how gorgeous dolls in all

colors are, and so we wanted to exhibit that and also honor the artists who make them.

We just have a wonderful time showing our black dolls.

The dolls are so unique in their own way.

The most unusual, very unusual doll show that you'll ever see.

I've been working here in the cultural affairs department almost a year now, and now I have

my own piece in the Black Doll Show.

A lot of people don't know how dolls are made, and we also give classes after the show, so

it gives them a chance to see how they're made and the variations of them, whether they're

clay or cloth.

This highlights community, especially community of color.

And so I like to be involved in something powerful, positive and beautiful.

I feel honored to have a piece of work in this art show, especially since it's been

going on for 45 years, the annual Black Doll Show.

And this is the first black doll I've ever made.

And I'm just very happy to be a part of this show.

You're always welcome to come here to the center.

Right now we have the 45th annual Black Doll Show.

However, throughout the year we have different exhibits

that you can come and see.

They're free.

So don't just come for one art exhibit.

Come throughout the year.

If you're looking for something to do around L.A.,

we've got you covered.

Check out what's happening this week on Things That's

to do. Celebrate all things green at the Central Library, support ocean conservation and sustainability

at Alta Sea, and have a whale of a good time with the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. All this up next on

Things to Do.

Spring is coming and the Los Angeles Public Library has some advice, workshops, and general help for

for your plants.

They are devoting a day to celebrating plants

at the Central Library, where there will be keynote speakers,

gardening tips, and resources from LA Sanitation.

Learn how to repot your plants or paint the flower pots

and experience the joy of connecting with nature.

Visit the Central Library for Plant Day,

a celebration of plants, on Saturday, January 31st,

from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.

For more details on the events, visit lapl.org slash plant dash day.

Alta C at the Port of Los Angeles invites you to their first open house of 2026.

On Saturday, January 31st, join the Alta C team from 10 a.m. to learn more about the Re-Up Our Ocean campaign,

which is turning plastic pollution into surfboard fins and other upcycled sustainable products.

The open house shares resources with the community through informative presentations, workshops, and exhibits that aim to inspire ideas and fuel the blue economy while preserving the well-being of the ocean.

Head to the Port of LA for Alta Sea's open house, Re-Up Our Ocean, on Saturday, January 31st at 10 a.m.

For more information, visit altasea.org.

What better way to celebrate the beginning of whale watching season in California than by having a whale fiesta?

Join Cabrillo Marine Aquarium on Sunday, February 1st for Whale Fiesta, which marks the start of the migration of the Pacific Great Whale.

This family fun day is filled with activities and exhibits for all and will include games, arts and crafts, puppet shows, expert guest lecturers and festive music.

Experience the incredible life-sized inflatable wells

and the famous duct tape well contest.

Visit Cabrillo for Well Fiesta on Sunday, February 1st

from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Find out more at cabrillomarinaquarium.org.

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

And that's all for this week.

Thank you so much to the Watts Towers Arts Center

Center Campus for hosting us today. Check out their website for visiting ours. And from all of

us at LA City, thank you so much for joining us. Remember, you can watch us anytime online at

lacityview.org and follow us at LA City on Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube. We'll see you next time.

Thank you.

We'll be right back.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I love you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I love you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I love you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

In this council chamber madam clerk, let's begin our proceedings by calling roll

Blumenfield Harris Dawson Hernandez hut herado Lee McCosker Nazarian Padilla Park price ramen Rodriguez Soto Martinez

Yaroslavsky 10 11 members present and a quorum mr. President

All right first order of business approval of the minutes of January 21

All right councilmember Yaroslavsky moves councilmember ramen seconds. What's next commendatory resolutions for approval?

Council Member Padilla moves.

Council Member Jurado seconds.

Can we run through our agenda?

Thank you, Mr. President.

Items one and two are items for which public hearings have been held.

Ten votes are required for consideration.

All right, without objection, those items are before us.

Members, do we have any specials this morning?

Any specials?

All right, seeing no specials, Madam Clerk,

what items are available for votes at this time?

The council may now vote on items one and two.

All right, let's open the roll.

Close the roll.

Would you like to vote?

12 ayes.

All right, what's next?

Would the council like to move on to presentations?

Yes.

We have a great day of presentations this morning.

We'll begin with Councilmember Padilla

of the 6th Council District.

Hello, everyone.

Just before we get into our formal presentations,

I wanted to take a moment to warmly welcome the students

from Independence High School in Lake Balboa here to City Hall.

Could they stand up and can we give a round of applause?

I also want to recognize your teacher, Carmen Feldman and Adriana Dunrose.

Thank you both for taking the time to introduce your students to civics by bringing them here.

I know you're going to have a great time learning and seeing how your local government operates.

Make sure you leave this place remembering that this is your city hall

and that everybody that sits at this table once upon a time was in your position and this could

be your job someday so i hope you have a day that you enjoy learn a lot come back and never be

intimidated to reach out so have a great day and we'll see each other soon thank you thank you so

much and we have another introduction from councilmember yaroslavsky of the fifth council district

Thank You Council President. Good morning colleagues. I'm honored to be hosting

today the 20th UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs Day at City Hall. Can all

the Luskin students stand up? Welcome. It's an honor to have you all again this

year. For you I guess it's the first time but we've been doing this for 20

years. Who's here? They're here along with the Dean of the Luskin School

Anastasia Lukaitou Sedaris, apologies if I didn't pronounce that right. These 25

fellows represent the next generation of leaders in public policy, planning, and

social welfare. Their commitment to public service and social change is

exactly what this city needs, particularly in this moment. Thank you so

much for choosing public service. They have an exciting day ahead, including a

city charter reform and measure G panel and an immigration policy panel, which I

I know Councilwoman Hernandez will be participating in.

Thank you.

Please join me in recognizing them today

as they spend time here at City Hall

learning about the challenges and opportunities

in local government.

Welcome.

Thank you.

We're gonna take a picture in the back

so all of you UCLA grads on the council,

if you wanna join us, we're gonna do that now.

All right, our first formal presentation

will be brought to us again by Councilmember Blumenfield of the third

council district I want to welcome back our colleague mr. Blumenfield to the

council your turn

All right.

Come on and gather around.

Mr. Blumenfield.

Great.

Thank you.

Colleagues, members of the public, it is my honor

to recognize today the Friends of the Tosco City Sister City Exchange Program,

and its incredibly long history of strengthening international friendship,

cultural exchange, and civic participation between specifically the community of Canoga Park

and its sister city of Tosco de Alcon, Guayra, Mexico.

Canoga Park in Tosco established a sister city relationship back in 1963.

You know, nowadays we think of these sister city relationships usually between the whole

city of Los Angeles and a city somewhere.

Well, back then this was very rare, and international travel was rare, and cultural exchange required

very deep commitment.

But there were community leaders who believed in the power of global connection through

art, education, and shared cultural heritage. That same year, the Canoga Park

Chamber of Commerce organized a trip by more than 20 local residents to Tosco,

Mexico, marking the first official cultural delegation between the two

cities and firmly rooting an international partnership that would

span generations. By the late 1960s and early 1970s, the sister city relationship

was thriving. Canoga Park hosted artists from TOSCO who created murals and exhibited their art

and cultural artifacts, enriching neighborhoods, cultural life, and strengthening Canoga Park's

identity. For more than 60 years, this organization, Friends of TOSCO, has served as a vital bridge

between communities, promoting mutual understanding, goodwill, shared cultural heritage through

education initiatives, artistic collaboration, cultural delegations, and community engagement.

In fact, this tie between the community of Canoga Park and Tosco, Mexico is so deep in our area

that recently when we opened up a new community theater a couple of years ago and we asked the

community, what do we want to name this theater? Do you know what name popped to the top of the list?

Tosco because they wanted to reflect this incredible connection between the two, and

that's what we named the theater of course, between these two communities.

Their pen pal program, active for more than 20 years, has connected students in Canoga

Park with peers in Tosco, Mexico, strengthening literacy, cultural curiosity, and international

relations and friendship among young people in our community.

Just last month, the organization successfully completed

a 10-day adult cultural exchange in December of 2025,

bringing participants from Canoga Park to Tosco

for an immersive experience.

And it goes both ways.

I remember just a couple of years ago,

we were hosting a delegation from Tosco

and I got to be part of that and it was incredible.

You know, in a time when the Trump administration

seems hell-bent on demolishing international institutions

and demonizing cultural understanding,

the work of organizations like the Friends of Tosco

is more important than ever.

I'd like to now invite Barbara White,

or to those of us who've known her for many years, Barb,

president of the Friends of Tosco, to share a few words.

And let me just tell you a little bit about Barbara.

She is a longtime Canoga Park resident

who participated in the very first exchange in 1963

at just 19 years old.

Inspired by that experience, she pursued Spanish studies

and built a career rooted in international connection.

Today, she continues to serve the community

as president of Friends of Tosco,

demonstrating how this program has shaped local lives

for so many generations.

Barb, I'd like you to be willing to say a few words.

Yes.

Thank you for inviting us here today

to celebrate Canunga Park's sister city organization,

the Friends of Tosco.

The Friends of Tosco began in 1963, and we've been going strong all of these years with yearly cultural exchanges to Tosco to live in members' homes and get a real sense of what Tosco and Mexico are all about, not just from the tourist point of view, and receiving the Tosco delegation in our homes once a year to show them Canoga Park and the broader Los Angeles.

President Eisenhower started the People to People program in 1956 during a time

when countries in the world and their citizens were separated by the Cold War.

He was certain that by nurturing a program between people of different

countries traditional barriers could be broken down and this would promote peace.

Tosco is a beautiful colonial town which means the buildings are white, the roofs

are red tiles, the streets are cobblestone. Tosco is a city of silver

with its own silver mines and factories, the most beautiful silver pieces to use on your dinner table,

as well as jewelry and art.

In 1963, Canoga Park was a space-age city with Rocketdyne and Lytton facilities.

Francis Letterer and Marion Letterer thought that these two cities,

the Colonial and the Space Age, might make a wonderful match.

So in 1963, the Letterers traveled with a group of about 20 members to make our sister city ties official.

at the Tosco end, the Mayor Luis Tellez Bustamante

and his wife Inez Carbajal worked to make this happen as well.

I have a certificate here from 1963 from the Chamber of Commerce

in Tosco memorializing our beginning. Our program is a

true cultural exchange where we experience a different way of living, language,

food, and family. The mission of our sister city group is

friendship.

You now have Ana Bonilla, the Vice President.

Good morning.

Who would imagine 63 years ago that the Adult Exchange Program would still be here today?

Last December my brother and I went to TASCO with the program and we had a wonderful time.

Each time we visit TASCO we are enchanted by the white homes with red rooftops.

We were transported back in time by walking on the cobblestones all the way to the Socalo,

the center of town.

Once we got there, we're in front of this colonial baroque church, the Santa Prisca.

Once we were inside the Santa Prisca, we are perplexed by the detail on the walls and the

ceilings and by the numerous altars made of pure gold.

We were refreshed by looking at the locals in deep prayer.

The Santa Prisca is their beloved treasure, a national treasure.

Our host Enrique gave us a very warm welcome, and we tried many different foods.

On Thursday, we went to a family for dinner.

We tried mole, because Thursday is mole day in Tasco.

We visited different historical places, including a pre-colonial silver mine.

We enjoyed the silver festival and the procession of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

We attended different festivities.

We took the local transportation, the convi.

The convi's are the VWs from the 60s and 70s.

The seats are taken off and replaced by benches,

and the door is left open for people to hop in and out.

We also, well, I'm wondering if you question

where all the VW bugs went.

Well, they are in Taxco.

They are the local taxis.

And they take the front seat off

and the space is used for your luggage.

The passengers go in the back seat

and the driver jumps on a chain to close the door.

we truly felt like we were in a Disneyland ride,

especially going backwards on a steep, narrow hill.

The trip was fabulous.

However, what gave me the most satisfaction

was our visit to a primary school and a junior high school.

The students put on performances

to show their gratitude towards the help

that they had received from Friends of Taxco.

Friends of Taxco selects an education project

this year and direct funds towards that project.

Last year, however, Friends of Tax Code gave $3,000

for two school projects.

The money was used to buy a refrigerator, a stove,

and a microwave for a primary school that prepares a meal,

a hot meal each day for each student daily.

Also, we bought computers for the Union High School.

The trip was very memorable

and we made long lasting friendships.

Thank you.

Well, an incredible relationship,

sister city relationship that lasted more than six decades

is something truly to be heralded and celebrated.

And I'd like to present this certificate to all of you

on behalf of the entire council signed by the mayor

and every member of the council around this horseshoe

so we can take a quick photo.

And congratulations to all of you

for keeping this up for so many years.

Thank you so much, Mr. Blumenfield.

We've got Council Member Rodriguez on the queue.

Thank you.

I knew you guys were going to take your photo real quick,

so let me just hold on a sec.

Thank you, Mr. Blumenfield,

for bringing in this presentation.

And thank you all.

What a beautiful way of making a connection to another,

to doing a sister city outside of the structure

that the city does it and taking the initiative to do that,

I think is incredibly important.

I know so often people have a misunderstanding

about the West San Fernando Valley

and Canoga Park in particular.

I was blessed to have spent several years working

while I was working for Mayor Reardon in Canoga Park

and have just really been awed by how the community has driven,

whether it was through El Dia de los Muertos,

of course the Madrid Theater, all the activations that you do.

But this partnership was actually not one

that I was familiar with.

And so it's just really special to see

and how you've continued to nurture it and engage it

and broaden with so many people participating and engaging.

I just, I wanted to thank you and congratulate you.

That is 60 years, is six decades.

No, that's nothing to laugh at.

That's a lot of work, it's a lot of intentionality.

And I just wanna thank you because as Mr. Blumenfield

indicated, at a time when so many of our communities

are under assault, it's really refreshing to see

how everyday people are helping to make

these lasting connections that are so vital

and important to celebrating the deep-rooted connections

between our communities.

So thank you so much and congratulations.

Thank you.

All right, thank you, Mr. Blumenfield.

Our next presentation will be brought to us

by Council Member Hernandez of the First Council District.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Jonathan.

I'm also going to be joined by Councilwoman Park.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Council President, colleagues.

Good morning.

Today we are here to recognize and celebrate

Mount St. Mary's 100th anniversary. Welcome to the members of the university's executive

leadership, administrative staff, board of trustees, and students. And as I look around

in the people's house, and I see all of you, I see the past, present, and the future leadership

in our city. And today you will hear from two special guests, Dr. Anne McElney Johnson,

president of Mount St. Mary's University, and Stephanie Ahorro, president of Student

government associations. This milestone is incredibly important and I want to

offer a couple of reference points to put it into perspective. When Mount St.

Mary's was founded, the Hollywood sign had only been standing for a few years

and women have in recent years just won the right to vote in this country and

now we are a majority of the council in one of the biggest cities in the United

So let's go.

For 100 years, Mount St. Mary's University has cultivated women leaders and anchored

opportunity in Los Angeles.

It has educated more than 20,000 alumni who contribute to healthcare, public service,

education, community, and leadership across the region.

And the Mount is always looking forward.

This celebration always takes place in a challenging moment.

We live in a time, this celebration also takes place in a challenging moment.

We live in a time when truth is contested and institutions that support diversity, equity, and inclusion are under attack.

In that context, Mount St. Mary's University stands firm.

It stands for access to higher education, and it stands for the only women's university in Los Angeles.

Women are critical to the future of our democracy, and to every student at the Mount, you are also part of this milestone,

and your voice is key to moving us forward.

So hurry up because I want to retire young.

The progress of the past century has been hard earned.

So thank you, Mount St. Mary's University,

for contributing to our collective success.

The city is better because of you.

Now to help us celebrate this milestone,

I'd like to introduce my colleague,

Council Member Tracy Park.

Thank you.

So slow down.

Yikes.

Thank you, Councilwoman Hernandez, for leading today's recognition, and thank you so much

to the faculty, students, leadership, and alumni of Mount St. Mary's University for

being with us today.

A century of education is, of course, an extraordinary milestone.

But what distinguishes Mount St. Mary's is not simply its longevity, it's what its education

has made possible for so many. For a hundred years, this institution has opened its doors

at moments when they were too often closed to women. It has prepared generations not just for

careers, but for leadership across healthcare, education, business, public service, and the arts.

The impact of that work is felt beyond the campus gates and well beyond any single discipline.

Mount St. Mary's alumni include trailblazers in law, medicine, media, science, and civic

life.

Women who shape policy, heal communities, tell our stories, and build our economy.

Among the graduates are women whose work that is women's work who have shaped national

conversations and local communities alike.

Dorothy Chandler, publisher of the LA Times

and one of the most influential civic

and cultural leaders in LA.

Lucille Roybal-Allard, the first Mexican-American woman

elected to Congress.

Sister Simone Campbell, a nationally respected advocate

for economic and social justice

and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient.

Barbara S. Jones, who served as a federal judge

and leader of the judiciary,

Calista Roy, whose work transitioned nursing education

and healthcare practices worldwide,

and Shelley Amber Weeks, whose career bridges

healthcare leadership and cultural contributions.

Just to name a few remarkable alumni from Mount St. Mary's.

Their achievements are not anomalies.

They're the natural result of an education

designed to produce leadership. That tradition continues on at the Chalon

campus in Council District 11 where young women arrived with ambition and leave

prepared to lead what makes this legacy especially meaningful. Decade after

decade, Mount St. Mary's has responded to the needs of the moment, preparing women

not just for the world as it is but for the world as it ought to be. So today

We celebrate more than a hundred years behind you we celebrate the generations ahead

Because LA remains stronger fairer and more resilient when women have access to education that

expects

leadership from them and

Under the leadership of Mount St. Mary's president

Dr. Anne McClainy Johnson and alongside the dedicated trustees

administrators, faculty, and student leaders who are here with us today. We'd

like to acknowledge and congratulate them as they continue evolving while

remaining firmly grounded in their mission. Thank you, Councilwoman Hernandez,

for presenting the honors today. Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Park. It is now my pleasure to welcome the President of

Mount St. Mary's to share a few words with us. Thank you, Doctor. Thank you so

much. Thank you Councilmember Hernandez and Councilmember Park. Good morning and

on behalf of the Board of Trustees, the student body, our faculty, staff and our

alums and our founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Crandellet, we come to you

with real gratitude, heartfelt gratitude for recognizing Mount St. Mary's today

and honoring this institution that has been part of this community for 100

years. I'm joined today, as Councilmember Hernandez said, with some of our student

leaders, two of our Sisters of St. Joseph of Crandallet,

and several of my colleagues on the administration,

as we come to you today with just great gratitude

for your recognition.

This institution was founded 100 years ago

by the Sisters of St. Joseph, who had a radical notion

back then that women should have equal access

to higher education, a high quality education,

so that they could pursue the dreams that they had,

and that nothing should stand in their way.

They have always focused for 100 years,

and we continue to, on what we call

the Daughters of Los Angeles.

As the only women's university in Los Angeles,

we believe firmly that it is our responsibility

to provide access to students

who might not have access otherwise,

like women 100 years ago.

Today, we're so proud to say that almost 70%

of our traditional undergraduate women's college

are first-generation college students,

receiving an education that they might not

dreamed possible but is fully within their reach.

We're very, very proud of what we do.

And we want to, again, I want to recognize our founders,

the Sisters of St. Joseph, rooted in faith, justice,

and compassion through their leadership.

The Mount has shaped generations of Mount graduates

who have gone on to lead, to advocate,

and to work for justice in our local community and beyond.

95% of our students come from the local area,

and many of them stay here and work to improve our community.

So as you said, Councilmember Hernandez,

they may be coming and taking over these roles sooner

rather than later.

And I know I have students behind me who are ready to go.

So thank you very much for honoring us today.

We 100 years ago opened our Shalon campus,

which is Councilmember Parks District,

and then in 1962 expanded to the historic Doheny Estate

and opened our Doheny campus, expanding our reach

to students across this region.

Thank you so much.

We have for you a very short video

to just give you a snapshot

of what Mount St. Mary's looks like today,

100 years later, with the support of this city council

and the city of Los Angeles.

Thank you for all you do for us.

Never underestimate the power of a few good women.

Our founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet,

blazed trails, moved mountains,

and built one of our nation's most transformative institutions of higher education.

For 100 years, Mount St. Mary's University has inspired young women to take charge,

reach higher, do more.

We created California's first Bachelor of Science in Nursing,

transformed a downtown neighborhood into a thriving community,

launched the first women's leadership program in the Western United States and advanced the cause

of women in Hollywood in California and beyond. And that's just the beginning. We're kicking off

our second century with the debut of Empower, a four-year plan to launch our students and their

careers into the world, and the opening of our dynamic new wellness pavilion. For over a century,

we've graduated leaders, healers, teachers, trailblazers, and we're just getting started.

That's a beautiful thing.

Thank you so much, Dr. Anne.

And say it one more time for us, because I want to say it correctly.

McElhaney Johnson.

Thank you so much for your leadership.

And this could not be done without your leadership.

And the partnership that we have is just a beautiful experience, especially in the southern

portion of our district.

And one thing I just want to uplift is the 100 years, but also the 100 more that are coming right behind.

Where you have Gala, you know, the young girls at Gala saying, ah, that's where I want to go next and inspiring them.

So I just, I'm grateful for you constantly opening the doors for others.

So thank you.

Now we have the wonderful opportunity to hear from the SGA president, Stephanie Ahorro from Mount St. Mary's.

Thank you.

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

Thank you for the opportunity to be here today.

It is truly an honor to speak with you as President of Student Government Association

and as a proud student of Mount St. Mary's University.

I'm also honored to be joined by my fellow SGA representatives,

Dulce Romero, Kiara Young, Tajal Freeman, and Nadia Herarman.

We are especially grateful to be here as you recognize the university's 100 years of service,

leadership, and impact in Los Angeles.

When I first discovered the Mount, I was drawn to its outstanding nursing program.

What ultimately made me choose this university, however, was the opportunity to pursue not only

nursing, but also healthcare policy.

The Mount encouraged me to explore both the hands-on clinical side of healthcare and policy

decisions that shape access and quality of care, particularly in communities like those

many of us call home here in Los Angeles.

Through leadership roles, conferences, and real-world experiences, I've grown in ways

I've never imagined when I first arrived on campus.

My involvement at the Mount has been central to that growth.

In addition to serving in the student government, I've also worked closely with the History

and Political Science Department and participated in student committees.

Last spring, I had the opportunity to lead a student delegation to Sacramento to advocate for policy issues that directly affect our communities.

One of the most meaningful moments of my journey was attending my first public policy and leadership conference in Washington, D.C.

Representing Mount St. Mary's University in that space inspired me to step into leadership and spark a commitment to help other students find their voice,

especially young women who may not always see themselves represented in

leadership or policy spaces. As I prepare to graduate this May I find myself

reflecting on how much the Mount has shaped who I am and who I am becoming. I

arrived as a student with goals and curiosity but I leave as a confident

leader and future nurse and public servant committed to this city and

communities. The Mount taught me what it truly means to be unstoppable, to lead

with purpose, to persist through challenges, and to lift others as we move

forward together. I am deeply grateful for the mentorship I received from

faculty and staff. Their guidance and belief in me reflect what the Mount has

done for generations of students, preparing them not just for careers but

for the lives of service and purpose. As the university celebrates its 100th

anniversary, I am proud to be part of a student body shaped by a century-long

commitment to educating leaders who serve Los Angeles and beyond. On behalf of the

students of Mount St. Mary's University, thank you for this proclamation and for

recognizing 100 years of education, service, and impact. It means more than

you know to the unstoppable students who are carrying this legacy forward. Thank

you.

Well Stephanie, thank you for showing us that the future is bright. I'm very

excited colleagues Council President I pass it back to you for comments from

our colleagues thank you so much this is I just want to say how beautiful this

presentation is I actually have my daughter who's home from school today

and we're looking at women's education for her in the future and just to see

it and to see what it offers to students there it is really inspiring so thank

you all so much for coming here and the gala to this university pipeline I think

is a very real one that I've already heard about so it's exciting we have

some members on the queue councilmember Gerardo and councilmember Rodriguez

come from herado thank you so much Mount St. Mary's thank you I'm an all-girls

school alum not Mount St. Mary's but I went to Immaculate Heart it was

definitely a pipeline to your university I had many friends that went to business

there, went there for nursing, and I would be remiss if I didn't shout out my incredible

chief of staff, Lauren Hodgins, who is a Mount St. Mary's alum.

And if, yay!

She's still with me, and she's so awesome.

And I will say one of the things that she did while she was there, she went a little

rogue and wrote her own, created their own little newspaper and was like reporting the

news on the local things.

And that was before Gala, I think, was even there.

But, you know, such a big fan.

So many families as a proud Filipina.

Many nurses I know have also been through that pipeline.

So excited to see another fellow API Filipina in the mix at that school because, you know, we love our some Mount Sinmeri.

So thank you so much.

Thank you for bringing this to the forefront, Councilmembers Hernandez and Park.

This is very exciting.

And so thank you.

Thank you so much, Councilmember Gerardo.

Councilmember Rodriguez.

Thank you so much, Councilmembers Hernandez and Park for this wonderful presentation.

I've had the pleasure of being at both campuses multiple times over the last decade.

There was so much incredible work that came out of the Mount in partnership with the Commission on the Status of Women

to talk about the status of women and girls in the city.

And I know that was an effort that was a very deep collaboration with our former First Lady Amy Wakeland and, you know, Mayor Garcetti's commitment to all of that work.

But it's really been remarkable to see the results of that work and how it really had been so instrumental in impacting.

I mean, we saw, I proudly declared myself one of the 54 percenters of commissioners when Mayor Garcetti first took office with a commitment to ensure that women were positioned in leadership roles, in particularly in non-traditional leadership roles.

And we saw that in all of the appointments of general managers.

And that level of intentionality was born out of so much of the work and the studies

that came out of the mat.

And so I want to thank you for being the lead in that conversation.

I know it was important.

I think about, you know, my friend Rebecca Nimberg.

I remember Jackie Fila.

Like everybody that was so deeply involved in that work.

and I actually saw in the video Jessica Lopez, who was someone that I met at one of the events at the Mount.

In fact, at the one here in downtown, where she then became involved and supportive of me long before I ran for office,

but then started working at the city.

She was involved in public works.

So there is so much synergy around the work that you do, but it's the students that have such a deep commitment and understanding to advancing the opportunities for women.

And you exemplify that not just in your studies, but in how you extend yourself to making sure that it is not just limited to what's happening on the campus.

It actually expands throughout our city, and it's so great that it's anchored so broadly between, you know, being here in the downtown area and being on the west side.

You're making sure that the reach and the support that women get, which, you know, doesn't matter.

You look at the composition of this council, it looks like progress, but we still have so much to do in the wake of so much that's been taken away from women in this country.

but I'm hopeful and optimistic based on what I've continued to see the

advancements so much of it been led by the work of this incredible institution

so congratulations on a hundred years look forward to a hundred more

thank you so much and I believe that's all the speakers on the queue thank you

so much council members Hernandez and Park and I want to throw it back to you

to close us out great thank you so much thank you let's come on this with

councilmember Park we'll squeeze right here we'd like to present you all with

a certificate celebrating a century of work here in the city rooted in this

city producing the future in this city so from Los Angeles from the council

members here Park and Hernandez we want to give this to you all to you thank you

so much. Thank you. Thank you so much and thank you once again to everyone who's here from MSMU,

all the students and all the faculty and all the leadership there. We are really grateful for

everything that you do here in Los Angeles. Members, I believe that is all our presentations

for today so clerks and city attorney if you want to prepare us for public comment we can move on to

that part of the meeting yes madam president so for members of the public who are here to provide

public comment if you take a look at the agenda you'll notice that the only two items that were

on there had public comment satisfied at committee so for today you'll have up to one minute maximum

for general public comment while general public comment is quite broad you still need to speak

to something that's within the jurisdiction of the city.

So it is not all-encompassing.

But once you come up to the podium to speak,

or if you require a wireless handheld microphone to speak,

you can begin speaking, and we will start your one minute at that time.

Please keep in mind the order in which we take or call the names is at random.

That is to say it's randomly generated.

So in order to run an efficient public comment period,

we would ask that you please wait until you hear the name that you signed up under

before raising your hand to speak or before coming up to the podium to speak.

I have one more announcement if I could have the interpreters make it 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.

Si requiere interpretación en español, por favor asegure pausar entre sus palabras para que los interpreters puedan interpretar. Muchas gracias.

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.

Y no se preocupe, su tiempo va a ser pausado.

Van a recibir el mismo tiempo que todos los demás oradores.

Gracias.

And with that, we can start calling names.

I will begin by calling the following names.

sergeant Gunny Joel Bart Cynthia Gonzales Irma Martinez Kyle Nelson and Tomasa

so again you don't have to line up in the order in which your name is called

but once you hear the name that you signed up under called aloud please line

up on your left-hand side of the council chambers thank you

Hi, good morning.

Good morning.

My name is Cynthia Gonzalez and I organize with tenant workers and community members

across Los Angeles, in specific with East Side leads in the East Side.

We are also part of the Statehouse Delay program,

and we're here, I'm here as a community member

and tenant organizer to ensure that we're letting you all

know that we're deeply worried about our community members

being detained, our community members that are currently

being evicted and can't pay rent because of the current

ICE raids.

Families are struggling to stay housed,

and we need you all as city leaders to support us

and to support the work we do to make Measure ULA a reality.

During the beginning of Measure ULA,

I remember talking to a lot of different members

across the East Side about how they would,

I like to allocate funding for ULA.

And I wanna ensure that here today,

we represent the people and what the constituents want

from each and every single one of your district.

We are asking you all to ensure that ULA-

The ULA-15 goes directly to...

And before we move on to the next speaker,

I see that Mr. Herman has joined us once again.

Mr. Herman, I wanna take the time to warn you

for disrupting the meeting earlier today.

I did not want to disrupt the presentations.

To be clear, this is not just because

your behavior is disrespectful,

you're being warned because you disrupted

the presentations by going behind the presenters

and standing maybe a foot behind them.

That required us to have LEPD security stand there

to stop the disruption.

There were multiple complaints, and again,

while we cannot control what T-shirts you wear,

what sweatshirts you wear,

or what you say during public comment,

you are not allowed to disrupt this meeting.

Sorry, Speaker, go ahead, you have one minute.

Buenos dias.

Mi nombre es Tomasa Martinez.

My name is Tomasa Martinez.

I'm a member of ACE.

Soy inquilino y miembro de la comunidad de Boyle Heights,

distrito 14.

I'm a member and renter of Boyle Heights 14th district.

I was gonna go on, but let's go to what we came for.

I'm here to demand that we respect measure ULA.

For those of you that weren't even there to support us, don't put in your dirty hands.

Because if this is allowed, so many of us like me can end up on the streets and so many of my hopes and dreams will be ruined.

all because of your such beautiful ideas

that you have according to you.

I'm about to be evicted from my home.

I'm suffering through depression, stress, anxiety,

all due to the harassment of the daughter of the landlord.

Get it together and support this measure but now thank you.

Before the next speaker begins I would like to call up Christina Garcia, Ana

Martinez, Ramlam, Emily Ramirez and Ben.

Good morning Council members.

My name is Irma Yolanda Martinez.

I'm a renter and I live here in Los Angeles.

Measure ULA is one of the most effective tools we have to keep people housed in Los Angeles.

It's working.

It's helped avoid more than a thousand people lose their homes and end up homeless.

I'm deeply concerned that the council is now moving to put amendments to ULA on the ballots.

This effort is not about stopping the Howard Jarvis repeal.

This effort is not about, excuse me, interpreter correction.

That campaign is behind and its backers refuse to engage with the community.

Thank you.

Hi, my name is Kyle Nelson. I'll be giving general public comment. I'm here as a tenant organizer, policy advocate, and CD5 resident.

Measure ULA is an accomplishment that the city should be celebrating. It's LA's largest source of housing funding, providing stable local revenue at a scale that the city has never seen before.

And since ULA has passed, Los Angeles has seen its first sustained drop in homelessness in years.

It's a clear sign that rental assistance and homelessness prevention initiatives funded by ULA work.

Instead, we're here yet again because ULA is under attack.

This ballot amendment effort is not about protecting ULA from repeal,

but about giving in to the same real estate interests who have already lost the fight to defeat Measure ULA at the ballot box and in court.

Any amendments or changes to ULA should come from a transparent process that includes the

United to House LA Coalition, not through shady attempts to undermine what voters overwhelmingly

approved. Let's maintain our commitment to ending homelessness in the city of LA.

Stand with us to defend Measure ULA. Thank you.

Good morning.

My name is Anna and I'm here with Community Pirate Collective

in East Los Angeles and I'm also a tenant.

I'm here to support Measure ULA.

Measure ULA's given, gives us an opportunity,

an opportunity to invest in social housing,

to preserve affordable homes and to provide legal support

so tenants can actually defend themselves.

These are real needs and this funding has already supported

directly in our community.

Yes, Measure ULA is new and yes, we're still navigating it,

but instead of weakening it, we should be giving it a chance

to do what voters ask for,

to build more truly affordable housing,

not just luxury buildings with a small percentage

of affordable units, but housing that actually serves

the people who live and work here.

We vote for you to represent us,

to stand with the people in your districts,

not just protect profits.

Please give our communities the chance

to stay housed, supported, and safe.

Thank you.

Buenos dias.

Mi nombre es Cristina Garcia.

Soy miembro del colectivo Poder Comunitario.

I'm here to ask you to protect ULA.

Hi, good morning.

My name is Cristina Garcia.

I am from Community Power Collective,

and I am here to ask you to protect Measure ULA.

ULA will bring more housing for our communities,

free lawyers to defend us from so many abuse and abuse,

and also to protect our migrant community

that has had to suffer in these times

due to the federal government attacks.

Through Measure ULA, we have been able to generate

more affordable housing for the community

and also receive pro bono lawyers to help protect us

against evictions and harassment from our landlords.

And then also, we're receiving protection

for the immigrant community who is constantly under attack due to the tactics that are being

undertaken by the federal government.

And that is why we're asking you to protect Measure ULA.

ULA should not be removed or repealed in any way, and it was voted on democratically for

us to have it.

Please protect it.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Before the next speaker begins, I would like to call up Barbara Schultz, Dana Shrimp,

Brenda L, Amy Navarez, and Cash Patel.

Hi, good morning. My name is Eva Garcia and I am an organizer with Community Power Collective.

I'm here to tell you to stop playing this cat and mouse game with Measure ULA.

You need to protect Measure ULA.

Thank God through this measure we have free lawyers who are able to protect tenants so that they don't end up in the streets.

There are less people living on the streets thanks to Measure ULA.

When have you seen another measure like this one actually protect LA residents in these times?

It doesn't exist.

And now rich people are trying to say that Measure ULA doesn't even work.

And that's only because we're actually making them pay their taxes.

That's not right.

Because the rich are always trying to evade their taxes.

We pay more taxes than they do.

And we're not crying about it.

And so that's why you, your duty as council members is to protect the community and to protect Measure ULA.

Because you should be listening to what we need and what we demand as the community.

Go ahead, Ms. Harmony, of one minute.

Only one fucking minute to talk about what the hell is happening in this godforsaken fucking city.

Mr. Herman, you will address this body or you will forfeit the rest of your speaking time.

You know the rules and you claim to know them better than we do.

Address the body, not the audience.

Translate, please.

You should direct the word to this government organization, not to the public.

You are aware of this rule, Mr. Herman.

So, this guy, but he doesn't talk about the rights of us.

That guy running is a fucking fucking bitch.

So this guy is over here talking, but he's not talking about our rights.

You know, he's just a fucking loser.

Entonces, panzon, cabeza de verlon, oyame bien, smoke and scan!

So, fatso, melonhead, listen to me while, smoke and scan.

In the name of the truth of the law 42 SC 1983 Bain Act 52.1 as far as I'm concerned that fucking Korean can eat dog. Fuck you.

Next speaker.

Good morning.

My name is Emily Ramirez, and I'm a housing policy associate at the Southern California

Association of Nonprofit Housing.

This is a critical moment for Measure ULA, which has now generated over a billion dollars.

It is a voter-approved, citizen-led initiative, and voters were explicit about what they wanted

these funds used for.

They want people permanently housed, not placed in interim housing that just removes

the visibility of homelessness. We stand with voters, homelessness service providers,

and the continuum of care in opposing any exemptions to the ULA tax or redirection of

ULA's funds toward interim housing. Angelenos want the city council to permanently house people

experiencing homelessness. Furthermore, changing our own measure will in no way protect our funding

against threats from Sacramento

or the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.

We respectfully urge the Los Angeles City Council

to not advance this motion and to vote no

if it comes before Council.

Thank you.

Good morning.

All items and general public comment.

I want to start off with on the minutes.

When we have the minutes, you're supposed to keep a summary of what each individual person,

as well as whether they are for or against a particular motion.

And there's been a lawsuit before where the city has actually edited video footage that's being captured right now as we speak

and not accurately reflecting what people have been making comments on.

And that's why you're supposed to have minutes that reflect a summary of what each speaker is talking on.

And so that way we can get an accurate public record on what each individual person is for or against and other items that might not be on the agenda, but the council has full authority to bring forward.

A lot of people have come here for years, and I've seen them myself, talking about various housing-related issues and other corruption-related issues that the city is part and parcel initiating.

And yet none of that is being reflected on the public record.

And I've seen it for myself many videos even recently the city council has edited to not accurately reflect what people are talking about

I want to move on to item number two on the agenda time is expired

I know you've gotten here before we made the announcement, but there are no items that are open for public comment

So everyone just gets one minute for general. So next speaker

Before the next speaker begins. I would like to call up Mario Valenzuela Gordy

Nicole Gardner, Elucia, Wayne Thunderbird, and Michael Ackerman.

Go ahead.

One minute.

Barbara Schultz, Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles and Stay Housed LA.

Your job, council members, is to pass laws that protect and benefit Angelenos.

But ULA was a citizen initiative by and for the people.

And the motion you're going to hear today seeks to subvert the people's law.

ULA was and is meant to help tenants in one of the most expensive cities in the country,

one of the most expensive housing markets.

This new initiative attempt only harms tenants by taking funding away from much-needed services,

rental assistance, and new housing opportunities.

So please stand up for Angelenos and the People's Law and oppose this motion.

Thank you.

Go ahead, you have one minute.

Amy Nevarez for general public comment.

I'm here to ask the council to vote against any amendments to ULA at this time.

This ballot amendment effort is not about protecting ULA from repeal, but about giving

in to real estate pressure through carve-outs, exemptions, and delays.

Doing so will only signal to developers that they should continue to delay development

to possibly wait for carve outs that are never going to come because the people will not

vote for this.

The people of LA will learn about your efforts to undermine their votes for ULA as it stands.

They will come out and vote for their people, not for the developers, every time.

But they will remember where you stand the next time you need them.

Do right by your constituents and do not move forward with the proposed amendments to ULA.

I'd like to add that you all work very hard to find money for LAPD.

Why don't you all look for the same funds to fund homelessness resources and tenant

protections instead of coming for LA's only stable resource of revenue for the people?

Thank you.

Good morning, City Council.

My name is Mario Valenzuela.

I'm with United Teachers Los Angeles.

Over the past year, many of us have been engaged in defending ULA against the Howard Jarvis

repeal effort and broader real estate pressure. City leaders suggested amendments might be

needed to get Howard Jarvis to back down from its statewide repeal effort. While our coalition

agreed that Jarvis threat was real, we were also clear that ULA is working. Any discussions

were limited to narrow, non-substantive clarifications to support implementation. No changes that

reduce revenue, create carve-outs, or weaken voter-approved programs. The Howard Jarvis

campaign is behind in these efforts and its financial backers refuse to engage

with housing advocates, labor or community organizations. Despite this, city

leaders are moving forward with a ballot amendment of effort that would waive or

delay ULA revenue and reassign funds away from voter approved uses. This makes

clear that the proposed ballot measure is not about stopping the Jarvis repeal

effort and attack on public revenues but about giving in to real estate

pressures and reshaping ULA just as it's beginning to deliver results. Let's stop undermining the

vote of the people. Next speaker. Before the next speaker begins, I would like to call up Magdalena

con advocacy, Georgina Serrano, Johnny G and Rob M. I have a feeling, you know, I'm telling the truth

when I say that the police are illegally failing to record and seriously investigate criminal

allegations. So maybe you're thinking, how bad could it be? I don't see bodies piled up in the streets.

Here's how bad it could be. Suppose medical examiners are threatened with violence unless

they report suspicious deaths as natural. Unless there was obvious trauma, an untrained person

would never know. They might suspect something fishy, but they wouldn't be able to prove it.

People know very well that they are being extorted, and the reason they don't report it is because

they are being extorted. You need to get this investigated. You need to write the governor.

Buenos dias. Mi nombre es Eloisa Galindo. Son miembro de ACE.

Hi. Good morning. My name is Eloisa Galindo, and I am an ACE member.

I'm here to ask you to protect Measure ULA.

ULA protege a las familias y a los estudiantes.

You know that we're going through a very serious housing crisis right now in Los Angeles,

and Measure ULA protects families and students.

I've been here for several days now.

I even was at LAUSD giving public comment as well.

Yo conozco a los políticos que en verdad trabajan por el pueblo.

I know who are the politicians that are really behind the community.

Pero esto es, yo digo, y es una vergüenza que ahora Karen Vaz que no se ha acercado al pueblo.

and I think it's truly an embarrassment, a shame

that Karen Bass has not come to the people.

La veamos queriendo destruir ULA.

And now we're seeing her wants to take down Measure ULA.

La veo caminando por las calles junto a Antonio Villarraigosa

que Antonio Villarraigosa derrotó la Proposición 10

a favor de los inquilinos.

And we see her walking around with Antonio Villarraigosa

who voted to protect tenants.

Es una vergüenza que esos políticos ya estamos cansados de que estén a favor de asociación de charter

privatizando la educación y asociación de apartamentos para tener más inquilinos viviendo las calles.

And it truly is a shame that we have politicians out there

that are siding with the Charter Association and the Apartment Association

who want to privatize education and have more people out on the streets.

Get to work.

Buenos dias. Mi nombre es Magdalena Calbach y soy miembro de ACE.

Good morning. My name is Magdalena Calbach and I am an ACE member.

La comunidad no estamos de acuerdo en que quiten el fondo de ULA.

the community is not in agreement with you taking away funds from Measure ULA.

Si hacen esto, afectará a muchas familias.

Vamos a ver más destrucciones peor de lo que estamos viendo ahora.

And if you do this, there are going to be so many families impacted by it

and you're going to see even more destruction than we're already seeing now.

Estos fondos ha trabajado la comunidad.

Buscamos votos, trabajamos fuerte para que estos fondos se logra.

Y eso es lo que nos hace ayudar hoy en día.

Those funds are funds that the community worked hard for.

We worked to get those votes so that we can get those funds to help us.

¿Hasta cuándo vamos a seguir batallando y venir a pedir a ustedes, por favor, voten?

Yo creo que tiene que conocer en su comunidad que hay tanta necesidad.

So how much longer are we going to have to keep coming here and keep fighting for the same vote to protect our community?

You're our politicians. You should know what the community needs.

Esta es la gran necesidad que les traemos en sus mesas.

and please act and do something for the community

and so we'll all be able to prosper together

as you want to be prospered.

And so we're coming to you

and we're bringing this need before you

for you to do something for the community.

And so we ask for you to please do this

so that we all can thrive together.

And when we thrive, everyone can thrive.

Thank you.

Good morning.

I'm here for general public comment.

My name is Nicholas Gardner. I'm an organizer with United Teachers Los Angeles, and the 38,000 educators of UTLA are united behind protecting Measure ULA,

because we know firsthand the toll that homelessness and housing insecurity takes on students and families.

Educators are being priced out of Los Angeles.

They cannot afford to live in the communities in which they teach and are driving hours just to make it.

We have educators.

There's nowhere in this city where a first-year educator

can afford to live in affordable housing.

ULA is the most effective program in the city's history

for the promotion of affordable housing.

10,000 people have been kept off the streets.

800 affordable housing units are now being online.

10,000 good union jobs have been created.

Workers and tenants stand with ULA.

The voters stand with ULA.

And the only people that the carve-outs and the exemptions helps

are billionaires and corporations.

We ask the council to stand with the voters, to stand with workers, and reject this council ballot initiative.

Thank you.

Before the next speaker begins, I would like to call up Ernest, Cynthia Borjack, Ava Garcia, Lydia Cornett, Mae Song, and Marco McFarlane.

Good morning. Rob Notoff with the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor to speak on general public comment.

I'm here today to speak in strong opposition to any amendment to ULA that would create

a 15-year exemption for new development or reallocate funds for interim housing.

As a reminder, ULA was overwhelmingly passed by the voters of the city and was anchored

by salt-of-the-earth workers like construction workers, home care workers, and teachers,

the very workers who are today leading the resistance in Minneapolis and who are overwhelmingly

women of color.

ULA was designed to curb homelessness through preventative practices that keep people housed

and build affordable housing that workers can afford,

so why would we take that away?

It's been under assault by the billionaire class,

and any move to weaken ULA will be viewed

as carrying the water for the billionaires

who are trying to weasel out from paying their fair share.

Lastly, it's finally starting to work.

For $100 million plus multifamily projects

just sold last quarter, the market is adjusting,

so let it breathe.

And finally, the labor movement will be watching this body

to see whether you stood with billionaires

or whether you stood with working families.

Thank you.

Good morning, City Council.

As we enter 2026 and reflect on the current toxic news,

let us hope for peace and justice.

We must start to reflect on ourselves

and begin a journey of kindness and consideration

for one another.

It all starts within ourselves.

Peace can be achieved when we have a heart for one another.

Los Angeles is a large city and we have a long road to go.

It starts within our homes, schools,

workplace and communities.

The workplace has to produce decent and civil people.

It's all about helping one another.

The business sector, large or small,

must instill a caring and nurturing arena.

Thank you Rick Caruso for helping the fire victims.

The stakeholders and leaders of Los Angeles

should cooperate with one another

so that we can live in peace and harmony.

These thoughts and hopes occurred to me

on Martin Luther King Day.

And also thanks to you, Paul Rocks, for your time today

and help that you honored to us.

Thank you.

Before the next speaker begins,

I would like to call up Anna Martinez,

Chorumara Quaresma, Maria Osoria,

and Delvin Enrique.

Hold my time.

Hold my time.

That's the oldest member of the Van Nuys Neighborhood Council

who last week did receive a certificate

after 30 years.

Could you imagine?

30 years of cleaning up.

Public comment, sir.

Public comment.

Last week, I almost didn't make it here.

I almost fainted over there.

And these fine officers,

and I hope whatever group is listening,

they watched out for me.

They offered me water and made sure I was okay.

Then we went down to Santee Street where ICE, as we know them, KKK, were down there disrupting.

So we went down there and we supported by buying and eating there.

So if you want to help people who are undocumented, instead of just talking, go down.

And when you see one of these events, go and support those workers.

Go and support those people who are being humiliated by being treated like cows.

Do that, do that.

And I can't remember what else I was going to talk about.

There was something else I was going to talk about.

But thank you officers and whoever that is.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you all for taking good care of an old man.

Thank you.

General command, please.

Good morning, Council Member. My name is Lydia Kornet. I'm a tenant in Los Angeles.

Measure ULA is a very important program for me. It's about whether people like me can stay in our home.

This funding has already helped tenants to avoid eviction and stay house.

Without resources like this, many families would be one emergency away from losing everything.

Many tenants like me need ULA's rent assistance and income support.

Also, we need ULA funded affordable housing developments as well.

If ULA is a miracle or a failure, the safety net will be destroyed.

ULA is a solution to the same.

We pray to God's love.

If ULA is a weak or a delay,

the safety net will disappear.

I urge you to stop any amendment to ULA.

God bless everyone. Let's pray together for parents.

Amen.

Hello, I am Cynthia Borjak,

an attendant in Koreatown and a part of the ACT LA Coalition.

Our community won a hard fought fight to win Measure ULA.

Residents understood the need to create long term housing solutions

to stabilize communities and to veer us away from a constant crisis response

by taxing the wealthiest property owners in the city. Today you celebrated youth, students, women,

and their education. How many of them will be able to afford to live and work here?

This is not the time to sustain the status quo and give into the interest of the wealthy and

to developers. Create pathways to build but not by cutting a tax on the wealthy. They are doing

just fine as the rest of us question how much longer we can afford to stay in our city.

We want to work with you to create long-term genuinely affordable homes to build social

housing. We want to put these first billion dollars to work. An amendment done in the interest

of developers and that undermines the visions of the voters sets a harmful precedent that the

financial interests can thrive behind closed doors. Give ULA the chance it deserves and give

your time has expired.

Edgelina is a chance we deserve.

Thank you.

Buenos dias.

Mi nombre es Xiomara Cuaresma.

Good morning.

My name is Xiomara Cuaresma.

Soy miembra de ACE.

I'm a member of ACE.

Aquí me dieron solo un minuto para explicar lo que estamos viviendo en la sociedad.

I've only been given one minute to explain what's going on now in society.

I'm seeing how you all are observing how there's nobody here.

There's no policemen.

There's no doctors.

There's no firemen.

There's no one here.

We are here, I am here to raise the voice and to be the voice for those of us that could not join us today.

And I see all of you here, those of you in a skirt and in ties.

What do you do every day when you wake up and you come here and sit down?

What mentality are you bringing with you when you come and sit here and listen to us and our organizations?

I ask myself how you are able to sleep at night with all of the things that are going on out here in our streets.

yes audio case is this is coming capo yeah yeah sir on trabajo agon please

think about

when I see a set of those my numbers Maria Osorio so a member day good

morning everyone my name is Maria Osorio and I am a member of ace

I'm here to ask all of you to please help protect measure ULA.

And the reason I say that is because we worked so hard to get a hold of those funds

so that that measure would pass and be in place.

Salimos a tocar muchas puertas.

We went out door knocking.

We went and collected signatures despite, excuse me,

interpreter correction.

We went out and collected signatures, rain or shine.

We went out to collect signatures in order for the

community to give their vote.

And it's just not right for you to want this money to do all of your little projects and do whatever you want with it.

That money belongs to us, the community. Please try to be conscientious of this and leave it to us.

This is going to help us maintain our homes, stay with our families, and not just become another statistic on the street.

Please protect it and leave these funds in place. Thank you.

Before the next speaker begins, I would like to call up Johnny G., Tom C., Cynthia Strathman, Mr. Levia, Emmy Ferrell-German, and Diana Dean.

Good morning, my name is Delvin Enriquez and I am a member of SAJE.

I am here in support of ULA and I would like to ask that the money that belongs to the

people stay to the people.

I am indigent and it's been four years since I've been on the street and no one has helped me obtain housing.

I was in Hopis for three years in a parking lot and when I said that,

On my birthday when I asked for housing, they put me out on the streets.

This really affected my mental health since it was my birthday and I'll always remember this.

And as far as ULA, they've helped me.

I received $7,725.28 in order for me to be able to stay in my home.

And they also provided me with free counsel to go to court.

If you take away ULA, there will be more people like me on the street.

por la sociedad y el sistema que tenemos.

We live, us here on the streets,

we live discriminated by the system that's in place.

Por favor, no le quiten el dinero al pueblo, que es del pueblo.

Please don't take the money from the people.

It belongs to the people.

Thank you. Thank you so much, Speaker.

And thank you to everyone who's come here to speak.

Before the next speaker comes up,

I just wanted to say that we will,

public comment is going to be for a full hour today.

We started at 1050 and we'll go till 1150. So I just wanted to give you that update.

So we have 20 more minutes of public comment, but I didn't want anyone to be

surprised when public comment ends, but we we're gonna have a full hour of public

comment. I know there's a lot of people who want to speak, but I didn't want you

to be surprised when we ended it. So that's the update. Thank you. Please, sir,

go ahead. Good morning. My name is Antonio Martinez. Good morning. My name is Antonio

I am from Boyle Heights from Poder Colectivo Comunitario.

If ULA was won democratically and put on the ballot democratically, why would you want to put it again on the ballot for a vote?

ULA has helped thousands of people providing free legal counsel in court.

It's avoided many evictions and assisted with preventing homelessness in the city.

Tell me, what other law has done as much as ULA has done?

This is why we ask you clearly respect our vote.

Respect our vote which was democratic and accept that ULA is already won.

What's really happening right now is that wealthy people don't like to pay their fair share of taxes.

Pero seamos claros, todos pagamos impuestos.

But let's be clear, we all pay taxes.

Y ellos también deben pagar conforme a la ley.

And they should also pay according to law.

Ustedes, como concejales, tienen la responsabilidad de hacer lo mejor por el pueblo.

you as council members have the responsibility to do what's best for the

community

next speaker oh good morning God bless everybody here today this morning I'm

I'm very happy for all of the folks out here right now supporting the efforts that ULA

has been making. My experiences personally, I love just telling you guys about what it's

like for me being in LA as a transplant, especially with such a deep community focused on the rights

of Angelenos. Experiencing interaction with LAPD really is a factor of motivation for commitment

to public service and never fearing to negotiate but not negotiating out of fear and focusing on

what is the imperative of our social dictum and moral rights and dispensation to the best of one

another to the best of what each one of you bring to one another to the city and to the city council

Thank you all. God bless.

Thank you so much, next speaker.

And before the next speaker speaks, I do, you know,

there have been a number of comments about Measure ULA and protecting ULA.

And I just do want to say, I know we'll have an opportunity for a longer discussion,

but I do want to say that I have been one of the largest supporters of Measure ULA

since the measure was even proposed.

I phone banked for it.

I endorsed it.

I was very excited about it.

It is one of the most consequential measures

that voters have passed in Los Angeles.

And I am very, very eager to protect it for the future.

And to be honest about the conditions

that we're operating in,

multifamily and mixed-use housing production

has slowed in the city of LA. Lenders are pulling back from the market entirely. And

there's multiple efforts to undo ULA entirely, to take it away from us completely. We are

producing fewer units of affordable housing with ULA in place than without ULA in place.

And that is a problem. And there's multiple, multiple efforts afoot to take this away from us.

It is one of the most important resources that we have available to us.

And I understand that there might be disagreement going forward about how it operates

and how we're going to make sure that we protect it for people.

But I do want to say as someone who has fought over and over again alongside tenants,

over and over again alongside working people,

to put tenant protections in place and to make the kinds of investments

in deeply affordable housing that this city needs,

I hope that we can have that conversation.

I've been having it for the last few months,

and I hope that we can continue to have it.

So I want to thank you all for being here.

Thank you for your inputs.

And to say that I strongly agree with everything that you're saying.

There may be different ways of thinking about how we protect this going forward,

but I stand here with you in deep agreement with the comments that you're making.

So thank you very much.

Thank you.

Good morning.

My name is Rose.

It's a public comment.

I'm a tenant living in Koreatown.

I'm here to urge you to oppose any motion to amend ULA.

And I would like to say, please respect the voters that pass ULA.

As tenant, I experienced landlord harassment and I faced an eviction.

Through ULA support, the organization Kiwa was able to help me to understand my right as tenant.

And Kiwa also supported me to find relocation assistance and transitional housing.

without ULA support I would have been unhoused and end up living on the street. ULA is very

important to millions of tenants like me and ULA definitely prevent for further homeless crisis.

This this is a time to strengthen and raise more funds for ULA so many tenants who are struggling

could receive housing support.

Next speaker.

Rent relief and income support.

So, speaker, we have to move on to the next speaker.

We have to give everybody about the same amount of time.

And this goes for everybody,

and if I can also have the interpreters

just sort of summarize this statement aloud to the room.

If you run out of time,

because I know one minute can go quite quickly,

or if we run out of time to hear from you today,

you can always provide written public comment

at lacouncilcomment.com.

Again, that's lacouncilcomment.com.

You can find that URL at the top of every agenda

or by doing a quick Google search.

And before you begin, if I could have the interpreters

just summarize that, please.

Sí, todo solo para aclarar a todos que están aquí el día de hoy.

Sí tenemos que recordarles que se les tiene que proporcionar

a todos el tiempo adecuado y justo.

Por lo tanto, si no tuvieron oportunidad,

de proporcionar su comentario público,

pueden siempre acudir a la página

lacouncilcomment.com

y pueden proporcionar su comentario en escrito

en esta página web.

Está escrito también y detallado

en la agenda imprimido

que se puede encontrar

a la entrada de la puerta de la recámara.

Y por lo tanto, por favor,

Quédense. Si están hablando, proporcionando su comentario público, por favor, quédense dentro del tiempo avisado. Gracias.

Go ahead.

Good morning. My name is Emmy Farrow-German. I'm a housing policy associate at the Southern California Association of Nonprofit Housing,

and we serve on the steering committee of the United to House Aleo Coalition.

I am here to urge the council to respect voters' 2022 mandate to build and preserve permanently affordable housing.

ULA exists to address the limitations of traditional funding sources, which simply aren't enough.

The numbers prove this need.

The first homes for LA Notice of Funding Availability had funding requests totaling nearly $1.3 billion.

We have successfully raised $1 billion, but the need still exists.

The 65 multifamily housing communities requesting this capital represent over 6,400 homes for families, seniors, and our most vulnerable neighbors from the San Fernando Valley to San Pedro.

Do not undermine the impact of ULA through tax exemptions or the redirection of funds.

Changes to measure ULA will not protect this funding against threats from Sacramento or the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.

Please stand with the voters and the organizations working to house Angelinos.

Speaker, your time has expired. Next speaker.

Hello. Good morning. Sorry.

Good morning. Go ahead. You have one minute.

Hello. My name is Diana Dean. I am from District 10.

I'm here today because I feel backstabbed.

I feel belittled.

I feel that you guys hate our community for doing this to us.

We worked so hard, timeliness, over and over again just to have this note and tell this in our faces that ULA is going to be defunded.

Like how?

We tried so much to have it in the first place.

We put it in the ballot.

We voted for it.

We got our community out to speak and speak up their voices for at the end that none of that matters.

None of that even exists.

we are nobody because that's how I feel.

We are already struggling as it is as a community,

trying to keep our jobs,

trying to make sure our children get home from school safe.

Everything's horrible.

We're just trying to keep a roof over our head.

Don't do this to us, please.

Good morning. You have one minute.

Thank you very much, City Attorney Smoking Scan Jason Jenkins.

I want to talk about the public safety crisis on Figueroa Street.

So last week I was dating Dana on the Figueroa Street.

I was eating her out at the side of the street.

But the problem is that more than 20, 25 gangbangers surrounded us.

They were dragging us out of the vehicle.

They were trying to rape Dana.

So I have to sacrifice my ass in order to protect Dana's ass.

I'm going to need you to connect this to something that's within the city's subject

jurisdiction or you will forfeit your speaking time. This is not your opportunity just to provide an

anecdote. In order to save her vagina. So why we cannot have 20 LAPD patrol cars on Figueroa Street?

So make sure everyone is safe. You continue to call me out of topic. That's okay. I don't really

care. I have to take a 24-inch down my throat in order to save Dana so Dana can go home in one piece.

So I have to do everything. Why not have more LAPD officers on Figueroa Street? So make sure

The time has expired.

Next speaker.

Before the next speaker begins, I would like to call up Candy, Tony Martinez, and Antonio

Garcia.

Go ahead.

You have one minute.

Hi.

My name is Cynthia Strathman.

I'm the Executive Director at Strategic Actions for a Just Economy.

I'm also a PhD in Anthropology from UCLA.

I did my postdoctoral research at the David Geffen School of Medicine.

I have multiple peer-reviewed publications, and I'm a member of the Society for Applied Anthropology.

Ever since Measure ULA passed, and I want here to argue against any amendments to that,

developers have been trying to gin up anxiety about its impact on commercial and multifamily housing.

And I can tell you as a professional researcher, there is simply not enough data out there

that's unadulterated by attempts to dangle in front of developers the prospect that they might not have

to pay the tax to come to any substantive conclusions.

Anybody who tells you differently is being disingenuous

or they are not good at their job.

I would urge the council, rather than rushing

to some sort of precipitous action

based on the machinations of developers,

to try to wait until you understand the impacts

of this very important initiative

before doing something abjectly foolish.

Thank you.

Before the next speaker begins,

I would like to call up Stefano Medina, Jessica Prieto, and Christina Boyer.

Good morning. My name is Liam Price.

I thought I was here by myself today, but there's a lot of us here on the same subject.

Last four years, I've been going through interim housing.

I did everything the district attorney office asked me to do for expungement.

I did everything the safety office asked me to do.

I did everything. I didn't even stop the life of crime.

I didn't even stop using drugs.

I'm no longer on drugs.

But you had LA Family Housing and y'all know it for three years.

They OD'ing with fentanyl out there and they're allowing in there.

And when you come to make a complaint or tell them, you get retaliated and kicked out.

I don't understand.

I don't understand.

I thought that was a safe haven for people trying to change their life.

But I'm on the street right now.

I got drug.

Everything I got, I got right here on this cell phone.

Videos.

Everything I got in black and white because that's what y'all want to see.

I got drugged through Southern California Hospital.

My primary doctor was there saying I can't talk to someone else.

Right here.

I've been to the police, Wilcox Police Station so many times.

It's unbelievable.

Wherever y'all go tell me to go, wherever.

Let's just get done.

Your time has expired, but can I ask that you wait over there?

We have to give everybody the same amount of time.

So, Speaker, if you wait over on your right-hand side of the council chambers.

okay so at this point you're disrupting the meeting because we have to move on

to the next speaker please if you wait on the right hand side of council

chambers

okay speaker this is your second warning please do not disrupt public comment

just wait over there at the side okay at this point you are eligible for removal

for disrupting the meeting.

We need to move on to the next speaker.

If you could please wait there patiently.

Go ahead, you have one.

Buenos dias, mi nombre es Sofía Mendoza,

soy miembro de ACE.

Hi, good morning.

Sorry, hold on for just one second.

We want to hear you, speaker,

so if you could just hold on till he, sir.

Sir, you've been warned you're disturbing the meeting.

We're grateful for everyone's input,

but you're not allowed to disturb the meeting.

Madam President, at this point,

he is eligible for removal if you would like.

Sir, you have received multiple warnings.

I believe now you're on warning number four or five.

We are, just like we wanted to hear from you,

we are trying to hear from other speakers.

They have also been waiting patiently this entire time.

Thank you, Speaker.

I'm sorry.

We'll add two minutes at the end so that we get to hear from everyone.

So I apologize for that.

Speaker, please continue.

Thank you.

Now can you continue?

Thank you, Mr. Comentarizer.

Yes.

My name is Sofia Mendoza.

I'm a member of ACE.

My name is Sofia Mendoza. I'm an ACE member.

Estoy aquí para decirles que protegen a ULA.

I'm here to tell you to protect Measure ULA.

A nosotros, como inquilino, nos ayuda mucho.

Sí, porque yo he pasado por dos desalojos y eso me ha ayudado a no quedarme en la calle.

As tenants, this measure is very helpful for us.

I personally have gone through two different evictions, and Measure ULA has helped me to not end up in the streets.

Y ustedes, todos los concejales, si, si saben bien que cuando se hace una ley, no tienen que quitarla.

Ustedes están para protegernos.

And you as council members know very well that when something is passed into law, your job is not to take it away.

Your job is to protect it.

Ya están actuando como el presidente, violando las leyes.

And now you're acting like our president, breaking laws.

Eso no es justo, pero saben una cosa?

And it's not right, but you know what?

ULA is not going to go anywhere.

Because as much as we fought to win this measure, we're going to keep fighting to keep it.

Thank you.

Good morning.

You have one minute.

My name is Jessica and first I want to clarify that a lot of the so-called

findings Councilmember Nithya shared earlier are misleading and most likely

cited from flawed studies. I'm with Liberty Hill Foundation and have the

privilege to work with dozens of community-based organizations that have

fought for Measure ULA and are actively participating in the variety of

innovative programs funded by ULA. Since ULA passed, LA has seen its first

sustained drop in homelessness in years. Our foundation has worked with LA City

to ensure that the millions generated by the wealthiest property owners are being used to

prevent homelessness by ensuring over 10,000 plus LA city tenants have remained housed

through outreach, education, tenant navigation, and legal services offered by a successful

stay house delay program. And eventually that we will build an ecosystem of community controlled

housing through the training hub. And I should note that these programs are securing permanent

homes of tenants, not interim housing. So please support ULA and don't repeal or change

what the voters already voted for.

Good morning, Council Members and Council Member Rahman. My name is Stefano Medina,

and I'm an attorney for ACE. And I hope I don't get into too much trouble for what I'm

about to say, but I'm going to say it because I know that this is what my community is thinking.

Council Member Rahman, you made good points.

I was sitting there thinking, hearing what you were saying,

and it sounded reasonable, but what everyone was thinking

while you were talking is, if this is true,

why did we, and by we I mean tenants in Los Angeles,

find out about what was gonna happen today yesterday?

Why did we find out about this yesterday?

Why didn't our allies in council, why weren't they informed?

What I think can easily fix this kind of a issue

is simply co-governance.

If we simply engage with each other

and give each other a heads up and work together,

we're not right about everything, but we have expertise,

we have lived experience,

and we think that should be part of the discussion.

Thank you.

Good morning, go ahead.

Good morning, Christina Boyer, general public comment.

I'm an attorney with public council.

I just wanted to add to what everyone has said today.

Public Council and ACT LA worked for months and months

to develop Measure ULA.

It involved deep discussions between affordable housing

developers, community groups, labor unions, tenant

organizations, many other stakeholders.

It was a thoughtful process, and it

would be irresponsible for the city to rush through,

at the 11th hour, a tax break proposal that would weaken

the city's best source of funding for affordable housing,

rental assistance, and homelessness prevention programs.

All of these folks turned out on a moment's notice

because these proposed changes to ULA

are dire for our communities.

Any changes to ULA should go through a real community process,

not be rushed under pressure

from the for-profit real estate industry.

Please respect the will of voters

and fully implement Measure ULA.

Let's not negotiate it against ourselves.

Thank you.

Hola.

Good morning.

Buenos dias.

Mi nombre es Elizabeth Garcia.

Hi, good morning.

My name is Elizabeth Garcia.

I'm here to comment that any change or amendment

that would be happening to Measure ULA

should go through a thoughtful, reflective process.

Y transparente que incluye a las partes directamente afectadas.

And it should be transparent that also includes stakeholders that are directly affected.

No imponerse de manera apresurada en la boleta para socavar lo que los votantes aprobaron.

So please don't rush to pass something to put an end to what the voters asked for.

And please don't do that in a confusing or unjust way.

Please don't take the EULA program for the many people who need it.

Thank you.

My name is Elizabeth Hernandez.

I'm an ACE organizer.

and just as everyone that has spoken, we were working on getting the vote out for ULA.

We pass it.

And it's upsetting that you guys want to make changes now.

When we went out there and got this, we started talking to the community.

We told them ULA will be a benefit for the community, something direct for the tenants,

not for corporations, not for developers.

So we have to understand that you guys have to listen to the community, not to these developers.

They already have so much in our city.

They already have so much and they keep taking more and more and more.

And the tenants keep picking up the slack at the end of the day.

We as tenants cannot even afford or rent at this point.

And now you guys are trying to take money that is helping many people in our communities.

It's not fair.

Vote no on it.

Thank you so much.

And with that, we have reached the end of our time for public comment.

We've taken public comment for over an hour today.

So I want to thank you all for your time.

Madam Clerk, what's next on the agenda?

The council has motions for posting and referral.

Okay, those are posted and referred.

The desk is clear.

Members, do you have any announcements?

Councilmember Rodriguez.

Thank you, colleagues.

And I want to thank the members of the public that are coming out and raising their concerns.

I want to bring to the attention, for those of you that may not be aware, that there was

another arrest by the U.S. Attorney's Office around fraud associated with the work around

homelessness and some of the expenditures that are happening.

It's been alleged $23 million of misuse of public funds, $5 million derived directly from LASA in contracts.

And colleagues, I just wanted to bring it to everyone's attention again.

I think it's been a few years now that I've been talking about this.

The elephant is in the room.

LASA is still a problem.

And we've done absolutely nothing to change it.

These are public funds that are supposed to be dedicated to effectively helping to address the homelessness crisis on the street.

If you care about homelessness, then you should care about making sure that public dollars are being maximized for effective results that are tangibly shown to all of us.

We should be able to see the results.

I'm not talking about bad homeless counts trying to rationalize or justify the expenditures that are being made.

But, dammit, we need to have a real conversation around how homeless dollars are spent, the

accountability of service providers that are making millions and millions of dollars without

any accountability.

If you care about this issue, then schedule the item in committee so that we can have

the conversation.

But enough is enough.

How many more arrests need to be made?

How many more individuals need to be removed from their appointments for this new structure

of La Casa because they're now being charged with gross misconduct and misuse of public

funds?

Enough!

We were elected to have these conversations, not to shelve them, not to hide them out of

public view, and not to allow one executive leader to control the conversation.

So I look forward, colleagues, to ensuring that this dialogue occurs appropriately in

our Housing and Homelessness Committee.

Ms. Rahman, I have a motion for the conversation around centralizing this work in a Department

of Homelessness.

This is not something that needs to happen piecemeal.

We are in a crisis, and every arrest is exemplifying the abuse and the lack of transparency of

public dollars. Enough is enough. Let's stop hiding behind the facts here, folks. How many

more articles do you need to see? How many more arrests need to be made? And how many

more contracts need to be awarded without the approval of this council before you decide

time's up? So I look forward again and demand the scheduling of my motion and a comprehensive

conversation colleagues I know mr. Blumenfield we've talked about this how

many years there's no excuses for this conversation not to ensue by this body

that is what we were elected to do I look forward to that happening before

the next arrest is published by the LA Times thank you

thank you so much other members with announcements councilmember Hernandez

you thank you as president I just want to say thank you to everybody that

showed up today. I think it was, at least for me, it was really profound to see all the community

members that were here, all the community-based organizations that were here, and also the deep

labor bench that was here in support of ULA. I heard you. I appreciate you for taking time out

of your day, walking here, busing here, paying for parking to be here. Thank you. And I also want to

uplift a motion that I've put forward around homelessness, and that is a motion for the city

to directly contract with the County of Los Angeles

on our homelessness services.

It was seconded by Council Member Blumenfield.

I would also love to see that move forward in this time

as we're looking for accountability and transparency.

Thank you.

Great, other members with announcements?

Council Member Gerardo.

Yes, I wanna join the chorus.

Thank you to a lot of my constituents.

Gracias for misconstituents that came here today

to shout out and really appreciate ULA.

The fact that tenants and labor got together

to push this something so novel and innovative

to change our economy foundationally is so important

and defending it is so important.

And we know it doesn't come without struggle.

So appreciate you all coming out today.

And I want to uplift what the other council members said.

As we think about our homelessness spending

and think about it in our committee,

I look forward to having those conversations

to think about the diverse set of options and choices that we have to be responsible stewards

of our homelessness policy and housing development in this city and to not just think about it in a

singular vantage point. So I'm looking forward to hopefully having those conversations in committee.

Great. Other announcements? Councilmember McCosker? No announcements. Wow. All right.

well yeah nothing in the 1-5 this weekend great let's members if we can

rise for adjourning motions any adjourning motions to my left the

journey motions to my right any adjournments councilmember Yaroslavsky

No?

Okay, great.

Seeing none, this meeting is adjourned.

Thank you all.

Thank you.

While working.