only impact the community but to impact what is happening here and really try to engage with as

much information so that we can also be of support to the port. From marine architects to dock workers

and truck drivers everyone in between many of us here grew up and started working in this port so

the connection runs through streets and neighborhoods schools and friendships it's important

to do this because we've got a responsibility as the city and port of los angeles to give back

and that's our motivation every day

here at cabrillo marine aquarium we're surrounded by the sea life that calls southern california home

and just beyond it the waters that will host olympic sailing in 2028 but first the world

arrives in LA for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The city is already getting ready with the opening of its

first official hospitality house at La Plaza, a place of

culture, community and soccer pride known as Casa Mexico.

Los Angeles is proud to announce something truly

extraordinary.

La Plaza will serve as Casa Mexico.

Mexico's hospitality house for the 2026 FIFA World Cup

together we look forward to welcoming the world.

For us, it means a combination of all the various programming that we do,

always free, always accessible, under the umbrella of Casa Mexico,

and we're sprinkling in some special events.

We will be doing community days, we will have a film series,

we're going to have our Summer of Salsa programming,

and the goal is that folks can just walk in at any time,

sit down on our grass and watch whatever match may be on that day.

Plus, we'll have some pretty exciting viewing parties as well.

It's very important that we have a full, open space, and inclusive space

to invite the thousands of tourists who are going to come to Los Angeles.

I mean, it's great to have this here because it is the birthplace of Los Angeles.

And so to make it an attraction and to expose people to Mexican country, identity, and culture,

especially emerging ones, to our Mexican-American

and American communities, that's going to be really important.

Across Los Angeles, thousands of volunteers stepped up for a count that helps tell a deeper story.

Over three nights, more than 4,500 people counted important information on those living without shelter.

Information that helps shape funding, policy, and pathways to housing.

Because at its core, the greater Los Angeles homeless count is about one thing.

Helping people get inside.

We're here in the Skid Row neighborhood, but it's a county-wide effort to count everybody

who is homeless tonight.

We use the numbers we get for our federal data, our state data, county and city data,

so we know exactly who's out there, what our numbers are, and we can use that data to then

help people get inside.

Every year we get better and better at counting the data, and the accuracy is really important

for the data so that we know we can rely on it

and we know that we can ask our funders

to rely on it as well.

We're looking at the map.

We have 4,600 volunteers.

We have 150 sites across the region.

There is something I have to say so satisfying

about number one being part of the count

to become a part of the data collection,

but also meeting other like-minded people

who see the challenge that we're facing

in Los Angeles year over year and want to be part of a solution.

It's super simple.

You go online, you sign up, they give you your station where you're deployed.

You go through a quick training.

Sometimes you get that sent ahead of time to kind of cut your training time down.

You go out into a car or if you're doing it on foot, that's another thing as well.

And really, it only takes about two or three hours, I'd say.

And then you go home and you're done.

We understand that people are really hoping to see a big change in Los Angeles because so much money has been dedicated to this issue.

But we have to remember that the federal government, the county and the state are all doing cuts to the homeless service sector.

So we may not see the decreases that we've seen.

I think it's a different perspective seeing the streets at night.

I'm not essentially looking forward to it, but I'm looking forward to helping with the whole count and everything.

The Port of L.A. takes pride in being community strong while continuing to undergo a major transformation,

including West Harbor, a mile-long waterfront development opening this summer.

And in South L.A., the story of a long-abandoned site is beginning to change.

This transformation will take time, but a recent community workshop marked an important first step, sharing the process ahead and making sure residents are part of every stage along the way.

We're here in the Constituent Service Center in Council District 8 to talk about a really exciting project on an abandoned site at 94th and Broadway in South LA.

The lot on 94th and Broadway is a lot that is owned by the city that we're looking to get developed.

We're looking forward to turning it into 180 units of housing and a full-service grocery store.

Constituents cite a lack of healthy food options as a major health challenge for this area.

Before we could begin development, we do have to clear the site environmentally.

However, we did find out that the soil was contaminated.

So the city, which would be CD8, Economic Workforce Development, along with Sanitation,

is partnering up to apply for a federal grant through the Environmental Protection Agency

to secure $2 million in grant funding, which will help remediate the site.

Part of the EPA application process is to hold a community workshop to make the community

aware that the site is contaminated and our plans to remediate the soil so that we could

go ahead and develop it.

Council President Marquise Harris-Dawson has been extremely supportive of this project

and really wants to make it a reality.

we can identify any additional city funds in this next. As an economic development department,

we're really excited to help transform this site into something that will be a positive

economic benefit for the community. For those in the community that are interested in tracking

this project to completion, you could go to our website for more information.

While it dates from 1907, today's Port of Los Angeles is a hub of 21st century industry,

finance, and sustainability. And still ahead, a quick look at some of the stories shaping life

around the city. Efforts to keep Hollywood production in LA, recognition for the city's

housing authority, and why LAPD's sworn officer hiring remains in place this year.

Mayor Karen Bass announced that her executive directive on the entertainment industry is

yielding results. Bass has worked to make filming within LA easier and more cost-effective.

In 2026, the Central Library will reopen for filming and additional city locations will

offer reduced permit fees. Mayor Bass recognized Councilmember Nazarian for his partnership

through the Keep Hollywood Home initiative. Bass reaffirmed that this work will continue to support

the next great stories filmed on LA Street by world-class talent. For more information,

visit mayor.lacity.gov slash press. The National Digital Inclusion Alliance has recognized LA City

Housing Authority, HACLA, as a 2025 Digital Inclusion Trailblazer. The award honors HACLA's

leadership in providing residents with high-speed internet, devices, and digital literacy training.

HACLA achieved this status by meeting rigorous national standards across seven categories.

With this accomplishment, HACLA serves as a blueprint for local governments working to bridge the digital divide.

For more information, visit HACLA.org slash news.

The LA City Council has approved a plan to continue hiring sworn police officers during the current fiscal year.

410 sworn officers could be hired by using savings from within the Police Department's

existing budget.

Councilmember Jaroslavsky, Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee, said the plan keeps

hiring moving this year.

The Council-approved plan also directs the City to identify funding for future years

as part of the upcoming budget process.

Learn more at lacity.gov slash government.

Imagine neighborhoods all across Los Angeles lit up by art, music, and performance all at the same time.

That's the idea behind Attune from the city's Department of Cultural Affairs and their partner arts organizations.

A massive free celebration designed to bring art straight to the community.

So the Department of Cultural Affairs is really excited to be partnering with NextArt to create

Attune. Attune is an exhibition that's going to be region-wide, 10 sites across our city and our

county. It's a way of using art for healing, for community gathering, for being together at a time

when we particularly need it. The exhibition will be hosted at many different parks across our

region. We're really proud to be able to host it at Barnsdall Park, one of our

department's flagship sites where we have several different art centers and

historic sites as a place to come together. And what is so unique about

this exhibition is creating an interconnectedness between the

different sites. So this is a free event that is really nested in ten

hyperlocal communities and so we're really trying to get people to come out

and feel connected on Valentine's Day.

It's not just a passive listening experience.

You'll participate in the actual event and the project,

and you'll be going through breath work.

You'll be hearing compositions that are symphonic.

You'll be seeing musicians playing.

But the key is that we're all connected

in every single one of these locations together

in a unified experience.

The Department of Cultural Affairs

works to reinforce people's feelings of community,

of belonging, of coming together.

This exhibition is one of those that's really important,

particularly on a day like Valentine's Day,

that can be a wonderful day for some,

a challenging day for others, as an opportunity to be able

to gather and to come together to meet some new people

and see how others are experiencing similar types

of exhibitions at the same time.

So we as a department really are very proud to be able

to use the resources that we have to be able to celebrate

and to use the power of art for healing

and the power of culture and the intermixing of cultures

to strengthen who we are as a city.

So we are at the South Valley Work Source Center

and we're having an exciting day of a job fair.

So we have about 15 employers here looking to hire people

and we have plenty, plenty of job seekers here.

It was honestly really easy to be a part of this event

just because they had a walk-ins available

and the very easy process to sign in

and they'll call you when you're ready.

Once I was ready, I walked in and just put my best foot forward

and spoke to every booth I could, which is all of them.

You get to see people here, speak with them one on one,

have your questions answered versus online and just doing you don't know where you're headed so

this is the way i see it it's a little bit nerve-wracking having to talk to people

meeting people for the first time but it's a wonderful opportunity to see the positions

available to see the different jobs that are out there and then just a great way to connect

with employers it's better in my opinion than just applying online it's important for them to

step out of their comfort zone because that way they can realize that it's not

that bad it is not that difficult to just go out and talk to an employer and

ask what opportunities are for them and employers are receptive to talking to

them and giving them guidance on what they can do to either improve their

skills or acquire skills that they need in order to find a job.

There's absolutely nothing to be nervous about. Come on over and there are people

here and who just apply.

You just have to take a chance on yourself, and it's just a good exercise to practice

before you actually get an interview, to talk to people and build your confidence in a way

and come with a good attitude, and you'll probably do pretty good.

We're here in the busiest port in the nation, and in San Pedro, there is a brand new public

space creating room to connect.

Piazza Miramare was conceived by the local Italian community

as a tribute to their roots and their contributions to Los Angeles and beyond.

We have another beautiful event in the 1-5.

We are having the grand opening of the Piazza Miramare today.

Uno, due, tre!

It is an Italian-style, European-style piazza.

And we have so many folks who are going to use this space to gather right here in the piazza.

San Pedro and its Italian community, which is the largest Italian community in Los Angeles and Southern California,

will finally have a place to gather and to remember how important was the contribution of Italians to this place and to Los Angeles.

It was a long time coming, seven years as a founding board member of Little Italy for

several of those years.

It's exciting to be a part of this, to finally get to the finish line.

And today is the start of many great things to show our Italian culture to Los Angeles.

Having the Piazza in San Pedro is incredibly important because it's going to be the entry

way for folks coming in from the harbor area, from the cruise line.

It's going to be the breadcrumb that brings people into downtown.

gathering place for people to visit, it's a gathering place for people to live here.

A lot of people talk about the third space. You don't live there, you don't work there,

you need a place where you can just convene as a community. And like we see when we travel

Europe or other destinations, you come around a corner and you see a beautiful piazza or

a plaza or a zocalo. This is our piazza where folks can relax, they can enjoy each other's

companies and enjoy the beauty of the barber on one side and our beautiful historic downtown

on the other.

There will be plenty of programming, arts, festivals, food, our annual event, our street

carnival will be here.

Any kind of festival throughout Italy will have some kind of celebration here in this

piazza.

This is a place where Italy welcomes everybody so we look forward to welcome everybody here.

We all need to make sure that we are keeping our eye on this place and keeping it beautiful

and keeping it safe.

And the best way to keep it beautiful and safe is to use it.

Come down for brunch and then walk through the piazza and just enjoy a cup of coffee.

Today we have two public programs in celebration of our two exhibits, More is More by John

Bertol and Too Fast to Sing by Jazzy Romero and the Pine Groves.

The goal of these events are really to bring artists and the public together and to really

activate the beauty of Barnsdale Art Park.

Partly what we wanted to do is I make all these different pictures and print them on

fabrics or have them woven.

And a lot of them are on the walls in the exhibition, but I also like to take them in

different places and lay them out for a picnic.

A lot of the things in the show are made to kind of be touched or used or sat on or played

with.

Today, I'm here making a performance with my dog, Rocky.

Can this be true, not just for us, but for others too,

that too much love is a non-problem?

When Rocky was eight weeks old,

she was separated from her mother and her sister.

Whatever my artwork can do to kind of bring people together,

whether it's in conversation or to bring people together

in a similar space to witness a performance

is what drives me to do it.

Part of the nice thing about doing a show here at Barnstall is there's this beautiful

park with this beautiful view.

I like to bring people together.

I feel like people like to come together.

So often right now we're very isolated.

Art is a good way to be together as human beings.

And I like art that can kind of find people wherever they're at.

And it's just nice for people to kind of come out and have a cultural experience.

I invite everybody to come and visit Barnsdale Art Park.

Stay for the views, but don't forget to come in and see the beautiful art shows that we

have organized for you guys.

We are at the Islamic Center here in Council District 10, right here in Koreatown, to really

celebrate the unveiling of the Muhammad Ali stamp.

He was a champion in the ring and outside the ring, and of course for us as Muslims,

he's one of the greatest examples of what it means to be a Muslim in America.

Somebody who's thriving, somebody who's successful, somebody who's contributing, and somebody

who people love.

Muhammad Ali was that change agent and that unifier

to bring us together, so we're glad to celebrate him today.

Muhammad Ali was a friend of mine.

I did this about the original piece maybe six years ago.

And I've done murals from the same image throughout the city.

What people remember when they see the stamp

in their post office is all the great challenges

he faced in life, learning how to box,

and then going quickly to becoming champion of the world

and then taking a stand against the Vietnam War,

something that we all think was a great stand

that he took at that time.

But at that time, he was considered a radical.

He was considered to be un-American.

And then he lost his championship belt

because he had to go to prison,

being a conscientious objector.

And later on, he regained his title.

And so it's a great story of a person who stood tall,

both in the ring and outside the ring.

He wanted to be great at what he did.

And it is through his work that he put in

and giving back to people that made him become the hero

that he has become to everybody.

On behalf of Councilwoman Heather Hutt,

she wants everyone, go out, get the stamp, utilize it,

use it to talk to your kids, not only about him as an athlete,

but the world and community,

and just use it as a time where we can talk about justice

and equality for all.

From fine dining to bustling commerce,

the Port of LA in San Pedro has something for everyone.

And if you're looking for ways to experience the city,

we've got a few ideas for you.

Celebrate the Lunar New Year with short films,

explore a hands-on robotics workshop,

and learn about a historic heroine at the Banning Museum.

Check it out.

Gallop into the Lunar New Year of the Horse

with a festival of short films

at the Barnsdall Gallery Theater.

Curated by Bad Asians,

the program features film, video art,

and live performance in a celebration

of intergenerational intimacy and queer kinship.

With material intended for a mature audience,

the festival, Ancestral Dreamscapes,

Asian American Moving Image,

will present works by Chinese, Korean,

and Vietnamese artists.

Enjoy a tea service, the program of films,

and a reception at this one-day short film festival.

Ancestral Dreamscapes, Asian American Moving Image

takes place on Saturday, February 7th, beginning at 1 p.m.

Learn more by searching for Lunar New Year

at culture.lacity.gov.

Parents of budding creators or engineers,

this event at the Chinatown Branch Library

could be for your children.

The Kids Robotics Workshop on February 7th

is open to grades three to six and promises to be a fun and hands-on way to inspire creativity

and problem-solving skills. Led by the Girls Academic Leadership Academy, the workshops

teach robot design, coding, and teamwork. Check the listings for other dates and be

sure to sign up for a spot as places are limited. Head to Chinatown Branch Library for Kids'

Robotic Workshop on Saturday, February 7th at 10 a.m. For more information, visit lapl.org.

Join the Department of Rec and Parks at the Banning Museum to learn more about a remarkable hero, Harriet Mason.

Museum director Michael Sanborn shines a light on this incredible woman and her impact on the Banning family and beyond.

Mason was a former slave whose actions saved many lives in the Los Angeles Harbor after the Ada Hancock disaster in 1863.

Tickets are free for museum members and $5 for non-members.

From Darkness to Light, Discovering Harriet Mason is on Saturday, February 7th at 11 a.m.

For more details, visit the events tab at thebannonmuseum.org.

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

With more than 43 miles of coastline, the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro Bay is the busiest container port in the Western Hemisphere.

And that revitalization that is underway promises to transform the LA waterfront into a world-class visitor destination.

Our thanks to CD15 and the Port of Los Angeles.

From all of us at LA City, thank you for joining us.

Watch these stories and more anytime online at lacity.org.tv.

And follow us at LA City on Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube.

Until next time, get out, explore, and enjoy everything LA has to offer.

Hi, my name is Amanda Charles. I'm the Librarian 3 at Teenscape. Teenscape is the library within

Central Library that serves teens and young adults age 12 to 19. When we opened in 1998,

we were the first public library dedicated space for teens. We have over 4,000 square feet of space

with a collection of over 30,000 items. We act as ambassadors to the rest of the collection for

young adults. There may be some teens who are reluctant to approach a librarian in the art

department, they are unaware that they can make an appointment and view materials and special

collections, and so we'll often be the ones to reach out and help make that connection and

introduce them to that collection. The item I brought today is, it's a book, it's not rare,

it's not unusual. It's called Korematsu v. the United States, World War II Japanese-American

internment camps. It's part of a series on important Supreme Court decisions. I

chose it because the Supreme Court is in the news a lot right now and there's a

lot of talk about how important it is to choose the right justice. Korematsu v.

the United States is an example of what can happen when the Supreme Court goes

wrong and how it can have tragic effects on the lives of American citizens. So if

a teen came to me and they wanted to know why the Supreme Court mattered I

might choose a book from this series and offer that to them. But the thing I

really wanted to point out about this book is that it has this yellow and red

YA sticker on the spine. You will find books with the YA sticker on the spine

sprinkled throughout the collections everywhere in Los Angeles Public

Library System. However, at Teenscape every single one of our books, all 10,000

of our nonfiction books, all 10,000 of our fiction books, our graphic novels, our

manga, everything has this young adult sticker because everything in our

collection is dedicated to young adults. We're where students come and learn to

be researchers and I'm really proud of that. Thanks.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I love you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I love you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I love you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I love you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good morning and welcome to the regularly scheduled meeting of your Los Angeles City

Council today is Tuesday the third day of February in the year 2026 public

comment for this morning's meeting will be taken in person in this a council

chamber madam clerk let's begin our proceedings by calling the roll

Blumenfeld Harris Dawson Hernandez Hut herado Lee McCasker Nazarian Padilla

Park Price ramen Rodriguez Soto Martinez Yaroslavsky 10 members present and a

quorum mr. president all right first order of business approval of the minutes

of January 28 councilmember price moves council member

Cosker seconds what's next commendatory resolutions for approval councilmember

Yaroslavsky moves councilmember Hernandez seconds what's next mr.

president today is Tuesday and it's time for the flag salute all right I'll ask

everyone in the chamber to rise face the flag and follow along with council

member Rahman of the fourth district good morning everyone please rise place

your right hand on your heart and follow along 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.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Item number one is an item notice for public hearing.

Items two through 14 are items for which public hearings have been held.

Please note there is a journal correction for item number 11 regarding the strike-through

language, and the correct ad hoc committee on the 2028 Olympics and Paralympic Games

has been circulated.

for item 14 it should be held on the desk until the government operations

report has been submitted the government operations committee meeting just

recently adjourned items 15 through 31 are items for which public hearings

have not been held 10 votes are required for consideration all right without

objection those items are now before us are there specials members council

member Rodriguez yes on item 30 I am circulating an amendment and I have

comments all right councilmember Raman call item special item 11 special I may

have an amendment but I'd like to hold it for a public comment okay all right

you councilmember Hernandez thank you council president I do have an amendment

for 11 and I would like to call item 13 special for questions thank you one three

special for questions all right any other specials members councilmember

Yaroslavsky thank you council president I ask that we move the budget and

finance report for item 30 all right any other specials members pardon me mr.

chair is there a second to that motion councilmember McCosker

councilmember Soto Martinez thank you so much council president item 20 for a

separate vote 2-0 for a separate vote all right any other specials members all

right madam clerk what's before us the council may now vote on items 2 through

10 12 and 14 all right those items are now before us let's open the roll close

the roll tabulate the vote 12 eyes all right what's next the council may now

move on to public comment all right could read the instructions for public

comment into the record yes mr. president

apologies mr. president item 14 should remain on the desk until the committee

report is held can we please reconsider item 14 and hold it on the desk all

Let's open the roll and reconsideration of item number 14 close the roll tabulate the vote

13 I all right go on to public comment

Yes, mr. President 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're on topic you will get one brief warning from me or the

Council President. At that point you need to get immediately and clearly on

topic. If you do not do so or if you begin straight off topic you will forfeit

the rest of your speaking time and we will move on to the next speaker. The

The items open for public comment on the agenda are items 1 and items 15 through 31.

So again, the items open for public comment on the agenda are items 1 and items 15 through 31.

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 a city's subject matter jurisdiction.

A couple more announcements if I could have the interpreters make the 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.

If you need a Spanish interpretation, please pause after each sentence or two to give the

interpreter the opportunity to translate.

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.

And don't worry, we'll pause the time while the interpreter is talking,

so they'll have the same amount of time as the other people. Thank you.

is to say it is randomly generated so in order to run an efficient and orderly

public comment period we would ask that you please wait until you hear the name

that you signed up under called aloud before lining up to speak once you hear

the name that you signed up under called aloud you can line up in any order on

your left hand side of the council chambers thank you

I'll be calling I'll be now beginning to call the next few names Mark Smith

Bart Young, Pakuma M, Daniel Sosa, and Michael Ackerman.

So if you heard your name called aloud, you can line up in any order.

And if the gentleman, the blazer, if you're here to provide public comment and your name

was called, you can proceed to the podium.

Which items would you like to speak to?

I'd like to speak to item 30 on the fee waivers.

Okay, so you have one minute for the item.

Go ahead.

Okay.

My name is Mark Smith.

my home in the fire and I'll be displaced for another three years.

I'm asking you to approve the fee waiver for all buildings destroyed by the fire.

You've heard our talking points, so I'd like to just share some experiences.

In my 71 years, I've witnessed the Bel Air fires, the Bel Air fire, the Baldwin Hills

dam collapse, the 65 and 92 riots, and I've lived through the earthquakes of 71, 94,

and the 70 Clampett fire that burned from New Hall down to Malibu.

In short, disaster can strike any time, anywhere, and in many cases, districts will require city support.

When that time comes, your constituents will expect the same assistance that we're asking for in our time of need.

This isn't about revenue to the city.

This is about humanity, equity, and the opportunity to do what you know is ethically and morally right.

We are all in this together. We are one city.

please pass this extremely important initiative and thank you in particular

to Tracy for your heroic support in getting us to this point thank you

good morning which items would you like to speak to general comment okay so you

have one minute go ahead recently the council approved a motion requiring that

ex parte communications with the Charter Reform Commission be disclosed.

Unfortunately, this won't solve the problem, which is that these

communications are still a serial meeting violation of the Brown Act.

Disclosing them won't change that. The rule might mitigate truly unavoidable

violations, like if someone sitting near you at a restaurant starts talking loudly

about city business, but they remain violations. The fact that you haven't

been hauled into criminal court for this does not mean you are getting good

advice from the city attorney it means the district attorney is not doing their

job the DA should have addressed this sort of violation a long time ago but as

you well know the district attorney's office is just plain bent they simply

disregard vastly more depraved crimes like perjured reports by medical

examiners you might consider lifting a finger to protect Los Angeles residents

write the governor

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

Number 30.

Okay, so you have one minute. Go ahead.

Good morning, council members. My name is Bart Young.

I'm here today as a resident of Pacific Palisades,

which I lost to the fire last January.

That home represented 29 years of hard work,

sacrifice, everything I built for my future.

future. It was paid for. It was my security. And in a single day, it was gone. Like many fire

survivors, I'm now trying to rebuild, but I'm facing financial reality that feels impossible.

My insurance will only cover half of the costs. The city, and this is LADBS, cannot tell me what

it's really going to cost for all the permits and fees, but it can be in the hundreds of thousands

of dollars. Yet I have to spend money on geological studies, architectural plans, just to get an

idea of what it's going to cost. I'm living on Social Security. I've lost everything. I'm not

asking for special treatment. I'm asking for something fair and with some compassion. Executive

order waives those fees and permits. Thank you very much. Before the next speaker proceed.

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

Allison H., Kim Fetter, Paul N., James Flinney-Colin, and Thomas D.

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

I'd like to speak on item 22 and general public comment, please.

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

Please begin with the item. Go ahead.

Thank you.

Dear city council members, my name is Daniel Sosa.

I own and operate four licensed dispensaries in the city.

Without immediate action to adjust the city's cannabis policies,

particularly those related to taxation and illegal enforcement,

the licensed cannabis market will collapse.

The licensed cannabis market will collapse.

Those are not my words.

those are words written in bold

in the Cannabis Regulation Commission's

urgent policy recommendations to city council

from seven months ago in July.

City council members,

you have the power to save our industry.

We only need one thing

and that is a reduction in taxes.

licensed cannabis dispensaries are currently subject to a 10% tax rate.

This is an outrageous rate.

City Council has the explicit authority to lower the cannabis taxes under Measure M.

You are not taxing big corporations these rates.

Big retail corporations pay 0.1 tax rate in the city.

Gun sales, alcohol sales, tobacco sales are taxed at .1%.

But you are taxing social equity applicants, people who had to be low income,

to qualify for a license at 100 times that rate.

Not double, not 10 times, 100 times the rate.

If Ralph's and Starbucks grosses a million dollars in sales, they owe $1,000 in taxes.

If my business grosses a million dollars in sales, I owe $100,000 in taxes.

This industry needs a lot of changes, but talking about anything other than tax reduction, it's a distraction.

Next speaker.

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

Item 30, please.

And if you'd like, feel free to adjust the microphone.

You have one minute for item 30. Go ahead great

Good morning President Harris Dawson and all of our council members. We greatly appreciate you putting this on the agenda today

This community Pacific Palisades

Desperately needs the fee permit waivers and we are so happy that today you've included our condos

Apartments and mobile homes because that is effectively our affordable housing as you know well

a natural disaster of this type could happen in any one of your districts in

fact we've done a mapping of the high earthquake prone areas in virtually

every district high fire severity zones 13 out of 15 and we are all one

Angelenos and greatly appreciate you making sure that our permit fees can be

waived we lost our house of 30 years we bought it in 1996 very low price my

neighbor who's second to speak after me is an electrician we are not all rich

movie stars we were relegated to California Fair

Planet and this is very meaningful thank you

good morning which items would you like to speak to item number 30 okay so you

of one minute, go ahead.

My name is Kim Feeder and I'm currently the board president

for the Casa Lomari Homeowners Association.

April 2026 marks 35 years that I would have been in my home.

I have to say that if I were to try and buy now,

I could not afford my own home.

There are a number of people in that position,

more so that cannot afford to rebuild.

Fees have to be waived for not only those up to 110%

for residents, single family,

but also for commercial and multi-unit complexes.

In the mobile home parks, people are reliant

on still the decisions to be made.

I know many personally that live around me

that lost their homes that are not yet rebuilding

because they cannot afford,

because of being uninsured due to being canceled,

They cannot afford right now to rebuild,

and the fees only press harder that they cannot afford to rebuild.

Next speaker.

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

Caroline Nick, Olivia Irene F., Josh E., Vanessa B., and Tiffany Wright.

Good morning.

Which items would you like to speak to?

Item 30.

Okay, so you have one minute.

My name is Tom Doran.

I've been a resident up in the Palisades for 40 years.

Nearly 13 months ago, after the devastating Palisades fire, January 25,

destroyed thousands of homes.

Many of us are still waiting for the full relief we were promised by Mayor Bass.

Her executive order suspended collection of the fees, but did not waive them.

Survivors are in limbo, facing massive costs on top of irreplaceable losses, insurance shortfalls,

and emotional trauma.

Waiving these fees isn't charity, it's justice.

Other areas like LA County and Malibu have already approved waivers and refunds to owner-occupied rebuilds.

please pass this and let us get our lives going thank you next speaker go

ahead good morning which items would you like to speak to I'm speaking on item

1260091CD5.

The motion is to have a

125,000-000,

which is a comma, not a dash,

with Blumenfield, and I stay in Blumenfield District,

and I don't know if this is against Jaroslavsky.

Is it Blumenfield and Jaroslavsky?

This is a motion, Jaroslavsky and Blumenfield.

Is Jaroslavsky of 3rd District?

That's a question.

Unfortunately, this isn't an opportunity for a back and forth, but you can continue your

public comment if you would like. Go ahead. Jaroslavsky is not

3rd District, and I do not agree with them being impaired. I do know that

the 125 is an inaccurate number, and they only need $310,000.

$310,000. Not $310,000. Not $310,000.

not 310 beyond they need three hundred and ten dollars for a 15 foot by five

foot space 125 means they're merging territories and fugitive status that's

all thinking okay next speaker

good morning which items would you like to speak to number 30 please okay go

ahead you have one minute my name is Paul Nagel and I'm a once and future

resident of Pacific Palisades the setting and managing of the city budget

is a process that inevitably involves a degree of speculation and projection

such projections are understandably inexact and the true numbers are

almost always disappointing costs are higher revenues are lower an exception

to this is the permit fee waiver. Currently over 120 properties are for sale in the Palisades

and the new owners will not be eligible for waivers. This is on top of the 300 properties

already sold. This number will steadily and significantly grow over the next two years.

Thus, the GAO report on the fiscal impact of the city of the waivers actually overestimates

these revenue losses, which will week by week continue to go down.

This, and for all the other reasons previously heard, I urge support of item 30.

Next speaker.

Good morning.

Which items would you like to speak to?

Item 11.

Okay.

So, Item 11 isn't currently open for public comment, but you can speak to it during general.

So, you have one minute for general public comment.

Sure.

Go ahead.

Good morning.

My name is James Finney Conlon, and I'm here on behalf of the LA Area Chamber of Commerce

to proudly support Item 11, which would create exemptions for zoning and planning requirements

as we get ready for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

This is very important to make sure that we are ready

for a once in a generation economic event

and really a catalyst economically for the region.

I really hope I can count on your support.

Thank you so much.

Next speaker.

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

You know, the wife of Joseph in Egypt, her name is Ainu, Japanese name, Ainu, Ainu people.

And his son, Manasseh, means forget it, you know, what happened.

in tongue and mean to remember.

Now let me tell you how it's related to all of us in here,

related to everybody.

Let me tell you, Teotihuacan name,

T-E-O-T, O-T-I-H-U-A-C-A, Teotihuaca,

C-A, Teotihuaca.

O-T-U-A, God in Tongan.

I-H-U-A, Y-H-U-A, Y-H-U-A, Y-H-U-A, right?

That's Jesus.

The Jewish people call him Yeshua.

No E-S, just Y, supposed to be Y-H-U-A for the Jewish.

Speaker, your time has expired.

Next speaker.

So, speaker, we have to move on to the other speakers.

So your time is expired.

If you could please exit the podium.

Thank you.

Go ahead and exit to your right-hand side.

Good morning.

Which items would you like to speak to?

General comment and agenda item 30.

Okay.

minute for the item and one minute for general please begin with the item go

ahead okay this is my fourth time here in the chamber I'm a lifetime Angelino I

hope to not have to come back again I'm you and me both I'm sure you're tired of

seeing me and hearing me say the same thing that I'm here to ask you to please

vote yes on the budget and Finance Committee's recommendation of option 3

to waive plan and permit fee waivers for all structures damaged in the Palisades fire.

I've told you before about how my own condo building is composed of senior citizens on a fixed budget.

Okay, condos, townhomes, and apartments, they have the most vulnerable community members,

retirees, underinsured, those with limited access to credit.

When this housing is gone, it is gone permanently.

By passing plan and permit fee waivers, you are not subsidizing one neighborhood.

You're preventing displacement from cascading across the city's housing system and relieving pressure on already scarce housing citywide.

As the CAO report confirms, passing plan and permit fees is going to speed recovery, restore the tax base, support jobs, and bring residents and businesses back sooner.

It is the right thing to do.

We are all Angelenos.

And we are not just CD11.

And what happened to us can happen to your district.

and as Bob Blumenfeld said a year ago,

we have to fundamentally change the way we do things in this city

so that we can grow back and we build back in a strong way

and one way you can do that to start is by passing

this ordinance to waive plan and permit fee waivers.

You can also help set up a CRD or disaster recovery district

and you can also make sure that Palisadians aren't dinged by the

mansion tax when they're just trying to get their lives back together. Thank you very much.

Next speaker.

Hello. Good morning. Which items? Good morning. Just general public comment. Okay, so you have

one minute. Go ahead. Thank you. Good morning, council members. My name is Vanessa Bautista.

I am here on behalf of Best Friends Animal Society to share a snapshot of the impact we did in the

City of LA in 2025.

This past year, Best Friends supported the life savings

of more than 4,400 dogs and cats,

including nearly 3,000 animals pulled

from LA Animal Services shelters.

Through partnerships with LA Animal Services

and local rescues, we helped facilitate 3,500 adoptions

and over 5,000 foster placements.

During the fires, our role expanded even further.

We helped move over 2,300 pets to safety.

These numbers reflect more than statistics

that they represent the lives saved through collaboration.

Best Friends remains committed to supporting

LA Animal Services and the City of LA

as we work together towards a truly no kill city.

Thank you for your continued partnership and leadership.

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

General comment.

Okay, so you have one minute, go ahead.

I'm here to speak on the tax issue around the cannabis industry.

The cannabis industry is a proven beneficial industry for society

and plays a legitimate role in California's health care and economy.

Excessive state and local cannabis taxes push consumers out of the legal market,

hurting compliant businesses.

The solution is simple.

We need to lower taxes to support legal operators

and make legalization work as we deserve.

lower the taxes thank you

before the next speaker begins I'll be calling the next few names Harris Smith

Roseanne L Tyshawn Johnson Joelle Frederico and Paul N good morning which

items would you like to speak to? Good morning. I'd like to speak on agenda item 22 and general

public comment. Okay. You have one minute for each. Go ahead. Good morning. My name is Tiffany

Wright. I have worked in the cannabis industry for nearly 18 years. I offer a unique perspective

of having been in this business both before and after adult use legalization. I can say that before

adult use legalization, it was a very good business. It provided a valuable service,

valuable medicine. It helped a lot of people. Some of the businesses that I've helped represent have

given away over a million dollars of completely free medicine. So their heart is in the right

place. However, after legalization, there was instituted an oppressive taxation system whereby

cannabis dispensaries are charging customers the same amounts as they always have because people

are not necessarily willing to pay more, but we have to remit 40% of our revenue to tax, including

10% to the city of LA, which is unsustainable for any business, much less a business that provides

medicine. Medicine is not typically taxed. It is an extra 40%. For the public comment, I'd like to

say that the only pathway forward to prevent the Los Angeles City Council and DCR from being

complicit in a system of financial, systematic financial abuse, is to immediately amend the

municipal code and lower the tax rate.

I recommend one or 2% which would be consistent

with what other cities with programs have done

that has been successful and viable.

10% is a systematic financial abuse

that the city will be complicit in.

Any other action that does not include

lowering the taxation would make this council complicit

and I don't believe that it wishes to be.

I believe that your hearts and minds are in the right place

and I urge you to take corrective action immediately

and lower the cannabis tax rate

to no more than 1% for medical and 2% for adult use.

Thank you.

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

I'm here to speak to general public comment

in item number 30.

Okay, so you have one minute for the item

and one minute for general, go ahead.

Thank you council members for your time.

My name is Joel Frederico.

On 1243, January 8th, my home was 69 degrees.

degrees. Fifteen minutes later, my internet went offline and my son's temperature sensor

registered 80 degrees. I listened as our fire alarm, my burglar alarm went off thinking

that my house was being robbed because that was preferable to my house burning down. I

apologize. I joined my board. I pitched in. I came on. I did my best. I'm here not just

for my family, but for my community. We have members who are on fixed incomes, who don't

have insurance, who don't have enough insurance. They're trying to get by, and our budget to

rebuild is tight, and our deadlines are close. We're asking for your help. We work together

as neighbors, council members. We all have neighbors. We all help each other. We lend.

We borrow. General public comment. We work together, and when we need help, we come and

And we are asking now for your help to meet our budgets, to rebuild, to bring back what

we lost, to bring back my son's bedroom, my house, to bring back my neighbors together.

And we support option three.

The Budget and Finance Committee came through.

Tracy Park has worked for us so hard.

And now we are coming to you asking for your help, for the little bit that you can do.

Every little bit helps.

I am trying to bring back my community.

I'm trying to protect housing for the people who are retired, who are infirm.

And I ask humbly for your help.

Thank you so much for your time.

Thank you so much for listening to my story.

Before the next speaker begins, I'll be calling the last name, Renee Pittman.

Good morning.

Which items would you like to speak to?

Item 30, please.

Okay, so you have one minute for the item.

Go ahead.

Thank you.

Good morning, counsel.

My name is Harris Smith.

We used to live at 957 Hartzell in the Alphabet Streets.

I support all that's been said before me and at the two prior

meetings, but I'd like to focus on a different issue.

I have been a CPA for 49 years.

I understand return on investment.

And unless and until we get people back in the community,

we will not have the businesses.

Gelson's has said they need 10,000 people

before they'll reopen.

The community had 24,000, 25,000 people before the fire.

It is a shadow of that now.

So I understand return on investment.

If we get people back, if we can get these fees waived, that's a chunk of money

because while we're possibly underinsured, we're still fighting with the insurance companies.

General public comment?

No, that's it. Thank you.

Okay. Speaker?

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

I would like to make a general public comment.

Okay. You have one minute. Go ahead.

Okay. Dear Heather Hunt, I don't think you are a good leader.

I don't believe you care about the people, but only care about receiving your paycheck and paying politics.

You have a member on your team named Terrence Gomez, who you selected to handle police matters.

And you, and are you aware, Heather, that the man that you selected made comment to me that he has to believe what the police, everything that the police tells him.

How is this person supposed to help anyone, especially a person of color, if he's going to believe everything that the police tells him, even if it's a lie?

I lived at the address 229 South Mariposa Avenue in Koreatown for months and I was constantly being harassed by the

on-site property manager the owner of the building and I had my power turned off and my

unit burglarized by the property manager and the police did not the Olympic police station did nothing

and worse of all

so speaker your time is expired next speaker

Hi. Good morning. Which items would you like to speak to? 30 please. Okay so you have one minute. Go ahead.

I echo the comments of the Palisadeans that have spoken ahead of me and I trust that the budget

committee has shown you the numbers of how much the city of Los Angeles has lost financially

because of the loss of the Palisades tax base. Over time it would put the city in a much better

position financially if you made it as easy as possible for us to rebuild that

would mean choosing to waive our permit fees it would be short-term pain for

long-term gain and that would go both ways to benefit the city of Los Angeles

and our sweet hometown of Pacific Palisades

next speaker we'll be calling additional names

Audit LA, Carol Ross, and Daph G. Excuse me, Daphne G.

Good morning. You have three minutes for the items and one minute for general. I know you came in late, so the items that are open for public comment on the agenda are items 1 and items 15 through 31.

Thank you, sir. Okay. All right, let's begin. Okay, I want to talk about the ones about banners and parades.

parades. Like, I love banners. I love parades. But I don't understand why we can't get civic

groups to pay for this stuff because you guys are, there's two of them in there beyond 15.

One's about the parade and one's about a banner. It's there, sir. But the thing is,

okay, we need sidewalks, okay? We need streets. We're about to have the Olympics. And you're

about to, you're about to try and to pass laws where if an old person falls in a nursing home,

that they're going to charge them a fine for falling and needing fire department rescue.

So if you're that desperate for money, why are we paying for banners and parades? Like have the

civic groups, have, you know, you know, whatever civic groups that come put that money forward.

It's just ridiculous. I know, and I know, I bet, I'm going to bet money that Smoke and Scan will

agree with me that you don't need to be spending this ridiculous amount of money on things that

are important maybe to a city for joy and celebration. It's no offense to that, you know,

the people celebrating, but at the same time, you're so broke, you're about to find old people

that fall, like seriously. Okay. The other one is for civil service. And I think hopefully I'm

going to see later if Smoke and Scan agrees with this too, that, you know, if you're trying to

take away an exemption, get people off where they don't have to have passed through a civil service

that means you all can just hire all your cronies. I went through that once. I ended up getting the

job because I was civil service and the cronies didn't get the job. Of course, you know, there was

hell to be paid because they didn't like the fact that their cronies didn't get the jobs,

but I wanted the job and I got it because I took the civil service and I was a neutral person. I

wasn't bought and paid for by whatever political politicos that wanted their cronies in. So it's

very important to have the civil service, okay? And then the one about the school. You're just,

you know, putting all this money for a school, and schools are important, but you don't name the

school. I don't see the schools named, and I just want to make sure that you're not secretly trying

to build Adelphi Academies. That's owned by Scientology that promotes everything through

Scientology Tech, which means it will ruin these students for the rest of their lives, okay, because

of the corrupt teaching. So please make sure you're not trying to sneak in any kind of Scientology

school. As much as I know Kirsten Peterson, Kendrick Moxon, Linda Hamill, Peters, would love

you to do that. So you're welcome to speak to this during general, but I'm going to need you to

connect it more tightly to the item. Okay, to number one, because you don't name it. You know,

you should have in the agenda the name of the school. So I can only assume that it's going to

be a Delphi Academy because you guys like to sneak in Scientology. At this point, it's repetitive,

so I need you to move on. Go ahead. Okay, I can do that. And as far as, like I said,

I don't know, I guess we can just say how to smoke and scan one more time before we turn into

public comment. Okay, I am here to ask Mr. Hugo, okay, my friend Laura FM, she needs help with

K housing help because we've come here repeatedly telling you that Scientology got her, they lost

her job. They were harassing her employer and her so much that she lost her job because they didn't

want the harassment. Bob, I'm talking to you too, okay? And Mr. Hugo, this is your district.

I need somebody, one of your people, to help connect her to services today, like right now

today, because you guys are the ones allowing Scientology to get people to lose their jobs,

and she's about to become unhoused. Thanks to them, you know, she had this job for 15 years,

But because of Scientology harassing her, she doesn't have the job.

And unemployment does not cover the rent that it costs here.

Okay, so Mr. Hugo, if you could please listen and send one of your workers right here to Ms. Laura FM to help her.

If he can't ignore me or look at me, can somebody else help Ms. Laura FM?

Since you guys are allowing Scientology to do this, do you understand?

Yeah.

before the next speaker begins I'll be calling next few names Carol Ross freedom M and Harriet

Elliott good morning which items would you like to speak to I'd like to speak to item 30 and general

comment okay so you have one minute for the item and then one minute for general go ahead okay

great my name is Carol Ross I've lived in the Palisades since I was five years old and was

went away of course to school at all but was able to come back 40 years ago and

buy a home and raise my children in the Palisades. Subsequently my older daughter

and the children lived in a rental house down the street and my younger daughter

and her husband lived in a condo. On January 7th we all lost our homes. I want

to emphasize that there are so many people like us who have been in the

Palisades for a really really long time and when we purchased our homes it was a

minuscule amount of money and now we're faced with having to rebuild four or five

times the amount we paid to begin with and underinsured of course we live in

the flatlands of Marques no fire danger whatsoever we always said our house

would never burn unless the entire Palisades burned we have received lots

of support from Tracy Park we've received support from FEMA from the SBA

loans everything has made such a difference friends neighbors the

emotional support we've received but the financial support of waiving these fees

could have such a huge impact on that balancing bar of whether or not one can

make it back into the Palisades and emotionally to know that Los Angeles

supports us the way we have always supported Los Angeles.

Thank you so much for considering this.

Good morning.

Which items would you like to speak to?

Item 30, please.

Okay, so you have one minute.

Go ahead.

You've been here a few times, and it's tough to be here

and to say the same thing again and again and to find

that lots of people aren't listening.

And we really feel that we need to be heard, and we're not really sensing that at city council.

And that's why people keep coming and saying the same things.

The community that I come from and that I've lived in for almost 30 years in which we raised our child, we lost everything.

I only have one thing from my parents, which I'm wearing today.

And essentially 56 weeks ago now, people were in traffic jams and running for their life.

It feels like it's time for the City Council to please pass the recommendations for the fee waivers that have been proposed to you, rather than keep going back and forth.

We really need the help.

Every week that passes, there are people that are losing hope and giving up on the fact that they can come back.

And we want to encourage that.

All the people, whether renters who want to come back to rental homes, people in condos, people in single-family homes, others.

we really need the mobile home parks to be also put back.

And the only way a lot of these people can do it

and can afford to keep building

is to go on their hope and hope that if they get the fee waivers

and they can find the money to put together to rebuild,

that they will be able to rebuild

and they will be able to find insurance

because a lot of us are just planning and moving forward

without even knowing that we will have insurance.

So we need your help.

It helps the entire city to have our community rebuilt, particularly as the Olympics are coming.

It's a tourist destination.

Right now, all people are seeing is devastation and very few houses being rebuilt.

We want to change that.

We want to put back into the economy.

We want to start paying our taxes as we should be, but we need our houses to be able to do that.

We implore you to please listen to us and to treat us as you would your own districts.

thank you so much to trace Park into the other members of the community and

council that have supported us thank you before the next speaker begins I'll be

calling the next few names William G Laura FM and smoke in good morning which

items would you like to speak to yeah I'd like to speak to 223 in public

comment okay so item number two is not open for public comment but you have

one minute for the other item you mentioned in one minute for general

Anything that's related to homelessness, let's add that, because I know there are multiple items for homelessness, related to homelessness.

So let's add that instead of two.

Okay?

All right, so first off, I want to talk about the homelessness problem we have.

All right, Karen Bass is on TV last night touting her Inside Safe program.

Well, let's actually look at that program.

You look at it, we have spent $323 million on the program and permanently housed just 1,200 people.

Speaker, I'm looking at the agenda.

You can speak to this during general if you'd like, but I need you to speak to the agenda items first.

Okay, so you know what?

We're going to go to 23 in public comment.

Does that work?

Go ahead.

You can continue speaking to 23.

Let's go to 23.

Let's talk about public safety.

There is a cop or an ex-cop who raped a woman, LAPD, raped a woman, and he raped her by...

Speaker, this has nothing to do with item 23.

So I'm going to move you to general public comment.

You have one minute.

Go ahead.

Yes, let's talk about how all of you know about a cop that committed rape against a woman,

and you guys are trying to cover it up.

All of you know about it.

His name is Gabriel Spottis.

He put a woman on a 5150 hold.

As soon as she got out, he called her up, came over to her house, fisted her, had anal sex with her, and tried to make her have sex with a dog.

You know about it.

I have the text messages to show it.

And no one says anything about it.

This cop committed rape, and there are more victims.

There are six more that have come forward, and nobody says anything about it.

Why is this guy not being prosecuted?

How can you all sit here and know this cop was out there doing this and not say anything?

I think all of you are disgusting for sitting by quietly.

So how about that?

Enjoy your day.

Next speaker.

the item three two on the agenda is about homelessness for elderly women which I am

item number two is not open for public comment are there any other items you'd like to speak

or just general?

General.

Great. You have one minute.

Go ahead.

Okay.

Pagina 111 de Ron Johnson.

Las armas de energía dirigida también puede imitar a cualquier

symptoma de enfermedad.

I need a .

Page 111 de Ron Johnson.

Yeah.

The directed energy guns can emit any type of...

...any type of...

...

...

The afflictions come from something that is artificial.

...

Okay.

Ahora cambio a Renee Pittman, veterana Palmdale.

Renee Pittman, I'm going now to Renee Pittman,

a veteran from Palmdale.

Aunque ella es víctima de servicios de inteligencia,

todos tienen M.O. individual.

Even though she's a victim of intelligence services,

everybody has M.O.

Individuál.

I want to read all the seven books that she has.

She is still living in Palmdale.

Thank you.

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

Lexi M., Maxim S., and Lisa Locker.

Good morning.

Which items would you like to speak to?

Good morning, public comment.

Okay, so you have one minute, go ahead.

Hi, board, hello everybody.

I'm here again to speak on behalf of the children

and ex-Scientologists that have been tortured

and abused and molested in any way

and all the ways in the cult of Scientology.

So if you can all take a second

and just make a point in your mind this week

to note that if there's a drug-free program

or any Narconon, or any of these BS front groups of Scientology that are literally not helping the homeless, not helping anybody,

if you can be aware that you are not allowing your, on your position in the city, for them to be infiltrating in whatever it is that you do.

Hugo, I would really like help. I'm being completely fair-gamed and attacked by Scientology.

I'm unemployed now because of it.

And now I literally, my unemployment cannot cover my rent.

So yes, I too might be fucking homeless.

It's not okay.

This is Scientology harassment.

Every single fucking week we come here and we speak about this and nothing is being done.

We ask you to please use the empty parking lots and the houses of the Scientology buildings for the homeless.

You guys haven't done that.

Now I'm getting attacked, fair game.

and now I need help from the city.

So this is unbelievable.

Divorce yourselves from Scientology.

Next speaker.

Good morning.

Which items would you like to speak to?

Speak on all items and general public comment.

Okay, you have three minutes for the items

and one minute for general.

Go ahead.

When you hire clowns, you get a circus.

Item one, typical of how this city is run into the ground

by political favors to the Jewish community

and Yaroslavsky while all other communities languish

in abject poverty and homelessness.

This item is for $125 million

for improvement to a Jewish educational facility

in a luxury area of the city.

$125 million for improvements

to an already luxury campus

for the wealthy of the Jewish community.

Meanwhile, in contrast, Sleazy Marqueezy Dawson

is running a food desert in CD8

with the highest unemployment rate,

the highest homelessness rate,

and complete dismantling

of the black community's cultural center

with the help of Dimwit Nithya Rahman

and Bob Genesai Bloomfield.

I demand a no vote on this $125 million abuse

abuse of public funds when homelessness is still epidemic in Los Angeles all other items on this agenda should receive a no vote if

career criminals

Indicted current price poverty pimp Heather Hut sleazy Mark Weezy Dawson are allowed to vote. Where is the hundred and twenty five

Million dollar education projects

Speaker you've exhausted your one on item one. Please move on to another item. Okay public comment. I'll just run into this. Do you want to go to general? Okay.

Well, I'll kind of run into this try to finish. I demand

and Sleazy D stopped this thought police free speech

violating crimes against the people.

Since the black community has zero representation

from these poverty pimps,

demand that all other available items

on this corrupt agenda be reworded

to include $125 million for upgrades

to the black community's private educational institutions.

Also demand these items include a demand

for resignation of the black poverty pimps.

General public comment, 30 seconds.

Because these clowns bankrupt the city,

giving $1 billion increase to LAPD,

the clowns won't take the money back

because LAPD makes tremendous campaign contributions

to Sleazy Dawson, Monica Lewinsky Rodriguez,

and racist Asian John Lee.

$1 billion budget emergency,

tens of thousands homeless epidemic emergency,

275 billion fire damage emergency.

This is so ridiculous.

sleazy d CD8 has the highest incarceration rate thanks next speaker

good morning which items would you like to speak to item number 30 okay so you

have one minute go ahead good morning council members I want to talk about

item 30 in the Palisades and asking the council members to waive the permit fees

for all structures in Palisades.

I want to talk about the money here.

As I understand the city in this calculations is focused mostly

on the immediate loss of the revenue instead of focusing

on the potential profit from the rebuild.

If those 7,000 structures in Palisades get rebuilt

with more than 110%, the estimated additional value

of $3 billion of real estate would bring additional

30 million dollars annually to the city these 3 million dollars will cover the

laws from the waiver freeze in three years please focus on the long-term

benefits of bringing the community back and people back to their homes please

vote for the waiver of permit fees for all structures and Tracy Park thank you

very much for your continued support for the Palisades community

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

Hi, I'm also speaking on 30.

I'm gonna speak fast to make time, so bear with me.

You could have 30 in general public comment if you'd like.

Okay, great, I would love that.

Okay, so you have one minute for the item

and one minute for general, go ahead.

I'd just like to ask, what happens to the Palisades

when the city doesn't provide enough support?

We currently have 179 houses under construction.

We used to have 7,000 structures.

Contrary to some of the stories swirling,

There are no corporations trying to gobble up our land.

Some of these lots have been sitting for sale

for a year since the fire.

So what happens when the few hundred people

who can afford it finish rebuilding?

What happens to the rest of the city?

It becomes a burden to Los Angeles

with dilapidated land and buildings,

infrastructure issues, land destabilization,

hillside landslides, rodent and wild animal infestations,

crime, encampments.

It's your fiduciary duty as custodians of the city's budget

to look ahead and prevent massive future financial pressures

by investing a much smaller amount now.

Option three was the best of what was offered,

but it's still very bare bones.

The city administrator's report explicitly excludes

transacted properties.

That means,

General.

Okay, that means people like me,

who had to leave our lot for reasons

very outside of our control,

and sold for pennies on the dollar,

are now in massive debt and will not be included

in this fee waiver.

Between that and our unfair property tax assessments

that are coming all of our way,

even after we rebuild, we may not be able to stay.

We have a neighbor who was told he cannot start rebuilding

with approved plans until he repairs city sidewalk

for $58,000.

Another neighbor replacing city fire hydrant for $34,000.

Another had LADWP cut down a 100-year-old sycamore

without notice, not for danger,

but because of line of sight.

We face big, expensive roadblocks every single day,

and without more city support and investment,

this land will never fully rebuild,

and you will be asked for billions of dollars in the future

and instead of just broadening option three right now

and allowing for more inclusive language

so that it pertains to all residents,

even if they were renting or transacted properties.

Thank you.

Next speaker.

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

Good morning. General comment and item number 30.

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

Good morning. Thank you for having me here. I am a Palisadian. We've lived in the Palisades

since 1970. My family lost four properties. My mother lost our family home. I lost my

home my son lost his home and we lost our rent stabilization our RSO multi-family

property that brought income to our whole family so we are facing four

properties to have to rebuild waiving the fee for the permits will help our

fam my family considerably we have lots ahead of us and this would just be one

step in the long journey to recovery. My mom in her 80s, we don't know what we're

going to do with her family home. She doesn't have the capacity to

rebuild. My son in his mid-30s, he doesn't have the money to rebuild. I'm

barely making it myself trying to rebuild. So to rebuild our rent

stabilization property we we we very much need the fee waiver for that as well

again we are just a normal family in the Palisades living there since the 70s

we're Angelenos we're just like all of all of the people you represent we

desperately need this fee waiver for all of us for single families for multi

families for the mobile home parks for the condominium complexes for the

apartment buildings for our commercial properties we all need to go home we all

need this help from our fellow Angelenos all of you have people just like me just

like my family in your community we need your help we're asking you to please

pass the fee waiver that Tracy Park has worked for option three is the best for

us and it's the best for Los Angeles as a community thank you so much for your

time we'll be calling the next few names Kendrick Ziba stinks and Zina

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

waive the fees for Pacific Palisades.

Okay.

Go ahead.

My name is Farzad Abulfadi.

I am the former owner of one of the multifamilies in Pacific Palisades.

With three other families, we lost our property in that area.

And every day, I get a call from the tenants that I had, and they ask me,

are we going to rebuild?

And I'm here to request that the city come to help the people who lost their properties

in the disaster by waiving the fees.

We used to pay $40,000 property tax every year and about 30,000 state and federal tax.

Currently, we have no income and our property tax has reduced to about 15,000.

city the state and the federal are not getting benefit from the properties that

we used to manage I think it only makes sense general public comment it only

makes sense that city helps us by waiving the fees thank you

Good morning.

Which items would you like to speak to?

Good morning everyone.

I'm here to give a public comment.

My name is Celia Cruz and I work at the subway here in District 11.

here in District 11.

Before we restart the time,

can we just have everybody speak up a little bit?

It's a little hard to hear both the speaker and the interpreter.

Thank you.

Antes de que continuemos,

es un poco difícil escucharle a la oradora y a la intérprete,

si ambos pueden hablar un poquito más fuerte.

Okay, okay.

Mi nombre es Elizabeth Cruz.

Trabajo en un subway aquí en el Distrito de Los Angeles, 11.

My name is Elizabeth Cruz and I worked on a subway here on the District 11 of LA.

The interpreter needs to clarify.

Can you imagine if your boss brings you a check, has you sign it, and then it takes it away from you?

That is what is happening to me on the subway.

I don't have enough money to cover my expenses.

I have to use the credit card, and my boss gives me checks that I'm not able to deposit.

He pays me at a later date, or he reduces my work hours.

And please, support me in the order of the workers' justice order, of the workers' fast food workers,

as I should not have to pay for the workers' workers' taxes.

Speaker, your time has expired, but if we could get the last bit interpreted, please.

Now, the time is over, but it's going to be interpreted in the last part of your message.

I'm asking you to please help us with the ordinance for us to get more justice on this.

As fast food workers, we should not have debt because of this.

Council President, that is the conclusion of public comment.

All right, thank you so much to everybody who came to share with us this morning.

Madam Clerk, what items are before us?

The council may now vote on items 1, 14 through 19, 21 through 29, and 31.

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

Close the roll.

Tabulate the vote.

15 ayes.

All right, what's next?

Mr. President, I believe there is a request to send item number 22 forthwith.

Without objection, that will be the order.

Mr. Blumenfield?

Item 10 be sent forth with.

All right, 10 forthwith without objection.

That'll be the order.

What item is next?

I may now move on to item 13, called special by Council Member Hernandez for questions.

Council Member Hernandez for questions on item 13.

Yes, Council President, thank you.

Can we have the CAO come to the table, please?

Good morning.

Good morning.

Please take a moment to introduce yourself.

Good morning.

My name is Eve Bachrock.

I'm from the Office of the City Administrative Officer.

Great.

Thank you.

I have three questions.

My first one is why does the CAO report contemplate so drastically fewer positions

than requested by the LA Housing Department?

And I believe that the number is 109 versus 43, which is a very significant decrease.

Yes.

So the city's fiscal policies state that intern positions should be considered only in extreme circumstances.

So our office worked with LAHD to determine which positions were most urgently needed this fiscal year and recommended those.

In conversations with LAHD, the department stated that they do not intend to fill all the positions they requested this fiscal year, and some are not needed next fiscal year either.

The recommended positions are intended to meet urgent need this year in line with the fiscal policies,

while the balance of positions will be considered through the budget development process.

Great. Thank you.

All the positions discussed are fully funded by ULA and have no impact on the general fund.

Is CAO's hesitancy to recommend more positions tied to any concerns with ULA funding?

The availability of funding for the positions and other administrative needs is based on

revenue and we're developing the revenue projections that will be available for the positions for

next fiscal year now.

The full cost of all of these positions plus other administrative needs could not have

been supported under the 25-26 administration admin cap.

And as I said, the revenue projections and admin cap for next year are being calculated

as part of the budget development process.

Great, thank you. So we'll know then if we're able to bring more of those folks on, correct? Great, thank you.

Yes.

And during the budget hearings, can we anticipate that the CAO will recommend approving the remaining positions?

So I can't say what will be in the mayor's proposed budget when it's released,

but I can say, again, that these interim positions were recommended just on the basis of what was most urgently needed this fiscal year.

What are some of those criterias of what is most urgent need?

Really largely what LAHD told us were the most urgently needed, and then also looking at vacancy rates in particular classes within the department.

Great, and so what's above most urgent need? What's that criteria?

There wasn't really several criteria, I mean several levels set.

It was sort of what is most urgently needed for this fiscal year and what can be put aside

for just a few months so that we can look at as part of the budget development process.

Great.

And do you know if a tiered approach will be presented for next budget?

I just want us to have options right now.

Like we don't really have, the only option is going from 109 to 43, nothing in between.

And I understand there's an urgent need,

but there's probably additional levels to that.

And ULA money is, it can be used on some of these things.

So that's why I'm asking.

Yeah, so our recommendations will be made

to the mayor's office and those will be present.

Then the mayor will make, will present that in the budget.

And then through the budget and finance hearings

and council hearings that can be amended.

Great, thank you.

Thank you, council president.

Thank you so much, council member Hernandez.

Seeing no other comments on this item, let's open the roll.

Close the roll, tabulate the vote.

15 ayes.

All right, what's next?

The council may now move on to item 20, called special

by Councilmember Soto-Martinez for a separate vote.

Councilmember Soto-Martinez.

Actually, I have a couple of questions on this item.

Okay.

Councilmember has questions on this item.

Yep.

good morning good morning so I saw the there was a request from LAPD to fill

this position could you just explain to me what what this person this exempt

position will be doing yes good morning president City Council members I'm

deputy chief John Pinto from Human Resources Bureau on behalf of Chief Jim

McDonald the police administrator position will be responsible for

developing and executing comprehensive integrated communication plans to

achieve department objectives. This position will act as the department's

executive advisor for strategic communications and report directly to

the chief of police. The police administrator will ensure department

consistency across all communications and develop comprehensive narratives

that articulate the department's mission, vision, and impact across various channels.

Additionally, this position will focus on building and optimizing internal

communications as opposed to external to connect employees, reinforce department

and provide leadership with consistent and unifying talking points to community members.

Key responsibilities will include collaborating with department stakeholders, building brand awareness,

developing campaign recruitment messaging, and stay current with social and visual media trends

to support senior lead and align with department strategy.

Why does the department feel like they need someone for this position?

Is someone doing this work currently?

Currently we have, as you're aware of, Councilmember, the PIO position, which is external, which sets up meetings, responds to critical incidents.

When Chief McDonald wanted, part of his reorg was to provide a position for an internal communications director.

So PIO, outward facing, deals with media, deals with requests, is on call for critical incidents.

the ask is from Chief McDonald is that we as a department have an actual internal advisor that

can work on the messaging for internally with our employees okay so this is only for internal correct

our PIO position is currently vacant but this this request for the last year has been asked for for

the importance of the internal communications messaging our leadership for our employees both

professional staff and sworn but many of the things in this letter talk about

message messaging and community engagement correct I'm sorry there is

there is a point of that thank you for the correction part of that was unified

talking points for community engagement but really working through our senior

lead officers making sure that we have one voice from the chief of police to

our senior lead officers to our community members so internal in the

aspect of trying to make sure that we have one message that it's not

conflicting with things that may we may hear on the media but making sure that

it's one message and what's uh has there been any internal conversations about

how the messaging coming out of the LAPD in regards to all the raids that have

been happening, immigration enforcement.

There seems to be a lot of lack of confidence right now

with LAPD, especially, you know, with the mutual aid request.

We had the chief a few days ago saying he's not going

to enforce the mask ban.

You know, the protests have been just, you know,

could be improved.

Has there been any internal conversations

about how we address that to the public?

Yes, there has been.

Would you like to share that a little bit with us?

Certainly.

I believe our chief has been very transparent with the media on our department's stance

on what's occurring with the ICE agents in the city of Los Angeles.

I think the importance of this strategic communications position is that it will help unify internally

our messaging so when our officers are out there dealing with the community or dealing

with the media that it's one unified message.

Well, I want to know, like, what is the messaging, right?

You're asking us to approve a position.

I want to know what the messaging is, because if the messaging is contrary to what I think the messaging should be, then, you know, I want to know that.

So have you given some insight on that?

Okay.

I would say the chief's message our department's messaging has been all

along that we do not support or get involved with any ice activity in the

city of Los Angeles I think we made it very clear over the years with special

order 40 that we do not look at immigration status during the course and

scope of our duties but that for public safety we are called to scenes to provide

assistance to protect our community members but yeah a few days ago he said

he wouldn't enforce the mass ban right okay and do we know much how much are

you asking from this council to prove what is it gonna cost salary benefits

overhead what's what's the price it's the police administrator to position

class code 9196-2 I don't have the exact amount at this time but I can follow up

with you if you like so it could be a million dollars and we don't know the

police administrator to you're asking about the salary and benefits this

position how much is it gonna be salary benefits overhead correct I don't have

that exact information it's time my apologies do you have someone lined up

for this position you're thinking about hiring we do do you know who that a

person is I currently have someone that we're vetting through our department at

this time what's their name I'll provide that to you at a later time once I

verify with the chief okay so we don't know the salary we don't know the

messaging and you're not willing to share the person okay thank you thank

you mr. Soto Martinez council member Rodriguez if I could I'm sorry council

member I did get an update the police administrator salary range step two is

is 191.

OK.

Thank you.

Thank you.

OK.

Thank you.

So I want to thank you, Mr. Sotomartinez,

for engaging in this conversation.

And I just wanted to bring rise to some

of the conflicted messaging that has thus far been occurring,

particularly with respect to the chief discussing whether or not a misdemeanor would be enforced

and what the litmus test is or what is deemed as good or bad policy.

It was really problematic at the press conference when I even heard about it

and was asked on a live interview.

And I raised the concerns about, you know, are we setting ourselves up

or is the chief setting us up for this dynamic

where he just independently opines

whether or not a policy is good or not,

whether or not it's enforceable or not,

or whether or not it would be enforced by the department.

I think it's causing greater consternation

among members of our public and our community

that are being affected.

And so you talk about that this is a position

that you've already identified a candidate for,

that you're already in the process of hiring,

and so it's kind of like a back-ended way,

but that information isn't forthcoming to us.

Feels a little cart before the horse.

And as someone who wants to continue

and has been very supportive of this department,

it's frustrating when we get this kind of gaming procedurally.

and I really think it's important there's there's quite a bit of items that have not come to this

council for proper conversation and again and this is not directed at you you know when the

chief has been here there's been a very defensive response to very simple questions around

accountability that would be asked of any other department particularly at a time when we are

facing such, we're amidst such fiscal crisis. And so I just want to communicate for the public and

for the department to hear that the questions that this council asks shouldn't be met with this

reactive, defensive response. It should be very, you know, it should be forthcoming. If we got

nothing to hide, then we shouldn't act like there's anything to hide. And so I just, I want

that message to be conveyed back to the chief. I welcome his return to this council so that we

can have the proper conversation. That's a sign of mutual respect, not adversarial.

It's not about whether or not anyone feels appreciated or not. Every city employee for

the work that they do in service to this public and in service to the people of Los Angeles is

deeply appreciated. But we are also the fiscal stewards, and we are also the policymakers,

not of the department's policies, but when the state or anyone advances a change of law,

we expect everyone to honor it. And so I think it's really problematic when we've had,

when I've even made inquiries around the redistribution of staff

and allocation of staff and maximizing the deployment,

we're talking about adding another civilian position, right?

Correct.

Okay.

We're talking about adding another civilian position

at a time when civilians are being furloughed,

that civilians have been civilian positions

that are an important part of doing the work.

of helping to support investigative work

and everything that supports the role of sworn personnel,

that we're talking about a very high-salaried civilian position

to do more public relations, communication strategy, and the like.

I would customarily be supportive.

I'm having trouble with this one just based on procedurally how we've gotten here, but just some of the other occurrences and commentary, but also because we're at a point right now, we're in this budget.

What's threatened is a lot of other civilian positions, so how do we prioritize which one is more important than the other?

When I think about all the civilian roles that this department is currently, they're under duress to retain because of budgetary constraints, this one's a little tough.

This one's tough.

and so you know I just I just I welcome the chief coming back and us having a deeper dive and

perhaps it's just a another conversation that he and I need to have to make sure that we're

prioritizing all the right pieces for the purposes of ensuring that all of our constituents are

getting the services that they deserve so I appreciate it thank you thank you council member

and I hear you loud and clear I will report this back directly achievements on when I get back to

office and I can share with you that as the chief over Human Resources Bureau

there's nothing more important to this department to our chief than our

professional civilian staff and through the last several City Council meetings

there's been a lot of discussion about what this department is trying to do to

maintain and keep all of our professional civilian staff so I just

want to reiterate I know everyone knows I just want to reiterate that there's

nothing more important because as we potentially may have to look at vacant

positions we do not want to backfill with our sworn and I'm here to say that

I will share everything you're speaking directly with the chief and we will do

the best we can to ensure that every single position that we have we're able

to keep through this physical year and next but thank you for your comments

Thank You Councilmember Rodriguez Councilmember Hernandez I just want to

I echo the sentiment of Councilmember Soto Martinez and Councilwoman Rodriguez just about the disappointing comments by the chief on the state bill around masks.

It really felt like for me in that moment where he should have stood up for the city of Los Angeles.

He just said he wasn't going to enforce a law that was passed by the state legislator.

And I find that very problematic, especially in this moment where we need to be standing 10 toes down for our city.

so I have just want to share the concerns and feeling about that thank you

councilmember councilmember Hurtado I just have a quick question how many

communications people I think councilmember Soto Martinez mentioned

this a couple weeks ago how many people are in your communications department

right now in our public information office our PIO office yes I believe we

have 20 or 25 people assigned to that operation and I think during under city

rules especially for civil service departments I believe there's a policy

that civil servants can promote from within for promotional positions is that

not something that the department could do in order to prudently use its

recurrent resources in order to structure it so that we don't have to

expend more money? I would have to verify that civil service rule. I do know that we do have a

vacant PIO position, which is the person who normally is, you know, in front of the media.

We have a sworn person doing that role right now. The ask from our chief is to authorize our

department to add a police administrator to position, which will be a little bit different

than what our PIO director does.

Yeah, I think I'm understanding

that your PIO position is vacant,

and that's your press secretary of sorts

in terms of external communications.

You're looking for a director,

but I'm just wondering of those 20 positions

that are filled, is there any position that,

as we consider everywhere here in the city

and in the decisions we're making

is doing the best that we can with what we have.

And I'm just wondering if that's a possibility for you all to consider since there's 20 communication staff to try to do the best that you can with what you have.

Thank you for the question.

The majority of that staff is sworn.

So we don't have civilian authorities or positions in the PIO office to utilize for this position.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilmember Soto Martinez.

Yes.

Thank you so much, Council President.

I just had a burning desire to say a few words.

First of all, thank you for coming here, and thank you for doing your job, not to the messenger, right?

Whatever the saying is, don't kill the messenger, right?

But I just have to say for my colleagues and for the public and for the department,

it is true that the messaging has been consistent,

and the messaging from LAPD and the cities is we don't engage in immigration enforcement.

And that's probably, you know, we can debate whether that's factual or not, but that's not what the public wants to hear right now.

When we talk about what Los Angelinos are asking us for, they're asking for every leader in this city to say we are against excessive use of force,

we are against racial profiling, we are against warrantless arrests and certain seizures,

we want to fight back against this fascist, white nationalist federal government.

that's the messaging I want to see and I want to hear people say you know what we did we responded

incorrectly to people's first amendment right to process and we shouldn't have fired a thousand

over a thousand uh skip rounds and phone projectiles that's what the public wants to hear

the public wants to see the city be leaders in this moment and so the messaging I don't agree

with the messaging that is coming out right now from LAPD and I will not be supporting this because

I want to hear the department say our messaging has been has been lacking and has not met the moment and we're hiring this person because we want to do better with the public. I'm not hearing that. And so I know this conversation are not going to end anytime soon. The raids will continue. And moreover, I would say that we just need like a total rearrangement of how we do things. Look, I'll share with you. I'll share with my colleagues and the public and you. I had a raid in my raids. The raids have been happening in my district.

and two weeks ago it was a Sunday morning 9 a.m. right in the LA Times and I get

buzz that people are at Echo Park and guess what I show up there and it was

the community the community that was talking to people to their family

members it was the community going around telling street vendors that ice

was in the area the community was out there passing leaflets and you know who

I didn't see LAPD I didn't see the city I didn't see anyone doing this work and

And so it's not just that our messaging is wrong, it's that our actions are completely misguided right now.

And so, again, we'll continue to have these discussions, but I'm going to be able to know today,

but we really got to, as a council, we really got to just check where we are right now.

And I've told people from this moment that I'm going to take every single opportunity to remind everybody,

my colleagues and the public, that in this moment, we don't give an inch.

We don't give an inch to this fascist government.

And to me right now, proving this is giving an inch because I do not agree with the messaging coming out of LAPD.

Thank you.

Thank you so much, Mr. Soto-Martinez.

And thank you for coming and answering our questions.

And I know this is not the content that's being raised today was not necessarily directly associated with the item, which I will be supporting.

but I want to join my colleagues in communicating how disturbing it was to hear that specific

message that something like, well, it isn't a smart law and I don't like it, so we're

not doing it.

That just was way beyond the pale.

And I haven't talked to the chief directly.

I'll have that conversation with him.

But I want to join the council members from this desk in telling you that that was just

wholly unacceptable.

I'm not going to send the police to help you.

It's absolutely heartbreaking.

And infuriating, frankly, that the police are not going to

send the police to help you.

The other thing I'll point out to members is I had occasion to

listen to 911 calls, and people are calling and saying,

I have a van with covered license plates rolling up to my

business.

and infuriating, frankly, that we set up a police department,

we give a number for people to call for help,

and then they call for help, and they're basically told,

call somewhere else because we're not going to help you.

So I think there's a lot of work that needs to be done.

I know this specific job isn't going to make it go one way or the other,

but I think it's important that the department hear from this council

regarding these matters.

And so if there are no other speakers, we'll open the roll on this item.

close the roll, tabulate the vote.

Ten ayes, five noes.

This item is adopted.

All right.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you.

What's next?

Council may now move on to item 30,

called special by Council Member Yaroslavsky

and Council Member Rodriguez for an amendment.

All right.

Those items have been,

those amendments have been submitted,

seconded and circulated.

any discussion on this item councilmember Park thank you council

president and colleagues it was exactly two months ago that we considered and

sent this item back to the budget committee for further analysis and I

want to take a moment and thank the work of the CAO's team and going back and

taking a different look at this and councilwoman Yaroslavsky for your

collaboration your partnership and your leadership to help us arrive at a moment

where we can finally begin to remove the barriers that are causing so many people

the inability to begin the process of rebuilding and returning home councilwoman

Rodriguez thank you for the amendment I would like to offer a friendly amendment

to yours, and that is to exempt condos and townhomes from your amendment.

Thank you, Council President.

Thank you.

All right.

Seeing no other speakers on this item, let's open the roll.

Council Member Rodriguez.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Park, for your collaboration.

I mean, serving on ad hoc committee with you on this item and having engaged with many

of your constituents regularly, I offered this amendment, as you all know, I've talked to a few

of you, just to ensure that we're putting the proper guardrails on taxpayer funds when it comes

to this item. And so this is, just to correctly frame it, this is not a fee waiver, it's a fee

subsidy of what we're providing in helping to aid the recovery of this area. And so, you know,

My amendment is simply to ensure that we're trying to ensure that people would be required to reimburse the city and the taxpayers for this subsidy should the owner sell the property before the certificate of occupancy is issued.

So it's a very simple guardrail that we're putting on this, and so happy to support the friendly associated with this,

because we understand definitely how different it is when it comes to issues related to HOAs and whatnot.

So thank you, and I ask you for your aye vote on my amendment.

All right.

So we'll open the roll on this item as amended.

Close the roll.

Tabulate the vote.

15 ayes.

All right.

What's next?

Pardon me, Mr. Chair.

There is a request to send item 20 forthwith.

All right.

This item will go forthwith without objection.

Thank you.

Before the council now is item 11.

All right.

Item number, Council Member Park, I got you still on the queue.

My apologies, Council President.

I just wanted to make sure that items 12, 14, and 30 all go forthwith.

All right.

Without objection, those items all go forthwith.

I'm sorry, that was 12, 14, and 30.

Three, zero, yes.

Thank you.

All right.

We now have item number 11 before us.

We have a number of agendas.

It looks like they're A through F,

and we have people spontaneously joining us at the center table.

Welcome.

I'll ask folks in the planning department

to do a brief introduction to what's before us.

If you could cover the amendments as you know them,

that would be helpful as well.

Thank you, council members.

Hagel Salman-Kerry from the planning department.

That is quite a tall order.

There are several.

I will do my best.

But overall, we're here after two committees,

planning and land use management, ad hoc committee

on the games, for an ordinance that would provide

exemptions to the otherwise discretionary entitlement

processes that projects would see in order to prepare

for the games per council instruction.

So the first motion before me, which I believe

is a Hernandez-Soto Martinez motion,

asks to ensure that digital displays located

in certain residential lots and near residential buildings

have a different time allowance, essentially the hours of operation being 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.,

and that amendment would be to page 10, I believe, of the ordinance.

Staff would kind of respectfully request that that amendment also be to page 4, I believe,

because this ordinance does cover Chapter 1 and Chapter 1A of the zoning code,

which, as you know, is applicable to different parts of the city.

So in order to have parity, we would like that same amendment, if you're willing, to both sections of the zoning code.

Okay.

The next one is 11D.

I believe this is from CD4.

This one instructs the planning department and requests that the city attorney create a clear set of necessary findings

related to the conversion of temporary projects to permanent projects.

In addition, it instructs the city liaison to present quarterly reports to city council

detailing information about recently received applications

and administratively approved applications for each council district

in order to ensure that the liaisons analyze and report on trends

such as over-concentration of requests and approvals in certain areas.

Okay, 11E from CD5, as far as we know, requests that there be a clause stating that no construction,

installation, electrification, or conversion of any signed structure from static to digital

may commence until all necessary departmental sign-offs have been finalized.

Secondly, requesting that we include a shot clock provision to mandate a set decision

timeline for permit applications.

Forcing a timely decision helps official Olympic partners establish operations quickly,

thereby allowing city resources to be redirected towards identifying and punishing illegal

operations.

I should preface this by saying I believe this is related to signage.

and then thirdly explicitly prohibit the issuance of any off-site sign or permit under this ordinance

to any off-site advertising or promotional company or property owner that is currently operating or facilitating

the operation of illegal digital signage of any type anywhere within city limits.

Again, all of these are related to signage is my understanding.

And then lastly, from Council District 5-2, requesting that a revenue sharing study to

establish a mechanism where the city receives 50% of the projected net revenue generated

by these digital assets, ensuring taxpayers see a benefit from any commercial windfall.

So those are the amendments in the versions that we've seen.

Happy to answer any questions.

We have representatives from planning and DBS here.

All right, members, we have one, two, three, four, five, six amendments before us.

I see Councilmember Yaroslavsky on the queue.

I actually don't see many other members on the queue, so we'll go to Councilmember Yaroslavsky.

And then, Madam Clerk, I believe that we'll take each of these amendments one by one,

and then we'll vote on the whole item as amended.

Councilmember Yaroslavsky.

Thank you very much, Council President.

So this is complicated.

There's a lot that we are receiving all at once.

My team and I have been working on some citywide signage ordinance stuff anyway,

so we took this chance to dive into this.

So, colleagues, I understand the need for this ordinance to prepare for the 2028 games,

and there's obviously an obligation to move quickly, so LA28 meets its revenue goals.

We know that the financial stakes are very clear.

My concern, though, is that this could turn into a sign free-for-all that allows the billboard

industry to generate tens of millions of dollars, if not more, with no direct benefit to city

revenues or city services.

Council, we need to move fast and think carefully at the same time.

One of my biggest concerns centers on digital advertising.

I'm not opposed to digital signage.

In fact, I think it could be a great tool to generate revenue without increasing taxes.

but there's no games-related reason to run large digital ads in neighborhoods six months to two years before the opening ceremony.

LA28's revenue projections rely entirely on static advertising assets,

and any new digital advertising sits at the top of that baseline.

That outcome works well for private operators, but communities deserve a cut.

Otherwise, residents end up with massive digital signs lighting up their neighborhoods,

while at the same time their streetlights stay out for months because we can't afford to fix them.

In its current form, this ordinance unlocks significant private revenue for the sign industry

without a clear return for the city or clear protections for city residents.

We have another serious concern, and that is around enforcement.

Too many operators build first and deal with enforcement later if it comes up at all.

Illegal off-site signs go up every single day in my district,

and there is no realistic way for DBS to keep up under current conditions,

let alone what we're proposing under this.

A zoning exemption combined with weak enforcement creates the perfect cover for bad actors.

Illegal structures blend in.

Operators claim Olympic affiliation.

By the time a violation is issued, the games are over.

If the city is going to facilitate this activity on public streets, there needs to be accountability.

No construction without the required games liaison sign-offs.

In exchange, I believe, colleagues, we should commit to a strict 14-day deadline on those

sign-offs so applicants can move quickly and we can focus our resources on enforcement

against illegal signs.

I believe we have to get this right,

but I don't support creating enforcement problems

the city already struggles to manage

in the current environment.

And before granting broad exemptions,

Council should have tightened the rules

so neighborhoods in the city are protected.

And therefore, I have introduced a couple of motions

to amend the ordinance.

First, 11F, I have a minor amendment to my motion 11F.

No one can read that.

So right now one says require revenue sharing blah blah blah blah.

I would amend it to say require the Office of Finance to prepare and report back within

60 days on a revenue sharing study to establish a mechanism where the city receives up to

50% of the projected net new revenue generated by these digital assets, ensuring taxpayers

see a benefit from this commercial windfall.

Second.

Thank you, Council President.

And I just want to say, I want to acknowledge, because we've had lots of conversations with the mayor's team, the special events team, the Olympics team, much of the signage that we're talking about today is already covered by existing advertising and sponsorship agreements with LA28 sponsors.

But some potential locations, like hospitality houses and fan zones, aren't necessarily already covered under existing agreements.

And a profit share with the city could be viable and extremely lucrative for all of us with money coming into the general fund.

And then I just want to comment on 11E, which is a separate motion I introduced, the following

amendment.

Make explicit, I want to amend it to say that it would be a 14-day shot clock, which

would be how much time we'd have for games liaison sign-offs so that it doesn't just

go into a black hole where people are waiting months for what should be a simple sign-off.

It puts the onus on us to get ourselves organized and really make it easy for people to put up

these structures and everything that's going to need to go into the games.

And finally, billboard companies and landowners currently operating or facilitating the operation

of an illegal digital sign anywhere in the city should not be permitted under this ordinance.

So I have those two amendments.

My amendments, I'm sorry it was a little bit sloppy today, but there was a lot here.

So it's a verbal amendment to 11F, and then adding in the 14 days on the shot clock under

number two.

And I would be grateful for a second for that.

Thank you.

I'll second both of those.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Councilmember Yaroslavsky.

And thank you.

A number of members put in amendments.

I want to thank the planning department.

It's been through a few committees.

And today we're here with a report that we're prepared to vote on.

I just want to say on behalf of the members of this body

to our city attorney's office, I know a bunch of us last night

within the last 24 hours got a document from the city attorney's office that I, for me,

constituted a serious policy intervention into this at the very last minute,

even though it had been to two committees.

And I just want to go on record as saying, like, that's a problem for this council.

And it lends credence to those who argue that the function of at least policy development,

but also municipal legal work perhaps should be separated

from an elected office.

So we were very troubled by that at the last minute,

but I'm glad we've been able to read through that, digest it,

and move to the place where we're ready to take a vote

this morning with these amended items.

So before we go to vote, Councilmember Jurado.

Yes, I guess I have a question regarding the amending motion

for 11E for the shot clock.

I think it's a great idea, but I also want to figure out, you know, as a city, if we're

unable to meet that, what is a remedy or something that we can, to make it actually enforceable

because we miss deadlines.

The city misses deadlines all the time.

And so I'm just wondering what we could do to figure that out or maybe amend the motion

to have something in there.

I don't know if anybody at the table has anything.

Thank you for the question, Council Member.

for the record.

I think it's an excellent question.

I just want to maybe provide some context.

You know, both the Planning Department

and the Department of Building and Safety

have been working through this ordinance for some time,

so I think there is in mind an expeditious process

to ensure that the liaisons and the Planning Department

prepare things in a timely manner.

But to your point, this amendment introduces the question

of then what if it doesn't happen?

so I do think that's an excellent question there are some options one

option would be that it could be default approved or default you know declined

but I'll offer my colleague an opportunity comment yeah Ken Bernstein

with city planning I think we can leave it to the maker of the motion to to

clarify that point but yeah the options would be either to have a deemed

approved qualification or deemed denied I think the intent is I understood it

from the motion was that this shot clock is for the clearance

by the games liaisons specifically, which are mayor's office,

CAO, CLA, city attorney, which was added in committee.

And that is for the exemption from planning

and zoning requirements.

Once that exemption is cleared by the games liaisons,

it would go on to DBS for the actual permit issuance,

which is a separate process.

So I think the intention was that this

was related to the games liaisons clearance but we can let the council

member clarify it's not it's not our intention was that it would be would be

a deemed approved with the understanding that it then goes to DBS and if there

are serious issues that would still be worked out so there's a check to make

sure that what's being proposed is completely outlandish it also requires

the liaison committee to be organized and be meeting regularly and I think

that's a really important good thing and disciplined and if the answer is going

to be no or if there's something wrong you know you can build in you know it's

it's not just a yes or no it's like you need additional information and then that

maybe restarts the 14 days I just think we we need to find a balance between

moving quickly and also making sure we're not letting people put up crazy

stuff that's not safe so perhaps we can we can have them report back on what

that's going to look like to make sure that there are some checks in place but

that it's not so onerous that it's basically takes away all the flexibility

that we're trying to provide with this ordinance okay I think a report back on

what the possible consequences or you know actions could be because given that

it is going to that committee and I heard all the actors in that committee and there's many

Who have varying deadlines and commitments that I think could derail the process or delay it in some way

And so if there's like a deemed approved or anything like that or even if you know

Because I imagine this is my hypothetical is that something didn't get taken care of it was deemed approved

Now it's in our neighborhood and now we have a

constituents angry about what's there because nobody really affirmatively

decided about that and then how many decisions have we deemed approved in

that manner and then it coming back to the floor and so trying to have some

kind of guardrails there to make sure that we can deliver all these things on

time I mean that's always my concern with this but I love the overall policy

council member Bumanfield it's just a technical issue that might come up we're

saying if it's if action is taken that if action is not taken it's deemed

approved what happens in this scenario where this is a four-member body where

two members vote yes two members vote no so they've taken an action but the

action does not result in approval or disapproval we just have to think about

what that means thank you councilmember the way this was structured in the

this is actually not formed as a committee. This was meant as a administrative clearance,

and it was structured so that all of the games liaisons would need to sign off and agree

that the proposed project is in fact an Olympic-Paralympic project necessary for the staging of the games.

And those liaisons, because they are written into the games agreement, they have expertise

to determine whether it is necessary for the staging of the games from different perspectives,

Mayor's Office, CAO, CLA. So all of them had to agree as the ordinance was drafted that

this was an Olympic Paralympic project and it's an administrative sign off that our planning

department would help provide that service of intake and circulating the clearance to

those liaisons, but it's not a committee that would be meeting or taking a vote that would

be a split vote so if there is if some members of that committee think it it is

and some members think it's not then what happens the ordinance was

structured that it would not meet the test of it would not receive the

clearance as an Olympic Paralympic project they would have an exemption

they could still apply subject to planning and zoning regulations but it

would not be deemed exempt from planning and zoning okay so so one member can

basically say it's not that's right and and that action is considered an action

that would prevent the automatic approval it would not receive the

exemption they would go through a regular planning and zoning approval and

it might be worth adding that the ordinance does require that projects be

transmitted to the council file management system and no action be taken

before five calendar days so there is a little bit of a you know opportunity to

to see what's coming to a district, for example, per your point.

Thank you, Mr. Bloomfield.

So you've got to win all four in order to get approval, kind of like the NBA finals.

I want to thank Council Member Yaroslavsky for probably being the first person to use shot clock

in city legislation in honor of the NBA All-Star Game being in our city this weekend.

Council Member Rahman.

I had a question about the changes put forward by the city attorney, the redlined document

that we received that you mentioned earlier.

Are we voting on that today?

Or what?

I mean, what is the...

No, we're not.

We're not.

We're voting on what's in front of us.

Which is what came through the plan committee.

Through the committee process.

And so this was just suggestions that the city attorney offered to us before today. Yes

Okay, thank you. Thank you. All right

Seeing no other members on the queue. Madam clerk. Can you walk us through this set of votes?

Thank you, mr. President the first vote will be on 11 F motion

Yaroslavsky Lee as further amended by Yaroslavsky Harris Dawson to also instruct the office and finance to report back in 60 days

All right, let's open the roll on this amendment close the roll tabulate the votes

14 ayes. All right. What's next? The council may now vote on motion 11 E, Yaroslavsky-Rahman, as further amended by Yaroslavsky-Harris Dawson, to set the 14-day shot clock and to also report back on possible consequences such as deemed approved.

All right. Let's open the roll on that item. Close the roll. Tabulate the vote.

14 ayes.

All right, what's next?

The council may now vote on amending motion 11D,

Roman Yaroslavsky.

All right, let's open the roll on that item.

Close the roll.

Tabulate the vote.

14 aye.

All right, what's next?

The council may now vote on amending motion 11C,

Hernandez-Soto Martinez,

further amended to include a technical amendment

by the planning department.

All right, let's open the roll on that item.

Close the roll.

Tabulate the votes.

13 ayes, 1 no.

All right, what's next?

The council may now vote on item 11,

which includes 11A, the Planning and Land Use Management Committee report,

and 11B, the Ad Hoc Olympics Committee report,

as amended by 11C, D, E, and F.

All right, let's open the roll on that item,

close the roll, tabulate the vote.

13 ayes, 1 no.

All right, what's next?

Thank you.

Thank you to the Planning Department

and Department of Building Safety.

Madam Clerk.

Thank you.

The council now has motions for posting and referral.

They are posted and referred.

Announcements, members?

Any announcements?

All right. Seeing no announcements,

I'll ask everybody in the chamber to rise for adjourning motions.

Your adjourning motion is to my left.

All right.

The adjourning motion is to my right.

All right.

With that, we're adjourned.

Thank you so much, everybody.

Thank you.

In the area, to make sure that there's a lot of activity going on, we're turning small

patches into pocket parks so that it's a place for folks to be able to congregate.

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

The tax incentives for the film industry are slowly starting to kick in and I know that

you've been very much a part of that.

How are things going?

What are you hoping for?

And what are you seeing at this moment?

Is there a shift?

Have we hit bottom and starting to move back up when it comes to work coming back to the

entertainment capital of the world?

I'm optimistic in seeing at least the first wave of distributions that were made and all the feature films and especially a lot of the independent films that are going to be now shot in California and in Los Angeles.

But we got to make sure that as the incentives are doing their work and their magic, and I'm very grateful to the governor for pushing this the way he did.

But as that's happening, we got to make sure as a city, what are we doing to roll out the red carpet?

and to make sure that smaller productions aren't finding it difficult or onerous to work with the city,

to work with Film LA, to work with the different departments and agencies.

If there are inefficiencies because we have multiple duplicative requirements,

well then maybe it's time for us to look at that and shorten that

to make the appropriate changes and adjustments needed.

You know, so we need to continuously figure out how we stay competitive and fight against these other factors that are constantly taking filming away from us and make it easier to continue filming here.

Maybe in the past, we needed to have multiple onerous requirements for safety purposes, but maybe we can now modify those so that it's easier to film here.

Sure.

and not have that increasing cost of doing the business here.

Yeah, taking the hassle out will always make it much more appealing to people.

And let's not forget, Los Angeles is a place of a lot of folks coming into the area to pursue entertainment.

This is how Los Angeles grew.

If we're going to make it difficult for people to come in,

we're going to forego on the opportunity of having the talent that came with these individuals.

You know, not just the talent of performing, but also the talent of wanting to leave the comfort of their family in another state hundreds of miles away, maybe in another country.

To pursue the dream.

because even if they end up not being in the industry,

that raw talent is what puts us ahead of everybody else

because those are the attributes,

that character that strengthened the area,

that allowed us to have people with grit and perseverance.

I hear a lot of hope and promise

in everything that you've been saying.

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

Being able to make an impact.

That's the goal of this.

You want to make an impact.

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

So if people want to know what you're doing or ask you questions or just keep informed,

what's the best way for them to follow up on our conversation in a more intimate way?

Multiple ways. They can first of all call our office, traditional way.

They can follow us on one of our handles.

Instagram handle is CD2 Los Angeles or they can go to our website at LA City

and be able to follow us as well. I also have to thank your office for being so

gracious and so quiet. Well we've been chatting this morning they've all been

very kind and very courteous we really appreciate it. Thank you for saying that

I have a wonderful team they make me look good. I'm sure they're attracted to

that because you are such a good person so thank you so much it's been wonderful

to talk to you and I hope we get a chance to talk again.

Looking forward, thank you.

Three Los Angeles City firefighters,

all from Southern California,

but with an even deeper connection.

These men serve not only their city,

but their country as well, with pride in both uniforms.

To celebrate Veterans Day,

we highlighted these firefighter and marine veterans,

each one with over 20 years of experience.

So, I definitely take great pride in wearing both uniforms.

I didn't think I would still be in the Marine Corps after 24 years.

There aren't very many of us on the fire department that are still actively in the reserves.

In the Marine Corps, I'm Master Gunnery Sergeant Nicholas Darcy.

I've been in the Marines for 24 years now.

I did five years active duty. I've been in the reserves ever since.

And then on the fire department, it's a firefighter paramedic.

and I've been on the fire department since 2007, so about almost going on 19 years.

My name is David Arellano, an inspector with the Los Angeles City Fire Department.

I've been on the fire department for 22 years. I'm also in the United States Marines Reserves.

I hold the rank of Master Gunnery Sergeant. I've been faithfully serving for the past 28 years.

years. I was born in East LA. My dad was LAPD, so kind of a hard individual. His

dad, my grandpa, was a World War II Marine who was a Purple Heart recipient

during the Battle of the Pacific and specifically on the island of Guadalcanal.

So he was brought up by a Marine and he pretty much voluntold my brother and I

that we were gonna be going to the Marine Corps after we graduated from high

school. My name is Jason Noll. I'm a Master Gunnery Sergeant retired in the United States Marine Corps.

I did 29 years of service with the Marine Corps. I've been with the Los Angeles Fire Department

for about 17 years at this point. I was born in Torrance, raised in Hermosa Beach. When I was in

high school there was a Marine Corps ROTC program. I found out I wanted to join the Marine Corps,

mostly because I got to see the Marines that were running the program there. I grew up in Castaic,

a little town outside of Santa Clarita, and being outside as much as I did kind of gave me the

reason why I wanted to become a Marine. So I default to Operation Iraqi Freedom because that's

most memorable of my deployments, obviously going to Iraq. In Iraq we were doing convoys,

a lot of convoys. We were doing a lot of protection of diplomats, the ambassador,

you know, generals, stuff like that. Through Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, our other missions

that we did was ship boarding. We probably boarded a dozen ships that were suspected Al-Qaeda ships

and we would search them with other branches of the military and deem who was a terrorist and who

wasn't and then just escorting ships through very dangerous waters. As far as how it impacted me,

I would say it gave me a great appreciation and deeper love for our nation, our military,

and deep down pride of what I was doing and you know helping people.

When I was in Iraq, we were in Kuwait.

We were like living in a large tent city and there was an electrical fire and it burned

down all of our tents.

All of our equipment burned down, all of our personal belongings burned down.

We all tried to put it out with fire extinguishers, but none of us had any like formal training

on how to like extinguish a fire.

At that point, I started to have the desire to know what to do in that situation.

So then I started pursuing fire tech classes and that's what kind of sent me on the path

to end up being a firefighter.

While I was in the Marine Corps,

the decision to look towards the LAFD

was not really a decision that I made.

Growing up in the 90s, everyone wanted to be a firefighter.

And I didn't think that it was something

that was really possible for me to do.

Not because I wasn't strong enough,

but I just didn't know anything about it.

And so I went to the Marine Corps, kind of found my voice,

but I still didn't have any direction

towards the fire department.

My mom, God bless her soul, she worked in the city

and she was like, come downtown with me

to a fire and police expo.

And hesitantly, I just honored her and went downtown

and filled out one of those green interest cards.

And from that interest card came this job.

It's a wonderful testament to the dedication that my mom had to raise her son and to put

me in a position that can provide for my family in the future.

It means a lot to have fellow firefighters in the Los Angeles City Fire Department that

are also fellow Master Gunnery Sergeants in the Marine Corps Reserves.

To get to that level of rank in the Marine Corps, it's...