City Council - Regular Meeting

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Good evening. We'll call the City Council meeting to order at 5 o'clock p.m. City Clerk, may I have a roll call, please?

Yes, Your Honor. Council Member Gerson? Present. Council Member Kartzonis? Present. Council Member Lewis? Present. Council Member Liu is absent at this time. Council Member Shaik is absent at this time. Mayor Kalani?

Present. The Council will now recess to close session to confer with the City Manager and City Attorney on the items... On the agenda items listed under 13A, Real Property, Conference with Real Property Negotiator, and 13B, Conference with Labor Negotiator. A closed session on these matters is authorized by California Government Code Section 54956.8 and 54957.6. We will return after closed session. Thank you.

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May we have a new roll call, please?

Yes, Your Honor. Council Member Gerson. Present. Council Member Kartzonis. Present. Council Member Lewis. Present. Council Member Liu. Present. Council Member Shaik.

Present.

Mayor Kalani. Present.

I want to welcome everyone joining in the Council Chamber as well as those watching remotely. We have been in closed session. City Manager, do we have any actions to report?

Good evening, Your Honor. No actions to report. Thank you.

Thank you. Moving on to item two, the flag saluted invocation. We honor those who make it possible for us to be here today. If there is anyone in the audience who is on active duty or a military veteran, please stand or raise your hand so that we may recognize you. Our flag salute, please remain standing, will be led by Council Member Liu and our invocation by Council Member Shaikh.

Place your hand over your heart. Ready? Begin.

I pledge allegiance 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. I respectfully ask everyone to bow your heads and take a moment to reflect. In the name of God, the most gracious, most merciful, master of the day of judgment, you alone we worship and you alone we ask for help. Guide us along the path of those you have blessed, not those you are displeased with or those who are astray. We gather once again in this sacred chamber of Torrance City Hall, entrusted with the responsibility to serve our community and with the opportunity to make decisions that will shape the future of Torrance. Give us the courage to make difficult decisions, the humility to listen to one another, and the strength to work together. May our actions tonight honor the trust our residents have placed in us and leave our community stronger for generations to come. Tonight, we also keep in our thoughts and prayers the approximately 42,000 people who have been ordered to evacuate because of the devastating hog fire in Reno, as well as many others preparing to evacuate May they find safety, comfort, strength, and support during this difficult time. And may the firefighters and first responders working tirelessly to protect lives and come home safe. Amen.

Thank you, Council Members Liu and Schick. Moving on to item three, announcement of withdrawn, deferred, and or supplemental items.

Thank you, Your Honor. Arnavich Pryor, City Manager. We have supplemental materials for item 6A from City Clerk, appointment to fill District 4 City Council vacancy. Thank you, Your Honor.

Thank you. Moving on to item four, I'll take a motion to waive further reading of resolutions and ordinances after number and title, please.

So moved.

Second. Start voting, please. Your Honor, that motion carried unanimously.

Thank you. Moving on to Item 5, Council Committee Meetings and Staff Announcements. Council Member Shaik.

Thank you again, Mayor. Good evening. On August 20th, the Citizens Development and Enrichment Committee convened to discuss two main items. Number one, seaside holiday lights and cottage food ordinance. The committee reviewed staff's presentation on resource contributions and heard public testimony regarding the annual holiday lights display. Key discussions focused on public safety, traffic management, code compliance, and enforcement challenges related to the current cottage food ordinance. Following discussion, the committee directed staff to bring a comprehensive item to the full city council. This report will explore options for balancing community traditions with public safety and cost recovery, alongside potential updates on the cottage food ordinance As chair, I want to thank city staff and the Seaside Neighborhood Association and residents for their constructive dialogue as we work toward a balanced solution for the community. The second item, Torres Municipal Airport logo concepts. Staff presented two modern logo designs for the Torres Municipal Airport Zamperini Field Both options feature a P-38 Lightning aircraft paired with distinct background motifs. Concept 1 features a single flight path arch symbolizing motion and modern aviation. Concept 2 showcases the iconic arches of the historic Torrance Street Bridge. The committee directed staff to gather broader public input on both concepts before bringing the matter to the city council for consideration. Residents are invited to view the designs and submit their preference through our online survey on the Velocity platform by visiting torrenceca.gov forward slash airport logo. Both items will return to the City Council for formal consideration at a future date. Thank you.

Thank you, Council Member Shaikh. You have a second announcement.

Thank you again, Mayor. Following a recent incident involving the sale of alcohol to a minor at 711 near Ensa Avenue and Delamo Boulevard, I met with representatives from the California Department of alcoholic beverage control to better understand what occurred and how similar violations might be prevented. I believe we can turn this into a broader and more positive business engagement opportunity. The city could bring together local businesses, the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, the Torrance Police Department, and our economic development team for a voluntary informational meeting. The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control could provide guidance on responsible alcohol sales and proper identification procedures, while the city staff could introduce businesses to other helpful resources and programs. These could include the My Torrance app, the business attraction and incentive and facade improvement programs, ongoing business outreach and introduction of the new public safety partnership opportunity using the Facades Community Camera Registration Program. This would also allow city staff to hear directly from businesses about their questions, concern, and needs. I'm requesting council concurrence to direct staff to explore coordinating this type of business engagement meeting to build stronger relationships, connect businesses with available resources, and help them remain successful, safe, and compliant. Do I have council concurrence on this? Thank you.

I see 6-0. Thank you. Council Member Liu.

Thank you, Mayor. I would like to request concurrence from my colleagues to reassign my committee chair responsibilities from the Strategic Plan Council Committee to the Transportation Council Committee. This change would allow me to serve as the chair of the Transportation Council Committee while continuing to support the council's overall committee priorities. This reassignment would create a vacancy for the chair of the Strategic Plan Council Committee. I'm also requesting that the newly appointed district four council member be assigned to that position. Do I have concurrence?

Another 6-0, thank you. City Clerk Poirier.

Thank you, Mayor. Los Angeles County Register Recorder County Clerk announced that they are recruiting bilingual community members to serve as election workers at vote centers across the county for the upcoming November 3, 2026 general election. Election workers play a vital role in administering elections by helping open and operate vote centers, assisting voters, and supporting the voting process throughout the election period. The RRCC is seeking individuals who speak English and a high need language, including Japanese, Korean, Khmer, Chinese, Tagalog, Thai, Armenian, Farsi, Vietnamese, Russian, Gujarati, Urdu, Hindu, I'm sorry, Hindi, Lao, and Mongolian. Election workers receive training before the election and can earn up to $1,080 during the election period, with an additional stipend available for bilingual workers who speak, read, and write in one of the county's supported languages. Community members interested in serving can apply and learn more at lavote.gov. Thank you.

Thank you. And City Clerk Poirier, you have another announcement.

Thank you, Mayor. The City of Torrance is accepting applications for the Commission on Aging, Civil Service Commission, Historic Preservation Commission, and Parks and Recreation Commission. Applications are available on the City's website and are due by Thursday, September 21st. I believe it's September 17th. It says 27th here. It's September 17th by 5 p.m. Applications may be dropped off in the city clerk's office, emailed with a signature on the application, or mailed to the city clerk's office. Postmarks are not accepted. Appointments will take place at the October 6th city council meeting. Thank you, Your Honor. Thank you, Chief DeMee.

Thank you, Mayor. Good evening, Mayor and members of the City Council. David Dumais, Fire Chief. I would like to remind the community that the Torrance Refining Company will be conducting the monthly test of the community alert sirens on Wednesday, September 2nd at 1130 a.m. That's one week from tomorrow. As a reminder, this is only a test. The test will include a one-minute all-clear chime followed by a two-minute siren tone and another minute of the all clear chimes. Total testing time will not exceed five minutes. It is important to note the siren tone may be heard farther than the chimes. During an actual emergency, when you hear the sirens, we encourage the community to take action to shelter, shut, and listen for instructions from the city. Shelter in place means if you are outside while at home, go inside. Close all windows, doors, and vents, and turn off air conditioning. Listen for instructions from local cable, radio, social media sites, and through the Torrance Alert app. If driving, continue to drive. Close all windows and vents. Set the air conditioning to recirculate. Turn your radio to 1620 AM city sounds for local instructions. If parked in a vehicle, do not start your engine. Close all windows and vents and turn your radio to 1620 AM city sounds for local instructions. Listen for the chimes that signal the all clear message to signal the emergency has concluded. For additional information, residents may contact the Torrance Refining Company Community Relations at 310-212-1852. That's 310-212-1852. We also encourage Torrance residents and businesses to sign up for Torrance Alerts, which is Torrance's emergency notification and warning system. Torrance Alerts delivers early warning and real-time updates during emergencies, such as earthquake, fires, or public health events. When action is needed, like evacuations, avoid or shelter in place, you'll receive alerts by phone, email, text, or through the Torrance Alert app. For more information regarding Torrance Alerts, please go to the city's webpage, www.torranceca.gov forward slash Torrance Alerts. Thank you, Your Honor.

Thank you, Chief. Now, moving on to Community Matters, Item 6A, City Clerk.

Thank you, Your Honor. I would like to let the public know this item will be co-presented by myself and Deputy City Clerk 3, Crystal Camerota. It is the recommendation of the City Clerk that City Council take action to fill the District 4 City Council vacancy by appointing from the 12 qualified applicants. All applicants have been verified as registered voters in District 4. For clarification for the public, the City Council could not call a special election on November 3rd general election ballot because the District 4 City Council seat was not vacant at the time and the election would have had to been called by July 6th. The City Council had not yet certified the election results and the new Council had not been installed at that time. I obtained a quote and a date for a standalone election from the Los Angeles County Register Recorder County Clerk. The quote was for between $729,000 up to $803,000 for one office on the ballot. And the date of the election would not have been until March 2, 2027. The history of Torrance has been that City Council appoints to vacant elected seats. Appointments occurred from 1941 through 2022 18 times. The most recent were 2020, 2021, and 2022. Only three special elections were called to elect to vacant seats. One of those three was a recall, which required that candidates be immediately voted on if the current seated official was successfully recalled. I would now like to turn it over to Deputy City Clerk 3, Crystal Camerota, to continue. Thank you, Your Honor. Thank you.

Thank you. The appointment process will be as follows. Applicants in attendance will be called to the mic. Each applicant will have one minute to introduce themselves. Members of the public will then have an opportunity to speak for one minute for a maximum of 30 minutes. Mayor will call for nominations from the City Council. Once an applicant has been nominated, they do not need to be nominated a second time. The nomination process should narrow the field of applicants. After nominations are closed, Mayor will request a roll call vote. Each council member will state the name of the applicant they are voting for. An applicant must receive a majority of votes from the city council to be appointed. Per council rules of order section 4.8. I now turn the process over to you, mayor.

Thank you. City clerk, please call the applicants for their introductions.

Yes, your honor. I will be calling them in alphabetical order. Nita Ahmed.

Hello, good evening, mayor, council members, and community members. My name is Nida Ahmed, and I'm honored to stand here today as a candidate for the District 4 council member vacancy. I'm putting my name forward because I genuinely care about Torrance and this community that I have become so invested in. Serving on the Environmental Quality and Energy Conservation Commission has allowed me the opportunity to hear from residents and community members on the successes that they have had, but also the challenges the city continues to face. And they also have honored me the opportunity to better understand what it means to serve the public. I hope to bring a perspective that is both practical and collaborative. In my career as a sustainability and policy professional, I have had the opportunity to work with folks that have had interests and perspectives across the board, and I've worked to find solutions that address the greater community need. And I hope to continue to bring that to the city and for the council. I believe in listening first, asking thoughtful questions, and doing what I believe serves the public and the greater need. I'd be honored to have this opportunity, and thank you so much for considering me. Thank you.

Your Honor, Nadia Ante was unable to attend tonight. Linda Barnett.

Good evening, Mayor and members of the City Council. My name is Linda Barnett and would very much like to be the candidate you choose to represent District 4. As you already know, I have been a resident of Torrance for an excess of 60 years. I have worked for the City of Torrance for 33 years, of which 17 of those years as City Treasurer. I currently serve on the Board of Directors for the Torrance Community Credit Union and have served on the Friends of the Torrance Theater Company Board as their treasurer. I bring municipal government experience, financial experience, and the understanding and knowledge of how local government works. I consider myself a good team player and would bring consistency and continuity to this council. It would be an honor to serve alongside all of you and represent District 4. Thank you.

Adam Bettino Good evening mayor and council members My name is Adam Bettino and I applied to be appointed to the City Council because I believe my experience in public service Can have a meaningful impact on people's everyday lives throughout my almost 18 years in public service I I've had the opportunity to work on complex challenges involving community safety, economic opportunity, and government effectiveness. Those experiences have affirmed my conviction that governing is about listening to residents, solving problems, and using public resources responsibly. I see serving on the city council as an opportunity to bring my civil service experience directly to the community that I've lived in for almost 20 years, a city that I love. My wife and I have three kids. I've served in a local church here in Torrance. I've coached Little League at Torrance Little League for the past 12 years. I was recently appointed to the Planning Commission. I really, truly want to help build a city where- Your time's up, sir.

Andres Cambrera.

Thank you, Mayor Kalani and city council members. My name is Andres Cabrera. I am a Torrance resident for the past 12 years, and I care deeply about the city that I've chosen to call home. It's where I've grown my career, purchased a home, sent my daughter to school. I look forward to a future Torrance that is more lively, more prosperous, safe and sustainable. I'm confident whomever you choose tonight will help move Torrance to that goal. Greatest me. If it's not, I understand that as well. Thank you again for your time.

James Hahn.

Before I begin, I'm just grateful that's air conditioning in this place. It is so hot outside. And so it's fantastic that we're in air conditioning. But good evening. Mayor Kalani, district distinguished members of the city council. My name is James Han. And my wife and I have been residents of Torrance for the past 17 years. And we love this great city. My wife is the principal of Yukon Elementary out in North Torrance. And I currently serve as the school board president of the best unified school district in America, Torrance Unified. And I love being on the board for Torrance Unified because of the fact that it's the only place where I can say that I am my wife's boss and actually mean it that way. Only place. That's the only place I can do it. But I had the privilege of serving on the board for the past eight years, going through many issues, discussing with the public, providing the best education for our students, even going through the most difficult time during COVID. But not only with Torrance Unified, but with the Southern California Occupational Regional Center, we also served on the board there for eight years. And I'm also the senior pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church. One thing I've learned is that people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. And when they know how you care, they'll follow your leadership. So I'm honored to bring my experience and the same commitment to serving the people on the City Council. Thank you for your consideration.

Jessica Maldonado.

Good evening, Honorable Mayor and City Council Members and the residents of Torrance. My name is Jessica Zonia Maldonado, and I'm honored to be here today to be considered to be the city council member for District 4. For 30 years, I've worked as a registered nurse and as an executive healthcare professional. And one of the things that I've learned, the most important aspect of leadership is to listen, to make decisions considering others, and to serve people with integrity. Torrance is my home, and I care very deeply about this community and its people. If given the opportunity to serve, I will bring my professional experience, strong work ethics, and the spirit of service that has led me throughout my whole life. I will be honored to earn your trust and serve with heart and integrity. I'm ready to listen, to work, and to serve the people of Torrance, which I love. Thank you.

Gee, Rick Marshall.

Yes, I brought my fan club. Good evening, honorable mayor, members of the council. It's a privilege to stand before you this evening and be considered for this open council seat in District 4. It's something that I've considered, and now I've taken the leap. Torrance is a great place. My wife and I have lived in District 4, even before it was District 4, for 28 years. We've raised a family there, and I truly care about that area. I have served on three different city commissions, the airport commission, which I presently serve on, the planning commission, and the water commission. Those opportunities that I've been given have helped me to learn about the city, and that's something I wanted to do, and I know much more about the city than I did, and I believe that has prepared me to serve as a council member. So as you consider tonight, I ask for your vote, and thank you very much.

Adam Schwartz.

Good evening, Honorable Mayor and City Council. I'm here tonight because I love Torrance. I have a great passion for this city as a whole. I have a tremendous amount of knowledge about this city. I show up to these meetings often. I read the agenda always. But there's something special about District 4. This is where our city started. I believe the heart of our city still resides here. And I am the fourth generation of my family to live and work and play in this incredible district. My great-grandfather, Sam Levy, got to this city before it was even incorporated. And in the 110 years since, my family has been witness to every single decision, good and bad, that the Torrance City Council has done. We've seen the ramifications. We've seen how it affects downtown Torrance. I bring that knowledge.

Thank you, sir.

Arohi Sharma.

vertically challenged. Good evening, mayor and council members. So most people think city hall and government broadly is a black box. And to be fair, in my decade of policy work, I've seen that play out in real time. Our community suffers, though, when people feel unheard or never knew when, where, or how to even participate. My name is Arohi Sharma and I applied because I believe Torrance's future should be shaped by all of its residents, not just the loudest or not just the ones who have the most access. With my skills in coalition building and policy and data analysis and my ability to communicate across various interests, I'm prepared to treat our residents as thought partners, not spectators. While I add more tools to my toolbox, because making government accessible requires experimentation and failure, I'd be honored to channel everything I've learned working in the US Senate, at the Harvard Kennedy School in Sacramento, and with the Torrance Traffic Commission into being an advocate for us and for the city.

Thank you.

Bill Sutherland.

Thank you, Honorable Mayor and Council. I appreciate this chance to address the Council. I understand you have interviewed all the applicants. I call that democracy in action. I don't like talking about myself. However, this is why I'm here. I was 30 years in Torrance Rotary, four years as AYSO Regional Commissioner of 15, and other youth sports, eight years on civil service, and eight years on the Torrance City Council. Our biggest problem was in 2008 when the budget was $20 million short. because of the recession. We solved the problem with seven different people with one goal in mind, the Torrance residents. We achieved it without layoffs or firings. We work together as I commit to do with you. In closing, I'd like to quote Mayor Pat Fury. In business, it's dog eat dog. In politics, it's the opposite. maybe nationally, maybe statewide, but not here.

Thank you, sir.

Your Honor, the last applicant is Paul Thompson.

Good evening, Mayor and Council. Thank you for allowing me to introduce myself this evening. As you know from being with me over the past week, I am a Deputy District Attorney with the District Attorney's Office here in Los Angeles. It's a job that I've been honored to do over the past 20 years to serve the members of our community. I am one of 10 people in our Major Crimes Division, which is a unit that is entrusted with the most high-profile complex cases in our office. And I've often been called upon to take a look at cases or investigations that are installed. It's a role that I played in the Harvey Weinstein investigation, and I was able to file that case and see it through to successful completion. I know from meeting with you over the past week that there's a climate where from the previous administration, we have been put at a disadvantage vis-a-vis other members of the community, other members of the region. And I'd like to bring to this council and to work with you to bring the same vitality

Thank you. Thank you. Okay, we will now designate up to 30 minutes for members of the public to comment. Each speaker will have one minute. City Clerk, has anyone signed up to speak?

Yes, Your Honor. John Clifford.

Yeah, greeting city council. I would like the city council to consider Adam Schwartz for the vacant seat. Adam is part of a long family connection with the city of Torrance, as he mentioned. Since his great grandparents moved here, his father was raised in Torrance. But even though his father moved the family out to West LA, he was still part of the Torrance area since he worked here. And members of the family, including Adam, would often visit his office. Adam returned for good following his graduation from college. He's been active in city government, serving as a member of the Historical Preservation Commission. He's also been involved with and a strong supporter of the Torrance Theater Company. And with his wife, Izzy, serving on the Traffic Commission, Adam will have a great source for traffic information issues that may come before the City Council. So I hope you will vote for Adam Schwartz for Council District 4. Thank you. Thank you, sir.

No one else signed up prior to the meeting starting, Your Honor.

Is there anyone else that would like to speak on this item? You can go ahead and line up respectfully. Thank you. Please go ahead, sir.

Hi, my name is Arthur. My first choice would be Rick Marshall because of his diverse experience with the three commissions that he listed. He's a little modest. He does extensive reading with all the agenda items and the supplementals attached to it. There have been prior city council members who don't do that. We'd like to have people who are fully prepared when they sit on that dais. If that's not your choice, I would encourage you to select Ms. Linda Barnett. I'm really impressed by her extensive experience as treasurer, as well as sitting on the board of the Torrance Community Credit Union, which is an excellent institution. I've never had a problem there. I understood that a major theme was back to business. I think she would be an appropriate appointment to meet that need. But I think most importantly, having someone who has not served on the council would be an appropriate step, but who does, who do have prior experience in different government functions. Those are my suggestions. Thank you.

Thank you.

Hi, I'm Darcy Sarotari. I've known Jessica Maldonado for over 10 years. We've traveled to Pakistan, India, Kenya, and Tanzania together ministering encouragement and love to government officials, women, children, orphans, people in the slums, and people in prisons. I've seen her care for people of all walks of life, even sponsoring two high schoolers so they could attend school so they can get a job to get out of poverty in the slums. She also cared for us on her traveling team, giving us opportunities to take our talents, use our talents as we never had before to challenge us to reach our potentials. As an RN and nurse administrator, she had led furiously in the ER and in the major hospitals of the South Bay, doctor's offices, home health, and hospice. Her effective leadership skills prompted doctors who saw her in action to invite her to come and work in their clinics instead. Jessica is a team player who will be an asset to this city council as well as citizens of Torrance. Please vote for Jessica Maldonado. Thank you.

Thank you.

Hi, my name is Bill Nichols, 38-year-old homeowner in Torrance. I serve as vice chair on one of the commissions, as well as chairman of the board of Ambassador Christian School. I've known Jessica over 20 years in various roles, worked with her on a local church board. She's added so much insight and perspectives that many of us others on the board may not have had. And coming up with solutions helping a lot of the people that may come forward with hardships and benevolence on how to pull them out of their hardships. But probably the number one reason why you ought to select her is her success in the recent election for State Assembly District 66. She just barely missed getting the runoff And she lost a couple of people from PV, where they probably got a bulk of their support from Paz Verdes, where a bulk of Jessica's support was here in Torrance. Probably would have got verse one or two in that Torrance vote. So anyway, I endorse Jessica Maldonado. Thank you very much. Thank you.

Hello, my name is Drew Hettinger. I am a Torrance resident, a government teacher at West High School. I did not come here intending to speak. I was just cheering on, wanted to cheer on my favorite candidate, but the mic is open, so I want to say I'd love you to ask you to support Aruhi Sharma for the office. She was in my class years ago, and it was... It was fascinating to see her build coalitions and inspire her fellow students. And it was tragic to see her leave Torrance, go on to UC San Diego and then to the East Coast at Harvard. But I followed her journey in government and in Sacramento and to see the skills that she's built. And I'm so thrilled to see her bringing those skills back here home to Torrance. What really stands about, there's so many qualified candidates, but what stands apart about Arohi is just her ability to connect with people. She's come back to my classroom. She really connects with the young people of Torrance and is going to be inspiring for our future.

Thanks.

Thank you. Hello, my name is Ronnie Jordan. I'm here tonight. I'll make this short and sweet to support Jessica Maldonado. She brings quite a skill set, a problem solver, honesty, dedication, hard work. She's got the whole package, and I think she would be a tremendous addition to the city council. Thank you.

Hi, my name is Bob Libert. I live in Torrance on Carson Street. I'm the guy with all the political signs. And I just want to say Jessica Maldonado is one for your council. She loves people. She's concerned with the issues of Torrance. She's concerned with Torrance. And she'd make a great councilwoman. Thank you. Thank you.

I came here, my name is Madhu Chanani, and I'm here in Torrance over 40 years with our family, and I have raised three kids here. They went to high school, middle school, everything. So I was here for something else, but looking at the so many candidates for District 4, I think I support Aroi Sharma, because she is going to bring so much political and public knowledge to the Torrens, which we will need in today's world, which is getting so complicated. So I will vote for her.

Thank you. Is there anyone else in the audience that would like to speak at this time? Please step up to the mic.

Hello, my name is Addison Ross. I'm sure many of you have seen me speak before. I am a 20 year resident of Torrance. Coincidentally, I'm also 20 years old. I've spent my entire life in this city. I've even lived here longer than some of the current council members have lived here. Out of all the candidates who I believe are qualified, one stands out above all. Linda Barnett has shown countless years of experience and she has shown dedication to the city. 17 years as city treasurer is extremely impressive, especially since Ms. Barnett was arguably the last city treasurer who wasn't as controversial as many of the previous ones have followed. She ran a tight ship and she ran our finances through tumultuous times and she was able to correct them. Council appointees cannot be rescinded, unlike commission appointees. And as such, I ask you to think about the issues that matter to you, whether it's ADUs and the hillside overlay, whether it's police officers and who can actually support police officers. Please consider a qualified candidate.

Thank you, sir.

Hello, council. My name is Nasir Khan. I'm the husband of one of the candidates, Nidha Ahmed. And I couldn't sit with myself, just not, you know, being silent while this continues. So, yeah, no, I grew up in Torrance. Went to Edison, then Magruder, then North. Eventually moved away, got married to Nidha, and asked her, like, where do you want to move? And I grew up in Torrance, and I'm a little biased. And she honestly independently decided Torrance was where we should go. So we live near Torrance High now, which is funny because that's where I went to summer school. But she immediately got involved and joined the Environmental Commission, which was unprompted. And she was immediately kind of active in the community. So it's just really, I'm really thrilled to see her taking this leap. And she would be a tremendous asset. Through her work, she's able to leverage all sorts of resources. communication and skills from what I've seen, it should be a tremendous asset to this council if she were selected. So thank you so much. There are a lot of very well-qualified candidates, but personally, obviously, I have a bias towards Nidah. Thank you.

Thank you. Members of the council, I would like to honor each and every one of you for what you do and your hard work. And I do understand that it's not easy. I am also a nurse. I am here to stand for Jessica Maldonado. I know that being a nurse, you know, it's not easy because people aren't so nice when they're hurting. So I believe that in what she brings to the table is not just, you know, things that are simple things, things that are hard. And I believe that she could be a great candidate to be, you know, a council for District 4 or the Council 4. She is just amazing. She has a lot of strength. I don't know where she gets her energy. She does so much for so many people, and she's just a go-getter. So I believe that she would be the best candidate for this. So thank you. Thank you.

Good evening, mayor, council members, community. Honor to all of you. I'm here to support my dear friend, Jessica Z. Maldonado. My name is Carla McHugh, and I've had the honor and privilege to know a beautiful person. She's a team player. She's intelligent. She's a bright, shining light. She's the best thing since ice cream and cake. I know you're hungry. So if you want to enjoy some delicious ice cream and cake, select Jessica Maldonado. You'll be glad. Have a great evening.

Thank you. Okay, anyone else? In the audience, please step up to the mic. Okay, I see no one else. We'll now take remote participants. Callers can press star nine to raise their hands. Staff, is there anyone that would like to speak?

There are no callers, Your Honor.

Thank you so much. So I would like to speak for just a moment. First of all, I want to thank all 12 applicants. We had a really strong group, and every applicant brought their own strengths and reasons why they would be a good choice. How lucky are we? I am confident that everyone on this council took this process very, very seriously. I personally interviewed everyone individually. I made myself available for additional meetings as each and every one of you requested. I carefully reviewed all the applications, listened to all the calls and recommendations that were received, and read all of your correspondence that came in, every single one. I want to be very clear that choosing one person tonight does not mean that all the other applicants weren't qualified. As a matter of fact, it was quite the opposite, and it was a very tough choice for all of us. I hope everyone who applied will stay involved and continue to serve our community. We have an election for this seat in March of 2028, and I hope that you'll all consider running. In the end, my thoughts are this. Who can step into this position and be effective immediately? I feel it's critically important to appoint someone who already has deep understanding of our city, extensive experience working with staff and residents, and has demonstrated a strong history of community service. I am extremely grateful to each and every one of you who applied and your willingness to serve. It was my honor to get to know each of you who I had not met before and get to know better those of you that we know. Thank you. Thank you to all of you for caring about our city. And thank you for applying. I will now take nominations for my fellow council members for the appointment.

Sorry, Mayor. Is it appropriate to make another brief statement?

Sure, if you would like.

All right, thank you. I just wanted to reiterate what Mayor Kalani said. This has been a very painful process for me personally, and I know many of my colleagues have seen me grimacing in the hallways going through this process. Many of you are friends, and hopefully, especially those of you that are friends, understand the position that we are in. I've served with some of you, and this is a very difficult process. I can tell you, having been in your seat, three of us up here have been in the seats of all of you before. One of us can relate to one of you. Two of us, Councilmember Sheik and myself, can relate to the other 10 of you. And I can tell you, I know what it feels like and life will go on from here. And this, you know, It's a difficult process for us as well as for you, but life does go on. As Mayor Kalani said, there is an election coming up. I would love to see all of your names on the ballot. All of you who applied, really without exception, are fantastic human beings, fantastic people. We could make a legitimately great council out of all of you. So thank you for your willingness to serve, and I look forward to seeing you on the ballot.

So versus nominations, we'll go ahead and give everyone opportunity to speak who would like to. Council Member Lewis.

This has got to be, I feel like I'm the one that's being appointed. I mean, I know what it feels like to be sitting in the seats out there. So we were so fortunate just to have so many great residents to come. So I'll just go ahead and kick it off. I would like to nominate Linda Burnett.

Council Member Shaikh.

Thank you, Mayor. I'd like to nominate Mr. Adam Schwartz.

No one else has clicked in. Council Member Gerson.

I echo my colleagues in talking about how difficult this was. I was very excited to see 12 applications. I dug through them quite deeply, as the applicants could tell their friends. Not only did I have general questions, but I had at least five unique questions for each candidate based upon what they wrote. And I spent a minimum of one hour with each candidate, as did the mayor. Some spoke to me more. And as Councilmember Cartona said, I had to tell multiple people, no matter what happens tonight, I will be voting against friends because I can't pick you all. And so this has been a very, very difficult process. I know that I was in between. I had completed seven interviews and I had five left and even raised some voices at some friends to tell them, no, no, no. I don't want you to advocate or campaign right now. My process right now is I'm a jurist. I'm taking in the interviews. And then even after them having to sleep on it because there are so many candidates that have so many positives. And as discussed with each of my friends, we also all have negatives. We all those of us who serve all carry some baggage because we have to make commitments. So. You all have good pros. You all have great cons. Some of you are amazing interviewers. Some of you are amazing writers. Some of you allowed me to really see the process of your thinking, which I really appreciated. And there were some surprises out there. My nomination is going to be Arohishama.

Thank you.

And as a reminder, applicants do not need to be nominated more than once. Council Member Liu.

Yes. I'd like to say a few words. Thank you, Mayor Kalani, for allowing me to do so. I also want to say thank you to all the terrific applicants out there. It was difficult to separate and look at all 12 of you, but I really appreciate your willingness to serve the public. I have interviewed all of you, reviewed all the applications, and reviewed the input from residents and emails and voicemails and texts. I prioritize the candidate's knowledge of Torrance issues, experience, and involvement in the community. Quite a few candidates stood out, but we have only one vacancy. I have known this person for over 20 years. I have personally seen her good government work over these years. She helped Torrens navigate challenging times, including the Great Recession, when she was the treasurer. She knows our current issues, and she is very familiar with the working of this city council. Linda Barnett is my nominee.

Thank you very much. Are there any other nominees? Council Member Lewis.

This question is for Patrick. Since one of the candidates was nominated, can I go back and do another one?

I always like to stump the city attorney. Patrick Sullivan, city attorney. If you'd like to withdraw your nomination, then you could put someone else up.

I will withdraw since the candidate that I originally nominated was re-nominated. And I will nominate Jessica Maldonado.

Council Member Kartsonis. Thank you, Mayor. I'm going to nominate Adam Bettino.

Council Member, did you say Adam?

Bettino.

Bettino, yes. Thank you.

Okay. And the individual that I would have nominated has already been nominated. So, City Clerk, I'll turn it back over to you for a roll call vote. Could you please let us know who's been nominated?

Yes, Your Honor, one moment. So Linda Barnett was nominated by Councilmember Liu. Adam Bettina was nominated by Councilmember Kartzonis. Jessica Maldonado was nominated by Councilmember Lewis. Adam Schwartz was nominated by Councilmember Shaik. And Arohi Sharma was nominated by Councilmember Gerson. There are five candidates to vote on.

Thank you. Can we go ahead and have a Roll call vote, please.

Council, you will be voting for one person, one applicant only, and we will go in alphabetical order. Council Member Gerson.

Arohi Sharma.

Council Member Kartzonis.

Arohi Sharma.

Council Member Lewis.

Maldonado.

Council Member Liu. Linda Barnett. Council Member Shaik.

Adam Schwartz.

Mayor Kalani.

Linda Barnett.

Your Honor, applicant Linda Barnett received two votes. Applicant Jessica Maldonado received one vote. Adam Schwartz, applicant Adam Schwartz received one vote, and Arohi Sharma received two votes. It would be my recommendation to have another vote on the two that received the two votes, Linda Barnett and Arohi Sharma.

OK. Can we please have another roll call vote with The two candidates, please.

This time, we will start with Councilmember Karzones. Sharma. Councilmember Lewis.

Barnett.

Councilmember Liu. Linda Barnett. Council Member Schaik.

Sharma.

Mayor Kalani. Linda Barnett. Council Member Gerson.

Aruji Sharma.

So we have a tie.

Okay, so we have a tie 3-3. I am going to allow each of the candidates, Linda Barnett or Roy Sharma, another moment to address the council, please.

Would that be for one minute?

One minute, yes. Ms. Barnett?

Please hold. This is a dilemma. Please hold for a moment. Listen, Mayor.

Please hold one moment. All right, you may begin.

Yes, Mayor and members of the council. I am before you tonight. You know my credentials. You know what I can do. I would love to be part of this council and work with you as a team. I have been very active in the community in prior years, not so much this lately, but I love District 4. I've been in District 4 for 45 years. I love downtown. I spend a lot of time down there having lunch and going to the Torrance Theater Company to see performances. I feel I could be an asset to this council. I feel because I am a team player and because I have the experience of years of service working in municipal government, I feel I can actually start right in and not have a problem at all being part of this council. I feel that we can work together as a team, and that's really it. Thank you.

Good evening again and congratulations, Linda. It's an honor to be sharing this weird ethical dilemma with you. You all know me. Personally, I've had the pleasure of building relationships with you all, working with you all, collaborating with you all, sharing ideas, sharing input from the community with you all. My application said it all. The assets that I think I bring to the table are a commitment to teamwork, a passion for listening with curiosity, and of making data-informed decisions. And I know all of that is a package that I present to you as someone who's seeking this appointment to join you as a teammate. I'm ready to deliver on day one and bring all of the experience that I've gathered over my 10 years of working in this space to help Torrance achieve all of its great potential. Yeah, I don't know what else to say. Thank you all so much for the opportunity.

Thank you. Okay, fellow council members, I'm gonna give you a moment before we do another roll call vote.

Are you not gonna take comments from us and go around the table?

Council member Gersom, I see you clicked in to speak for a moment.

I didn't click in. I was waiting to see if the mayor was gonna offer council members the opportunity to speak.

Go ahead.

No, I'm just, that's my question.

Would you like to say something?

Not if everyone else isn't going to.

Nobody has clicked in. If any council members want to speak again, please click in.

No one has.

Okay, I'll give you all just a moment. So Council Member Shaikh would like to say some words.

I think Council Member Garzolin has clicked in first. Okay, Council Member Kartzonis, go ahead. I'm senior, so I'll go first. No, I'm just kidding. Well, honestly, I'm very proud of each and every applicant. It's wonderful to know that you guys are stepping up and trying to make a difference in our community. I haven't slept for the last two nights, seriously, because of this, and that is the fact. Some work-related items, too, but it was one of the most difficult decisions. Each and every applicant, I am very proud of you. I have a wonderful interview with Nita, I have a wonderful interview with Jessica, with Adam, James Hahn, Adam, each and every one of you, and I can single-handedly spent hours and hours to talk about each and every one of you. You guys are amazing. And I'm so proud of each and every one of you. It's always tough to find one or to nominate one person to this role. And that's why we have this democracy, this process in place. so that we can justify and do whatever we do to make sure that we pick the person that is right for our torrents. And each and every one of you is absolutely wonderful to be representative of this torrent. But please don't take it the wrong way if we select one or the other. You still have opportunity to be engaged and keep doing what you have been doing. And don't hold yourself back. Reach out to us, each and every one, anytime for anything. And to the community, I just want to say, your voice matters. Thank you for your emails. Thank you for your calls. Today was unstoppable for so many phone calls that I received. And I want to thank the community and to the applicant again. Thank you, Mayor, for the opportunity.

Thank you. Council Member Kartounis.

Thank you, Mayor. I want to echo that. This has been, I said in the beginning, extremely painful. I've had breakups that have hurt less than this process. It really has been difficult. My wife, I know, was looking forward to this evening coming so that I could stop talking about it and pacing. It has really been painful. I've met with each and every one of you. You all are, as I said in the beginning, fantastic human beings without exception. I have struggled with how we're going to pick one person out of the fantastic 11 of you. I want to reiterate that Having been in your seat, I know what it's like to not be the one chosen. One of my best friends, who I also serve on council with, voted against me. And so I understand. I understand how it feels right now. But I do want to reiterate that the world... will keep turning and your life will go on. And for me, I've always been in the place that I'm supposed to be when I'm supposed to be there. God puts you where you're supposed to be is what I believe. So I wish you well. And I really want to hear what Council Member Gerson had to say.

Thank you. Anyone else?

Oh, we're going to be here a while longer, so there'll be time.

Okay, all right, so let's try it again. Another roll call, please.

Council Member Lewis.

Oh, I had to go first.

Yes.

Wow, Barnett.

Council Member Liu. Linda Barnett. Council Member Shaik.

Sharma.

Mayor Kalani. Linda Barnett. Council Member Gerson.

Arohi Sharma.

Council Member Kartzonis. Sharma. You could flip a coin or draw lots.

I'm sorry.

Your Honor, in the past when there's been a tie, you could draw lots or flip a coin. No. No.

No flipping coins.

We're going to take another moment. We're gonna take one minute and then try one more vote.

Do you have Tylenol or Advil or anything?

I think that was probably a quick minute. But let's try it again, please. Okay. Shall we try another vote, please?

Councilmember Liu.

Linda Barnett. Council Member Shaik.

Linda Barnett.

Mayor Kalani. Linda Barnett. Council Member Gerson.

Roy Sharma.

Council Member Kartzonis. Linda Barnett. Council Member Lewis.

Barnett. Your Honor.

Linda Barnett received five votes.

Thank you. I will take a motion to approve the appointment to City Council of Linda Barnett.

I make a motion to approve the council appointment of Linda Barnett.

And I will second.

Start voting, please. Your Honor, that motion carried unanimously.

Thank you and congratulations. But once again, thank you to each and every one of you. I'm truly grateful that you're here in the city of Torrance. So now we're going to go ahead and have City Clerk Poirier issue the oath of office.

Your Honor, just a point of clarification for the audience. Her oath and her certificate of appointment will be available at a later date because obviously we didn't know who was going to be appointed. Thank you.

Thank you. So, Mrs. Barnett, could you please come up? And after the oath of office is administered, we'll have an opportunity for any family members that want to join Ms. Barnett for a photo, and I'll ask the entire council to come down for a photo as well.

Raise your right hand and repeat after me. I do solemnly swear or affirm. I do solemnly swear or affirm. That I will support and defend. That I will support and defend. The Constitution of the United States of America.

The Constitution of the United States of America.

And the Constitution of the state of California. And the Constitution of the state of California. Against all enemies Foreign and domestic I will bear true faith and allegiance To the Constitution of the United States of America And the Constitution of the State of California I take this obligation freely

I take this obligation freely.

Without any mental reservation.

Without any mental reservation.

Or purpose of evasion.

Or purpose of evasion.

And I will faithfully discharge.

And I will faithfully discharge. The duties upon. The duties upon. Which I'm about to enter. Congratulations. Thank you. Family first. Okay. Where's my family?

After we take photos, we'll be taking a 15-minute recess to set up Council Member Barnett's account, log in, and her digital nameplate. Good job.

She's got friends and family. I know, right? Congratulations. Thank you.

Hello. Okay. All right. My lipstick.

All right, go get them.

I'm going to be out there in just a minute.

Hey, did we tell you that your appointment comes that you got to disown this one?

Oh, disown me?

Council, please report to the podium for a picture.

We're recessing now for approximately 15 minutes.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

. .

Thank you. Bye. Bye.

Okay, we will now reconvene the City Council meeting. City Clerk, may I have a roll call, please?

Yes, Your Honor. Council Member Barnett? Present. Council Member Kartzonis?

Present.

Council Member Lewis? Present. Council Member Liu? Present. Council Member Shaik?

Present.

Mayor Kalani?

Present, but we didn't mention.

I'm still present.

Council Member Gerson, I apologize.

Wow, I got voted off the island. If you didn't hear that, the city attorney just announced a new vacancy. Apparently mine. I'm not resigning.

Okay, all seven of us are here and present. So moving on to oral communications number one. This portion of the meeting is reserved for comments on items under the consent calendar or items that are not on the agenda. Under the Ralph M. Brown Act, City Council can not act on items raised during public comment, but may respond briefly to statements made or questions posed, request clarification, or refer the item to staff. Speakers under orals are limited to either oral communications number one or oral communications number two, and no longer than three minutes per speaker. For in-person participants, time starts when you step up to the microphone. If presenting handout material to Council, please provide 11 copies to the City Clerk before speaking. Handouts will be distributed while you speak. For remote participants, time starts when your number is called. City Clerk, did we have anyone sign up to speak?

Yes, Your Honor. Charlie Salinas?

Good evening, everyone. We have a brand-new flag proudly flying over the old Torrance Business District, and we got that accomplished without anybody getting angry, yelling, calling names. I just ask you respectfully for help. It got done promptly. Thank you very much. Now, if I'm not going too far, I have another problem. Very close, about 50 yards away, is the Torrance War Memorial is in a state of neglect. And the reason I know this is my organization, Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 53 of the South Bay, we have a crew that goes over once a month, and we pull weeds, we wash the floor, we hand wash the wall and dry it. And so we know that it's been a problem for a while. I think there's a communication breakdown. All the red roses along the sidewalk entrance to the memorial have been dead and gone for over a year. All the white roses are either dead or dying. There's light bulbs out. There's three lights that shine on the wall itself. Two of those light bulbs are out. And behind that wall, in between the two walls, are three lights. And somebody keeps stacking up rocks to cover those, so it's dark and they're sleeping in there. Ants and aphids are really bad. We can't even wash the floor without ants crawling up our legs. There's broken cement chairs. And other problems, if anybody would like me to meet them over there at the memorial, I could point out the things that need to be fixed up. And I'm sure the city wouldn't let it go into disrepair like that if they knew exactly what was happening. So I would appreciate any help that you can give me on that. Thank you for letting me talk tonight.

Thank you. You have been heard. Thank you. Carol Gillis.

My fan club. Carol Gillis with your Torrance Theatre Company. Well, did you see it? We had Frozen. We had what was it, eight performances, and they were all sold out. That's fascinating because I don't think in all the years I've been with a theater company or a season ticket holder that we've ever had that before. So thank you to the community. Thank you to the city. Thank you to the friends of the city. Thank you to all the friends of all the theater people that were in the performance. It was a great performance, and we truly, truly appreciate being able to do this for all of you. So on that, I do want to remind you, our new season starts October 3rd in downtown Torrance at the Torrance Theatre Company at 1316 Cabrillo. We have tickets still available for season tickets, and the season tickets are $150 per for five shows. If you buy a single ticket, it's $35. And the first show, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder. Sounds like a comedy, doesn't it? We shall see. So get your tickets. Call us. There is a phone number. You can call. Go on the website. Get your tickets now. Tell your friends. And join us for the best theater in the South Bay. Thank you.

Nobody else has signed up to speak. Is there anyone in the audience that would like to speak at this time? Please step up to the mic.

Hi, my name is still Arthur. God, it's great to have three minutes back. Thank you. I didn't say the first time because I have a lot to say. First of all, I'm so glad that Officer Concanon has been reinstated. This is great news. I believe part of the reason why the city was having a law enforcement hiring problem was there was this awful perception that police officers doing their jobs, they were going to get persecuted as criminals. Former DA George Gascon did to two of our officers for simply doing their job. I don't know what the status for Officer Chavez is. I hope that he's reinstated or that he's gone on to a better employment, whatever the status may be. That's really important. Regarding The ongoing retention issue, I had suggested let's offer workforce housing too. I want to retract that. I think that this city should just make sure it has a proper workforce culture that police officers will feel respected and supported. I think Councilman Cortonis and I have talked about that to some extent. I don't think we should be in the workforce housing business. That's not our job. Regarding the events tonight, I feel kind of vindicated. Congratulations, Councilwoman Barnett. I hope to be able to speak with you one-on-one, but I don't think it was that difficult to choose. She has extensive experience, and again, I think the Torrance Community Credit Union is a very well-established institution. I'm glad that I am a client and a patron there. So I feel like the city's already in better shape going forward. I'd like to also remark, I want to be as positive as I can. I am really grateful because, you know, There were some, one, you know, applied for this position, but he had had a record of defaming, attacking, insulting members of this community. And that has no business being on our city council. And I am grateful that that individual didn't advance, but that we have seven members. people up here who are willing to listen, care, and are willing to respond to the concerns of the community. I appreciate that. Like I said, I have a lot to say. Thank you for the three minutes. There was a gentleman back here. I think he made a great point though that doesn't go away. I think as much as possible, this vote does need to be returned to the people as much as possible. With all due respect, District 4 has only one person who was on the status who actually lives in district four and that was the mayor of course now it's councilwoman i would like this and i've heard the feedback from a number of you i would like the city council to move forward with moving the elections to march so that as much as possible The special election could be situated so that the people in a district can select their next representative. We need to give this back to the people as much as possible while being as prudent as we can. And I appreciate all the feedback that you've given on that. Mayor Kalani, we've talked about this. I would like you to pursue that further. Let's take every step we can.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you.

Hello. Congratulations, Ms. Barnett. This is my first time, so I'm very nervous. But an issue has come up. And I'd like to refer to the recycling program and the sanitation department and the way they handle the green waste. Recently was, I guess, cited for not having something correct in my green waste. However, it was my food waste in a compostable bag. And when I called the city, they told me that they are not accepting compostable bags because they don't break down fast enough, but That creates a huge problem for me and for many of the other residents, especially on my street. We tried very hard to comply, and that was our fix. And now they want you to just throw the trash on top of your green waste. Well, my green waste is only filled once every two weeks. So that means banana peels and everything else just splatted in the bottom, and they're not going to come out. of the can. As it is, we have flies and bugs that are interested and I have to keep my food waste in plastic bags in the refrigerator until trash night. So we have the skunks, we have raccoons, we have coyotes sniffing around the trash. You can't just throw it outside. So we're forced to keep it in the house. And then to put it in a compostable bag, you can treat it like a regular trash bag and then put it out to the can. So I'd just like to respectfully ask that someone look into that. And perhaps if they're not comfortable with the compostable bags that the residents have found, that they choose one we can use. It's just silly to, there's nowhere to put your food waste until it's trash day. And again, the compostable bag was the way we were trying to comply and make sure that we were composting properly for the city. But without a compostable bag, we're just leaving our neighborhood susceptible to being overrun by rats and other rodents and things like that. So I thank you for your time. That's really it. I'm here actually representing about five of my neighbors who are watching. So I hope I made my point. I thank you very much.

Thank you.

Good evening. My name is Russell Akiyama. Congratulations, Council Member Barnett, Council Members, staff, and community. We have a full dais now.

So congratulations to us all.

I wear a lot of different hats in the community, as many of you know. I'm literally wearing one today for the Torrance Rose Float Association to just to provide a community reminder that the fundraiser at the Lazy Dog Cafe here at the Delama Mall will be having its last day of the Torrance Rose Float fundraiser tomorrow. So if we haven't made breakfast, lunch, or dinner plans, please consider going to Lazy Dog Cafe. A portion of the proceeds from your meal will go to supporting this excellent institution that we've had here in Torrance for a very long time, the Torrance Rose Float Association. You can find more information at torrencerosefloat.org or on Facebook, the Torrance Rose Float Association. Thank you so much.

Thank you. Does any other member of the public wish to speak?

Names of David Ortiz from District 2. Again, I'm coming back with you about the bus stop. Are you guys planning on building on there? Where is everybody supposed to park once you start construction on it? I don't see where you can do it and how you're going to do it, unless you're going back to Wilson Park. The part about buying four miles of Hawthorne to fix it up, you guys It seems like there's a part in the thing that you guys wanted to make a right-hand turn on 82nd Street because it's clogging up the Hawthorne. That ain't going to help nothing because everybody's coming out of Chick-fil-A and the coffee shop, and they're going to want to get over that lane to get on the main street to keep on going. So while you're making it there, it makes no sense. Then you want to do the same thing on LaMita. Why? You don't need to. You don't need another right-hand lane there. It's big enough to drive there. Matter of fact, this whole council should be driving there and looking at it. Should be going to the bus stop and looking at it. Because if you're spending money on that, that's wastefulness. It's really big. There's no sense in it. And my personal opinion, I really don't want that train to come here. I think it's a dumb idea. But You guys already got that plan because after that, you guys got the idea. It's going to Long Beach from there. That was the whole plan to come to Torrance and then move it down to Long Beach. You can say you're not going to do it, but I know you are. The streetcars. What happened to those things? I mean, there are eight cars laying in somebody's garage that needed to get it fixed, and none of you have come up with it, have decided where it's at. I mean, maybe the new council lady can do it, find out for us, because obviously you guys can't. And have you guys gotten ready for El Nino? Because I know my district representative hasn't checked my street where we've got three gutters that are still plugged up for the last three or four years and hasn't checked it. Now, I don't think you guys are. You guys have one time. I told me you guys walked in the neighborhood. You walk your district. I don't think you do. I really don't. You get elected, do your job. As a treasurer, as a city manager, as a city lawyer, whatever. Because I'm really, you guys, you're not doing it. You guys don't cut it. To me, you don't anyway. Thank you.

Thank you, sir. Okay, anyone else in the audience that would like to step up to the mic and speak? Yes, sir.

So hello again. My name is Addison Ross. Greetings to city staff and city council, and a special greetings to newly appointed Councilwoman Barnett. There's a couple things I'd like to speak on. First, the first issue is that I'm really grateful that the I'm really grateful that the shuttle to Dodger Stadium through Uniqlo Field is working so well. Obviously, the council had a big role to play in this, but I'd also like to thank Metro and especially Director Kim Turner and the rest of the staff for Torrance Transit for running such a tight ship. I've used the shuttle twice so far. First on Torrance Dodger Day last week, where I ended up seeing former Mayor Chen and former Mayor Fury on both buses. And then a couple days ago on Sunday, my family and I used it again. I appreciate the cleanliness, I appreciate the speed, and most of all, I appreciate the convenience. So hats off to Director Turner and the rest of the Torrance Transit staff. The other issue I wanted to talk about has already been mentioned, but I'm truly, truly grateful that Officer Concanon has been reinstated and that he has been promoted to sergeant. For over seven years, Officer Concanon's name has been dragged in the mud, both by outside activists, but also by some activists within our city. Truly, from everything I have seen, he is an exemplary human. Unlike some of his colleagues, which were sending abhorrent text messages, Clunkannon chose to stay neutral. When his same colleagues were attacking Sherilyn Haynes, Clunkannon chose to remain silent and not engage with them, even while Haynes and her supporters were attacking him viciously. Truly, I do believe it was political persecution. You had an unpopular district attorney who would eventually lose reelection by double digits, attacking two officers based on a law that wasn't in place at the time the shooting occurred. Officer Concanon has been faced with a lot of legal troubles too, $100,000 bail. $100,000 bail was something he had to post, for example, following the indictment back in 2023. Obviously, due to the recent agreement made with the State Department of Justice, I understand that many of you cannot speak about these issues very openly. But I want the council members to know, and Chief Dunn to know, and especially Officer Concana to know, that the majority of the community has his back, that the majority of the community supports his reinstatement. And most of all, that the majority of our community wants to see a thriving police department, One that doesn't go after individuals based on their characteristics, but one that is focused on keeping our city safe from criminals. Torrance is a balanced city, and law enforcement is a big part of that balance.

Thank you, sir. Is there anyone else in the audience that would like to speak? Okay, we'll now go to our remote participants. Callers can press star nine to raise their hand. Staff, is there anyone on the line that would like to speak?

There are no callers, Your Honor.

Okay, thank you very much. So it's now the time to end public comment and we're moving on to the consent calendar. Do any council members wish to poll any items listed under the consent calendar? Item 8C was polled and removed from the council calendar and will be considered separately.

8D and 8E.

8D as in David and 8... E as in Edward. E as in Edward. Anyone else? Okay, then I will take a motion to, I didn't see.

I'm sorry. I had requested to speak. Did I press the wrong button? I'm not sure, but I would like to pull item 8i and 8j. I need to recuse myself for this matter as agenda item 8j due to a conflict arising from my time at the Torrance Unified School District Board of Education. Can the city clerk enter my recusal on both of these items?

Yes, council member. Thank you.

Okay. Thank you. So, Mayor. Yes, sir. Go ahead.

Since the items were pulled separate from the consent agenda, I now must also recuse myself.

Okay. From 8INHA as well?

Yes.

And I know that Council Member Kartzonis is recusing himself from 8C, as in Charlie. So with that said, we are looking for a motion to approve the consent calendar with the exception of 8C as in Charlie, 8D as in David, 8E as in Edward, 8I as in Indian, and 8J as in John. Council Member Lewis.

I make a motion to approve the remaining items. I second.

Start voting, please. Your Honor, that motion carried unanimously.

Okay, if Council Members Kartzonis and Liu would please step into the back and recuse themselves, we'll take Item 8C.

Oh, you stayed for C. That's correct.

My apologies. And we'll call you back for the others. Okay, 8C.

Your Honor, members of the City Council, Carlos Huizar, Management Associate of the City Manager's Office. The item before you for item 8C is a recommendation of the City Council that we approve two memorandum of leases, one for a third amendment, two ground lease for city-owned property located on the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Crenshaw Boulevard, also known as Rolling Hills Plaza. Contract number C-97-186. And then approving a memorandum of lease for a fourth amendment of ground lease for city-owned property located at the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Crenshaw Boulevard for the Rolling Hills Plaza ground lease with contract number C-053. And then we're also, for both of those ground leases, requesting approval of a landlord estoppel certificate and an agreement for those two ground leases. Staff is available for any questions.

I see no questions. Any comments from any council members? Okay, request a motion.

I make a motion to approve item 8C.

Second.

Please. Your honor, that motion carries with council member Kartzonis recused.

And he's back. We're gonna go ahead and talk about D&E, so hold tight for a moment.

All right, thank you, Mayor. I have a couple questions for item 8D and 8E. They both are connected, so first with an easy question. I saw for the month of April, the reconciling adjustments were made for $113,500, which is on page two for item 8D, as in Deborah. For the month of May, I saw the reconciling adjustments were made about $2.6 million. It's a huge jump for the reconciling adjustments. I'd like to request staff, if could, two things. Number one, for the future reference, if it is over million dollar adjustments can we have a breakdown what kind of adjustments are made and the second question is if can staff explain it to us what's the reason for this huge reconciling adjustment deputy city treasurer um jasmine allen i have to defer that to a finance director please

Mayor, City Council, Ian Daly, Finance Director. So there's an asterisk on the item. Typical items that would result in changes or even a balance reflected as a reconciling adjustment would be outstanding checks, in-transit deposits, and any other transactions that result in a variance between ending cash on our bank statements and our financial reserves. So it's purely things in transit that happen frequently. every single month for us, and then they settle out thereafter. So this is a snapshot in time as of May 31st, then things settle. So every single day things are in transit and there's always some sort of difference.

Thank you, Director Ian. But is there a way to categorize what are those adjustments? I see that it's an asterisk that adjustment outstanding checks, in transit deposits and other outstanding transactions. But the question is from 113,000 to 2.6 million in one month, that's a huge jump. So there's gotta be some way to put that on the paper. What are those adjustments?

Mayor, Council, we could try to provide additional background and specifics behind it, but that number changes every single day. So there's always a significant sum of money that there could be a difference between those two figures. So it's the normal course of business and happens every single day and it fluctuates every single day.

Is that a possibility going forward to itemize this number then?

Mayor, Council, Ian, Daily Finance Director, we could do our best to try to provide some additional breakdown. This is how the report's been presented for many years at this point, but we could look to try to provide some additional clarification. I appreciate that.

I think I have asked that in the past as well, if you recall. But the numbers are going up and up. And one other question, a leading question, was that if you look at the breakdown for the fund category, We have the second most investment in non-major government funds, which is $88 million. Can someone explain briefly what does that mean?

So non-major government, or excuse me, Mayor, Council, and Daily Finance Director, non-major governmental funds is a category of a series of funds that exist for us as an entity. Most commonly, you would think of things like gas tax, Measure R, Measure M, Measure W funds, things of that nature. Those would be some of the largest balances that would be behind that figure.

These are the bonds?

Yes. Mayor, council, and daily finance director. No, it would have nothing to do with bonds.

Okay. These are measures that we're investing in measures. That's what we're saying.

Mayor, Council, Ian Daly, Finance Director. No, so these are balances of those funding sources that I referenced. Measure R, local return. Measure M, local return. Gas tax dollars. So every day, year, we have a balance on hand that is either committed to a project or waiting to be committed to a project. And that just represents the balance of cash that we have on hand that is eligible to be invested and earn a return on.

Are those, the return from those are relatively very decent return? We're putting second last funds in that.

Mayor, Council, Ian Dilley, Finance Director. So these just represent the balances that are available for returns. The report delineates how much was earned on the total balance that is invested. So all of the funds that exist within this organization earn the same rate. Ultimately, everything is pooled in a singular bank account. And what is available for investment that is not needed from a day-to-day cash flow basis is invested in the different sort of securities that are outlined in the report before you tonight.

Probably we're going to spend some more time on that. offline and then probably come to the public. Thank you. You're welcome. Thank you.

Any other comments on 8D?

If no one has a comment, I make a motion to approve item 8D and 8E from consent calendar.

I'll second that. I second. It is on.

I don't have a button. There we go.

Yeah, I don't have a button.

Start voting, please. Your Honor, that motion carried unanimously.

His motion was to approve both 8D and 8E. Did that take care of both of them?

I'm sorry?

His motion was to approve both 8D and 8E. Yes.

Okay.

All right, perfect. So then we're ready to move on to items 8I and 8J. And council members Liu and Gerson will be recusing themselves. Okay, is there a staff presentation or comment on 8i and 8j?

No, it's just Patrick Sullivan, city attorney. This is just amending both of these items for litigation, one relating to the Kistler case and the other one relating to the Nelson case. Available for any questions if council has any.

Is there any council questions? We already have a motion.

I make a motion to approve items 8I and 8J.

Second. Start voting, please. Your Honor, that motion carries with Council Members Gerson and Liu recused.

Let me go get them. Thank you, Council Member Shaker. Okay, moving on to administrative matters as there are no hearings. 10A, is there a staff presentation?

Yes, Your Honor. Good evening, Mayor and honorable members of the City Council. Irene O'Neill, Staff Assistant. Item 10A is a recommendation from the City Manager and the Mayor regarding the citywide governance and district elected policy. Prior to 2018, council members were elected at large to four-year terms, meaning they could reside anywhere within the city and represented the city as a whole. Following the city council's adoption of an ordinance establishing by-district elections, council members are now required to reside within the district they represent. The mayor, however, continues to be elected at large. Since the transition to district-based elections, the city council has adopted ordinances in both 2020 and 2024 reaffirming the principles of unified governance while recognizing the city's historical practice of having council members work collectively on behalf of the entire community. Excuse me. At the July 14th, 2026 City Council meeting, Mayor Kalani received concurrence from City Council to request that staff return with a resolution to reaffirm the citywide governance by district elected policy. This policy ensures that while council members represent individual districts, the City Council continues to consider the needs and interests of the community as a whole. It also supports the continued collaboration between city council and city manager in governing the city as one unified community. Staff recommends that the city council adopt said resolution, approving and reestablishing the citywide governance and district elected policy. And staff is available for any questions. Thank you.

Thank you. I'm going to go ahead and ask my fellow council members to read what the resolution says. We'll start with Council Member Dr. Jeremy Gerson.

A resolution of the City Council of the City of Torrance, California, approving and establishing a citywide governance by district elected policy.

Whereas the City of Torrance, California, is a chartered law city, duly organized under the Constitution and laws of the State of California, and Whereas on June 19, 2018, the City Council adopted Ordinance No.

3829, effective July 19, 2018, establishing that the future city council elections will be held by district for city council members and at large for the mayor and

whereas March 3, 2020 marked the first election of City Council members to be elected by Districts 2, 4, and 6, and June 7, 2022 continued the election process where the other three at-large City Council members were elected by Districts 1, 3, and 5, and

Whereas in 2024 and 2026, the city continued to elect council members by district and understands the value of at-large governance, regardless of the method from which the city council members are elected, and Whereas governing at-large allows for the continuation of accessible customer service, the most effective use of taxpayer resources, and consistency in city services, and

Now, therefore, the City Council of the City of Torrance does resolve as follows. The City Council will govern on an at-large basis considering the needs and interests of the entire community. The City Council wishes to remain United in its service to the community and any member of the city council will help anyone in the community who calls or contacts them. Customer service is the priority and professional management and a strong city manager form of government will continue with all of the best management practices that the city council expects now. Resources will be allocated based on needs and expertise. and we are looking to introduce this, approve it, and adopt it today in August 2026. At this time, is there anyone in the public that would wish to speak on this matter? If so, please step up to the mic. You have three minutes.

Congratulations, Council and Linda Burnett. I'm Nancy Lippert. I'm a 71-year resident of the city of Torrance. And Torrance, for a long time, has operated beautifully with what you just established. And I don't think there needs to be any division within the council. And I am very, very happy as a resident of Torrance that I can come to any one of you and ask for help if I need it. So thank you so much in your resolution.

Thank you. Is there anyone else that would wish to speak on this item? If so, please step up to the mic. OK, I don't see anyone. So we'll now take remote participants. Callers can press star 9 to raise their hand. Staff, is there anyone that would like to speak?

There are no callers, Your Honor. Thank you.

Are there any questions from the council? I see none. I'll take a motion to concur with the recommendations.

Do we have a title and number? What number and title?

I just asked her.

This is resolution number 2026-76, a resolution of the City Council of the City of Torrance, California, approving and establishing a citywide governance by district elected policy.

I move that we adopt resolution to 026-76.

Second. Start voting, please. Your Honor, that motion carried unanimously.

Thank you. We'll move on to item 10B from the Community Development Director. Is there a staff presentation?

Good evening, Your Honorable Mayor, members of the City Council, Michelle Ramirez, Community Development Director. Tonight's item is a Regional Early Action Planning, otherwise known as REAP, 2.0 commercial redevelopment to housing study prepared by the South Bay City's Council of Governments, otherwise known as the COG. The study evaluates opportunities to convert underutilized commercial properties to housing. Staff is requesting that the City Council approve the study prepared by COG and, where feasible, pursue the recommended actions. It should be noted that the recommended actions are either already in line with the City's housing element or are objectives that the staff is currently evaluating or pursuing. Staff is also requesting that the City Council determine that the project is categorically exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 15262, which applies to feasibility and planning studies. At this time, I will turn the presentation over to Jake Romoff, Senior Project Coordinator with the South Bay City COG, who will provide an overview of the study and its findings.

Mayor, can you hear me? Good evening, Mayor and Council Members. Congratulations, Council Member Barnett. My name is Jake Romoff. I'm a Senior Project Coordinator with the South Bay Cities Council of Governments on our Transportation and Land Use Team. I was also the project lead on our REAP 2.0 study, South Bay Restock, Our Sustainable Pathways to Housing. How do I advance the slides? Oh, just next slide, please. Perfect. Thank you. So this was a study funded by Southern California Association of Governments. And we had a great consultant team of Studio 111 with economic insights from Cosmont companies and GIS work from just the works LA. Additionally, this study, the difference between this and REAP 1.0 was that we had city partners and collaboration in this. And it was three cities of Carson, Hawthorne, and, of course, Torrance. Next, please. So there's three major components of this study. The first is a sub-regional sites inventory. This is a user-friendly GIS tool that our consultants put together using a number of data fields, assessor data, business data, as well as just property-level data. And so what you can do and your staff are able to do with this is using customizable layers and filters, view what you determine is an underutilized site in your city or other cities in the South Bay if you so choose. But what I'm really here to talk about today is the second component, the site test fit and pro forma analysis. Working with your city staff, your city identified two specific underutilized commercial sites in the city to be analyzed for potential feasibility at redevelopment. We are not recommending any specific redevelopment layouts, proposals, developers. We're just looking at different feasibility options for redevelopment of these sites. This also included component three, which is developer input and case studies. We interviewed and met with a number of market rate and affordable housing developers who have experience in the South Bay to learn about the challenges that they view to redeveloping underutilized commercial sites. And I will share those. Next, please. So I'll start by just sharing some key study takeaways that we learned. This first one is very specific to Torrance as there's a lot of market strength here in Torrance and that attracts developers. Development tends to occur where those underlying market conditions support them. The second is that commercial site types are, some are more attractive than others, particularly one that's very attractive we're finding is these large open surface lots. You see these at malls or for an example site in the city at the Rhodium. The third is feasibility depends on housing typology, not just density. So something we've been seeing across the entire region is that actually higher density development might actually be less feasible and not pencil compared to smaller density development, such as townhomes or smaller scale apartments. Additionally, place quality and design significantly expand suitability and feasibility. What this means is that the neighborhood around developments, if they have dense, diverse destinations, walkability, significantly attract better development and make those pencil easier. Fifth is that affordable housing often requires public intervention. This could be land strategies, subsidies, public private partnerships, or one that's actually very real that we've been working with your city on is the South Bay Housing Trust. And then the sixth one is that regularity, certainty, and process shape outcomes. Objective standards, process streamlines, this reduces risk for development, attracts developers, as well as creates efficiency with city staff. Next please. So this is just a quick snapshot of all the six sites that each of the participating cities identified. The two sites I'm going to be talking about today are your two sites, which is a strip center, as well as the extra large surface lot at the rhodium. Next, please. So this first lot on Hawthorne Boulevard, as you can see that little higher scene on the screen, but the map on the left displays all the businesses within a quarter and half mile radius of that current site. So you can see there's diverse destinations making it walkable and a valuable area. As well as a key zoning context of this site is it does require housing setbacks from Hawthorne Boulevard. And this site is currently not in your six cycle housing element. Next, please. So these are two example pro forma designs that we use to evaluate the feasibility of this site. One of these, the top one, retains that existing retail and follows those setbacks from Hawthorne Boulevard. The second one relaxes those setbacks, has some new retail, but because of those relaxed setbacks, allows you to explore higher densities, which makes it more feasible for inclusionary units or affordable units. And these both sites are deemed strong for development as lease products. They're likely viable. They also support higher density because of the market strength. And then, as I mentioned, there's two options of you can retain in the top option the existing retail, which keeps the neighborhood serving retail in existence, or you can expand new retail and increase density. Next, please. So the second site that your city chose for analysis was the Rhodium. This is the largest site that we analyzed for this entire study. There was a total of 13 sites. And so this presented a very unique opportunity. This is currently included in your six cycle housing element. And next, please. And so this was a very large site, so we were able to get pretty creative with it. As I mentioned in the key takeaways, surface lots are very desirable, and so this made it a very likely viable as a for-lease and a for-sale product. And when I say we got creative, we were able to see how can a site this large still blend into their surrounding neighborhood, and so while providing density. And so what Studio 111 was able to look at is how higher density units could exist at the core of the site and scale down into townhomes and lower scale units to maintain that neighborhood structure. Additionally, the existing Rhodium building and retail could be preserved to create a mixed use component that could also be community amenities or a mobility hub, for example. And what I really liked about this one is it also preserves the Rhodium sign, which is well known within the community. Next, please. So I'm just going to get into the recommendations that are outlined in the staff report. Following that fit and feasibility analysis, we worked closely with the community development staff to find recommendations that align with their initiatives currently undergoing by the staff or something they're looking into, but make sure that they're tailored to the city based off of the high level and specific findings from this report. Next, please. So starting with identifying opportunity sites. We've created this really great tool that identifies these underutilized sites within the city and within the rest of the South Bay. And so staff using that tool to prioritize outreach to property owners of what they view as high opportunity commercial sites is the first. The second is inventorying city-owned commercial zone parcels, especially those surface lots like the rhodium, as candidates for publicly supported housing. The next category has to do with process streamlining, and the first being updating the Hawthorne Boulevard corridor-specific plan to incorporate objective design standards. This makes it more attractive to development, makes it more efficient for staff as well as any developers assessing if the investment is worth it and goes hand in hand with the next one, which is the developer facing entitlement guides. This would allow developers to self-assess before engaging city staff. Additionally, we recommend that staff would evaluate opportunities to expand workforce housing. We know that this is a priority of the city and using this tool could be a great opportunity to do that. Next, please. Now when thinking about economic development, something that we also came across in the study is business districts. And so we would recommend to staff to consider a business improvement district or similar structures for downtown Torrance. Coordinating with small businesses, there's funding mechanisms out there for facade investment, which are outlined in the very lengthy final report attached to this staff recommendation. But creating walkable neighborhood destinations as housing density continues goes hand in hand. Additionally, planning for housing and mobility together. So consider requiring parking for novel modes such as neighborhood electric vehicles, bikes, e-bikes, scooters at these housing developments. And that could look like, as this image shows, a bike locker, secure and efficient. And this would allow these housing to further support the congestion that's going to be on the street as more and more development and densification continues within the city. and the sub region. Next please. So thank you all very much for giving me the opportunity to present this today. I'm happy to answer any questions.

Mayor, council members, Michelle Ramirez, community development director, as some of you were involved in the process, we not too long ago adopted the housing corridor overlay zone where we had selected seven different areas and did objective design standards where if someone selected a site within this and built it according to those standards, they could actually expedite the process by not being able to have to go through planning and go directly into the building and safety division for the permitting process. We're currently doing the housing corridor study 2.0 also, and we were doing this at the same time as the REAP 2.0 commercial. So that will be something in the future that will be brought to you for potential sites to look at to add to our housing corridor overlay. At the conclusion of the study, one of the things that was happened that was nice that for staff to hear is that a lot of the recommendations were either things that we are currently in our housing element that we've committed to doing or items that because of different state legislation that's come through that we are looking to do ourselves such as the objective design standards both in our our ones as you know we're currently trying to do that as well as our Hawthorne Boulevard specific plan and So it was nice that it aligned perfectly with us, which is why we could then make the recommendation for you to approve this document, as well as where feasible for us to continue to pursue those recommendations. This concludes staff's presentation, and both Jake and I are available for questions. So thank you.

Thank you very much. Now we'll go for public comment. City Clerk, has anyone signed up to speak?

No, Your Honor.

Does any member of the public wish to speak on this item? If so, please step up to the mic.

I have a question. Will all of this building increase property taxes? Right now, my husband and I are senior citizens, and we're protected under, well, the old name of it was Jarvis. I don't know what it's called now. But we're protected under that. Well, our taxes increase because of all of this building.

Mayor, City Council, Ian Daly, Finance Director. So what you're referencing is Prop 13. So that protects homeowners and their existing property. There's a state cap that the property tax assessment can't grow by more than 2% in a given year. Any new development outside of that would be subject to reassessments and property tax. So if a property were purchased, it'd be reassessed based on the purchase price. And then if further investments were made to develop the property, that would trigger additional assessments, but it would relate to the project at hand and not affect outside individuals.

Mayor, City Council, Michelle Ramirez, to make it very simple for the resident, no, it would not affect her property taxes. Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Good evening, Mayor Kalani. First time I've been able to say that. And Council. Charles Dahmer. Regarding this item, first off, who asked the South Bay Cities College to prepare this REIT 2 study and when was the study done? Second, why was a property that wasn't even included within the current sixth cycle housing element as having potential for redevelopment within the city chosen? when what was the specific reason given that this particular location was chosen third can someone please explain why this housing proposal is only considered likely viable as a lease and not considered viable at all as a sale that's kind of thing because anyway fourth considering that street parking is prohibited on hawthorne boulevard why on earth would any one design a housing project with less than one parking space per bedroom fifth i have lived in torrance for sixty years and have seen that this particular property has always been in good shape and well leased out. In view of the number of spaces there, it is unusual to see one or two vacancies in the project, along all the little stores along there and within the offices inside. So there's no realistic reason to consider that this property is run down needing urgent replacement or rehabilitation. Now, as to the rhodium theater, for over 20 years now, when the city has been preparing their housing element for the state, this parcel has been listed. And then when the item is presented to the planning commission, two or three people show up representing the owners, stating that they have no interest in closing the drive-in because it's very profitable for them. So why is the city planning to, again, annoy these people with the proposal to put an oversized apartment development on that land? If, in the future, it has ever decided to build housing on this project, it would make much more sense to only build detached units for sale rather than the current proposal that isn't providing enough on-site parking. Additionally, can someone please explain why both of these proposals don't appear to provide for any visitor parking for the residential units? So, in conclusion, wouldn't it make more sense to resolve these issues that I've listed, especially the insufficient parking before approving staff's recommendation?

Mayor, City Council, Michelle Ramirez, Community Development Director, I think there might be a misunderstanding. We're not asking the Council to approve those projects tonight, those developments or those parcels. Just as part of the process of REAP 2.0, we were asked, are there any sites that we could potentially look at that we might be able to include for future projects? that you'd be interested in future development to see how, if it ever became available, these properties could be developed. That's all it was doing. So there is no, you're not, tonight you are not making a recommendation to approve those designs. You're not making a recommendation to change the uses of those. That was just something that was part of the overall REAP 2.0 analysis that was done. The recommendations were listed clearly that do not include that.

Thank you, and so your time is up as well. Thank you. Anyone else that would like to speak that's in the audience still? Okay, I see none. We'll now take remote participants. Callers can press star nine to raise their hand. Staff, is there anyone that would wish to speak remotely?

No, Your Honor.

Thank you. So now we'll move to questions from the council. Please click in. Did you click in? Okay, Council Member Kartsonis.

Thank you, Mayor. First off, thank you, Mr. Romov, for the very thorough presentation. Quick question just for staff is as part of pursue recommended actions, does that mean that you're going to come back with a recommended change to the housing element? Because one of these is not in our housing element or...

Great question, Councilmember. This does not require us to make any changes to the housing element. I just wanted it to be noted that some of these recommendations were already included in there, and then some have come up after our housing element that we are currently pursuing. As we start to prepare for our next housing element, which, believe it or not, we'll be doing that in a couple years, these might be recommendations that are then included in those.

Perfect. And I think you already were pretty clear about it, but just to clarify, you didn't work with any property owners on this. Nothing's being built or planned. This is all theoretical idiots. Yes. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Council Member Kartsonis. Just to add on to his question, Do the owners, for example, of the rhodium know that this was part of a feasibility study? I would hate for someone to reach out to them and say, so you're selling?

No, nobody was reaching out to them because we were not making any recommended changes to it at this time. So it was just really an analysis that was done.

Do you think we should give them a courtesy call in case someone watching reaches out to them?

Oh, we can definitely do that. That's not a problem.

Yeah, I think it might be nice so they're not surprised. That's not a problem for us to have to do. Thank you. Council Member Schenker.

Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, Michelle, for elaborating the confusion. Which cycle housing element are we in? I think the seventh, right? I think somebody mentioned that was the sixth cycle housing element, but we are in seventh.

We're in the sixth cycle. The seventh cycle will be the next cycle.

Thank you for clarifying. And where are we with that? Are we on meeting all the standards?

We are making progress towards a number of the standards. There are still some standards that still need to be met.

But we how far behind are we not behind?

Well, we're not behind because we still have two more years because it goes until October of 2029. All right.

Thank you.

Thank you. Anyone else have any questions on the council? Okay, then I'll take a motion to concur with the recommendations of the Community Development Director.

Council Member Kartzonis. Thank you. I'm excited. You're two former planning commissioners. Good to be part of this. I'm happy to make the motion to concur with staff's recommendation.

Second.

Sorry, I'm having technical difficulties. It's not letting me get to the motion. Start voting, please. Your Honor, that motion carried unanimously.

Okay, thank you. Now we'll move on to item 10C from the community service director. Is there a staff presentation?

Yes. Good evening. Honorable Mayor and members of the City Council, Carmen Rosa's Management Aid with the Community Services Department. Agenda item 10C is in response to an oral request made by Councilmember Dr. Jeremy Gerson on March 24th with Council concurrence directing staff to evaluate the feasibility and estimated costs associated with constructing a new multi-use court at Hickory Park. Next slide, please. The proposed project would replace the existing sand volleyball court with an approximately 6,500 square foot multi-use court designed to accommodate footsaw. For those who may not be familiar with the sport, footsaw is a fast-paced, small-sided form of soccer played on a hard court using a smaller, low-bounce ball. The proposed court could also accommodate a variety of recreational activities, providing opportunities for informal play, youth programming, and organized recreational youth. The staff report included an attachment showing an overview of the existing park conditions, along with a conceptual rendering showing the proposed location and general layout of the multi-use court. Next slide, please. Based on our preliminary assessment, staff have determined that the project is technically feasible from a constructability perspective. The concept includes the new multi-use court, along with the supporting improvements necessary to integrate the facility into the existing park. One of the most significant findings from our review is that construction of the new court would trigger ADA accessibility requirements, which would include improvement to the existing restroom facilities and path of travel. Additional site conditions, including grading, drainage, utilities, landscaping, irrigation, and pedestrian circulation, would also require further evaluation if the project advances. Next slide, please. Taking all of these improvements into consideration, staff estimates the total project cost at approximately $1.75 million for planning purposes. This estimate includes pre-construction survey and investigations, design and engineering, multi-use core, the required ADA accessibility improvements, and construction contingency. This estimate is preliminary and would be refined if the project advances into design. Next slide, please. At this time, all identified capital funding sources have been committed to previously approved projects, and therefore there is no dedicated funding source currently identified for this project. Staff is therefore seeking counsel direction regarding the funding strategy, including whether to consider the general fund unassigned fund balance as an initial funding source. Staff would also continue to pursue grants and other eligible funding opportunities. However, many grant programs require projects to be substantially developed or shovel ready before they are competitive for funding. Additionally, a Torrance resident has expressed an interest in contributing up to $100,000 toward the construction of the futsal court and dedicating the facility in memory of his late father. Any proposed contribution and commemorative dedication would be brought back to council for consideration and approval in accordance with applicable city policies. Next slide, please. The second area where staff is seeking council direction is the approach to community engagement. Given that this project would introduce a new recreational amenity at Hickory Park and represents a significant capital investment, staff recommends obtaining community input before advancing into final design. Community engagement may also help demonstrate community need and support for future grant funding opportunities. Staff has determined two options for council's consideration. Option number one would be to incorporate the proposed multi-use court into the citywide parks master plan community engagement and prioritization process. This option would allow us to obtain targeted community input regarding Hickory Park and the proposed multi-use court while also evaluating the project alongside other recreational needs and park improvement priorities throughout the city. It would also help establish the project's relative priority within the city's long-term capital improvement planning efforts, the parks master plan, process is currently anticipated to be completed by December of 2027. Whereas option number two is to conduct a separate project-specific community engagement process. Under this option, staff could conduct targeted outreach to surrounding residents and park users, hold a community meeting, and provide an online survey or other opportunities for input. This approach would allow engagement to begin independently of the parks master plan and could position the project to advance sooner if council directs staff to pursue funding through the general fund unassigned fund balance. Under either approach, staff would present the community engagement results to the parks and recreation commission for review and input. We would then return to city council with the results commission feedback, available funding opportunities, and the recommendations regarding potential next steps. Next slide, please. In summary, staff has determined that the proposed multi-use court is technically feasible. However, the required ADA accessibility improvements, estimated project cost of approximately $1.75 million, and an absence of a dedicated funding source affect the project's financial feasibility. Staff is recommending that the City Council accepts and files the feasibility and cost update and provide direction regarding the preferred funding strategy and the preferred community engagement approach. This would conclude my presentation and we're available to answer any questions.

Thank you very much.

City Clerk, has anybody signed up to speak on this item?

No, Your Honor.

Thank you. Is there any member of the audience that would like to speak on this matter? Please step up to the mic. I see none, so now we'll take remote participants. Callers can press star nine to raise their hand. Staff, has anyone signed up to speak?

No, Your Honor.

Do we have any council member questions regarding this matter? Please click in to speak.

I did click in. It says in green, you have requested to speak on this item.

You'd like to speak?

Since I brought the oral forward, I thought I should say, give a little more background. This began because a resident in that neighborhood, which is of course the neighborhood I also live in, came forward offering, as staff said, a $100,000 donation in an attempt to create a futsal court. Upon conversation with staff, we all knew that that wouldn't pay for the project. And so the original request was to get an estimate to see how far off it was. And this number is significantly higher than even our initial conversation had been. The situation at Hickory Park is if you would come out, you would see every week at least one group who will play volleyball. at the park, and it will be far away from the volleyball pit where this futsal court would appear. They play on the grass. One of the groups is quite large. And like I said, they come out on a regular basis. And then there's some smaller groups who come out. So volleyball is something that is happening at the park. Unfortunately, the sand pit is really just an animal toilet at this point. It is unusable and you would not let your children go and play in it. It was a wonderful idea. It is a wonderful idea. I think, you know, futsal is very popular and definitely something that was worth considering or is considering depending on what the council does. I'm not making any asks. I just wanted to give a little bit of background where this came from and the condition of the park in the location where this resident came up with a solution. Thank you.

Thank you, Council Member Lewis.

A question for our Community Services Director. Would we have the opportunity to maybe ask for either business or corporate sponsorships to help fund this sport court, maybe a sponsorship? or someone could sponsor it and maybe have a futsal tournament or something to help raise funds for it.

Good evening, Mayor and Council Members. Ted Stevens, Community Services Director. I think that's always an option and we can maybe put some feelers out and see if there's anyone interested.

Yeah, perhaps maybe we can do a, a sponsorship funding opportunity to help facilitate building the court.

Thank you. Council Member Kartzonis.

Thank you, Mayor. I'm just wondering if there's a way for us to move forward with accepting the donation with the intent to build something within the area or the district without a specific plan in place.

Your Honor, Danny Santana, City Manager's Office. Councilman, to your question, I believe the intent was specific to this location from the prospective donor. So that would be difficult. We could always return to the individual to see if there was interest. I believe they also had interest in naming of the improvement after a beloved family member on their end.

And we don't currently have a futsal court.

At that location, we do not.

Okay.

But another, do we have one at?

So we have the, there is a private installation of the LA Galaxy Futsal Center on Maple. And then due to a recent collaboration between the mayor and council and AEG Sports, there is the Wilson Park Rink that also tandems for futsal play. Got it.

Thank you.

And Your Honor, one additional option for Council to consider is this could be included as a part of your legislative priority projects that both the state and federal legislative advocacy committees could consider as part of their priority projects for staff to engage our state and federal delegations for potential funding appropriations, as well as grant opportunities if this is a project that Council is interested in adding to the list.

Thank you, that was actually one of my three questions. Were you done, Council Member Kartzonis?

Yes, I was, thank you.

One of them is, I don't remember, where does Hickory Park fall in kind of our list of upgrading parks

TED STEPHENS, COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR. ACTUALLY, WE'RE GOING TO BE STARTING TO FIX THE TENNIS COURT ITSELF ON MONDAY, THE 31ST. WE'LL BE COMPLETELY REDOING THE ENTIRE resurfacing the whole top layer of the tennis court other than that i i don't believe there's anything on the capital projects list at hickory park for the next five years but resurfacing the court was in the capital project so we are resurfacing the court okay and as long as we're out there working can we do something similar to i'm jumping to question three similar to what we did at wilson park where we

get that sand volleyball court at least back to being presentable with a new net, new sand?

Yeah, that's already on my list.

Okay, all right. And do you have any idea what the timing would be for that, just so it looks better?

We can do that, and we can get it on the schedule pretty quickly.

Okay, and then assistant manager... santana can you help us in preparing whatever we need to or just put it on our radar to have it ready in case the legislative committee decides to to bring that forward correct uh your honor danny santana city manager's office we will include it as a listed item for both of those committees to consider uh subject to their review and uh forwarding their recommendation to your full honorable body okay thank you any other questions i don't see any Okay, how would the council like to act? Anybody?

Your Honor, if I could offer a suggestion on how the council may consider proceeding. The staff recommendation is to accept and file the update and you could always add for staff to include this as a list of consideration items for the legislative advocacy committees.

Okay, I'll go ahead and make the motion that we accept and file item 10C and include adding it to the list of items for consideration for the legislative committees.

I'll second.

Start voting, please. Your Honor, that motion carries with Council Member Gerson abstaining.

And expressing his appreciation to the Council.

Thank you. okay moving on um to oral communications number two this portion of the meeting is reserved for comments on items that are not on the agenda under the ralph and brown act city council cannot act on items raised during public comment but may respond briefly to statements made or questions posed request clarification or refer the item to staff speakers under orals are limited to either oral communication one or oral communication two and no longer than three minutes per speaker. For in-person participants, time starts when you step up to the microphone. If presenting handout material to Council, please provide 11 copies to the City Clerk before speaking. Handouts will be distributed while you speak. For remote participants, time will start when your number is called. City Clerk, has anyone signed up?

No, Your Honor.

Thank you. Is there anyone in the audience that has not spoken on oral communications one that would like to speak now? Please step up to the mic. I see no one. We'll now take remote participants. Callers can press star nine to raise their hand. Staff, has anyone signed up to speak?

No, your honor.

Thank you very much. So we'll go ahead and prior to going back into closed session, we'll take council comments. And we're starting tonight with Council Member Shea.

Thank you, Mayor. It was a busy couple weeks. On August the 13th, there was a summer mixer at the Double Tree Hotel, and you and I went there. A lot of business community present there, and I think Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce did a wonderful job in connecting businesses with each other and to the city. We received a lot of good comments about how the city is supporting the permitting process. We also attended 84th Annual Nisei Week Grand Parade. That was also a wonderful event. You and I and Councilman Garzones was there as well. And I was invited by Arkema Plant Manager Tour. That's on Hawthorne Boulevard. They are the suppliers of paint and coating and adhesives. It was a very wonderful experience and it's a four and a half acre property. And I would request other council members to go ahead and visit the plant. It's a little hidden gem, wonderful facility. And also we had the opportunity to attend Robert Varga's press conference about the mural at the Doubletree Hotel. Also, a sad note, Mark Christiansen passed away. He had 38 years of service with our city. Madonna Marsh had the memorial for his memory, so I attended that. It was pretty emotional, and he will be missed. Thank you.

Thank you. Council Member Gerson.

When I was in the audience after our vote, people kept asking, what were you going to say? And so I've been debating whether to share or not. And I'm trying to figure out how to say it politely. First of all, I want to welcome Councilmember Barnett. You're an amazing person. your history, the amount that you've given to the city, I want you to know that I appreciate what you've done for us and what you are now gonna continue to do for us. The point that I was gonna make was that being on school board, especially as president of the school board, which is very similar to the mayor's seat, just a smaller body and a smaller palette, is that oftentimes we get into our own bubbles. And I'm always challenging my own assumptions and finding what the limitations on my own thinking is. And the candidate that I supported is so very different from me. And so tonight I just watched what I believe is the establishment picking itself. rather than welcoming a young voice. And so that was just kind of a beginning understanding of what comments I would have said if we were all talking about things because I know this person who operates in a very different bubble than I do and would give me access to a very different level of conversation and communication that I have access to. I'm really happy, you know, that... I've been here long enough that members of that establishment are willing to speak to me and share with me their opinions. And between interview seven and interview eight, there were a couple of days, and members of the establishment on both sides, I had to tell, please don't talk to me right now. I'm just interviewing. I'm just deliberating. I just need to be alone with my thoughts for now. I like that communication piece that the candidate said, that reach out piece in us just making sure that we always open ourselves up, that we don't get stuck in our own bubbles, that we don't pick people like us and ourselves, and that we remain open and listening to those views and those voices that are very different from our own. And that was basically what my comments would have been. Thank you. I'm so excited to be going into closed session.

Thank you. Council Member Kartounis. Thank you, Mayor.

Council Member Shaikh hit a lot of the high notes. It was a very busy time between the last council meeting and now we went to a lot of stuff together, which is always fun. One specific item that I wanted to call out was the canine dog, police dog event at West High, which was a lot of fun to watch. The sheriff's actually brought in a helicopter and dropped some people out of it. onto our our west high field it was very exciting um i'm hoping to see uh torrance police dog in it competing next year um the american cancer society lights of hope councilmember shake and councilmember gerson and myself were there i uh there were More names there than I would have liked to have seen. Saw some familiar faces that I know we all miss, but also some faces that we were remembering, or not remembering, we were They were there in honor of them because they were survivors. So very happy to see some of our friends still with us. We rode around Little Tokyo in cars for the World War II camp wall at the Nisei Parade. That was fantastic seeing everybody out there. I think it was bigger than any of the previous years that we've done it. So that was a lot of fun. I know it conflicted directly with Torrance Dodger Day. which was unfortunate, but it was a lot of fun. Robert Vargas, obviously, go out and see it. It's coming together. We were very sad to say sayonara to our Kashiwa friends. It was fun. I'm pretty sure by the end of my term, I'm going to have learned the dance, but we'll see about it. I don't know. We did have the honor of getting to sit with and know Ms. Masuda and Ms. Kamitani from the Consulate General of Japan. Ms. Junko, we were, Councilmember Shaik and I took her on as part of our host family while she was here for the evening and had a lot of fun getting to know them and look forward to a great relationship with the Consulate General. of Japan. And I was gonna say lastly, but almost lastly, I was honored to go and speak at the opening of the seventh of eight sold out shows for Frozen, which was awesome. It was a fantastic, fantastic show. If you didn't see it, you really missed out. It was great. Just absolutely, absolutely impressive. Everything from the technical uh side of house back of house uh to the performers on stage um very very very impressive i don't know i gotta i gotta find out it felt like when the ice started coming on stage that the air conditioner got cranked up because it felt like it got cold in the room i don't know i've heard it's not that's not true but it felt like it uh so really fantastic show everyone at the torrance theater company and our staff should be very very proud of themselves Lastly, having spoken with you, Council Member Barnett, multiple times at length, I am excited to work with you. And I know you will be a fantastic addition to this council. So congratulations and thank you for being here. That is all, Mayor. Thank you.

Thank you, Council Member Lewis.

Man, it has been a busy couple of weeks, but we are having fun while we're doing it. It's always good to get out and intermix with the community and have the community come and join us at these events and hope to see some more folks. I also wanted to ask if we could also adjourn this meeting tonight in memory of one of my favorite entertainers. I grew up in West Virginia and I've gotten to see Ms. Dolly Parton many, many, many times and visited Dollywood. But I think the side that people don't, didn't see about her was what she gave back. And she gave back in huge, huge, huge areas that really impacted positively folks lives so she will be extremely missed like I said I'm going to go binge watch everything this weekend from 9 to 5 all the way to Steel Magnolias but I'm hoping that we can adjourn the meeting in memory of just a wonderful person and what she bought together I mean today when the announcement came up you saw everybody of all walks of life acknowledge what she bought to the world. So that's all I have for tonight.

Thank you. Council Member Liu.

Thank you, Your Honor. Well, first of all, I want to say congratulations to our newest council member, Barnett. I've heard the term council member, Barnett, quite a bit because of your husband, who also served on the city council. Like I said earlier, I've known you for so long. I think it's actually 24 years that I've known you. And I know you're going to be a fantastic public servant. I actually want to thank you for being a lifelong public servant, and I'm glad that you stepped up again to further contribute to our community, our beautiful Torrance, and I look forward to working with you. Second thing I want to say is that Today is my 25th wedding anniversary.

Congratulations, Ted.

Well, around a year ago, my darling husband has planned for us to go on the second, most wonderful second honeymoon for this week. But I had really wanted to be here at this important city council meeting. So I just want to point out what a great man he is, what a good sport he is. We're willing to postpone our trip, hopefully, to sometime soon. He is the greatest. And honey, if you are watching right now, you know, or I want to make sure you know that you are my best friend. You are truly the light of my life. We've been through a lot together over the last quarter of a century. And you have always been so understanding during this whole time and patient and loving. So like you say all the time, I look forward to growing old with you. I love you. That's it.

Okay, top that. Council Member Barnett.

She's holding her breath. I want to thank all of you for giving me the opportunity to go through the process that we walked our way through. I know it's been a difficult decision for all of you. Who knew we were going to have 12 applicants? I don't think any of us thought that was a possibility. But I think it kind of got spurred on from the election we had. A lot of people came out. They were very supportive. And I think that just kind of flowed over. It made a great excitement for people to get involved in our community. I see a lot of old faces, and I see some new faces of staff. And I'm looking forward to the opportunity to sitting down and talking with all of you. And I'm kind of in a honeymoon mode tonight, but believe me, I'll be ready next week for the council meeting. Thank you.

Thank you. Welcome once again. And for those watching, every single one of the 12 applicants brought their own skills and abilities. And just because they weren't chosen doesn't mean that they didn't have what was needed to do a great job. But so welcome, Councilmember Barnett again. And happy Savannahversaries. yeah happiest of anniversaries council member lou and ted if you're watching happy happy anniversary um so many things were said i was trying to keep track of what wasn't mentioned and um I have to speak about Frozen. It was absolutely amazing. Please continue to support the Torrance Theater Company. Just as amazing are all the events they put on at the theater in downtown Torrance. Some of us also, Councilmember Shaik and I also attended a first responder luncheon at Torrance Memorial Hospital. It was fascinating. We saw, we visited the burn unit and most fascinated to me were the little leeches, the little leeches that help so many people every day. They have a very important job to do to help recovery of wounds and burns. So they were very interesting. And then we turned around and went to the blood drive at the Ken Miller Center today. So that was nice. We're each a pint lighter tonight. Yes, we kind of did. We didn't watch. So just, there's a lot of things going on in our amazing city. There's never a dull moment. So just download the MyTorrents app, go onto the website, and you'll be able to keep up with everything that's going on. So thank you very much to everyone, and we will be going back to closed session at 9.31.

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We are live, Mayor.

Thank you. We will now reconvene our council meeting at 12.32. I have one quick announcement in that the community from India will be hosting an India Independence Day celebration, JHO 2026, on Saturday, the 29th of August, starting at 2 p.m. They don't have an ending time, so it's going to be a lot of fun. they'll be celebrating their freedom and embracing diversity. And with that, we'll conclude this evening's meeting. I wanna thank everyone for their active participation, their interest in staying informed. Congratulations again to Council Member Barnett, and I'll take a motion to adjourn.

Council Member Kartzonis. Mayor, I move that we adjourn this City Council. Adjourn the City Council meeting to Tuesday, September 1st, 2026 at 5 p.m. for a closed session with regular business commencing at 6.30 p.m. in the Leroy J. Jackson Council Chamber. And I second that.

Your Honor, that motion carried with Council Member Liu and Council Member Barnett absent.

Thank you. Good night.

We are.