City Council - Regular Meeting

uh of January 27th city council to order and I would ask that the audience turn off their phones or set them to vibrate uh so that we can have full attention here. Uh council member Snell, could you lead us in the pledge of allegiance? Everyone stand. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

And uh council member Zerna, could you read the land acknowledgement? Thank you. The city of Santa Monica is located on the land of the Tovangar. With great respect, the city acknowledges the Gabrieleno Tongva as the first people of this ancestral and unseated territory of Kuravanga, a village that we know as Santa Monica. We honor their elders, past and present, and the Gabrieleno descendants who are part of the Gabrieleno Tongva tribes. We recognize that these peoples are still here and as settlers and kuyam guests, we recognize our responsibility and obligation to care for their land in partnership with them. The city of Santa Monica commits to work in partnership with the Gabrieleno Tongva people to uplift their voices and visibility on their ancestral land.

Thank you. Um, so before we get started, does anyone have any Lavine disclosures, announcements, etc.? Mayor, can I do the roll call quickly? Oh, absolutely. Sure. Council member Negrete here. Council member Hall present. Council member Raskin here. Council member Snell here. Council member Zernskaya here. Uh Mayor Promwig is currently absent. Mayor Trous here. And we have a quorum. Uh great. So in terms of agenda management, uh items 4C and 11B back to Levine Act disclosure. Sorry, I didn't see anyone. Does anyone have any Lavine Act disclosures or um other recusals or other So recusal should be given right before the item is taken.

Okay. So no no Lavine act disclosures. Okay. Thank you. Oh sure. I don't know if this is the appropriate time to ask for agenda management. Yeah. Uh I think we have a few items to make a motion on for agenda management including I think your item being heard. Is that the one? No. I was going to ask if close session could go at the end of the meeting but I'll let you. I don't know if that's already going to be made.

Okay. Um, let me I'm going to make a motion for agenda management and then if anyone wants to make any amendments or substitute motions, we'll take that at that time. Uh, items 4C and 11B have been pulled at the request of staff. Uh, and I would also make a motion and ask for a second to reorder the following items along with item one, uh, general input and comments on the special agenda items. I would ask that we hear public comment on 16i, the one Samo People's Academy. Uh and then I I would also uh ask that we present the mayor's highlight before item two uh as we have staff here uh for that. Um after item two, we would hear the city manager's report with item 16 I. And then after the consent calendar, we would hear item 12A yield right ofway. And we would give priority to a group of stu

I'm sorry. Um I believe um the students who initially asked for priority are Yeah, that's the Yeah, that's the last one I was saying. Not um I don't believe they're present. So um they did not sign up. Yeah, we would give priority to a group of students to comment on item one, but you're saying they're not here. No. So um if they appear later in the meeting, we can um raise agenda management, but um for now since they're not here, I would not include that in the motion. Okay. And that would be my motion. second.

And um I'm sorry um Council Member Negrete asked uh that close session be heard at the end. Does that does the motion include that? Can we add that to it or I don't know if you guys are amendable, you want to take that vote separately? Let's take the first vote and then we'll take the second vote just because I think that there are people who are coming at specific times. Okay. So, um, council member Zernitzkaya, yes. Council member Snowell, yes. Mayor Prom Zake is still absent. Council member Raskin, yes. Council member Hall, yes. Council member Negrete, yes. And Mayor Trosen, yes. Motion passes.

Yeah, I'm in the um I'd like to move that we hear uh close session at the end of the meeting. Um, just to respect the public's time. I know we have a lot in closed session. If I can get a second, if I could just speak to it. I I I know that there are some people who were planning to speak later on the assumption that close session would go late tonight. So, I I like the idea. I feel a little bit awkward seconding it just because I I know that for sure there are people who were structuring their schedules on the assumption that they would come speak at like 8 or 9 o'clock tonight. Okay. Later. I tried. I think it's it's a good idea.

Okay. Um, mayor, uh, do you think folks would be amenable to maybe moving some of the closed session to the end and maybe not all of it? I don't know how council member uh city attorney is there are there any items that you think are urgent uh that we could hear and limit the scope of the close session? So is not because I think the timed agenda as people were talking to me about coming to the meeting per what council member Raskin just stated we had gone off of this timed agenda. So are there items that we could move?

I I think one option that you have is to um to stop at 8:30 or 9, whichever you prefer. And if there are items that you have not um completed, we could move those to the end of the end of the meeting. I think that uh sounds like a good compromise if anyone wanted to make a motion. That motion. So I move that we stick to the timed agenda and that we don't go past um is it 8:30 p.m. in close session, I believe. And any items that are going to go past that time would be moved to the end of the meeting. I'll second. Hold on one second. Okay. Um,

close session is stated to go until 9:00. Currently, we have it going from 6, estimated from 6:50 to 9:00 p.m. If if we want to make a motion to come back at 8:30, that's fine. I'd like to make a motion to come back at 8:30. Okay, I'll second. Okay. Okay. Council member Negrete, yes. Council member Hall, yes. Council member Rasin, yes. Mayor Promwick, um, this is a motion to hear. to limit close session to 8:30. Yes. Council member Snow. Yes. Council members Ernit Skaya. Yes. And Mayor Tros. Yes. Motion passes.

Great. Uh thank you so much. So that's it for agenda management. We'll now move on to general public input and comment on special agenda items. And I believe that we have uh sorry clerk I can't tell. How many comments do we have on on that? 11 12 12. We have uh 13 including three callers. 13 including three callers. Great. So everyone um can request up to two minutes on that.

And I will call the names and and then call some more and if everyone can come up quickly. We have a very full agenda and we want to get to the items. Bridg 11, Matthew Bina Jerry Rubin Lawrence Cohen. And just state your name for the record when you come up to make your comment and you can roughly go in that order. Thank you. All right. Okay, great. Hello, my name is Bridgette McBride and I represent a growing body of East Venice residents, 617 in counting, that have been experiencing a huge increase in prop planes circling above our homes this past year. The loud, often old prop planes take off from Santa Monica airport one after another with barely a break between them. They cut across our neighborhood at low altitudes, accelerating quickly, banking tightly south and then east and back through our neighborhood to Santa Monica airport, only to repeat this pattern for hours on end. The loud, obnoxious, continuous noise coming from a succession of planes is is significantly affecting our lifestyle, our sense of well-being, and our long long-term health. Our collect our collective experience is substantiated by some pretty big numbers. According to the FAA, the Santa Mon and the Santa Monica website airport 2025 experienced a 38% increase in total flights. But that's only part of the story because 100% of that increase are local flights, the ones that perform touchandgo and pattern flying only above East Venice. That translates to 20,000 more flights circling East Venice in 2025 than 2024. October had 8,296 total flights, five almost 5,000 of which were circling above East Venice. We're here today to ask that the city of Santa Monica divert some or all of this

new traffic to Santa Monica airspace. East Venice should not have to bear the brunt of this dramatic increase. It's not fair. It's not safe. It's not sustainable for those of us living in East Venice. And we thank you for listening and we hope to work with our wonderful neighbors in Santaa for an equitable solution. Thank you.

Good evening, council. My name is Matthew Marose. I also live in East Venice. Uh, Bridgette covered the human impact, but I also want to focus on what this data means and what it looks like. FAA data shows that Santa Monica airport operations are up about 38% year-over-year. The G the key detail is in the mix. Local training operations are up roughly 102% while itinerant traffic is essentially flat. Uh, you're not So, October 2025 was the high water mark at roughly 8,300 total operations. And this is what it means on the ground. You're not seeing a plane passing once. You're seeing a repeated loop. Uh the density of the lines. Uh in this point, um repetition stacked on repetition. Uh many of these training aircraft are older piston planes burning leaded a gas like it's the 1970s. When activity concentrates over the same residential blocks, the pollution burden concentrates with it. And the pattern is not fixed. when observed uh tower adjustments for operational needs and runway reversals during Santa Ana wind conditions. The claims that patterns can't be changed don't match real world operations. Our ask tonight is procedural and constructive. Please agendaize this issue for future meetings and create a staff and community task force to develop near-term solutions that reduce repetitive training concentration over our neighborhood. We're asking to be good neighbors, share the burden, reduce the concentration, and work towards a fair solution. Thank you.

Thank you. Okay.

Good evening, esteemed members of the Santa Monica City Council. Thanks for giving me the floor. My name is Verina and I'm the mom of two little boys and I live in Venice. Um, and our goal for today is to bring attention to the fact that, as you already heard from Bridget and from Matt, hundreds of houses representing thousands of people, many of which have signed the petition that you've received today, endure intolerable noise, uh, dangerous exposed to dangerous leaded avas and safety concerns just so that a handful of people from Vanise can have some fun over our skies. And that's not okay. The image right here is one example of what we're talking about. This pilot flew over from Vanise, went over our heads in the same loop for 28 times with his rambling and rattling old plane from the 50s, and then flew back. Therefore, what we're asking for is that the burden be shared. The burden of hearing low-flying propeller planes must be shared between all residents in the greater vicinity of the airport. The argument that flying patterns cannot be changed is flawed, as we've seen by the fact that they do when it's Santa winds or when the SJX jets were introduced. There need to be tighter controls on the types of planes and their altitudes. And the fly neighborly program is being cheated. People are cutting corners left and right to evade noise monitors and the failure to perform controls is setting a dangerous precedent. This has nothing to do with us wanting to deprive any pilot of the right to fly. But you'll have to agree with me that this image, something about it, is very wrong. Residents of Mar Vista and Venice retain none of the benefits. We don't even get any of the meager income that the airport provides to Santa Monica. We get 100% of the negative effects which are dangerous toxins and living in fear that one day one of these old propeller planes is going to crash over our heads. The one thing that we really want from today's meeting is that the burden be shared and that this topic be made an agenda item for future meetings. Please don't hesitate to reach out with any further questions. Thank you.

Thanks so much. Um I'm going to call the next few names. So Jerry Rubin's coming up. While he's coming up, Lawrence Cohen, oh shoot, sorry. This Lawrence Cohen, Jonathan Foster, Austin Stam, Hajar, Robbie Jones, Mike Feinstein. Thank you very very much, Jerry Rubin, Santa Monica. Thank you, uh, Mayor Terosas, Mayor Prom Zwick, honorable council members, city managers, city attorneys, city clerk, honorable police officers, firefighters, and fellow Santa Monicans. No need to remind you today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, lest we ever forget. and we should never forget. Also, I got a notice and I think it's very important because I think in one sense we all live in Minneapolis now. So, there will be a peaceful demonstration starting in the Palisades Park on Saturday, February 7th, starting 10:00 a.m. at Montana and Ocean Avenue. Then there'll be a march up Montana and over down Wilshire ending at the St. Monica statue. So I urge all you to help spread the word and come out and peacefully and passionately protest in memory of Renee Good and Alex Freddy. Very sad situation and we all have a responsibility. Thank you.

Thank you.

Good evening. My name is Lawrence Cohen. One in six American women are raped between the ages of 18 and 24. And most of them, 90% actually, never report it because of the shame and the stigma. Well, I'm here to say that Santa Monica is going to be uh a very special place. On April 12th, we're going to have the first ever denim run in the world. And basically what it's going to uh be comprised of is a run on the beach and a wellness festival on the Santa Monica Pier. And the uh sum total of those activities is to empower women who have been sexually assaulted and to help in the healing process. I'm thrilled to say that on the way over here tonight, um, the Santa Monica UCLA Rape Treatment Center has come on board to be one of our prime exhibitors on the pier. And all the activities on the pier are going to be about um, healing. And so I also want to mention that it's not only women that are assaulted, men, children, LGBT. Uh, in fact, if you ever go to the rape treatment center, you'll see that they have a whole separate facility for children. And it's heartbreaking. So, what I'm here to say is that uh the best way to fight evil in the world is to make energetic progress in the good. That's from the Iching. So, I'm going to hold up this sign for you all to see. My hope is that the council uh I know times are tough financially, but I'm hoping uh because we're doing everything we can to highlight um Santa Monica based businesses. I'm hope hope you can find some discretionary income to make all

this possible because it's a firstear event. It's the first in the world and I got my two minutes. Thanks for your Thank you. Jonathan Foster, Austin Stam, Hajar, you don't need to go in order. You can just come up and say your name.

I I have slides. Uh I don't know. Is it Is it possible to pull those up or No. Oh, thank you. I can My name is Austin Stam. I have mild cerebral palsy, ADHD, and proaponosia or face blindness. I'm here today because the Santa Monica Council attempted to dismantle the disabilities commission. Mayor Terosis and council member Dan Hall supported the measure. The entire council was invited to the last disabilities commission meeting and and none of them attended. Commissioner Gordon said, "I'm really worried about all the units going up. There are no units that we know of that are ADA approved. They are still doing off-site affordable housing." This is the Americans Disabilities Act homepage. You can see the people with disabilities. It's been papered over by the new administration with the American flag. We need our voice to be heard and representation during this this time of increased animosity toward people with disabilities from our government. If you look at the recordings uh on the website, it says there was no quorum for met for that meeting. Why not? Alex uh Elliot, the chair says going back years when we were one seat away and multiple members would have signed in because they had disabilities that prevented them from coming in person because you have to be in person to participate in the commission. Here's um Commissioner Aaria saying, "Can other commissioners attend the meeting virtually? I had a medical condition so I couldn't come. I'm still under treatment." She was told by the staff that there was no accommodation possible. There should be a reasonable accommodation for commissioners with disabilities. This is the mayor last uh year when she was a council member because all council members can attend their meetings remotely. Why can't this be afforded to commissioners with disabilities? That's what's that's what's needed. Thank you.

Yay.

Thanks. Sorry, just to a point of personal privilege, we actually uh contacted the Daily Press, but that reporting was inaccurate. I'll just speak for myself. I stated at the meeting that I voted no because I was against the nepotism policy was definitely not uh against uh um the disabilities commission. So I do want to clarify that the daily press did not um prer traction. I wish they would have and I don't know if council member Hall wants to say anything but we appreciate what you're saying. Likewise, my vote no was against the nepotism policy that was changed. Um, I did I did float combining the disabilities commission and if you watch my remarks, you'll understand why I did that, but ultimately realized that my council did not support it and so I backed off from that. Thank you.

Thank you. Um, so we have Jonathan Foster, Har, Robbie Jones, Mike Feinstein in any order. Thanks.

Hello. Uh, Jonathan Foster. I'm giving the state of Jonathan report. Uh if you can see this picture, this is a guitar and a mixer board that was stolen out of my extra space storage uh right here in Santa Monica. And all of a sudden, I couldn't go out to Third Street Prominade. I had to search around for another guitar and stuff. And uh so I did finally make it out to sing original music. So, that was a song that I wrote when I was 15, but a guy I wrote songs with, he took my song and then he came up with that. It's a really cool song. It's the best love song ever written. I wanted to say thank you to the people in Santa Monica that have supported me donating on Third Street Prominade. Uh, starting playing drum set when I was three. I'm 55 and place I was three. Complete natural. There's nobody musical in my family. And my mother said that if he wanted to speak to me, she had to turn the music off. So, I want to give some more comments over the coming city council meetings this year expressing my debilitating attacks that have happened to me has prevented this. Uh, one of them being this guitar that was stolen, uh, the bass and a mixer board. And on my storage locations at Extra Space Storage, there are these scratches by the clasps and the locks, all these scratches, and they're the same scratches on my Dodge Caravan. And this person opened up my passenger side door and has scratched the same scratches on the inside of my passenger door. I I've been doing the other thing I wanted to say at this time and I'll be talking more about this is I'm enduring continued h harassment from the Legion

security team telling me f you shut up angry stairs. Yeah. So I'll be talking more about this. God bless. Good evening. Um, first of all, I want to say that there.

First of all, I want to say thank you uh for everyone that came out tonight to help us celebrate 100 years of Black History Month. Uh, I really want to thank uh Dr. Carter P Carter Wilson for uh Woodson for creating it um and initiating it uh back in the 1900s. Um I just think this is a year of celebration, commemoration, and all of that. That that is what he created it for, for us to recognize the contributions of black Americans. So saying all that to say I'm a little bit disappointed or rather a lot disappointed in the fact that our landback reparations task force uh created uh by our DEI team is now being changed to a rep to a uh restorative justice task force uh which will be completely changed from and not even I think council initially had asked us to come forward with a report. We a lot of lot of us sat on that task force many months uh hard agonizing work that is now being thrown down the drain and not recognized. Uh that's not showing our contributions. That's not showing appreciation. And um I really not like to see um it go forward. I would like to see us present the report to council as we were asked to do um because there was a lot of work that went into that and you know there's a lot for us to learn. So moving forward in a positive T direction can we do that please?

Ma'am I'm sorry. Could I get your name please? Robbie. Robbie Jones. Okay thank you. Okay great. Hajar uh Mike Feinstein goalie golnaz

good evening where is all the research that the council formed reparations and landback task force volunteered their time to produce why hasn't the harms report been shared with the council and the community will you even compensate those task force members my hope is that all reparations and landback task force members and subcommittees are valued for their commitment let their work be presented The destruction of the Ebony Beach Club, the Belmar Triangle, and business districts and homes of black Americans were not incidental. It was part of a deliberate pattern of racialized displacement designed to eliminate black community spaces and consolidate white economic control in Santa Monica. As we celebrate 100 years of black American history commemorations, my hope is you honor our Santa Monica ancestors and what is right versus what may appear lawful.

Thank you. Somebody forgot your pen. All right, two minutes. So, I've been coming to speak to you guys for the last several months, asking that those people who don't want to see a great park on all the land at Santa Monica Airport are honest with the community about what they're asking. And I've spoken against them misappropriating the term great park, saying that that's what they're for when we know that if they are able to develop a large portion of the land at the airport, we will be forced to pit different needed open space uses, fields versus other uses there, and that would degrade the great park. Well, now they are trying to gaslight our community by the ballot measure that they've handed in, saying their ballot measure should have the name Great Park on it. And it is up to our city attorney's office to give an appropriate title and summary. The irony here is many of us know that they put getting the park in great danger legally and politically if they move now instead of waiting for the land to be fully into our hands in 2029. And one of the key proponents of that ballot measure said the reason they're not waiting is that the community would feel something's going to be taken away from them once the park comes into public use. Hello. Yes, that's the point. And that's why you don't get to call it a great park because the great park is a non-commercial public space for everybody. And if your ballot measures are going to change that, you have a every right to argue for that. But you do not have the right to call it a great park in your petition signature when you're going out to get signatures for a

ballot measure that would degrade our park. And I am begging the folks in city government who will name that measure with title in summary not to allow that kind of gaslighting on the residents of this city. Thank you. Thank you Gail Golnaz Denise Barton. Gail Golnaz or sorry goalie Golnaz. Sorry. So so so I my apologies.

Thank you. That's that's okay. Hi. How are you? Thank you. My name is Golas Goli. First of all, I wanted to thank um the city of Santa Monica for all you do for all of us. Thank you so much. We I I thank you from all of us. We can't thank you enough. You're doing a wonderful job and I don't think you hear that enough. Thank you. Also, I wanted to ask all of my fellow Santa Monicans and my my city hall to please support um um the people in Iran. Um right now um forgive me I don't mean to make anyone sad but for the last couple of weeks they have turned off all the lights and the internet and um they are just um non-discriminately just killing regular human beings and all because they want their civil rights and it's God-given human rights. Um forgive the glasses. I just had eye surgery. Um I just wanted to share with you that what's what everyone in Iran is chanting in the streets is um may I

Sha he is the son of the late Sha of Iran, king of Iran. And if I may share one of these posters with you here at the city hall so that um the support I'm asking for is prayers because I believe that prayers are the second strongest next to God in this world. And um I'm asking my community to please um join me in prayers of of justice for everybody in Iran and and prayers for peace on earth for everyone. And I thank you uh for this time. Thank you. And Javeed Sha, this is Resa Sha, the son of the Sha, the younger gentleman. And this is our future king. And please pray with us that he can come home soon and and take care of everyone there. And I love the city of Santa Monica and everyone here. Thank you for everything you do. God bless you all and everyone you love. Thank you.

Thank you.

Good evening. Tonight I'd like to touch on the transparency you all sitting of the claim the city has. I made two records requests. One for the list of applicants for the city manager's position to which I was told there was no list no list. Then I requested the names of the person interviewed virtually and in person for the city manager's position to which I was told there were no names. I pushed a little more and went up to the city attorney's office to which I received a letter stating that there is a list of of names, but that all records are being withheld due to confidentiality. I can understand the position during the process before the city manager was chosen, but not after employment has been established. Didn't the taxpayers pay for the city manager search and interviews? If so, might it make you look like you picked the dirtiest person for the city manager who would allow you to continue with the criminal activity? Thank you.

Thank you. Um, I'm going to go to the phone. Mike Montgomery.

Okay. Um, Mitchell, if you can bring the two callers in. Um, we just um announced my Montgomery's name.

Um, oh, I see. Um, Mr. Montgomery's uh call dropped. We'll try to get him back. Uh, next caller is Steven Price for two minutes. Um, Mr. Price, if you can try to unmute yourself. Um, we're not hearing Mr. Price Mitchell. Um, okay. Let's try Mr. Montgomery.

Is Justin Nelson still in the queue as well? Um, Mr. Nelson has not has not called. Um, we do have Mayor the um the group of students did um arrive and sign up. if you want to give them priority and we'll we'll see um if we can bring the callers in. Sure. So, we did give priority to a group of students to comment during item one. Um if they'd like to come up now, I don't necessarily have their names though. You're going to have to call them. Okay.

Do we have their names?

Yes, I'm I'm pulling it up. Okay. Okay. Um, our first speaker is Lanekai Parker. I hope I'm pronouncing that correctly. Um, I'll I'll read the names. Um, so Lonni Kai Parker, Nev Garcia Langley, Sasha Lindsay, Judisma City, I apologize if um I mispronounced that. Andrew Laauo, David Johnson.

So if you're here, you can come up to the mic and we'll take you in uh whichever order you want to announce yourselves. That would be preferred. Yeah, please come to the mic. So that was Lonni Kai, Nev, Sashana, Judisma, Andrew, David, and uh and David.

Hello, city council. My name is Lana Parker. I'm here as a concerned community member as well as a co-leader of Santa Monica High School's environmental club, T-Marine. Um, I want to urge the city council to formalize a citywide policy that prohibits any future spending on new synthetic turf installations. Memorial Park has shown that natural grass is the preferred choice for our residents. By committing to to living soil across the city, we uphold our 2013 sustainability rights ordinance and protect our wershed from microplastics and harmful materials that are in synthetic turfs. Synthetic turfs pose many threats to both human and environmental health. The chrome rubber and chemical products easily spread their negative effects through the environment. They are carried by athletes shoes. They stick to clothes and they travel through wind and waterways easily. Please support a safer and more sustainable option with natural grass and a no new turf policy. Thank you for listening to the community and choosing a cooler, safer, and sustainable future. Thank you. Just state your name as well when you comment so we can mark you off. Thank you. We got you. We got you. Yeah. Thanks.

Uh, dear city council members and the people of Santa Monica, my name is David Johnson. I'm a junior at Samo High and I come here as a member of team Marine to support Memorial Parks redevelopment plan to redesign fields 1 through 4 as a as natural grass. As a six as a six-year resident and community member myself, I've been using turf ever since the seventh grade. Ever since I've joined Team Marine, I I started learning about how artificial turf works and how it affects the people who use them. Artificial turf uses synthetic grass fibers held upright by infilled like rubber all attached to um backing layer. um water drain water drains through it into a compact base underneath so that it stays stable and usable without growing or maintenance. This might sound great until you understand how it actually affects the user and the environment. Artificial turfs are a massive source of microplastic pollution, causing toxic chemicals to be released into the atmosphere, including PFA, PFAS, and heavy metals. These chemicals also seep into soil, infiltrate waterways, and ultimately increases heated temperatures. And to the parents out there um that are listening to this right now, please don't let your children be a guinea pig to corporate to cor to corporate experiments. Thank you for your time.

Hi, city council. I'm Nev Garcia Langley, a sophomore student at Samo High and a leader in team Marine. As someone with personal experience playing soccer in Santa Monica from the ages of 4 to 14, I can attest to the negative impact of playing soccer on turf. Synthetic grass and rubber crumbs used in turf trap heat inside, making temperatures increase, often getting to heights of over 120 degrees Fahrenheit to 170 degrees F. Even if it's an 80°ree weather day, the qualities of turf make it way worse when you step onto the field. This is my major concern because I myself have played on these fields and because of the heat that gets radiated from these fields, I have received heat related injuries. Not just this, but turf fields cause an array of other injuries like heat stroke and dehydration. Being some of the most commonly seen conditions from turf fields, I ask that we abandon the turf fields and look for a safer replacement, one that will benefit the people of Santa Monica and the athletes who work so hard during every game. They deserve to play without added threat of heat stroke dehydration with so many other things on the line. Thank you for your consideration.

Thank you.

Uh good evening, esteemed council members. I'm Andrew speaking on items 11 C and D. I'm a leader of team Marine from Santa Monica High School and a concerned resident of the city of Santa Monica. I'm here because artificial turf poses a huge danger to our health and our environment. As artificial turf degrades over time, tiny microplastics and toxic chemicals uh such as PAS, a known carcinogen, are released as byproducts that seep into our skin. The crumb rubber balls that comes with artificial turf also tracks on our shoes and clothes, spreading the hazard into our homes. I urge you to adopt the full sustainability commission recommendation which are which include but are not exclusive to one no new artificial turf, two existing grass fields stay as grass fields and three when the lifespan of current artificial turf fields end they are replaced with natural alternatives. Thank you.

Thank you.

Hello, my name is Sahana Lindsay and I'm a high school student here in Santa Monica. I'm also a leadership member of team Marine and I'm here to urge the installation of real grass in Memorial Park. Artificial turf is often marketed as sustainable due to its low water use, but in reality it's not truly sustainable. It's made from plastic and rubber, contains toxic chemicals that are absorbed into our bodies and over time it breaks down into particle pieces that contaminate the environment and make their way into our food. We still don't fully understand the long-term effects of repeated exposure, especially for those who spend hours playing on these fields. However, there's absolutely no reason to take that risk now and discover the consequences later. Santa Monica has been a leader in reducing harmful plastic. And I see this issue as no different, as artificial turf is toxic to our bodies and must be eliminated and replaced with real grass, a healthier and more sustainable alternative. Thank you for your time and for considering a healthier future for our community. Good evening, city council. My name is Judishma City and I am a resident of Santa Monica, senior at Santa Monica High School, and a senior member of the youth environmental activism organization, T- Marine. And I'm here today to urge you to support the sustainability steering committee's efforts to remove artificial turf fields from our city of Santa Monica. As a soccer player for 10 years from 3rd to 11th grade, I've played on both grass and turf fields long before I understood the potential health risk that chemicals and carcinogens in artificial turf could have on my body. Not only have I competed on these fields, but I've influenced the love of soccer onto my little sister, who is younger to me by nine years. She's made me incredibly proud and recently qualified to play an AYSO spring season in her third year of soccer. However, instead of feeling happy to share this love for our sport

together, I worry. I worry that the game I passed on to her, the sport that she loves, could be poisoning her body and health with PAS or forever chemicals which are found in artificial turf and plastics. The scientific evidence does not disappear by simply labeling turf as sustainable. Plastic is not sustainable. I know that you, our city council and city leaders, know this better than anyone. You've helped us eliminate thick and thin filled plastic bags from the city of Santa Monica. You've supported our initiatives in teaching climate change and plastic alternatives in our elementary schools. So, I'm asking you here to continue to honor these commitments to our youth and to the residents of Santa Monica. The health of our future generation relies on the precautions and choices that you make in the present. We all are counting on you. Thank you.

Thank you so much. Um I believe those are all of the miners who wanted to speak on this. Uh were we able to get the phone? Yes. Yes, we can go back to the first two callers. Great. U Mike Montgomery.

Okay. Um Mitchell, we're still not able to hear Mr. Montgomery.

Hello. Yes, Mr. Montgomery. You have two minutes.

Oh, wonderful. Thank you. So, uh, you know, whether we're talking about converting a parking lot into housing or the Ocean Avenue conversion projects, um, I just want to make it clear that I think public opinion needs to be taken seriously and that it's not optional. It's it's part of the job. And you know technical difficulties aside tonight um you know what we've seen recently suggests that public opinion is not being taken seriously and you know we've shown up in large numbers we've written we've spoken clearly repeatedly and I think thoughtfully and and yet what I feel is that this council continues to move forward as if that feedback doesn't exist. Um, you know, I don't think any of us are asking for unonymity. Um, we understand that not everyone will agree on every project, but we do expect our concerns to be honestly um, reflected in the discussion and acknowledged in the final decisions that are being made. And again, right now, I don't think that's happening. Um it's especially disappointing when it comes to um what we've seen from the mayor recently in terms of hiding the ball um knowing about Ocean Avenue um and then lying about it which we saw come out in the news and and you know community dialogue is important and more um outcomes um that were decided before we had a chance to weigh in are not good. So, um, you know, I I I just want to make sure that everyone knows that you're supposed to represent the people who live here. You're supposed to listen to us and our concerns and um I don't feel that's happening. Thank you.

Okay, our um next caller is Steven Price for two minutes. Mr. Yes. Hello. Can you hear me? Yes.

Great. Thanks. Uh, good evening. So, um, you know, I'll just start by, you know, asking those who are a bit uncomfortable with a strong opinion to really buckle your seat belts because here's the deal. Council member Jesse Zwick was forced to recuse himself from housing matters in Santa Monica. He cannot discuss them. He cannot vote on them. Everyone here knows that. So, explain this to residents, Jesse. Why are you constantly publicly advocating for housing policy anyway? You give interviews. You testify in front of other city councils. We saw that video a couple weeks ago. And you also pump out long social media threads about housing and the mansion tax. And let's be honest, those comments are not about what people here want, but they do align with the interest of your employer. That's the problem. You don't get to be quote unquote conflicted inside the city, but a fullthroated housing advocate everywhere else while still holding this seat and telling people that you're a lobbyist and a city council member. Look, no one is saying that you cannot have opinions and no one is saying that you cannot work in housing, but when you're a sitting council member, you owe us clarity. You owe us transparency about which hat you're wearing because right now that line is not just blurred, it's a shattered mirror. Jesse, people here did not elect a regional housing spokesperson. They elected someone to represent us to represent Santa Monica. And if Mr. Zwick wants to push a housing agenda, well, I guess that's fine. But then be honest about

who it's for and who it serves because it's not us. Thanks, Jesse. And that was our our last speaker. Great.

Okay. So, that extinguishes the uh public comment on non-aggenda items per agenda management. Uh we will move to the mayor's highlight. Um and before I call forward the uh library staff who we're going to talk about tonight, I just I want to acknowledge that it's International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Um, so today on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we pause as a city to remember the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust and the millions of others targeted by Nazi persecution. We honor the lives behind the history, families, neighbors, and entire communities that were destroyed by hatred and indifference. In Santa Monica, a city that prides itself on inclusion and human dignity, remembrance carries responsibility. It calls on us to reject anti-semitism and all forms of hate. To confront dehumanization when we see it, to stand up for one another, especially when it is uncomfortable or unpopular. We honor the victims and survivors not only by remembering the past but by the choices we make today to lead with compassion to speak out, speak out against hatred and ensure our city remains a place where everyone can live openly safely and with dignity. Thank you. Um, and so to, as you, as many of you know, um, I really, it's been important for me and this council to honor the incredible work of our really hard uh, working staff here at the city and to shine a light on the work that goes on behind the scenes. We're up here making decisions, but uh, really knowing about the hard work that's happening with the folks that work every single day, day in and day out to make our city work uh, exceptionally. And so, I want to recognize three members of the Santa Monica Public Library team. Uh if you didn't know, we have just celebrated last week uh the full opening of all of our libraries in Santa Monica. Yes, that deserves some happy hands. We don't need to clap, but happy hands are great. Um so I want to call up Vanessa Alvarado from branch and neighborhood services,

Cheryl Thompson from collections technology and patron services and Cecil Arreste uh from administration and communications. Sorry to put you on the spot, but we are so proud of you and we're going to say a few words. Uh reopening the Fair View branch and Ocean Park branch for full ser You guys can stand over there and then we'll come into the wall and take some pictures. Uh reopening the Fair View branch and Ocean Park branch for full service three days a week after being closed except for self-service is a big undertaking, one that the library team managed to implement within a few months. Fair View Branch welcomed 254 visitors on Tuesday, February 20th, and Ocean Park welcomed 259 visitors on Wednesday, February 21st for each of their reopenings last week. As these neighborhoods gain back access to their libraries and library staff, the positive impact for the Sunset Park and Ocean Park residents, as well as for all who visit, is immeasurable. And I just personally want to say thank you as a Sunset Park resident for opening my branch library. Each member that is being honored represents a team of people who ran operations and logistics to get the doors open. From communications and signage to scheduling and hiring staff, from updating the branch facilities to organizing day of logistics, the library team worked together and across divisions to ensure a successful and celebratory reopening. And because of their hard work and dedication to the community, all Santa Monica libraries are open for full service at least three days a week for the first time since March 2020. That is truly an accomplishment rooted in our values of humility, integrity, motivation, and care. And as you can see, we have some one. Do we want to keep showing those? We love the pictures. Um I think many of us, if not all of us, were able to come and we just we so thank you. Did you want to say a few words at at all before we come down? No. Okay. Um, well, we appreciate you

and uh thank you so much for making our library safe and accessible.

Um, I think we're Okay. Wait, we'll take a picture. Let's Let's go show.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. If you want these over.

Okay. Um item two, special agenda items. Proclamation uh 2A is proclamation black history month.

Yes. So, um, we I'm going to call up the folks who are here for Black History Month. Um, I think Delena is here to, uh, say a few words. Um, I'm going to read the proclamation and then I think we're going to have Leverne Ross, uh, and some groups who have come. So, thank you, Delena. Thanks for organizing. Um, and the and as everyone knows, February is Black History Month. We honor this every year. It's very important to us. And and I'm going to read the quick proclamation that we're going to be issuing tonight. Whereas the year 2026 marks a 100red years since Dr. Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of African-American Life and History established Black History Week, the precursor to the February observance, now known as Black History Month. And whereas Black History Month celebrates the achievements and contributions of Black Americans and the Black Diaspora whose economic, cultural, spiritual, and political leadership has profoundly shaped the development of the United States. And whereas this centennial observance is an opportunity to expand public knowledge of black history on a national and global scale while also honoring the courage, sacrifice, activism, and accomplishments of Santa Monica's black communities whose contributions have enriched our city and advance the struggle for equality. And whereas in the face of ongoing attempts to erase black history and as our nation approaches the 250th anniversary of its founding, we reaffirm our commitment to educating our youth, workers, and communities about the central role black Americans have played in shaping our nation and the world. And whereas amid continued antilack rhetoric and policies, the city of Santa Monica commits to advancing equity, ensuring access to resources and information for Santa Monica's black communities, and recognizing and encouraging support for blackowned businesses within our city. And whereas we honor the many black trailblazers in institutions that have left a lasting mark on Santa Monica, including religious, social, civic, and

fraternal organizations, military personnel, educators and medical professionals, judges and lawyers, musicians, artists, architects, domestic workers, caregivers and service industry workers, beauty industry workers, entrepreneurs, public servants, clergy and community leaders. And whereas the city council has reaffirmed its commitment to equity, acknowledging the need to address past harms, confront present inequities, and build trust through continued engagement with Santa Monica's black communities. And whereas the observance of Black History Month reminds us that Black History is American history, that all black lives matter, and that the work of building a society rooted in democratic ideals and justice remains ongoing. We're going to therefore resolve that the month of February is Black History Month in Santa Monica. Thank you.

Thank you, mayor. Thank you, city council. So, we have a lot of individuals and organizations here tonight. We're going to honor about nine of them. Um, but we did have 11 organizations that we want to honor. And these individuals and organizations are examples of the people and organizations that make Santa Monica the great city that it is. and many of the families here have been in Santa Monica for generations and have contributed a great deal to the city. So, we're just honored to be here tonight. And I'm going to call up individuals. Um Lauren, you're around here somewhere. You're going to help me pass out these proclamations and then we'll have those individuals um come forward after Miss Leverne speaks, but we just want to pass the proclamations out now.

Thank you, Miss Leverne Roth. Daryl Good. Leverne Ross is with the Junth Festival. Um, Daryl Good is the president of the NAACP Santa Monica Venice branch. We also have Aita Ship, the president of the Filmathian Charity Club. She's in the back. Do we have anyone from Phillips Chapel tonight? I'm not sure that Reverend Curry could make it, but um we have Renee Rice for Greater Morning Star Baptist Church on behalf of Pastor Tyrese Kaggel. We have Paty Cobb, the chairman of the board for Calvary Baptist Church on behalf of Reverend Mosette. Lauren, did you get Py? Miss Py, it should say Reverend Mosett on it. They're all in order. Okay. We have Brother Larry Robinson, sons of Allan, President and Steward of uh First AM Church Santa Monica. On behalf of Reverend Carolyn Baskin Bell, we have Robbie Jones, black son Santa Monica tours and concierge. She's on the front row over here. Robbie's also a film as well. We have Erica Leslie representing the black agenda. And then we also have um Council Member Snail who will accept on behalf of the Santa Monica Black Empowerment Association. Cara Snell is the executive director, but she couldn't be here tonight.

Okay. So, now I'll turn it over to Miss Leverne Ross who uh Junth Festival, but also an entrepreneur and you know, a beauty salon owner who got people's hair together uh for decades. So, we'll turn it over to her. I hope that seat will stay there. It's okay. It's okay. When you're my age, you have to bear with me. So bear with me and pardon my seat. Okay. On behalf of the Santa Monica celebration in Santa Monica, good evening everyone. Good evening, mayor, city council people and community partners. My name is Leurn

and I stand before you on behalf of the Junth celebration in Santa Monica now in its 34th year. It is an honor to accept this Junth Black History Proclamation as the city as the city recognized the 100th anniversary of Black History Month. This moment is more than a celebration. It is a reminder that our history did not begin in bondage and it will not end in struggle. Our history is a story of brilliance, resilience, credibility, and unbroken legacy. And when my family brought the tradition of Junth from the city of from the state of Texas to Santa Monica, it was three decades ago that we carried the same the very same spirit that Dr. Carter B. Woodson as he had doc in 1926. And when we And when he created Black History Week, Negro History Week, I beg your pardon, he created Negro History Week. That was it was in his belief that our stories mattered and that a community in this in his strengthened he strengthened and he believed in the honor. It was the honor to honor his

people who built it. Tonight, we stand alongside the NACP, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. coalition, the just the just for fun coffee and cafe organization and many many more

that have each reached the torch of culture, justice, community in their own way. Together we form a living between the present and the past and the future rather. And on behalf of the Junth celebration in Santa Monica, I thank the city for this recognition. And may we continue to celebrate freedom, uplift our youth, honor our elders, and ensure black history is not confined to a month, but be woven into this city's every day, every day's matter. Thank you very much again for this proclamation. Thank you.

Thank you. So, so Delena, I think we're gonna do a photo with all the organizations. Okay, great. Thanks. Yeah. So, if all the organizations can come forward and all of the black family that's here tonight, we want you in the photo, too. And I also just want to mention that we will be posting information about all of these organizations to the website um in early February because there's a lot of history and there's not enough time to talk about it tonight. Hi.

I I don't know if I forgot to mention, but Dr. Bernice Brown uh is here for MLK Junior Westside Coalition. Yes. Oh, she's not here tonight, but Miss uh Miss Darlene Evans is here um tonight on behalf of them. I apologize. I would have

I was trying to She's going to get Maybe another two. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, EVERYBODY FOLLOW ME DOWNSTAIRS.

OKAY, everybody here for Black History Month, follow me. Okay, may I'll read the next item while you situate. Okay, um if everyone could follow Delena. I think she has a reception going on outside. We will

we'll just wait till folks file out to continue here. I want to speak. Mayor, I'll read the next item while we wait. Okay, everyone, if you could just quietly I love We love the enthusiasm. Everyone looks beautiful. If we could just quietly file out so we can move along with our agenda. We have a full agenda tonight. Thank you so much. Okay. Okay. Yeah. All right. We're we're moving on to uh

the city manager report per agenda management. Um, and just before we get to the city manager's report, city manager, um, I wanted you to clarify a few things for the public here. It appears as though uh, election season is underway and we will deal with that through the, uh, the election process, but there have been, uh, three anonymous citywide mailers that have gone out uh, really disparaging quite frankly what what's upsetting is is staff and the work of our amazing staff around safety uh, and what's happening in the city. and we got some really great uh news over the weekend and I was wondering uh if you could just share some facts with all the residents uh so that we could just set the record straight.

Certainly, Madame Mayor. Um, you know, with regard to some of the efforts that this council adopted as part of the realignment plan, we have been really engaged in a process of executing. And one of those elements, the safe and clean priority the council's adopted really has involved um a rethinking of how we're coordinating public safety efforts in town. So, we'll be coming back to the council here in February um with an update on how everything worked in 2025. But some of the preliminary information that we've seen's really interesting that um you know through the middle of December um even though calls for service were down um roughly 4% we did see an increase in arrests of 21% over that same period. The other trend that we've been monitoring is the work um under Heidi's leadership in the city attorney's office. Um how is the criminal division functioning? It's one of the consistent pieces of feedback that we had heard. Were we filing on prosecutable cases? Well, in December, we were looking at some of the data year-toate. And in December, we had seen a 40% year-over-year increase in the number of referrals to the city attorney's office from the police department. In addition, in the fourth quarter of 25, the city attorney's office successfully filed on 88% 88% of all filable cases. It's a marked improvement over roughly 65 to 70% we were seeing prior to the council directing the realignment plan. Really, it points to tremendous work by our police department under Chief Jacob's leadership and in the city attorney's office moving things forward with doing the things the city should be doing. It's also important. I think we've tried to emphasize this as we've been

preparing the data. What does this trend mean? What does it represent? What does it not represent? And I think what's massively important to emphasize is as much as we are seeing this increase in public safety work, which we know has to be done, we are not criminalizing homelessness. Um, and that's such an uplifting conversation to be part of at the staff level. Every week, um, I meet with Chief Jacob on a variety of different issues and he says over and over, "Being homeless is not a crime." Um, it isn't. That's not what we're doing. We are not criminalizing homelessness. We're prioritizing outreach. We're prioritizing diversion. We're coordinating with service providers. And we're acknowledging that two things can be true. That homelessness, being homeless, is not a crime. It's also true that there are criminals who are homeless. And what we're prioritizing really is enforcement of existing laws. Those that violate those laws who harm others. That's not appropriate. we are going to continue to enforce in those areas where it's appropriate. And I think really the thing that's most encouraging is the trends we're seeing really are that we're enforcing the law with professionalism. Our city attorney's office is following through. There's a commitment to execution at the staff level. Um, I think everyone on this council and I hope everyone in Santa Monica shares pride in the work that our police department is doing. It's hard work. Um, it's hard work the city attorney's office is working through, but it's necessary and important if we're going to create a revitalization here in our community.

Thank you, city manager. I'm looking forward to having us give the full report in February. And um I would just say, you know, it's important that we acknowledge the work that the staff is doing and correct the record on inaccurate facts. And I think question when you're receiving something anonymous, if those people can't come forward and speak to that narrative publicly, you know, what are you what are you really receiving? Um I'm really looking forward to to our continued work on the realignment plan and just really appreciate you setting the record straight on that. Um, so with that being said, uh, I think we're we have a city an additional city manager report from you.

Yes. Um, we have a packed agenda certainly tonight, so we'll keep it fairly brief. Um, wanted to just, um, really call out again and emphasize last week what a terrific experience it was to have our libraries, Fairview and Ocean Park branch libraries reopen. Um, I saw Erica here in the audience a little earlier. um tremendous amount of work by Erica and our entire team at the library um to be able to get our branches reopened in record time. Um and thank you to the council for giving us a moment to celebrate the work that's been done on that front. Um also celebratory mood tonight with the recognition of Black History Month that we're headed towards. Wanted to let everyone know there's a lot of great opportunities to celebrate as we move into February. We have a couple of cool events lined up at the library, including the iconic House of Ninja dance performance on February 18th. We've also got a screening of the movie Ruby Bridges on February 28th. Um, all of the youth in the city can also participate in our Black History Month reading challenge. We've got numerous um terrific book titles um that have received a Kretta Scott King book award that um kids 12 to 17 in Santa Monica can participate in. And we hope that everyone joins us for the 11th annual Greens Festival on February 28th at Virginia Avenue Park. We'll have a full list of those terrific events celebrating Black History Month um in February. And um as we heard earlier, embedded into how we do things even when it's not February, you can find all that online at Santa Monica.gov. Um last thing before we get to a really cool update that we have prepared is meeting our adoptable pets of the month.

I had a chance to talk with Chief Jacob and um we are actually really working on seeing if we can't get animals to our council meeting. Um to introduce our pet of the month, but our pet of the meeting, excuse me, our adoptable pet tonight though is a one-year-old black and white shepherd husky mix named Forest Gump. Forest Gump is a little shy at first, but uh he loves to run. He can run and run and run. He loves being chased in the yard. Um gets along great with kids and other dogs. He's leash chained. He loves to show off his walking skills. Um he's neuter, microchipped, up to date on all his vaccines. Somebody, please, please welcome Forest um and have him run to your home. Please contact the Animal Shelter if you're interested. And of course, you can visit the Santa Monica Animal Shelter Foundation website to make a donation or shop the Chewy wish list. um one of the um agenda management items we did move up that I'm excited to um share some information about. I'm going to ask um our spectacular um assistant to the city manager, chief of staff, Sergio Ramirez, to come on up. Sergio has been busy at work um really developing an internal process to get launched um the program that council member Negrete introduced. this full council adopted to activate our one Samo people's academy that's set to launch this spring that Sergio I'll turn it over to you.

Thank you. Good evening Mayor Terros, council members and city staff. Sergio Ramirez as um I'll city manager T just stated um so I'm here to provide a brief update on the one Samuel People's Academy and just to give some background on September 30th um last year council directed staff to develop a program that strengthened transparency, trust and civic engagement. staff assess the viability of creating the program and we were able to develop the academy which directly advances those priorities. Maria, could you put the PowerPoint please? Thank you. Yes, perfect. And yes, the purpose of the academy is to give residents a practical understanding of how the city operates and how decisions are made. This will build long-term understanding of city services within our community. The program will launch in the spring. Um it will include a cohort of about 25 participants. It will include 10 classes held on a bimonthly basis led by departments. I'm super excited to share that all departments are participating throughout the entire organization. So really demonstrates our values um of being one SAMO. Um the timeline here shows the current planning through council evaluation and a future report back to the council. The application process will start in midFebruary and we'll ensure that there's equity and transparency and access for community um stakeholders to sign up um to measure success. Staff will track participation, attendance, um program completion, and then we'll also collect feedback to evaluate our program effectiveness and make sure that we make improvements in the future. Um and really so our next steps are to finalize the class schedule and locations, launch our community outreach. We will have a portal open for applications in a few weeks and then the first class will be in April. So we'll definitely share that information with all of you so that you can help us um

get people to participate and join our academy.

Um would it um maybe be appropriate, Madame Mayor, can let Council Member Negrete maybe speak to the item a little bit? Well, I just want to say thank you for making it happen this year. I know I brought this up maybe a year and a half ago and um it it was, you know, the police academy has something that's called the citizens academy. Um and honestly, since I started council, I've been doing tours that have now morphed into like these very specific tours that I do that have a curriculum with them. And they were really for Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts and schools that were coming. But every time the parent group got bigger and bigger and they wanted to come to do the tours and I started doing it for adults and it really was to understand how council works and to visit a few of the departments and then that's uh when we worked on this and I know that it was proposed to come back much later. So I do want to say thank you to staff for getting it together. My hope is that we really focus on getting folks who aren't normally in the know and involved um to step into chambers and really understand how our city government works and all the amazing work that our staff does. So, I just want to say thank you for putting it together.

Are you in the queue? Um yes. Uh I'm sorry, mayor. I I just noticed that we have speakers who signed up for 16i on this item since it was combined with the city manager report. I think we should hear them. Um, there's uh eight speakers. Oh, okay. I did not see that we had I These ones look like they're here for 10A. Yeah, I mean 16I. These are all people that are here, I think, on rate of recall, right of retention.

Um, are there any speakers here for 16i? Um, if we could just Would you like to just go down the list and confirm? Yeah, I mean I'm seeing Don Kamacho, Peter Tren, Judy Barker, Fred Denny, Jim Crystal, Jackie Romero, Sean A House, Cordulla Om. So I think that that's not the corre correct list. Yeah. Okay. Then um we do not have speakers for 16i. Um but uh we are going into item three, public input on consent calendar and close session. Was that the conclusion of the the report city and comments?

Sorry, where are the signups are coming in? March. We're actually in um just a couple of weeks. We'll start signups in February. Okay. Yeah. We'll be using a WOFU portal to collect applications starting February 17th and give people about two weeks to submit their application and review it following that. C I have a question. Can we make sure that we're using like non-traditional methods of reaching people because I think if uh as council member Negrete said, we're trying to reach people who don't normally engage. I think just putting it on our social media in a newsletter is not going to get the people who are not normally engaged. So uh yeah, is it possible we coordinate with our wayfinders and things like that since that is supposed to be giving us some time for city content?

Absolutely. Thank you. That's a great idea. Okay, great. That is wonderful. Thank you so much. This is great. Um, all right. Now we will move to public input on the items under the consent calendar and close session. Um, and we have Cindy Feifer, Denise Barton, Jim Harris, Ton Cas Tom Casparian, and we have one caller on the phone. Okay, thank you for that. If you could just state your name for the record when you come up, that would be great.

Uh Cindy Feifer, uh resident and executive co-executive director of the Santa Monica Pier Lees Association. We fully support the city signing a lease with California Roadhouse. Local operators help maintain the unique character of the pier along with generally exhibiting a high level of community engagement. Any business opening on the pier is committing to significant investment to build out their vision. This vision was based on the information provided by the city in the RFP. the city who is now attempting to add a significant roadblock by requiring them to adhere to the recall of workers ordinance being presented later in the meeting. This mandate creates significant operational and legal risks that their investors may simply be unable to accept and some investors may choose to pull out. The loss of California Roadhouse would be devastating and would leave a significant dead space heading into the World Cup. Good evening. Oh, look. A city a special city council meeting agenda item that will that which adds more closed session items. While I appreciate council member Negrad's attempt, you still plan to send more than one hour at close session. Again, I realize this is your cute way of thinning out the public speakers for the actual city council agenda items, just like you did at the last city council meeting. And it also makes it look like there are more speakers than there really are. So, you can cut the public speaking time to one minute, which is really disrespectful to the public. It further shows how you really don't want to hear from the public as well as you think your time is more

important than the public's or again I have to go back to why you put public input at the beginning of the meeting was supposedly to make it easier for the seniors and the disabled take public transportation home but if you don't come back until after the local buses stop running from city hall how's that supposed to happen then city manager Oliver Chi do you think it makes you look good as a supposed representation of the public to continue to allow this to happen. Just wondering if further stacking the closed session agenda is another way to disrespect the public who want to give input on city council agenda items at city council meetings. Thank you.

Good evening, Mayor Terosas, Mayor Proms Wick, city council members, and city staff. I'm Jim Harris, the executive director of the Santa Monica Pier Corporation, and I'm here to read to you a statement regarding uh close session item 5H on behalf of my board of directors. The Santa Monica Pier leasing process is a partnership between the city and the peer corporation. In light of the additional communication between the city manager and city council in close session tonight, the Pier Corporation board of directors respectfully requests an update on the matters being discussed tonight in order to ensure a strong ongoing partnership between the city and the pier. On December 15th, 2025, the Pier Corporation voted unanimously to recommend California Roadhouse as the viable new tenant at 256 Santa Monica Pier. on behalf of the Pier Corporation Board of Directors. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Casperian. Um, and Mr. Casparian requested four minutes.

Thank you. I'll try to make it in three. Mayor Terrosus and members of the city council. Good evening. My name is Tom Kasparian and I'm litigation counsel to SMF Property Holding LLC whom you have sued as part of the city's misguided efforts to shut down the Whimo electric recharging facilities at Broadway and Uklid. SFM SMF Property Holdings is the name of the entity owned by longtime Santa Monica families, the Hardings and the Carllands. They've owned those lots since the families owned Santa Monica Ford when it was used for car inventory since the 60s. I'm not going to lecture you about the lack of merit to the claims against Whimo and Voltera who hold a permit issued by the city for 24-hour charging. If we are to be dragged into that lawsuit, we will make that case to the court and I fully expect we'll be successful. I am here, however, to demand that the city immediately dismiss SFM SMF property from its lawsuit. That the city would sue one of its longtime local small business owners who have done absolutely nothing wrong would be outrageous in any city. But Santa Monica has earned itself a reputation for such hostility to local small businesses that it seems to be business as usual. Why the city would sue one of its own small business and property owners that has done absolutely nothing wrong would bogle one's mind anyway. But in a city clearly struggling to support its businesses, it should strike anyone as self flagagillation or suicide. I'll say it for a third time. SMF property has done absolutely nothing wrong. It is merely the owner of the lots. It's done nothing illegal. It has done nothing to create the issues complained about in the city's nuisance complaint. I've read that complaint and the city's motion for preliminary injunction backwards and forwards and could not find a single mention of

anything against SMF property. We're just thrown in with the other defendants with absolutely no basis in law or fact. I urge each of you to read the complaint that you authorize to be filed and see if you can find a single allegation that SMF property has done anything to create or further any of the various claims. You can ask your city litigation attorney the same question when you go to close session. Point out a single allegation in the complaint of something SMF property has done or contributed to. point out a single piece of evidence in city's 3-in stack of compendium of evidence in support of the preliminary injunction motion of something SMF property has done or even contributed to. There is zero SFM SMF property simply leased the property to Voltater who obtained a permit from the city for 24-hour charging. There is no allegation that any nuisance existed before the property was leased and of course none did. The law is clear in that circumstance that a landlord is not liable for a nuisance that is alleged in such a situation. We've set out that law in detail in a letter to your litigation council which was CCD by email to each of you. I'm not going to quote and cite the case log again for you now, but if you haven't read it yet, I strongly suggest you do so before you conclude the closed session. When SMF property obtains an order from the court dismissing this ill-considered lawsuit against it, the city will once again have egg all over its face for its poor choices in attacking rather than supporting its small businesses and longtime citizens. And at that point, we'll be seeking compensation from the city. Please dismiss us from city's lawsuit immediately. SMF has done absolutely nothing wrong.

Thank you. Thank you. Believe we have a public comment online or on the phone. Uh Jacob Wermanman for two minutes.

Um Mr. Rossman, you may you may begin.

Thank you so much. Um my name is Jacob Wasserman, Wilmont resident. Speaking for myself, longtime listener, sometime caller. Um, I'm speaking on item 4G, the short range transit plant. Uh, Big Blue Bus has done a lot of great things with Brighter Blue. I'm already excited to see some of the service improvements in action. I just want to talk about Hillgard Terminal. If you don't know, it's the northernmost uh point of most of the lines at UCLA. Um, you're in a weird situation where you're voting on service for people you don't represent. UCLA students and staff and faculty in Westwood. Um, but Hillgard Terminal is vital because it serves iconic destinations like Royce Hall and the Sculpture Garden and Young Library. Um, and they won't be within a quarter mile of direct bus routes to Santa Monica um, if the cut goes through. And Hillgard Terminal has operated for almost a century now. Um, and so I would just urge that you pull 4G from the consent calendar, ask that staff come up with a plan to restore service to Hillgard terminal and then pass. It doesn't need to be a long discussion. Um, but otherwise we're going to have uh terminalists with less shade, less seating, um, and a less amenable space for transit users and drivers and pedestrians alike. Thanks so much and thanks to the staff because the plan is otherwise really good.

Great. Um, that concludes the public input on items under the consent calendar and close session only. Um, on consent calendar, have we received any request to pull items? Um, I I did not. Um, but I think we should also ask if there are any recusals on the right. I was about to do that. Yeah. Um, I know that council member Rascin is asking to recuse on item 4G. Do you want to say why? Yeah. My uh law firm, Hansen Richard LLP, represents the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in various matters. Not this one. Uh but out of an abundance of caution, I'll be recusing. Uh just to be clear, neither I nor my law firm have any financial interest in this matter whatsoever.

Thanks. We will wait for council member Rasin to leave the dis. Oh, wait. Sorry. We should probably You know what? Before you do that, let's Is there a motion to approve everything except for 4G? Oh, I'm sorry. Uh Maria, were you were in the queue? I have not. Sorry. Okay. Go ahead. I'll make that motion to uh accept everything but 4G. Second. Okay. Um, council members. Yes. Council member Snow. Yes. Mayor Promzwick.

I'm sorry. I'm I'm seeing another item that I'm going to be recusing on. So, if it's okay. Uh there's a second reading of the HPP ordinance that I'd like to pull as well. So Okay. Sorry. Which item is that? I apologize. 4 H. Okay. So um can we have an amended motion, council member? Everything but 4G and H. I approve everything but 4 G and 4 H. I'll second that. Okay. Starting over. Um council member Zernitzkaya. Yes. Council member Snow. Yes. Mayor Promswick. Yes. Council member Rascin. Yes. Council member Hall. Yes. Council member Negrete. Yes.

And Mayor Terosis. Yes. That carries. Um we now maybe we'll have Council Member Raskin leave while we vote on 4G and then council members Wick leave while we vote on 4. Okay. Uh, council member Oh, sorry. Excuse me. We have a we have another item. Council member Snell, did you want to say anything? Uh, apologize. I will I also have to recuse myself on item 4. Okay, we'll get to that in a moment. Um, sorry. We can call the role for 4G.

Council member Negrete. voting. Oh. Um, Council Member Nete, yes. Council member Hall, yes. Council member Raskin is absent. Mayor Pro Timwick, yes. Council member Snow, yes. Council members Erneskaya, yes. Mayor Troas, yes. Motion passes. Great. So now if uh council members Yeah, I'll be recusing for the same reasons I did before based on um the reasons provided by the FPPC and my current employer. Great. Thank you.

And we understand that the recusal of council member Snell is for reasons previously stated on the record with respect to the first reading as well.

Okay. Um, and do we have a motion and second on I'll move um for 4. I'll second that. Council member Zerniskaya. Yes. Council member Snell and Mayor Promzwick are absent. Council member Rasin, yes. Council member Hall, yes. Council member Negrete, no. And Mayor Troas, yes.

Great. Um, council members, you can come back. Um, sorry. We are now something my something's out of order in my agenda, but we're now going to go to the close session. Uh, and uh, maybe I I understand that there's some recusals on close session. I'm just waiting for is it possible uh, Director Gupta, if you could get them back in here. Thank you so much. Appreciate you. Great. Um, so Madame Clerk, would you mind calling the close session items and then we'll talk about who's recusing?

And I'm sorry. I thought we were going to hear item 12A after consent. Oh, that's what I thought was out of order. It said we were hearing that uh this was one of the motions during agenda Um, agenda management, my sincere apologies. It It said 12:35 on my agenda, so I was uh slightly confused. Okay, 12A. Uh, and I don't see before we get into that, I didn't see that there were separate public comments on 12A, were there? Um, we have um one person who spoke I mean, who signed up in person and we have a caller.

Okay. So, how would you like would we like to hear the public comment first before uh the staff report? Um, we can hear the staff presentation, ask for clarifying questions, and then open up the public. Okay, great. Um, sounds great. Thank you. Oh, yeah. Is it up?

How do you figure out how do I Sorry. I'll help you bring up.

All right. Uh, good evening, Mayor Terosas, council members. My name is Lisette Gisad and I oversee safety, security, and training for the Department of Transportation. Oh, thank you. Uh, tonight I'm here to seek your approval to adopt the Yield Rideway signage on Big Blue Bus buses pursuant to Assembly Bill 1904, which was signed into law in 2024 and authorizes but does not require transit agencies to equip buses with yield rideaway signage on the left rear of the buses. To implement the program, the legislation requires a public hearing resolution signed by council and a public education program. On February 11th of 2025, the city council directed staff to explore implementation of the program. After reviewing the requirements, signage options, enforcement, and budget considerations, staff is recommending the installation of a static yield rideway decal on the left rear side of each bus. Um, that would be the one that you see uh to your left. This option is cost-effective, minimally complex, and can be implemented efficiently across the entire fleet with limited operational disruption. If the program is approved, our community engagement team will proceed with a public education campaign, which may include uh public service announcements on social media, website, and other communication platforms. Sorry. And as far as um enforcement and crossjurisdictional considerations, the legislation did not create an enforcable duty for motorists to yield to the buses and doesn't authorize issuing of citations. So there should be no concerns as far as uh different jurisdictions enforcing since this is not an actual enforcable offense. Um and then lastly, the impact to our budget would be minimal since the total cost to implement the static decal program is approximately $6,000. Thank you.

Thanks so much. Um I don't see anyone in the queue. Does anyone have questions? Council members Ernit Skaya. I was Thank you for the presentation and thank you for working on this. I know it's been a while. Um I wanted to clarify uh assuming the council passes this, how soon would we be able to start seeing these on our buses? Um we actually have uh decals already, so we can start implementation pretty quickly. The beauty of it, it's all it requires is a surface cleaning and then um actually installing them so we could see it within the next few months. Right. Thank you.

Hello. Hello. Okay. Test. Test. There we go. Uh sorry I probably jumping the gun here into comments, but I just want to say thank you since this was uh an item that I brought forward with council member skaya. So, thanks for all the work on this over the past year. I really appreciate it and I think this will be uh a safer experience for our buses. Thank you. Yeah, I also want to echo the thanks. Um I just want to say that uh I was really impressed by the uh low cost of this. I don't know how you guys negotiated that, but uh nice work and I'm prepared to make a motion if uh Oh, that's right. I'm sorry.

Um just two speakers. Um there's One person on your screen, mayor, and then uh we have a caller. I do not see anyone on my screen. Can you call them please? Because for some Micah Jordan, not on mine. Okay. Micah Jordan. Hi. Na. Sorry. Apologies. Oh, okay. Not 12. Then let's let's go to our caller, uh, Jacob Werman for two minutes. For the record, I do not have a separate um whatever is appearing on my thing is not separate, but anyways. Yeah, Jacob Wasserman.

Um this is Jacob Wasserman, Wilmont resident. Um speaking for myself again, I just want to say so thank you so much to staff to council members Holland and Skaya for introducing this um motion a year ago. I think we are the first city to utilize this state law. So, I am very excited, not just for big blue bus riders who are going to get the extra seconds that add up every time a bus pulls out, but also for the rest of the state because they can look to us and see if it works and hopefully, you know, find some pocket change in their budgets and implement it as well. Um, so thank you so much to staff. Um, again, as a regular big blue bus rider, I am very excited to see this move forward. Appreciate it.

Thanks so much. I think we're ready to entertain that motion now. Uh yeah, with thanks to the team on staff and with thanks my colleagues for bringing this forward, I'll uh move approval of this item. Second. That was council member Negrete second. Seconding. Mhm. Council member Negrete. Yes. Council member Hall. Yes. Council member Rascin. Yes. Mayor Promzwick. Yes. Um Council Member Snout. Yes. Council member Zernit Skaya. Yes. And Mayor Terosen. Yes. Thank you. Thank you. Great. Um, we will now read the close session agenda and uh, council members Wick, you want to recuse yourself?

We'll wait till should it be read first? Sure. Sure.

Okay. Uh, 5A, close session. 5A from the regular um, meeting agenda is conference with legal counsel regarding existing litigation on the John Doe's listed on the agenda. 5B um involves the city and IC SOP at all. 5C uh conference with legal council uh significant exposure to litigation two cases. 5D uh conference with legal counsel consider filing amicus brief regarding Harris at all and city of LA. 5A conference with legal council existing litigation Edgar Espinosa versus the city. 5F um Anthony J. Stone versus the city 5G conference with real estate negotiator regarding property in 1333 4th Street, 1324 Fifth Street, and uh 1234 Fourth Street. City negotiators Natalie Verlinich housing manager and a uh Augustine Elman analyst. Um and there are uh several um people to be negotiated with on listed on the agenda. 5H um conference with legal real estate negotiator regarding 256 Santa Monica Pier. City negotiator is Oliver Chi, city manager. Persons to be negotiated with Sean A House. Uh California Roadhouse Incorporated 5. Um regarding 2019 and 1905 Pico Boulevard, uh city negotiator is uh Oliver Chi. Persons to be negotiated with Dennis Wilder. 5J um is regarding property in uh at 2020 14th Street. Uh city negotiator again is Oliver Chi. Persons to be negotiated with Thea Cabichelli. Um the 535 special meeting items. Uh 5A is conference with legal council existing litigation uh

city versus Whimo LL at uh LLC at all. 5B uh regarding Santa Monica EV Holdings LLC at all versus the city and last item is 5C um regarding Whimo LLC versus the city. Um and per our discussion, we will attempt to be back at 8:30 pending that we're not in the middle of a item. Um just to clarify as we adjourn to close session, what item are you guys here for? 12A on the rightway for the buses. I apologize. Okay. Maybe you should talk to the clerk.

Yeah, they can help you. I think Oh, well, this is the the clerk right here. We'll talk. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you so much. Sorry. Oh. Oh, sorry. Um, Mayor Proton, uh, I will be recusing myself from items 5C, 5D, and 5G due to a potential conflict of interest under government code section 871000. Great. Thank you. And we will see. Yes. Uh, Council Zern Skaya. I just wanted to note that I'll al I will be recusing myself from one of the matters listed under item 5C due to a potential conflict of interest under Government Code section 8710.

Okay. Thank you. Oh, go ahead. And also while awaiting formal guidance from the FPPC, I will be recusing myself from items 5I and 5J due to a potential conflict of interest under the same government code section 8710. Okay, we'll see everyone soon. Thank you.

Thank you all for your patience. Um, it looks like we have I'm seeing 77 public comments, but you said 47. Um, there's some duplicates there that um So that's why I think the 61 is for let's see so on items 11 A 11 C through E 16 A through H uh I cannot tell him it looks like we have

61 public comments um we will take the minors first that means that everyone per our council rules everyone will have one minute unless you're uh representing a border commission madam clerk That's correct. Um but um I assume we're going back to report out on close session. Yeah. So uh is there any reportable action?

So we will do another um report out after um the end of close session. But during this first um round items 5 A, 5B, and 5E and five five I don't think 5C was heard. Um 5 A, 5B, 5E and um five uh excuse me, 5H were heard with no reportable action taken and 5C was heard as well. uh conference of legal counsel whimo. Oh

yes, I I apologize. And five and items 5A through 5C on this special um special meeting agenda were heard as well. Also with no reportable action taken. Thank you. Um okay. So due to agenda management, we've moved uh some items. So we'll uh continue with our travel announcement. Uh does anyone have any reportable travel that they participated in since our last meeting? Okay, great. And we already did the mayor's highlight, so we will move on to uh public input on the remaining agenda items. Uh madame clerk, do you want to announce the time? Um I'm sorry, the time like how much time everyone has? Uh well, we have over 25 speakers, so um time will be reduced to one minute per speaker.

And how much time do people that are representing a border commission have? Oh, um is anyone here to represent a border commission? I see one hand in the back. Two hands in the back. So, isn't that four minutes or am I making that up? Um, five. Five. My apologies. Um, but if they can identify themselves when they come up. Okay. When they come up. Great. Representing our commission.

Okay. Um, Andrew Hoyer, Jerry Rubin, Cindy Feifer, Denise Barton, and Diane Walke. Uh, just you don't need to be in that order. Just announce your name when you come up. Thank you. And um I'm sorry, mayor. Um could we hear the the minors first? Oh, my apologies. So sorry.

I'm so sorry. Cody K, Ellie K, and then Micah Jordan wanted to comment. Ma, my my apologies. Speak loudly.

Hi, my name is Ellie K and I go to Will Rogers Learning Community. My school has a turf field. I don't like it at all because it always gets in my shoes and I don't like feeling pebbles on my feet. Grass is better because there's no plastic. It just feels better than turf. When I get home and I take off my shoes off, all the plastic comes inside. Inside the turf also gets hot and feels weird. I'd rather have a grass field than a turf field because we should have more natural spaces in our community. We have assemblies at my school. Our principal always says we're on a beautiful field and I don't agree. I think it's ugly and itchy when um we have to sit on it. testing.

Testing. Okay. Hi, my name is Cody K and I attend Will Rogers Learning Community. I've come to speak about the problems of artificial turf and their effects on my peers and me when we play sports. I am a soccer player and I love to play on grass fields. When I have to play on artificial turf fields, I usually end up getting my knees very scraped up. Also, the turf is very slippery and I notice more kids falling than we do on real grass. I'd rather deal with a little dirt or mud. I know that plastics used to make the artificial turf has PAS and lots of other chemicals we know are bad for us and especially bad for kids. We're heading toward the world of the Lorax where we have no real green space left. My parents grew up playing on real grass fields and there are fewer and fewer grass fields around. I don't understand why more artificial turf fields are installed.

Thanks so much. Appreciate you all. Um Does uh ma Jordan want to comment as a minor? No. No. This is the a comment on remaining agenda items.

And would these this be for what? One minute. One minute. Yeah.

Hi. Regrettably, I returned to emphasize the mismanagement negligence by community corporation originally according to the Pico roots marketplace which was supposed to be and applauded as acknowledged the harm caused by highway 12 to both black and brown black and Mexican communities during the 1960s. As previously indicated, the black and brown businesses owners risk their business and interest to secure financing for the marketplace. This wasn't just talk. This is an actual file to stop. Unfortunately, none of those businesses remain operational. The city has effectively weaponized a nonprofit using taxpayer funds. Over $26 million in taxpayer money was invested in this project only for it to close in less than a year. Initially, I took comfort in the city's recognition and anticipation to be more proactive in involvement in managing the marketplace. I urge you to safeguard the interest of the citizens. I would like to highlight that since September we have been in mediation.

Okay. Thank you. So, um I I believe staff has spoken with you previously, but if anyone from the staff can just clarify city's involvement or help, that would be Yeah. And maybe we can read into the record or get a copy of the the documents for the future. Okay. Thank you. Um apologies team. We will now go back to Andrew Hoy or Jerry Rubin in whatever order I called you in. Thank you.

Uh good evening. My name is Andrew Hoyer. I'm the vice chair of the urban forest task force. We have endorsed the master park plan, which will pave the way for our great park with no housing, but which will have space for our public works team and hopefully a nursery to grow our own trees. Staff has worked hard to get you an option to move forward quickly at Memorial Park. Please honor that work and accept their recommendations. I am also the president of Santa Monica Min City Neighbors and we endorsed the citywide ban of artificial turf included in this plan. At UCLA, the deputy chief sustainability officer once mentioned that putting artificial turf on their intramural field was her biggest regret. Last Thursday, I recorded 68 degrees off the field and 92 degrees on the field at lunchtime soccer game. Please use your influence with the school district to stop them from placing any more of it in our city. Thank you. And uh go team Marine.

Great. Thank you.

Thank you Jerry Rubin. I'm also on the urban forest task force which is speaking with myself. I'm also a supporter of the great park coalition as is the urban forest task force unanimously and almost virtually every other board and commission. I also support real grass instead of environment fake grass. Imagine if we had fake trees, artificial trees. We need more park space. A lot more. Even with Memorial Park and everything else, we're going to need the great park. And I went to the Reckom Parks Commission meeting. I think you the revised plan there without a parking structure will be good. Get on the blue bus, get on some shuttles, get on some school. We can do it. We could get another field. We don't need the parking structure there. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Uh Cindy Feifer, Denise Barton. I'm just going to call a few more names. Uh Diana Waly, Stephen Johnson. Everybody has one minute because we have more than 25 speakers.

I have more than one item. Good evening. On item. Finally, item 11, retro retroactive justice program. I wonder if this would be anything like Susan Clark's assistant city manager position which was initially funded with a grant but then the cost shifted over the taxpayers after that. Then again you're begging the taxpayers to extend tax and considering new partial tax. Why would you be considered another department especially if you're claiming you can't pay for emergency services otherwise? It would also be nice if Mayor Terosis could explain how to all of us now how how us now responsible are responsible especially financially for what happened then. I see this as nothing more than manipulation or buying votes. I thought everyone was supposed to be treated equally not shown different preferential treatment due to skin color. And will the disabled be included considering how the city continues to discriminate against the disabled and target them? Thank you. Good evening again. Cindy Feifer, Santa Monica Pier Lees Association. I'm speaking on 10A. The less of the pier represent businesses that have collectively invested millions of dollars in the pier and in the workforce. Our members are united and concerned that this ordinance 10A sends a chilling signal to current and future tenants. The language essentially translates into a private right of action that creates unacceptable risk for small businesses that lack the infrastructure to defend against litigation. Even minor or technical violations could result in lawsuits that threaten their survival. This is an anti-b businessiness proposal that threatens

the stability and confidence needed for a vibrant fully leased pier. Let's focus on the revitalization plan and not special interest policies that in the end will cause more businesses to close and more employees to lose their jobs. Thank you. Good evening. Diane Walkey. I'm a board member of Safe Healthy Playing Fields. I'm a retired advanced practice nurse and a public health nurse. Use of synthetic turf in Santa Monica is in conflict with your bag ban sustainability rights ordinance, zero waste plan, commitment to the Paris climate agreement, single-use plastics ban, climate action plan, the blue city certification you have, and Cydia's habitat vision for 2050. Purchase and use of synthetic turf is feeding the fossil fuel, petroleum, and plastics industries and the turf industries greed for money and their desire to keep you on the hook every four to 10 years for more plastic. There's nothing sustainable about this toxic and cancer-causing product which exploits natural resources, pollutes land, air, and water and has created cancer clusters where it's manufactured as well as where it is ultimately dumped. So-called bioplastics are not biodedegradable. They have a more hazardous They're more hazardous to the marine environment and they have a chemical hazard.

Thank you. Um Stephen Johnson, Mary Joe Dalton, Jim Harris, Lewis Wanabi, Kathy Gentile.

Hi. Uh my name is Stephen Johnson. I'm the chair of the recreational parks commission. So I appreciate the extra privilege privilege of time. I'm given I'll still try to keep it quick. Um I'm going to be speaking to 11C parks and recreation vision plan as well as 11D memorial park expansion plan. For 11C I want to on behalf of the commission thank senior park planner Tony Lopez the public works recreation staff. And I'm just going to call your attention to a few key points. Uh the first point being if you have a chance it's 345 words 345 pages worth of document and you're going to love it. It's the most comprehensive vision and parks plan you'll ever see. Uh so please give it a read this weekend. Um the prime thing is a call for 5 acres per 10,00 residents. It sounds like a lot, but it's actually not. It's it's going to be right for the city. It's something we can achieve. Um you'll find that the it's they've done an exhaustive study on what we have uh what our needs assessment is and and what it acknowledges as a document is the current overwhelming unmet demand for parks and recreation. And this talks about playing fields, what's going on the swim center. Uh it highlights you you have a 12year 1,000 person waiting list for community gardens. There's no dog run north of Memorial Park. Uh, as of right now, we have no plans for pocket parks along Lincoln Canyon where we're building a lot of new development. And the parks and recreation vision plan also really highlights park safety as a key demand across all locations, not just in places that are problem areas, but even places we don't think of as problem areas. So, I'm going to focus on just those three items and call your attention to that. Otherwise, we have a ringing endorsement. The parks and recreation commission has worked with Tony for two years on this and it's a fantastic document. Um I'll move to 11D

memorial park expansion. Uh this document is 10 years in the making. This document is 10 years in the making going back to 2016 2018 when we had our big meetings at uh the civic auditorium meeting rooms and and figured it all out. They got stymied by the pandemic and set back by costs. But with your help, we were able to push the whole project forward again, get it in the design phase, and now it's ready to be presented. Uh, Lind Cogwell, senior project manager, also want to thank her public works and recreation staff for making it possible and and for carrying it all this way. Um, they're going to present phase one and phase two again, some of which you've seen. I think the thing that's very different tonight is they've got a price tag on it and it's it's it's a fairly ridiculous price tag um based on just where things have gotten over time. You will be presented with three options and of those three options, one option actually removes uh what's been in the plan for a very long time, a parking structure with pickle ball courts on the top. As the commission wants to ask you to direct, if you can take pick that option and direct staff to come up with a design that removes that option, moves the surface courts uh first to a temporary location and then to a more the more permanent location so we don't disrupt uh and go without pickle ball for a while. Uh so removing the parking structure takes 20 million at least off the top and that's a huge thing. Parking structure doesn't even give us more parking. It actually just takes away parking spaces. So, it works out pretty well. So, we're asking for that direction. Uh, that brings it down quite a bit, especially if they're able to get the grants for the SWIP, for other water reclamation efforts. What I will say is it still seems like a lot of money when USC just built a stadium for soccer and lacrosse for $38 million with a press

box and locker rooms. So, we need to keep the pressure on staff to find a way to build this without planning it into oblivion because of the cost, right? We can't build these parks if we can't afford these parks. Things just get kicked down the way. So, I I'll stop with that, but those are the recommendations there. Uh remove the parking structure, phase it so we don't lose pickle ball at Memorial Park. Everything else will kind of take care of itself. The last thing I'll mention because it's a hot topic. Um the discussion over artificial turf and uh natural grass. I want to reiterate what the city staff came up with as a compromised position. It's not quite what you're hearing. Grass fields stay grass. The two only two artificial turf soccer fields that the city owns would stay artificial turf until such time as we have grass fields to replace them. So part of this vision plan is to get enough field space so that it obiates the need for turf. If we can just get six a dozen more fields, we can like step away from having artificial turf for the soccer, lacrosse, rugby, high impact sports like football. And that will be the big um the big thing that we need to focus on moving forward. But in the meantime, the staff recommendation is grass stays grass, turf stays turf. And

thank you so much. Mary Joe Dalton, Jim Harris, Lewis, Wanabi, do any of it doesn't matter about the order. You just come up and say your name. Thanks.

Good evening again. Uh, honorable city council members and city staff, I am still Jim Harris, the executive director of the Santa Monica Pier Corporation and here once again to read to you a a statement um from my board of directors, the Santa Monica Pier Corporation. This time regarding item 10A. As the city council appointed body which represents the Santa Monica Pier, the Pier Corporation board of directors requests that the city council table tonight's proposed ordinance, item 10A, and first refer it to the Pier Corporation to host a public meeting with stakeholders at which city staff may present the proposed ordinance, so that the board may subsequently convey to the city council any concerns about the high probability of financial and cultural impacts to the pier in light of the recent six years of economic hardship and uncertainty related to the upcoming um currently happening pure bridge reconstruction.

Thank you. Thanks so much. Um yeah,

good evening, Madame Mayor and members of the city council. My name is Lewis Watinab and I'm speaking on 10A. Um, so, uh, my family has had a 100red-year history with Santa Monica and I'm pleased that my uncle Kay retired as your city treasurer. Um, and, um, so, uh, I I belong to, uh, Clue as well as being a member of the St. Monica Catholic community. And uh basically what I want to say is that you know I think a retention of Rusty's workers is a is a good thing. I think it's the moral thing. And so I ask you to please re pass and the uh recall and retention a policy that would ensure laid-off workers are offered first chance uh to return to jobs in the pier. And uh you know as a former as a business professor I I really think it it can be made to work.

Thank you. Mary Joe Dalton. Uh Kathy Gentily Ishmael K. Uh docu Mary Joe had to leave. Okay. Uh are you on the list? I am Kathy Gentilly. Yeah. Yeah.

Okay. Uh, good evening, council, mayor, council. Um, my name's Katherine Gentilli. I'm a 40-year resident of, uh, Sunset Park in Santa Monica, and I'm here to speak about worker retention, uh, specifically as it pertains to Rusty's, but um, not so specifically as it affected my family. When my father worked for a restaurant in the South Bay for 30 years, the place was taken over by another corporation and he lost his job. And what that did to him was not only economically devastating to the family, it was painful to watch him be crushed day by day to not have his job back. a job that he valued, a job that he was very good at, a job that his co-workers valued him for, but because of his age, he was not called back. So, um, not just Rusty's, but any business, the employees for their own dignity and humanity Hi there. Good evening. My name is Ishmaile and I am one of the workers at Rusty's. I'm here today because I care about my job and I care about my co-workers. My co-workers at Rusty's are among the most hardworking people I've had the pleasure of knowing. People who put their heart and soul into making the Santa Monica Pier the welcome and unique gem that it is. We came from all over Los Angeles to be here because we know that our workplace, the pier, this city was unlike any other was special and we wanted to be a part of what made it special. My co-workers and I, like so many others on the pier, put our hearts and souls into fueling the tourism industry here in Santa Monica. And we sacrificed so much to make sure the pier was not only a good place to visit, but

also a good place to work. When Rusty's was closed so suddenly, it felt like a smack in the face to all of that sacrifice and hard work. We love this job. We love the pier. We, the workers, are what makes this pier great, and we are still here. Rusty's workers, despite what some might have you believe, are not old news. hopeful day Gil Lee Eli Kenyonz um and Judy Kerr.

Good evening. My name is Dcoin and I had the privilege of working at resties before it closed around this time last year. I am here tonight eagerly awaiting the opportunity to return to work on the pier. And that is why I urge you to vote yes on this worker retention policy. In a time when many of my neighbors are living in fear and uncertainty, I am glad to be here in Santa Monica, where working people where the contributions of working people, including immigrants, are valued. My co-workers and I collectively have years of experience working in Santa Monica. and I've met cooks, servers, busters, and bartenders who've been working on the pier since before I was even born. And we all look forward to um continuing those years of service to the Santa Monica community. So once again, I urge you to vote yes on this work in retention law. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Eli. I work at Midamar Verman for 37 years. bartender and I would like you pass the law of retation recall. I was also laid off on Midamar and uh I got a recall and I'm I'm still recall to get my position back. So please uh uh rejection recall pass the law please. Thank you.

Thank you. Uh Gil Lee, Judy K, Gloria Shen, Patty Walker, Christina Santiago, Matthew Ham, if you could line up and uh just state your name and approach the mic. You ma'am, you can come forward and approach the mic or not. Good evening, council. My name is Patty Walker. I'm here to talk about the right of retention for Rusty's workers. So I've lived in Santa Monica for four years and as you many know the pier is a place of symbol for families and others that gather here from around the world and feel welcome by our city. The feeling comes from the buildings and view alone not it comes from the workers who greet us service and bring the pier to life every day. Rusty workers were a key part in this. Whether they worked there a year or mean many, many years, our community is much stronger when we honor the people that work there. Thank you. And please pass the retention worker law. Thank you. Good evening, uh, honorable mayor and council members. My name is Matthew H and I am the LA and Santa Monica organizer at Clue Clergy and Ley United for Economic Justice. I urge you to vote yes on item 10A. Santa Monica is on a path to a renaissance and realignment. It is essential that as our city recovers economically, our workers who have come here so many times and to the PR commission as well get to gain from this recovery and realignment. This measure 10A draws from presidents like at LAX and in other cities as well as Santa Monica's uh hotel retention ordinance and will ensure that workers are able to come back to work as the pier and our downtown um continue to

thrive. Please vote for this worker retention ordinance to make sure that the Santa Monica Renaissance does not leave anyone behind. And as you have seen, our interfaith communities here in Santa Monica and the west side are united with these workers. Please pass 10A. Thank you. Good evening, city council members uh and mayor Caroline. My name is Christina. I'm a resident of the city of Santa Monica and proud parent of two househ high schoolers just up the street uh Samoai. Uh our public land should be used to advance our goal as a city. A r a right to return is essential so workers aren't left behind when business change hands. As a resident, I want to continue feeling proud of my city and there is no Santa Monica without the workers. We support the rest of rest workers and all the workers on the pier and the city of Santa Monica. Please pass this worker retention law. Thank you. Thank you. Um I'll just call a few more names. Roberto Mazeros, Freddy Ro Oh, gota spill. Freddy Roberts, uh, Liliana Hernandez, and Miguel M.

Yeah. Just tell us your name. Yeah.

Uh, my name is Gloria Shen. I've been a resident of Santa Monica for 15 years. I've also been playing in the Santa Monica Adult Soccer League for 10 years, managed several teams comprised of over 100 players, and I'm here representing nearly 1500 players across the league. The adult league is an integral part of our lives, providing a vital third space for us to enjoy the outdoors, exercise, socialize, and build community bonds. Though there are other leagues offered in the vicinity, we choose the Santa Monica League for its convenient location, affordability, and variety of offerings. I commend the students I spoke earlier regarding the environmental impact of turf and share their concerns. I admire their idealism, but unfortunately, when confronted with the realities of implementation, this is not the no-brainer it appears to be. The cost to maintain grass fields can be astronomical and the amount of water needed to maintain grass fields is also beyond practicality especially in a droughtprone climate where water is a precious resource that is desperately needed elsewhere. Adults are also currently forbidden from any organized sports plan grass fields. If all fields become grass and that role is existed that would spell the end of several adult leagues. Thank you. Thank you so much. Yeah, you if you want to just come up and state your name.

Sure.

Uh, good evening council. My name is Roberto Masaros. I worked here at Santa Monica since 2010 and I also attended Santa Monica College. Uh, I'm here speaking on item 10A. Uh, I I think you guys are blessed to have something in front of you and make a decision that is going to change people's life. Um, I used to work at the Sports Match Hotel when when Jav decid which was the management company decided to say, you know what, we can no longer make money here. So, we're going to go back to San Francisco. Brooftton came in and took over the hotel. 78 workers like myself didn't know what was going to happen with us. And if it wasn't for that work retention language that we had with our contract in there that we fought for, none of us would have come back. Same situation had to help over 250 families at the Lowe's, formerly Lowe's hotel now region Santa Monica. If it wasn't for that language, you all would have been visited by 250 families that were being here talking about, hey, what happened? So we cannot just allow like Mr. Trump could come in here and say, "You know what? All you guys, I don't need you guys no more. I have my own people who can run the city and then

Thank you.

Good evening, council members and mayoris. My name is Lilyana Hernandez and I'm a hotel worker here at Fermon Miramar Hotel for 12 years and also I'm proud member of Unite Hill Local 11. So hotel workers, we already won worker retention in Santa Monica and it's made a profound difference in our lives in our famil family's lives. Especially after CO Santa Monica recognized the stability and respect for workers should come first. Peer workers deserve that some respect and the same protection. Please pass the worker recall in retention law so that laid off workers will have the chance to return to jobs they want. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Uh and then Miguel M. Angela Scott Hajar Robbie Jones Ashley Olsen.

Good evening honorable mayor and council members. My name is Pastor Brighty Roberts and I'm here tonight on behalf of Unite Here Local Levven where I serve as director of community organizing and I am a former longtime resident of Santa Monica as well. We believe in worker retention and recall and we urge you to adopt 10A tonight. We think this is an amazing opportunity to preserve jobs and build the flourishing community that is here. One change that could strengthen this law is to further clarify the process in situations where the previous or incumbent employer does not provide a list of employees to the successor. The city can and should help put together a list to ensure that no one is left behind. This would improve predictability for both workers and employers. As a landlord for the pier, we do believe the city can also take a role in helping ensure that this law is followed. We urge the council to add language ensuring that any lease on the pier include these retention provisions. Worker recall and retention policies are common sense measures that already apply to many hotels here in Santa Monica and have proved to be um helping to stable.

Thank you. Good evening, mayor and council members. My name is Miguel. I am a member of a proud member of Here Local 11 and a worker at Angel Stadium. Um, uh, this talk about worker retention reminds me of my co-workers at Angel Stadium, uh, in 2012 when the food service changed operators. There was almost a thousand workers who did not know what was going to happen with their jobs. Um thankfully eventually the the new operator did bring back these workers but uh me who has only worked there for a few years and has visited the stadium for 25 plus years uh I have the pleasure of working alongside folks who have worked at the stadium for 30 40 45 years and I I wouldn't have that uh honor without that worker retention and those are the folks who have really made the community at Angel Stadium and I I think um the same can be said said for uh the workers that would be affected by this worker retention law.

Thank you. Angela Scott. We also have Hajar, Robbie Jones, Ashley Olston, Mike Feinstein. So Robbie and Hajar have left.

Okay. So Angela Scott, good evening, mayor, vice mayor, and council members and city manager. I'm speaking on item 11E. Let's see. The creation of a citywide restorative justice program and commission signals an understanding that accountability must be permanent, structured, and embedded in governance, not symbolic or episodic. Community representation on the restorative justice commission is not about exclusion or tokenism. It is about shared governance, pairing professional, legal, and administrative expertise with lived experience so that decisions are informed, credible, and trusted by the people they are meant to serve. The balance is what transforms acknowledgement into repair. Santa Monica now has the opportunity to demonstrate what accountable leadership looks like in practice by appointing Commission Thank you, Miss Scott. Thank you so much. Appreciate um Ashley Olsson, Mike Feinstein, um Gleam Davis, Lori Lieberman, Benjamin K.

Do I get two minutes? I'm here representing the commission. just just I shouldn't even need it.

Okay. Ashley Olsen, Commission for the Environment or for Sustainability, the environmental justice and the environment. Um, I'm speaking tonight on behalf of the commission. And as outlined in our letter, the commission sent to council, our recommendation is to approve the parks and recreational vision plan and the set goal of five park acres per thousand residents. Additionally, at our November 17th meeting, the commission unanimously adopted a motion regarding artificial turf. The Commission on Sustainability and the Environment recommends that the city council direct staff to prohibit the installation of new artificial turf sports fields within the city, maintain existing natural grass sports fields as natural grass fields, and upon reaching the end of their useful life, replace existing artificial turf sports fields through a competitive bidding process with durable natural alternative field materials consistent with the city's operational needs and sustainability goals. And as previously discussed tonight, artificial turf contaminates soil and by and groundwater by leeching chemicals, but it also stops rain from recharging our groundwater, increases toxic runoff, and destroys the soil microorganisms that I don't think have gotten mentioned tonight. So, I'm here to answer any questions you may have on how we came to this uh position and any other questions on the environmental impact of artificial turf within our city. Thank you.

Thank you.

In supporting the five acre goal, I want to say historically how it worked the last time in 97 when we set a similar goal. What it led to is the teen center at Virginia Avenue Park because the council then had the mandate to do two years of financial set aides to have money in case new land became open. And when the plastic mart went on the market, we had the mandate to go ahead and buy it. And that's why we have a teen center today at Virginia Avenue Park. So getting behind this goal will lead to good policy in the future. on council member Negret's item on council rules. I understand that reasonable minds can disagree. I hate it when we cut people off at and the mic goes off at the end of their time. The only answer is starting the meetings earlier. Anaheim starts at 3. Their close session is from 3:00 to 5. It's the only way you're going to get not squeezing the balloon and have it coming out in some other time. So, Good evening. I'm Gleam Davis. I'm speaking on item 11A, which has to do with the extension of the YY and GS agreements. Uh, on behalf of SEPS, I want to refer you to Ted Winter's letter. Please extend the agreement for 10 years, and do not muck around with any of the other terms of the agreement, including the termination clause. It's fine the way it is. I also want to speak to item 16 C, the affordability item. I am a former co-chair of the Santa Monica Early Child Care Task Force and I just want to tell you that while I appreciate the idea of baby boxes and making uh it more affordable for families with young children in our city, if you really genuinely care about doing that, what you need to do is figure out a way to increase the amount of subsidy available to families with young children and expand the number of families who qualify for that subsidy. There are people in our community who quit their jobs because they can't afford child care.

I'm Lori. I'm Lori Lieberman and I'm vice president of the school board. And with me is Alicia Minano, our school board president. We are here to speak on item 11A, the agreement between the city and SMMUSD, which implements measures Y and Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y which the voters approved in 2010 and measure GS and GSH which the voters approved in 2016. While we truly appreciate what we believe was the underlying intent in the initial proposal of an indefinite agreement, we believe that the prudent course is to simply extend the current agreement by 10 years until June 30th n 2038 1938. Wow. Um, both sales tax measures that fund this agreement included advisory measures that directed half of the revenue from these measures to SMMUSD for the purpose of funding public education and the other half to go to the city. The advisory measures since some of you are

is Alisia on the signed up for comment. Why not? Um, council, should we give our one minute to Elise? One minute to Alisa. Does anyone want to make Yes, I'll make that recommendation. Okay, great. So, she can continue talking. Oh. Oh. All in favor? I

I Any opposed? Okay, great. Thank you. measures passed overwhelmingly with YY passing by over 68% and GS uh passing by over 70%. The extension of the agreement we are here to support tonight literally operationalizes the will of the voters. We value our partnership that's been built with this over the years between the school board and the city and we're committed to seeing it continue to thrive. Our local public schools are very highly regarded as you know and our partnership has helped the schools maintain the highquality instruction and necessary support for students in our community. In the case of the two sales taxes addressed by the agreement on your agenda tonight, our partnership has also brought in millions of dollars to the city to address its priorities as well. In closing, we just want to urge the city council to approve a tenure ex tenure extension of the existing Y and Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y YYY and GSGSH agreement through June 30th, 2038 and will ensure that the board of education in um we have Benjamin K. Denny Zayn, Kelly K, Connor Webb, Daniel Campbell. If Benjamin K, Denny Zay, Kelly K, Connor Webb, Daniel Campbell are here, you can approach the mic. Thank you.

Uh, good evening, uh, city council and mayor. I'm Benjamin K, science instructor, resident, father of the little kids, and and, um, adviser of the team marine members here earlier. I'm also a member of your, um, clean beaches committee for the city of Santa Monica. So, hi everyone. Um, there's been a lot of contention over artificial turf fields, as you guys know, both within the school district and the city. Um, our school district unfortunately has kind of taken a pro-turf stance. Uh while the city is poised and still making its decisions on on the future parks um as well as the memorial park, I wanted to position myself with the sustainability commission's uh recommendation uh in changing bullet three, which is uh that uh turf be replaced um well with turf. It says in the staff recommendation, but change that please to turf being replaced with advanced specialized natural grass systems. These are durable grasses that haven't really been uh experimented with or

Thank you. Thank you.

Good evening. I'm Denny Zay. I'm here representing Santa Monica and for renters's rights. Um I want to urge the council to move forward with the worker retention policy as before you modified as suggested by unite here. Um and I also want to uh praise the effort in 16C to expand the city's support in multiple ways of families in our community. I'd like to suggest that you also include an expansion of something like the pod program to other needy populations. Those two items is uh that's an evening of good stuff. Thanks. Thank you.

Evening council. Uh my name is Connor Webb. I'm here to support 16e. Uh curb ramps are an overlooked but crucial part of our infrastructure. Um, accessibility is paramount, but curb ramps are also so much more. Uh, it's about parents with a stroller carrying a child or a teacup Yorkie. It's our economy's vital tourists with luggage. It's active aging for our seniors that are just one fall away from losing their mobility. However, not all curb ramps are created equal. Uh, the best provide separate ramps for each uh each crossing and inferior ones uh are diagonal ramps that have a single ramp for both directions. Dual ramps enhance safety. uh they slow turns uh and they don't force people with mobility devices or strollers to enter oncoming traffic to cross. The US Access Board was clear when they issued their public rightway accessibility guidelines that requires dual ramps. Despite all that, less than 10% of our ramps over the past year have met the standard. So, this is long overdue. Thank you to council members Wick and Hall for this. Let's ensure that our city is at the forefront of accessible design, safety, and active

Thank you. Um, we have I just want to make sure the people who I called who didn't come up, Kelly K, Daniel Campbell, Mike Soloff, Dora Hernandez, you guys can come up uh and get in line. Thank you. Uh, hi. Um, uh, excuse me. Uh, my name is Daniel Campbell. Um, I just wanted to uh first I just wanted to say um what a great Santa Mona community night. I've been watching um all the public comments um and it's really great to see our community standing up and using their voice in a rational and reasonable way. Um great job guys. Uh, I'd like to talk about um uh 11D, the memorial redevelopment and expansion project, and just make a few suggestions um uh uh in concert with uh you know, what was said previously. Um first, I'm very happy that Rick Valty and his staff at public works um are going to keep natural grass fields um natural grass. I I think most of the community is, as you can see, are kind of demanding that um and hats off to them. Uh secondly, uh concerning the budget and we I know the redevelopment plan has been going on for a while, but I would urge council not to rush the plan if you can't.

Thank you so much. Um feel free to email us to Mike Soloff, Dora Hernandez, Brian Sweeney, Miguel V, Grady Hall.

Hi, good evening. My name is Dora Hernandez and I am a worker here at the Visor in Santa Monica for almost 20 years. Um, as you know, as a hotel worker, right, people come from all over the world. They not only just come to see the beach and and you know, have a good time, but they also here and visitors and they have a great time because of the work that we do. So I believe that it's very important that our workers at Rust is you know they also get that worker retention because just myself because of worker retention I was able to keep my work at the visor when it change uh to another uh different company and I believe that please uh pass this work retention policy that will protect our peer workers also. Thank you so much. Hi, Mayor Terosas, honorable council members. My name is Brian Sweeney. I'm here to speak on 11C and 11D. I know that most of you are more used to, you know, endearing enduring my commentary and writing, uh, but this is just too important. I had to be here for this. Um, so I am urging you all to adopt a stronger position than what staff recommended and not spend any more taxpayer dollars on artificial turf. Um, one thing that I didn't see in the staff report is that the city actually does have a policy on artificial turf already. Um, we are, uh, you know, according to our cash for grass rebate program, artificial turf, is on the city's website, does not support biodiversity, does not foster soil health. Uh, synthetic turf components are associated with significant greenhouse gas emissions. Artificial turf is not recycled. All of these things are still true and I don't understand how the city can credibly uh claim to be committed to sustainability if it's not going to abide by this existing policy and uh pay for more artificial turf even for replacement installations.

Thank you. Uh and then I don't know Herardo Cruz, John Kamacho, John Zith. Thank you. Okay. Hi, I'm Grady Hall. I'm here on behalf of uh the Santa Monica Pickleball Club. We have hundreds of members and 9,500 Facebook uh members who none of whom are here. They're playing pickle ball or they're sleeping for tomorrow's pickle ball. Uh so on a lighter note, what we want to do is on the vision plan, we'd like it to be based more on uh current data and um comparable cities. Right now, it's based on for pickleball courts. Right now it's projected to have 10 additional court needs in uh in the next 5 years. Um and we think that if we do comparable cities and keep in mind that Los Angeles is the second highest pickle ball participation rate in the entire nation, uh then I think those will change the numbers a little bit and be more uh more on par with tennis. Uh that's that's item 11 C for the vision plan. On 11D for the Memorial Park redesign, we love it. Um, we just want to support the staff who's been really great um, in calling for a proactive plan to fully replace the programming. Pickle ball's a little complicated in the noise issues and the surface and the wind. So, we just want to make sure that

Thank you.

Good evening, council. Speaking to item 11A, the agreement between the district and the city. I'm the assistant superintendent Gerardo Cruz for business and fiscal services speaking on behalf of the board of education and superintendent Shelton. The district strongly supports the approval of a 10-year extension of the existing agreement between the city and the district to 2038 under the same terms and currently in place. This approach is both prudent and fully consistent with the structure of the existing agreement which already contemplates success successive 10-year extensions. The voter approved measures were founded on clear commitment to a shared investment. The strong community support for these measures reflect a collective belief in strengthening both our schools and our broader community. Our long-standing partnership with the city has been instrumental in sustaining highquality instruction, essential student services, and strategic fiscal stewardship. We urge the approval of a 10-year extension to 2038. The district remains committed to this enduring partnership and I appreciate the opportunity to speak on behalf of the superintendent of schools where we serve every student every Good evening council. Uh Don Kamacho Maria Soul Restaurant at the Pier um just wanted to comment on on 10A. Um I'm just asking you to consider some of the impact on small businesses. So we're a small business, not a large business. Um there are some administrative hurdles that are practical that do have an effect. Um and we take really good care of our employees, always have and that's a big part of who we are. Um it also puts uh opens up a path for predatory plaintiff attorneys who are always out there. Um and that's also a tough burden on on small businesses. Uh you've heard about uh tourism obviously taken some time to come back. The timing of this is tough. the national mood is tough with all the things going on in the country. Um, and you know, we want to work together with council, with the city.

Um, so we actually just think about small business and those impacts and um, again, we want to work with you and and look forward to to doing other things and bringing Santa Monica back. Thank you very much.

Thank you. It doesn't Well, John C. Smith, you're you're I see you back there. Peter Trin, Shereice Crier, Judy Baker. It says Baker. I don't know if it's Barker, but uh Alisa Ortiz. Good evening, Mayor, Council. John Cyrus Smith, Parks Commissioner. The public the parks and recreation vision plan deserves your unanimous support tonight. Two, Memorial Park. We found a way to shave 15 to20 million off of phase one. Please support it tonight. And also maybe let's be bold. Let's ask the school district to match the $20 million we got from SMC so we can begin both the memorial and the airport park expansions. Three Rose Parade float. Imagine our float. It kind of looks like the pier. The signs in the front. There's a ferris wheel. Changes color. Got a surfers and stuff. I like it. Finally council meetings. It's about time. people who show up here have earned two minutes to speak. Um, move the close sessions back to the beginning. And by the way, lumping all these items, four items in one minute. It's it's simp.

Thank you, Mr. Smith, Peter Tren, Shereice Crier, Judy Baker, Alisa Ortiz, Fred Denny. Good evening, mayor, council members, city executives. Um I'm Peter Tren. Um you should move um close session to the end. How's that? No, just joking. Um anyhow, as a member of the peer board, I just wanted to come out tonight to lend my support to um the current lease for the California Roadhouse because I think it aligns with the shared goals of revitalization, stability, and long-term success on the pier. But I'm worried about item 10A. When the rules change, particularly rules that will make it harder to do business in Santa Monica, it just only leads to more vacancies. From a business perspective, why invest when rules keep changing and not perceivably better for the business? Businesses make commitments based on the regulatory environment in place at the time of approval. When the city adds later new requirements that materially change operational risk, it jeopardizes not just one lease, but the confidence of the whole city's like leasing process. If we want credable partners and responsible operators on the pier,

you feel free to come up and just shrier. Everyone has one minute.

Good evening again. My name is Sherice Cry. I'm a reparations activist. I was on the Santa Monica reparations and landback task force, I guess, until today. Um, I'm asking that you all uh disregard or vote against uh the proposal. Um, this was not a democratic process. Um, I have ties to Santa Monica. Um, but I do not appreciate the work that we put in. Cost a lot of money normally. Um, we are experts in our fields. myself. I'm a lawyer and the way that this was rolled out, it was undemocratic. So, I'm asking that you um re-evaluate the next steps for this task force and please do the right thing by the community. Thank you. Thank you.

Good evening, uh mayor, council members. I'm Fred Denny. Uh I'm here tonight to oppose u the right to recall. I I know you all know my position on that, but I wanted to be on record. This is just the first step in such an ordinance can easily expand throughout the city. Any proposal right now that is anti- business is sending the wrong signal to business here in Santa Monica and those who want to open business in Santa Monica. I'm a resident of Santa Monica of 50 years. I am a business person in Santa Monica. I will celebrate 47 years come June 9th. Not that I was counting. Um but uh I really feel that there needs to be more input on this before you vote. I would prefer you table it. As the peer um director has said, I think it needs more public input and more business input and you need to get

Thank you, Fred. Um, I guess Judy Baker, Alisa Ortiz, Jim Crystal, Crystal, sorry. Jackie Romero, Pat Patricia Sandival, Sean A House, Cordulla Omen. Yeah, feel free.

Hello. Uh, Jim Crystal, co-owner of Back on the Beach. Uh we appro uh oppose right to recall but we are very much in support of worker retention and rehiring people year after year. But we do not like this ordinance. You know this is burdensome to all the recordkeeping and then if it is um you know if there are attorney fees written in in there for uh recovery of attorney fees. You know, this is going to just drive up predatory attorney-driven lawsuits. This is a curse to a lot of small businesses uh fighting off attorneydriven contingency fee uh litigation. Um workplace infractions are free and very easily settled and adjudicated by the labor board. the

Thank you.

Uh, it doesn't matter the order. Just come up and say your name. Jackie Romero, Trisha Sandival, Sean A House.

Um, good evening. My name is Aisa Ortiz. I'm a Santa Monica resident and the student body president at Santa Monica College. I wanted to acknowledge the significance of what's being proposed tonight in 11E. Um establishing a permanent re restorative justice program. A dedicated fund and a commission creates the kind of structure that's been missing and that is necessary for this work to be sustainable. As this program moves into design phase, I encourage the city to think carefully about how legitimacy and trust will be built alongside that structure. Restorative justice works best when the communities most impacted by past policies are meaningfully included in shaping the path forward. As criteria and governance structures are developed, ensuring strong pathways for participation from historically impacted communities, including black and indigenous family ties, will strengthen both the credibility and effectiveness of the program. This is an opportunity um to establish a program, but to also model how structure and community partnership can move forward together. I appreciate the city in taking this step forward and seeing how this framework develops. Thank you. Good evening, mayor and council members. My name is Jackie Romero, and I'm speaking on behalf of the California Restaurant Association, which represents many small operators here in Santa Monica. We strongly oppose agenda item 10A, the proposed recall and retention ordinance. This policy would make it significantly harder for restaurants to operate at a time when margins are razor thin. The ordinance imposes rigid rehiring rules based solely on seniority, not operational need. Restaurants must be able to staff appropriately. priorit prioritizing cooks, chefs, or key roles to function safely and responsibly. The 10-day acceptance window is unworkable. Restaurants would be forced to keep positions unfilled while waiting for responses, potentially taking weeks or months to staff essential roles. The private right of action exposes restaurants to costly litigation over technical violations, even when no harm has occur occurred, inviting predatory lawsuits against small businesses. All

of this comes amid continued economic uncertainty, including tourism validity. We have yet to see the impact on visitors as the pure bridge under goes replacement. This order I've been here for in Santa Monica for about 45 years. And I'm just going to say a couple things. I was just given some information. in Los Angeles Unified School District voted on December to transition away from synthetic turf and the other one I was given is Belmont Park moved away from doing synthetic turf. I totally agree with the idea of having natural grass to play with to breathe. We need oxygen. Uh cutting grass when you cut the grass is like perfume. I mean I feel like a kid. We need a sustainable city and that means we need to bring healthy things to us that give us health and not put things I mean we already have atrocious buildings and where are rooftop gardens I remember we talked about that 10 years ago is anybody talking about that anymore Thank you.

I send most of you an email, so I hope you understand. That will be in the public record. Thank you, ma'am. Hello, Mayor Council. I have about 20 minutes of things I want to say and I'm going to narrow it to about 45 seconds. Trying to squeeze it all in here.

The truth is, um, I'm Sean Ahos with California Roadhouse. We oppose a right to recall or a right to rehire. It's easy to say everyone deserves a job and most of the people that work for Rusties do deserve a job and we are open and willing to interview every one of them and hire everyone that's qualified and meets our requirements. However, it's incredibly naive for city council or unite here local 11 to tell us that we can run our business without deciding who runs who we hire. This I've been in this business for 25 years, 30 years. I've managed and supervised over a thousand restaurant employees. It's incredibly naive to say a business can be successful without choosing who their employees are, without selecting and going through the selection process. The single most important job I have is to choose the employees that work for me and work with me. Nothing determines my success more than many of these great workers that would be a great addition.

Great. You can always email us. Um, I I believe just want to make sure that there aren't some folks that didn't get called. If you're here to speak and I did not call your name, can you raise your hand? I uh Okay. What's your name?

Um, I don't see her on the list. Uh, city Got it. But perhaps uh does anyone want to make Oh, they can use the last name. Okay. Yeah, we got her. Okay. Thank you.

Thank you. Santa Monica Local 11. Santa Monica. Gracias. I'm gonna translate. Good evening, members of the Santa Monica City Council. Uh my name is Patricia Ibanz and I work as a housekeeper at the Hyatt Centric Delfina for the last 19 years. I am also a leader and proud member of Unite Here Local 11. Workers in the hotels. We've already won this retention law in Santa Monica and it has made a huge difference in the lives of my co-workers and also their families in this whole industry. Santa Monica has already recognized the stability and the respect that workers um deserve to get first. The workers on the pier also deserve the same respect and protection. Please approve this retention policy so that the workers can return to the work that they already had. Thank you.

Great. Okay. Uh that concludes Oh. Um Mayor, we have two callers and um I don't know if you want to go down the list. There's some names that did not have a check. Um, before we get to the callers, Judy Baker, Miguel V, Mike Soloff, uh, Connor Webb spoke, I believe, Kelly Kay, um, Robbie Jones wasn't here, Christina Santiago, Judy Kerr, Gil Leeb, Mary Joe Dalton. Um, I believe if you're here, doesn't seem like anyone else is here to make a comment. So, let's go to the phone.

Okay, let's hear Mr. Jacob for one minute.

Hi, thank you. Um, this is Jacob Wasserman, a Wilmont resident, planning commissioner, but speaking for myself. Um, just want to talk about 16E, the curb ramp one. Um, I push a stroller and when I have a need a diagonal curb ramp, I have to take my kids literally into the line of oncoming traffic. Um when I saw that the California Street reconstruction project was putting back diagonal curb ramps even after um the guidance from the feds say that you need di uh you need two-way curb ramps and the city has acknowledged it. They just said, "Oh, it's in design." Well, the money you save now is all going to go away if there's ever a lawsuit about someone who gets hit by a car because of a diagonal curb ramp. Um so I'm glad this motion is happening. I hope that you tell all current projects to stop in their tracks and redesign their curb ramps. Even if it's going to cost a little more now, it will save a lot down the road. Um because we need curve ramps going both ways. It's a safety issue for not

that was one minute. Next caller is Hannah Lesner. Good evening. Can you hear me? Yes. I'm sorry.

Okay. Good evening. I'm Hannah Leesner. Um I'm speaking as a mother, a longtime resident, and a lifelong soccer player. I'm asking the city to adopt a no more turf policy. Greenes, green space access and sports are very important to our family. We care deeply about how the city handles public spaces. I'm asking the city to be forwardlooking in their consideration of the turf issue and direct staff to pursue modern grass management practices and grass varieties so we can enable the access to fields that the community needs in a safe and non-polluting way. I also want to thank Tony Lopez and park staff for their really inspiring vision of the city of Habitat and I'm asking council make it a reality with no more turf. Thank you.

Thank you so much. I believe that now concludes public comment. Yes. Uh thank you everyone for coming out. Uh we will now uh move on to the ordinances 10A. Uh introduction pursuing of an ordinance. Oh, sorry. got cut off. Um, and I will defer to the city attorney and city manager to present this item. Thanks.

Good evening, mayor and city council. I'm here to um speak to you today about some potential updates to the city's uh recall um and retention policies. Um specifically, it would be to um introduce for first reading an ordinance to amend chapter 4.66 of the municipal code and to add chapter 4.69 of the municipal code. Uh before we get started on the background, um I wanted to just kind of as you've heard and as we've been discussing, there's two concepts before you this evening. One is worker recall and the second is worker retention. Worker recall is the rehiring of workers who have been laid off for economic reasons. And worker retention is the retention of employees um during um as a result of a change when a change of control of a business occurs. So we can start with a little bit of background as to how we got here. Um in July 8th, 2025, council give direction to staff to develop and return with a right of recall and labor peace ordinances for folk city council consideration. Uh not too long after um a couple months after this, uh city council adopted a resolution identifying local fiscal distress due to the current financial uh condition of the city. Shortly thereafter, the city um city council adopted the Santa Monica realignment plan, which is predicated around restoring safety, revitalizing key civic spaces, growing economic activity, rebuilding city organizational strength, and returning to fiscal balance. And more optimism came around on December 16th, 2025, when the council discussed the city's participation in various upcoming worldclass events. Everybody's very familiar with these

things such as the 2026 World Cup, the um 2028 Olympics, and um the 2027 Super Bowl. Against this backdrop of um fiscal difficulties, but also uh room for optimism and um a plan to move forward um to revitalize the city, the city manager's office and the city attorney's office. We've spent time since mid2025 consulting with the sponsors of the council direction on recall and labor peace regulations. Through these conversations, the council's subcommittee identified a preference to strike a balanced approach that's focused on encouraging business activity and supporting worker rights. The policy perspective led to a focus on advancing only a right of recall and retention regulations. At this time, the balance focuses on protections of the Santa Monica Pier, which is one of the city's most valuable assets, protecting workers while also furthering the realignment plan by encouraging business activity and reducing disruption during ma during the upcoming major events. So, the proposed scope of work additional worker pretentions attent protections that are being presented this evening are to amend Santa Monica Municipal Code Chapter 4.6 related to recall of workers to provide for recall of laid-off hotel workers on city- owned property and hospitality workers on the pier. The second change would be to add Santa Monica Municipal Code Chapter 4.69 retention of workers which would provide for retention of hospitality workers at the pier for a period of 90 days after a change of control of the business. It's important to um in this context to um note that the um in both of these scopes that the city is operating as proprietary capacity as a landlord.

So a little bit of background on current protections for peer workers that are already in place. The current chapter 4.66 was adopted in response to the economic conditions following September 11th, 2001. It does require employers to first rehire workers that were previously laid off for economic reasons. The application of that ordinance is workers within the coastal zone and the extended downtown core if the employer had gross receipts of at least $5 million in the year 2000. The current protections for peer workers also include labor peace language in the peer leasing guidelines which require that new or substantially amended leases include provisions to ensure that peer tenants will not engage in practices that impede employees ability to organize and contract with labor with lab with a labor organization for the purpose of collective bargaining. Of note, as previously mentioned, existing labor peace provision in the city's leasing guidelines will not be updated or amended through this item. There are also current protections for hotel workers um adopted by the city council previously under chapter 4.67. Those include um a hotel worker retention provisions um for a period of 90 days following a change of control of the hotel operator. So the first set of amendments would be to um update uh chapter 4.66. Through the work of the subcommittee, existing recall regulations in the city's municipal code would remain in place. The updates would apply to operators of hotels on city- owned property and hospitality businesses on the pier with five or more workers that aren't already covered under the current regulations. Under the updates, if adopted, the proposed worker recall rules would require operators to offer positions that become available after the effective date of the ordinance for

laid-off workers who performed at least two hours of work within the geographical boundaries of the city, were employed by an employer for 6 months or more, and had a separation date after September 9th, 2025 that was due to lack of business, a reduction in force, or other economic non-disciplinary reason. The addition of chapter 4.69 would keep existing rules in place for current hotel workers, but expand those protections as follows. would require the retention of workers at hospitality businesses on the pier with five or more workers for a period of 90 days after a change of control of the business and provides noticing for noticing to workers of the change of control that offers um that offers are made in writing and that workers shall provide and receive a performance of evaluation after the 90-day retention period. This language is very similar to what is already um provided for for hotel workers under chapter 4.67. We've also identified some potential um clarifications and changes to the ordinance. The first would um clarify the definition of change in control to address situations when there is no single document affectuating the change in control. So essentially it would make clear that if there is no se single document effectuating the change in control, the change of control date would be the date the document that culminates in the sequence of events comprising the change in control. The second change is a similar change to the definition of eligible worker and addresses the situation when the change of control is not affectuated by a single document. The third change would um provide the definition of successor peer employer includes a business operating at the same location and providing the same or substantially the same hospitality services as an incumbent peer employer.

And to um provide more additional context, the successor peer employer is the employer that you know takes over a business after a change in control and is required to retain um the employees of the incumbent peer employer which is the business that was um controlling and um employing the employers before the change in control. The fourth change would um clarify worker retention period and provide for when um the successor per if a successor per peer employer is not known at the time um that the period of time beginning on the date of the incumbent peer employer be commences operations that are open to a public for a period of 90 days. In other words, if there is a change in control um of a of an existing business, then it's 90 days from the change of control. But if the city if the um space is changing over to another business, the successor peer employer is required to do 90-day retention period after the um commencement of operations. Another another uh potential clarification um expands um also accounts for this situation where the um the successor peer employer is not known at the time. when the um incumbent peer employer ceases operations. In that situation, the worker retention provisions still apply provided the successor peer employer provides the same or substantially the same hospitality services. The incumbent peer employer is required to provide a list of eligible workers to the city at the time they cease operations. And the city is subsequently required to provide a list of eligible workers to the successor peer employer once that successor per peer employer is known and they commence operations.

The final potential change is to um uh remove a requirement that allows a successor peer employer um to not make an offer um to a su to a to an employee if the peer employer has a reasonable substantiated cause not to retain that eligible worker. So it removes some confusion that could occur during the um during the retention process. And with that, we um leave it to council for questions and discussions. Thank you.

Thank you. Maybe we'll do one round of questions and then comments. Um if people don't have questions, we can go straight to comments. Council member Snell. Uh thank you very much. Um do you do you have a list of how many uh actual tenants on the pier would be affected by this and the number of employees each of them have? going to defer to the city manager on that one.

We uh certainly have looked at the uh um different listing of businesses on the pier. We don't know how many um total employees are um associated with each of the businesses. Give me just one moment. We can pull up the uh total number of actual um hospitality that would be um covered under this proposal. Give me one second. Uh yeah, no one has other questions or comments. I I guess we'll finish with the questions. Apologies.

Okay, council member Snell is done. Zernitzkaya then. Thank you. Um, so I know that there are some potential clarifications and changes, uh, but I wanted to get some clar Sorry, can you all hear me now? I understand there's some potential clarifications and changes as suggested by the city attorney, but I wanted to get additional clarification. So, I actually understand exactly what it is that we may be voting on. Um, when it comes to a substantially similar positions, how is that similarity of positions determined? similarity of positions um when the for the retention or for recall um for for which change I'm sorry

for the recall for recall um so there are job classifications and if a worker falls within the same job classification they would be recalled when that job classification takes over it's an industry standard and there's also an opportunity um if the worker could be trained just like a new employee would be trained for a recall in that situation as well. And is that the same for retention? For retention, you are already in your position.

Got it. Okay. Um, so it would be like if somebody is a line cook, then they could still they would come back as a line cook. But if there's, you know, an executive chef and a line cook, a line cook couldn't come back as an executive chef unless they had already unless they could be trained into that position or they had gotten additional qualifications in the meantime or something. Yes. And and the idea behind the retention is ideally, you know, there is no disruption in the employment.

Okay. Um, and then how would this uh, and I recognize we're trying to balance a lot of competing um, interests here. I wanted to ask how could this ordinance impact our efforts as we try to rebrand rebrand as a more businessfriendly city.

Sure. So, I think that's more of a policy question for the city uh council and um perhaps the city manager would like to weigh in, but but as you know, as we mentioned before, it's it's supposed to strike a balance between, you know, um business activity and worker protection and really focusing on the peer um you know, protecting that asset and making sure that there isn't disruption um uh labor disruption um during these major upcoming events which are generally going to be centered around the pier.

Okay. I think the only other thing we would add as relates to um the business interest. I think the subcommittee we worked on spent a lot of time trying to balance out and take feedback. Um it's part of the reason why the labor peace agreement components have not been brought forward for consideration. Um how do you balance um business related support a business friendly environment with some of the worker protection priorities the council has I think really shaped the policies you're considering tonight. And to Heidi's point, really is a policy decision for the council. Um, if I can jump in very quickly too, in terms of the total number of leases that we have, there are six restaurant leases on the pier, nine retail leases, six $1 or nonprofit leases. We have um nine um uh concession cart leases that exist on the pier in total. Um, we believe that the proposed regulations um, certainly would cover the restaurant, retail, nonprofit leases on the pier. Um, as it relates to the carts, I apologize, there's a nonprofit exclusion provision. Um, so that wouldn't apply. But the, uh, the carts, we would have to depend on the nature of how many employees um, operate at each of those carts. We'd have to do a little bit more research on those. that you would think they would apply

um on the concessioner cards. Um you'd have to meet the employee count in order for it to um ultimately comply. Thank you. And I will also add that it's there is also a definition for the hospitality businesses. So it's it's really focused on hospitality which is eating and drinking establishments and large scale facilities such as arcades and amusement parks and then smaller scale facilities which provide more of an entertainment hospitality and tourism function. So it may not it may not apply to retail as an example. Thank you.

I would say it's currently drafted. That's another question for the council if you would like to expand. Um how did how did the subcommittee come to the threshold being two hours per week for recall? say that that language is is fairly standard across um uh several ordinances for worker um retention and recall.

Um and let's see here. So um for the provisions in section 4.69.020 C1 um that's substantiated cause. I know we just discussed it but like or you just went over the potential changes. How would that be defined? Like how would it be documented? And is this fairly typical language and other worker retention right to recall ordinances?

Right. So this language is um currently in chapter 4.67 um with the um hotel worker retention provisions. Um later adopted um worker retention provisions does not include this um language. So it's one reason why you may want to are not including it in these newly adopted regulations for peer workers. Um the uh substantiated cause generally would probably be um interpreted to mean that there is some evidence um to support whatever cause is being cited um to not reh not to have you know for this disciplinary reason. Um but perhaps those kinds of questions that you're asking is one of the reasons why this langage is not up in future retention ordinances.

Okay. Difficulty in implementation. Thank you. And um hopefully final question for now. Uh why why slash how did we come to the threshold of five workers as being the threshold of when it applies? That's a policy question for the city council if you'd like to. Um again these numbers um you know are across several juris we've looked at several jurisdictions for examples.

Okay. Thank you. Council member Z. Um, couple questions quickly. Um, when it comes to other jurisdictions, you mentioned that we studied a number. Uh, is it correct that um the cities of um LA and Glendale and West Hollywood, San Francisco and Berkeley have some similar ordinances, but they tend to not apply when it comes to um the case whereby a new business would replace an existing one.

That's correct. The hotel worker ordinance does not necessarily apply that way either. It's actually a change of control of an existing business rather than shutting down one business and opening up a new business. Um there are examples in other jurisdictions where um in different contexts whereas at the airport or Long Beach there are some examples where even a a substantially similar new business would be subject to this. Yes. In the context of um convention centers and airports is usually where you'll see that.

Okay. And um it says somewhere I believe I think was was mentioned that this this question of um um reasonable and substantiated cause not to retain an eligible worker. I believe I saw somewhere that says it's not included in worker retention, newer worker retention ordinances, but I'm looking at the West Hollywood recall and retention ordinance and I feel like I do see a paragraph of that language. Is that outdated or

right there there are there are again it's these these regulations sort of evolve over time. So we have seen ones that were more newly adopted um in recent years, but you know the city's was adopt the city's hotel worker retention was adopted in 2019 and No, I just I just see examples. I just see a notes here that it says Glendale and West Hollywood. I don't believe do not include it, but I'm seeing language in the ordinance provided from West Hollywood that I believe does. Um I'm just want just I know I should have asked this sooner, but this is when I'm seeing it. So, I'm just going to maybe ask you to take a look if you have a moment. Absolutely.

Um and I think those are my only questions right now. Thank you. Council member Negrete. Well, I don't have questions. So, if other people have questions, do you council member Hall? Okay. Ask after.

Thank you, mayor, uh, and city attorney for your presentation. Um, I just had a question on one of the proposed clarifications, uh, from 4.69.2B, the incumbent peer employer responsibilities. The last sentence says, "The city shall provide the successor peer employer with the list of eligible workers within 15 days of the commencement of operations by the successor peer employer." Uh, I'm curious where did the 15 days after the beginning of operations comes from? And wouldn't it make more sense for that list to be handed over before operations commence so they can hire the right workers?

We could you could actually adjust it if you'd like to. It's the 15 days came from the 15 days that that that um are responsible after the change in control if it's the same business. So there is just this 15-day requirement. You'll see it in um in the first provision. So um if there is no if there is no gap, right, then and there is just a change in control, the requirement is to hand over the eligible employer list 15 days after the change of control. So we just kind of mirrored that. But if you think makes more sense. We can adjust that language to make it clear that it's 15 days from um it's just to give them some period of time, but we could do it 15 days from

assumption of lease. Assumption. Yeah, I think assumption of lease. Yeah, it would make sense. And I don't know that it would always be an assumption of lease, but yes, but when you know or signing um or completion of a Yeah, we can work we can work with something on that. Yeah, it just seems like if we're going to add this layer of of uh to a business that we should be providing the list ahead of time uh before they open up. Okay. Um that's all. Thank you.

I I have a I have a question. Council Raskin, did you have a question? Okay. Um can you just go back to again the best practices from other jurisdictions uh and let us know you know why this is an evolving legal issue and and what other jurisdictions that we look to clarifying that it's related to governmentowned land.

Yes. So we've we've seen a distinction and and of course you know as I mentioned before that the this proposed scope this evening the city is as um exercising its um authority as a proprietor. Um it is city- owned land. Um so there is more flexibility with um the city's ability to regulate um how businesses operate because the city is ultimately going to be the less or um in the situation and again the other jurisdictions that we

the other jurisdictions that you will see that um that operate um similarly that have similar regulations are going to be the city of Long Beach. They have similar regulations with respect to the operations of the Long Beach Convention Center and the um Long Beach airport and the city of Los Angeles has regulations with respect to um contractors on city- owned property, concessionires on city-owned property um and the um and the and LAX and then West Hollywood, Glendale,

West Hollywood and Glendale, those are more um those at least the regulations we found are similar to the city's hotel worker retention. Um and um we did not see um similar ones with respect to any uh proprietary large proprietary functions that they have. Got it. And then how does the 90-day retention period after a change of control support continuity without locking businesses into long-term obligations?

Sure. So, I think it's I think it's an it is an it is simply an an obligation to offer employment and then retain people for 90 days and give them an an um evaluation at the end. They're not required to retain after those 90 days. And uh is is the work if someone if there's misconduct, is the worker permitted to be terminated? You are still you are still it is not a violation of the ordinance to terminate for cause during the 90day period. Thanks. Um, okay. So, I guess we'll move into comments. Uh, and it looks like Council Member Negrete has herself in the queue and if anyone else wants to. Thanks.

So, yeah, I'm I'm I have lots of thoughts about this. Um, as a business owner myself, I find this to be completely anti- business and in some regards anti-resident. Um, because residents suffer when businesses close or don't come to Santa Monica because we've made it ultimately too difficult. Um, so I believe as it's written and and and I'll get into what you just mentioned, um, mayor, in terms of whether or not people can um, terminate someone after 90 days, I I think we should put good faith in our businesses that they know how to hire. I think as council members, except for some of us who maybe do this in my day job, in our day jobs, we are elected officials and we're not here to jurisdict and tell people how to run their business. I agree that when you talk about largecale businesses like the airport or large hotels when there's just a change of ownership that's different. Um but when you have a change of business just because it's a restaurant and you know a few months later another restaurant comes in it's a completely different business. I also want to speak specifically to the enforcement mechanism in this item. Um as written the ordinance creates a private right of action. So that fundamentally changes who benefits from how this policy operates in the real world. A private right of action does not protect workers. It incentivizes litigation. So it gives attorneys, not the city or workers, control over enforcement. We're already seeing right now and other legal contexts how systems intended to protect people can be distorted into revenue generating models for lawyers, especially, you know, those that get impacted are small businesses. they absorb the legal costs regardless of merit. So that dynamic is anti-b businessiness and unlike and also anti-resident because when businesses face increased litigation exposure, costs uh rise, hiring slows, services are cut and sub businesses just leave entirely and residents pay the price. Um

this approach in my opinion directly uh opposes our realignment plan which was adopted to stabilize our economy, reduce unnecessary legal drag and support recovery. So, I support worker protection. I do not support policies that rely on private lawsuits as the primary enforcement tool. And for those reasons, um I can't support it. But I also do want to say that I want to be transparent about the context of this proposal. It's being advanced with strong support fromite here local 11 which is a wellorganized labor union representing tens of thousands of hospitality and airport workers that are actively involved in political campaigns and endorsements locally and nationally. So my concern is not about the union members themselves but about whether this item reflects a broad community priority or a politically active special interest pushing policy through council in an election year. I think we all need to be really careful how we consider whether we're making policy based on demonstrated resident demand or small business resan demand or organized political advocacy and for that reason I can't support this item. Thanks so much. Did do no one else want to say anything?

Council member Raskin.

Uh yeah, thank you. First of all, I want to thank uh our city attorney team, city managers team, everyone who's put work into this and there's a lot of uh long nights and long hours that put into the research behind this drafting it. Um I I want to be clear that that being proorker is pro business. Uh and the entire community benefits when workers have security when folks can go home at night knowing that they have a safe job. That benefits all members of our community and it's pro Santa Monica. Uh our city council has proudly stood behind city workers for a long time and uh I am proud to support the work that's gone into this ordinance. Uh I also want to be clear that this strikes an important balance. Uh we gave direction last summer to look at a broad range of proworker policies labor peace retention recall and we're not moving forward with labor peace. Uh I would say more about that in other contexts but uh the purpose of this ordinance is is very targeted. It's limited to a specific set of places where the city is the property owner. Uh it's limited in its scope. Uh and I I think it's also important to note that you know I I I also hire people for my job. I understand how important it is to make sure you get it right. Uh and this ordinance is crafted to make sure that you can get gives employers an opportunity to give people a triad and uh if it doesn't work uh and people um you know can't stay on for cause then that's baked in there. Uh but this is an important step forward in our community making sure that we as a city respect the rights of workers and that respect the importance of job security at a time when affordability has never been more challenging. at a time when folks are scared about where they can afford the

next meal. So, I I I think that this is this is an important step forward. Uh and I will well people in the queue, but uh I'm prepared to make a motion when put yourself back in the queue if you wanted to talk. Otherwise, I do what you need to say. Um Okay, Zwick then. Sorry, it all deleted on my screen. Sorry guys. Zick,

just a followup question um related to the uh uh private right of action. Am I to understand that there would not be such a um recourse available if it wasn't written in or how does how does that work? I'm sorry. Yes, it is it is better practice to um to place that language in there to make clear that it's not just the city who could enforce it, but there is a private right of action available. That's that is the way our most work.

But if the law is violated, there would not be a private right of action otherwise. Uh it is better to have that clarification because this is a It's a city ordinance, right? So, usually it's the right of the city to enforce. So, if you want to give somebody else the right to enforce a city regulation, then

uh Council,

thank you, Mayor. Um, you know, I I want to start by acknowledging that a right of retention and right of recall can make things harder for businesses, especially during ownership changes and operational transitions. My partner once founded and operated a restaurant in San Francisco. So, I know this is true, but it is also true that these protections, as we heard tonight, can be lifechanging for workers. Uh, we heard from many of these workers who are in fact residents in our community as well. um these protections mean stability instead of uncertainty and I think both of these things can be true and reasonable people can have reasonable differences and priorities here. Um I personally believe that when commerce happens on public land as the governing body of that property we have the right and responsibility to demand a public good on behalf of our community. Uh for me that means standing for stability and respect for workers who keep this place running every single day. Um, so for me, if I believe that both of these things, both of these points of view are are valid, uh, I'm going to choose the side of the workers because I believe that that is pro-responsible business. Um, so I'll be supporting this motion tonight.

Thank you. And thank you for all the work that staff and our attorneys have done. I I too uh had an incredibly um difficult time with this this this ordinance. Um, I'm a strong supporter of of of labor and people of workers and difficult time, but I also understand the difficulty of being a small business individual uh during this plight, particularly a restaurant owner, single restaurant owner. I um I went back and forth and talked with a number of people about it and I um I I support the motion, but I'd like to maybe think about uh some corrections with respect to it and see how my fellow council members would would go along with it. One of them um has to do with uh item item 469 with respect the um the attorney fees and costs. I I know under civil action this really um and we've heard this from some of our council members but also this really puts um any kind of uh civil action into the attorney's hand and I was wondering would my councils be uh members be attributable to u uh eliminating item D attorney fees and cost with respect to the particular item. In addition to it, I also the reason I asked about uh which how many employees each of these different uh businesses would have, I know we we say uh a number of five or more. I'd like to know whether we would like to increase that to like 25. And the reason I say that is what it would do is give uh some of those businesses

that uh have less than that amount of employees much more flexibility with respect to small business is concerned. So I am in support of uh this particular ordinance but I'd like to uh offer those two suggestions with respect to u the amendment.

Thank you. Um I agree with council member Snell on um on on striking the 4.66.060 060 um section D or I would be okay with amending it to have some sort of threshold that's that's larger so that smaller businesses don't um get put at risk of being bankrupted um by having to pay out attorney's fees. Uh I I'm okay with that private right of action as long as there are some of those limitations on attorney fees or coveries. I am also okay with increasing the threshold of number of employees from 5 to 25. Ideally, I I would personally be more comfortable with the change of control than the substantially similar business, but I I understand we need to strike a balance and if there's a way that we can incentivize new businesses to recall workers from the prior business without it being mandated because, you know, I don't because I don't own a restaurant. I don't know what it's like to own a restaurant. I don't know what it's like to have to run it. Um there's lots of different types of of businesses out there and what I might think to be substantial substantially similar restaurant owner might not. But if we can provide some sort of incentives there instead, although I depending on what the rest of my colleagues up here think I I can probably live with um live with the substantially similar as long as we can create some sort of protections and flexibility and rehiring. I I one of the public commenters did note a need for flexibility and rehiring priority from

seniority to highest need. I I believe that the language as drafted does account for that where it says that seniority among people within the same classification unless I'm mistaken. Um, so since that provides for it, I I assuming that that language does provide for that flexibility, I'm okay with that. Council member Raskin and Zick and then I'd like to request to speak, but for whatever reason, it's not putting me in there.

Um, I'm Just for the sake of moving this forward, I'm prepared to make a motion, but I don't want to jump the kind of All right. I'm going to move that we uh approve the ordinance as drafted uh with the uh edits that were read into the record tonight. Um I I think this is an important step forward. I think that it's important to include the private right of action because otherwise it would fall on the city's shoulders to enforce this and it's just an extra burden for taxpayers and for us. Um so it's going to get enforced anyway and it just it just shifts the burden onto the taxpayers. Uh so yeah, I I hope we'll get support for this. Thank you.

I'll second that. And well, I'll wait. Go ahead. No, go ahead. Um, just so I'm clear, the was the proposal I'm hearing something about a private right of action, but I'm also hearing about attorneys fees. That's one portion of a private right of action. Is that correct? I mean, are you are you saying that you're against the idea of removing attorney's fees? Um, or just that the uh the entirety of the private right of action? No, I I think I think we should we should keep it as as drafted. I mean, you can conceivably get attorneys fees through a whole host of other laws that already exist in section 1021.5, private attorney general fees. There's all sorts of ways to get fees. So, I I I think it it's good as drafted.

Um, thank you for the clarification. Um, just so I understand, um, because there's a lot of moving parts here. Um, and I don't know if we have all the information, but when we're talking about businesses, whether the employee count is five or 25, for instance, or heard both those numbers. Do we have any sense of then what that does to the scope of you know how many businesses would be affected or or suddenly then not affected based on those different numbers?

Um I'm just I guess I have a question for this. I mean again these are things that are being thrown out now. So I don't expect all the answers to be had but to the extent that we do have it if we were to raise that employee count I mean how many businesses are then exempted or would still fall under the threshold? you know, we would be speculating um but just looking over the list of businesses that we are um sort of renting to some of the smaller leases. If you look at leases for spaces that are less than a th00and feet of those leases, you probably end up with um somewhere between um nine to 15 businesses that would qualify if you went with a higher employee count. Again, that's speculating based on sort of a general assessment of an estimation of what the employee count could be. We'd have to do a survey and really identify the number of employees at each business to see um if we to be able to answer with more certainty

is would our um head of the pure corporation happen to know the answer to that question. The qu the question is how you're defining a full-time employee though. I think the way that it's currently defined is any employee that works more than two hours per week over how Yeah, but over how many weeks a year? Over um for at least a two-month period, I believe. Um two hours over two months counts as an eligible employee. Um and then the second trigger is how many employees at the establishment.

Okay. I mean, that's information that I'd love to know more details about, I guess. Um the other thing I'll say just as comment um I've also struggled with this a lot. Um I want workers to experience stability and continuity um in their jobs and in their lives. Um there was some idea that that that that workers are a special interest, but I think you know everyone here has an interest and a stake and I support those that are that are trying to achieve greater rights and stability as workers and those that are trying to run businesses successfully with enough flexibility to do so. So I don't think anyone's a special interest. There's just different interests that we are trying to weigh in this difficult decision. Um, I will say that I I I hear what my colleagues Senate Skaya um and Snell have said about this and I I agree with them on the um item um specifically about awarding attorney's fees and costs. Um I uh am also curious about the threshold and whether there is a different one that could be established, but it's hard for me to make that decision without more information. Um, and the last thing I'll say is that um I do see written in other ordinances including um the ordinance in West Hollywood uh that when it comes to um recall um there is language um that indicates um as we did before that um if an employer has a successor employer has reasonable and substantiated cause not to retain an eligible worker based on that eligible workers individual performance or conduct while employed by the incumbent peer employer. Uh the requirement would not apply. And you know, if we're talking about trying to provide some flexibility here for employers, um that seems new employers

that that seems like a fairly reasonable one to me.

I haven't I haven't made a motion, but um Yeah, I was giving my comments. Um I I I don't know what to say about this employee count to be honest. I wish we we had a little more information on this. I I guess if we pass this tonight, the idea is that there would be another reading, but ideally that wouldn't be one where we're relitigating this. So, um I would propose um an amendment that at least um I don't know how to frame it in terms of the employee threshold to be honest, but um I would at least propose that we um strike the language around attorneys fees and we add back the language around um reasonable and substantiated costs. Uh so okay so

I guess there's an amendment. Does someone need to second that and then is that voted on? Well it goes to whether it's friendly to the maker and seconder with the employee count I think you know we're going to have to make a policy call at some point and at some point it's be arbitrary. Um

I'm fine you know talking about that a little bit more. I I I'd be curious to know, you know, from the representatives from the peer corp tonight if they can share maybe some more info about that. Uh with respect to the attorney's fees and the other uh portion you asked to get out. I I mean, my point was that it it doesn't really matter if if attorney's fees are in there or not. I think it's it's good to have it. Uh but there are other provisions in state law that could potentially provide for attorney's fees. Uh I think um it's going to get a lot more complicated if you have to implicate those state law provisions in the context of civil remedies. So I would keep it as is. Uh and there was a third thing to I'm sorry I'm forgetting what the third part was. the cause

the the language that is included in some other ordinances, model ordinances, and was included until I guess it was proposed to be changed. No. So, yeah. So, my motion was to incorporate the edits that our city attorney read and sorry, you're you're asking to put that back in. One one change. Well, no, one one thing that was stricken.

Oh, right. Right. Um, no. I think I think the problem the reason why this was taken out is that it it gives potential options for employers to not comply based on subjective judgments. Uh, and I think that it it opened the door to some gamesmanship that we were concerned about. Well, um I would I would then move a substitute motion that we um that we actually that we kind of that that we that we that we table this till the next meeting until we can get more data on the size of these uh uh the businesses that would be affected or wouldn't be at different thresholds because I don't I don't really know what we're voting on in that regard. Do you need a second for the

Oh, second. Well, we have we have the representatives here tonight. Jesus is here. What's your question exactly? How many people this applies to if it's 5 10 15 25? Yeah. If we went to 25, would it be how many businesses would then be still would it still apply to or not? Five seems like it would encompass almost all, I assume. Does all No, we don't have

No, I don't know. that we have um the leases that we do engage lease areas, lease terms. We don't um have the employee counts handy. But if um I see Jim if Jim has any insights as it relates to thresholds impact of five versus 25 um or if there's a discussion to that point, Jim would love the benefit of your wisdom. The benefit of my wisdom. Thank you um for that that vote of confidence. Um, the Pier Corporation is a one of your unique nonprofits and uh, we're not a bid, so we aren't as privy as some other organizations here um, to to that kind of information. So, anything that I could state right now would be a guess. I was consulting with um representative from the Santa Monica Pier lees association who's much more intimately involved with with each of the one of the businesses and she feels the same that right now it would just be a guess. You know, we'd be happy to to help with that information. We are just not prepared to do so tonight.

Okay. Well, look, I'm going to I'm going to withdraw my my motion and I'm going to propose something a little different. This will come back for a second reading. There's nothing that says we can't change it if we get more information that determines that we need to. So, I would propose that we move the item as proposed with two changes as a substitute motion. One again being to strike the attorney's fees and the second being to um add back the language around reasonable and substantiated cause. Second.

Okay. Um, just because I haven't had the opportunity to talk, I I wanted to say a couple things. Um, just so that I'm I don't think that the attorney's fees is the hill to die on because as Ellis stated, there are ways to get attorney's fees, period. Um, but I just do want to ask our city attorney um, does our hotel uh, right of uh, recall have attorneys fees in it? Yes, the language in both the the updated language in the right of in chapter 4.66 and in the new chapter 4.69 69 is um identical to the hotel worker protection ordinance. And does LAX also provide for a private right of action at Wawa? Yes.

Okay. Um and in our peer leasing guidelines, do we ask for new leases to uh adhere to right of recall? You are required to adhere to all city um laws. So it would include the right of recall.

Right. Okay. I mean, I would just say I'm deeply concerned about how anyone would enforce this uh new provision here. I do not want the city with limited resources to be in a position to enforce that. Um, which is why, you know, I thought it was important or I I agree that it it not be in there. Um, Jesse's asking that or council mayor Pensswick's asking that it be back added back in. Uh, I don't support that. Um, I would just say because I haven't had the opportunity to say my piece about this, I want to be very clear that council provided direction back last summer um to bring back very targeted worker protections for hospitality on city-owned assets and we have significantly narrowed the scope of what we've asked for uh because we are being we are trying to be extremely judicious given that we are uh effectuating an economic revitalization for this city. But at the same time, I would say across California uh in pure cities, the right to recall and worker retention have become best practices period, especially in cities that have that enjoy high uh tourist destinations um that are uh hospitality centers. And quite frankly, Santa Monica would not be what it is today without our hospitality industry. Full stop. that we are what we are on the backs of our hospitality industry. Um, I think we all recognize the realities that our operators are facing right now. I really want to appreciate California Restaurant Association and all of the restaurants that we've heard from. Um, I do this work every single day in my day job. Uh, inflation is high, margins are very, very thin. We absolutely get that. Um, high turnover is the reality and it

makes it really hard to deliver consistent service. But at the same time, we have an obligation uh as stewards of public land with the most iconic pier, I would argue in the world to ensure that we are delivering a benefit. And as we say, we're inviting a renaissance here. We're bringing FIFA. We're bringing uh the FanFest around the um Super Bowl, the games, all of the hospitality houses. we're going to see with that our workers have to benefit period. Um, so I just don't see this as an option. I don't see delaying this as an option. Um, and I think that we have a long history of supporting workers rights here. That is not a surprise. No one who showed up to do business in Santa Monica should be surprised that we care about protecting our workers. Um, and again, you know, this is an economic asset for our region and we own it. So we can't have people losing their livelihoods simply because a business changes hands. uh and I think you know again like we mentioned this strikes at a very appropriate balance we we significantly narrow the scope of what we were talking about so we can yes we can come back uh and talk about the number of employees but I think what we have uh for microenterprises usually defined by five employees or fewer we could talk about what the definition of a full-time equivalent is um but I think you know we've been very fair this exempts nonprofits excludes managers allows collective bargaining agreements to supersede uh provides flexibility Um, and I think it also aligns with our realignment plan and our economic recovery. So, I I would ask urge our council to to pass this uh and move it forward. Thanks, Council Member Hall.

Thank you, Mayor. Uh, I won't belabor the point. Plus one to everything you just said. I think you're spot on. Um, I also am not in favor of adding this section back in. I think if we're going to be consistent with how we've been thinking about things, we should um ensure that this is as objective as possible and not subjective in any way. And I am fearful that this adds in a layer of subjectivity that will open up a lot of litigation.

Yeah, I I agree that the attorney's fees provision is not hill to die on. Uh but I I do want to urge the maker of this motion to again really think about taking out this language for the reasons council member Hall just said. Uh there's already a provision separate from this that allows anyone to be discharged anytime for cause

for performance conduct. But this opens the door to saying I'm not going to hire you in the first place because you don't look like a team player because you don't look like somebody who's going to match our values. you don't look like somebody who's going to be part of the workplace culture. I think that's far too problematic and I really urge you to take this out. I uh I wanted to withdraw my second for the substitute motion, but I would ask that we get more information when this comes back in terms of the number of employees that of how many businesses would be impacted if we change the threshold for number of employees because I I agree with much of what has been said about Santa Monica being known as a very proworker um city and us wanting to maintain that and us wanting to um maintain predictability for workers. But I also want to be very mindful of especially those smaller businesses that may be significantly negatively impacted due to the additional administrative burden. So, is there a second to the substitute motion?

I was right. I'm asking if there was if someone else had wanted to second it. Okay. No, it's okay. So, it sounds like

I just um Yeah, I mean, if no one wants to, then that's fine. Um, I just uh I just want to be clear here that um pretty sure I mean and the city attorney might have been in the queue and if there's a clarification you want to offer I'm happy to. I'm just I'm just reading the West Hollywood recall and retention ordinance. Uh I'm hearing the words I'm reading the words a successor. We put it in our ordinance because we were trying to mirror other ordinances uh that our models that we were asked to look at. And this ordinance in West Hollywood says a successor employer shall not be required to offer employment to an eligible worker if the successor employer has reasonable and substantiated cause not to retain that eligible worker based on that eligible worker's individual performance or conduct while employed by the incumbent employer. I mean my my assumption is that reasonable and substantial are not or reasonable and substantiated are not terms that one can just make up. I assume that there is a standard that that would have to meet. Obviously everything can be fought over in the courts but this is language that we have in other laws that that we use to say to try to make something concrete and not subjective. Uh and I see it in this ordinance. Uh and when we're talking about trying to balance needs, uh to me, uh provide at least that flexibility to a new employer uh seems reasonable. But if no one uh agrees, then um we can vote on the original motion.

I think everyone was amendable to removing the private right of action because that didn't really seem to be a big deal. Um but I don't know. Sorry. I would just say that the one thing that people seemed amendable to in the spirit of trying to get something going here. Was the uh removal of the private action? No. Okay. All right. I think what we're back to is the original motion. I I'm fine taking out the attorney's fees clause and I think we'd give direction before this comes back for a second reading to get more information about the um employee size.

Yeah. The sizes of employers. Uh and uh you know, we can it's coming back for a second reading. you know, we can potentially uh you know, restart the reading process if we need to make significant changes. And um uh with that, unless council member Hall, you want to say something else, I'd call a question. That's what I was also going to do. Um I I would question my colleagues if um they would be amendable to providing direction to include uh the reference of right of recall and right of retention into the leasing guidelines explicitly. Yeah. Yeah.

Great. Thank you. So, if I may ask for one clarification, I believe you um earlier asked a question about whether or not the 15 days from commencement of operations um we could replace that with something more like 15 days within with the city entering into an agreement with the successor peer operator. Is that um an acceptable change? Yeah, I think that makes sense.

Okay. And then just a small clarification on process. I think council member Raskin um did um refer to it, but if the council does desire to make a substantive change such as the number of employees, then we will need to bring it back. So, we can bring it back for second reading, but if you want to make that change, we would actually need to bring it back a subsequent time to introduce to introduce the ordinance again. Okay. Okay. Before we had the second reading. Yes. So, a second reading is really only scrivener's errors. There's nothing substantive that you can change in between the two, but you can always reintroduce. Okay. Okay. With that being said, I think we'll take a vote.

Okay. Council members Ernest Sky, apologies. Could you please restate the motion with all of the amendments? All right. So, uh, it's the ordinance, uh, as drafted with the, uh, amendments that were shown tonight. uh with the exception that we're adjusting the 15-day threshold uh we're removing the attorney's fees clause and we're giving direction to get information about the um I don't know how to put it the sizes of employers the the threshold applicability yeah that's right oh and uh incorporating this into leasing guidelines

yes and then one other sorry small clarification just for the record so that uh attorney Attorney's fees provision removal would be in two places. It would be in 4.660550 and 4.69050. Yes. Well, hold on. It uh one for each. So, I just want to make that clarification just to make sure that that's your would that but that's not removing an attorney's 4.66 is already on the books, right? I mean

4.66 66 is already on the books, but those that provision is being updated um to um because it's it was from 2001. So, it's being updated. So, it's up to you. I just wanted to make that clarification because it is actually in two places in the ordinance. So, I just wanted to make sure. Okay. That was my recommendation. Okay. If we're ready to vote, council members, yes. Council member Snell. Yes. Mayor Promzwick, yes. Council member Raskin, yes. Council member Hall, yes. Council member Negrete, no. And Mayor Atrois,

yes. Motion passes. Thank you. Uh we will now move on. Appreciate everyone who came out, but we we still have lots of items to get through. Uh so now we will move on to uh the staff administrative items uh item 11A. Uh hopefully that could be a relatively succinct discussion. No, that was the recusing. Oh.

Oh, I'm recusing. Yeah, I wrote it out just for me. So, um, as a longtime small business owner and vendor with the Santa Monica and Malibu Unified School District, I am acutely aware of how perceived conflicts, real or not, can erode public trust. And while I do, it is not confirmed whether or not I have a legal conflict under FPPPC rules. Measure GS involves school related funding and agreements. Out of an abundance of caution, in the interest of transparency, I transparency, I'm choosing to voluntarily recuse. So, okay, we'll call you back when we're done.

Um, and I believe this is not Do we want to say that they're changing the title of the item? Yes, this is uh extension of measure YGS agreement with the school district. Um it's a two slide presentation. Um we made some proposed adjustments and um Oscar, maybe you could run us through it all real quick.

May there um Oscar Santiago, finance director. Um we're asking your approval of the extension of the measure YGS agreement with the Santa Monica School District tonight. Um, as a way of on a way of background, on May 7th, 2018, the city entered into an agreement with the school district for um, measure YGS for the master facility use agreement. Um, and the agreement was for a 10-year term. The existing agreement is set to expire in June of 2028. Um, this agreement facilitates city funding to the school district in the amount of about 18 million annually. Um through this agreement, residents get or are provided with use of certain Santa Monica um school district facility use. So based on recent discussions with the school district staff, we have developed a proposed um extension of the agreement. And so the proposal is for to extend the agreement for uh 10 years for an additional 10 years as um as as per the terms of the agreement. And that would extend the agreement through June 30th of 2038. Um, and all other terms of the agreement will remain the same as as in the original agreement. This is basically the section of the term of the agreement where we indicate that it's going to be a 10-year renewal option that we're exercising terminates on June 30th. The rest of the language remains the same on the agreement. It's a modification that we're asking you to approve. And so tonight's recommendation is for um council to approve the 10-year extension um with all the remaining terms of the agreement um staying the same. and we're here for questions.

Great. Um I see council has one. Uh I don't have any questions. I just want to make a motion to support the uh staff's recommendation to uh extend it for a 10-year agreement with the school district. Second. Council member Hall. Second that. Uh council member Zick. Um I mean I'm excited to extend it. Uh I I'm just clarifying first of all I was reading a staff report that said something different. So just to be clear 10 year extension from 2028 to 2038 all other terms remain the same.

Exactly. We we um we have a revised proposal which was what we're presenting to you tonight. Okay. Sorry I just was I guess on a different Yeah. The staff report had a different Yeah.

Yeah. Okay. So that's the first thing. Uh beyond that um you know I I really you know it's unique uh to some extent what the city does in its partnership with the schools um and it's really something that I think makes Santa Monica special. Our schools are stronger and our community stronger as a result. So I'm I'm very happy again to to continue that partnership. Uh I'm happy that we're keeping the terms the same. Uh I I do I do have one question. um not questioned but just uh something I wanted to just raise that at least when it comes to issues of joint use and uh I'm hearing regularly in the community that uh residents are attempting to use school facilities uh and report them back as closed during hours that they're supposed to be open to the public. So, if this is partly a joint use agreement, I I would hope that we would be in regular dialogue with the school district about making sure that these spaces are available to members of the community on the nights and weekends that they're supposed to be because, uh, this is something I've been hearing. So, that's all.

Certainly. Um, can you just talk to us a little? I don't see is that your only question. Just can you tell us briefly if we need to cancel this agreement? What how we do that? Um, there is it's Do you want to speak to that? Well, I can quickly jump in. Um, there's a cancellation of the agreement. You have to provide three years advanced notice um and a basis for why the agreement is um being recommended for non-renewal. Um so that provision will maintain in this agreement even as we're extending it for an additional 10 years through 2038. Great. Thank you. Um okay. I believe there's a motion and a second on the floor. Does anyone have any further comment?

All right. We're ready to take a vote. Okay. Council member Mcgrete is absent. Council member Hall, yes. Council member Raskin, yes. Mayor Promzwick, yes. Council member Snell, yes. Council members, yes. And Mayor Trous, gladly. Yes. All right. Thank you.

Uh 10 11B has been pulled at the request of staff. Uh so we will now move on to 11 C. Oh, can someone bring in uh Council Member Negrete by any chance? Uh Oscar, thank you. All righty. I'll I'll thank former school board member Barry Snell for making that motion.

Am I waiting for bathroom I believe? But that's his loss. So you can

Good to know. Uh good evening. uh members of city council uh the community who is here today. Uh my name is Tony Lopez. I am the uh city's senior park planner within public works. Uh it's a pleasure to be a pleasure to be presenting to you today. Uh the purpose of today is to uh discuss the parks and recreation vision plan. Uh first we'll be discussing the recommended actions, review the plan and of itself and review comments and staff recommendations this evening. So the recommended actions this evening is to adopt the finding of categor categorical exemption pursuant to section 15262 of the California Environmental Quality Act guidelines and receive and approve the 2025 parks and recreation vision plan. So we did it. Uh the update to the 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan began in 2018. Um outreach began in 2018 with over 2,000 participants. In 2020, a draft was set to be uh presented, but due to the CO 19 pandemic, the the project was put on pause. In 2024, uh the project resumed uh with continued outreach to communities, commissions, and neighborhoods. And in 2025, in noticing that there was a gap in the level of information that was being provided, we conducted a community interest and opinion survey, which began known be became known as the community recreation arts needs assessment and level of service. And in 2025, in the beginning of summer, a giraffe went live and for public comment and that included an additional 10 public meetings. So, uh, where are we now? Uh, just a bit of a network refresher. Uh, the city of Santa Monica offers 144 park acres, which works out to roughly 1.55 acres per 10,000 residents with 72% of the population living within 1 half mile of a park. Uh in 2016, the uh county conducted a LA countywide parks and

recreation needs assessment and in that assessment determined that the county average is 3.3 park acres per 10,00 residents and defined Santa Monica as a city that is quote unquote moderate in terms of overall park need. Now that park need is based on acreage, distance to parks, and population served. Um the map you see on the right is pulled from uh the countywide parks needs assessment interactive map viewer. Um and you can see that uh every all the neighborhoods around Santa Monica are red and orange which indicates that they're high or very high need in terms of park. Where we left off again the 1997 parks and recreation master plan was our last city's adopted master plan and those those vision plans usually last 20 to 25 years. Um that particular plan targeted a goal of an increase in park acreage from 112.7 park acres to approximately 143.8 to 170. As I mentioned in 2025 our acreage is at 144. So we met that goal. U part of the goal of the outreach uh related to this update was to determine what our new goal will be. So what is the vision? City's Habitat. In short, it is a vision for nourishing habitat for people, plants, animals, and program. Continuing the city's commitment in striving to prevent harm to the natural environment and human health. A vision that addresses community open space need through acquisition, expansion, and improvements, enhancing resilience, and reinforcing sustainability initiatives. Some of those goals uh serve and act to support water self-sufficiency, zero waste and carbon neutrality, enable open space to grow with our growing city, position the city to respond quickly and responsibly to opportunities that enhance our parks as settings for habitat, maintain an open dialogue with the community on nature advocacy, and

reaffirm our sustainable rights ordinance. We really wanted this plan to be user friendly. uh not only are the the staff within the city using the parks and recreation vision plan, but the community has an opportunity to use it as well and helping to identify opportunities for them to participate in growing our network. Uh the the plan in itself is set up in four chapters. Chapter one being about vision and network, chapter two, community voices. Three is about the actions and recommendations. And chapter four is all about implementation. The first chapter vision network. This is our hub for everything related to parks. Uh it consists of matrices that uh give information about to what amenities exist in our current parks, what are their acreage, how do we define those parks and looks for opportunities to consider new amenities that might be integrated in those parks based on the amount of real estate that uh is present in those parks. The community voices chapter gives an overall uh synopsis of the outreach thus far. again 2018-19 we had 2,000 plus participants in 2025 we had over 600 participants and I will echo uh Jenny Rogers our director of uh recreation arts in really reinforcing these numbers in that 96% of respondents uh to this uh survey visit a parks arts and recreation facility in a typical year the national average is 81% 49% of respondents participate in a city program in a typical year and on average uh The national average is 36%. So, people really love our parks and what we offer. Uh, one of the top priorities that re rose to the top was safety. And in terms of amenities, you can see the list here below. Um, but I won't get too much into that right now. Um, when it comes to the actions, the actions or recommendations with within this document are all actionable. We want

them to provide a sense of accountability when it comes to how we improve our parks and open space network. Our those eight principles are uh therefore validated by five strategies that came out of the original 2018 and 19 outreach. And from there we have developed 32 actions and sub recommendations to help support those principles. Those eight principles are nourish existing parks and park facilities, expand new parkland and open space, raise new park facilities, ideulate the Santa Monica State beach, connect open space in the community, gather recreation and arts programming, sustain parks and facilities sustainability and maintenance, and support funding and meaningful partnerships. At a glance, the vision reaffirming the sustainable rights ordinance and advancing through actions citywide goals to achieve water self-sufficiency, zero waste, and carbon neutrality. Action 1.1.3 demonstrate potential to increase species biodiversity and canopy coverage in accordance with the urban forest master plan in existing parks and open spaces. Action 1.2.2, Two, develop a CIP refurbishment plan to address maintenance of high use amenities, including general site components, and determine opportunities to integrate sustainability alternatives. Action 21.8, integrate cultural landscapes within new parks and identify opportunities to expand restoration, preservation, and reing. So, how do we implement this vision? The 2025 process helped us define our inventory again with that vision and network chapter. It also uh helped us determine what the costs are to maintain our existing inventory. The level of service survey helped us identify the gaps in our level of service and all of that combined helped us daylight a need for funding streams to address those

gaps. Now, new parks are great, but having the ability to fund the maintenance of our existing parks is really, really important. Part of this process really dug into the opportunities we have to establish 5, 10, and 20-year work plans related to estimated costs associated with maintaining our current park system. We worked interdep departmentally to collaborate on how we prioritize those maintenance uh efforts in terms of providing the maintenance to those directly serving the community benefit in the greatest main uh means possible. Our level of service analysis also confirmed that what we need in terms of park acreage to meet our current and five-year projected population growth need when it comes to park acreage. Uh what we also learned from that is understanding how many more of what amenities do we need to add to our system to help serve our community to the best of our ability. Now again when revisiting that idea about what our goal is for this plan there are a few considerations that we had to take into account and present to the community. Now again uh we currently sit at 1.55 park acres per 1000 residents. uh we are considered moderate and that uh when we consider the county average of 3.3 park acres per 10,00 we are below that common planning standard is five park acres per 1000 in 2025 the national recreation and parks recommended approximately approximately 6 to 10 park acres per 1000 based on a population of 100,000 to 250,000 and I'm sure all of you are familiar that our current population is hovering around the 100,000 mark, but our daytime population is around 250,000. The NRPA does include the beach, but the

countywide average does not because not all cities within the county have a beach to lean on when it comes to open space. Now, if we just looked at the Santa Monica State Beach of approximately 202 acres, adding that to our inventory would boost us up to about 3.72 acres. If we were to add the Santa Monica airport uh all of its 192 acres that would bump us up to 3.61. So when we but we must consider and this is coming from the National Reck and Parks Association that recreation agencies are as diverse as the communities they serve. What works well for one agency may not be best for all. So what that tells us is that not only do we have to look at these metrics as a basis for understanding what our goals will be but we also have to continue to monitor the trends. I know that there was a comment earlier on about pickable for example. Now the the level of service that was provided in the appendix of this vision plan is just looking at what the averages are in the county just to provide a baseline. But we do know that when pairing this project with parallel projects like the Santa Monica airport conversion planning process, we heard that there was a strong overwhelming demand that came through the vision plan comments that 24 courts at the airport is what we need. That is well beyond what our current level of service is telling us. So that again tells us that we have to stay in constant communication about what our city needs and respond accordingly to that. We all know that we have various funding sources. There's the general fund. Uh we apply for various capital improvement projects. Our park improvement program, as an example, is uh a $250,000 annual budget to help uh maintain our park system. We look at our development impact fees for expansion and acquisition of parkland. And we look at our current grant funding, measure A

allocations, and CDBG grant matching. But again, this vision plan being actionable helps us really pinpoint what current grant opportunities are out there and really pinpoint what actions we want to pair with particular grant opportunities so we can be successful in those applications. So what we've heard in this process, uh there's been a desire to integrate the 2025 city council priorities and we've addressed that. And if uh uh you reference attachment K within the staff report, uh we've rolled in a uh pairing of the 2025 council priorities with not only the 2018 council priorities and the 2025 or 2024 priorities, but correlating them all together to help support this plan. We've heard overwhelming support for that our new goal to be five park acres per 10,000. And if you recall in the little breakdown, if we add our beach, if we were to add the airport, we will get somewhere in uh just shy of that 6 to 10 uh national recreation uh metric. And then when we add the beach to that, we'll get right into that sweet spot. Level of service and how we compare. Again, monitoring the trends. We heard overwhelmingly more pickle ball, more courts, more fields to accommodate tournaments and city-owned aquatics facilities as well. an increased overall feeling of safety uh in our parks, recre recreation, arts facilities and bringing CAP action forwards. That's the climate action and adaptation plan. What we've done in addressing those priorities, we we've moved those actions and priorities to the front of the first chapter so that as as you start to look at what our goals and actions are, the first two you read are about sustainability and about safety. And when it comes to priorit prioritizing accessibility, that was another element that got rolled into

those that front end of that chapter. And I will now turn it over to the other comment we heard was the uh conversation about natural grass versus artificial turf. Great. Thanks, Tom.

Good evening, city council. Ameilia Fner. I'm the city architect within the public works uh department. Um, I'm pleased to be here this evening uh to share the city's analysis of and draft proposed policy for grass and artificial turf um on city-owned sports fields um and how that applies to our current and future field inventory. Uh this proposed policy was drafted in response to public comments requesting that the city phase out artificial turf fields. Um, this policy will be submitted to city council as an information item in its final draft um in the coming months with additional details that address feedback we have and will receive tonight. Um, I feel it's important to emphasize that staff's recommendations are focused on city-owned sports fields. Um, the proposed policy would not apply to any public agencies um, uh, private entities or uh, SMMUSD. Um, just to be clear. Uh in the following slides, I will address the key considerations that factored into the development of the policy um and discuss our commitment to ensuring we have healthy and safe playing surfaces for our community and the environment without decreasing available playtime on our fields. Um we will also be available for questions after the park and wreck vision plan presentation. Um, the Office of Sustainability and the New Environment, Community Recreation, Public Landscape, and Architecture Services came together to analyze the use of artificial turf and natural grass on city-owned sports fields in Santa Monica. After carefully considering environmental and human health impacts, player safety, durability, and playability, maintenance requirements, and life cycle costs of various options. Staff arrived at this approach. No new artificial turf fields

will be installed at city-owned sports fields. Existing city-owned grass fields will be maintained as grass fields. Existing city-owned artificial turf fields will be replaced as artificial turf fields, while the city works with experts to develop a request for information for market transformation within the artificial turf industry to provide safer and recyclable products. Um, this effort is paralleled by ongoing work by staff to explore more durable natural grass systems and maintenance practices with the goal to phase out artificial turf over time without decreasing field availability and playability. Uh briefly looking at the city's existing field inventory, uh there are currently 11 diamond sports fields, all natural grass, and two rectangular sports fields, both artificial turf designed for highintensity use at Airport Park and historic Belmar Park. Um in general, diamond sports fields can be maintained as natural grass without significantly more maintenance because the use is relatively um low impact. However, uh sports played on rectangular fields such as soccer, rugby, football, and lacrosse um have more wear and tear on their fields. Therefore, with only two existing rectangular fields, they were designed with artificial turf to withstand the high intensity use without the requirement of periodically closing one or both of them um for regular maintenance that would be required if they were grass. Um there's currently more demand for field use than the city can accommodate. Um therefore, families are regularly required to travel for practice and games and there is resounding public interest in maintaining and increasing the available playtime on our fields. Um as the city expands our parks at Memorial Park and through the airport conversion as

examples, new proposed fields would be grass. Um at the same time, we know that the field at Airport Park um will need to be replaced soon. uh when funding is identified, the replacement of the field would be proposed as artificial turf consistent with this policy. Um uh looking at the comparison, um staff found natural grass fields stay cooler, cost less to install and replace, and when well-maintained provide a forgiving surfaces for players that fall, tackle, slide, or dive on them. Um, access to recycled water has reduced past concerns about high water use for natural grass. Um, but maintaining playability, especially for intensive uses, uh, require significant ongoing maintenance uh, periodic field closures for resting um, and higher operational costs. These costs generally when we look at the entire life cycle including replacement um generally uh offset initial savings making that complete life cycle cost uh comparable for both grass and artificial turf. Um grass fields are also more susceptible to weather related closures increasing scheduling pressures during uh rainy seasons. Um, artificial turf uh provides a reliable all weather playing surface with minimal downtime and limited irrigation needs. Um, although irrigation um uh generally is installed to uh mitigate um heat concerns. Um and while they cost more to install and replace uh they generally require less ongoing maintenance than graphs. However, nothing is zero. There is um definitely maintenance and operations uh costs needed. Um the city is addressing health and environmental concerns by using alternative s uh certified organic

infill materials um requiring compliance with PAS standards and adding protective measures such as drainage controls and shoe cleaning mats um at our um artificial turf fields. Um, advances in turf design and footwear have improved player safety and emerging uh, recyclable turf products may offer more sustainable endof life products. Um, we the proposed policy was presented to the recreation and parks commission and the commission on sustainability, environmental justice and the environment. Um, each commission had some recommended alterations um to the proposed policy which are reflected in this slide. Um a few of the recommendations were incorporated. However, the overall policy was not substantially changed. Um overall the RPC supported the proposal of no net new artificial turf fields while sustain the sustainability commission does not support the use of artificial turf which you heard earlier tonight. Uh over the last year, staff has listened closely to our community through public comments received on this policy on the parks and rec uh recreation vision plan. Um and on the expansion of Memorial Park, uh the message we received is clear. Uh the needs of our residents are dynamic. Um most would prefer natural grass fields. However, they expect well-maintained playable surfaces that are not closed for periods of time for maintenance and/or weather. Therefore, with our current field inventory, and until we can add more fields, um staff feels artificial turf is still a key component to meet the community needs and expectations for highintensity use. That is why our policy is structured this way. All new city- owned fields would be grass. Highintensity use artificial fields will be will remain artificial turf with strong safeguards in place. And we'll continue uh exploring whether over time artificial turf can be phased

out completely on our city- owned fields as we commit to working with our professional comm community on market transformation within the artificial turf industry to provide safer and recyclable products while we explore more durable natural grass systems and maintenance practices for eventual use on our highintensity fields. Um thank you so much for your time. I'm going to turn it back over to Tony to finish the uh park and recreation plan.

Thanks, Ameilia. Couple more slides, not two of them. Again, uh city's habitat. Uh again, enable our open space to grow with the city. uh our needs are dynamic and I think it's important for us to always consider the opportunity to reach out to our community under understand our needs and our trends so that we make data-driven decisions that also reflect the needs of our community. Again, tonight's recommended actions is to adopt the finding of categoral exemption pursuant to section 15262 of the California Environmental Quality Act guidelines and receive and approve the 2025 parks and recreation vision plan. Thank you. and I'm here for questions.

Okay, I don't see any questions. Council member Snell,

first I want to thank you very much. I was a really extensive report. You showed uh statistics with respect to the number of people versus park space and then you showed including the uh the beach. Um, and I guess when you look at other with the county numbers or what have you, it doesn't include the beach. My question is as we go forward in looking at um this vision, will you always will you or do you include the activities on the beach as part of that park space or you do not? We do not but uh we are in the process the early stages of doing the beach and peer vision plan which will then roll that into into the mix and then we have had discussions about how the two documents will speak to one another in terms of

because there'll be some overlap. There will be

there'll be some overlap because I I I honestly think that you know when looking at this plan this vision plan which is believe me I think is is is done very well not looking at how we as a community uses our beach with respect to recreation uh kind of gives a it doesn't give a full picture as to uh how our parks and recreation are utilized and I give a perfect example we're going going to have uh ESPN uh coming out next year to do some activities with the Super Bowl and they're planning on building a football field on our on our on our sand sand court on our on our beach. And so my my thoughts are that as we look at this, I think we need to continue to encompass both. and the fact that you're going to do a beach vision plan. Also, when you start thinking about activities, I think you have to overlap the two. And when we look at the numbers, we actually are a lot closer when you include the the beach to our county numbers with per per residents.

Thank you. Thank you, uh, council members, thank you. Um, thank you for all of the hard work on this. I know a lot of it a lot of time, energy, effort, and probably sleepless nights went into this. Um, but I I I did have a couple of questions just to make sure I understand. I know it's a 345 page document. Sorry about that.

It's It's okay. It's actually like pretty readable. Um, I I I just I wanted to clarify because maybe I it didn't jump out at me. Did we look at any specific options or do we foresee exploring options for increasing parks and recreation areas in Mid City? Mid City like in Mid City and Wilmont area because I I know those are kind of

Yes. Um we as part of this process we had uh conversations with each neighborhood group uh in which they provided their direct thoughts on how we can start to expand park acreage. Um certain areas understand that there are limitations in terms of like breath of real estate around them to incorporate parks. But uh a lot of the recommend recommendations that came in kind of the the elements of looking at parks differently than just a traditional like rectangle or a space for parks and looking at opportunities to study street closures, street segments, ends of streets, capping ends of streets to maintain park space or looking at existing parks in like the Mid City area as an example and looking at how we can reposition or reallocate ate amenities accordingly to increase like the opportunities like for example there was uh talks of when you look at Park Drive Park in relation to Shader Park. Park Drive Park has elements where people post pandemic have been using that as a dog run but the signs say no dogs. So can Shader Park as an example become a dog park or can we integrate a dog park at Park Drive Park? So those types of conversations have been communitydriven that are helping to again with the actionable recommendations and understanding the path forward in terms of grant funding right sizing the grant application being very specific being very deliberate pulling the community input to drive that decision helps a great deal.

Thank you. And um I know it's mentioned in the parks and recreation visioning plan, but just for public awareness, could you clarify what the total acreage of like private parks in the city are? because I I know that we've got some parks that are on private land but publicly accessible that were developed as you know part of development agreements or some other um agreements with the city like the like the Colorado Center has a park for example at at 26th in Colorado um Broadway off the balancing sorry

no um so within the the vision and network chapter in the matrices on the the the last uh matrix matrix portion of the chart. There is other facilities uh and they are highlighted as Colorado center is x amount of acreage. Uh then we go into matrices that are related to joint use and other elements. But the the primary portion of the front end of vision and network is describes all of our parks and uh within the neighborhood so you know which within which neighborhood those parks apply. Does that answer your question?

Um kind of. But at least it tells it tells folks where to look if they want to find out what kind of private parks we have. available that are outside of our direct um control. Uh and then for some of the longer term actions that were listed in the vision plan, uh for example, redesigning wing wide medians for arts and recreational use, it was I think action 2.3. Have we also thought about smaller shorter term actions that we can take like installing temporary benches and some lighting? Uh anything like that that can help activate it in the meantime

directly? No, that's a good point. I mean, there's a lot of components with that, you know, like if we were to talk if we were to look at the medians as an example, adding a bench, let's let's take San V uh San Vincente Boulevard as an example. Um there is no direct public access formally on that medium. So, if we wanted to add a bench, then we have to look at the broader contextual elements to support that. So it's integrating additional crosswalks, uh integrating accessible paths of travel, um understanding like the proper sight lines to support those benches. Those those are conversations that we are having um and we'll continue to look at uh within the realm of that particular goal and recommendation of studying the medians.

Thank you. Yeah, that's really helpful. I didn't think about the broader kind of u implications of adding benches and other types of infrastructure to those types of areas. And then um final question for now um you mentioned it was mentioned that the field at the airport park will need to be replaced relatively soon. Would someone be able to clarify when that's going to need to be replaced roughly and of of the teams that play on that field? uh kind of what's the balance of adult sports to youth sports if we know that answer.

Um I will probably tag in Micah on who is using it. Um but we do have current currently in this CIP cycle we have an application in to do it in this next uh CIP cycle to replace that uh that turf. But in terms of the usage that one that particular field is one of the fields that takes in the high intensity, high volume uh heavier use uh sports activities.

Good evening, council. Micah Aerson, community recreation manager. Airport Park is definitely a wide use of uses. Um AYSO is there quite often, a lot of our club teams. So we have kind of certain schedules, but that is also the spot for our adult soccer league. Um we have over 100 teams per season in our adult soccer league. Um, and so they typically play about 7:30 and after weekdays. Um, and then we do have some adult permits on weekend evenings. Otherwise, I would say the majority of this the time is for youth. Okay. Thank you. Great. Council member Negro.

Hi, thank you. Um, okay. A few questions. One is just, you know, I know we try to make these pocket parks and I I'm all for green space wherever we can, but and I'm assuming we're going to prioritize hopefully because I think these joint use agreements we have to not just rely on them. I mean, those are great, but we need rectangular park space so that we can have natural grass fields that, you know, when they're having to rest or whatever, we have this balance of the other fields um so that we're not just dependent upon these joint use agreements. Are these, you know, sort of accessible public spaces that aren't really considered like a public useful recreational park? I mean, are these have we identified already like, I don't know, underused plots of land or parking lots to look at rectangular recreational park space?

Yes, there's not a lot, you know, um when it comes to the joint use agreements in terms of the the calculation of like our acreage, those were not added. Uh we are not relying on those as part of our analysis. Um we are starting to look at the opportunities. We had a recent the last grant cycle there was an opportunity for acquisition of property for parkland. Uh we didn't find too many uh especially when we start to look at like parking lots provide revenue. Um but again you know the it's something that we can continue to look at for sure. I would just say, and I don't know the numbers, maybe it doesn't compare to parking revenue, but being a soccer mom for I don't know, two decades, it feels like there's a lot of revenue going to other cities that have tournaments when you stay within there. So, I mean, obviously those parks have a huge huge huge space. So, hopefully we're looking at that. Um this the other thing she meant just council members said benches and I just thought about how um I will leave this person shall remain nameless but someone I know put a memorial bench kind of on their own in a park because the city doesn't do it anymore and it got removed. I was curious I mean people pay for those and it might help support maybe not in a big way um some

additional additional funding to park maintenance. I don't know. Are we considering bringing back yes these memorial benches. We are uh looking at bringing it back. There is some coordination between ourselves and RAD in terms of who's managing that. Uh there has been a system in place before that we are looking back towards as to like how we do that effectively because there has been comments that we've been receiving about that process in the past and how it after they pay into it then it technically becomes our abil like ours to manage and operate. So

if we need to remove it then we can remove it and then someone asks like where did our bench go? Well we had to remove it for this reason and it says that in the in your agreement. So there's a lot of things that were Yeah. And might I suggest um in Manhattan Beach they have this like maybe it doesn't always have to be a bench. It could be a rock or something smaller that doesn't take up as much space and has a plaque and gives people the ability to honor a loved one or whatever it is they want to do like an adopt a park type of thing.

Um and it doesn't take up so much space and maybe doesn't even require much maintenance because it's not like a bench that has to be repaired. Um, and then again, I don't know if I'm skirting on the outskirts of what you guys can do, but I see somebody in the crowd and it just triggered the conversation around prioritizing youth access to parks earlier in the day and having adult sports and recreation be at night. I mean, this might be something that's mainly naturally done, but what I've heard from residents is oftentimes that's not the case. And I don't know if that's a rule that we have in place or have you guys considered just kind of making that a standard rule. Let me I'll kick it over to Micah on that one.

Uh yeah, we do have field permitting guidelines. Um and um adult use is typically 700 p.m. and after on weekdays at certain parks. Um a lot of parks do have youth access till 9:00 p.m. as do the school sites. For example, John Adams, Lincoln, Samo High, um all and Belmar. Actually, all the use is youth until 9:00 p.m. At those sites, it's 9:00 p.m. until about 10:30, 11. We do have adult use at uh Memorial Park and at Airport Park. We do start some of those adult leagues earlier. Um 7:00 is typically like the earliest time I think for the softball league and the soccer league is a little little later. I think 7:15 or 7:30 start. Um and it is youth up until those times.

Okay. I would just say that maybe there's community members who have said that they find you might know who I'm talking about. I think I'm sitting right making eyeballs daggers. Um that you know youth are not given the opportunity to get the earlier time and it would be easier to just maybe adjust some hours so that adults can play later and the kids are there before it gets too dark.

Yeah, we we've had those discussions and it's definitely a a balance for sure and the the youth do get the vast majority of the time. Um, but we do have a very strong need for adult recreation as well. And so we do want to accommodate that. Um, and just looking at the general kind of adult sports industry and all the other cities that do it, we do kind of align ourselves very similar to that. And I wouldn't say that we're any earlier. I think City of LA actually starts a lot of their leagues around 6:30. But I I definitely understand your point and that's a conversation we've had uh extensively with the committee.

Then lastly, just thank you. um play structures just assuring that like I'm assuming we do this maybe I have it's been a while my kids are 18 and 15 now I'm not taking them to the parks um but in the same way but that we have the ADA swings and things like that for we sorry continue yeah no it sounds like no our approach is uh beyond accessibility it's inclusivity now so it thinks about not only uh equitable access but cognitive play um uh different all-incclusive so it's not just access to the equipment, but it's also thinking about holistically and how kids learn. So, it's going above and beyond. How is it? Thank you, Council Z. I mean, Proz,

thank you for this presentation. Um, exciting new goals for for our parkland um expanding it in our city. Uh, I do have just uh I will bring it back to some few quick questions about grass and turf and I'm not sure if that means as for you or for our expert here, but uh I'm just curious because uh I've certainly been made aware of the subject more than I thought I would. And uh one of the things that uh I've learned about are I think what's been referenced uh as would be part of future study related to other natural systems, alternatives, more durable strains of grass or otherwise that we don't or even maintenance techniques that we don't maybe currently employ. And I'm just trying to understand where we're at in that process. you know, whether we do any of this now, what we're what we're looking at and what just what you know, what you guys have learned so far in that in that sort of research effort.

Sure. Um so uh most recently you know as the conversations about um the turf and natural grass have come up I mean the stars align such that we happen to be at green build and we were having some conversations with uh companies that are looking into regenerative soils and um we've started to understand what the scope would be related to kind of a full-fledged um analysis of like what it means in terms of not only like the species of grass, but the soil, how we treat the soil prior to the installation of it. Uh there's also uh an element of that scope that would look at our current maintenance and operations to then re-calibrate or make suggestions as to not only like once we get it in the ground, how do we there's there's maintenance and operations that go into it being installed to ensure that it maintains its performance as a regenerative product. Um so that combined with um understanding the additional scope again is looking at the hours that our current program is being run on our natural grass systems and al also our artificial turf systems to then help guide the quantification of like offsetting the demand on an artificial current artificial turf field and what it would take to offset that demand with a natural grass system. So whether it be a uh like three natural grass fields to offset the artificial turf field, all of that would be part of the scope to analyze that system because again it's not just put it in the ground and you're good to go. It's there's a lot of different factors that they will study to um help provide us with the recommendation and the costs necessary to meet that demand. So, if I'm hearing you partly, I mean, there's some idea that there's maybe an adjustment in the intensity of use, but there's another

element whereby theoretically grass could cover a lot of our needs, it might require more uh sort of care and maybe cost involved in the way that we maintain it or otherwise, but that it could certainly be, you know, if we were willing to pay for it, for instance, be something that we could accommodate.

Yeah. Uh yes, assuming we have the real estate to do so. So in our existing planning studies as an example, the the Santa Monica airport is understanding like if we have the right amount of real estate, it's not only to your point, the cost to maintain it, but also the having the amount of acreage to implement the quantities of the the rectangular fields we need. Our level of service has told us that in five years time, we're going to need an additional two rectangular fields. But when we start to roll in the analysis of what our current demand is on our artificial turf fields with transitioning that to a natural grass system and giving them the opportunities to rest and whatnot that two fields kind of grows in number. So studying how that number can be accommodated in that open real estate is also key. Um, so when I read the when I look at the memorial memorial park, um, the I guess the ER that was conducted to determine whether we would use natural grass or or other alternative um, systems, natural systems. I mean, it it does, you know, it chose to go with natural grass. I understand you're talking about diamonds versus rectangle fields and intensities of use, but it also is pretty clear about, you know, it being a superior option at least for the environment and health um in that way. And uh I guess my question is sort of broadly when it comes to this compromised policy if there are potential better options that we might be able to employ uh down the road. Why are we locking ourselves in into saying we definitely will replace the turf with turf for instance as opposed to you know basing that basically on whether or not we're able to identify durable natural alternative materials that could serve.

Right. I think I think that there are are a couple things there. Um, one when when uh what Tony was just referring to in in terms of us uh initiating this study into more durable natural alternatives. Um we really are at the beginning of that process. Um so uh included in that is a real study into our microclimate and and and what uh what we can do there. Also, what we are proposing is a pilot project so that we can test that out to make sure to prove that it it it can be maintained and it will provide a play a consistent playable surface before we we make a shift without having a a tested and a tried and tested um uh alternative. Um what we know is that or what we believe is that the um airport field will need to be replaced before we have completed that pilot. Um and therefore we are uh again we are proposing a compromise for now until we can complete this long-term again the this is the policy for now. is not in perpetuity, right? Um we can come back and and and have results, proven results for um more durable natural surfaces. And as as Tony um said, you know, we also uh no matter what a natural surface will need maintenance and resting time at times, right? Um so uh so we also are looking at aligning that with expansion of our of our in our field inventory. So again this is this is the proposed policy for now for our existing inventory. Um but again the long-term goal is to uh uh invest in testing invest in research invest in testing prove it out and then and then

be able to to remove artificial turf altogether. Thank you. I mean I generally I appreciate the way the city has approached this um contrary to the way the school uh the school district has approached this uh and uh I you know I I I I would say that you know based on all that we know about uh potential risk to the environment and human health. It would seem like something that we as a community and as a council would be willing to devote resources to if that was the issue at hand. Council member Hall,

is it okay to move into comments? Okay. Um, I'll I'll be quick. Uh, thank you for all the work. Um, to the staff, uh, to all of our advisory bodies and commissions that have worked on this for years at this point. Um uh just a few quick comments. Um I'm supportive of the compromised policy. Our advisory bodies are also recommending it uh long-term uh and short term if we can. I'm absolutely supportive of natural grass. Um I do agree with the vision plan and keeping the beach separate when it comes to our needs assessment. Uh largely because we have limited ability to program or to build on that with how we're thinking about um use of our parks in the future. Uh, I think we want to um or we we need to recognize that the coastal commission could be very challenging um when it comes to that stuff. So, it makes sense to keep what we control as our needs assessment. Uh I would agree with council member Negrete. I've seen some proposals in the community specifically from one of our members of the field sports advisory council that seem to make sense to me. So, if you're asking for policy direction, I would say that um I'd definitely like us to look at ways that we can prioritize our kids uh during daylight hours. Um, and then the last thing is I know it's mentioned in the plan, but I just want to reiterate like I think as we're thinking about where the majority of our housing is likely going to be built in the next coming decades, um, with where our housing element has put it, where the expo line is with relation to state law, uh, it's going to be in that light industrial zone between like Colorado and Olympic. And I'd certainly be interested in exploring how can we better use that median in Olympic um for for uh green space and you know if it makes sense with our traffic flow and our and our green park needs like should we vacate two of those lanes and create a giant linear park along Olympic that would create tons more space for

playgrounds, running trails, dog parks, um community gardens even uh where a lot of that housing is going to be built. So, um just something to think about as we approach uh our next housing element too is like how are we marrying up our our parks plan with that. So, thanks

um yeah, thank you to the team for the great work on this. Thank you also to all the city commissioners who spent many many long hours uh working on this. Um I just have a few very quick comments. Uh I concur with uh council member Hall on this. I I think with respect to the turf issue. I I'd like us to focus on solutions that are public health focused in the long term. Uh I think it's there's some important balancing acts that are going need to happen here. But I I my policy compass is telling me we should find solutions that are public health focused. I I'm not really sure how you'd articulate that to policy, but hopefully you can help us out here. I also uh just want to say uh you know, if if this is a plan that's going to take us decades into the future, I I really would encourage my my colleagues on this council to uh think about reusing the freeway land for a public good and for public parks. Uh let's not cap it. Let's get rid of it.

I'm serious. This works in other cities and the inensella turn it into parks, housing, all the things that are great for our community. uh and if if uh we are serious about building a future focused city that needs to be part of our park visioning plan.

I was just going to say that um as we were talking about the fiscal, you know, the ability to of creating park space and and com having having it have the competing, you know, idea that like well a parking lot generates more income. And I was just thinking that like I don't know that we have to choose between those two things and I think we could look at maybe how we can how parks can be colllocated with revenue generating uses. So whether it's coffee stands I mean I don't know I've missed at the prominade that we used to have all those little stands that sold things you know and maybe this is also can tie into a later discussion about how we look at how we reinvest in communities and we talk a lot about giving um you know marginalized groups uh who are wanting to start a business opportunities. We had a big issue with vending carts down on the pier that were done illegally. this could maybe play a part in putting people in a pathway where you can vend fruit and hot dogs in a place that's safe to do it and the city invests in helping people find a way to do that. I I know that seems like it's so separate from our park plan, but I think it could be part of it in attracting people and generating activity that might very well solve a little bit of the financial strain on having park space. And then I just want to make the comment that as we continue to densify because I know I'm the lone vote on um the overcrowding and housing development. I I hope we are really looking at those numbers as we're building and adding more density that we're adjusting those numbers to create more green space that's truly open and green usable recreation space and not just like adding some pretty trees and bushes along in the middle of a a highway street that you can't really you know recreate on. So, thank you.

Thank you, Council Members Wick.

All right. Uh talk uh briefly here because I know we have a long agenda ahead still. Uh I'll just say that I heard a lot of comment on this issue specifically uh related to the grass and turf. Uh, and I'll say that I I sympathize with the kids as a person who played soccer and uh the turf fields I think are worse in most respects. They do get hot. They do lead to more injuries. They uh they do leave nasty uh burns when you slide. Uh and uh I guess what I'm hearing is that you guys are evaluating options and that you're going to, you know, use that evidence to then determine how you want to do things in the future. But when I read the actual uh language of this compromise, it seems, you know, obviously, yes, everything can be rewritten, but if we're going to try to provide flexibility for, you know, information to guide your thinking going forward, I don't know why as a policy we would say that turf fields will automatically be replaced as turf fields. So, I guess I would propose that we move the plan and that language uh with one amendment that would say existing uh city-owned artificial turf fields will be and I would say re-evaluated at the end of their natural life to determine if durable natural grass alternatives may feasibly replace them. And that's my one proposal which I think is consistent with what I heard from several of my council members. And I'll I'll move that if there's a seconder. I'll second that.

Sorry. Would you mind just restating explicitly what your motion was? It's to move the staff recommendation. And then when it came to the policy that was proposed, there were three items. One was that uh no new, this is as written, no new city- owned artificial turf fields will be installed. Uh existing grass fields will be maintained as grass. And then there was a third one that said existing city-owned artificial turf fields will be replaced as artificial turf fields. And instead, I was proposing that it say existing city-owned artificial turf fields will be re-evaluated at the end of their natural life to determine if durable natural grass alternatives may feasibly replace them.

Council,

thank you. I will try to go through my comments very quickly. Uh maybe it'll just be me talking quickly. Um, so love the idea of more dog parks, including hopefully if we can, let's get a dog park at the beach. I know former mayor Brock um had brought that idea forth and whatever we can do to keep that moving would be wonderful. Um, I encourage and want to support more opportunities for parks and recreation areas on privately owned land like that park at Colorado Center because then we don't have to maintain it, but our residents still get the benefit of that access. Um, I appreciate the compromise. um language of the the turf versus grass uh that mayor promick brought forward totally supportive of that in terms of uh the so I I would love to also look for more opportunities for community gardens maybe where sidewalks are sufficiently wide there's some opportunity to do some above ground community garden kind of thing and then in terms of the community and climate resilience I would love to see how we could continue to create more micro grids emergency energy storage, emergency supply storage, um, and to potentially also look at our community gardens, uh, through the lens of emergency preparedness in addition to, uh, trying to give folks more access to healthy, fresh foods. Um, and as part of signage at parks, I would also love to look for more opportunities to show the history of those areas, including but not limited to um the history of the native folks who were originally on this land um and how the city has changed over over time, including particularly uh more stories of marginalized communities who have been part of the making of Santa Monica. And I think that's all my comments. Thank you. Thank you, Council Member Hall.

Thank you, Mayor. Uh, I'm going to do a substitute motion that approve or sorry, that uh moves the staff recommendation as written. Um, I want to be clear that I am definitely in favor of uh real grass moving forward. But I'm also a realist and a pragmatist here in that Airport Park, which is one of our biggest fields for adult sports, particularly high sports like soccer and rugby and football, it needs to be replaced. And we we do not have the funding or or the park space, frankly, to have additional fields of that size for adult use of that intensity until we build several more fields. uh if we're going to transition that immediately to grass like it's going to require maintenance that will need us to lessen the intensity that we currently have on there. So if we immediately transition that to grass, we are going to lose capability for our highintensity sports, particularly for adults. And so the staff report and recommendation has gone through years of public input from our commissions, from our field sports advisory teams, uh council, from all of our adult sports to our youth sports. Um and I think we should honor that um and think about the grass transition in the long term. But I think we also need to be realist about if we transition that field immediately to grass, we are going to lose capacity for adult sports.

If I may respond, I'm in the queue. Uh

well, I just respond quickly. I mean, everything you said is uh appreciated by me and that's why I used the word feasible when it came to letting staff make that decision. Um the other one actually locks us into a policy that just prescribes that it will be replaced that way. And this one actually allows staff to determine what's feasible based on the results of research that they're engaging in. So I don't think it precludes anything that you are saying. But um and I will also just say that there were multiple commissions that weighed in on this and they weren't all unanimous on that particular question. the sustainable environmental I can't say the word uh commission did have a different set of recommendations and as mentioned by several commenters it's based on our city's own conclusions and I'll just quote very quickly the city's EIR on the two alternatives indicated that turf uh sorry using grass would avoid the use of per and poly floral substances or pas and microlastics that have potential to degrade over time resulting in potential contamination of water and soil and potential adverse effects on human health. Where simultaneously in our own program that reimbures people for replacing their lawns, we don't allow them to use artificial turf. And we say because it doesn't support biodiversity. It doesn't foster soil health. It allows for the uh sorry the production of synthetic turf is associated with significant greenhouse gas emissions. It's not easily recycled. It's a contributor to heat island effect. has no ability to sequester carbon and as existing chemicals may run off directly into storm drains and waterways without the beneficial filtration that live vegetation and mulch provides. I don't really see how we can possibly be living our values when those are the things that we as a city say about these materials. That said, again, I'm going to let staff determine what's feasible and not lock them into a proposal that they have to replace turf fields with turf fields unless in fact there is no other feasible option.

Council member Hall. Yeah, I I think you're preaching to the choir here. I agree with all the points that you're making and as long as feasibility includes uh that we are heavily weighing loss in adult sports time as well for highintensity sports, then then I'm fine with that. If staff finds that we're able to um to include that in our assessment uh and and recognize that we're not losing any capacity for adult sports, then sure, I'm I'm fine with that and we'll withdraw my substitute motion. And staff do that. Okay, that's a yes for a motion.

Council member Rascin real quick. Uh I'd like to ask for two hopefully friendly amendments uh to the incorporator's direction uh one that as part of this feasibility analysis that it uh incorporates uh a consideration of public health. Yeah. I mean I think that's I think partly what's guiding the preference but yeah.

Okay. Uh second, uh that we give direction to um in as part of these work plans to prioritize uh looking at how streets and the freeway could potentially be reutilized for public recreational purposes.

Yeah, I mean I think that's that's friendly as well to me. Um, I think on a short-term cost basis, certain neighborhood streets would probably be a bigger an easier lift than the freeway. But I mean, I'm I'm for all first studying all of it. And I would agree that, you know, on a system that we have that's a perfect grid, there's a lot of opportunity in the amount of space we have on our streets to look at park space, especially in our denser neighborhoods. I don't know.

Yeah, I'm fine. I just want to prioritize recreational sport spaces that so we can have large parks. I mean, I like all this. I just don't want to send you guys on some wild goose chase around. I'd like to prioritize like what's feasibly doable to create usable recreational park space and not obscure pocket parks in a dark corner somewhere. Council Zern,

I just wanted to clarify so that I make sure I'm understanding the direction. I'm okay with the amendments. Um, in terms of the turf versus grass, the where feasible, are you is it effectively saying that um uh unless we can feasibly unless staff can feasibly figure out an alternative for um natural playing fields that can stand up to the our durability and capacity needs. Uh they may be able to replace it with turf in the short term until we figure out uh a longer term strategy. Is that effectively the direction although in probably better language?

I I think so. I mean I think the the policy has written now says they will be replaced as turf and as proposed it's that that would be an evaluation based on feasibility which would include such subjects as cost um overall uh intensity of use and and and and capacity needs uh and issues of public health. So, we're we're trying to not lose any capacity on the limited field space we already have ideally, but from what I've been told and what I've sort of gleaned is that I I I'm actually quite optimistic about some of these durable natural alternatives of being quite durable and hardy. And I don't want to preclude that as being a possibility.

That sounds good. Thank you. There's a motion on the floor. Yeah. So, I think we're ready for a vote. with um council member Rasin's additions. Correct. Council member Zernitzkaya. Yes. Council member Snell. Yes. Mayor Promig. Yes. Council member Raskin. Yes. Council member Hall. Yes. Uh Council Member Negrete. Yes. And Mayor Troes. Yes. Congratulations everyone. Thank you for all of your hard work. Thank you.

We now will move on to uh it is past midnight. Um, and we have several items. I just want to ask the city attorney and city manager, how timesensitive are the items that remain in close session? I'm trying to do some agenda management here. Understood. We are evaluating that right now. I believe that highest priority would be D, which we do not believe would take long. It's the uh request for the to join the Yes. 5D. The request to join the amigus. I just feel badly because this is the problem. We have staff now that have sat here all night waiting to present to us and um

I will just say those are those are from the the litigation items. The manager's office may have um other priority items under real estate. Can I just ask that we discuss the close session items in close session? No, I'm just asking if we if any of them are time sensitive. You want to discuss all the close session items on the close session agenda? Well, no. I think we can make that decision when we get to close session. Okay. I was trying to see if there's anything we can move. Okay. Um All right. Let's do 11 and see.

Hi. Good evening, city council. My name is Linda Coxill, senior design manager with public works. I'm joined by SWA Group to present the proposed revised plan and DI for the project. I'm also joined by city staff from multiple departments uh to support council discussion to move the project forward. Staff's recommendation is for council to certify the EIR, adopt the mitigation measures in the EIR, approve the revised plan, and direct staff to proceed with final design. As an alternative, we are also recommending um that you direct staff to eliminate the elevated pickle ball and tennis courts. um proceed with ongrade courts in place of future field five and consider incorporating future field five development into the airport conversion project. Um I'll start with the project background then I'll give a review of the design process and basis for staff's recommendation. Then I'll turn it over to Jana to review the proposed revised plan and close with next steps. So, Memorial Park is a key component of the um overall park system. Um it is the primary park for softball and baseball and it's uh the home to Santa Monica's only pickle ball and tennis courts. The project would expand the park from 10.3 acres to 13.2 acres by incorporating the former Fiser lumber site. So, the project has been in the works for nearly 30 years. It really gained momentum in 2016 when council identified it as a high priority initiative. That same year, V voters approved measure V providing up to 20 million um from Santa Monica College. Um in 2019, council approved the master plan and in 2020 a design bill contract was awarded, but it

was never executed due to the CO 19 pandemic. The project was suspended. Um, in 2022, council approved restarting the project with a reduced initial phase with only the 20 million from SMC available. In August 2024, SWA Group was awarded a design contract for phases 01 and two and we kicked off the project um early last year. So phase zero refers to the sustainable water infrastructure project which is separate from the park redevelopment and expansion project with its own EIR and funding sources. The SWIP is a critical component of the city's water sustainability strategy and it involves an underground system that would harvest storm water and urban runoff. In designing phases 01, and two, the project team worked from the approved master plan and the original objectives of the project while also uh revisiting additional design considerations that were identified by council. Additionally, meetings and presentations occurred throughout the design process to share updates and gain input. So, the original objectives were to maximize fields, consider community programs, integrate the city's bike and ped action plans, integrate buffering, and consider the park's relationship to the surrounding context. The additional items for design considerations reflect programmatic and dimensional considerations intended for study during schematic design, where the master plan may be refined to incorporate these items. The schematic design process began last spring and the project team worked through uh alternatives to develop and refine a proposed revised plan for

council approval. In parallel with design, an EIR was prepared in accordance with SQA and final EIR certification uh is now before council. The EIR focused analysis on air quality, cultural and tribal cultural resources, greenhouse gas emissions and climate change and hazards and hazardous materials and determined that there would be no significant environmental effects. So, prior to starting design, staff updated construction budgets based on the original master plan. Preliminary cost estimates based on the proposed revised plan indicate higher construction costs. We believe that the increase reflects the difference between a conceptual master plan versus a schematic design revised plan which is much more detailed providing a more accurate and complete construction cost estimate. Currently none of the phases are fully funded for construction and both the SWIP and the park projects are facing funding shortfalls. Aware of the funding gap, uh staff is actively pursuing grants. staff has submitted four applications uh one of which has been paused. Given the remaining shortfall, even if all grant funding were awarded, alternative actions were outlined in the staff report. Staff supports eliminating the elevated pickle ball and tennis courts and proceeding with ongrade courts to bring the project back closer to the original construction budget of 40 million for phases one and two. This alternative would maintain six fields um while increasing overall playability with the addition of the combo fields. And recognizing that the master plan's objective to add a seventh field um was a key component of the master plan. This alternative includes consideration of

incorporating the future field five development into the airport conversion project. If directed to proceed with on-grade courts, staff would prioritize evaluating on-grade courts at the future five location. And if challenges or opportunities arise that would warrant further consideration of alternatives, staff would then assess other potential um locations. So, pending council direction, staff anticipates up to four months of additional design to assess alternatives and finalize the layout. While this may delay the start of construction, um proceeding with ongrade corks would likely shorten construction duration. So, with that, I'll turn it over to Janet to um walk you through the proposed revised plan. Thank you council members and city staff for providing this opportunity um to collaborate with your community on this project. My name is Jana Webey. I'm a principal at S SWA and um we understand there's been a long road to get to this point and important objectives established during the master plan process and we're committed to carry those ideals forward um through to implementation. So, our team started, as Linda mentioned, with a review of the 2019 approved master plan shown on the left side of the screen and assessed the design considerations requested by city council at that time. Through a collaborative process with city staff, we prepared the revised site plan with key changes to optimize the park use. These changes um respond to project objectives in particular to provide a more welcoming entry park experience to accommodate community amenities in addition to the sports programming and

provide additional parking without compromising recreational um amenities. This proposed revised plan is the result of these changes and updates along with additional development of the master plan programming. So I'll give a brief overview. I know you received a very good staff report from city staff. I'll hit on the ball fields, some of the community amenities, and the pickle ball and tennis courts in the central area of the park, the strategy for trees in phases one and two, and conclude with streetscape and parking. So, first with ball fields, our team scrutinized the ball field dimensions and support elements to fit within the park's footprint to support multiple levels of play from little league to college softball and the potential for simultaneous games on the combination fields on natural grass fields while also integrating community amenities and providing clear entry into the park. This process has caused a portion of combination field 4 and its dugout to be located within the right of way of 16th Street. So, this will require a summary vacation of the right of way. Also, by reorienting future field 5 from what was shown in the master plan, we've been able to provide additional space near the playground and picnic um near the playground for picnic and barbecue grill amenities. This is a potential view of what this looks like. In the current revised plan, we're showing providing shade through canopy trees as well as belt structures for a variety of conditions. And it should be noted that if the tennis and pickle ball courts are moved to be located on the ground, this area would be redesigned, but the amenities would still be accommodated in the park.

In our process, we were also able to incorporate space for a dog run. And here we see a view of the pickle ball and tennis courts on the elevated structure. The plan still has the four tennis courts and 16 pickle ball courts that were in the master plan. And in this version that you're seeing or if it's located on the ground, it's providing improved circulation and waiting areas for players compared to the current condition. For phase two, you see here the addition of the community hub. The revised plan shifted the elevated courts to the east to connect with this building and provide additional parking spaces and improve the park's open space and circulation. If the elevated courts are removed, the team would redesign the community hub as a standalone building that's still coordinated with the park open space and circulation. It would remain a central location and and key focal point of the park. Here we see the community grub from hub from the ground level. Our team is proposing building materials that are contemporary while also complementing the existing recreation centers since they will coexist for an unknown period of time. Um, we're considering maintenance cost and sustainability with the building materials. As our team reviewed the amenities, we also did an assessment of the existing trees in phase one and two areas of the park. This diagram overlays the proposed plan with the existing tree locations. And you'll see that there are a lot of trees along the existing dog run and the palms along the back of the field that are right in the middle of the combination field. So, those will need to be removed. However, we evaluated the park design and have proposed changes

that allow us to protect some of the existing trees along 14th Street. So in total we'll have 14 trees that are protected or relocated on the site and um 82 removed and in the current plan about 110 new trees planted. The new tree species that we've selected are based on the urban forest master plan and prioritize native species we presented to the urban forest task force and received their support. So moving to streetscape design on Cal Colorado Avenue. This is based on the master plan providing u the removal of parallel parking to expand the width to support shared use bicycling and walking along Colorado and improve connectivity. And the revised plan for fire department access keeps the current street lane width instead of the reduced width in the master plan. This is a view of the proposed prominade entry from Colorado um into the park. We show amenities at the entry to provide a welcoming entry point. And you see the idea of potential artwork in the central area of the park to help draw people in. On 14th Street, we've revised the design to keep a wider parkway to protect the existing trees and allow us to fill in gaps with new street tree plantings. And on 16th Street, we've maintained the master plan's 8 foot wide community loop trail, but changed some of the parallel parking to be angled, which helps to increase the number of parking spaces. And we've also um provided consistent street trees. The overall parking approach reduces the number of parking spaces on the street but provides additional parking spaces

in the park compared to the existing condition. So we are increasing the total number of parking spaces from condition from existing condition um compared to the master plan which slightly reduced and we do not anticipate any significant changes to parking counts or streetscape design based on the potential relocation of the elevated courts to be on the ground. So just a final quick point um regarding sustainability certification. Our team did preliminary assessment and the park project appears to meet prerequisites for the site certification system. We would target gold level certification. The community hub building it's small but it does appear to be eligible for lead certification if it's desired to pursue that. So I'll hand it back to Linda. Thank you, Janice. So, for next steps, um, here's staff's recommendation. And if council follows staff's recommendation, we would then move forward with alternatives assessment, followed by final design, and begin planning for construction, which includes accommodating displaced programming during construction. Staff anticipates returning to council in the spring, completing final design by the end of the year, and beginning construction in spring summer 2027 contingent unavailable funding. So, thank you for your consideration. We look forward to your questions and comments. Uh, Council Member Negrete,

I have a couple questions, but one just popped up and it maybe is a stupid question or unpopular, I don't know, but being leadcertified, like what does that actually do for us? because I know it's expensive and I wonder like can we be sustainable and do all the things but not pay for the certification but maybe that's you could you know the lead certification provides a framework to guide decision making and show accountability that the city is meeting those standards um it also impacts ongoing operations so I think it's really about the accountability and commitment but you can still make those same choices and not go through the actual certification. How much is the certification?

I don't know that. Isn't it like 50 to $100,000 or something like that? But I don't know. Okay. But when you say on it affects ongoing maintenance, how does it affect um lead includes measures for operations? So the way waste removal, cleaning products, but don't we do that stuff in Santa Monica? Aren't we pretty like the leader? Aren't we the leaders of sustainability? And what some would say? I've been to so many of the events where people come from all over the country to see how we do things. I'm just asking because if it's about money and there's ways to save, I wonder if

these certifications sometimes are more about paying for a seal on a building and less about Yeah. I mean, I would say part of the reason that we are those leaders is because we have committed to these certifications on our buildings. Um, uh, again, the cost for it is is much less than $100,000. We we can come back to you with the exact cost, but especially for a small building, it is not that much. Um, uh, but again, it it is really about following that framework, making sure everybody is accountable, not just us where we are generally responsible stewards. Um uh but yeah, I mean I think that it is something that's really aligned with our values and what we our typical practice.

I would just say if it means we can get pickle ball courts. Um it's it's not going to be enough to move the dial on on that. Um and then I would just say like I know you guys were saying that the pickle ball courts will be replaced around the city. like is that really going to happen right away or

so we understand the community's concerns around displaced programming and we we are having internal discussions identifying alternative locations and um considering all feasible options um and so we are thinking about the construction phase displaced programming and like mitigating the impacts and disruption um but I think it's important to acknowledge that although, you know, we're going to put in every effort to do what we can with with displaced programming, um fully accommodating all of the displaced programming is going to be a challenge. And so we do expect some reduction in programming during construction. Um and pickle ball is definitely pickle ball, softball, baseball, um will all be affected. I wonder if it's feasible to work with the existing indoor outdoor pickle ball courts or I don't know if the outdoor one will still be there during this time but like just maybe having some partnership to provide some I don't know if the city can participate in making it feasible for them financially to provide some free time during their slower periods or something so that people don't lose access to free pickle ball space. That's it. Thank you. Councilwick, thank you.

Hi, this is um thank you for the presentation. It's I mean it's a beautiful vision for um you know a part of our city that needs more investment in green space. So it's it's exciting and I think my main focus is just how we actually get to to do it in this resource constrained moment. Um couple quick questions. Uh so I'm trying to understand so phase uh phase zero is just the swip is that right? Correct. Okay. And then phase phase one has to do with that sort of smaller portion now that we've we've kind of resized I guess in terms of what phase one is. Yes.

But so what's the shortfall now that's under that's sort of currently anticipated for phase one. So, um, go back to the So, the shortfall for phase one, um, we have 18 million from the college. The cost estimate came in at 40 million. Um, but we're saying, you know, with up to 15% value engineering, um, which we haven't gone through that process yet, we could possibly bring it down to 34 million. Um, so the shortfall is between 16 to 22 million.

Okay. And, um, I'm hearing I've heard multiple comments on the idea that there's maybe some way that we could cut the cost further. Is that is that what the value engineering is or is that a separate proposal that as you know that's the alternative action? So removing the structure and making the elevated pickle ball courts on grade would save us about 17 million. Got it. And is that something that we're weighing in on tonight? Yes.

Okay. Um so two more questions. So phase zero, I mean, is that money that So that's that's we also don't have money for phase zero. Does that mean that that precludes us from moving forward with anything else until we find that money? Um, so it does not I think is Josh, do you want that?

Um, so it doesn't preclude us. Phase zero um is has separate funding sources and measure W the grant is specifically for phase zero and there are some approaches that we can take to move the project forward even if we don't get the grant funding. Hi. Uh this is Josh Carvalo um with uh public works. Yeah. So phase zero is independent of one or two. So we're we're still looking for about um half of the project funding for phase zero, but um that can go independently and it can go either with phase one or phase two.

Okay. Thank you. Um last question. um these combination baseball fields uh or baseball softball fields, the ones that face each other. My understanding is you can't really have two games playing at the same time. Or can you? You could have two little league games going at the same time, but if you're playing high school baseball, you wouldn't have another game. Or if you were playing college softball, you wouldn't have another game.

Okay. Okay. So, I guess my question is sort of, you know, if if we can't always really even have games playing simultaneously on them, why is that determined to be the best sort of use of limited space then to to have these combo fields? So currently um there's a what we call Memorial main and it's four fields but it's very compacted and you could maybe get two games at the same time out of them. With two sets of combo fields you could get four at the same time. So the playability with the combo fields increases drastically um versus what we have currently.

So there is a possibility. Yes. Assuming it is small children. Yes. That you can have them all being played, right? You could have two adult games happening at the same time versus now you could only have one. You can only have one now currently despite there being four. Yes. Okay. Thank you. Okay, Alexander Hall.

Thank you, mayor. Uh, and thank you for the presentation, team. Um, just a quick question. If we consider the shift of the pickle ball and tennis courts to where the field five, the potential field five would be, does that affect the playground at all? And forgive me if that was in your report. I may have missed it. We would shift the playground but aim to keep the same size and it would still be centrally located. Okay, got it. Thank you, Councelor Rasin. Uh if folks don't have more questions, I prepared to make a motion. Great.

Um move that we adopt the uh resolution to certify the IR uh adopt the uh mitigation measures and approve the revised plan per uh the staff report. Um do I need to include anything else in the motion? Can I just clarify? Are we propos are we approving the the less expensive atgrade pickle ball courts in that item? Yes. The ones that were value engineered by the wreck and parks commission. I just want to clarify that those are the ones we are adopting. Council Rasin. Yeah. Hold on. Yeah, I think so. Right.

I I mean I support that. That's what I Okay, great. That's the motion you made and I second that. Okay. Just clarify. Um can I just ask one real quick question? I know in so for field five I know it was in the staff before you said that shade and sun were consideration for that uh to the extent that it's possible to not have it looking in the setting sun. I I know you're looking at it but just yeah think about that in the future.

Oh okay never mind. I saw some rapid movement happening. Okay. Did he get a second? I seconded it. Yes. Okay. So, if we're ready to vote, council member Negrete, yes. Council member Hall, yes. Council member Raskin, yes. Mayor Prom, yes. Council member Snow, yes. Council member Zernitayan, yes. And Mayor Jose, yes.

Thank you all so much for your work on this. Uh, just because it's late doesn't mean we're not enthusiastic. Um, okay. Uh, we will now move on to 11E related to the establishment of our restorative justice program. And I will turn that to the city manager. Thank you, Madam. I know you all wanted to stay here for that though. Don't leave. This is very important. Okay, never mind. Thanks. No.

Thank you, Madame Mayor, members of the council. We have a relatively um brief presentation on really the um start of what would be um we believe a a truly impactful um program establishing a restorative justice program for Santa Monica. If we can go to the next slide. Um as the council um is certainly aware, we've really been examining here in Santa Monica our history and our policies historically through an equity lens. A lot of this work over the last couple of years um has taken place um through our adopted statement apologizing to Santa Monica's African-American residents and their descendants in 2022. We developed and started a landback and reparations task force at the staff level. Um in 2025 and most recently um in the summer of 25 we adopted the city's first citywide equity plan. As all of that's been underway, we've heard repeatedly from the council the importance of um not just um articulating what we intend to do, but developing a programmatic framework to actually start addressing claims of historically rooted harm in the city. And as we work through the Ebony Beach Club matter, um council identified an opportunity to really move this conversation um from a lot of intention into actually um funded action. If we go to the next slide, council is aware in late 2025, we did reach a final agreement um with the um family descendants of Silas White related to the Ebony Beach Club situation. And through that settlement process, the council identified a need to establish not just a solution to solve for the issues at hand in that particular case, but to also develop a

broader citywide restorative justice program that would address um all of the harm that's been um in that's been um impacting Santa Monica via past city actions. If we go to the next slide, um that really started when we finalized the settlement with the Ebony Beach Club. Um there were a number of terms associated with that agreement, but one of those terms um really pointed to the next step the city would be taking, a commitment that the descendants of Silus White would be able to file a claim through any future restorative justice program established by the city. Um go to the next slide. The framework that we discussed with the city council as the Ebony Beach Club matter was getting um really resolved. It involved really the formal establishment of a restorative justice program that we would use to address past harms caused. We would look to actually allocate real resources behind the program in a financially responsible way using one-time funds that didn't impact the city's operating budget. It's a $ three and half million dollar allocation of one-time dollars the city's received through the deal we recently did with the with Rand. There's also the possibility of supplementing that initial funding with additional dollars that we're going to receive within the next three years. Um an additional $2 million trunch of money. Um there was the thought too that now once you have money and the program, we really do need details related to how the program would work. Practically speaking, how do we develop program terms? That's where the establishment of a formal city council appointed commission, the restorative justice commission could lead the program development for us. That commission

would include um really a program where we would find members of our community to help develop the details related to how we would utilize the resources we're allocating to begin um redressing past harms caused. Lastly, in addition to allocating city staff resources to supporting the commission, um because of the nature of the work and the nature of a possible claims process, really engaging a professional administrator to provide supplemental support as the program's developed is also part of the overarching program. We go to the next slide. As the staff's been going through the analysis of different types of restorative justice efforts, we just wanted to note the program that this city council's identified to establish. one where it's intended to address multiple categories of historically rooted harms where we're allocating substantial dedicated funding um and an amount that really is um constitutes one of the largest locally funded restorative justice initiatives of its kind. The program the council is contemplating really is different than most of the programs we've seen across the country. Um some of those types of programs include um initiatives that are trying to address a specific instance of historical justice related issues. Um there are lots of symbolic or advisory initiatives that have been launched with no real resources allocated. There have also been pilot programs established that are addressing maybe one component of historical harm. That's really not what we're intending. We're intending to do something much more expansive. The staff report, if we go to the next slide, includes a um a summary list. There's additional cases obviously or situations across the country, but a

summary of certain programs we identified um that you can compare against what we're proposing to develop here in Santa Monica. We go to the next slide. Um, from a funding perspective, we really are looking to identify a financially responsible way to advance this. Um, certainly it is discretionary, but it's certainly massively important for us in Santa Monica to move this forward. How do we do that? As the council knows, um, in mid 2025, we adopted an agreement with Rand. Through that agreement, we secured $3.5 million in one-time funding. In addition, within the next three years, um no later than the next three years, an additional $2 million is coming to the city from that bucket, um we're really looking to program these one-time dollars. Um we can do so without it impacting the city's existing operational budget. In addition, the city's overall operating budget is getting healthier. Um the actions the council have taken the last couple of months through the realignment plan will be presenting an update in February have us on track to meet a balanced operating budget in the next 24-month period. If we go to the last program design slide, ultimately we're um looking for council um direction tonight um is the next step in this restorative justice program um and journey that we've been on in Santa Monica. We are looking for council authorization to create the dedicated restorative justice fund, seed it with $3.5 million initially that we have on hand from the rand transaction. We're looking for the council to provide authorization for staff to begin the work of establishing a restorative justice commission um and um authorization to start the process of procuring an independent program administrator. The council approves

these actions. We establish the restorative justice fund immediately. We anticipate by March or April of this year, we'll be able to bring back the formal creation of the restorative justice fund and the engagement of the um program administrator. Um that would happen within the next couple of months. So ultimately um the staff recommendation we go to the ne the last slide is listed here. Um the allocation of $ three and a half million dollars into a restorative justice fund is one recommended action to create and establish um direct the staff to start the process of establishing the restorative justice commission to authorize and direct that staff um secure the services and an of an independent administrator. Um and lastly provide us some direction on the remaining $2 million. Would you like that additional allocation um of future dollars to be earmarked for inclusion in the restorative justice fund? With that, Madame Mayor, we'll turn the issue back to you and the council for discussion and staff is here and available for any questions.

Thank you. Um I have some questions, but I see council member Hall and Negrete. Uh please proceed. Council member Hall. Thank you, Mayor. Um, city manager Chi, is it fair to say that typically when we've established task force, uh, they're established first and it's considered a temporary body and when the city determines that there is a permanent need for community oversight and participation, we upgrade the task force to a full council established commission that the members are appointed by council versus staff um, like we just directed with the urban forest task force. Is that fair? That's a absolutely fair description. Yes.

Okay. Thank you. Um, second question. Sorry to be nitpicky about this, but you described the 3.5 million in slightly different ways throughout your report. So, I just want to clarify what staff's intent here is. Um, in the written staff report, and I think at the end of your recommendations, you discussed the 3.5 million as seeding the fund, and in other parts of the report, it sounded more like this is the fund period. What is staff's vision for that $3.5 million? Is this something that we're going to invest and then draw down on on the gains that is made or is that the fund period?

No, we believe this is seating the fund initially um and that over time as we identify additional funding sources or program requirements as the programs built out there would be an established mechanism for allocating additional resources towards the effort. So the three and a half million is the initial seating of the fund and as the commission gets established and the program criteria certainly we've heard there's going to be a reparations component will there be other programmatic support efforts associated with this also um likely there will be it will be fairly expansive as the program matures and grows over time that will require more resources. So the three and a half million again it's the initial allocation of dollars to start. Um as time moves on and additional resources are identified this becomes a mechanism through which those dollars can be invested.

Okay. Got it. And is it your vision that the final work product of the land back and reparations task force, the report that several of our members um the task force members discussed tonight would be presented to this future commission or or to council at some point to close their body of work and that be the basis of the initial recommendations that this new commission would then develop a a suggested program and bring that program to council.

Absolutely. All of the work of the task force will inform the programs that we develop moving forward to the commission. And there's an initial draft, I do understand, of the harms report that's been developed. We're going to work to finalize that pending council's determination on this. And absolutely, that report will be embedded as the framework for how we start thinking about the next step in this process. Okay. And last question, can you describe the vision for this independent administrator? Is this a third party expert? Is this a staff member? How does that play out?

Yeah, the um the independent program administrator will be a supplement to the staff support for this effort. We've identified a couple of different members of the team that will be supporting this particular effort moving forward if the council decides that this is the right approach. The processes that we'll engage though will likely involve some type of claims process, claims criteria, program administration, um, and procuring the services of an independent program administrator to help develop those criteria, who understands the space and has done this before, but also can help with the administration of the program once it gets up and running. That's the vision for um, that particular element of the recommendation.

Got it. Thank you, Council Member Bernagerte.

Um, okay. So, I just want to be clear. I know I I heard what you just said about some programming, but also so I just want to make sure like is this just to give out checks? cuz I saw stuff posted publicly and you know out there that was like is it all just to go to cutting a check for a certain amount and having a fund for claimants to come or is it also going to seed this three and a half million potentially programming because I mean that's what I wanted to suggest about how we invest because no there's no amount of money that's I don't you can't put a price on lost generational wealth but what we can do is invest in our future today and going forward with programming. And I know we talk about what the two million is going to do, but is this are you separating like is the three and a half million just for this fund that people can address claims to or is that money potentially are we discussing at some point or is the group going to discuss that how it can go towards programming in the future? I think um yes and yes all of the above that um I don't think there's a predetermined outcome for what the commission will establish as part of the restorative justice program. I think as we've um thought about it at the staff level there's certainly a reparations component we know um has been discussed and is important. We also heard um and know there will be programmatic what do we do in the future to help support current generations folks who are still afflicted from the past harms. All of that we envision would be part of the work that the commission undertakes um in developing an overall program that um would be administered. So um all of that I think the initial funding is to identify that yeah there are resources being allocated now towards the real resources towards this effort. how the money is going to

be used. Um we do believe it will be identified through the work of the commission moving forward. So the commission will decide that entirely and is there a timeline that people have to address to be able to submit their claim? I imagine and we're going to do all the communications around that. But um okay cuz I just wanted to know there was I've had a lot of discussions and work on like how we can do programming going forward. Um so those suggestions aren't going to be made by us. is going to be really the work of the commission.

Yeah. And I I my um my um my thought would be the council will have a lot of influence in how that works out. Ultimately the commission will be established appointed by the city council. That will certainly help inform I think the work of the commission moving ahead. Okay. Thank you

council members. Uh, thank you for this. Um, I think a lot of my questions and comments were already addressed. I'm glad to hear that the work of the task force will be incorporated into this new phase um of our work. Uh I'm just generally excited that um a process that was initially undertaken I guess in 2020 um and has involved many apologies and some plaques um now has real resources that can go into some of the um restorative justice or reparations or other things that we as a community have had but haven't had the resources or haven't been willing to commit the resources to doing and I'm excited to be entering this next phase. Um I I do imagine if I'm not mistaken that there is uh some element of reparations that's considered here based on the claims process. Is that is that also correct?

Correct. Yes. Okay. Thank you.

Um okay. I'm just going to ask a couple of questions. Uh I think there are some comments about uh making sure that we're honoring commitments made in our black apology. And so to council member Negrete's point, uh yes, the claims process is important, but so are um you know, programming uh that help to uh honor uh and center those who have experience the harm and and what they need. And so I would, you know, city manager Chio would ask that we look at kind of co-governance models for how we move this forward. Um not something that we're doing to people, but with them. Uh, and then I would just say like did we look to other best practices in determining that an outside administrator is the best model for administering the fund?

Um, yes. And we're continuing research on other best practices to engage. There's um additional programs that we're all engaged in. Um, and really Mayor Terres, you're helping to lead that will inform the work here moving ahead. Um, and then I just want to underscore, are we moving away from reparations because this has a different name? I'm asking you.

No, I think um the thought is this is encompassing reparations as part of what the program entails, but there's more than just reparations at play. Um, I think even the conversation tonight on parks, um, the freeway discussion, the discussion that council member Negreti described on programming to help address future issues, um, for individuals, all of that gets wrapped up in the work of this commission moving ahead.

Okay. Okay. And I would just say that before we appoint people, uh, I would like a presentation on the rep the body of work that was put together by the reparations task force. Uh, if it's an information item, that's fine. But, uh, I want specific information on the harms report like was just mentioned. Uh, because I know a lot of work went into that and that should inform, you know, how we move forward here.

Uh, yeah. And then um yeah, I would just say really very excited about this. You know, people have been asking me since I came on the council, what are you doing? Where are you are you putting meaningful resources behind this? And this is the first time that we've ever actually moved forward uh in a meaningful way with resources. And I just want to thank you for um coming with with creativity to figure out how to find that money. um a and also kind of helping to quickly write our budgetary ship so that we can find some of this money, invest it, and help uh have this money grow. And I wish I could be more eloquent. This is very important. Um and it's unfortunate that we have to discuss it at 12:48. Uh Council Member Norte,

thank you. Yeah, I just on that note, I I just wanted to say that um I've done a lot of work the last few months in meeting with major uh corporations in our community that um have philanthropic dollars and are ready to invest in meaningful ways. And so, and I've been working with the community itself and and I just want to note this is a community that um the women I'm working with today, I went to high school and middle school and elementary school with their kids and it's a community I lived in and experienced. So, I'm coming to this from experience. I think like I said earlier there we can't go back and undo the past and there's no dollar amount or reparation that'll ever fill the gap of that. But we can empower people and give people the tools that created this um not just a a generational wealth gap but you know a a gap in education and tools to survive in the world and be successful. Um again speaking from experience having you know parents who maybe tried their best but couldn't give me all of those things. I understand and in the work that I've done before when I had my six, my 63, and my seven, my partner, and I would go out to the projects where we grew up and and teach financial literacy. And so I spoke to US Bank, Union Bank, um, and other major um, entities. And I hope that we consider growing this fund with other organizations who will do things like holding a day at two libraries that is just dedicated to doing 8 to 10 week courses in financial literacy that maybe they end with a $1,000 being deposited into a high CD high yields a savings account in the city matches it. You know, whether it's gifting up to $1,000 in college applications. I know that for myself um I went through that process and there's not a lot of help for parents. Um if it's we heard um former

mayor Glenn Davis talk about child care, maybe it's subsidies to support um families in need that way. But I do think just handing out money and turning around just providing business spaces for people without the support is where we're lacking. So where we can provide the actual tools to teach people the things that maybe some of us didn't grow up with parents who had were invested in the stock market or who understood the financial gains through uh life insurance whole life insurance uh vehicles things like that um and put behind it these dollars that are invested that can hope hopefully grow so it can sustain for years to come grants that match once you complete a course. Maybe it's learning how to fix your credit and then at the end you pay we helps pay off the highest yield credit card but it comes with the tools to be able to continue that work and pass that on for generations. So I hope that we do that and we don't just say because I've seen programming where we offer um communities spaces and then we walk away and we say here here's a space to do your business but there's nobody there to actually give them the tools to team them up with other business owners. So, I'm prepared um to help make suggestions and connections and I hope that we implement that and really lean into the amazing businesses that are here that we can help add on to the money that we've got here.

Council Rahal.

Yeah, thank you for that suggestion. I think it was a really great one. Um specifically with seeking out corporate partners and uh you know, community based corporate partners that we know are are looking to stay involved in our community. Um, I'm prepared to move the staff recommendation uh and would suggest for the additional $2 million that um we hold off on a immediate allocation to the fund and have a better understanding of what our program is going to be. But maybe hold that in reserve. Um uh if if it's helpful to grow the fund, then use it. but um refrain from committing the additional $2 million until we understand what the restorative justice program is going to be.

Second. Great. Council member Rasking, you want to say something?

Oh, yeah. I was also going to make a motion. I support that. I think uh uh we've we've we've really come a long way and really excited about the work we're going to be doing. Um yeah, I mean, this is groundbreaking. I think I think I speak for all of us when I say that this is intended to be a project that's ongoing and incorporates and values and accepts feedback from uh all voices uh indigenous peoples, people from all backgrounds. And um I would just ask the maker and seconder just if it's friendly uh again to give direction to look at how we can reuse our freeway land to promote restorative justice.

Yeah. Love that. Yes. That's friendly. Yes. Great. We're ready for a vote. Council members are sky. Yes. Let's put our money where our mouth is. Yay. Council member Snow. Yes. Mayor Proswick. Yes. Council member Raskin. Yes. Council member Hall. Yes. Council member Negrete. Yes. And Mayor Troas.

Yes. Congratulations. Um, okay. We will now move to flipping my page. 16 items. And uh it looks like we have to select council members to participate in the SCAG regional council district 41 special election. That's 16A. Uh we need five of the seven council members to go to the Westside COG board meeting. Um and the six council members the alternate uh let's uh hear anyone who wants to make a suggestion on this.

Um Mayor Cherrosus, um I I just want to clarify um there aren't a group of items that you want to vote on all together.

Well, 16A has to be heard separately. Um my apologies. Uh we also had a request to pull um 16C and there was a request to pull uh um 16H and and if there if someone wants them to make a motion to approve everything absent those ones feel free. Yes, A, C, and H need to be discussed.

Yeah, I'll I'll I'll move the rest. Um I do I do want to thank um there's a lot of really important work that went into a lot of these items. I want to thank everyone for the work. Uh especially um I I just want to especially recognize council members and Skaya for um bringing forward the work on uh gender affirming care. Uh it it is lifesaving work and um it's just crazy to me that uh well I don't know I my motion is what it is. Great and hope everyone supports uh our our entry into the Rose Parade. I'll second. Not as important as gender for me.

I mean I could go on a rant about all these items. I guess we'll vote. Okay. Uh, council member Negrete, yes. Council member Hall, yes. Council member Askin, yes. Mayor Promswick, yes. Council member Snell, yes. Council members, yes. And Mayor Troas, yes. Um, back to 16A. Is anyone itching to do this? Can I ask a clarifying question? Sure. This was done remotely last time. Is that not an option? Is there a date that is a special this is set to happen at at the westside cog? Do we know that?

Question is Mr. Kirpy's available. He was the one who coordinated this last time. I believe that there was a remote participation option at city hall. I participated at SCAG. I'm sure there are like alternate options, but I don't know the answer to that. Mr. Chi, do you know? I don't. Okay. Well, there's no date that we have either. I mean, I haven't been there's we have to do this tonight. No one that's been noticed to me. Do we need time? Yeah, because I assume it is because it's on this agenda. I mean, I know that they're they're seeking applications. I'm not sure when it's scheduled. I'm looking in my emails right now to see if uh they sent us anything.

The special according to the uh the staff report, it says that the special election is on Thursday, February 12th, 2026 at 12:00 noon. There we go. and it'll take place at the Westside Cog board meeting at Santa Monica's main branch library in the multi multi-purpose room. Great. Thursday, February 12th at what time? Council noon. Great. I'm happy to vote. Nominate myself. Sure. Uh, so it says that SCAG will conduct a special election on Thursday, February 12th, 2026 at 12 noon to fill the district 41 seat. The election will take place during the Westside Cog board meeting at Santa Monica's main branch library multi-purpose room.

Oh, great. Um, well, I'll take myself out because the the US Conference of Mayors winter leadership meeting and this other thing that I'm doing is not is conflicting, so I can't do it. All right. Well, I'll volunteer for a spot. I'll volunteer as well. Who wants to be an alternate? Well, there's how many of us? I'll be alter. Okay. So, yes. So, we have five people voting as members, one alternate. Well, only two of us said we're I think everyone has to do it except for uh I just said no. Got it. And Barry will be the alternate. Okay. So, uh I'll make a motion that we appoint. Go ahead.

Wanted to know um if I can participate remotely, I I can be like a backup. Um, I'll just be in Newport Beach for a work conference so I can sneak out of the Okay, we're making you the alternate then. Yeah. Um, Mr. Kerpies will have to figure that out. Uh, so we are going to be appointing Council Member Snell, Mayor Promwick, uh, Council Member Raskin, Council Member Hall, Council Member Negrete as our main voters, and Council Member Zernet Sky as our backup as our alternate. Is everyone amendable to that? I second. I made that motion. Second. Great.

There's a a third um request here. Seventh member to vote if fewer than five votes have been cast. And I'll do it other back. I'll do it remotely. I don't see how that's reasonable, but okay. I mean, I will just say that last time we went, there were not enough people from any of the other cities except ours because we're on top of it. We'll make sure we're on top of it. Okay. So then uh if we're ready to Oh, um um Mayor Promzwick, your name is in the queue. Did you have comments or are we ready to vote? Okay. Uh council member Zernaya, yes. Council member Snell, yes. Mayor Promzwick, yes. Council member Raskin, yes. Council member Hall,

yes. Mayor, Council Member Negrete, yes. And Mayor Troes, yes. Motion passes.

Great. Um, we now will move on to 16C. Um, did you want did anyone want to introduce it or did you want me to do it? Okay. I just we uh the makers of this motion thought it was important to talk about because it is um quite extensive and just so people understand what it is that we're voting on here. Um so as we talk about having uh a renaissance, a revitalization in Santa Monica, I think it's clear that we can't do that unless people can actually afford to live here. Um, and so this is now tackling uh affordability. It's a it's not taking any direct action tonight, but it's asking staff to come back with concrete, legally viable options across six specific areas, and we just wanted to identify those six specific areas. First, food costs. We know that inflation is uh rapidly on the rise. We heard about it with our restaurant tours. We are asking staff to evaluate public or municipally support supported grocery models that have been uh nationally recognized across the country so that Santa Monica is not one closure away from losing access to affordable food especially neighborhoods like Pico. Other entities are already doing this. Um we just want to understand how these are financed. Um there are some uh community development financial institutions and others who can help us finance these. I'm not saying to have an extensive capital outlay, but come back with options. Second, early childhood education and um baby baskets. Uh we're exploring a baby basket program that would provide essential supplies at birth for uh residents in Santa Monica paired with existing family supports to reduce stress, prevent early financial crisis and are relatively low cost. I just do want to make a comment about reducing the early childhood education costs um and potentially subsidizing child care that was mentioned by former mayor Davis. Um while we are extremely supportive of that uh that the

reimbursement rate uh and the model for reimbursement uh for child care is predominantly funded uh through federal block grants which actually are in peril right now. and then a reimbursement model as determined by the state that comes to local jurisdictions. So, while we of course support that, that would have to be direct city subsidy. Um, and of course, we want to tackle that and would love to hear more about um anything we can do on an advocacy uh level. Third, tipped worker uh excuse me, so late. Worker wages and tip transparency. We're asking uh that we evaluate rules that ensure that delivery up tips actually go to workers on top of their base pay. Uh that's about enforcing long-standing labor standards and protecting workers and consumers from opaque practices. And that's been something that we've seen with third party delivery apps. Uh fourth, consumer pricing fairness. I think that people have heard recently in the news about surveillance pricing um specifically on uh platforms like Instacart and others. Additionally, reports that it's happening at and in grocery stores. Uh digital only discounts that will leave seniors and lower income residents paying more for the same goods. Uh uh surge pricing, demand pricing depending on who you are, when you're buying, what the item is. Uh we're asking for transparency and fairness from a consumer protection standpoint. Um fifth, something that uh is already being looked at, but is really important here, wage recovery for workers that are detained by ICE. We're not trying to regulate immigration, but what we are saying is that uh workers are entitled to all the wages that they're um that they've earned. And if someone's detained by ICE, uh there needs to be a proactive on the front end uh um designation of where the worker's last paycheck goes, whether it's, you know, to the place that they've uh been deported to, their family members, their bank account, etc. that that should be designated on the front end um so that

we can prevent cascading impacts like eviction or food insecurity uh for the entire family. And then finally, housing stability and anti-displacement. We're directing staff to evaluate tenant opportunity to purchase models. This is something um that Santa Monica quite frankly is behind on um and something that's being talked about regionally. Are there opportunities for us to opt into tenant opportunity purchase models? Protections when family members move in for renters and clear support for tenant organizing so that renters can exercise rights they already have without retaliation. Uh finally, I would just say that we would welcome uh study of expansion of the pod program as was mentioned. If there are opportunities and future money that comes into the program, I know last year we voted to expand it. Uh but if there's an opportunity to look at uh additional populations, we would expand it to. Um I just want to again reiterate this motion does not adopt any ordinances tonight. It is asking staff to come back. It does not commit to any funding. We want analysis, guardrails, order of magnitude and what uh the best impact for um our policym and potential dollars could be so that council can decide with the facts in hand um how we would scale an affordability agenda here for Santa Monica because if we're serious about a renaissance, we need a city that people can actually live in. Thanks, Council Member Negrete. Okay. So, first of all, that is like an amazing dream board of affordability and I love the idea and the um yeah, that's a lot. That was a lot. And so along those lines, what I I am concerned about and I just, you know, don't take this any kind of way, but I remember not that long ago being told that um there was a council here that was just continuously putting 16 items and directing staff to do things that would become unfunded mandates. And during a time where we have a realignment plan that we're trying to get off the ground and all these other issues, I don't need to mention it's

pretty obvious. It feels a little bit farreaching and like they're very uh they sound really great. I just don't know if they're actually realistic and some of the reasons are because they're state and federal mandates that I don't even know if we have local jurisdiction to do. I mean, as a small business owner, as a long, you know, being born and raised here, I've discussed all the time about, you know, we can build these affordable apartments, but if you put them on top of a business where people can't even afford to get a cup of coffee, what's the point? I just don't know how we monitor the price of food and how we um get involved in some of these things. So, it feels like some of these fall under federal and state jurisdiction and would require a lot of staff time and resources without a clear path. It feels like these need to be broken up almost. And I would just propose that we have staff return with a threshold and legal and fiscal feasibility and identifying what clearly is within our authority and what's not. Um, and also like impacts to the general fund and whatnot. I also want to say when it comes to child care, as someone who's had children um and been in the position of needing help with both child care and the things when you say this basket of like necessities, I just want to be realistic like there are programs um and you get things regardless of your financial situation when you have a baby. So, I don't know if you mean physical items like onesies and diapers and formula if people use formula or breastfeeding tools. Those things are widely available. There's something called wick women and children. There's other programs I myself have participated in when having needed to that far exceed like having to go through the city to give you something. So I I don't even I would propose that the idea of child care and funding something more is actually like you were saying that that would be federal. Those are harder to get sometimes when you

fall outside of a tax bracket. It would actually be more useful and to capture the the misty middle of folks that don't qualify for a lot of those programs, but literally you consider whether or not working is even feasible because you may as well just stay home with your baby and like we are not like Europe where you get a year off to take care of your child and infant care is extremely expensive if you don't have um family members to help. So I would consider something like that if we could, you know, do that. that I mean we've figured out doing rent relief and things like that through uh the we are Santa Monica fund. Um those are strategies I can kind of understand but anyways I just wanted to say that I want to just make sure that we're not just like saying all these things and then staff's going to go back and then they're going to come back and tell us like well here's what we found and then we're going to be like oh that's cool but we have no money to do it. Um, so I'd really rather just see us come back and see what's legally and fiscally feasible and identifying what's within city authority. Um, anticipating uh staff and general fund impacts and whether any further work is warranted before launching ordinances or pilot programs.

I that's friendly. I think that that's absolutely contemplated within the guardrails here. And I don't know if city manager Chi wants to talk about the new process for 16 items in the city manager's office. Yeah, the um certainly the one of the things we've been trying to do the last several months is there are 16 items developed. Instead of um the items being sort of dispersed citywide for departments to coordinate responses, there's a centralized assessment process where the manager's office um working with Heidi will collect information from departments and try to package the information together. I think um certainly the comments there's a there's a lot in this um but to do some analysis and work um the council's direction tonight is to move forward. We can certainly um put some ideas together and do some research, get it all back to council for consideration, move it ahead.

And I would just say that you know that the Trump administration is currently under a TTRO for their federal funding freeze, but a lot of the things that we're talking about right now are like in direct peril from the federal level. So, um, deeply concerned about that and hopefully we can just be as proactive as possible. Sorry, I know it's not my turn. Um, thank you, Council Member Negrete. Uh, I think you also gave additional direction that we look at how we could fund additional subsidies for child care. And I don't know if that's is that is that I mean, what do you guys think about that?

All right. I was just sort of saying I don't understand the baby basket thing when you say to give pe new parents what they need. What what were you referring to like physical items or

Yeah. So this is modeled after a couple of programs. Um Finland has a national program that provides I think 167 euros worth of physical goods. Uh New York City had a program established under Mayor Adams that's getting expanded under Mayor Mandani that is similar. Um I don't believe they've they've formalized the specific dollar amount that it includes. Um our federal government under the Biden administration had a care package plan um that was piloted. Uh it was in partnership with a nonprofit. Um so the federal government was providing some dollars towards it. The nonprofit was providing the actual box of goods. Uh that pilot has since been uh sunset by the Trump administration. Um, so this is a a proven uh way and in our motion it talks a proven way of like addressing some affordability particularly for lower income residents if if they're they need it. Having a child is obviously very expensive. Um, in our motion in the 16 item, it talks about I think it's like twothirds of parents who received uh these types of boxes reported significantly less stress for their first like several weeks of of bringing home a child. Um so it's at this point again something where we'd like staff to explore um and what our ability to provide some sort of um program like that um specifically for Santa Monica residents and do we have the capability of using any of our departments to uh provide such a program.

I I just want to say in doing that because I'm obviously there's some staff members that are parents but I don't know that they're going to use their personal experience. I would just say that as a new parent, like regardless of your income structure, I don't know that I would that a box that is predetermined by this whatever we decide should go in there is the best thing you need when you first have a baby. I think at the end of the day, I'd rather see a Gerber, like a check amount to invest in your kids' future or money because everybody's different. Even if you're low income, you may not want bottles because you're breastfeeding. Like I know for myself, you know, that was like I did not want to give my kids formula and but some people just want to give formula. So their needs are different. Some people have specific rule, you know, issues around certain type of clothing your babies can wear. I had one kid who couldn't have certain type of clothing because of allergy. I mean, I just I think it's I don't know what what are in these boxes. And I wonder if the money would it would be wasteful cuz some things might not be used where I would think a dollar amount actually if we're going to find the money to do it whatever that box equals to I think giving someone the money so that they can get what they need for that child um to me would actually be more impactful because I hear you but I will tell you that there's a lot of things that you get um when to come go home with and I think to be able to purchase a car seat that's one of the most expensive of things and you don't get that. So, I'm just saying maybe consider talking to somehow making an assessment from people who have had kids and what the modern needs are of folks that are having kids that fall without the range of just being able to receive items. Maybe talk to the people who like, you know, they fall right outside of that and they're like, "God, I wish I got a car seat." Maybe that's a car seat. I don't know.

Great. I look forward to staff helping us make those recommendations. Council member in this guy.

Thank you. Um, so I absolutely love the spirit and the intent of this item and just quick thank you to the drafters of this item. Um, I I do share some concerns about potentially being overly prescriptive with this. Um so if it's friendly I would love to um include some direction that if there are other options for getting the des the desired outcome of having more affordable healthy fresh foods um of having better support for child care resources and early uh the you know the the early life of a of a small human. um as well as you know the other items that are on here. Uh I I would also I would just love for uh staff to be able to come back with not only options but also an analysis of actual need in the city and um include some options for expansions of existing programs because we do have a good number of existing uh programs and resources available to folks. Like for example, uh in terms of access to financial literacy education, we have Haven Financial Services that does some classes uh through Virginia Avenue Park. So, I think us better having an understanding of what resources we already have and um where we can get the most bang for our buck, so to speak, in order to really achieve the um the the outcome and the the spirit of and the intention of this motion, if that's okay.

Yeah.

Yeah. I I think that's largely friendly. Um, I'll just say that uh what I would not want to see is staff like water down any of these recommendations. Like a lot of these recommendations are coming very specifically from uh affordability advocates and organizations like local progress um and are we're taking these examples from other progressive cities that have made meaningful change in their communities using programs like this. So, uh, I'm happy to explore other things that might, um, get us to this a similar outcome of supporting new parents or, uh, increasing tenant protections and tenant unionization if it's not, you know, prescribed specifically in the 16 item. But, um, I don't want to give, uh, staff an excuse, forgive me, for putting it that way, it's late, uh, to to water down any recommendations, if that makes sense. If I may respond, I I hear that and I recognize kind of where you're coming from and I appreciate the like I said, I appreciate the intent and I appreciate that these suggestions are coming from affordability advocates uh and folks who understand these policies, but I will note that Santa Monica may have unique and different challenges. So, while yes, it'd be great to see like a locally a Santa Monica grocery store, maybe that's not feasible and maybe there's a better way that we can accomplish that goal. So, I I would just want to provide some flexibility and yes, we can I'm happy to learn more about options exactly as they are listed here, but also what are alternatives that will get us to the same outcome. Thank you. Great. Council member Zwick, I mean, Mayor Prom, I'm so sorry.

Well, I go by either. Uh, me, too.

So, uh, yeah, I won't belabor this. Um, a lot of cool exciting things here. It's no question that uh, food costs and child care costs are are are a big issue for a lot of people right now. So, I I think the spirit is totally wellreceived. Um, I do share Council Member Negret's concern just about um, not just about money, but about staff bandwidth. Um, I don't really know how to propose that that be circumscribed, but I do want to hope that we are giving our staff enough time to execute on all the core uh, things that we really care about and have already identified as priorities. Um that's just a general um comment that I hope we can you know give everyone the grace to also make sure that we're executing on a really high level on all of the core priorities that we identified prior through the realignment and renaissance and otherwise. Um you know there were other things I'll just you know I have to just point out that like even in our budget you know we proposed limiting trash pickup on weekends and parks not resotting fields um that need to be resolded um you know in some of our field parks. Speaking of grass, um, and you know, I just want to not lose sight of doing the basics really well, uh, that also really help people and families. Uh, on the child care issue, um, yeah, just speaking to specific programs that exist right now that I think have been really impactful. Um, the money that we give both to Growing Place and Connections for Children, um, specifically supports both referrals and, um, subsidies for parents to get child care. And I just think that's a very impactful program we have and I just would again concur that that be a part of it. But um you know generally uh I'm excited to explore these things. Uh I would just say myself you know hope it doesn't take all your time staff but uh you know a lot of good ideas in here and it's exciting.

Yeah, I I uh first want to thank uh the uh co-signers of this item for bringing this forward. Uh this really is a reflection, I think, of the values that uh we as the council have in making sure that we're working to advance the interests of people who are worst off in our society. uh to make sure that people have a secure home uh secure uh financial uh situation. Um you know, I I've been pretty selective in terms of the 16 items that I've signed on to over the past year. Uh but this one is important. We've got a federal government that's attacking uh working-class people. It's making life impossible. And so there really is urgency uh behind these programs. uh people are losing uh the most basic safety nets that keep them afloat in society. Uh and so if we're really going to reaffirm our values as a council towards supporting working-class people, this is the work we need to be doing. Uh and uh I hope we can support it. I I agree that I think that the intent is that you know we we're targeting very specific things but not to get lost in the weeds that uh you know this there there is some flexibility here to make sure that that uh we can tweak it as we go along and uh you know I look forward to working with all of you to make sure that we're really advancing uh the interests of people who really are are like I said literally under attack right now.

Yep. and we're probably going to have another shutdown this month.

Sorry, I had my name in there. I just wanted to say on the line along the lines of what council members said um that we are we have programming and in you know in the name of like not having staff go out. I I hear you like these are federal issues but we also have to be realistic that we jurisdict Santa Monica and there's only so much we can do and we don't have money to do some of the most basic things. There are things that would actually fulfill two things to your point. Um, after school child care, the $75 a year playground access, being able to hire back some of those city workers for crust, so that many parents, myself included, I depended upon that during elementary school, having very um affordable after school programs, free, the $75 a year for playground access, child care. We haven't gotten back that fully staffed. So, I would like to if we're going to prioritize anything that does two things, gives uh folks their jobs back um which helps those people's family and then also helps the working-class families that can't afford for expensive afterchool care. Um those are programs I'd like to see. I'd like to explore. This is why I think sometimes talking to the people also that live it instead of just sort of like saying these things is is important because you know when boys and girls club can be on campus and if we can support efforts like that I mean those are the things that I think are realistic in terms and would provide jobs and after school care. So anyways, as we're thinking about it, I just when council member Zkaya mentioned that I am reminded that there are a lot of programs that went away that were specifically designed to help working parents have child care after school. So I just hope you guys can prioritize maybe some of those things that might be easier to actually fund and turn back on.

Yeah, I think that's a great suggestion. Um and and just to be clear, we we did consult with several parents and community organizations uh and folks who have lived experience in these things. So, um I I think seeing the list exhausted, I'd like to move the item with the added direction that folks have provided tonight. Any more comments? Okay. Um if we're ready to vote, Council Member Negrete. Yes. Council member Hall, yes. Council member Raskin, yes. Mayor Promig, yes. Council member Snell, yes. Council member Zernitzkaya, yes. And Mayor Troas,

yes. Motion passes. Great. Um, and then final item before we go to close session 16. Uh, H H Did anyone

I mean do I need to introduce it? I'm the only one that's on it. It I think everyone um has read it. You guys have pulled it. I'm assuming because you have questions and comment. Um we've heard from the community. I know that we want to speed up meetings. I understand that. Um but I do think that when people prepare, they come down here. Speaking of child care, a lot of people have to get child care for the the whole process of driving down here parking, however it is they get here, and then they get 60 seconds. You know, I know it sucks to be here late at night, but this is their only opportunity to talk to seven council members at one time to address the city attorney, the city manager, and I feel horrible when we have to shut off the mic for people. I feel awful that people didn't get to speak on all the items they wanted to because they couldn't anymore. So if you know my goal is to help you know we talk a lot about that process and transparency and access and giving people a voice and I think that it's important that that we we give people their time. The other portion is um close session. So over the decades it's been handled differently. Um and I I would hope that maybe you guys are amendable to I know maybe starting at 3:00 might not work for everyone. um maybe it's at the end of the meeting or really I think if we can all figure it out it might not be every other Tuesday because maybe there's not a lot of close session items but if we can have it on a separate day um so that we're not having the community sit here staff sit here and wait for 2 three hours or us going back into close session at 1:00 in the morning um it's obvious why I'm asking to do these things um the other item um alternating meetings I just want folks to consider that I For so long we've been saying that having them at night is because people can't get here making the assumption that everybody works from 8:00 to 5:00. I run a retail store and I run a music school and actually we have things that

go on till 9:00 at night. I have a family. Um I know some of us up here can understand that we miss those moments after you are at work all day and you don't have the evening. It would it also there's been many times when we were talking about outdoor dining that restaurants literally had to close to bring their staff here to speak. There's a whole workforce that works after the hours of 5. So if people could find a way when we make this commitment, I know a lot of us during the day we're doing city work anyways to have one council meeting a month that's during the day. It might give more people more access to the meeting and maybe that's the meeting we do the most difficult things because we're all awake and it's during the same day. So, those are the three items. It was to create um a better atmosphere for the public to engage in our city council meetings.

Um Council Member Hall to No, Council Member Snell. Okay. I um you know, I I think today's a council me is a great example. Um if we had given everyone two minutes to speak, as much as I think public the public needs to be heard and listen, we probably would have not even started this discussion until for about another hour and a half. I mean, just give an honest opinion about I mean, we had over we had over 60 70 speakers today, didn't we? Yeah.

So, if we had given everybody two minutes to speak, we probably would still be here at 3:00 in the morning. I'm exhausted. I'm exhausted. And you know, I I really thought about, you know, what it would be like if we started our meetings earlier. Well, you know, to be on council requires us to keep our day jobs. I mean, there's just no way around it. I mean, we don't um we're not capable or just the way it's situated to be able to um move away from our day jobs. uh and still be able to maintain our our livelihoods unless we're richer or retired, right?

What about your next

and so so I I am really trying to figure out how we could do it. I I like to hear from our other council members. I I could see where we maybe we take our close session to another day if that's possible. And I don't know how that works with everything, but I I don't think that uh I personally can support having a council meeting during the day as much as I uh want to hear from the public. And with respect to the two minutes, I mean, I I I want to give give our residents as much time and to speak as possible, but the reality of it is is that this is a perfect agenda to show that we're we're not going to leave here till maybe 2 3:00 this morning with the closed session that we have to do.

And this is usually the case with most of our meetings. So, um I I you know, I'd like to hear from the other council members, but I don't see how we could um uh give individuals more than the two-minute time. And definitely, I mean, I don't think I could support going during the day with the the kind of work schedule I have. Council member Raskin.

Yeah. I mean, we've had some pretty robust discussions in the past on how to uh increase public participation, whether it's through more speaking time, opportunities for remote participation, uh a whole host of things. Uh you know, cities of our size and sophistication, I think, really struggle with finding the proper policy balance between giving those opportunities for true participation and getting the work done. I mean, when we come to these meetings, it, you know, usually it's an 8 hour workday. You know, it starts at 5:30 p.m. and we get out of here after or eight hours. Um, in other cities like Long Beach, they they cut off uh public comment on non-aggenda items after I think it's a half hour in our meetings, too.

Yeah. Board of Supervisors, uh, City of LA, even on agenda items, they have a cap on the total amount of time. Um, so we're going to have to make some tough policy choices and I I I'd be interested in having staff come back with uh, you know, various options for us to consider. We I mean obviously we can't make any changes tonight. This is going to require uh, you know, rules, amendments. Um, I think I think you know all of us are interested in getting this right and obviously there are policy trade-offs and we'll have to consider that carefully. Um, I I would just say, you know, as we're considering options both tonight and in the future, um, yeah, I mean, we can shorten the agenda. We can move things to other nights. We can, um, give the public more time, less time, whatever. Uh, and it there is value to going into more depth in these items, but I'm I'm worried that, you know, if we free up agenda time, we're still just going to go to 2 o'clock anyway because these items are so weighty and it's going to it's going to take all the time in the world. So, you know, unless we turn this into a full-time job and we we uh, you know, have a charter amendment to do that, I I don't know. There are going to be tough trade-offs on all sides. And uh I' I' I'd like to have some options as to what we can do when this comes back for rule changes.

Council,

thank you, Mayor. Uh and thank you, Council Member Negrete, for for bringing this. Um I think there's some uh potentially good ideas in there that um I think council's what I'm hearing is willing to explore. You know, when we when thinking about how our meetings are scheduled and run, we're like constantly navigating between various tensions, right? Accessibility and public input, the opportunity for working people to um come and participate and give public comment, the opportunity for working people who are not their own bosses or self-employed to serve as council members in this form of government with council manager form of government. um you know where we have these part-time council members uh if we were to have day meetings I think we'd never have teachers or city employees of other cities or basically anyone who has a job in a in daytime hours of requirements to be at their work and so we'd end up with a council that is either fully self-employed their own business owners or retired um and I don't think that's particularly representative of our community although those are obviously important voices to have um up here. I also think we're navigating between doing the people's business at a reasonable hour and not at 2 in 1:30 a.m. in the morning. Um, you know, tonight, for example, we discussed financing one of the most significant reparations programs in the country at 1:00 a.m. in the morning. Uh, and that's simply just quite absurd. Um, other nights we've had dozens of public commenters lasting hours. Um, I remember one meeting where uh the general public input item number one was flooded by comments from the Great Park Coalition and Unite Here Local 11 on two policy issues that we were not discussing that night and we sat here for hours listening to those comments and we weren't even discussing those concepts that night. Um, you know, I' I'd happily support daytime meetings and longer public comment if we had a full-time council where this was our only job. Um, but we can't do that

on $19,000 a year. And if the community wants us to have daytime meetings, I will happily sponsor a full-time council charter amendment, but I don't think I would be financially responsible at this point. Um, uh, for paying seven council members what would need to be a six figure plus salary to reasonably live in this community. Um, so what I'm hearing tonight, and I'm gonna um try an alternative motion than what's explicitly in your 16 item because I can't support the 16 item for those reasons, um, would be to ask staff to, and so this is my motion, um, have staff bring back the following changes, uh, again, all of which would be, um, further agendaized and have opportunity for public comment and debate at future meetings. uh the following ideas. One, for long agendas like tonight, schedule catchup close session special meetings on alternate Tuesdays. Uh move general public comment, which is currently item number one, to the end of meetings so that we can hear comment on the business ahead of council in a timely manner. Uh I'd also direct that we change public speaker time when we automatically shorten it uh due to the number of requested speakers. Um when we proposed that rule uh it translated to one minute per speaker per session or per section of the agenda. And I I think if I remember our original intent and I could be I could be incorrect but I think our original intent was to do one minute per item per speaker. Um so uh with the limitations that we had previously had um in in the total amount of time um so I'd like to explore bringing that back but still having the uh threshold where if we exceed it it

automatically shortens to one minute. Um, and then finally, you know, I', this is probably going to be quite controversial, but I' I'd also request that we explore options to increase collaboration amongst council members um in the community to ensure that we're bringing items that aren't going to fall flat uh and and spend a lot of time debating before issues are really ripe for discussion. Um, for example, some jurisdictions require multiple council members or or legislators to bring items for discussion. Um, some jurisdictions allow for organizations and private citizens to co-sponsor uh their equivalent of 16 items or or state laws. Um, you know, I if I think about one of our most controversial 16 items that came before us last year, endorsement of SB79, uh, forgive me, Mayor Promswick, but you know, you brought that request alone before ensuring at least one other council member was was on board with it. and we spent a lot of time that meeting debating it and ended up tableabling the item. So, you know, I'd be interested in in at least exploring the the idea of ensuring that multiple council members are are interested in a policy item. Sorry, that was long-winded and maybe detailed.

Substitute motion to schedule catchup close sessions on alternate Tuesdays. General public comment at the end potentially. This is all exploration. one minute per item per speaker with our previous limitations on total time when there's over 25 speakers or something like that options to increase collaboration between council members and the community. Um, and we will defer to staff on on how to effectuate that.

Mayor, I have a question for your substitute motion and a comment. I just want to reiterate you were describing the current workforce. I many people have the luxury of working from home from with companies that allow them to have flexible work times and I know many people said I'm ready on day one when I take this role regardless of what their current position was. So I would imagine in some people's situations you could say I'm a council member and I might have to work an evening from home and I'm going to have to attend this meeting. I just don't want to rule out you said teachers and things like that. Well there's professors who teach at SMC at night. There's waiters and waitresses and workforce that works at night. So, I don't think we should discount that. It also excludes people who have families who are tomorrow night. The public may not realize we're going to be here and we could probably be hearing some of these close session items tomorrow night while we're already going to be here. So, I also just didn't hear the portion about close session. I mean, I think removing close session from the middle of the meeting is a big deal. I didn't hear you say anything about that. Yeah, that was contemplated in the first part about scheduling catchup close session meetings um like special meetings on alternate Tuesdays,

but just the catchup portion or you I guess ketchup is a weird way to phrase it. Just like if we have extended closed sessions, let's move some of that to alternate Tuesdays, right? But you want to leave it in the middle of the meeting. No, I'm saying having special agendaized like special meetings that is only close session on like alternate Tuesdays. Well, that's what I proposed. So, you're supporting that piece, right? But I'm saying I can't support your entire 69 item because of the tenant. Right. But you support that part of the moving the close session to an alternate Tuesday. It may not be every other Tuesday, but exploring the opportunity to spread out close session into other parts of either other parts of the meeting or to other Tuesdays.

That's not really clear, but okay. We're exploratory mode. The other thing I wanted to just point out is that before when we had all the minutes and people would come in, I used to go out and ask, you know, if you're all coming and speaking on the same item. Now, we all know that everybody's written something and it doesn't matter. They want to read what they wrote. And it even though it's repetitive, I don't know if there's a way or how it can work, but it would be nice the same way we give a representative of a border commission a set amount of time if organized folks are here. there's a way to sign up differently where hey I'm speaking for 25 people but I get a little bit extra time. I don't know if that's feasible um to make an actual process for that as opposed to just asking and hoping that people will do that. Um I don't know if you guys are amendable to that but that's seems kind of what happens like organized groups come and it's up to us to ask them like hey we have a lot of speakers tonight. I used to do that in the past. Um I don't know if there's a way to add a process where we can say the great park coalition's here. We know there's 40 people here to speak. Is there any way you'd be willing to have one representative have six minutes or something like that or whatever we give to boards and commissions?

I'm going to I'm going to second council's motion. I I don't think we have to decide that tonight, but we can. Right. Think about that. No. Okay. Uh Council Member Zern Sky, did you have a question?

If so, if it's friendly to the maker and the secondary, I don't I don't think it's technically a substitute motion because I don't think there was an original motion on the floor. Um sorry, just for process. Uh, I I really appreciate the intent of this item and trying to have more public participation, trying to be more respectful of of the public's time, of staff's time, of our time. Um, and to try to do the public's business at a reasonable hour. Um, I I agree with, you know, much of the many of the comments that have already been noted. I'd also um ask if it's friendly, if we could ask staff to explore other ways to give the public more opportunities for public input potentially outside of specific council meetings. So, if we could maybe have like a quarterly town hall or something where we don't talk, we just listen and have it on maybe not a weekday night, maybe a weekend because I I remember we had our budget session um last year on I think a Saturday at the the library and that was helpful. So, um if that's friendly, that would be wonderful. Uh, I believe the prior council had moved the non-aggendaized public comment from the very end of the meeting to the beginning of the meeting to give the public more um, more access to being able to share their thoughts because I don't know how many folks would still be here other than the three people we have in the audience right now at uh, 1:41 a.m. Um, so you know, I I I would just support exploring other options without being again overly prescriptive. Um, and I I appreciate the the suggestions and and the comments and I'm uh I'm okay with considering um

moving at least some of the close session to first and and third Tuesdays. Would wouldn't you argue that that's encompassed in the options to increase collaboration council members in the community.

Uh yeah, I think like the first concept you mentioned around um potential other ways to do item one like a town hall, I would love to explore that. I think that makes sense. Um I'm not amenable to the second uh direction around public item number one. I think it's important to do the public's business, the stuff that's agendaized at a timely hour. And I think um the meetings where we have uh you know 50 plus people talking about something that is not on the agenda really sets us back and and forces us to do um really consequential items late at night. Okay. Council member Wick is next. Did you

just second my motion? I I just want to agree with that. I'll I'll just point out that uh the one time that Chad from Chad goes deep came it was when public comment was at the end of the meeting. Chad. Yeah. the two guys that go around Charleston City Council. Council member Zwick, Mayor Prozick. Um, yeah. I mean, look, everyone has a distinct circumstance here. I mean, I have a family and I personally wouldn't love to do two more meetings a month because that's two less nights with my family. I prefer to be up now when they're all sleeping.

So, you know, it's I think it it really depends. And yes, people have a lot of different alternative schedules. I would wager the majority of people are forced by a boss to be at work sometime between 9 and 5, but I don't know the details of how that breaks down. um you know uh general public comment uh yeah I think uh frankly it often takes an hour at the beginning of our meeting and I do not think it is the best way as council member Hall indicated to make sure that people who are here to talk on items that are actually before us um are a their time is respected. So I I don't think that is the most edifying part of our meetings and it often can take easily an hour at the beginning of each one. Um, so I support the idea of moving it to the end. Um,

oh, is that what you're asking?

State, you know, I mean, yeah, there's so many different ver varieties. I think it was mentioned, I mean, in the state, you know, essentially you have people who testify, uh, who are experts and then you have a bunch of people that come up and say whether they support or don't support something and they just say their name. So there's like a million versions here and I I I I I don't you know while while I want to hear from the public in every way possible, I think it's a bit of a fallacy to say that like if we give someone an extra minute suddenly like we'll understand so much better um what the community as a whole thinks. I think I think there's a lot of different ways that we can hear from people and I'm open to creative options, but uh there as people have said there's trade-offs between getting the business done at a reasonable hour and letting someone speak at this time and I do agree with council member Ernesky and others that we all can try to make time to be available to the public and perhaps as a group or definitely alone uh according to our abilities and and and and desires. And I think uh I think we should be creative about how to do that. But the most important thing is to let people be able to be here and and and comment and participate in items that we're actually deciding tonight. So I'll support the item as it was moved.

Okay. Council,

I don't want to belabor too much, but I just want to point out that like, you know, certain people are adamant about oh access and we got to allow people to call in and like that whole process takes longer. And I also hope that we can look into real time translating for folks. I mean, like these are all things that could cut down, but and if we're in this discussion around minutes and stuff, I just want to say that if it's giving people back their minutes around agendaized items and instead limiting the public, the general public input to a minute or something like that is okay. I just think when people want to discuss about an item that's on the agenda and they only get 60 seconds, um I just don't think that that's right. But to the point it's late and yes, even if we did, you know, we might be actually ending the meeting. I I'm a little confused as to now how this item I brought forward is now been chopped up and I'm I don't know what the whole proposition is now. So I know you are for moving public comment, general public comment at the end of the meeting. Can you just restate everything that you're wanting to look have look into?

Yeah, I'll restate the motion. So for agendas like tonight, schedule uh alternative close session special meetings on alternate Tuesdays. Uh move general public comment, which is currently item number one, to the end of the meeting. Um change the public speaker time. So instead of one minute per speaker per section in the agenda, uh it would go to what I believe was our initial intent, which is one minute per agenda item per speaker. Uh and then um within the the previous rules of like how many total minutes you could get um so if we have 10 items, you don't get 10 or 10 agenda items, you don't get 10 minutes. I think there was like a at some point there was a cap of how many six minutes I think. Um and then exploring options to increase collaboration amongst council members in the community uh when it comes to 16 items. Yeah, I just want to comment that some people had asked me can you put residents first and you're not allowed to do that and if someone if you don't mind stating like folks were saying that like could we prioritize residents so that they get the you know and unfortunately that you you can't do that. You also can't um force people to state whether or not they live here or work here. Um so I just want to make that clear for folks that were asking me about that.

Great. Let's see if Oh, go ahead. I just want just one clarification and I I'm going to support the uh the motion, but I I think when staff comes back and and show uh gives us uh examples of other cities, I would like for them, even though I know we would have to make it a charter amendment, I would like for them to let us know what their council members are receiving as compensation for

for meetings that are done by the a and those kind of things. So, I would want that to be included. I'm not putting that as a as a motion with respect to ours because I know we have that would be a charter amendment, but I would like that information. Great. Let's take a vote. Sorry. I I just wanted to clarify um within the motion that you made. Uh can can you please confirm whether the suggestion that I made about looking at alternative ways for methods of public comment like town halls and the like would be included in that? Confirmed. Thank you, Council Member Negrete. You're in the queue. Oh, take. Okay, let's vote. And that was was that seconded by Council Member Raskin? Yeah. Okay. Council members,

yes. Council member Snow, yes. Mayor Pro Timwick, yes. Council member Raskin, yes. Council member Hall, yes. Council member Negrete, yes. And Mayor Troas, yes. Motion passes. Great. Thank you. And we will now go to close session. What are we hearing in close session? What? Uh oh, we do have an adjournment. I'm so sorry. Uh before we adjourn to close session. So we will rep We may have a report out. So we will report out what items were heard at the at the conclusion of close session. Okay. No, do it now. Okay.

As we adjourn tonight's meeting, we pause to honor the life of Alex Jeffrey Prey, a 37year-old intensive care nurse, community member, and devoted caregiver who was killed by federal agents on January 24th, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Alex was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and pursued his passion for helping others, earning a degree and eventually becoming a registered nurse who cared for some of the most vulnerable American veterans at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Healthcare System. Colleagues and family members remember him as a kind-hearted, generous, and dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of his patients and community. On January 24th, during yet another federal immigration enforcement operation in downtown Minneapolis, Alex was shot and killed by federal officers after helping another bystander who had been knocked down by those same federal officers. It has been reported that his last words were, "Are you okay?" The circumstances of his death have prompted serious questions and calls for transparency and accountability from community members, public officials, and loved ones and remain under investigation. Those who knew Alex describe a man whose caring nature and commitment to service defined his life. Today, we adjourn with heavy hearts, mindful of the loss of a caregiver and community member whose life was dedicated to helping others. We remember Alex Jeffrey Prey for his compassion, service, and humanity and extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, colleagues, and a grieving Minneapolis community.

Thank you. Um, may his memory be a blessing. Um, now, uh, do we want to hear about what we're hearing in close session? They can't hear us. I think we already announced it right before. Correct. Right. So, we will report out um what we what was heard in close session at the conclusion of close session. Thank you. Will you um return to chambers? Okay.

Oh, no. No. I was just messing around. I was gonna sing a song, but we got to go live still. Okay.

You ready, Madam Cler? Okay. Uh so the for the second portion of the close session this evening um items uh one case under item 5C and item 5D were heard. One reportable action taken uh with respect to item 5D. The council approved filing an amikas brief in the matter of Harris at all v the city of Los Angeles currently being heard before the ninth circuit court of appeals challenging a long challenging long-standing provision of LA's rent control law which are standard features of most rent control laws that limit rent annual rent increase require payment of relocation fees for no failed evictions and require written disclosures of tenant rights. The lawsuit asserts that each of these provisions are unconstitutional. The Mikas brief was filed on January 27th, 2026. The approval to file the Amikas brief was approved by a vote of six to zero with one recusal by Mayor Pochenzick. Um, if that's the last item, then we're officially adjourned to 34 a.m. Thank you.

All righty. What a fun night, don't you say? Let's rap a song cuz we