Torrance City Council Adjourned Regular Meeting - June 24, 2025

The Torrance City Council met on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, convening at 5:00 p.m. for an adjourned regular meeting centered on closed-session matters. After roll call, a committee announcement, and one oral public comment, the council voted to add a late item so the city attorney could receive immediate direction on a potential lawsuit, then recessed to closed session. The council reconvened in open session at approximately 9:19 p.m., reported nothing out of closed session, and adjourned to Tuesday, July 8, 2025.

Opening and Roll Call

• Mayor Chen called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. Roll call: Present - Mayor Chen and Councilmembers Gerson, Kaji, Kalani, and Lewis. Absent - Councilmembers Mattucci and Sheikh.
• Mayor Chen led the flag salute and the invocation. Note: the agenda listed Councilmember Mattucci to give the invocation, but the transcript shows Mayor Chen leading it, and Mattucci was absent at roll call.

Committee Meetings and Announcements

• Councilmember Kalani announced that the city's Armed Forces Day Special Standing Committee, which includes Councilmember Mattucci, Councilmember Kaji, and herself, will meet in the LeRoy J. Jackson Council Chambers on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. City staff will present an overview of this year's events and activities and request guidance for next year's planning. The public is invited to attend.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Andy Porchop spoke during Oral Communications (a period limited to 15 minutes, with one minute per speaker, reserved for non-agenda items). He said he came to educate the Mayor about U.S. government rules and regulations, alleging that discrimination is illegal and that he was unfairly removed from a prior meeting for booing. He stated that the Mayor's comments to him as he returned to his chair were unnecessary, urged the Mayor to educate himself, said the Mayor should not run for re-election, and stated he would speak about the Mayor at every opportunity.

Discussion Items

• Late item - potential lawsuit: The city attorney reported that after the agenda was posted on Thursday, June 19, 2025, he received information regarding a potential lawsuit and was asked whether the City of Torrance would like to join it. The lawsuit is expected to be filed before the next city council meeting on July 8, 2025, and the city attorney required immediate instruction because time is of the essence. He requested that the council consider discussing the matter in closed session that evening.
• To take action on an item not on the agenda, Government Code Section 54954.2(b)(2) requires a two-thirds vote determination that immediate action is necessary and that the need to take action arose subsequent to the posting of the agenda. A motion was made to approve, and the council then recessed to closed session, indicating the item was approved.
• Closed session: The council recessed to closed session to confer with the city manager and city attorney on agenda matters listed under Item 5A (conference with legal counsel - existing litigation), authorized by California Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(1). The agenda also listed closed-session items 5B (real property negotiations regarding properties at 1215-1227 El Prado Avenue, 2715 Andreo Avenue, and 485 Crenshaw Boulevard), 5C and 5D (anticipated litigation), 5E (conference with labor negotiator), and 5F (initiation of litigation).

Key Outcomes

• The council approved the late agenda item and held closed-session discussions. When open session resumed at approximately 9:19 p.m., the assistant city manager reported that there was nothing to report out of closed session.
• The council adjourned; the motion to adjourn carried with Councilmember Sheikh absent. The meeting was adjourned to Tuesday, July 8, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. for closed session, with regular business beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the LeRoy J. Jackson Council Chamber.
• Note: Although the agenda indicated regular business would begin at 6:30 p.m., the transcript reflects that the council reconvened at approximately 9:19 p.m. and adjourned without conducting a separate regular-business session.