Los Angeles City Council Meeting - August 21, 2026
Los Angeles City Council Meeting - August 21, 2026
The Los Angeles City Council convened on Friday, August 21, 2026, with 11 members present (a quorum) to consider a range of agenda items, including commendatory resolutions, public hearings, and routine approvals. The meeting featured several presentations recognizing community programs and cultural milestones, followed by public comment and votes on key items. Notable actions included the passage of items related to animal services, housing policy, and convention center funding.
Consent Calendar
- Items 1–13 (items for which public hearings had been held) were approved without objection, except for items pulled for separate discussion. Items 1, 4–5, 7–8, and 11–13 were voted on and passed 11-0. Item 10 (requiring 12 votes) passed 12-0. Item 9 (interim control ordinance) passed 11-1, with Councilmember Raman voting no.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Item 9 (housing development) – Multiple speakers (Jonah Henry, Davis Danovich, Thomas Alvarez, Coco Dobard, William Frankenfeld, and others) opposed the council’s vote on an interim control ordinance that they argued would block a 398-unit mixed-income housing project in Woodland Hills. Speakers urged reconsideration, stating the ordinance violated state housing law AB 2011.
- Item 14 and 15 – Speakers raised objections to item 14 (conditional use permit) on jurisdictional grounds, arguing the council lacked authority due to missed deadlines. A speaker (AJ Pongiban and Jacques Massacci) asserted the council’s action was untimely under City Charter Section 245. On item 15 (convention center funding), speakers expressed concern about spending priorities, with some supporting the funding but others arguing the money should go to infrastructure.
- General public comment – Speakers addressed topics including Scientology activities on public streets, homelessness encampments, bullying allegations between councilmembers, and criticism of the mayor’s absence.
Discussion Items
- Presentation: Cal State Northridge Bridge to the Future Scholars Program – Councilmember Blumenfield recognized the program’s 10th anniversary. The program provides full-tuition scholarships to 25 Canoga Park High School graduates annually. Since 2017, it has enrolled over 300 students, retained 90% of scholars, and generated 40,000 hours of community service. Alumni spoke about the program’s transformative impact.
- Presentation: Grand Performances 40th Anniversary – Councilmember Jurado honored the downtown free concert series, which has hosted over a million people since its founding. The event included a tribute to Richie Valens with family members present, and performances by Las Cafeteras and Irene Diaz.
- Presentation: Shinawan Orchestra from South Korea – Councilmember McCosker introduced 12 children from Shinawan Children’s Home, who performed and are visiting Los Angeles. The nonprofit Sharing Love in Korea supports the home.
- Presentation: Recognition of Deputy Albi Zeyel del Valle – Councilmember Harris-Dawson honored his departing deputy, who served the 8th District for 10 years.
- Item 3 (Animal Services transportation vehicle) – Councilmember Padilla’s motion to purchase a solar-powered vehicle for adoption events passed 12-0.
- Item 6 (Public-private partnerships for animal shelters) – Councilmember Blumenfield’s motion to study transitioning shelters to public-private partnerships passed 12-0.
- Item 15 (Convention Center Expansion Funding) – The council bifurcated the item: Recommendation 2 (bond financing) passed 12-0; recommendations 1 and 3-6 passed 9-3.
- Reconsidered Item 37 (AB 1290 fund transfer) – Councilmember Price’s amendment passed 12-0.
Key Outcomes
- Votes passed: Items 1, 4–5, 7–8, 11–13 (11-0); Item 10 (12-0); Item 9 (11-1); Items 2, 3, 6, 14 (12-0); Item 15 recommendation 2 (12-0) and other recommendations (9-3).
- Interim Control Ordinance (Item 9) – Approved despite public opposition; blocks housing development on a golf course site. Critics argued it violates AB 2011.
- Convention Center Funding (Item 15) – Approved, with recommendation 2 (bonds) passing unanimously. The ordinance requires a second reading on August 28.
- Animal Services Initiatives – Two motions passed: one to purchase a transport vehicle (Item 3) and one to explore public-private partnerships (Item 6).
- Presentation recognitions – Commendations issued to Bridge to the Future, Grand Performances, and Shinawan Orchestra.
Meeting Transcript
The Cabrera Marine Aquarium is an extremely special place serving this community. It's all about connecting people with nature. When visitors come here, they get to see animals that live right off our coast here in Southern California. It's an enjoyable place, and I'm really thrilled. The team that works here at Cabrera Man Aquarium is excellent. Whether we're teaching about whales or grunion, it's just a very, very special place, and I'm glad to be a part of it. This is the entry to the exhibit hall, and behind me is the story of the Cabrera Marine Aquarium, our 90 year history. This wonderful exhibit has a map that explains what's happening inside the exhibit hall. As you're walking around through the maze of the exhibit hall, there's different habitats. This helps you guide along through the exhibits and see all the beautiful animals that are here in their habitats. We've been here 90 years teaching about marine life of Southern California, and we teach about the conservation. How everyone can help do their part to conserve the beautiful animals and the life of Southern California. Here we are at the Jelly Lab. This is a very special lab, brand new. We just finished completing it. We have a culture area where we're growing baby jellies. We're growing about three different species right now. We grow jellies here for our education and also for our research and to share with our other institutions that we partner with. This is a great space to come and learn about the natural history of jellies and get up and close and personal, really up close and see the beauty of these jellies. We have moon jellies, we have pot of gold jellies, and we have purple striped jellies here on exhibit. All of the animals that you see here on exhibit in the jelly lab are part of the work that we do here. We are growing these jellies in the jelly lab, and we are sharing those jellies with our visitors every single day. Growing up in this area and now working Cabrera Marine Aquarium is a reminder of how special it is to live here in Southern California. We live in a very vibrant and diverse community, and I'm thrilled to hear different languages and different people and different experiences and cultures, and uh it's all happening right here. So please come be a part of it. In every corner of the city of Angels, you'll find visionaries, change makers, hidden gems, and unforgettable experiences waiting to be discovered. So whether you're visiting for the first time or you've lived here your entire life, there's always another side of Los Angeles to explore. Welcome to LAUSE, From the vibrant tales of our communities and our city, we are discovering the passionate individuals strengthening the spirit of Los Angeles. From the vibrant tales of our communities and our city, we are discovering the passionate individuals, strengthening the spirit of Los Angeles. Explore with us as we reveal the unique narratives, uniting and transforming every corner of Los Angeles. The public library is much more than books. It's a place for information. The Source at Central Library happens on the last Tuesday of each month from 12 30 to 3. And it's a one-stop shop for people in need, whether that's maybe you need a free phone, birth certificate, medical care, speaking someone about employment services, plus learning about the programs we have here at the library. People need services. That's what we're here to do. Connect people with services. As community health worker, what my job is and what my passion is is to get connect people to resources available under Medicaid and available elsewhere in the community. So you get like a pretty good uh foot traffic here. It's a well-known event, and as far as like the opportunities and resources that are available, so it gives us a chance and opportunity, otherwise to get engaged people, the population that we're focusing on, the need, you know, assistance, you know, like for housing, uh, transportation. This program began to address the uh pressing needs of patrons in our community, and the vendors have really stepped up. Many local organizations are here providing their services. There's just so many resources out here that are for everyone, regardless of who you are. They typically also may experience other barriers such as mental health issues, physical health issues, and other barriers to living and staying successfully housed in LA County. I'm with the Midnight Mission. The Midnight Mission is a nonprofit organization that has been around since 1914, providing human services to anybody that comes into the midnight mission. Those services are from emergency services, like three meals a day, place to shower, clean clothes. We also have a recovery program both for men and women based off of the 12-step approach. Over at Homeboys, we have training, you know, so that a lot of people are looking for jobs that they don't really know, if they have the skills, any skills, but we're there to give these skills. So it's a plus win-win situation, and um I'm so happy and grateful to be a part of it.
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