Torrance City Council Meeting — August 25, 2026

The Torrance City Council met at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, in the LeRoy J. Jackson Council Chamber. The meeting included closed-session conferences, the appointment of a District 4 councilmember, consent calendar approvals, a citywide governance resolution, a commercial-to-housing feasibility study, and a parks project funding discussion. The meeting adjourned to Tuesday, September 1, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. for closed session, with regular business scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

Closed Session

• The council recessed to closed session for conferences with real property negotiators and labor negotiators, covering multiple property leases, easements, right-of-entry agreements, and city employee organizations.
• Upon reconvening, City Manager Aram Chaparyan reported no reportable actions from closed session.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the City Council minutes of July 14, 2026.
• Approved a CEQA categorical exemption and a ten-year lease agreement with Del Amo Fashion Center Operating Company, LLC, for the Torrance Police Substation at Del Amo Fashion Center. The lease is for $100 total, or $10 annually, from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2036.
• Approved memoranda of lease and landlord estoppel certificates and agreements for the Rolling Hills Plaza ground leases, considered separately as item 8C, with Councilmember Carzonis recused.
• Accepted and filed the April and May 2026 investment reports and approved both after discussion. Finance Director Ian Daly explained that reconciling adjustments reflect routine in-transit items such as outstanding checks and deposits, and he agreed to consider providing more itemization after Councilmember Liu noted a large one-month increase in reconciling adjustments.
• Approved the Fiscal Year 2024-25 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program application.
• Approved a first amendment to the policing-reform consulting services agreement with Teri Black & Company, LLC, dba Joseph Brann & Associates, increasing the not-to-exceed amount by $2,950,000 to a new total of $4,200,000 for implementation of the California Department of Justice policing reform agreement through January 4, 2031.
• Approved a long-term encroachment agreement with AI TMMC Lomita Solar LLC for underground conduit and electrical conductors within the public right-of-way on Lomita Boulevard.
• Approved first amendments to legal-services fee agreements with Richards, Watson & Gershon for the Kisiler and Nelsen litigation matters, increasing the not-to-exceed amounts by $348,200 and $310,000 respectively. These items were pulled and considered separately; Councilmembers Gerson and Liu recused.
• Accepted and filed the Torrance Fire Department 2025 Annual Quality Improvement Update Report, SB1205 Compliance Report, Cardiac Arrest Task Force report, and the July 7, 2026 Employee Relations and Public Safety Committee minutes.
• All remaining consent calendar items were approved unanimously in one motion.

Public Comments & Testimony

District 4 Vacancy Appointment

• Twelve qualified applicants introduced themselves. Public speakers used one-minute comments during the appointment process and supported various candidates, including Adam Schwartz, Linda Barnett, Jessica Maldonado, Arohi Sharma, and Nita Ahmed.
• One speaker said the choice should be returned to voters when possible and urged the council to pursue moving elections to March.

Oral Communications #1

• A resident described neglect at the Torrance War Memorial, including dead roses, burned-out lights, ants, and people sleeping there, and requested city repairs.
• A representative of the Torrance Theater Company thanked the community for sold-out performances of Frozen and promoted the upcoming season.
• A resident objected to the city not accepting compostable bags in green waste, saying residents are forced to store food waste indoors and that the policy increases rodent and pest problems. She said she represented about five neighbors.
• A commenter welcomed the reinstatement and promotion of Officer Concannon and praised the Dodger Stadium shuttle operated by Torrance Transit.
• A resident from District 2 criticized bus-stop and street construction proposals, streetcar plans, and storm-drain maintenance, saying city officials should visit the areas before spending money.
• A Torrance Rose Float Association representative reminded the community about a fundraiser at Lazy Dog Cafe.

Item 10A

• One resident supported the citywide governance resolution, saying residents should be able to ask any councilmember for help and that council unity was important.

Item 10B

• Charles Damer questioned who requested the REAP 2.0 study, why a Hawthorne Boulevard property not in the current housing element was selected, and why the Rhodium site was analyzed. He also raised concerns about parking ratios, visitor parking, and the property owners' lack of interest in redevelopment. Staff replied that the study was analysis only and did not approve any project or property acquisition. Staff agreed to give the Rhodium property owners a courtesy call.

Oral Communications #2

• No public speakers appeared under Oral Communications #2.

Discussion Items

District 4 Vacancy Appointment (Item 6A)

• City Clerk staff explained that the District 4 seat could not be placed on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot because the vacancy did not exist by the July 6 deadline. A timely-called special election would not have occurred until March 2, 2027, and staff cited a cost estimate of roughly $729,000 to $830,000 for one office.
• Staff also noted that Torrance has historically filled vacancies by appointment, with appointments occurring 18 times between 1941 and 2022 and only three special elections.
• The council took nominations and held multiple roll call votes. The field narrowed to Linda Barnett and Arohi Sharma. After a 3-3 tie and additional statements, the final roll call gave Linda Barnett five votes and Arohi Sharma one vote. The council then voted unanimously to approve Linda Barnett's appointment, and she took the oath of office.
• Mayor Kalani thanked all 12 applicants, said all were qualified, and encouraged them to consider running in the March 2028 election.
• Councilmember Gerson later commented that he believed the process favored the establishment over a younger, different voice, but he welcomed Councilmember Barnett.

Citywide Governance by District Elected Policy (Item 10A)

• Staff reviewed the city's transition to district-based council elections in 2018 while retaining an at-large mayor. Resolution 2026-76 reaffirms that councilmembers govern on an at-large basis, serve any resident who contacts them, and maintain professional city-manager government.
• The council adopted Resolution 2026-76 unanimously.

REAP 2.0 Commercial Redevelopment to Housing Study (Item 10B)

• Community Development Director Michelle Ramirez and South Bay Cities Council of Governments Senior Project Coordinator Jake Romoff presented the Regional Early Action Planning 2.0 study. The study was funded by SCAG and prepared with the cities of Carson, Hawthorne, and Torrance.
• Key findings included strong market demand in Torrance, the attractiveness of large surface parking lots for redevelopment, the importance of housing typology over raw density, the need for public intervention to support affordable housing, and the value of regulatory certainty and objective standards.
• Two Torrance sites were analyzed: a Hawthorne Boulevard strip center and the large Rhodium surface lot. Staff emphasized that the designs were illustrative feasibility options, not proposed projects.
• The council approved the study, authorized staff to pursue feasible recommended actions, and determined the project was categorically exempt under CEQA Guideline Section 15262. Staff confirmed no immediate housing element change was required and that the city is in the sixth-cycle housing element through October 2029.

Hickory Park Multi-Use Court (Item 10C)

• Staff reported that replacing the existing sand volleyball court with an approximately 6,500-square-foot futsal and multi-use court is technically feasible, but would trigger ADA restroom and path-of-travel improvements. The preliminary project cost estimate is approximately $1.75 million.
• No dedicated capital funding is currently available. A Torrance resident offered up to $100,000 toward construction in memory of his late father, with a proposed commemorative dedication.
• Staff presented two community engagement options: including the project in the citywide Parks Master Plan process, expected to conclude around December 2027, or conducting a separate project-specific engagement process.
• Councilmember Gerson provided background on the project's origin and said the existing sand volleyball pit was effectively unusable.
• Council discussion included corporate sponsorships, the feasibility of accepting the donation for the specific location, and adding the project to state and federal legislative advocacy priority lists.
• The council accepted and filed the feasibility update and directed staff to include the project on the legislative advocacy committees' consideration list. Councilmember Gerson abstained.

Key Outcomes

• Appointed Linda Barnett to the District 4 City Council vacancy. The final ballot was 5-1 over Arohi Sharma, and the appointment motion carried unanimously.
• Adopted Resolution 2026-76, establishing a citywide governance by district elected policy, unanimously.
• Approved the REAP 2.0 Commercial Redevelopment to Housing Study and the CEQA categorical exemption, unanimously.
• Approved all consent calendar items, including pulled items 8C, 8D/8E, and 8I/8J, with appropriate recusals.
• Directed staff to continue exploring funding and sponsorship options for the Hickory Park multi-use court and to include it in legislative advocacy considerations.
• Councilmember Lewis requested that the meeting be adjourned in memory of Dolly Parton; the council then adjourned to September 1, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. for closed session, with regular business at 6:30 p.m.