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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Torrance City Council Meeting on May 20, 2025: Budget, Proclamations, and Policy Decisions

City Council — Tuesday, May 20, 2025

BodyTorrance, California

SessionCity Council

DateTuesday, May 20, 2025

StatusFILED

Video Record

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Transcript — Verbatim

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:06

Namaste and welcome to Beginning Yoga.

0:10

My name is Lisa Baron, and I'm joined in the studio today by Donna and by Steve.

0:17

Today's class is going to focus on breath awareness.

0:20

Breath awareness is a very important component of every yoga class you'll ever take.

0:25

So important, in fact, that when you're focusing on your breath, you're not focusing on your day-to-day problems.

0:32

So I hope you'll join us now and roll out your mat.

0:35

Let's get started.

0:36

We're going to begin today in child's pose.

0:40

Using a blanket under the shins and feet to pad and make the pose very comfortable.

0:46

And then bringing the forehead down onto the floor, allowing the hips

Speaker 2

0:49

to settle back by the heels.

0:51

Take your arms next to your sides and allow the palms to face the ceiling and the shoulders to round.

1:01

Take a moment here to settle

Unassigned speaker

1:03

Speaker 2

1:04

with eyes closed.

1:06

Begin to turn your attention towards your breath.

1:13

Just notice how it feels to be breathing.

1:21

Possibly feeling the upper back ribs expanding as your chest expands with the inhales.

1:31

And feel the giant gentle compression as the exhale takes over and feel a little heavier as the hips sink more.

1:39

Let's take two to three more breaths

Unassigned speaker

1:41

here.

Speaker 2

1:42

Filling the entire backside body with breath.

1:54

Smooth, deeper breaths, relaxed and unforced.

2:05

And then one at a time, extend the arms forward.

2:11

Spreading your

Speaker 1

2:12

hands nice and wide so the fingers radiate from the palm.

2:16

It's fine to peek up at the hands and make sure that they are shoulder width apart.

2:21

And then replacing the forehead on the mat.

2:24

Really

Speaker 2

2:24

extend the arms forward.

2:26

Feel the fingers reaching towards the front end of your mat as the hips settle over your heels.

2:33

Again, take a couple more breaths into the backside body and start to feel the shoulders opening as the arms extend and the hips reach back, your spine growing longer.

Unassigned speaker

2:51

And

Speaker 1

2:52

then with your next inhale, come up to all fours, a neutral tabletop position.

2:58

Separating your knees a little bit so they are hip width apart.

3:02

Again, hands are spread wide and make sure your shoulders are right over your wrists.

3:07

We're going to take some dog and cat stretches.

3:11

So with an inhale, I want you to arch your spine, reach your heart forward, sitting bones reach up and back, and then draw the shoulders away from the ears.

3:25

Belly draws in and

Unassigned speaker

3:26

up.

Speaker 1

3:27

Inhale, coming back to the arch.

3:31

Keep the gaze soft, the breath smooth and deep.

3:34

And exhale to round.

3:40

A few more times, inhaling to arch.

3:45

And exhale to round, elevating the experience of the rounding by pressing your hands and

Speaker 2

3:50

shins and feet into the floor.

3:53

Let's take two more just like that.

Speaker 1

3:55

Deep inhale.

Speaker 2

3:58

And a slow exhale.

4:01

Good you two.

4:03

Last one on your own breath cycle.

Speaker 1

4:10

Rounding the spine.

4:13

And then setting

Speaker 2

4:14

the buttocks back to the heels for child's pose.

Unassigned speaker

4:18

Speaker 2

4:18

ahead and sweep your arms back by your feet.

4:21

Palms facing the ceiling.

4:24

Again, moving the breath into the back side body.

Speaker 1

4:28

Feel your ribs expand with breath as the hips settle over the heels.

4:36

Good.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Procedural██████████████████18%

Miscellaneous████████████████16%

Arts And Culture██████████10%

Budget Equity Analysis██████████10%

Economic Development█████████9%

Public Safety███████7%

Public Engagement█████5%

Public Facilities Naming████4%

Public Health Awareness███3%

Summary of Proceedings

Torrance City Council Meeting on May 20, 2025: Budget, Proclamations, and Policy Decisions

The Torrance City Council convened on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at 6:42 p.m. to discuss a wide range of topics, including the second public hearing on the fiscal year 2025-2027 operating budget and capital improvement plan, proclamations honoring a centenarian and recognizing Mental Health and Stroke Awareness months, and policy decisions on Pride Month, council compensation reallocation, and the renaming of the Toyota Meeting Hall. The meeting also featured public comments on airport noise, police militarization, and community safety.

Consent Calendar

Approved ordinances and resolutions including ordinance 3948 amending no-stopping on Maricopa Street (unanimous).
Approved resolution 2025-26 for a lease amendment with Torrance Flight Park LLC, allowing a restaurant and personal storage, and extending the lease term by 14 years (unanimous).

Public Comments & Testimony

Michael Lyon urged the council to resist concessions on airport touch-and-go reforms, citing community opposition.
John (COTAR member) opposed concessions on airport reforms, stating the city has legal authority to regulate touch-and-go times.
Torrance Pete criticized plans to acquire militarized equipment, referencing the death of Christopher DeAndre Mitchell and urging the establishment of an independent civilian oversight commission.
Melissa Wright praised the Armed Forces Day parade barricades and expressed concern about park maintenance and the escalating cost of the Columbia Park dog park ($60,000 projected to $750,000).
Charlie Salinas thanked participants for a successful Armed Forces Day parade.
Paul Chop criticized the council for ignoring airport noise and joked about mental health and stroke prevention.
An anonymous speaker condemned the council for not recognizing Pride Month and opposed police militarization.
Jeremiah How Halcom criticized the lack of transparency in the budget process, noting the 350-page document and limited public speaking time.

Discussion Items

Proclamations and Recognitions

Centenarian Proclamation: Honored Mrs. Aura N. Baker Pardon, a 100-year-old Torrance resident who worked as a riveter during WWII and at Sears for 20 years. She and her family accepted the proclamation and centenarian coin.
Mental Health Awareness Month: Proclaimed May 2025 as Mental Health Awareness Month. Human Resources Director Hedieh Kajavi highlighted the city's commitment to creating psychologically safe spaces.
Stroke Awareness Month: Proclaimed May 2025 as Stroke Awareness Month. Commissioner Karen Pryor and Marco Pesh from Torrance Memorial stressed the FAST acronym and prevention. Pryor shared her personal experience with her husband's stroke.
Retirement Recognition: Approved resolution 2025-25 honoring Doris Hernandez upon her retirement after 25 years of city service (unanimous).

Council Announcements

Memorial Day Service: Announced for May 26 at 2 p.m. at Memorial Plaza, featuring a reading of 151 names from the Veterans Memorial Wall, including five newly discovered names.
AB 481 Public Hearing: Scheduled for June 10 at 5 p.m. at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center to discuss military equipment use by the police department.
Pride Month Resolution: Councilwoman Kalani requested concurrence to bring forward a resolution recognizing June as Pride Month. The mayor abstained and the motion lacked concurrence (3 in favor, not enough to pass).
Council Compensation Reallocation: Councilwoman Kalani proposed reallocating $33,120 of her waived compensation to the Police and Fire Departments ($16,560 each). The council voted 7-0 to bring the item forward.
Ad Hoc Naming Committee: Councilman Matucci announced a meeting on May 27 at 12 p.m. to review an application to rename Columbia Park to Ted T. Tanaway Park.

Second Public Hearing on FY 2025-2027 Budget

Staff Presentation: Finance Director Ian Daly presented an overview of the budget process, highlighting 44 departmental meetings and a 28,000-view social media campaign. Key topics included park project funding, council travel budgets, and protocol changes.
- Park Projects: Comparison of CIP allocations showed Discovery Park completed; De Portola, Hickory, and Picanio parks moved to earlier timelines; new funding for court resurfacing at multiple parks.
- Council Travel Budgets: Proposed increases included a $50/month increase for all council members' meetings/meals (from $250 to $300, mayor to $400), an additional trip for the mayor (5 total), and a $70,000 friendship city budget (10 trips per year at $5,000 each).
- Surplus Reallocation Protocol: Discussed allowing transfers without prior council approval.
Council Discussion:
- Councilwoman Kalani questioned the 69.9% increase in city manager training/travel (attributed to AB 1646 reimbursement and Dale Carnegie training).
- Councilwoman Lewis sought clarity on friendship city vs. economic development budgets, requesting more structure and reporting.
- Councilman Kaji supported friendship city efforts, citing his recent trip to Japan and potential economic returns.
- Councilman Gerson objected to all four budget changes, favoring transparency.
- Councilman Sheikh emphasized the need for ROI and local business support.
Votes on Council Direction:
- Motion to increase meetings/meals by $50/month passed (Gerson and Kalani voted no).
- Motion to add one trip for mayor (for U.S. Conference of Mayors) passed (Gerson and Kalani voted no).
- Motion to keep surplus reallocation protocol as is passed (Kaji and Mayor voted no).
- Motion to have staff return with refined guidelines for friendship city spending passed unanimously.

Toyota Meeting Hall Renaming

Staff Presentation: Management Assistant Ireno Nail presented options for the Toyota Meeting Hall naming rights, noting a $1.2 million original donation and an estimated $1.2 million in capital maintenance over 10 years. Options included retaining the name, seeking a donor with various contribution thresholds (e.g., $121,177/year for 10 years, or $60,000/year for 10 years), or other alternatives.
Public Comment: A resident urged retaining the name, citing Toyota's historical contributions.
Council Discussion: Councilmembers Matucci, Kalani, and Sheikh leaned toward keeping the name for now, with Sheikh suggesting approaching Toyota first for additional contributions. Kaji supported reaching out to Toyota.
Motion: To accept and file the ad hoc committee minutes, and direct staff to explore naming options with Toyota as first priority, while leaving the name unchanged for now. Passed unanimously.

Key Outcomes

Consent Calendar: All items except 8D pulled by Kalani were approved unanimously. Item 8D (lease amendment) was approved separately.
Proclamations: Centenarian, Mental Health, and Stroke Awareness proclamations adopted.
Pride Month Resolution: Did not receive concurrence; no further action.
Council Compensation Reallocation: Directed staff to bring back an item for formal allocation to police and fire departments.
Budget Direction: Council provided specific guidance on travel budgets, meals, and friendship city spending; staff will incorporate and return on June 3 for final adoption.
Toyota Meeting Hall: Retained current name; staff to explore options with Toyota and other potential donors.
Next Steps: Third budget hearing scheduled for June 3, 2025. AB 481 public hearing on June 10. Memorial Day service on May 26.

Meeting Transcript

Namaste and welcome to Beginning Yoga. My name is Lisa Baron, and I'm joined in the studio today by Donna and by Steve. Today's class is going to focus on breath awareness. Breath awareness is a very important component of every yoga class you'll ever take. So important, in fact, that when you're focusing on your breath, you're not focusing on your day-to-day problems. So I hope you'll join us now and roll out your mat. Let's get started. We're going to begin today in child's pose. Using a blanket under the shins and feet to pad and make the pose very comfortable. And then bringing the forehead down onto the floor, allowing the hips to settle back by the heels. Take your arms next to your sides and allow the palms to face the ceiling and the shoulders to round. Take a moment here to settle in with eyes closed. Begin to turn your attention towards your breath. Just notice how it feels to be breathing. Possibly feeling the upper back ribs expanding as your chest expands with the inhales. And feel the giant gentle compression as the exhale takes over and feel a little heavier as the hips sink more. Let's take two to three more breaths here. Filling the entire backside body with breath. Smooth, deeper breaths, relaxed and unforced. And then one at a time, extend the arms forward. Spreading your hands nice and wide so the fingers radiate from the palm. It's fine to peek up at the hands and make sure that they are shoulder width apart. And then replacing the forehead on the mat. Really extend the arms forward. Feel the fingers reaching towards the front end of your mat as the hips settle over your heels. Again, take a couple more breaths into the backside body and start to feel the shoulders opening as the arms extend and the hips reach back, your spine growing longer. And then with your next inhale, come up to all fours, a neutral tabletop position. Separating your knees a little bit so they are hip width apart. Again, hands are spread wide and make sure your shoulders are right over your wrists. We're going to take some dog and cat stretches. So with an inhale, I want you to arch your spine, reach your heart forward, sitting bones reach up and back, and then draw the shoulders away from the ears. Belly draws in and up. Inhale, coming back to the arch. Keep the gaze soft, the breath smooth and deep. And exhale to round. A few more times, inhaling to arch. And exhale to round, elevating the experience of the rounding by pressing your hands and shins and feet into the floor. Let's take two more just like that. Deep inhale. And a slow exhale. Good you two.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI

TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com

Torrance City Council Meeting on May 20, 2025: Budget, Proclamations, and Policy Decisions

Consent Calendar

Approved ordinances and resolutions including ordinance 3948 amending no-stopping on Maricopa Street (unanimous).

Approved resolution 2025-26 for a lease amendment with Torrance Flight Park LLC, allowing a restaurant and personal storage, and extending the lease term by 14 years (unanimous).

Public Comments & Testimony

Michael Lyon urged the council to resist concessions on airport touch-and-go reforms, citing community opposition.

John (COTAR member) opposed concessions on airport reforms, stating the city has legal authority to regulate touch-and-go times.

Torrance Pete criticized plans to acquire militarized equipment, referencing the death of Christopher DeAndre Mitchell and urging the establishment of an independent civilian oversight commission.

Melissa Wright praised the Armed Forces Day parade barricades and expressed concern about park maintenance and the escalating cost of the Columbia Park dog park ($60,000 projected to $750,000).

Charlie Salinas thanked participants for a successful Armed Forces Day parade.

Paul Chop criticized the council for ignoring airport noise and joked about mental health and stroke prevention.

An anonymous speaker condemned the council for not recognizing Pride Month and opposed police militarization.

Jeremiah How Halcom criticized the lack of transparency in the budget process, noting the 350-page document and limited public speaking time.

Discussion Items

Proclamations and Recognitions

Centenarian Proclamation: Honored Mrs. Aura N. Baker Pardon, a 100-year-old Torrance resident who worked as a riveter during WWII and at Sears for 20 years. She and her family accepted the proclamation and centenarian coin.

Mental Health Awareness Month: Proclaimed May 2025 as Mental Health Awareness Month. Human Resources Director Hedieh Kajavi highlighted the city's commitment to creating psychologically safe spaces.

Stroke Awareness Month: Proclaimed May 2025 as Stroke Awareness Month. Commissioner Karen Pryor and Marco Pesh from Torrance Memorial stressed the FAST acronym and prevention. Pryor shared her personal experience with her husband's stroke.

Retirement Recognition: Approved resolution 2025-25 honoring Doris Hernandez upon her retirement after 25 years of city service (unanimous).

Council Announcements

Memorial Day Service: Announced for May 26 at 2 p.m. at Memorial Plaza, featuring a reading of 151 names from the Veterans Memorial Wall, including five newly discovered names.

AB 481 Public Hearing: Scheduled for June 10 at 5 p.m. at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center to discuss military equipment use by the police department.

Pride Month Resolution: Councilwoman Kalani requested concurrence to bring forward a resolution recognizing June as Pride Month. The mayor abstained and the motion lacked concurrence (3 in favor, not enough to pass).

Council Compensation Reallocation: Councilwoman Kalani proposed reallocating $33,120 of her waived compensation to the Police and Fire Departments ($16,560 each). The council voted 7-0 to bring the item forward.

Ad Hoc Naming Committee: Councilman Matucci announced a meeting on May 27 at 12 p.m. to review an application to rename Columbia Park to Ted T. Tanaway Park.

Second Public Hearing on FY 2025-2027 Budget

Staff Presentation: Finance Director Ian Daly presented an overview of the budget process, highlighting 44 departmental meetings and a 28,000-view social media campaign. Key topics included park project funding, council travel budgets, and protocol changes.

Park Projects: Comparison of CIP allocations showed Discovery Park completed; De Portola, Hickory, and Picanio parks moved to earlier timelines; new funding for court resurfacing at multiple parks.
Council Travel Budgets: Proposed increases included a $50/month increase for all council members' meetings/meals (from $250 to $300, mayor to $400), an additional trip for the mayor (5 total), and a $70,000 friendship city budget (10 trips per year at $5,000 each).
Surplus Reallocation Protocol: Discussed allowing transfers without prior council approval.

Council Discussion:

Councilwoman Kalani questioned the 69.9% increase in city manager training/travel (attributed to AB 1646 reimbursement and Dale Carnegie training).
Councilwoman Lewis sought clarity on friendship city vs. economic development budgets, requesting more structure and reporting.
Councilman Kaji supported friendship city efforts, citing his recent trip to Japan and potential economic returns.
Councilman Gerson objected to all four budget changes, favoring transparency.
Councilman Sheikh emphasized the need for ROI and local business support.

Votes on Council Direction:

Motion to increase meetings/meals by $50/month passed (Gerson and Kalani voted no).
Motion to add one trip for mayor (for U.S. Conference of Mayors) passed (Gerson and Kalani voted no).
Motion to keep surplus reallocation protocol as is passed (Kaji and Mayor voted no).
Motion to have staff return with refined guidelines for friendship city spending passed unanimously.

Toyota Meeting Hall Renaming

Staff Presentation: Management Assistant Ireno Nail presented options for the Toyota Meeting Hall naming rights, noting a $1.2 million original donation and an estimated $1.2 million in capital maintenance over 10 years. Options included retaining the name, seeking a donor with various contribution thresholds (e.g., $121,177/year for 10 years, or $60,000/year for 10 years), or other alternatives.

Public Comment: A resident urged retaining the name, citing Toyota's historical contributions.

Council Discussion: Councilmembers Matucci, Kalani, and Sheikh leaned toward keeping the name for now, with Sheikh suggesting approaching Toyota first for additional contributions. Kaji supported reaching out to Toyota.

Motion: To accept and file the ad hoc committee minutes, and direct staff to explore naming options with Toyota as first priority, while leaving the name unchanged for now. Passed unanimously.

Key Outcomes

Consent Calendar: All items except 8D pulled by Kalani were approved unanimously. Item 8D (lease amendment) was approved separately.

Proclamations: Centenarian, Mental Health, and Stroke Awareness proclamations adopted.

Pride Month Resolution: Did not receive concurrence; no further action.

Council Compensation Reallocation: Directed staff to bring back an item for formal allocation to police and fire departments.

Budget Direction: Council provided specific guidance on travel budgets, meals, and friendship city spending; staff will incorporate and return on June 3 for final adoption.

Toyota Meeting Hall: Retained current name; staff to explore options with Toyota and other potential donors.

Next Steps: Third budget hearing scheduled for June 3, 2025. AB 481 public hearing on June 10. Memorial Day service on May 26.

Meeting Transcript