People who have been traumatized, terrified, who need everything from tattoo removal to addiction services to mental health services to trauma-centered care, and help these youngsters believe in a future and give them light and hope.

And so, Nayeli, I just really want to commend you for all the wonderful work you've done. With that, I'd like to introduce our deputy chief, our wonderful deputy chief, who I first met in 2023, Gerald Woodyard.

Very difficult to follow the district attorney and the city attorney, but I am excited.

And if you look to my left and look to my right, this is a holistic approach to a serious problem.

But I'm not the one that's leading it.

This work started back in 2023 when I was the deputy chief down in Operation South Bureau,

I had the opportunity to work with city attorney Feinstein Soto.

And why does it matter to me?

It matters to me because I have a young daughter.

I have a young son.

And so when I see these young women and young men out there being exploited,

it impacts me because that's someone's daughter.

That's someone's son.

So it's been a priority for me in West Bureau once I landed here, and I'm extremely excited about the leadership team I have here because they know the problems that have occurred on the Figueroa Corridor.

So the leadership team here on Olympic Division is Rachel Rodriguez, which she has the lion's share of the issue, as well as Manny Chavez.

He's a captain. She's a captain of Hollywood.

When we're talking about human trafficking, specifically human trafficking, sex trafficking, it's just not that.

My concern is this.

There is a gang nexus to this.

In South Bureau, there's a gang nexus.

It's a lot of money that gang members are acquiring because they're exploiting kids.

So it's a problem.

but I'm excited because it's been something that we're focused on not just from West Bureau from

the Office of Operations which is headed by Chief Tinger Eadies and by the department

so with that being said rest assured that we're going to focus on this but I'm excited about this

collaboration it's holistic it's just not LAPD the rest piece we can do that all day

but it's when we get the grassroot organizations, when we get the city attorney, the district attorney on the same page, that's when we can have an impact.

I've seen the impact down in South Bureau. I'm excited about the impact that we're going to have here in West Bureau.

With that being said, I'd like to bring up Captain Rachel Rodriguez.

Thank you, everybody. My name is Captain Rachel Rodriguez.

I'm the commanding officer of Olympic Area.

So the Western Corridor has historically been known for human trafficking.

As a vice officer who worked Olympic Division 10 years ago, and now as the commanding officer that oversees this area,

I've seen firsthand the proliferation of human trafficking that is occurring in our local neighborhoods.

Over the last year, we concentrated our efforts to address this growing concern.

From a law enforcement perspective, we have concentrated our efforts to apprehend those that are trafficking our young women along this corridor.

And in 2025, along with our Olympic Vice Units as well as Operations West Bureau Vice Units, we've made 372 arrests.

That included 18 arrests of pimps or panderers and 60 arrests that included lewd conduct.

And in this effort, we've worked with our Assistant United States Attorney, our District Attorney, and our City Attorney on the prosecutions of those that take advantage of these young women.

But our partnerships are also with our nonprofit organizations that include Journey Out and Run to Rescue, who come out on these task force with our vice units.

And that's extremely important as they are the ones that firsthand get to talk to these women and provide them opportunities outside of this lifestyle.

And encourage them to reunite with their families, seek services that they don't currently have.

And we understand that this is not something that we can enforce our way out of.

We do have to change the environmental design of our neighborhood.

and that is working with our city partners when it comes to the Los Angeles Sanitation and our Bureau of Street Lighting

to increase lighting in the neighborhood, take away the dark avenues, the dark streets that are currently occurring,

as well as making left turns very difficult for our Johns that are out there.

And hopefully with this partnership, we can help make this neighborhood a little bit safer.

I think most importantly, I'd like to recognize my Olympic senior lead officers who go out and make sure that there are safe passages for our young students that are around our schools.

And this is important to prevent their view of the women that are being trafficked and the men that could potentially traffic them.

And so I'd like to recognize those men and women that go out there daily to make sure our children are safe.

I'd like to end with, although we have limited resources within law enforcement currently, we continue to dedicate our time to this area.

And we want to ensure that not only the quality of life for these young women that are being trafficked, but the quality of life of everybody in this neighborhood to make sure you have a safe place to walk, to live, to work, to commute.

And that's our dedication to you.

So thank you.

Rachel?

I think that concludes the formal part of this press conference.

I was offered a closing, but I don't think I have much to say.

Most things have been said for our neighborhoods, for our victims.

We're here for you, and for the pimps, the predators, the traffickers, the johns.

I don't know that I'm quite as eloquent as our district attorney, but I can echo him.

We're coming after you.

We've been coming after you.

and we are determined to stop this blight throughout our city.

Happy to take questions, and you can ask of just about anybody who's up here if you do have questions.

Any idea how many people in L.A., L.A. County were talking about being trafficked?

Do you guys have any idea?

I don't think we've broken it down that way to the best of my knowledge.

Do you have an answer for that?

No.

No.

What we do have statistics on is what we've rescued.

So like, for example, on the Figueroa Quarter, the LAPD and our service providers have rescued something north of 250 minors in the first two years of operation of that program.

Now, you need to understand we don't force anyone into accepting services.

So that is young people who've been offered a way out and have taken the hand.

I still remember the first 14-year-old that we rescued off the Figueroa Corridor.

That was a successful reunification with her biological family.

We reunited her with her grandmother.

And the service providers really provided the tattoo removal, the safe space, the kind of cocoon to heal for the first several months.

And now my understanding is she is in high school under a different name than she was on the street and doing quite well.

So those aren't all the success stories.

There is some recidivism.

If we don't move a child successfully into a more permanent environment, they often wind up back.

Understand that when you take a young person away from a pimp, they often chase them.

They come back after them.

They try to intimidate.

They bully.

They do all kinds of things to get back what they view as their property, as their living.

And so we have done some things in Sacramento already.

The DA and I have sponsored a bill that passed and became law this year, which made the intimidation and the bullying a separate offense,

so that when a pimp goes back after a victim, that's a separate crime for which that individual can be arrested.

I sponsored and wrote a bill.

I took it up to Sacramento for the third time this year, and it finally passed to close what I used to call the Jeffrey Epstein loophole in our sex offenders registry.

Up until January 1, 2026, you could have illegal sexual intercourse with a 14 to 17-year-old,

and you were not automatically registrable as a sex offender.

Senator Susan Rubio carried bill number 680, and that loophole now has been closed.

We will continue to take up bills to provide law enforcement with tools to do their job.

I don't think it was my office. Was it yours on the loitering for John's?

Do you want to talk about that one a little bit?

Certainly.

So actually when I was running for office, I had a chance to visit Compton and speak with the mayor of Compton, Emma Sharif.

She took me down to Long Beach Boulevard.

And what she showed me was literally scantily clad young girls and young women in the middle of the day, very close to where the school was located.

And I asked her, how did this happen?

And she said, well, in the past, they had laws called loitering to commit prostitution.

And those loitering laws allowed the police to go ahead and pick up or certainly confront these women who were loitering to commit prostitution before they actually engaged in the act of prostitution.

And it helped get a lot of these young women and young girls into these community-based programs to get the treatment they need.

And also helped, again, clear the streets, make it clear to the pimps that the police would be active.

And then those laws went away.

The state legislature took those laws away for reasons that still remain unknown to me as to their common sense, I should say.

I obviously know that they did it. I know the justification for they did it and couldn't disagree more.

I would argue that many of those state legislators who took those laws away never spoke to Emma Sharif, the mayor of Compton, to see the impact it would have.

Because once you took that tool away from law enforcement, now law enforcement literally had to wait until the act of prostitution was being committed before they could take any action.

So that led a lot more young girls to be on the street peddling their wares for the pimps, knowing that law enforcement couldn't take action.

So recently those laws have been brought back.

And I fully expect law enforcement to use those tools that they now have to go ahead and deal with this problem proactively before you have to have a young girl in the middle of a sexual act before law enforcement can act.

We are working and using conspiracy laws, felony conspiracy laws, between a sex worker and the sex buyer, the exploiter, to go ahead and bring these charges, particularly against the sex buyer.

And these are felony charges that can land the sex buyer in prison.

So again, we are using the new tool, the tools that we have and the tools that we've now been granted

to really tackle both the supply and the demand sides of this equation.

Thank you.

It 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 staffed, 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 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.

So we changed out the apparatus and we changed out the sandboxes and replaced them with some more

family-friendly materials. We 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 reservations

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 life repair team brighton and

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 one million dollars 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 Adriana Zico, an offer to join America at this time.

We're just really here 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,

Oshogatsu, 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 Kodana 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.

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.

But 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 SLS King.

We are hosting the 2026 recertifications.

Behind 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 their 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 lifeguiding 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.

Swimming is 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.

LACC 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 for 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 LA, we've got you covered.

Check out what's happening this week on Things 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 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 Sea 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-size inflatable whales and the famous duct tape whale contest.

Visit Cabrillo for Whale 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 Campus

for hosting us today.

Check out their website for visiting ours.

And from all of us at L.A. City,

thank you so much for joining us.

Remember, you can watch us anytime online at lacityview.org

and follow us at L.A. City on Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube.

We'll see you next time.

Be part of something big.

But before a big project can become a reality, you need big ideas.

Ideas that make a big impact.

Deliver the good.

To serve the greater good.

Do you have what it takes?

To make a lasting contribution.

Can you?

Drive to the occasion.

Are you ready to be part of something?

That's bigger than you.

Bigger than what you thought was possible?

If so, come be a part of LADWP.

Be part of something big.

Planning for emergencies is smart, but does the family emergency plan include pets?

Will try to try to try to try to try to try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try

Whoah!

Whoah!

We'll be right back.

Thank you.

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Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I love you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I love you.

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I love you.

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Thank you.

Thank you.

All right.

Thank you.

All right, good morning and welcome to the

regularly scheduled meeting of your Los Angeles City Council. Today is Tuesday, the 27th day of

January in the year 2026. Public comment for this morning's meeting will be taken in this chamber

on agenda items and general comments related to city council jurisdiction. Madam Clerk, if we could

begin our proceedings by calling the roll. Yes, sir. Blumenthal, Harris, Dawson, Hernandez, Hutt,

Gerardo Lee McCosker Nazarian Padilla Park Price Rahman Rodriguez Soto Martinez Jaroslavsky

14 members present in court Mr. President

All right first order of business

Approval the minutes of January 23rd 2026

Councilmember Hutt moves Councilmember McCosker seconds what's next?

Commendatory resolutions are approval

Councilmember Padilla moves Councilmember Soto Martinez seconds what's next?

Mr. President, today's Tuesday. It's time for a flag salute.

We'll ask everyone in the chambers to rise, face the flag, and follow along with Councilmember Blumenfellow, the 3rd District.

All right. If I could ask everyone to put your right hand over your heart. Ready? Begin.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands,

one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

All right, Madam Clerk, let's run through our agenda.

Yes, sir.

Item number one is an item for which public hearing has been held.

Items two through 19 are items which public hearings have not been held.

For item number nine, an updated city attorney report and ordinance has been submitted

and is available online under Council File 250866.

Ten votes are required for consideration.

All right, without objection.

those items are before us. Mr. President, there is currently a request to refer item 19 to the

Housing and Homeless Committee. All right, without objection, that'll be the order. All right,

Council Member Raman. I, you know, I wanted to rise and I did want to object to referring this

motion to committee today, and I just wanted to share with you colleagues why I think

This is important, why it's urgent to do it today, and to explain why this came to us at the very last moment.

And I hope that you'll indulge me.

Measure ULA is one of the most consequential housing policies Los Angeles voters have ever approved.

Nearly 60% of Angelenos said yes to a tax on real estate sales over $5 million that would go towards building affordable housing

and to preventing evictions, displacement, and homelessness, creating for the first time a

perpetual and to me essential resource for the city of Los Angeles. I want to be very clear about

what I wanted to send to the June ballot, a one-time exemption on the tax for victims of

the Palisades fires, to me an inarguably good thing that this body must do, technical fixes to

help get these dollars out the door vetted by the housing department and an

exemption to the tax for the first 15 years after any multifamily or

commercial building comes online which based on the data that we have about

transactions so far would take away between 9 to 13 percent of the funds I

believe that we should move forward today with putting these changes on the June

ballot and here's why I endorsed and supported me at measure ULA and since

going into effect it's raised more than a billion dollars and helped stabilize

thousands of tenants while supporting the construction of 200 homes so far and

hopefully many more this year as the bulk of the production money finally goes

out the door. Those outcomes matter and they show us why this funding source is

so important to preserve for our city. But there are real threats to ULA from

statewide ballot initiatives that threaten to take away transfer taxes

entirely across California, from planned legislative action in Sacramento, and from

local ballot initiatives, all of which are likely to make far deeper cuts to ULA's revenues.

I strongly believe that acting locally and acting responsibly is how we protect this

voter-approved policies.

We can head off donors and supporters and promoters of other efforts if we do it the

right way and if we do it locally.

But I want to be clear that my efforts today are not just a defensive measure.

This is also an effort to address what I believe are unintended consequences of the design

of Measure ULA, which was sold to voters as a mansion tax. In reality, it put a

transfer tax on all properties over five million, including apartments. And we have

to be honest about what has happened as a result. Multifamily, mixed-use housing,

commercial production has slowed in the city of LA. Lenders and investors are

backing away from this city entirely. Multiple research studies and data points

have shown us that the structure of this tax has slowed apartment construction in

LA during a housing crisis. These studies have compared sales and permits in the

city of LA with comparable jurisdictions in LA County and found

steeper declines in LA City. The studies estimated that ULA is preventing the

construction of at least 2,000 market rate units a year as well as hundreds of

affordable units, more units than ULA can produce. The LA Times recently reported

that the San Diego region is building apartments at nearly twice the rate of

LA with new construction up 10% in this economic climate while LA's has plummeted by 33% over

the last three years. These studies have also shown that it has cut into property turnover in

our most expensive properties, which thanks to Prop 13 cuts into our local property tax base,

which means that if we keep the tax in this way, we actually lose funding for basic services over

time, including for public safety and street lights, everything. And I know there are claims

of competing studies, but I have actually read every single one of these studies, and I'm not

an economist, but I find the case that ULA is reducing multifamily housing production to be

very convincing, and that makes me worried as a policymaker who is legislating for all Angelina's.

Our city's own data, and I'm almost done, I'm sorry, our city's own data shows that permits

have fallen significantly since the tax, a 27% drop. More alarmingly, that data has been,

shows that that drop has been concentrated in buildings with more than five units.

Why is that alarming?

Because larger buildings are where we have placed all of our hopes for meeting our local housing shortage.

We did that through the CHIP program.

But the structure of ULA now disincentivizes investment in exactly the kind of buildings

that we are saying are going to help us meet our housing shortage.

We are sabotaging ourselves.

A policy that unintentionally stalls housing production undermines the very goal that voters

asked us to achieve.

The parallel would be if we were trying to address hunger and you did it through a program

that increased food shortages.

You can't address the housing crisis with a policy that worsens our housing shortage.

You just can't.

Voters were sold a mansion tax and ignoring the very real impacts on apartment construction,

that people want and need and want to move into doesn't protect Measure ULA. It weakens

it. Fixing unintended consequences is how we keep this policy aligned with what voters

expected and what the city needs. And I also finally want to address the process. I know

that a lot of people want to send this back to committee because this conversation should

have been something that you were all involved with a lot earlier or that you were blindsided

by my motion on Friday. And I am genuinely sorry about surprising trusted partners in

this way. But I have had months of conversations with key stakeholders,

including housing organizations and nonprofits who are leaders in the ULA

coalition, with our labor partners, with our business partners. Many of you are in

the audience today. You were part of these conversations and many of you were

actually involved in more conversations than I was. But after many months we

weren't even able to agree on what data was important to monitor or that people

cared about the implications for Angelenos on what the data was showing

us about the slowdown in construction. And given the short timeline ahead of us for action, I made

the decision to bring this conversation out of the back room and into the public sphere. Because I

care. I care deeply about the implications of slowing housing production. And I think Angeleno's

care. I care that rents in Los Angeles have gone up significantly since 2020, while rents in cities

that have built more in that period have dropped. I care that another UCLA study last year found that

LA is the most unaffordable rental market in the nation.

In the nation.

I care that LA had one of the largest drops

in the share of children among our overall population,

as families have been driven away from this city, not brought

into it, driven away by our policies.

I care that renters living in older buildings

with bad landlords have no choice but to suffer

because there is no other housing available.

Colleagues, I understand that many of you may feel differently,

But this is why I think it is important to take action today

and to send these reform proposals to the ballot in June.

Thank you.

All right.

All right, Madam Clerk, the chair

has requested that this item go to committee for consideration.

There's an objection to that order.

We need to call a vote at this time.

Yes.

So the request, the motion to refer this

to the Housing and Homeless Committee,

is there a second to that motion?

To send it to committee.

To send this to committee.

Okay, so then at this time,

the motion to send item 19 to the Housing and Homeless Committee

is before council for a vote.

Send it to Housing and Homeless Committee or not.

All right, let's open.

All right, we got people who want to speak on this.

Clerk and city attorney, I want to just make sure

we're in order here and that we can have

a full discussion over this beyond the objection.

Well, then in this case then, if the rest of the members

would like to discuss this further,

this item 19 at this time,

then the vote to send this to housing and homeless committee

should wait until the council votes

on the rest of the items on this agenda.

Before or after public comment?

This would happen after public comment

because this motion has not been referred to committee

and it was just introduced last recently.

So what we have on our agenda is a Rule 16.

A Rule 16 gets placed on the agenda

without the committee process, of course,

and when the call was made for approving this agenda,

pressed my button, I would have made an objection to the Rule 16. That is a motion, that is an

objection that is not debatable. And the vote would, would on my objection would be, or anyone's

objection, would be immediate without debate. And to consider the Rule 16 requires 10 votes.

To consider the Rule 16 requires 10 votes, not debatable. If there are not 10 votes to consider

the rule 16 the matter is by rule referred to committee by rule it's

referred to committee and so I want to be really really clear here that the

president of the council at the outside of the meeting said I no longer have a

rule 16 in front of you I'm going to refer this to committee the objection

was the referral to committee that is a simple majority objection but if we

don't send a committee the motions dead it's gone it doesn't exist it's not

considered today without 10 votes and if it's not sent to committee it's not

sent to committee and it's dead it's essentially tabled and so let's be

really clear what we're talking about here if you want to hear it today and I

don't because it needs a public debate in committee it requires 10 votes the

chair can send it to committee without objection if there's an objection eight

votes can approve what he's doing or eight votes can disapprove what he's

doing if we disapprove Senate to committee it's gone so let's be really

clear what we're talking about here we're not we're no longer talking about

whether it's gonna be heard today it will not be heard today because there is

no rule 16 on the floor the only question we have does it go to committee

or does it go into the ether I say Senate to committee I say the same thing

councilmember Roman I'm not sure how to interpret what you said in terms of the

rules if you I mean it sounds like people want to send this to committee so

I'm happy to withdraw my objection to sending it to committee and allow it to

be sent to committee if that's the only way to keep this alive today and I'm

happy to do that all right madam clerk madam clerk just tell us what we are and

then I'll call in councilmember the objection to sending item 19 to

committee has been withdrawn so this item is now sent to the housing and

homeless committee councilmember Rodriguez thank you I just thank you

mr. McOsker for clarifying procedurally because I hit my button to to object for

to call on whether or not we were going to hear this item.

But I also didn't appreciate the false narrative and monologue

that was given on this item,

particularly when it was conflicted in acknowledging

that, Ms. Rahman, you supported and endorsed

the false notion to voters

that this was going to be the panacea,

without study, without any of the verified proof,

We knew that these were the implications for many of us

when we were having these conversations around ULA.

And we've been calling it out for well over a year,

but it was convenient to ignore it

when the money was being doled out

to different initiatives that people wanted to support.

And then these backroom,

learn about the backroom conversations

that were happening.

The idea that you would all of a sudden jam this in

and oh, out of genuine concern,

when we've been calling this out for more than a year,

I wish you had the same sense of urgency

to schedule my motion that has been sitting

in your committee for 280 days

on the discussion of homeless spending

and the centralization of the work

and the removal of LASA.

It's been sitting 280 days,

a report in your committee that you won't hear.

So let's stop playing this false notion

of the arsonists showing up as the firefighters.

I want to make sure that the public

gets the actual conversations that they deserve.

There's multiple stakeholders here that are being affected, whether it's the lack of housing construction,

whether it's the individuals that are at risk of losing support from the resources that could be garnered from this,

or the obstruction of housing creation.

There is a whole host of problems here.

But the public deserves to have an open and transparent conversation around this.

So I'm not going to sign on to these false efforts.

and you know

we have a committee process

let's have these conversations

in committee but let's

stop playing these games guys

how many times do people

have to get dragged out of work or whatever they're

doing to come participate

in this fall show enough

so I look forward to this

going to committee and having a robust

conversation about how we can

and I see all the folks in labor there

how we can measure twice and cut

once because we do have to fix ULA and we have to do it right and make sure that we do it with all

the stakeholders that are going to be impacted by it to be involved and engaged in the conversation

and I look forward to these things happening with full transparency in the committee process. Thank

you. All right. Specials members. Councilmember McCosker. Yes. Thank you very much. I would like

to call item number 17 special I will have amendments that will be circulated

right on councilmember Nazarian item number 11 for an amendment that's

already been circulated thank you councilmember Hrado council president

I'd like to call item 4 and 7 special for a separate vote 4 and 7 7 okay okay

Councilmember Yaroslavsky thank you for item 7 I'm introducing a substitute

resolution to remove two locations and add one it's being introduced now and

then on item 19 that we just heard can we also send that to budget and finance

okay okay all right councilmember Padilla item 17 for questions on an

amendment that's already circulating all right and councilmember Park no Park

Okay.

It looks...

Any other specials members?

Council Member Rodriguez.

Item 8, sadly, to note and file.

Sorry, Rams.

And item 9, to recommend that we adopt the city attorney's corrected ordinance dated January 26, 2026.

And also for comments, we'll hold...

That's item 9.

Item 9, okay.

Yeah.

And then I have an amendment circulating for 17.

Okay.

Other specials members?

Going once going twice

council member Bloomingfield

item nine for comments and

May have it may have something for 17 either refer a fact to commit a portion back to committee or make an amendment on it

All right other specials members

All right, madam clerk given that calendar what items are before us

Just to clarify for item 7 Councilman Rodriguez is there a second to

Adopting the corrected ordinance

Second on we got a second. All right. Oh

All right, what's next

Next council may now vote on item one sir

All right item one is before so it's open the roll close the roll

tabulate the vote 14 eyes all right what's next next council may move on to

public comment sir all right mr. City attorney please read the rules for

public comment into the record

yes mr. president to people providing public comment when it's your turn to

speak please state which of the agenda items you'd like to speak to you will

have one minute per item up to three minutes total for the items open for

public comment we will tell you when your time is up when speaking on the

agenda items you must be on topic our goal is to get through as many speakers

as we can if you are not on topic or if we cannot tell whether you are on topic

you will get one brief warning from me or the council president at that point

you need to get immediately and clearly on topic.

If you do not do so, or if you again stray off topic,

you will forfeit the rest of your speaking time

and we will move on to the next speaker.

The items that are open for public comment on the agenda

are items two through 18.

So again, the items that are open

for public comment on the agenda are items two through 18.

Item number 19 has been referred to committee

and so is not open for public comment.

Members of the public may also speak for up to one minute for general public comment.

During general public comment, members of the public may speak to any of the items

or anything else in the city's subject matter jurisdiction.

A couple more announcements, if I could have the interpreters make this first one

aloud to the room, please.

If you require a Spanish-language interpreter,

please make sure to pause every few sentences so the interpreters can interpret.

Don't worry, we will pause your time while the interpreters are interpreting, so you

will get the same amount of time as everyone else.

Thank you.

Additionally, if you've made an accommodation request under the ADA with the clerk's office,

Or if you would like to, in order to use the wireless handheld microphone, please let the

sergeants know when it's your turn to speak that you would like to use the wireless handheld

microphone.

Finally, in order to accommodate as many people as possible, we would ask that you please

wait to line up until after you hear the name that you signed up under called aloud.

The order in which the names are called is at random.

That is to say, it is randomly generated.

Thank you.

And before we call names, members, we have a little over 50 people who are on the queue

to speak.

So we're going to allow one hour for public comment today.

So we will take public comment until 11.45.

Also, we will close the queue so that we won't have any new signups between now and then.

So we will take public comment from now until 11.45.

Let's go ahead and call names.

I will now begin to call the following names Laura Raymond, Nico Gardner, Maura

O'Neill, Amy Linda Navarez, and Carlos Saveria.

good morning which items would you like to speak to item 17 in general public comment okay so you

have one minute for the item and one minute for general go ahead thank you good morning council

members. My name is Maura O'Neill. I'm a policy analyst for Better Neighbors LA. We're a coalition

focused on regulating short-term rentals to preserve long-term housing in Los Angeles and

Southern California. I'd like to urge the council to remove section five from the proposed reports

in item 17. This item threatens to resurrect the vacation rental ordinance which was voted down in

2023 because of the devastating impact it would have on LA's long-term residents. The vacation

Rental Ordinance would undo the Home Sharing Ordinance's foundations and impede the city's

enforcement of current short-term rental laws, a task the council has been working on for years.

The enormous increase in short-term rentals under the Vacation Rental Ordinance, roughly 31,000,

would effectively reverse the primary residency requirement provision of the HSO and prioritize

the profit of corporate short-term rental operators over tenants. Not only do short-term

incrementals decrease housing supply, but they have also been shown to increase rents.

Passing the ordinance will affect not only-

General public comment.

Thank you.

Passing the ordinance will affect not only housing affordability for residents, but also

the scale of housing related social services that the city will need to provide.

We urge the council to remove section five from the proposed reports in item 17 and focus

on long term housing solutions for LA's residents.

Thank you for your time.

Before the next speaker begins, I will be calling the next few names.

B. Kirill, Jake Pierce, Adriana A., Mary Estoma, and Victor Morello.

Good morning.

Which items would you like to speak to?

General public comment.

Okay, so you have one minute.

Thank you.

Linda Nevarez and I'm here with Sage. I'm here to ask the council to vote against any amendments

to ULA. From the beginning, the real estate lobby has been determined to sabotage ULA by identifying

loopholes, filing lawsuits, and introducing bad faith legislation to repeal it. They spent millions

fighting it at the ballot, failed, and launched a lawsuit that also failed. Why would you all believe

anything that they say? Developers don't like paying the tax and they're using every excuse

in the book to get rid of it. Blaming ULA for a slowdown in housing production is ridiculous.

What about high interest rates, inflation, insurance, and all other factors that contribute

to the real estate market? The amendments that were proposed would reduce who pays into ULA

and delay when revenue is collected. This will make it more difficult to solve our affordability

housing crisis. It's imperative you stay the course and give a chance to let ULA work,

And that means not losing our nerve every time LA's real estate industry invents a new story about how the sky is falling. Thank you

Good morning, which items would you like to speak to? Good morning, I'm speaking general public comment in item 17

Okay, so you have one minute for the item and one minute for general. Go ahead. All right. Thank you

Good morning council on behalf of United Teachers Los Angeles

We asked the council to reject any amendments to ULA.

Billionaires and corporate developers are coming hard after this program precisely because

it is working.

Because it is showing that you could spend public dollars to build a city that working

people can afford.

UTLA has been proud to support Measure ULA from the start and stand in solidarity with

the thousands of tenants, workers, housing justice organizations, and community groups

who have championed this vital funding source for affordable housing.

And we have no plans on stopping.

doubling down on our support for this program. The 38,000 members of UTLA

join thousands of others in asking you to protect ULA. The high cost of housing is

driving our educators out of the profession. It is driving our students

into homelessness or out of the city. We ask you to protect this vital program

for affordable housing and homelessness prevention because are we a city for

billionaires and for luxury housing or are we going to build affordable housing

for working people? We ask you to protect ULA. And on item 17 we just simply

ask the city council to remove section 5 from from item 17 and reject the

vacation rental ordinance entirely thank you so much

good morning which items I miss the middle Lorraine I'm doing item 14 and

public comment okay so one minute for general hello

Item 14 and public comment.

Okay, my issues is, I know Hernandez and Miss Heather Hunt and Ugo Martini, they are with

the program, they're doing things.

The other council people end up, it looks like you pick and choose.

I don't believe in picking and choosing.

I've always believed in what's people's right.

There's a lot of issues in L.A. right now, a lot of matters in the transgender community.

I'm not coming up in here with a mustache and a beard.

I've been a transgender woman for 60 years, and I'm going to stand what is right.

I believe in human rights and what you're supposed to do.

We got enough issues out there.

Stop picking that, pick and choosing.

Do what you're supposed to do, because all of you don't want to listen.

A lot of people have come in here and disrespect you.

I come with respect and honesty.

And you didn't give me my two minutes because I was going to item 14.

Is it 14?

Yes, go ahead.

Okay, thank you very much.

What the police matters.

The police, they get their money.

They got money from the government over here from Newsom.

They make too much money.

They want to build jails and give them more guns.

They just killed some young lady in, her name was Linda.

What a matter.

They're killing our people.

Y'all giving them more money to buy more guns, and they're the ones, the situation, what Donald Trump is doing with ISIS and all that.

Y'all got too many issues going on right now that y'all have to make better for these people on the streets.

We have a drug population.

The world is, the city is getting dirty.

Clean it up.

Get it together, y'all, and make sure that y'all can make the right choices and stop picking and choosing.

Make the right choices to help this situation in L.A.

Thank you very much.

Ms. Heather and...

Okay.

Next speaker.

Before the next speaker begins, I will be calling the next few names.

Eva Garcia, Jonathan Hale, Alejandro Mendez, and you.

Good morning.

Which items would you like to speak to?

Good morning.

I'd like to speak to item 14 and general public comment.

Okay.

So you have one minute for the item and one minute for general public comment.

Please begin with the item.

Go ahead.

Thank you.

Good morning and good afternoon, council members.

My name is Jonathan Vazil, and I live and work in District 10, and I'm here in strong

support of the TGI Wellness and Equity Initiative, a $4 million investment organization serving

transgender, gender expansive, and intersex and Magilinos.

For years, community members and the Trans-Latina Coalition have urged the city to make real, sustained investments in TGI lives,

especially as federal funding for DEI-related services continues to decline.

TGI people have long faced discrimination, criminalization, and now increasing attacks on access to gender-affirming care and basic freedoms.

This makes local action more urgent than ever.

Across all levels of government, TGI people experience disproportionate homelessness, violence, and barriers to essential services.

Funding TGI-led and TGI-serving organizations is a concrete step towards equity and aligns with the city's commitment to a more inclusive Los Angeles.

We uplift city leaders who understand that equity, racial justice, and TGI rights are interconnected.

General public comment?

Good morning. Which items would you like to speak to?

I'm speaking on items 17 and 19.

Okay, so item 19 has been referred to committee, so it's not open for public comment, but you can speak to it during general.

So you have one minute for the item 17 and one minute for general. Go ahead.

Okay. Hi, my name is Marion Toma. I'm an organizer with Unite Here Local 11.

Los Angeles has already acknowledged the damage caused by short-term rentals and approved new enforcement tools to crack down on illegal activity.

Expanding short-term rentals to second homes will create new loopholes, reducing housing supply and undermine existing protections that prioritize homes for long-term residents.

Please reject this harmful proposal and remove recommendation number five.

and for general comment.

Okay, you have one minute.

Additionally, our union collected thousands of signatures

to create Measure ULA, the significant housing source.

We cannot pass exemptions that undermine this policy

at the 11th hour.

Any changes to Measure ULA without the community

should not happen.

Thank you.

Good morning.

Which items would you like to speak to?

Hi, good morning, my name is Eva Garcia.

I'm from Community Power Collective

and I would like to give a general public comment.

Okay, so you have one minute, go ahead.

So as I was saying, we come here each day and we're suffering and we are struggling

and we're here to protest what is happening with Measure ULA.

And I would also specifically like to talk to the council members because we come here, your community is here, and you're not even paying attention to us.

Adelante.

Y es por eso que les digo a todos ustedes que tienen que apoyar a nuestra comunidad.

And that's why I'm telling you, you have to support the community.

Los dueños son invulnerables, tienen dinero y quieren joder a nuestros inquilinos.

Landlords are vulnerable right now, but they want to go ahead and attack the tenants.

And that's why we need something like ULA to protect us.

And that's why we won ULA, we went out to fight for it, and we went out into the streets to get people to vote for it.

to all of the members when they come here.

Please take care of them.

And those colleagues who gave their words

sweet, they're hypocrisy.

And again, so I'm asking you,

stop disrespecting the community.

Pay attention to us when we come here

to give public comment, and for those people

who have whispered sweet nothings to us,

we know that it's hypocritical.

Good morning, which items would you like to speak to?

Buenos dias.

representación de Translatina Coalition y de la comunidad TGE.

Good morning.

I'm here in representation of the Translatina Coalition and to talk about TGI.

Mi nombre es Adriana Arjona y vengo en apoyo de la comunidad de mujeres transgéneros y anexas.

I'm here to support trans women and I'm also here to talk about the TGI Wellness Initiative.

personas transgenero. And I'm here to talk about the the four million dollar

investment in community organizations that provide services to the trans

community.

La coalición trans latina y nuestra de nuestra comunidad ha solicitado a la ciudad de los

angeles que invierta verdad en la vida de personas transgenero. The trans

Translatino Coalition as well as other communities have requested that the city of Los Angeles

truly invest in this community.

Y lo único que les puedo recordar, recuerden todos, que el dinero es del pueblo y para

el pueblo, señores.

And the only thing that I would like to remind you all is to not forget that the money that

you receive is for the people and from the people.

Thank you.

Good morning.

Which items would you like to speak to?

General.

Okay.

Muy buenos dias, señores.

Mi nombre es Alejandro Mendez y vivo aquí en la ciudad de Los Angeles.

Vengo de la organización CPC.

Hi, good morning.

My name is Alejandro Mendez.

I am from CPC, Community Power Collective, and I am from Los Angeles.

So I'm here like many other people who are like me that have, as well as the many people

who are outside.

Right now, I'm not working, and I am surviving at this time with my daughter who is working.

And my only hope is that you not repeal ULA when there's so many people who are in need, as well as other tenants.

Speaker, your time has expired.

Next speaker.

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

Señor, tenemos que pasar al siguiente comentarista.

Lo siento mucho.

Good morning.

Which items would you like to speak to?

Item 14, item 17, and general public comment.

Okay, so you have two minutes for the items and one minute for general.

Please begin with the items.

Go ahead.

Item 14, Public Safety Committee report relative to the supplemental police account second quarterly report 2025.

When I took a screenshot of this item early this morning, the report was attached to the agenda item, but now somehow it's no longer attached.

Item 17, transient occupancy tax for those staying in hotels, motels for 30 days or less.

Increased by 4% until 2028 with a permanent 2% tax thereafter.

Parking occupancy tax with a current rate of 10% increased by 5%.

Cannabis business tax parity rate increase not applicable.

Duration permanent.

These are a lot of tax increases for city residents when Mayor Bass is proposing tax exemption, not only for rebuilding properties due to the 2025 fires, but now also any purchases and restoration of buildings using Measure A funds that come directly from your constituents.

General public comment.

This past Friday, LAPD knocked on my door to do a wellness check on my roommate.

They found her unresponsive in the room next to mine.

We shared a wall.

When they entered her room, they unholstered their weapons.

Everywhere I go, I see the ways in which lack of care and support destroy black and brown,

TGI and queer people.

the streets, through my phone, at my place of employment, and now in my home. So much

grief and unspoken pain. I don't want to see another black queer body being taken out of

my home. I don't want to call their families or set up interviews with LA Times for the

slaying by LAPD of Linda Besada, also doing a wellness check, or even to discuss it here

with nothing being done with urgency about it. I hate telling people how my day went and feeling

like I might be trauma dumping, but no, it's just another Friday. Speaker, your time has expired. We

have to move on to the next speaker so for everyone here if you speaker we have

thank you for coming we have to move on to the next speaker so for everyone here

we have to give everybody the same amount of time to speak if for whatever

reason you run out of time during your public comment period or if we run out

of time and cannot take your comment today you can always provide additional

public comment at lacouncilcomment.com. Again, that's lacouncilcomment.com. You can find that at

the top of the URL at the top of every council agenda. You can also do a quick Google search,

and it should be one of the first things that comes up. Good morning. Which items would you

like to speak to? I'd like to speak on the two items, like my two minutes that I'm allocated

to speak on. One for public comment. You can have the one for general, but you said two items.

which two items?

I'm requesting my two minutes,

one for the support for the ULA and for public comment.

So the ULA item has been referred to committee,

so it's not open for public comment,

but you can speak to it during general.

So you have one minute for general public comment.

Go ahead.

Good morning, and thank you so much

for the opportunity to be here before you.

My name is Bambi Salcedo,

and I am the president and CEO of the Transatlanty Now Coalition.

I'm here on behalf of about 50 people that are still waiting to get in here and some

of my friends and colleagues and family who are here to request and to really ask this

council to move forward the TGI we.

We need two people, one to submit the petition and one to be a co-sponsor and obviously we

all of your votes to make sure that trans, gender, expansive, and intersex people are

able to receive support and services that we deserve.

This is to support trans led organizations that provide services to our community.

We know right now is the time to stand in solidarity with our community and to really

stand against the federal government who is attacking and trying to disappear trans people.

So I ask you to please be bold and... Speaker, your time has expired.

We will now be calling the next few names.

Joseph Cohen May, I, Nakia Cornish, Andrea Romero, and Mike Asphal.

Who's the next speaker?

I believe they're coming up.

Hi, item 17 please.

Item 17?

Yes, please.

So you have one minute for the item.

Go ahead.

Okay.

Thank you.

Hi, my name is Andrea Romero and I'm a member of Unite Here Local 11.

I urge you to oppose the vacation rentals ordinance and remove recommendation 5 from

your report on revenue options for the budget, allowing second homes to be listed as short-term

rentals on platforms like Airbnb and Burbo would allow for increased cover conversions

of housing into hotels and directly contradict the Council's recent actions to strengthen

enforcement of the home sharing ordinance.

The city should be cracking down on illegal short term rentals not expanding short term

rentals.

This proposal will not solve budget challenges allowing vacation rentals will make enforcement

of our existing laws more difficult and remove homes

from our neighborhoods.

That is exactly why the council previously abandoned

this proposal and allowed the file to expire.

Please focus on real solutions that protect residents

and preserve housing.

Do not move this proposal forward in any form.

Thank you.

Next speaker.

We will now be calling the next few names.

Greg Bonnet, Maria Salinas, Becky Deminson,

Ana Carrihan, Andrea Vokes, and Chiqui Charles.

Good morning, which items would you like to speak to?

general public comment.

Okay, so you have one minute, go ahead.

I'm Jerry Jones with the Greater LA Coalition

on Homelessness, speaking in opposition to any motion

that would scale back ULA.

We do not have enough funding already to deal

with the housing crisis in front of us.

So this is not the time to be changing the motion.

And if this ballot motion was, or excuse me,

this ballot measure was changed, it would need to be

in coordination with the community and labor partners

who gathered 98,000 signatures

and spent the shoe leather and the bare knuckles on doors

and the tremendous effort to explain this proposal

to the voters when it was passed overwhelmingly.

And so if there are changes to be made,

they need to be coordinated with those allies

who created ULA in the first place.

Thank you.

Good morning. Which items would you like to speak to?

Buenos dias. Mi nombre es Sofía Mendoza. Voy a hablar comentario público y sobre el punto número 17.

Good afternoon. My name is Sofía Mendoza. Speaking public comment and item number 17.

Okay, so you have one minute for the item 17 and one minute for General.

Go ahead.

Dos minutos, adelante.

Si, estamos aquí porque no queremos que nos quiten fondo de la medida ULA.

We're here because we do not want funds to be removed from Measure ULA.

Nosotros hemos luchado para obtener esa medida, esa ley.

We have fought to get that law.

As a renter, it has benefited not only me, but many other people as well.

I am a renter who has been harassed by her landlord two times.

I have sued twice and I got the adequate legal representation.

And thank you to that measure, we have been able to orient ourselves thanks to the clinics.

And I can say that when we do not have legal representation, we lose our cases and we are basically left out on the street.

general public comment commentario general

pedimos que el consejo municipal remueve la sección número 5

we ask the council to remove section number 5

del artículo 17 que iniciaría un informe sobre la ordenanza de vivienda turística

and we ask them that they remove it from item 17 that will initiate a reform for the tourist

ordinance and for the council to to reject it completely and we ask to the person who is

announcing the names to not wait until the people are not there anymore standing to do it

continuously as the people are lining up so that we do not lose time.

Gracias.

Thank you.

Good morning.

Which items would you like to speak to?

Hello, my name is Anna Carrion.

I represent District 8 of Mr. Harris Dawson.

I'm here representing SAGE today.

Here to speak about general public comment and item number 17.

Many of you have supported ULA, which has allowed, contributed to workers being able

to access affordable housing.

Ahora es el momento de llevar adelante IULA y dejar que funcione.

Now is the moment to let ULA move forward and let it work.

La IULA no solo es esencial para resolver nuestras crisis de vivienda, sino que es un

modelo para la nación sobre cómo financiar viviendas accesibles de forma permanente a gran escala.

And ULA is not only, ULA is not only moved forward by the voters, it is also a model for the nation to be able to access affordable housing with adequate funds.

I am asking the council to remove section 5 from item number 17.

The city does not have the ability to enforce a law on renters for short-term rental agreements.

Las estadísticas del gobierno municipal muestran que más del 60% de los alquileres a corto plazo son ilegales.

And statistics show that renting 60% of short-term rentals are actually illegal.

Aprobando a la ordenanza de viviendas turísticas, no solo recompensaría a las operadores que rompen la ley.

And this would, approving this ordinance, would recompensate the operators who are breaking the law.

Debido a esto, crearía un alboroto sobre la aplicación debido a la creación de 31,000 permisos nuevos sin preparación.

This would create problems for more than 30,000.

O capacidad para administrarlos. Gracias.

With the capacity to administrate them.

Before the next speaker begins, we'll be calling the next few names.

Bambi S, Dulce Moreno, Vilma Valquez, Jennifer Q, and Maya Daniels.

Good morning.

Which items would you like to speak to?

Buenos dias.

I'm going to speak on general public comment as well as item number seven.

Before I get started, I would just appreciate everyone's attention to your constituents.

Thank you.

Okay, so you have one minute for the item, number seven, and one minute for general.

Please begin with the item. Go ahead.

Thank you. My name is Chichi Navarro. I'm part of the Transatina Coalition as a policy intern.

Los Angeles is in a state of crisis, and our communities are running out of time.

Transgender, gender-nonconforming, and intersex immigrants, Angelenos, are dying on our streets

because we do not have the resources that we need to survive.

We're lacking housing. We're lacking safety. We're lacking wellness supports,

and lacking the basic infrastructure that every human being deserves.

And while our community struggles to meet this most basic needs,

this city continues to invest billions in enforcement instead of care.

With nearly a $14 billion budget, nearly a quarter goes to LAPD,

while TGI-led programs receive nothing.

This is not a resource shortage.

It is a resource allocation choice, and it's costing lives.

We need this council to introduce the TGI Wellness and Equity Initiative immediately.

TGI WE is a life-saving proposal built by community experts

who understand the crisis firsthand.

Every day you lay, more lives are lost.

We cannot wait.

We need urgent investment today.

For item number seven, item number seven will deepen a crisis

that is already killing people across the city.

Expanding 41.18 does not just harm TGI people.

It harms black and brown unhoused residents, disabled Angelenos,

seniors, youth, immigrants, and anyone surviving without stable housing.

These are the communities already dying at the highest rates, and this policy pushes them even further into danger.

Every sweep destroys medication, mobility, AIDS, hormones, IDs, and the belongings people need to stay alive.

Every forced displacement isolates people from outreach workers, from community, and from the few resources they rely on.

This is not public safety. It is state-sanctioned harm.

And for communities already facing disproportionate policing and violence, it is deadly.

If this city is serious about saving lives, expanding 41.18 is the wrong direction.

Reject item 17 and invest in real solutions, housing, services, and community-led programs that actually keep the people alive.

Listen to your constituents. Listen to the community.

Your position in this city council is not guaranteed.

And keep in mind, we are paying attention.

History will remember you.

Good morning.

Which items would you like to speak to?

General public comment and item 17.

Okay, so you have one minute for item 17 and one minute for general.

Please begin with the item.

Go ahead.

Hi, everyone.

My name is Laura Raymond, and I co-chaired the Yes on ULA campaign back in 2022,

together with my co-chair April Barrett from SEIU 2015.

And I also served on the ULA COC for two years

where I helped draft the program guidelines

for our 11 programs.

ULA, as you all know, the implementation of it

is going to be very tough long-term work.

It's going to take all of us in this room

working together to get this right.

And I'm very concerned with the proposal

that's been brought forward

in the way that I think it will damage the relationships

that we need to implement ULA well.

It's been a closed-door process,

and it also offers no alternative ideas

to replace critical revenue for our 11 ULA programs,

which will prevent homelessness and provide affordable housing.

I also fear that this is going to erode trust in the city

at a time when we need the city to be seen

as a place residents can trust with our tax dollars.

Your one-minute-for-general public comment has expired.

I believe you were speaking to ULA.

So you have one minute for item 17, if you'd like.

Go ahead.

Yes.

And I guess the last thing I just want to know is we're not going to get another chance like ULA.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to actually address our homeless and housing crisis.

Like we were telling voters in the campaign, it's really a historic opportunity,

and we all need to work together to make it a success.

So thank you so much for the opportunity.

and I hope we can move forward from here.

Good morning.

Which items would you like to speak to?

Items general public comment and 17.

Okay.

So you have one minute for item 17 and one minute for general.

I'm going to ask the same thing we've been asking during the entire meeting.

Please start with item 17, and then you can go to the general public comment.

Go ahead.

Okay.

As a real estate transfer tax, I'm speaking on item 17,

as well as a general public comment.

My name is Alfonso Directo with the ACT LA Coalition,

based on 50 organizations advancing housing and transit in LA.

$387 million to build hundreds of units of affordable housing

will be awarded in the coming weeks.

And due to ULA, this will happen once, if not twice, every year.

ULA is working, and things are just getting started.

ULA is providing the solution that the city needs,

not the problem that needs fixing.

Apartments built and owned by nonprofit

affordable housing developers and owners

are already exempt from ULA on purpose.

Expanding that exemption to include every apartment owner

and builder exacerbates the homelessness

and housing crisis we have.

ULA went into effect with a host

of complex national economic conditions

such as high interest rates and tariffs.

To reduce the conditions down to ULA is counterproductive and unjust.

ULA has been a part of, ACT-LA has been part of ULA since the beginning.

And our polling found then, just as it's probably gone even worse, is that the mistrust in government is deeper.

And in that condition, community voices and tenants are the trusted messengers on housing, not city council.

So a city-backed ballot measure to amend ULA is counterproductive and unnecessary and ineffective.

I urge you to reject this ballot measure and fully implement ULA as voters overwhelmingly

approved.

Thank you.

Before the next speaker commence, I will be calling the next few names.

Joey Martinez, Yvonne Wheeler, Miguel Montero, Cedric Farmer, Nella M, and Josefina G.

Good morning.

Which items would you like to speak to?

General public comment, please.

Okay, so you have one minute. Go ahead. Good morning. My name is Nick Casey, and I'm a trans, queer, non-binary voting resident of District 10, a member of the Angels of Change Leadership Academy, and I'm here speaking in support of the TGI Wellness and Equity Initiative as a board member on behalf of LA Pride, Christopher Street West.

LA Pride's work has always been about visibility paired with responsibility, and that responsibility

includes standing in solidarity with initiatives that materially improve the lives of the TGI

community.

The TGI WE initiative is a community-built investment in care over criminalization and

investment over erasure.

LA Pride calls on the council to please place the TGI initiative on an upcoming agenda and

fully funded affirming that Los Angeles doesn't just celebrate inclusion we

invest in it thank you

good morning which items would you like to speak to item 17 and general comments

okay so you have one minute for the item and one minute for general please begin

with the item go ahead good morning on behalf of the 800,000 union members

across Los Angeles County, I rise today in opposition of any amendments to ULA.

Let us remember why we're here.

ULA was not written in the back room.

It was written out of lived experiences by housing advocates, policy experts, and working

people who see the human cost of this crisis every single day.

And then it was overwhelmingly approved by the voters of this city.

Construction workers voted for it.

Home care workers voted for it.

Teachers voted for it. Nurses, janitors, grocery workers, and the very people who keep Los Angeles working voted for it.

ULA was built on one simple but powerful idea.

We cannot arrest our way out of homelessness.

We cannot ignore it. We cannot turn a blind eye to it.

But we must prevent people from falling into homelessness.

And we must build housing that working people can actually afford.

And that's what ULA does.

It keeps families housed.

Speaker, you've exhausted your one minute for general, but you have your one minute for item 17.

I'm going to ask you, please stick to the item.

Go ahead.

It supports tenants at risk of eviction and it creates permanent affordable housing so that people who serve the city can also live in it.

Let's be honest about the pressure you're under today.

ULA has been under relentless attacks from the billionaire class.

The same interests have filed lawsuit after lawsuit to avoid paying their fair share.

Weakening ULA now would send a message that when powerful developers push hard enough,

voter mandates can be carved out.

And here's the truth.

ULA is working.

So can we hold our time?

Speaker, you've exhausted your one minute for general public comment where you could speak to ULA.

Right now you're on item 17.

Okay.

All right.

So go ahead.

So I vote and urge everyone to protect ULA, stand with voters, stand with working families,

and let's build Los Angeles where the people who build it, this city, can afford to live in it.

Thank you.

Good morning.

Which items would you like to speak to?

17-19 and general public comment.

Okay.

So item 19 is not open for public comment as it's been referred to committee,

but you have one minute for item 17 and one minute for general.

I'm going to ask that you please stick to item 17 first before moving on to general public comment.

Go ahead.

Noted.

Good morning.

Nella McOsker with CCA here to speak to the proposed TOT and parking increases.

We urge you to take a balanced approach that looks at the city's fiscal needs, supports

tourism, and preserves our economic competitiveness.

LA runs on economic engines, and we're actively weakening them by moving forward with tax

increases on the table today.

Downtown is the clearest example.

30% of our TOT parking and business tax revenue have come from this section of

the city when you tax this engine further you don't just slow downtown you

reduce your own ability to pay for services everywhere else across the city

visitors can go to Glendale and Burbank where TOT is nearly half of what is

being proposed here I know that there are proposals on the table to decrease

the overall amount as well as other solutions that is in the right direction

because streets are cleaner safer and better in these other cities common

sense dictates as well that we need to look at what is already collected before

we consider any rate increases and so thinking about the parking tax there are

operators who are already complying with the current tax increase while others

are not fully giving what they owe.

So thank you for your balance and the discussion that's to come,

considering all sides where not everyone gets what they want,

but we're balancing the priorities of the city, the economic engines,

and your own ability to balance the budget.

Thank you.

Before the next speaker begins, I will be calling the next few names.

Angelina J., J.C. Lacey, Dishawnee Cantily,

Alika B and Jerry J. Good morning which items would you like to speak to? Hi good

morning I would like to make a general public comment. Okay so you have one

minute go ahead. Hi my name is Miguel Montero and I'm a part of SAGE

Strategic Actions for Just Economy and I want to talk about ULA. So ULA has been

in effect for almost three years and over time more than one billion dollars

have been collected by the city. These billion dollars have prevented more than

10,000 people from falling into homelessness, funded nearly 800 affordable homes, and accelerated

10,000 union jobs. If we put into effect these amendments that Nithya Raman has proposed,

those in favor will create an uptick in homelessness, we will move backwards in

building an equitable housing landscape, and you will feed profit-driven real estate investors at

the cost of putting thousands of Angelenos in a vulnerable stance or on the street. Do not move

forward with these ULA amendments and consider the local impacts this can have

on the broader community that you all represent thank you

good morning which items would you like to speak to good morning I wish to speak

on item 17 please okay so you have one minute for item 17 go ahead good morning

board. This is a moment for common sense. We can either risk more layoffs, cut city services,

or find ways to fund them. Allowing responsible short-term rentals brings in tourism dollars

and tax revenue without raising taxes on residents. This is what smart governance

looks like. Creative solutions to real problems. Let's pass a balanced, forward-thinking ordinance.

Thanks a lot.

Good morning.

Which items would you like to speak to?

For a general comment.

Okay, so you have one minute.

Alright, well good afternoon.

My name is Jovan Wolfe.

I'm a trans veteran, organizer, artist, and community member.

I'm representing Trans-Latina Coalition as an angel of change as well as the Executive

Director of Invisible Men.

I'm here to bring light and speak in support for the TGI Wellness and Equity Initiative.

This initiative would help fund trans, two-spirit, non-binary, intersex, and gender-diverse-led

and serving community-based organizations doing the hard work every single day to keep

our community supported and uplifted.

We are their lifeline and we demand your support.

These organizations provide critical services for our overlooked communities like housing,

access to healthy food, healthcare, employment,

among other vital resources.

It's time for the city to LA to make good

on its promises to be for everyone.

Okay, because if you truly say you're for everyone

that resides here in LA, but you and all of us know

that we have been marginalized, pushed to the sidelines,

and we continue to be an afterthought

in your budgets and your agendas.

Speaker, your time has expired.

Next speaker.

Good morning. Which items would you like to speak to?

Buenos dias. Necesito traduccion.

Good morning. I need translations.

¿Y qué puntos quisiera dar su comentario?

Okay. Buenos dias a todos. Especialmente a la señora Nithya Raman.

Me gustaría que me estuviera escuchando, por favor.

Good morning to everyone, particularly Miss Nithya Raman.

I would really like for you to pay attention to my comment, please.

I'm really saddened by your behavior

because sometimes you act like you're for the people

and then sometimes you don't.

And respectfully, I'm speaking to you

because I was really disheartened by what I heard.

Todos trabajamos con ULA para tener vivienda económica para el pueblo.

We all worked for ULA so that we could have affordable homes for the people.

Como dijo una señora, el dinero es para el pueblo, del pueblo y para el pueblo.

Like another commenter had said, she said, the money is for the people and from the people.

Entonces yo quiero todo el dinero para la comunidad y vivienda económica.

So I want all of our money for the community and for affordable housing.

Muchas gracias.

Thank you very much.

Before the next speaker commences, I will be calling the next few names.

Maria Sanchez, Azeen K, Carla DePass, and Alejandra B.

Good morning.

Which items would you like to speak to?

General public comment and item number 17.

Okay.

So you have one minute for item 17 and one minute for general.

Please begin with the item.

Go ahead.

My name is Alika Baldez.

I am a member of Yafan Sage.

These are men's where we can ULA's revenue stream.

Los Angeles cannot solve its affordable housing crisis

without building more affordable housing.

ULA gives Los Angeles a huge dedicated permanent revenue

stream to build in just two and a half years.

It has raised more than $1 billion just for housing.

If we amend ULA, Los Angeles will have less money to build

and it will be harder to solve our housing crisis.

These amendments are undemocratic.

Measure ULA was passed by 58% of voters

in 2022. Tampering with ULA undermines the role of the majority. These amendments are

being rushed through without input from stakeholders. Any amendments or changes to ULA should come

from a thoughtful, transparent process that includes renters, tenant advocates, community

organizations. I am going to speak, item 17. So the vacation rental ordinance would raise

for LA residents and increase homelessness.

The ordinance would create roughly 3,100 new STR permits.

LA residents currently pay 810 a year extra in rent

because of the 9,000 STRs we currently have.

Imagine 3,100 new ones.

Similarly, 5,000 people are currently made homeless

because of STRs.

We would expect that number to grow dramatically

if the VRL is passed.

We ask that the City Council remove section five,

initiating a report back on the vacation rentals ordinance

from item number 17,

and reject the vacation rental ordinance entirely.

I just hope that history will not repeat

because ULA will never be the same.

Thank you.

Hello, good morning.

I'd like to be speaking general.

Which items would you like to speak to?

General comment. Go ahead. You have one minute.

Thank you. Greetings council members. My name is DeShanay

Cantlie, a tenant, a community member

and an advocate for the work of ULA on the ballot. Whom

which has made great impacts for Angelenos to get housed, stay housed, and construction

jobs so far.

There is still work to do, and we need time to complete the reality with ULA and the intention

of care and with communities in mind.

The people have already spoken, so let us continue to do the work with no further delays.

Thank you.

good morning which items would you like to speak to morning everyone thank you

for coming in and the item I'm gonna speak on first is number 14 and then I

have a comment for just general public okay so you have one minute for item 14

and one minute for general go ahead very good thank you this morning for coming

in and putting a smile on your faces I think you all deserve a round of applause

for that as many people do not tell you so now let's get into number 14 something

about with the police and building the financial budget, etc.

I have nothing to say about that because I support our police 100%.

Thank you for being out on the street. Thank you for doing what you do. The only

thing that I'm going to say to you is this. There are people dying in the streets because

police do not know how to basically handle transgender individuals.

We need sensitivity training and we need it now. If we don't get it,

there's going to be more out on the street. Now next, general public comment.

So I am here because I want to tell you, please support the TGI funding.

Okay, not only will it get people off the streets, but it helps our youth.

Our youth are out there prostituting.

They're doing drugs.

They have no one that they can turn to.

You take this money away, and you will put them in their graves.

You take this money away, and you will put everyone else who does not have a home

or has something that they need to overcome in their graves.

I am not here to tell you anything with sugar.

I am here to tell you that exactly it is what it is.

Every day that you wake up, you remember that this could be one of your family members.

Let's support everyone.

We make the money, and you guys get it.

Let's put it to use.

Thank you very much.

And this is from a former Miss Universe trans,

and also someone that has been in this community and is a taxpayer.

Thank you.

we will now be calling the next few names

Trinidad Alvarez

Jessica P

Gloria Martinez

Maria B

and Loretta Lorraine

good morning

which items would you like to speak to?

buenos dias

estoy aquí para hacer comentario público

good morning I'm here to give general public comment

ok so you have one minute

mi nombre es Alejandra Beltran

soy miembro

it trust so a lei e the group of the leader ask for the

vivienda social act la el dia de hoy estamos aqui para pedirles

que vote in law a la consideración de la medida electoral respaldada por el

consejo para enmendar a la medida u ele a a momento hi good morning everyone my

My name is Alejandra Belcran.

I am from Trust South LA and I am part of a leadership group called ACT LA.

And I'm here to ask you to vote no to modifying Measure ULA.

La vivienda social permanente trae a mi comunidad una salud mental, economic and familiar.

In consequence, we will have a community

with a model of life just and equitable for everyone.

That's why the letter of support to the ULA measure.

So as a person who has lived in permanent social housing,

I can personally attest to the improved mental health

along with many other benefits that have resulted from having a stable place to live.

La cual entregaremos a usted, señor presidente, para su análisis y reflexión de los resultados positivos de la implementación de la medida ULA.

And so I ask for the president to please look carefully and to be very thoughtful

when talking about any sort of modifications and amendments

that need to be done to measure ULA.

Thank you very much.

Speaker, your time has expired.

Next speaker.

Senora, se le acabo su tiempo.

Lo siento mucho.

Good morning. Which items would you like to speak to?

Good morning. General public comment, please.

Okay, so you have one minute. Go ahead.

Good morning. My name is Azeen Khan-Malik, and I'm the Executive Director of Abundant Housing LA.

I'd like to take a moment to commend Councilmember Rahman for doing a difficult thing,

pushing forward an important but controversial conversation.

Abundant Housing LA was and still is proud to have endorsed Measure ULA.

But we also recognize that there's clearly a need for narrow, targeted reform to reduce costs to multifamily housing development.

Two things can be true at the same time.

ULA raises critical funds for affordable housing and tenant programs,

and its application to multifamily housing is suppressing the production of much-needed homes.

I sincerely hope that with the additional time afforded by referral of this ULA motion to committee,

all stakeholders can constructively work together to find a solution that facilitates housing

production and potentially raises additional revenue to keep these critical funds whole.

Thank you very much.

Good morning. Which items would you like to speak to?

General comment.

Okay, so you have one minute. Go ahead.

My name is Jessica, and I'm with Liberty Hill Foundation.

I ask that you review the letters Liberty Hill, UHLA, and Right to Council Coalition have submitted to the council file,

and we ask to continue the following conversation with Councilmember Rahman in good faith.

Once again, flawed and premature data is being used to justify the gutting of Measure ULA.

Do you not see all the tenants and community-based organizations here who fought hard for ULA to pass?

This measure was designed to tax the rich and to fund community-driven solutions to prevent homelessness, and it's working.

federal cuts are happening and instead of protecting the largest source of local

revenue to prevent homelessness you are actively working towards cutting the

revenue for whose benefit use that energy to focus on implementing ULA not

watering it down use that energy to partner with us to continue to center

the needs of the most at-risk Angelenos this ballot amendment effort is not

about protecting ULA from repeal but about giving into real estate pressure

through carve-outs exemptions and delays so side with the people not the

billionaires. Thank you.

Good morning.

Which items would you like to speak to?

General public comment.

Okay, so you have one minute.

And I support the ULA.

My name is Alejandra.

I am a member of the Fast Food Workers

Union. I work on Taco Bell

and District 8. I work at Taco

Bell and filed a colossal complaint

after I was being chased

by a man

that was doing sexual

sexual comments to my co-workers violence like this occurs constantly since we were never trained

on how to protect ourselves so in the matter I grabbed the pizza cutter to defend myself

we should have been had a working panic button or a prevention plan but instead when I spoke up

about what happened the management decided to move me and cut my hours well we shouldn't have

Been sign is well. I'm not gonna stay sign is fast food workers need to know their rights and training so we can enforce the law and

Please take the immediate action to pass the fat fast food fair workers ordinance without any future delays. Thank you

All right, that concludes public comment for today's meeting a madam clerk what items are before us?

Mr. President, council may now vote on items 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12 through 16, as well as 18, sir.

All right, let's open the roll on those items.

Close the roll.

Tabulate the vote.

14 ayes.

All right, what's next?

Next would be item 4, and that was called special by Councilmember Herrado for a separate vote.

All right, let's open the roll on item number 4, called special by Councilmember Herrado for a separate vote.

Let's close the roll, tabulate the vote.

11 ayes, 3 no.

All right, what's next?

Next would be item 7.

that was called special for two things there is a substitute resolution

Yavisovsky McCosker and also councilmember Herado called it special for

a separate vote for the quest the first council should vote on whether to

substitute or not for item 7 sir all right let's open the roll on

substitution close the roll tabulate the vote 14 eyes all right and now we'll open

the roll on the question yes sir it's the resident new resolution

Yaroslavsky McCosker that's the one that all right we're opening the roll on

that item close the roll tabulate the vote 11 eyes 3 no all right what's next

Council Member Hernandez is requesting to be documented as a no vote on item number seven.

So for the record, item seven, the vote is now 10 ayes and four noes.

That resolution still passes.

All right, what's next?

Next would be item nine, and that was called special for comments by Mr. Blumenfield

as well as Ms. Rodriguez.

All right.

Council Member Rodriguez.

Thank you.

Colleagues, I'm thankful that this item is now finally before us

to disclose ex parte communications on a charter reform process

that was initially inspired by these calls for reform.

I'll wait.

Mr. City Attorney

Sorry, but I'm trying to see I can't see who yelled out but for people who are exiting the room

Because public comment is now over we would ask that you'd please do so quietly if you don't and you continue to interrupt

The council members as they are speaking you'll be subject to rule 7 rule 12

And warned and potentially subsequently removed. I'm sorry councilmember. Thank you councilmember Rodriguez. Thank you

So again, I'm thankful that we now finally have this item before us and I want to thank the city attorney for

helping to get the language in quickly so that we could get this transmitted and voted on.

But it is already about five months, six months late. The whole objective around charter reform

process was supposed to be born and birthed around the idea of greater transparency and

reform in the city. And sadly, this charter reform process has been manipulated and

and really controlled by conversations

that are not being transmitted to the public.

And so it's ironic that so much of this

was originally proposed by events

that people were so offended by

that they wanted to lead greater conversations

around transparency and reform,

and yet this very process has been dinged and obstructed

from having that transparency in the communications

that are happening for the proposals

that have been coming forward

to the Charter Reform Commission.

And so sadly, this is late.

The Charter Reform Commission is going to be transmitting

their recommendations eminently.

And so all the ex parte communications

that have transpired, and we know they've transpired,

have been kept out of public view.

But I'm thankful that now here we are to make sure

that any communications that elected officials or their staffs are having with the Charter

Reform Commissioners is now going to be documented and disclosed.

And so, again, I'm disappointed that it's taken this long, but happy that we're finally

here and I ask for your aye vote.

Councilmember Padilla.

Colleagues, transparency in government is essential to maintaining public trust, especially

when we're considering changes as significant as charter reform.

So Council Member Rodriguez, thank you for leading on this.

It's important that our constituents have a clear understanding of what ideas are being

considered by this commission and how recommendations are coming together.

The work of the Charter Reform Commission will shape how our city governs itself for

years to come and the public deserves to have confidence in how these decisions

continue to be formed. Independence and transparency can and should go hand in

hand and let's not forget how controversial and how contentious and

how much we all talked about how we wanted this Commission to even look like

and how they worked and yet we haven't gotten any updates. So when proposals have

the potential to alter the structure and function of our local government there

must be confidence that they are being developed openly not through informal

or undisclosed conversations so colleagues I do respectfully ask for

your support on this motion because we are weeks away on potentially saying

whether we do or don't want to put this on the ballot and then you never know

what will happen at the ballot so given the scandals of the past and our

inability to do anything with what happened I highly recommend that we do

this thank you councilmember Wilmingfield thank you colleagues I have a slightly

different take on this I'm not arguing and lobbying against it and I and it the

intentions but putting this forward are really good in terms of trying to get

this forward. I don't have an issue with commission members disclosing whether

they've spoken with an elected official, but I really want to make sure we're not

sending the wrong message here. This is different. Unlike the redistricting

commission where most council members were personally affected by the

decisions about the boundaries of their council district, the city's elected

officials have a much more institutional interest in the city's governance

structure. We want, I want, the members of the Charter Reform Commission, most of whom have very

little experience in city government, to speak to everyone they can who has experience with the city

and the city charter, who have actually governed the city and thus have a deep understanding of

governance problems that the commission is supposed to be focused on solving. That includes,

especially council members, the mayor, the city attorney, and the controller.

Elected officials are not an improper part of the discussion about the charter.

On the contrary, we are vital to it.

Not only should we be vital to it in the discussions that they have,

and we should all be engaging with them now, but openly,

it's going to come to us, and we're going to have to put something forward

because it is our charge to protect this institution,

and we know what it takes to govern it,

and we need to be part of that discussion.

So I just wanted to, I felt compelled to speak on this

because I know it's going to pass,

and again, who could be against disclosure?

But I really want to send, I don't want this message to be

that it's somehow bad for council members and mayor

and elected officials to be engaging in this process.

To the contrary, I think we need to double down our engagement.

We need to speak to those commissioners.

They need to learn a lot more about how this city really works for this thing to be effective.

So, you know, with that, I will – I don't know whether to urge an aye or a no vote,

but I know it's going to pass, so everyone can vote for it.

I might vote no just to make that point, but it's not against –

Come on, Mr. Bloomfield.

It's already six but again I just want the message to be clear

Elected officials are not unlike the redistricting where we wanted to keep out of it and we should be out of it

This is something we should be right smack in the middle of. Thank you. Thank you. Councilmember Rodriguez

Thank you, Mr. Blumenfield for your comments, but I would urge an aye vote just because a no vote would further delay these

transmittal of these communications.

And I don't disagree with you. If you look at the composition of the commission,

they don't fully understand how this government works.

And in fact, many of them have made false comments about how

or not many of them. I've seen reports

of a commissioner misrepresenting

the function of the ability

of potholes, for example, getting filled based on the size of the council.

So that's clearly a miss.

Either it was intentionally misrepresented or this individual is completely ignorant

to the budgetary process and how potholes get filled.

But my point is I don't disagree with you.

They're not fully aware and familiar with the structure or the structural deficiencies

that do need to be corrected.

And so I would encourage my colleagues to get more involved.

I know some have gone and spoken and addressed the commission, myself included, in person.

So yes, we can't take our eye off the ball that they're in fact having these conversations

that will have very real implications for the governance structure of this city.

So I don't disagree with you.

But then there shouldn't be a problem with disclosing exactly who's having the conversations

and where some of these ideas originated from.

And I think there is some real cause for concern because you saw some very far sweeping suggestions that came forward for the elimination of the controller's role and some very sweeping proposals.

And it didn't just come out of thin air.

So I think the public deserves to know.

And so I appreciate you, but I still urge your aye vote.

Thank you, Council Members, and thank you, Council Member Rodriguez, for this motion.

Obviously, transparency is something that we all want and need in these processes,

particularly because as a member of the ad hoc committee on charter reform,

I remember we set up this commission in a way where it would have people

that in fact didn't have a lot of information about the city.

We actually barred a lot of people from it that wouldn't know how the city works,

wouldn't know the deficiencies and the efficiencies.

So I agree with both Mr. Blumenfeld and Councilmember Rodriguez.

I also want to thank the city attorney for including language that bars any county, state, or federal prosecutor for criminally prosecuting somebody for filling out these forms wrong.

I just, I felt strongly and still feel strongly that you ask a person to volunteer their time for a process that we set up.

We don't give them any compensation, and then we create a criminal hazard in the middle of that process.

I just thought that that was way beyond the pale

and not the intention of what Council Member Rodriguez

was putting forward.

So I'm very grateful to the city attorney

for including that.

So with that, let's open the roll,

close the roll, tabulate the vote.

13 ayes, 1 no.

And for the record,

the ordinance is held over one week

to February 3rd, 2026.

You sure you don't want to reconsider, Mr. Blumenfield?

Mr. Blumenfield would like to reconsider.

All right.

Then just to make it clean, 9 should be the vote.

There should be a vote to reconsider it now.

All right. Let's open the roll on reconsideration.

Close the roll. Tabulate the vote.

14 ayes.

And now, again, the vote on number 9.

All right. Let's open the roll. Close the roll.

Tabulate the vote.

14 ayes.

All right. What's next?

next would be item 11 and there is an amendment motion Nazarian Lee on this

item all right can we open the roll on this item as amended close the roll

tabulate the vote 14 eyes all right what's next next would be item 17 and

and there are multiple amendments on 17.

The council should vote on the first amendment,

and that is 17D, and that is motion McOsker-Hutt.

All right.

Before we go into these motions, we've got a lot of folks on the queue.

I want to ask our budget chair if she can open up and set the context

for this conversation that's been had over several months

in the Budget and Finance Committee.

and give us an idea of what's before us today and the changes that have been proposed.

Sure. Thank you very much, Council President.

So, colleagues, I'm going to actually move that we take up items 1A, 1B, and 1C separately

from the rest of the B and F committee report, and then vote on recommendations 2 through 6.

So, this is what I want to do. I want to provide a little bit of context.

So as you may know, we discussed a number of funding initiatives in committee with the Office of Finance and with the CAO over the last several months.

With affordability and our limited time frame in mind, we recommended moving forward for consideration by this body for potential ballot measures.

We declined to recommend moving forward a half cent sales tax just given affordability

and just the issues that we're facing as a city and we hear constantly how expensive

everything is already.

We know that there are going to be some half cent sales tax probably on the ballot in November.

So what we have before us today, I just want to start by saying I by no means expect or

or even recommend placing all four of these on the ballot,

but would like for us to have a conversation

about each of them in turn,

to the extent there are questions,

Mr. Szabo or Ms. So can come forward

and answer some of those questions,

and then we can hopefully vote in turn on each of them,

and I know that there are a bunch of amendments as well.

So if it's all right with you, Council President,

maybe I can start out by talking about

taking them a little bit out of order.

We can start with cannabis.

Council member, is there a second

to council member Yaroslavsky's motion to bifurcate?

Second.

Okay, thank you.

Great, so with your permission, council president.

So, so madam clerk, do we need to vote on bifurcation

or can we proceed?

I think we can discuss.

All right, council member Yaroslavsky.

Okay, great.

So there were several measures that we voted

to bring to the full body for consideration today.

The one I wanna talk about first is cannabis.

So right now, we have, as we all know,

a proliferation across the city

of unlicensed cannabis shops, right?

And amazingly, they are also exempt

from paying business taxes.

So they operate illegally.

We have a very slow process by which we shut them down

and then they pop up someplace else.

But in the meantime, they're not paying any taxes to operate.

Compare and contrast that with every other illegal business that operates in the city of Los Angeles.

And you'll be surprised to know that there are lots of illegal businesses that operate in the city of Los Angeles.

And I'll give you one example.

If you're a nail salon and your license to practice is expired with the state of California,

you know that certificate when you walk in, is expired, you're technically not a legal business.

But you are still operating it as a business.

And we still collect taxes from you.

We do this all the time, all over the place.

But for some reason, we chose not to tax illegal, unlicensed cannabis shops.

So in the universe of unlicensed businesses,

cannabis shops are the only ones that we don't tax right now.

So the proposal is to close that loophole and start taxing them.

And I think this is beneficial for a couple of reasons.

One, assuming we do collect something, which might be hard

because they're illegal and may not pay taxes,

we can use some of that money and revenue that's generated

to start to shut them down. So over time, this pot of money is going to decline if we're doing our

jobs. There will be fewer and fewer illegal pot shops, which I think we can all agree is a good

thing. The other thing that it will do is will give us an additional cause of action to go after

these illegal shops, because now they're not paying their taxes, right? And so it gives us

extra leverage vis-a-vis these illegal operators. So this seemed, I don't want to say like a

but it seemed like a thing that had a lot of good policy outcomes for us.

I understand that there's some concern that it sends the wrong message that perhaps

we can't shut them down ourselves and so we can't shut them down

so let's just tax them. But I think if we have a plan in place where we show

a commitment to actually use some of this money that we generate to

actually enforce and go after and shut them down, I think it will be a win for

our general fund and it will also be a win for those who are operating in good faith

with permits and operating legally.

So that's why, colleagues, we recommend that we close this loophole,

and it requires to be put on the ballot for June.

It will generate some amount of money.

Mr. Szabo estimated that it could generate in the first year or two up to $70 million.

Of course, collection will be difficult, and like I said, over time, that amount will decrease over time.

Even if we bring in half of that or a quarter of that,

I think the message that it sends that if you're going to operate illegally,

you don't get away with also not paying taxes is a good one.

And so I will stop there on that if we want to have a conversation about this one,

and then we can, if that works for you.

Members, there are a lot of people that are on the queue.

I do want us to hear from the CAO, but here's what I would suggest.

I think we should get an explanation on all of these things and just discuss,

as opposed to trying to pick who wants to talk about cannabis,

who wants to talk about parking, or all the rest.

So, Madam Budget Chair, if you want to give just a summary of the rest of them,

we'll ask Mr. Szabo to come forward, and then we can have a council discussion.

That's great.

Also, I was just notified that Matt Crawford from the Office of Finance is also here,

and they've done a bunch of analysis on a lot of this

and helped us come up with some rough estimates of what they thought each of these would generate.

So, if there are questions for Matt, he's also here.

Next, we're going to move on to, if it's okay, the parking occupancy tax.

It's my recommendation, colleagues, that we note and file this.

I think there's, personally, I have a lot of concern about affordability for Angelinos,

and this is something that Angelinos will pay.

And just my sense is that now might not be the time for a parking occupancy tax,

so that would be my recommendation.

so we can have a conversation about POT.

And then the third main bucket is around transit occupancy tax,

which is hotel tax and short-term rental tax.

And I'm going to turn it over, if it's all right,

Council President, to Mr. McCosker to give an overview of that

and where we landed, and I know he has an amendment.

So, Mr. McCosker.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair and Mr. President.

On the transient occupancy tax in committee,

we looked at the reports, one from the CIO and one from the finance department, and in the report that recommended that we consider a 4% increase now, between now and the end of the Olympic season, then going down to a 2% increase, made it through committee.

And that's recommended to you today. I will have an amendment and I won't speak to the amendment, but just to give everyone

Insight in what the discussion will be I will have an amendment to add not amend

but to add to the recommendation that we ask the city attorney to come back with a 2% increase and

Going down to a 1% increase after the Olympics

So two things would come back to us if that is the will of the body and it would be

an ordinance that has the 4% 2% and an ordinance competing with it only one would go

I imagine that both would not go to the ballot a

2% going down to 1% in addition in addition

We have a separate measure that has been pending for some time in front of us on a more discrete issue of

of the platforms like a Travelocity, and that's just an example, the platforms that sell hotel rooms to our constituents or to folks who come and visit us.

And those platforms don't necessarily charge the TOT on the price that the individual buys the hotel at.

so let's say you're going to hotel a and you get a price of a

Hundred dollars on the website, but the platform paid sixty dollars for that hotel room

The platforms can and sometimes do pay the TOT on the sixty dollars and not on the hundred dollars that the individual

But they bought their room for and so we would close that loophole and I would propose that we have a

standalone provision

On the ballot that closes that loophole to make sure that we are actually collecting the TOT on the price that the consumer pays

seems reasonable

Estimations have been that it might be about five or six million dollar

Revenue generator for us because it's just closing a loophole in addition though

I want to be really clear about this on the TOT measure that proposes a tax increase

We should also include that loophole closure

We should include the loophole closure whether it's two and four or one and two that that loophole should be closed in that provision

So we will we would have ideally two measures on the ballot

One that increases the tax and closes the loophole and one that closes the loophole in

That instance I want to make sure that there is language

I think we should make sure there is language in the each provision

one or both of the provisions that says should they both pass the tax increase

with the closure of loophole will prevail we do not want to put ourselves

in a position that anyone argues later and they would be arguing against our

interests and in their own financial interest to say that those two things

conflict so I just want to be really clear when that language comes back we

need the city attorney not only to help us close the loophole for the voters to

consider but that we make sure we don't create an internal conflict on the two

votes on the two ballot measures thank you thank you so much mr. McCosker and

now we'll hear from our CAO on the overall picture

councilmember Hernandez really quickly while while Matt's coming up thank you

council president gentlemen I would like to make the motion to actually continue

new POT if that's possible and send it back to committee.

Madam Chair?

All right.

Madam Chair accepts.

Got it.

Okay.

Mr. CAO.

Thank you very much, Mr. President.

Because the, as the budget chair and Mr. McOsker have introduced some of the items, I'm not

going to go through the full presentation, but what I do want to do before we get started

with the conversation is just set the framework for this discussion.

So as we proceed and discuss each of these items,

I do want to just remind the members that we have two options

for the items that would require a vote of the people,

obviously the June election and the November election.

Items that would be to be placed on the June election, there does need to be an instruction given to the city attorney to draft the resolutions and ordinances by January 28th, by tomorrow.

And then the final date to act on those resolutions would be February 11th.

The deadlines for the November election are in June.

So the urgency of the discussion today is very much about the items that would be placed on the June election.

Just very briefly, to frame the discussion, as everyone in this body knows,

we've had some difficult financial challenges over the past two years,

and there have been two consecutive years of budget reductions.

There was much discussion about the billion-dollar gap

a little over or just almost a year ago today.

The council and the mayor, you've made the decisions

that you needed to make to close that gap.

But for next year, we are looking at a $91 million gap.

That is in our outlook based on continuing levels of service

and the assumed revenue, which was in the adopted budget.

However, in the last week, there were two major items

that were approved or making their way to the full council

that do increase next year's gap.

The $30 million, which would be the first year of the three-year plan

on the Pacific Palisades rebuilding fee waivers,

and then the action that was taken last week to authorize additional hiring for LAPD that will add $25 million in ongoing costs for next year.

So again, this, although an improvement from where we were a year ago, is after two years of budget cuts, a reduction of 2,500 positions, and an assumption that we are continuing service levels where they are today, at the diminished levels that they are today after the last two years of budget reductions.

And just as a reminder of the incredible and costly needs that the city faces today, at least $1 billion in backlog requests.

This is just backlog for sidewalk repair.

There are currently 6,328 requests for repairs of sidewalks.

Those are just requests, not the overall need.

that would take a billion dollars to address all of those requests.

We also have more than 30,000 access ramps that need to be addressed in the city at a cost of 1.5 billion.

HLA, which was approved, it is a mandate by the voters.

We had a discussion about it prior to the election.

I know there was some disagreement about my office's cost estimates,

but the fact of the matter is we do not have the money today to even afford the street improvements

that would trigger the additional HLA improvements.

So we don't even know at this point because we can't afford to do the street restructuring or resurfacing

that would trigger those investments.

It is a mandate. The voters approved it. We need to do it. We don't have the money for it.

We also have over a billion dollars in bridge repair.

There is a huge backlog in bridges that are substandard,

and there are at least four major bridges that are F graded

in the city that need to be completely replaced.

And as everyone on this council knows, we are currently

on a 17-year tree trimming cycle versus best practices

of five to seven years.

So there is clearly a need in addition to the expenditure discipline that this body has approved.

Over the last two years we need to maintain discipline, but there is absolutely a need,

particularly on the infrastructure side, for additional revenue.

I won't go through the items, but as we get to each item and as we have a discussion on each item,

we will walk through and I'll have a slide up that can guide the conversation.

But the first set of items, these are the items which are ready to go.

Essentially, the city attorney is prepared to provide that resolution to you by the deadline

should you wish to move forward for a June election for these items.

As a reminder, each of these items would have a threshold of 50% because it would be a general fund tax.

So it would be up to this body to determine in the budget process how those dollars would be used.

These are not a special tax.

That would be for a specific purpose.

It would address the general needs.

I will, Mr. President, stop there and prepare to answer questions as they arise.

All right, we've got a handful of members on the queue now.

I'll just kick back to the budget chair.

You've got any way to cap this, and then I'll call on members,

starting with Councilmembers Padilla, Soto-Martinez, and Bullenfield.

Thank you, Council President.

I would just ask if Matt Crawford from the office...

Oh, yeah, look at that.

Matt, I'm not going to ask you to do it now, but colleagues,

if you're interested in hearing more about the details around which this cannabis

exemption thing happened I think it's kind of interesting and and they're sort

of like it's sort of a double hit in the way we can't use the fees that we

connect from legal cannabis shops to go after the illegal ones and that's in the

code and then we also explicitly don't include illegal cannabis shops in the

list of illegal businesses that have to pay taxes so I found that compelling and

so of course mr. Crawford can speak to any number of things but in case there's

more interest in learning more about this loophole issue.

I'll leave it at that.

I guess just one more thing I'll say,

as long as I have the mic.

I know that it's always hard to put taxes on the ballot.

And you could see on the last slide

what all our unfunded mandates are.

We have a lot of work to do to clean our own house up

and make what we do more efficient and cost less.

And the budget committee is going to be taking up

some of that work around contracting

and making our contracting more efficient,

making sure that we're getting good value

rather than paying a premium,

looking at how we can put our real estate assets

to work for our general fund.

There's a lot of things that we can and should be doing

to bring our own fiscal house into order

and create efficiencies and grow revenue

without raising taxes.

But on the TOT thing, I'll just say one thing,

which is that the last time we did this

was I believe ahead of the 84 Olympics.

Is that correct, Matt?

The TOT increase.

And with all of these events coming to LA

over the coming years,

if there were a time to do it, it would be now.

So thank you, Council President.

Thank you so much, Council Member Yerosovsky.

Council Member Padilla.

Yes, so mine's related to cannabis.

You know, given that it's something that we see

in government operations,

It's important for me to know how we support,

it's always been a priority for me to support

the legal ones and tackle the illegal market.

So I understand that it's important for us

to move forward with this policy change

so that we can hold the illegal cannabis businesses

liable to taxes.

However, I'm very interested in understanding

more of the process because I'm sure

it's much more complicated than sending out a letter.

Also, it must be different from finance's

previous tax discovery efforts where they reach out

to illegally operating businesses and incentivize them

pay the taxes they owe with opportunity to come into compliance and continue operating legally.

The pathway for an illegal cannabis business to come into compliance with the city is much more

difficulty, difficult, lengthy, and complicated. So I'm curious, what are the incentives for these

shops to, to pay us if it's not necessarily attached to a legal permit?

Matt Crawford, Office of Finance. I can barely hear you.

you say again I can barely hear you okay Matt Crawford office of finance the the

policy proposal in front of you still would not address a lot of the

compliance issues around DCR permitting the kind of the the factor and that

really determines what we're talking about illegal versus legal what we're

what we would be doing is addressing just purely the tax side the incentive

structure around paying would be around the financial leverage that the Office

of Finance can bring through collections efforts and taking the businesses to

court in order to pay the liability so this would bring about assuming assuming

non-payment and kind of the discovery process you talked about this would

ultimately end up with collections efforts likely civil court cases to try

and collect the city's money and that's in our in our experience with the rest

of the business community those efforts are pretty successful businesses don't

like being in those situations so it's usually cost effective to resolve their

tax liability. That's my next question. Is that cost effective? Outside of the cannabis world,

yes. It's the taking businesses to court when the liability is high can be a very cost effective

method. I will say the threat of court is probably more cost effective than actually going to court.

knowing that we can take you to court is a pretty strong hammer if you owe us a

little bit of money it's usually more cost-effective just to pay us these

shops tend to bounce around once they realize that they're being followed so

what techniques does finance or the related departments they usually tackle

them plan to do? And I'm talking about, you know, LAPD at my committee the other recently told us

that this is not easy. So what would be the difference? Because we know that they bounce

around. It's certainly, I would not characterize it as easy at all. I think these businesses will be

relatively easy to find at first and then quite difficult to tie down we know ownership we've

heard from LAPD in their efforts ownership is often very hard to identify with these businesses

so we will we'll have to be doing the the research on that finance through our collections work has

a fair amount of tools to identify ownership and kind of go through those

processes I think we also have some leverage around property owners so to

the extent that these businesses have leases the owner of the property that

they're leasing from has an obligation to report that to report that lease

income to finance and we can use that lot that leverage on the property owners to

identify the actual business owners the the identifying and tracking them as they

move around will be hard it'll be just as we're starting to think about how we

would do outreach and enforcement this is going to be kind of unlike the the

discovery efforts that we've been talking about using state databases and

lot of paperwork this discovery and enforcement effort would be very boots

on the ground it'll require field forces for finance to actually be walking

around with LAPD physical presence show up at their door ask to see their

certificates get them signed up for tax compliance okay and my understanding is

that what we have on the table is to fund studies that better explain this to

us right I believe the what's on the table is the a potential ballot measure

to simply require tax compliance but we're asking for a report first so

councilmember to be to be clear on the cannabis item really the only the only

decision that's before you is to make what will likely be a one or two word

change to the to the ordinance to the policy currently we are restricted to

applying the gross receipts tax to licensed businesses this would

essentially strike that and allow the city to to tax licensed and unlicensed

businesses everything else around that the application the enforcement that is

a policy matter that the appropriate departments including finance in my

office would come back to you with a plan to determine moving forward but in

even in order to consider moving forward with that we do need to make that that

one to two word change in the voter approved ordinance okay no further

questions but I do recommend that we start to be more aggressive on putting

the the oneness on the property owners that rent their facilities to these

locations no further questions Thank You Councilmember Padilla Councilmember

Soto Martinez thank you so much mr. president first of all I want to thank

all the members of the budget and Finance Committee for working through

many of these very complicated issues and for the staff for doing all the

research and see you know what we could do to increase revenues I want to talk

about a couple things I know council councilman yours last key asked to

bifurcate the different items here one one a one B one C and then separated

with two to six if possible I would like for instruction number five to go to go

back to committee I know this there was a conversation about this the budget

implications of the short-term rentals but I don't believe there was a

a conversation in committee in Plum or other respective committees about how

this affects the city so that's that was my first request and then I have some

comments about all right miss excuse me mr. president is there a second to mr.

Soto Martinez's second councilmember Yaroslavsky all right you more comments

And that is to refer back to budget and finance, sir?

I believe PLUM, yes.

To Planning and Land Use Management.

Oh, to Planning and Land Use Management Committee.

And if the chair can do that without objection,

that will be the order.

Okay. I also want to talk a little bit about TOT.

I understand that this is a very complicated issue,

and I want to just zoom out a little bit.

You know, last year we passed the Olympic wage, and many of the concerns that we heard from the hotel industry was them facing headwinds and having difficulties, you know, everything going on.

And I want to be mindful of that.

I want to be mindful of those comments that have come to me.

So there's several options that are being presented here.

Councilmember Kosker presented a four or two or two or one.

and Councilwoman Rodriguez introduced one where it excludes the hotels

but focuses a little bit on short-term rentals.

I second in that motion because I want to have the conversation

about what's the best way to move forward with TOT.

I want to understand a little bit more.

I know I've been getting calls from the business community in my district.

As you all know, Hollywood is probably the second most hotel-dense area in the city,

and they have a lot of concerns and so I want to be able to have that conversation

I don't know if we'll end somewhere today because I know we're asking for

different options but I look forward to having that with everyone here and see

where we land and try to balance every all the different needs of the city so I

just want to make that to the public understands where where I'm at on these

issues thank you mr. Soto Martinez councilmember Blumenfield okay thank you

I wanted to comment on two aspects of this, and first,

and thank the chair for bringing this forward,

as we do need to have revenues.

This budget is going to be very difficult, as you mentioned,

and we're going to have to be a real balance of trying

to reduce spending, reduce what we do overall,

and hopefully have some revenue.

First, on the cannabis aspect of this,

when I first read this, I was dead set against it,

because I hate the idea of giving a BTR,

giving a license for taxes to an illegal shop.

I don't want to collect revenue from these illegal shops.

I want to shut them down.

So when I first thought about this, I was like,

no way I'm going to be against this.

But then I thought about sort of the Al Capone thing

where they didn't get him for being a gangster.

They got him for tax evasion.

And these guys can legally, these illegal shops at this point, don't have to pay taxes.

So if we add that requirement on, that they, like anyone else, have to pay taxes, I don't

want to collect from them, I want to shut them down, but that gives us another tool to go

after them.

And it's frankly, it's a stronger tool than just that they don't have a license.

You can not have a license and disappear and then not have a license again and it's pretty

much a slap on the wrist.

risk. But when you don't pay taxes, it's a much stronger penalty. So that got me thinking,

yeah, this makes sense. Let's make sure that they are required to pay taxes, but let's not spend a

lot of time trying to get the money from them. As soon as we find out who they are, we need to

shut them down because that's how we really get the taxes is by having the legal shops.

So that's why I'm supporting this because I want to have another tool in the toolbox to go after

the illegal cannabis shops so that we can be supportive and get the revenue from the legal

shops. I had a motion on 17C which dealt with the vacation rentals, but since that's been

referred to committee, I'm assuming that the amendments will also be referred to committee,

fair to assume. And the reason I had that amendment and what I think needs to be discussed in

committee is that the vacation rental issue is not just about revenue. It is also very much about

housing and what the impact is on housing and what the implications are for the city

and how much that costs us, both in terms of enforcement but also if we have to make

up for lost housing.

So I had an amendment which had some additional questions, questions like making sure that

the number of nights that a unit could be rented out before it would generate more revenue

than a short-term rental would be looked at because that might be an important threshold.

looking at the impact of the overall housing stock as well as the affordable housing stock.

So these are questions that need to be asked.

But I recognize that, you know, I just threw those questions together,

that all members of the committee may have other questions.

So if it goes back to committee, we can raise those questions,

and we can really have a full list of questions in addition to the revenue questions

because the revenue questions out of context is problematic.

But if you put them in context with everything else, then we can make a more informed decision.

And with that, I will support the motion moving forward.

Thank you.

Council Member Rodriguez.

Thank you.

So I'm going to first dovetail on Mr. Blumenfield's conversation around short-term rentals.

So I, of course, have an amendment that I put forward for 17B that says, given all the

conversations that we've had and we know the impacts on the Olympic wage and just the overall

lack of tourism right now, I was hard-pressed to really fully consider this idea that we would now

increase the TOT. And by the way, let's be honest, I've got to remind everybody,

you know how much TOT we're paying ourselves just through the use of Inside Safe. We're paying our

own TOT on that. So we're going to increase the charges on ourselves by extension of doing this,

just to be clear. My proposal, and to support what you're saying, Mr. Blumenfield,

we've had ample conversations about the lack of new housing construction that has occurred in the

city of Los Angeles. The more housing that gets redacted for use with short-term rentals,

the more pressed affordability becomes in the city of Los Angeles.

We know the nature of what happens.

We also know, as we've seen with party houses and the like,

the increased impact to LAPD response.

So as far as I was concerned, my amendment was about addressing the affordability crisis that we're in

and the lack of housing that is being impacted by short-term rental activity.

And so I felt that my amendment, or I believe my amendment, is to, if we're going to apply an increase in TOT, then let's apply it exclusively to short-term rentals.

Because it has very real and direct implications on affordability in this city.

And so that is what my amendment puts forward.

So, and, you know, just overall, and I appreciate Ms. Yaroslavsky and the committee looking at how are we going to generate revenue.

That's great.

But we have to really look at how we also tighten the belts.

and we still haven't had a conversation about the cost of Insight Safe since the emergency order was lifted.

The contracts that are still being awarded and honored,

and now we found out that abundant blessings was part of the Insight Safe contracting.

So if we're not having a full conversation around where we're going to cut back,

but we're going to talk to taxpayers about increasing more, it's a really big problem.

That's a big conflict. That's an inherent conflict. And so for that, I'm concerned about all of these issues, but want to do my part to offer some amendments that I think would make sense going forward.

Matt Crawford, you mentioned that how would you go about collecting on this proposal for illegal cannabis operators to recover this business tax?

I think we would start with discovery and notification.

So there's a few different ways of kind of identifying the universe of businesses out there that are not currently in compliance.

We would have to, since this, currently they're not allowed to file for a BTRC, so there's no, we wouldn't be collecting on prior year liability.

There is none.

We would need to let everybody know, everyone we could find,

notify them that starting whatever the effective date is,

you now have to sign up for a BTRC.

So there would be mailings.

We would also, I think, do field work,

actually physically show up to businesses and give them the information.

in the interest of taking care of my own staff.

We'll want to be with LAPD for all of that, so we'll need that.

There are probably other departments that we will need to involve along the way.

Right.

And then once the notification happens, then it'll be a matter of follow-up,

continuously kind of keeping track of who's registered, who hasn't.

And as we identify businesses that we need to follow up,

we'll start with the enforcement audit process

and then eventually collections like we do for anyone else.

So Matt, I'm just going to let you know,

I'm going to try and give a little bit of a synopsis of the history

with illegal cannabis operators and enforcement.

I introduced an ordinance that actually goes and shuts off the utilities for illegal cannabis operators.

And it was proven to be very successful.

In fact, we got net zero illegal operations in my district, working with LAPD, DWP, and Building and Safety.

DCR's only role is to confirm whether or not that operator is a legitimate operator or not.

Subsequently, Mr. Harris-Dawson introduced, we talked about the padlock ordinance,

and requiring a simple matter of the city attorney just sending a letter to the property owner

to say, hey, you're harboring an illegal business, seize operations,

and let's cut it out.

Let's stop it.

We couldn't even get the city attorney to do that

in a consistent manner.

So I say all of this to you

and I appreciate your efforts to try and figure this out.

But when you're talking about, for example,

well, of course, for the safety of your staff

because we know the circumstances

within coursing on an illegal cannabis operation.

It's why we have vice and everybody going out

helping to shut down the illegal operators.

If all we're going to do is now send your staff out, staffed with LAPD officers because of the safety concerns, we still haven't really cured the symptom here and the problem.

We haven't gotten to the root of the problem.

And the root of the problem is what's undercutting our ability to maximize the legitimate operators from fully honoring their tax is the fact that they're competing against the illegal operators that are allowed to flourish.

And so I appreciate, listen, we're all, everyone's trying to look between the couch cushions and figure out what we can do to increase revenue.

I got it.

We all often, we also have to have the conversation about how do we rein things in, in the spending.

That's actually first.

and so we can't continue to ignore one part that represents over 300 million dollars of annual

revenue with inside safe or LASA and all of that can't talk about that and Matt Zabo it would be

great if you help to actually produce the report that shows the redundancies in outreach and the

redundancies that are that we're paying for without the verified results associated with the work

because we could cut probably about another $20, $30 million

from expenditures associated with that.

So I just, colleagues, I warn everybody about this idea

about the illegal cannabis.

You're setting up unintentionally a false expectation

that you're going to be able to hold these guys accountable,

number one.

Number two, you're still talking about using LAPD resources,

and if we're going to do that,

then let's just enforce with LAPD and do either the padlock or do the utility shutoff.

And then we can actually get the legitimate operators,

who, by the way, went through the laborious process of getting approved

and getting their license and everything else,

to be able to operate without being undercut by the illegal market.

That's actually a better way to go.

And you don't have to now create this idea that an illegitimate business and an illegal operator is somehow now slightly more legitimized.

You're going to have to go through one hell of a process in order to try and get the guys that already thumbed their nose at us.

They flipped us the bird and said, I'm not going to pay taxes.

And by the way, I'm not even going to honor your process.

To go about being a legitimate operator in this city,

now we're going to pretend that we're going to be able to get them to pay business license tax.

I just want us to be in the realm of reality of how we're going to do this.

But there are some very simple things that if we could just get the city attorney's office to do

and send those letters out and start shutting those guys down, that would be great.

And if we could just get LAPD to work with all of these folks,

we could go do the utility shutoffs for the illegal operators,

you're going to get more compliance, I think,

and cooperation from the folks that went through the laborious task

of actually getting their license.

And I think that would garner greater revenue for us.

So, colleagues, again, I think, you know,

just to sum it up with consideration to the TOT,

my feeling is that we shouldn't be rewarding or treating everybody the same with short-term rentals.

And I really believe that before we can really have a serious conversation

and present to the taxpayers this idea that they should be paying more,

that we do better with the money that they've entrusted us with.

And so until we have that conversation about how we're going to actually get some guardrails and cut on homeless spending and a number of other areas, it's not just there.

It's not just there.

But until we actually have those hard conversations, especially in light of this abundant blessings debacle and all the other contracts associated with Inside Safe,

let's actually rein it in, rein in the spending before you have the audacity to go ask taxpayers to pay more.

Thank you.

Council Member Nazaria.

Thank you, Council President.

Quick question.

When we're taxing businesses, what does that exactly include?

Retail, manufacturing, all of the above?

All of the above.

Okay.

Do we have a sense of how many different businesses there are

on the retail, on the manufacturing, growing?

We do have that data.

I don't have it handy.

That's fine.

I just want to make sure that you do.

Each, when businesses register for their business tax registration certificate,

they tell us what kind of business they are, what their business activity is,

and we record that.

That determines which class they're in and what rate they pay.

So if you're, you know, if you're selling clothing, you tell us I'm selling clothing and we sign you up as a retail business.

If you're a computer consultant, you tell us that and we sign you up under the classification for consulting services.

And then all of that data is held in our system.

So, yes, we can track how many businesses are registered, how many of those kind of businesses are registered, how much they're paying.

etc.

Thank you very much.

Thank you. I think that concludes our speakers

that are on the queue

and I think

our folks who've come to

give testimony on these complicated

issues. I just want to add on the

cannabis piece

it is

looking at this $70 million

number is a little bit

hard to imagine

that being real, given how, as everybody else said, how ineffective we are at closing a shop

with a giant green fluorescent lit cannabis sign on the corner of a busy intersection,

somehow the city of LA, and this is not a critique of our current city attorney or the other one,

the last city attorney couldn't figure it out, and we still haven't been able to figure it out

with a new city attorney.

So, you know, it's difficult to imagine that somehow we can go and collect $70 million.

So I would just suggest there might be, you might run some scenarios for what you might

collect, different scenarios that may sort of pass the giggle test, because $70 million,

I mean, that's just very difficult to believe, given our history.

At the same time, like Mr. Blumenfield, I believe if we can create another hazard for illegal operators, we should create that hazard.

I will say I can give testimony in my district and I know in other parts of the city.

The state has actually done enforcement based on failure to pay state taxes and actually closed down illegal shops in my district using that.

And we don't have that as a tool right now in the city of L.A.

So with that, I want to ask the clerk to give us a calendar for where we are

and what votes are before us at this time.

Thank you, Mr. President.

At this time, it is best for the council to vote on whether to bifurcate 1A, B, or C.

All right.

All right, so the motion to bifurcate by,

that motion was by our committee chair, yes?

You have comments on it at this time, yes?

No, I move that we bifurcate A, B, and C

and vote on them individually.

Separately, okay.

Yeah, and there's also some amendments obviously

that implicate some of these.

On each one of those there are amendments, right?

Yes.

All right.

So first of all, it's best to do the bifurcation

And then there is also a motion, Hernandez-Yaraslavsky,

to send item B, refer it to Budget and Finance Committee,

and then after that there are a whole lot of amendments.

And the last part will be whatever amendments that have passed,

and that would also include the vote on the rest of the items

after this initial vote to bifurcate.

Okay, that was...

All right, so out of everything you said,

this is what I think we can do now.

There was a motion to send an item to committee

by Council Member Hernandez.

If there is no objection, that will be the order of the chair,

so we'll take care of that.

It sounds like the second thing you said we should vote on

is separation of this issue,

because it's not a bifurcation because there's more than two.

All right, so let's open the roll on separating these items.

Close the roll.

Tabulate the vote.

14 ayes.

All right.

What's next?

And just to recap, so what was sent to committee is recommendation five,

that's Soto Martinez-Jaroslavsky to Plum,

and also Councilmember Blumenfield requested that 17C,

like Cat referred to Plum, is that correct, Councilmember?

Okay, and then motion Hernandez-Jawaslavsky

to refer recommendation 1B,

and that is the parking occupancy tax

to budget and finance committee, and that was sent.

So, and with that in mind, Council Member Jaroslawski, you made a motion to note and

file 1B.

So 1B is now referred to budget and finance.

So we will, Council can get rid of that motion to note and file.

Thank you.

So the next item, Mr. President, that is before Council is 17D, and that is Council Motion

McCosker Hutt.

All right, let's open the roll on the McCosker Hutt

Amendment close the roll tabulate the vote

14 eyes, right and next would be item

Amendment 17 be like boy, and that is motion Rodriguez Soto Martinez

I think we sent 17 B. Okay. All right. Let's open the roll on 17 B. Is it council member Hernandez?

Vote on it. Okay. All right.

It's not registering.

Mr. McCosker

I understand 17B, it would have the effect of taking 17D, whatever we're doing with D,

and putting every one of those two options of tax increases on short-term, you know,

home sharing only, and would carve out hotels.

So I'm urging a no vote on B.

All right.

On this item.

All right.

Let's open the roll on this amendment.

Close the roll.

Tabulate the vote.

Three ayes, 11 noes.

All right.

17B fails.

All right.

What's next?

Next would be 17A like apple, and that is motion Padilla-Lee.

All right.

Let's open the roll on that item.

Close the roll.

Tabulate the vote.

13 ayes 1 no okay all right what's next and finally it is 17 as amended all

right let's open the roll close the roll tabulate the vote 12 ayes 2 no all

right councilmember who don't point of order council president I thought there

was a motion to bifurcate the to the individual taxes I understand that the

parking occupancy tax was moved to committee but I think then we would have

to vote on the parking the transit occupancy tax and then the other

cannabis one separately not all together as amended all right I think

that's similar to my understanding I think that's the understanding of the

chair madam clerk we just voted 17 in its entirety and I think the intention

was for us to vote on the separate items one by one so I'm I think maybe to move

to reconsider the vote.

Yes.

It's best to reconsider 17.

And council member at least seconds.

And then I think we might want to vote on 17.1A,

and then 17.1C.

All right.

Let's open the roll on reconsideration.

Close the roll.

Tabulate the vote.

14 ayes.

All right.

All right.

So let's vote, Madam Clerk.

Put whatever letter or number you want on it.

on it let's vote on cannabis that would be a 17 1 C all right and that includes

councilmember Padilla's amendment it should yes all right so it right yeah I

know we voted on it but we now we have to vote on it as a full package yeah we're

running out of numbers and letters. All right. So, so this is cannabis as amended by Council Member Padilla. Let's open the role, close the role, tabulate to vote.

13 ayes, 1 no. All right. And we sent parking back to committee? Yes. Is everybody agreement on that? Yes. All right. Council Member. I'm sorry. Council Member Rahman.

before we vote on the TOT item I just wondered whether council member McOsker

you might say what we're voting on with your amendment because there's we're

basically asking for the city attorney to draft two different rate increases and

then when it comes back to us we'll have to pick which one is going to the

ballot is that what's happening I just that's correct yeah yeah it would be

two different tax increase proposals and one is for four percent going down to

two percent and yours is two percent going down to one percent after the

Olympics yes and then in addition a separate measure that closes the loophole

on the platforms on the on the the travelocities of the world and so the

next step just so I understand will be that these two different options will

come back to us sometime before February 11th and we'll have to pick between them yes or not it's

not that everything will go to the ballot oh I suppose everything could go to the ballot but

that's not what I'm proposing that we would pick one or the other on the increases and I would urge

that we regardless of what we do we close the loophole got it okay thank you very much thank

you for that councilmember Rahman and councilmember McCosker I think just to add a little bit to that

discussion which I think was very helpful is what we are doing today is asking for proposals that

we have to consider by February 11th if they're going to go on the June ballot so nothing we

decide today is on the ballot we have to come back and say we like it we don't like it you know and

then take another vote on February 11th to go to the to the ballot councilmember Nazarian

I think we're voting on asking the city attorney to bring all of them back to us, all of the

So they'll bring back both four and two and two and one.

Okay.

And theoretically, we pick one of them or neither of them.

Right?

Okay.

Thank you.

All right.

So, Council Member Yaroslavsky.

Sorry.

Thank you, Council President.

I just have a question.

I want to make sure, Mr. Zabel, you said at the outset that we needed to make sure that

whatever language we're adopting today requires the city attorney to come back with drafted

ordinances, that we need to instruct the city attorney to draft resolutions and ordinances

by January 28th, which is tomorrow, and the final date to act upon those resolutions will

be February 11th. Do we need to say anything in what we're doing right now to effectuate

that or is that already taken care of? I believe that's included in the Budget

and Finance Committee report. Okay. Wonderful. Thank you. Thank you, Councilmember Yaroslavsky.

All right. Madam Clerk, can we reset what's before us? Just wanted to just verify the

remaining votes is right now the vote is on

17 1a and that is the trans the transient

Occupancy tax and then the final final vote is on the remainder of 17

So this one is 1a 1b was already. I'm sorry 1c was already

voted on just now

All right.

Let's open the roll, close the roll, tabulate the votes.

Ayes, three no's.

All right.

What's next?

Next is 17 as amended.

All right.

Let's open the roll, close the roll, tabulate the vote.

13 ayes, 1 no.

All right.

What's next?

Council has motions for posting a referral.

Wow, they're posted and referred.

Desk is clear, sir.

Council member, the desk is not clear.

We got council member Padilla on the queue.

Yeah, I'd like to change my vote on 17B.

All right, does that change the outcome?

17B to a no, correct?

Correct.

Oh, okay.

and Councilmember Rodriguez oh wanted to send item 9 urgent forthwith all right

without objection that'll be the order council member Houdado nothing okay

councilmember Yarosovsky 17 forthwith the since 17 urgent forthwith without

delay all right it's best mr. president for council to vote on the urgent forthwith

for 9 and 17.

All right.

Can we do them together?

Yes, sir.

All right.

Let's open the roll on urgent,

forthwith on 9 and 17.

Yes, sir.

All right.

Let's open the roll,

close the roll,

tabulate the vote.

14 ayes.

Right on.

All right.

Motions are posted and referred.

Announcements, members.

Announcements.

All right, Council Member Park.

Thank you, Council President.

I just wanted to take a moment and share with you all that we had a very, very exciting morning in the Pacific Palisades

as we welcomed students back to campus for the first time in over a year after the Pacific Palisades fire.

This was just an extraordinary moment in our community's recovery

and the entire story arc for these young people over the last year has been a journey.

Within a matter of weeks, due to the extraordinary work of our friends at LA Unified and the city

of Santa Monica, we were able to find a location that we were able to get students back physically

into classrooms together at the Sears building in Santa Monica.

I had the privilege of being on campus the day that students arrived at the Sears building.

It was the first time that they had all been together since the fire,

and I will just attest that the volume in the room on that day was absolutely deafening.

It has been a long year for them over there, and we are so incredibly grateful that we had a space for them.

But to see their return to campus this morning was absolutely an extraordinary moment.

Homecoming is actually going to be on campus on Saturday night, and we note that as the

kids are coming back, it's an opportunity for our families to come back too.

And when we look around in the Palisades, we acknowledge all of the new construction

starts and we are incredibly grateful for all of that progress.

But I am also reminded that those are the people who can, and there continue to be thousands

of families that remain displaced, mired in insurance disputes, paying mortgages on houses

they can't live in, on lots that they can't afford to build on.

And if the feds are going to insert themselves into this process, I wish they would do it

in a way that provides the funding that we need to close the gaps so that all of our

victims have the opportunity to come home.

And colleagues, we have got to take up the issue of ULA.

It is getting in the way of our Palisades recovery and it is a crying shame that we

weren't able to get a vote on it today so that those folks can get the relief that they

need.

So I will be in committee and working with all of you to get this done so that we have

a package that we can actually move to the voters this fall.

But I can't stress the urgency of the need to drastically reform ULA.

It is killing housing development and it is making affordability and our city worse.

Thank you.

Thank you so much, Councilmember Park.

Any other announcements, members?

I just wanted to let folks know that tonight City Hall will be lit up in honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

City Hall will be lit up tonight for that.

Thank you so much for that reminder.

Any other announcements, members?

All right, I'll ask everyone in the chambers to rise for adjourning motions.

Got an adjourning motion on my left.

Any adjourning motions to my right?

All right.

Council Member Hernandez.

Thank you, Council President.

I would like to adjourn today's meeting in memory of Alex Preeti.

And I'd like to start by reading the statement that Alex Preeti's parents wrote following his death.

They say, we are heartbroken, but also very angry.

Alex was a kind-hearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends,

and also the American veterans whom he cared for as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA Hospital.

Alex wanted to make a difference in this world.

Unfortunately, he will not be with us to see his impact.

I do not throw around the hero term lightly.

However, his last thought and act was to protect a woman.

The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting.

Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump's murdering and cowardly ICE thugs.

and he has his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand is raised above his head

while trying to protect the woman ice just pushed down all while being pepper sprayed.

Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man. Thank you. Alex Preeti was a healer.

Alex Preeti was a healer. He died trying to protect someone, doing what he dedicated his

life's work to. And any agency that kills nurses and mothers and uses five-year-old children like

Liam Ramos as bait cannot be redeemed and cannot be reformed. It must be abolished. I sit on budget

and finance and I've often said budgets are a reflection of our values. So what does it say

about our values when $170 billion of our tax dollars are funding terror squads instead of

health care or housing or education while people die of hunger and homelessness and preventable

illness. The only thing that has ever changed this country is organized people refusing to accept

state violence as normal. That means all of us, electeds and organizations and constituents alike,

we must use every tool, mutual aid, policy, protest, harm reduction, education, journalism,

storytelling, art, collective care, to keep our communities alive and to stop this fascist regime.

Alex Preeti should be alive.

That is justice.

His family should not be burying him.

So we adjourn today for Alex Preeti

and for every life taken by systems of harm and violence

that must be dismantled and replaced with care.

May Alex rest in the warm embrace of his ancestors.

Thank you.

Thank you so much, Council Member Hernandez.

We have other adjourning motions?

All right, seeing none, we are adjourned.

Thank you so much, everybody.

Thank you.

Thank you.