Torrance City Council Special Meeting – December 19, 2025

The Torrance City Council held a special meeting on December 19, 2025, to reconsider the location of the 64th annual Armed Forces Day Parade and Celebration. After a closed-session report, non-agenda public comment, and extended testimony on the parade, the council unanimously directed that the 2026 event be held on Torrance Boulevard and that staff and the Armed Forces Day Standing Committee work out implementation details transparently. The agenda listed the closed session at 5:00 p.m. and regular business at 6:30 p.m.; the raw transcript records a 3:30 p.m. convening and a 4:07 p.m. reconvening. No minutes were available.

Closed Session

• The council recessed to closed session for conference with legal counsel on existing litigation (City of Torrance v. Hi-Shear Corporation and two California Regional Water Quality Control Board orders). The city manager reported no reportable actions.

Public Comments & Testimony

• During non-agenda oral communications, speakers urged the council to reconsider its council rules and one-minute public comment limit; one speaker requested a health-risk report on unplanned refinery flaring events.
• The majority of parade-related speakers urged the council to keep the parade on Torrance Boulevard and opposed moving it to Torrance Airport/Zamperini Field. Speakers included residents, veterans, business owners, and representatives of groups such as the Vietnam Veterans of America South Bay Chapter 53 and the Sons of the American Revolution. Several described the parade as a long-standing tradition, a way to honor veterans, and an event that should remain accessible to families.
• A member of the Airport Commission said the commission had no advance notice of the airport proposal and asked for a public hearing if the airport option were chosen.
• A commercial pilot and flight instructor at Zamperini Field said pilots at the field would gladly host the parade, while acknowledging public support for Torrance Boulevard.
• One speaker questioned the $38,000 cost for the VIP banquet; Councilmember Lewis later clarified that the banquet honors invited service members, not council members.
• Speakers also questioned whether FAA consultation had occurred and suggested corporate sponsors, shorter routes, targeted street closures, and veteran-group partnerships as solutions. One resident said about 90 percent of the people he had spoken with wanted the parade back on Torrance Boulevard.

Discussion Items

• Item 4A (referred to by staff as 4D) was a recommendation from the Armed Forces Day Standing Committee, City Manager, and Chief of Police that the council reconsider and provide direction on the 2026 parade and celebration location.
• Staff reported that on December 2, 2025, the council approved moving the event to Torrance Airport (Option 4), that significant community input followed, and that on December 9 the council voted to reconsider the location.
• Staff described the event as the 64th annual parade and noted that 2026 is the 250th anniversary of the United States. Some speakers referred to 63 years of the parade on Torrance Boulevard.
• Councilmember Kaji characterized the December 2 decision as a 4-3 vote without public input. Councilmembers discussed costs and logistics: Option 1 (Torrance Boulevard) is fully funded; barriers cost about $180,000; staff said K-rails, transit vehicles, and fleet were considered but barriers are the prudent security choice. The city manager said a split option with activities at the airport would require additional staffing and security.
• On attendance, councilmembers said the city now relies on cell phone data rather than earlier estimates of 60,000 or 100,000 attendees. The city manager said returning to Torrance Boulevard would allow a year-over-year data comparison and also noted the city has nearly 30,000 Instagram followers and a dedicated AFD webpage for public feedback.
• Councilmember Gerson raised public safety and mutual aid concerns and asked that hometown heroes be included on the parade route. Councilmember Kaji proposed naming the parade after Ted Tanoy; Councilmember Lewis and Councilmember Gerson objected, saying the parade should honor all veterans and that the separate park renaming issue involved community outreach. Councilmember Shake urged sticking to the agenda item and not adding amendments without community input.
• Councilmember Kalani moved to hold the 2026 Armed Forces Day Parade and Celebration on Torrance Boulevard and to allow staff and the Armed Forces Day committee to work out details and bring them back transparently. Councilmember Lewis seconded, and the motion carried unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• The council unanimously voted to hold the 2026 Armed Forces Day Parade and Celebration on Torrance Boulevard.
• Implementation details were left to staff and the Armed Forces Day Standing Committee, which is expected to bring back more specifics after the committee reconvenes in January.
• No vote was taken on naming the parade after Ted Tanoy or on making the Tanoy family the local grand marshal; the final motion did not include those proposals.
• The meeting adjourned to Tuesday, January 13, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. for closed session, with regular business to begin at 6:30 p.m. Council dark nights are December 23, 2025, December 30, 2025, and January 6, 2026.