are up and coming and we're paving the way for young women, young girls like my granddaughter Luna, to also excel and make a difference in the communities that we serve. We're also commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Los Angeles Commission for women. The commission has been in existence for 50 years, and the supervisors, the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors, just declared their commitment to support another 50 years leadership is about making sure that we use our tools to make a difference in the lives of others. Remember that what we do for our community is what matters, right? We have a system that says, oh, go, you know, get that award, get whatever. But what really matters is, is how you help other people, women who brought their own chair to the table, stand up women who showed up without an invitation, stand up women overlooked, silenced and undervalued, stand up. We know right now that there's been a focus on eliminating events like this and eliminating recognition of women in particular. But in Los Angeles County, we will continue to elevate the experience. The leadership and the value of women throughout the county. After the rise of automobiles and air travel in the 1950s and 1960s, passenger rail declined and traffic through Union Station slowed dramatically. But rather than fading into obscurity, the station was preserved as a historical landmark and carefully restored . Its architecture and atmosphere help secure its place as one of the most beautiful train stations in the United States, and just as Union Station brings people together from across the region, my LA 311 brings together key city departments connecting Angelenos with the services and support they need with a simple request through my LA 311, Angelenos can report issues, request services , and stay connected to their neighborhoods, helping keep the city responsive and running smoothly. How are you doing? Good, good. How are you? Very good. Oh thank you, thank you. 311 day is a celebration of connecting government with the most important group of people, its residents. You got it. Oh, you're very welcome, Delilah. And thank you for calling. I hope you have a great day. Take care. Today is 311 day and it's celebrates the agents. How far? 311 has come and what it means to the city. Hi, this is Alex from the city of Los Angeles. Everyone welcome today at National 311 day. We want to celebrate what they do. Is it one pothole or multiple potholes ? They strive to have the pothole filled within three business. I consider each and every 311 operator. One of those unspoken heroes. Hello. Good afternoon, my name is Kevin. 311 represents that day where we can get the word out about how 311 can be beneficial to the residents of Los Angeles. 311 is always improving. Over 3 million requests come through. 311. That's a ton of data to show us where we're working and where we need to make improvements. It will help us triage better before it goes out. Yeah, so I think that'll be helpful. The mile 301 app has several new features for residents. First of all, you could just drop a pin anywhere. You don't have to have a perfect address. That's something that many users said they wanted in the new system. So we added it. Secondly, it gives you the ability to follow a ticket. So if you're submitting a ticket and you see someone else already did it, you could just follow it. You don't have to submit the ticket yourself. Third, you get real time updates, so if you submit a pothole, someone in the field sees it. They take a photo, you get a real time update that shows you that pothole filled. In fact, over the last year, we've implemented over 1200 enhancements. Some of which you'll see, some of which you may not necessarily see. The mile 301 system is available in over 224 languages. El Sistema Mile A311 Ofrece, aproximadamente dos cientos de cuatro idiomas. People don't know how lucky they are to have this service. The app should be on everyone's phone. That is a big piece. No. 311 week is really important because it celebrates the city. All the different services that we offer . It's all about making the city a better place to live, work, a place that you're proud to live in. We live in a beautiful city and that's why we're here. To keep it beautiful. I love this. Thank you for calling 311. Have a nice day. The Port of Los Angeles recently broke ground on a $152 million project in Wilmington. The Avalon pedestrian bridge and Promenade Gateway project will convert 12 acres into an entry plaza with seating. The project will include pedestrian pathways, community gathering spaces, public restrooms, and two parking lots. The Signature Bridge connects to the promenade, creating a safe crossing point. The port consult the residents and stakeholders for input on this project. For more information, go to Port of Los Angeles. Org. LA sanitation has started its 2026 Food drive . Nonperishable items are accepted through May 8th. Items can include unopened, unexpired canned foods, dry goods, and shelf stable beverages. Donations can be made Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at six city locations. The food goes to community organizations that distribute it to those in need. Learn more at sanitation L.A. city. Governor LA County homeless deaths dropped in 2024, marking the first decline in a decade. Homeless deaths declined 10% in 2024, while 2208 total fatalities compared to the previous year. Expanded overdose prevention and treatment led to a 21% reduction in drug related deaths. The report tracks homeless deaths using data from the LA County Medical Examiner and US census. For more information, go to Public Health LA County.gov. Today Union Station 14 heavy rail and four light rail tracks serve more than 500 trains each day, linking Los Angeles to destinations across California and beyond. From the early days of steam locomotives to diesel engines, and now cleaner, more sustainable transit systems. The station continues to bridge the gap between tradition and modern mobility. Just a few miles away, the California Science Center also brings the past and the future together. From fascinating historical displays like its ancient mummy exhibits to interactive technology and science experiences, the museum offers something for visitors of all ages. And whether you're a lifelong Angelino or visiting for the first time, a stop at the California Science Center is a must see destination for discovery and inspiration. The science Center provides an opportunity for children and visitors of all ages to participate in science and not just read about it. So this is where you can do science. This is where you can do engineering. This is where you can explore phenomena. My name is Gretchen Bozzella. I'm the deputy director here at the California Science Center, and I'm so excited to invite you down to the science center. We have so many different zones where visitors can experience different environments, different ecosystems, and they can learn how those ecosystems are interconnected. We have desert zone. We have the polar zone. We have the kelp zone. We have the intertidal zone. We have 188,000 gallon saltwater tank where we have fish and kelp forests, just as it is off the coast of California here. And so it allows visitors to have that perspective of being in the water with the fish being in the water with the kelp. In addition, they can go up to the top of the tank. They can look down from the top of the tank and see what it's like from that perspective. And finally, they can also go to a touch tank where they can actually get up close and personal with some of these animals and be able to touch and learn more about them. So we hope that visitors take away the interconnectedness of all ecosystems and how changing one part of an ecosystem can affect another part of an ecosystem. We also hope that they take away the beauty and the inspiration behind these ecosystems. What it's like to experience them, what it's like to visit them, and what it's like to want to protect them and want to learn more about them. A lot of people think of mummies primarily as Egyptian, but this is mummies of the world. In mummies of the world, we have on display intentionally mummified and naturally mummified animals and people from South America, from Europe, and from ancient Egypt, including we have a selection of mummies that have never before been seen in Los Angeles, and we have CT scans of the full body mummies that let you look beneath the surface. Mummies of the world is being shown in a science center, not in a cultural history center. So we tend to look at this through the lens of science and through the lens of science. We're able to study more about the history of human health. We're able to study the process of mummification and learn that mummification preserves biological and cultural evidence that let us know much more about our human history. So we balance fun and learning by using hands on, inquiry based science. So that is really the inspiration behind the whole science center. And here at the game on exhibit, our visitors are actually able to participate in sports and experience the sport. So the visitors are encouraged to play to kick, to throw, to bat. And this is really an opportunity to not just be reading about science or reading about physics, but to be doing science and doing physics . So we'll be here through the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics. So I think it's an incredible opportunity. As we prepare for the Olympics to visit Los Angeles for children and visitors of all ages to come down and get an experience of science behind sport. So the general admission to the science center is always free. So we're very proud of that. And we invite all of our Angelenos and all of our visitors across California and the U.S. to come down, not just to game on, but to the science center. We have hands on exhibits throughout where you can participate in your own learning, have active investigations, opportunities to see live animals, opportunities to see space. And I just would encourage all Angelenos to come down and check us out and spend some time here . This is a special occasion. It takes place every year. The Commission on the Status of Women with the city Council members, along with the mayor's office, honors and recognizes the achievements of women of Los Angeles with the council, like to move into presentations? Yes. Exciting morning of presentations. I am Tracy Gray. I'm the president of the Commission for the Status of Women. Thank you for welcoming us today. This year, we celebrate a momentous, monumental milestone the 50th anniversary of the CSU. Vanessa. We celebrate you and on behalf of the City of Los Angeles and Council District 14, thank you for leading with your heart. Thank you for showing us what it's like to uplift your community every step of the way . Learning that I got this award, it was very emotional for me. Um after five years of working in the community and supporting street vendors, it was very beautiful to see that our work and the community work that I've been doing has been acknowledged and recognized. Um it makes me very proud and it also, um, makes me want to keep going too, and keep fighting more for my community and just be an example to Brown little girls in the community from El Sereno, that anything is possible with hard work and determination. We know that women hold up half the sky and in our neighborhoods, they're holding it down at home and the workplace on the streets, keeping our neighbors safe. And this is a moment where we get to reshape history and make sure it includes the powerful women and mujeres who are part of our communities to make sure that they are seen and heard. How to introduce everyone to Council District 12. Women of impact to Trifunovic. I'm just really blessed and I feel honored. I'm I feel humbled that someone saw all the hard work that I've done in the community. I'm from an immigrant family. I'm really appreciative for all the leaders in the past that have paved the way, and I just wanted to give back to the community and I feel like that was just my way of giving back. But I didn't think that I that people saw my hard work. And to be recognized is just I feel very grateful. Especially for women of color, for black women, for Latino women, for indigenous women. It's really important for us not to be erased as we're seeing so many of our histories and struggles be erased. So we really need to lean into our power and not work from a place of fear, but from a place of power. She is someone who believes in the mission of the boys and Girls Club, and just channels that passion to grow that mission and to grow that organization. And frankly, you know, as as the council member in the area and seeing you from beginning until now, it has been inspiring. I think the biggest meaning to be part of this is the responsibility that comes with it. It's what happens after today. It's not what's happened in the past, but it's what gets to happen in the future. Um I stand on the shoulders of women who came before me and hopefully I'll be able to continue to build bridges where other women can continue to stand on and work through and have an impact . Union station has been transformed into the heart of Southern California's transit network. National rail service through Amtrak operates alongside commuter trains from Metrolink and multiple lines of the Los Angeles Metro Rail. Millions of passengers pass through the station each year, making it the busiest rail hub in the western United States, and just down the way from the historic archways of Union Station is the El Pueblo Historical Monument, which is home to Olvera Street's Mercado Night, a time and place for Angelenos to gather for shopping games and community fun all brought together by the steadfast spirit of the merchants who anchor this historic plaza. Well, first of all, I want to welcome everyone to El Pueblo Los Angeles. Tonight is our first night. We are doing Mercado Night. We want to do this once a month on Friday evenings. We want to build on it. So we hope people come out and support the merchants here and support El Pueblo. We're having the shops stay open a little bit later. We also have some music on the streets, so we would love for you to come and join us on our Mercado Nights. All of our merchants here have different merchandise from all over Mexico and Latin America, and we offer it to all of our public. The shopping is so fun. It's so great. I got such great treasures tonight, but also the food is fantastic. You're not going to get food like this anywhere else. Tonight we're going to feature Loteria, the game Loteria. That's a very common amongst Mexican households. Loteria brought me tonight to other is the Loteria game. The way it was called, it was fantastic. I loved how they showed us the cards and said the words in Spanish and in English. It was so fun. They can enjoy with family and friends a little game and be able to take home some prizes. This was such a great opportunity to socialize with the people and the culture. It was top notch. I highly recommend coming out at least one time. We want to build on this event. Do this once a month on Friday evenings from 5:00 to 8:00. Come and enjoy the atmosphere. This is a family friendly place. We enjoy and love being able to share our stories with the public. Our traditional events, with the public, our blessing of the animals is coming up soon, so all of those things we love to be able to enjoy and have the public participate with us. We want you to be part of this family. Join LA city's Department on Disability at the Abilities Expo from Friday, March 27th to Sunday, March 29th. This year's expo takes place at the Long Beach Convention Center, where everyone is invited to up your game with cutting edge disability products, tech and resources. Conquer the accessible climbing wall. Dive into adaptive sports, dance with the rollettes, attend info packed workshops and more. It's an epic day out and free, so register today! Make your world more accessible at the Abilities Expo Los Angeles. Taking place from Friday, March 27th through Sunday, March 29th. Find the full schedule and more information online at abilities dot com. Slash Los Angeles. If you'd love to support Los Angeles Street vendors, then this next event is a must. Vendor fest. Night market gathers more than 40 street vendors at Gloria molina Grand Park for an evening celebrating the people that bring the street to life and make our city unique . There will be food and artisan vendors, along with one of a kind artistic tributes to La street vendor culture. Learn more at Grand Park. Org Bring the whole family together for a day of fun and unforgettable memories at the city of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. Spring Carnival. Enjoy exciting rides, snacks and treats and soak in the festive vibes. Come early for a classic carnival day where rides and snacks will be available to purchase. Head to Lincoln Park Recreation Center on Valley Boulevard for Spring Carnival from Friday, March 27th through Sunday, March 29th, with various hours each day. Learn more at Lincoln Park Rec on Instagram. And that's a look at some things to do for over 80 years. Union Station in Los Angeles has been the stage for countless reunions departures and discoveries, and today it serves as a central hub for regional and national rail travel, connecting passengers through Los Angeles Metro Rail, Amtrak and Metrolink. And like the city, it serves, Los Angeles, Union Station continues to evolve, embracing new sustainable transit solutions while welcoming vibrant public art that reflects the spirit, diversity and culture of the region. Thank you for joining us and you can watch these stories and much more on channel 35 or at LA City Gov forward slash TV. And don't forget to follow us at L.A. City on Instagram, Facebook X and YouTube. Until next time, get out there and explore all that Los Angeles has to offer. You're arriving at Los Angeles International Airport in beautiful southern California, one of the first things you will see as you are landing is the ever iconic lax theme building. The LAX theme building is a modern icon and recognized worldwide as the Space Age landmark of one of the world's youngest and most influential cities. Designed by architectural firm Piera and Luckman, the building was completed in 1961 and features an observation deck and the Bob Hope USO. The spider like appearance of the building is a playful and futuristic design illusion created by topping four steel reinforced concrete legs with stucco. The building received cultural historic status from the City of Los Angeles for its distinguishing characteristics, which are valuable to the study of that period's style and method of construction. It is also an example of mid-century modern Googie architecture. The lax theme building serves as the symbolic gateway to Los Angeles, and the futuristic design is intended to convey new prosperity and the embrace of technological innovation. It has been and continues to be, a constant reminder of Los Angeles's drive to be the City of tomorrow >> Council President: ALL RIGHT, GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING YOUR LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCIL. TODAY IS WEDNESDAY, THE 25th DAY OF MARCH IN THE YEAR 2026. IF WE CAN BEGIN BY CALLING THE ROLL. >> Clerk: BLUMENFIELD, HARRIS-DAWSON HERNANDEZ HUTT JURADO LEE MCOSKER NAZARIAN PADILLA PARK PRICE RAMAN RODRIGUEZ SOTO-MARTINEZ YAROSLAVSKY. 11 MEMBERS AND A QUORUM MR. PRESIDENT. >> Council President: FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS. >> Clerk: APPROVAL MINUTES OF MARCH 24, 2026. >> Council President: COUNCILMEMBER YAROSLAVSKY MOVES COUNCILMEMBER NAZARIAN SECONDS. WHAT'S NEXT? >> Clerk: COMMENDATORY RESOLUTIONS FOR APPROVAL. >> Council President: MOVED AND SECOND. CAN WE RUN THROUGH OUR AGENDA. >> Clerk: 4 THROUGH 44 WITH ITEMS FOR WHICH PUBLIC HEARINGS HAVE BEEN HELD. 45 THROUGH 69 ARE ITEMS FOR PUBLIC HEARINGS HAVE NOT BEEN HELD. FOR ITEM NUMBER 69, THE BUDGET AND FINANCE REPORT HAVE BEEN CIRCULATED AND POSTED ONLINE. ITEM 70 AND 71 ARE CLOSE SESSION ITEMS FOR WHICH PUBLIC HEARINGS HAVE NOT BEEN HELD. TEN VOTES ARE REQUIRED FOR CONSIDERATION. >> Council President: ALL RIGHT, WITHOUT OBJECTION, SPECIALS? I SEE COUNCILMEMBER RODRIGUEZ ON THE QUEUE? COUNCILMEMBER RODRIGUEZ? SPECIAL? YOU'RE ON THE QUEUE. >> M. Rodriguez: YES, ITEM 9 FOR COMMENTS. >> Council President: OKAY. >> M. Rodriguez: 44 MOVE REVISED DRAFT DATED 3-24-26 THAT INCLUDES THE URGENCY CLAUSE AND HOLD FOR COMMENTS AS WELL. ITEM 20, I WOULD LIKE TO STRIKE RECOMMENDATION 3 IN THE PLUM REPORT. >> I'LL SECOND THAT. >> Council President: SECOND ON THE DELETION. ALL RIGHT, COUNCILMEMBER SOTO-MARTINEZ. >> H. Soto-Martinez: THANK YOU, ITEM 6 AND 7 FOR SEPARATE VOTE AND 10 FOR AN AMENDMENT. >> Council President: ALL RIGHT. I GOT COUNCILMEMBER NAZARIAN? >> A. Nazarian: THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT, I WOULD LIKE TO CALL ITEM 1 SPECIAL FOR COMMENTS PLEASE. AND THE SECOND ONE, IT'S GOING TO BE A BIT LONG. FOR ITEM 46, I'D LIKE TO BIFURCATION RECOMMENDATION 4, IN THE REPORT DATED FEBRUARY 27, ATTACHMENT 6, PAGE 1, ITEM 3, THAT READS APPROPRIATE FROM THE UB RESERVE FOR MID-YEAR ADJUSTMENT 2.2 MILLION FOR OUTSIDE COUNSEL. >> Council President: IS THERE A SECOND? COUNCILMEMBER JURADO SECONDS. >> A. Nazarian: THANK YOU. >> Council President: ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER ONES? ALL RIGHT, COUNCILMEMBER JURADO? SAME ONE? ALL RIGHT, COUNCILMEMBER HUTT? >> H. Hutt: THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. I'D LIKE TO CALL ITEM 10 AND 12 FOR COMMENTS FOR CD1. >> Council President: OKAY. ON BEHALF OF CD1. ANY OTHER SPECIALS? COUNCILMEMBER YAROSLAVSKY? >> K. Yaroslavsky: THANK YOU, YEAH, FOR ITEM 8, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THAT THIS ITEM BE REFERRED TO BUDGET AND FINANCE COMMITTEE. THIS IS AN UNBUDGETED REQUEST AND I WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS IN COMMITTEE. >> Clerk: IS THERE A SECOND? >> Council President: I'LL SECOND. >> K. Yaroslavsky: AND ON ITEM 19, I HAVE AN AMENDMENT THAT WILL BE CIRCULATING SHORTLY. AND THEN I'D LIKE TO CALL 46 SPECIAL THAT IS FSR FOR A BRIEF PRESENTATION BY THE CAO AND FOR TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS ONE THAT IS BEING BROUGHT BY COUNCILMEMBER BLUMENFIELD WHO IS ABSENT THAT WILL BE CIRCULATED SHORTLY. AND THEN, I'D LIKE TO MOVE 47, THE BNF REPORT FOR 47 AND FOR 49, I'M GOING TO ASK THAT IT GO FORTHWITH. >> Clerk: IS THERE A SECOND FOR BNF FOR 47. >> K. Yaroslavsky: COUNCILMEMBER RAMAN SECONDING THAT. >> Clerk: AND I'M SORRY, THE LAST ONE? AFTER THE BUDGET AND FINANCE. >> JO*Z AND THEN 49 FORTHWITH. >> K. Yaroslavsky: AND THEN I RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF ITEMS. >> Council President: ALL RIGHT. MR. CLERK, WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE US FOR ITEMS AVAILABLE TO VOTE? >> Clerk: THE ITEMS THAT COUNCIL MAY VOTE ON ARE ITEMS 4 THROUGH 5, 11, 13 THROUGH 18, 21 THROUGH 43. >> Council President: ALL RIGHT, LET'S OPEN THE ROLL ON THOSE ITEMS, CLOSE THE ROLL, TABULATE THE VOTE. >> Clerk: 12 AYES. >> Council President: ALL RIGHT, WHAT'S NEXT? >> Clerk: THE COUNCIL MAY NOW MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENT. >> Council President: ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT FROM MR. LEE, OF THE 12th DISTRICT. >> J. Lee: THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. YOU KNOW, COLLEAGUES, I AM SO PROUD TO HAVE IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS SOMEBODY WHO HAS MADE A REAL IMPACT AND DIFFERENCE IN THE NORTH SAN FERNANDO VALLEY. DAVID HEARTMIRE, AS WITH RECOGNIZE HIM AND CELEBRATE HIS CAREER AHEAD OF HIS RETIREMENT, FOR MORE THAN 4 DECADES, DAVID HAS DEDICATED HIS LIFE TO THE MISSION OF THE YMCA, THIS HAS NOT ONLY BEEN A CAREER, IT'S BEEN A CALLING. HE BELIEVES IN WHAT THE YMCA STANDS FOR. EVERY FAMILY HE HAS SUPPORTED AND EVERY YOUNG PERSON HE HAS HELPED GUIDE. THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER, DAVID HAS STEPPED INTO LEADERSHIP DURING CRITICAL MOMENTS, ENSURING THAT ESSENTIAL PROGRAMS AT THE NORTH VALLEY YMCA THAT FAMILIES OUR COMMUNITY RELIES ON, NOT ONLY CONTINUE BUT ALSO EXPANDED. HE IS REACHED MORE FAMILIES YEAR AFTER YEAR THROUGH HIS EFFORTS. TODAY, UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP, THE NORTH VALLEY YMCA SERVES MORE THAN 10,000 INDIVIDUALS EACH YEAR THROUGH CHILDCARE, YOUTH SPORTS, SWIM LESSONS, PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS. AND JUST LAST YEAR, THAT IMPACT EXPANDED FURTHER WITH THE OPERATION OF SAN FERNANDO GARDENS COMMUNITY CENTER SERVING FAMILIES IN PACOIMA, SYLMAR AND SAN FERNANDO. TODAY IT'S ABOUT CELEBRATING THAT CAREER DEFINED BY SERVICE, LEADERSHIP AND A DEEP COMMITMENT TO OUR COMMUNITY. TODAY, IF ANYBODY KNOWS, ANYTHING ABOUT ME, YOU KNOW ABOUT MY INVOLVEMENT WITH THE YMCA THROUGH THE YEARS AND THE IMPACT IT'S HAD ON ME AND MY FAMILY. I'VE GONE THROUGH MANY DIFFERENT PROGRAMS WITH MY FAMILY BUT THE ONE THAT STICKS OUT MOST IS THE Y-GUY PROGRAM CAMPING WHERE I WENT FIRST WITH MY DAUGHTER AND MY SON, IT'S BEEN AN INCREDIBLE PART OF MY LIFE. AND DAVID WHO IS JOINED BY HIS WIFE JUDITH, AND HIS DAUGHTER BRITNEY AND ALSO, CAN I HAVE HIS Y FAMILY AND FRIENDS STAND UP WHO ARE CELEBRATING DAVID TODAY. [APPLAUSE] DAVID, YOU HAVE BEEN AN EXTENDED PART OF OUR OFFICE HERE. WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR--COME ON. WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE GIVEN THE SAN FERNANDO YMCA AND WISH YOU THE BEST IN THE NEXT CHAPTER. AND WHILE WE ARE SAD TO SEE YOU LEAVE, WE WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU ON YOUR RETIREMENT. >> THANK YOU, JOHN. >> J. Lee: THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. >> DO I HAVE TO DO DO A SPEECH NOW? >> Council President: THANK YOU AND CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU TO THE YMCA FAMILY. COUNCILMEMBER NAZARIAN? >> A. Nazarian: YEAH, I WAS CAUGHT OFF GUARD, SO I'M GOING TO KEEP IT BRIEF AND SAY, ALTHOUGH DAVID IS CONCLUDING HIS CAREER IN NORTH YMCA, NORTH VALLEY YMCA, LET'S NOT FORGET THAT MOST OF HIS CAREER HAS BEEN IN THE EAST SAN FERNANDO YMCA. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE. THANK YOU SO MUCH AND THANK YOU TO THE FAMILY FOR ALLOWING HIM TO BE WITH US AND DO THE WONDERFUL WORK THAT HE DID, THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> J. Lee: AS YOU CAN SEE, MR. PRESIDENT HE'S HAD AN IMPACT THROUGHOUT THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY. AND I WANT TO SAY, ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL, WE WANTED TO PRESENT YOU WITH THIS PRACTICE KLI MATION THANK YOU FOR YOUR YEARS OF SERVICE NOT ONLY TO THE YMCA BUT THE ENTIRE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. [APPLAUSE] >> Council President: ALL RIGHT, WITH THAT I'LL ASK THE CITY ATTORNEY TO PREPARE US FOR PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THIS MORNING'S MEETING. >> City Attorney: YES, MR. @PRE. TO PEOPLE PROVIDING PUBLIC COMMENT, WHEN IT'S YOUR TURN TO SPEAK, PLEASE STATE WHICH OF THE AGENDA ITEMS YOU'LL LIKE TO SPEAK TO. YOU'LL HAVE UP TO THREE MINUTES TOTAL FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. WHEN SPEAK ON THE AGENDA ITEMS, YOU MUST BE ON TOPIC. OUR GOAL IS TO GET THROUGH AS MANY SPEAKERS AS WE CAN. IF YOU ARE ON ON TOPIC OR IF WE CANNOT TELL WHETHER YOU'RE ON TOPIC, YOU'LL GET A BRIEF WANGER FROM ME OR THE COUNCIL PRESIDENT. AT THAT POINT, YOU NEED TO GET IMMEDIATE MRAOE AND CLEARLY ON TOPIC. IF YOU DO NOT DO SO S YOU'LL FORFEIT THE REST OF YOUR SPEAKING TIME AND WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SPEAKER. THE ITEMS OPEN FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE AGENDA, ARE 1 THROUGH 3 AND ITEMS 45 THROUGH 71. SO AGAIN, THE ITEMS THAT ARE OPEN FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE AGENDA, ARE ITEMS 1 THROUGH 3, AND ITEMS 45 THROUGH 71. MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MAY ALSO SPEAK FOR UP TO A MINUTE FOR GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT. DURING GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MAY SPEAK TO ANY OF THE ITEMS OR ANYTHING ELSE IN THE CITY SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION. I HAVE A COUPLE MORE ANNOUNCEMENTS, IF I CAN HAVE THE INTERPRETERS MAKE THIS ONE ALOUD TO THE ROOM. IF YOU REQUIRE A SPANISH LANGUAGE INTERPRETER, PLEASE MAKE SURE TO PAUSE EVERY FEW SENTENCES SO THE INTERPRET ACRES INTERPRET. >> Interpreter: [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> City Attorney: DON'T WORRY, WE WILL PAUSE YOUR TIME WHILE THE INTERPRET RESIDENTER INTERPRETING SO YOU WILL GET THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME AS EVERYONE ELSE. THANK YOU. >> Interpreter: [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> City Attorney: ADDITIONALLY IF YOU'VE MADE AN AN COME --ACCOMMODATION REQUEST OR IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE ONE TO USE THE WIRELESS MICROPHONE, ONCE YOU HEAR YOUR NAME, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND SO THE SERGEANT CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH THE WIRELESS HANDHELD MICROPHONE. FINALLY, THE ORDER IN WHICH THE NAMES ARE CALLED, THAT AT RANDOM, NA --THAT IS TO SAY IT'S RANDOMLY GENERATED. WE WOULD PLEASE ASK THAT YOU WAIT UNTIL YOU HEAR THE NAME YOU SIGNED UP UNDER CALLED ALOUD BEFORE LINING UP ON YOUR LEFT-HAND SIDE OF THE CHAMBER TO SPEAK. THANK YOU. >> Clerk: I WILL BEGIN BY CALLING THE FOLLOWING NAMES, TIO, ANDREA A KENDALL CHAPEL, MARIA, ELISA, ROBERT AND ERIC DILL. >> City Attorney: GOOD MORNING, WOO WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO? >> Speaker: I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK JUST ON GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT PLEASE. ?AOUF A MINUTE, GO AHEAD. >> Speaker: GOOD MORNING, I'M THEO, I WORK FOR COMMUNITIES FOR A BETTER ENVIRONMENT AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON THE APPEAL TO THE SCATTER GOOD ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT. LAWDP IS CURRENTLY ATTEMPTING TO SPEND ONE BILLION DOLLARSOF THE SIT OF L.A. MONEY ON A ATTEMPT TO REPOWER THE SCATTER GOOD GENERATING STATION WITH FOSSIL FUEL FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. COMMUNITIES FOR A BETTER ENVIRONMENT AND A NUMBER OF OTHER ORGANIZATIONS HAVE CHALLENGED THIS PROJECT BECAUSE WE SEE IT AS A DIRECT VIOLATION OF THE L.A.'S CITY CLIMATE GOALS, OF CEQA AND A BETRAYAL OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNITIES. JUST LAST FRIDAY, THE CITY REMOVED THE APPEAL OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT FROM THE COUNCIL'S AGENDA AND SO I'M ASKING TO YOU REAGENDIZE IT AND GRANT CBE'S APPEAL. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> City Attorney: GOOD MORNING, WHICH ITEMS WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO? >> Speaker: GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT. >> City Attorney: OKAY, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE. >> Speaker: I'M KEND AL AND TIM HERE TO PUT THE APPEAL BACK ON THE AGENDA. IT WAS SUPPOSE TO BE HEARD TODAY BUT IT WAS REMOVED ON FRIDAY. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROJECT, WE NEED INVESTMENTS IN REAL SOLUTIONS AND NOT IN ENERGY THAT REQUIRES TURBINE TO THE BACKLOG OF AS MUCH AS 7 YEARS, NOT ENERGY THAT LAWDP HAS IDENTIFIED A SOURCE FOR AND NOT ENERGY THAT WILL EXPOSE OUR COMMUNITIES TO A LOT OF SOLUTION. THIS WILL COMMIT TO FOSSIL FUELS FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE AND IT MAKES NO SENSE TO GO TO HYDROGEN WITH NO HYDROGEN SOURCE OR INFRASTRUCTURE. PUTTING 2 BILLION DOLLARS TO WHAT IS GOING TO AMOUNT TO ANOTHER GAS PLANT. WE'RE ASKING TO YOU HEAR IT SOON AND DO MORE ABOUT, DO MORE RESEARCH FOR THE PROJECT. THANK YOU. >> City Attorney: GOOD MORNING, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO? >> Speaker: GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT. >> City Attorney: OKAY, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE, GO AHEAD. >> Speaker: GOOD MORNING, COUNCILMEMBERS I'M ANDREA I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF FOOD AND WATER WATCH AND A RESIDENT OF STUDIO CITY AND DWP RATEPAYER. I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT AN APPEAL THAT WE FILED, WE HAD ANTICIPATED THAT IT WOULD BE HEARD TODAY BUT IT WAS NOT AGENDIZED, WE OF COURSE URGE THE COUNCIL TO PLEASE AGENDIZE THIS ITEM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND TO ALSO REJECT LADWP EIR AND GRANT OUR APPEAL. THIS PROJECT IS COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY. LOS ANGELES NEEDS REAL CLEAN ENERGY SOLUTIONS NOT ANOTHER COSTLY POLLUTING PROJECT THAT ONLY BENEFITS FOSSIL INTEREST. WE URGE YOU TO AGENDIZE OUR APPEAL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. >> City Attorney: GOOD MORNING, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO? >> Speaker: BUENOS DIAS. [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> City Attorney: ONE MINUTE, GO AHEAD. >> Speaker: ME LLAMO MARIA [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> Interpreter: MY NAME IS MARIA GONZALEZ. AND I WORK FOR FLYING FOOD GROUP COMPANY THAT IS AUTHORIZED TO WORK IN TO LAX, TO OPERATE IN LAX. >> Speaker: [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> Interpreter: TODAY IS THE 115th ANNIVERSARY OF TRIANGLE FOR WEIGHTS. >> Speaker: [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> Interpreter: WHERE THERE WAS 146 WORKERS MAJORITY YOUNG IMMIGRANT WOMEN. >> Speaker: [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> Interpreter: AND THEY LOST THEIR LIVES DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO COUNT ON ADEQUATE PROTECTION. >> Speaker: [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> Interpreter: SHOULD STORY SHOULD HAVE TAUGHT US SOMETHING. >> Speaker: [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> Interpreter: HOWEVER, IN THE CURRENT DAY IN 2026, WE CONTINUE TO LIVE THROUGH THIS. >> Speaker: [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> Interpreter: AND ON THE 22nd OF JANUARY, THERE WAS A FIRE IN OUR HOT KITCHEN. >> Speaker: [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> Interpreter: AND MY CO-WORKERS REPORTED SEEING PEOPLE THAT WERE RUNNING OUT WITHOUT EVEN KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON, THEY JUST REPORTED THAT THEY SAW THEM LEAVING. >> Speaker: [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> Interpreter: AND-->> City Attorney: SPEAKER YOUR TIME IS EXPIRED BUT I ASK THE INTERPRETER INTERPRET WHAT WAS SAID. >> Interpreter: MANY OF US WERE NOT AWARE OF THE EMERGENCY EXITS WERE AND WE DID NOT FEEL SAFE. [SPEAKING SPANISH] . >> Clerk: BEFORE THE NEXT SPEAKER BEGINS, I WOULD LIKE TO CALL DANIELLE SOES A-ROD KNEE, FAITH MIRA, AND DOMINIQUE. >> City Attorney: GOOD MORNING, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO? >> Speaker: [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> City Attorney: YOU HAVE A MINUTE, GO AHEAD. >> Speaker: [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> Interpreter: HELLO MY NAME IS ALICIA BALANCE AND I WORK FOR FLYING FOOD GROUP PACKAGING FOOD FOR AIR COMPANIES LIKE AIR FRANCE AND AIR JAPAN. >> Speaker: [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> Interpreter: I'M HERE TO SHARE A STORY OF AN INCIDENT WHAT HAPPENED IN MY PLACE OF WORK ABOUT A FIRE. >> Speaker: [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> Interpreter: BUT TODAY WE ARE ALSO COMMEMORATING THE 115th ANNIVERSARY OF THE TRAGEDY. >> Speaker: [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> Interpreter: IN 19 11, 146 WORKERS MAJORITY YOUNG WOMEN LOST THEIR LIVES DUE TO THE POOR SAFETY CONDITION IN THEIR WORKPLACE. >> Speaker: [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> Interpreter: AND THAT HAPPENED 115 YEARS AGO IN NEW YORK, AND HOWEVER TODAY WE STILL FACE THESE UNSECURE LIVING OR WORKING CONDITIONS IN THE PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT. >> Speaker: [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> Interpreter: WE SHOULD ALL BE UNITED TOGETHER AND DEMAND SAFE WORKING CONDITIONS IN ALL PLACES OF EMPLOYMENT IN LOS ANGELES. >> Speaker: [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> Interpreter: PLEASE, CITY HOLD FLYING FOOD GROUP ACCOUNTABLE. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> City Attorney: GOOD MORNING, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO? >> Speaker: GOOD MORNING, I'M HERE ON ITEM NUMBER 1, THE LOT THAT IS A NUISANCE TO MY NEIGHBORHOOD. I HAVE LIVED IN L.A. NOW 40 YEARS. I CAN SAY ONE THING, I DON'T HAVE MUCH VALUE IN CITY COUNCIL RIGHT NOW. I WOULD REALLY LIKE ALL OF YOUR ATTENTION. I HAVE LIVED WITH METH, I HAVE LIVED WITH AN A K4647 AND THE FENCE BEING SHOT UP IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. YESTERDAY, WE WENT INTO THE LOT, IT LOOKS LIKE SANFORD AND SON TIMES TEN. THE MISSION IS IN FRONT OF YOU, WE WAITED SINCE 2016, WE WERE TOLD INCLUDING BY MR. NAZARIAN THAT THIS LOT WOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF. THE OTHER DAY, THEY BURNED DOWN ONE OF THE HOUSES. THE GENTLEMAN THAT IS LIVES NEXT TO THE PROPERTY, IS A PARAPLEGIC, HE'S IN A WHEELCHAIR. IF THE LOT GOES UP IN FLAMES, THIS MAN'S HOUSE WILL GO UP WITH IT. ALL I'M ASKING IS YOU APPROVE THE NUISANCE PROPERTY. I'LL BORE YOU WITH PICTURES, I HAVE SINCE 2016, PICTURES THAT SHOW THIS LOT UP TO YESTERDAY. AND IT IS NOT BEEN CLEARED. I DON'T HAVE 40 PEOPLE THAT I CAN BRING OF MY NEIGHBORS LIKE WEST L.A. WHERE THE NEXT DAY THEY COME IN AND CLEAN THE LOT. THAT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE, OKAY. AGAIN I'VE LIVED HERE 40 YEARS, LET'S CLEAN UP L.A. NORTH HOLLYWOOD HAS BEEN ALL OF YOUR DUMPING GROUND FOR HOMELESS, SHERMAN WAY, VIE LAND AVENUE, EVERY SINGLE BRIDGE COMING DOWN THE 170, HAS HOMELESS IN MY DISTRICT UNDER IT. THEY ARE AT EVERY CORNER, UNDERER BRIDGE AND EVERY NOOK AND CRANNY, THE CITY LIVES. I CAN SHOW COUNCIL RIGHT NOW, YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW THERE IS A 30 PEOPLE LIVING BEHIND THE CONCRETE WALL ON COUNTY PROPERTY AND THEY WALK MY BACK FENCE EVERY NIGHT GETTING THEIR DRUGS FROM THIS LOT. WE SMELL THE BAKING OF METHANE, DO YOU KNOW WHAT METHANE SMELLS LIKE? >> City Attorney: YOUR TIME IS EXPIRED. NEXT SPEAKER. SPEAKER, YOUR TIME IS EXPIRED. WE NEED TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SPEAKER. >> Speaker: SORRY. >> City Attorney: GOOD MORNING, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO? >> Speaker: HI I'M ROBERT AND I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER 1 AND A GENERAL COMMENT. >> City Attorney: OKAY, YOU HAVE WIN MINUTE FOR THE ITEM AND THEN YOU'LL HEAR A BEEP AND THEN HE'LL GET A ADDITIONAL MINUTE. >> Speaker: I'VE GOT PICTURES OF VAGRANT AND HOMELESS COMING CONSTANTLY AND USING FIREARMS. A GIANT GANGSTER HAS TAKEN OVER OUR STREET TO LURE INTO HIS NETWORK OF THIEVES AND CRIMINALS. WE'VE HAD SHOOTINGS, MY CAR HAS BEEN LOOTED. IS FOUND METH IN THE STREET ROLLED UP IN A DOLLAR BILL, THERE IS DRUG PARAPHERNALIA EVERYWHERE. NOISE FROM TWEAKERS STRIPPING CARS. ONE WAS ARRESTED ON PRIZER. I CANNOT KEEP MY WINDOWS OPEN OR LOOK OUTSIDE BY BEING AFFECTED BY THESE HORRORS OR GETTING INTO VERBAL ARGUMENTS WITH THESE CRIMINALS. THE COPS ARE AFRAID TO LOSE THEIR JOB JUST FOR ENFORCE IFING --ENFORCING THE LAW. WE'RE TIRED OF THIS. CITY, PLEASE TAKE AWAY THIS PROPERTY AND GIVE IT TO SOMEBODY WHO CAN ENRICH OUR COMMUNITY, NOT DRUG RENTERS. THANK YOU. THAT'S SUFFICIENT, THANK YOU. >> City Attorney: THANK YOU, NEXT SPEAKER. GOOD MORNING, WHAT WOULD YOU LIE TO SPEAK TO? >> Speaker: GENERAL COMMENT. >> City Attorney: OKAY, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE. >> Speaker: MY NAME IS RODNEY BOONE, I LIVE IN SAN PEDRO SO TIM CAN MY COUNCILMAN, AND WE'VE BEEN DWP CUSTOMERS FOR NEARLY 40 YEARS, TODAY I COME AS A RATEPAYER AND AS A RATEPAYER I'M HERE TO URGE THE CITY COUNCIL TO ACCEPT THE APPEAL AND REJECT THIS SCATTER GOOD EIR AND REAGENDIZE THIS ITEM. AS A RATE PAYER, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE COST AND CONVERSION PROJECT IS HUGELY PROJECT. THE ESTIMATES DONE IN 2023, STARTED 800 MILLION AND COST ESTIMATES SUGGEST THAT THIS WILL DOUBLE. THIS DOES NOT COST THE COST OF HYDROGEN. HYDROGEN IS NOT PROJECTED TO EXPERIENCE THE PER SIPOUS COST. THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS PULLED THE FUNDING FROM HYDROGEN HUB PROJECTS SO THE PROJECT WILL NOT BE GETTING FEDERAL FUNDING. >> City Attorney: SPEAKER, YOUR TIME IS EXPIRED. NEXT SPEAKER. AND BEFORE THE NEXT SPEAKER BEGINS, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, I UNDERSTAND THAT TIME SEEMS RATHER SHORT, IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL PUBLIC COMMENT EITHER BECAUSE YOU CAN'T FINISH YOUR COMMENT HERE OR IF WE RUN OUT OF TIME TO CALL YOUR NAME, YOU CAN ALWAYS PROVIDE ADDITIONAL PUBLIC COMMENT. AT LACOUNCIL.COM. YOU CAN FIND THE URL AFTER EVERY AGENDA. IT SHOULD BE THE FIRST THING THAT COMES UP. GOOD MORNING. >> Speaker: I'M HERE TO GIVE A PUBLIC COMMENT. >> City Attorney: YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE. >> Speaker: THANK YOU TO YOUR ATTENTION THIS MORNING FOR THOSE WHO ARE BEING ATTENTIVE TO US. MY NAME IS CARIN, I'M HERE FOR PHYSICIANS FOR LOS ANGELES. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE COUNCIL OFFICE TO DISCUSS OUR CONCERNS WITH THE SCATTER GOOD PROJECT. THE EIR IS FAULTY AND THIS PROJECT IS DANGEROUS, EXPENSIVE AND COMMUNITIES DON'T WANT IT. THE PROJECT EIR DOES NOT XEAMINE WHAT IT SHOULD BE. WE ASK THAT COUNCIL TO TAKE AN APPEAL AT A FULL COUNCIL MEETING. PLEASE PRIORITIZE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, CLIMATE AND HEALTH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. >> Clerk: BEFORE THE NEXT SPEAKER BEGINS, I WOULD LIKE TO CALL PASTOR BIRDIE ROBERTS, DOMINIC, LARA G, ALEX AND JULIA DOLE. >> City Attorney: GOOD MORNING, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO? >> Speaker: GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT. >> City Attorney: OKAY, YOU HAVE WIN MINUTE. >> Speaker: HELLO MY NAME IS FAITH MIRA, I'M A CONSTITUENT AND ALSO A MEMBER OF PROTECT PLAYA NOW, THE PROJECT IS A THREAT TO HEALTH AND SAFETY IN CD11 AND IT'S A THREAT TO ENERGY AFFORDABILITY AND CLIMATE GOALS IN LOS ANGELES, A PROJECT THAT EIR VIOLATES CEQA SHOULD NOT BE MOVING FORWARD. FORMER COUNCILMEMBER PAUL KORETZ WROTE AN OP-ED WHERE HE SPOKE TO ALL OF YOU. HE SAID WE DESERVE POLICIES THAT ARE SAFE AND FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE AND SUPPORT CLIMATE GOALS. THE SCATTER GOOD PROPOSAL FAILS ALL COUNTS. INSTEAD LEAD ON INVESTMENTS TO CLEAN DISTRIBUTED ENERGY RESOURCE THAT'S BENEFIT THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND ENTIRE CITY. I NEED THE COUNCIL TO SHOW UP FOR ANGELINOS, I NEED THEM TO SHOW UP FOR CD11, I ASK THAT YOU ALL AGENDIZE THE APPEAL AND VOTE YES. >> City Attorney: THANK YOU, NEXT SPEAKER. GOOD MORNING, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO? >> Speaker: 49, 68 AND GENERAL COMMENT. >> City Attorney: OKAY, SO YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES FOR THE ITEMS AND ONE MINUTE FOR GENERAL. PLEASE BEGIN WITH THE ITEMS GO AHEAD. >> Speaker: I'M, I OPERATE FOUR CANNABIS. THE LEGAL CANNABIS INDUSTRY IN L.A. IS SEVERELY STRUGGLING. WE ONLY NEED ONE THING, AND THAT IS TAX REDUCTION, PLAIN AND SIMPLE. WE NEED LOWER TAXES ON LICENSED CANNABIS IN THE CITY OF L.A. MANY OF WHOM ARE SOCIAL EQUITY BUSINESSES, WHERE THE APPLICANT HAD TO BE LOW INCOME TO QUALIFY AND HE TO TO PAY 100 TIMES THE TAX RATE. AS MULTI BILLION DOLLARS CORPORATIONS ARE PAYING IN THE CITY. AND THE CITY ISN'T EVEN COLLECTING THE TAX MONEY, FOR EXAMPLE, DCR CONTINUES TO RENEW THE LICENSES OF JUST 48 DISPENSARIES, THAT ARE COLLECTIVELY RESPONSIBLE FOR OVER 124 MILLION DOLLARS IN UNPAID TAXES. THAT BEING SAID, THE CITY'S PROPOSED CANNABIS TAX AMNESTY PROGRAM IS AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF REFORM AND I'M GLAD IT SEEMS TO BE MOVING FORWARD. IT WILL GIVE THE CITY A CHANCE TO COLLECT THE MONEY IT IS OWED AND IT HAS A CHANCE TO EFFECTIVELY SAVE THE RETAIL CANNABIS INDUSTRY IN L.A. BUT IN ORDER TO HELP THE INDUSTRY, THE CANNABIS TAX HAS TO HELP IN CONJUNCTION WITH TAX REDUCTION. LET ME EXPLAIN Y YOU'RE GOING TO BE ASKING LICENSE CANNABIS BUSINESSES TO BE PAYING BACK LARGE SUMS OF MONEY. FIRST OF ALL, THIS IS HOW THE TAX AMNESTY PROGRAM SHOULD WORK. EACH DISPENSARY GETS A 30-DAY WINDOW. IF THEY DON'T APPLY FOR THE PROGRAM WITHIN THAT WINDOW, THEY NEED TO HAVE THEIR LICENSE IMMEDIATELY REVOKED AND DESIGNATED CITY AGENTS, FOR EXAMPLE, CITY ATTORNEY, AND DCR NEED TO FOLLOW-UP AND VISIT THE LOCATION MULTIPLE TIMES OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS AFTER LICENSE REVOCATION. AND THEY NEED TO STAY UP-TO-DATE ON THEIR PAYMENT PLANS AND CURRENT TAX OBLIGATION. AND IF THEY DEFAULT MORE THAN 30 DAYS, THEY NEED TO HAVE THE LICENSE IMMEDIATELY REVOKED. SO IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE ASKING DISPENSARIES TO COME UP WITH A LOT OF MONEY FOR THE PAYMENT PLAN TO STAY IN GOOD STANDING ON BACK TAXES AND MEET THEIR CURRENT TAX OBLIGATIONS, THEN CURRENT TAX RATES NEED TO BE ADJUSTED IN ORDER TO GIVE THIS TAX AMNESTY PROGRAM EVEN A CHANCE OF WORK ANDING CITY COLLECTING THESE UNPAID TAXES. THEY ALSO MUST BE LOWERED BECAUSE CURRENT TAX RATES ARE NOT SOCIALLY EQUITABLE WHATSOEVER. AND BECAUSE A CANNABIS RETAIL BUSINESS IN THE CITY OF L.A., WITH A TEN PERCENT TAX RATE IS NOT A SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MODEL. AND WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE TAX AMNESTY PROGRAM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE THEY HAVE DEINCENTIVIZED ALL CANNABIS BUSINESSES TO PAY TAX. THANK YOU. >> City Attorney: THANK YOU, NEXT SPEAKER. >> City Attorney: GOOD MORNING, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO? >> Speaker: BUENOS DIAS. [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> Interpreter: GOOD MORNING I'M HERE TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT. >> City Attorney: OKAY, YOU HAVE WIN MINUTE GO AHEAD. >> Speaker: [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> Interpreter: MY NAME IS ELIZABETH CRUZ AND I WORK HERE IN L.A. IN SUBWAY. >> Speaker: [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> Interpreter: EVEN THOUGH I WORK TWO JOBS AT SUBWAY, THAT IS NOT ENOUGH TO COVER MY OWN EXPENSES. >> Speaker: [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> Interpreter: EVEN THOUGH I HAVE TWO JOBS I HAVE TO REDUCE MY CREDIT BECAUSE MY BOSS PAYS ME WITH CHECKS THAT BOUNCE. >> Speaker: [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> Interpreter: THE INTERPRETER NEEDS TO CLARIFY. [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> Speaker: [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> City Attorney: CAN WE HAVE HER COME BACK. THE INTERPRETER NEEDS CLARIFICATION. >> Speaker: OH. OKAY. [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> Interpreter: I COULDN'T HEAR THE LAST IDEA. [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> Speaker: OKAY. [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> Interpreter: EVER SINCE I COMPLAINED DUE TO NOT RECEIVING PAYMENTS ON TIME. >> Speaker: [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> Interpreter: THEY STARTED CANCELING THE WHOLE SHIFTS WITHOUT LETTING ME KNOW IN ADVANCE. >> Speaker: [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> City Attorney: OKAY. HOLD ON. DID YOU GET THE CLARIFICATION THAT YOU NEEDED? >> Interpreter: THE PREVIOUS ONE YES. I WILL NEED ANOTHER ONE FOR THIS IDEA. THANK YOU. >> Speaker: [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> Interpreter: NO WORKER SHOULD BE PUNISHED IN THIS WAY JUST BECAUSE WE WANT TO RAISE OUR VOICE FOR OUR RIGHTS. >> Speaker: [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> Interpreter: PLEASE SUPPORT THE ORDINANCE FOR FAIR JOBS. >> Speaker: [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> Interpreter: FAST FOOD WORKERS SHOULDN'T BE IN DEBT AFTER WORKING TWO JOBS LIKE WHAT HAPPENS WITH SUBWAY. >> Speaker: [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> Interpreter: AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH EVERYONE THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING US WITH THIS ORDINANCE. >> City Attorney: GOOD MORNING, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO? >> Speaker: GOOD MORNING, I'M SPEAK TO GO GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT. >> City Attorney: OKAY YOU HAVE WIN MINUTE. GO AHEAD. >> Speaker: I'M PASTOR BRAOD' ROBERTS IN UNITE HERE. COUNCILMEMBERS WE APPRECIATE THE ATTENTION THAT YOU PAID TO DO NA MARIA AND AS THEY GAVE TESTIMONY FROM INSIDE FLYING FOOD FACTORY. TODAY IS THE 115 ANNIVERSARY OF THE FACTORY FIRE. THIS IS ONE OF THE GREATEST WORKPLACE FIRE THAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. IT HAPPENED TODAY, 115 YEARS AGO. 146 MOSTLY YOUNG WOMEN, THE YOUNGEST BEING 14, AND CHILDREN PERISHED IN A FIRE, 146 OF 500 BECAUSE THEIR WORKPLACE CONDITIONS WERE UNSAFE. BY THE TIME THEY KNEW ABOUT THE FIRE AND TRIED TO EVACUATE, THEY DISCOVERED THE DOORS WERE LOCKED PREVENTING THEM FROM LEAVING. MANY DIED FROM SMOKE INHALATION AND BECAUSE THEY HAD TO JUMP OUT THE WINDOW TO ESCAPE. THE FIRE BROUGHT THE LIGHT TO IMMIGRANT WORKERS TO WORK IN EXCESSIVE LONG HOURS AND POOR CONDITIONS. >> Speaker: -->> City Attorney: SPEAKER, YOUR TIME IS EXPIRED. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. >> Clerk: BEFORE THE NEXT SPEAKER BEGINS, I WOULD LIKE TO CALL THE LAST FOUR NAMES ON THE LIST. BENJAMIN, JOHN, NROERINDIE CRUZ AND DARREL GALE. >> City Attorney: GOOD MORNING, WOO WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO? >> Speaker: WESTBOUND P*B COMMENT. >> City Attorney: YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE, GO AHEAD. >> Speaker: HI I'M LAURA AND I URGE COUNCIL TO REJECT LADWP EIRA AND SEND IT BACK FOR PROPER ANALYSIS AND PUT THE ISSUE BACK ON THE AGENDA SO PEOPLE CAN VOICE THEIR OPINION. MY MOM AND DAD AND SISTER, WE GIVE IN CD1 AND BROTHER IN CD12, I HAVE ANOTHER BROTHER IN CD6 JUST A FEW MILES AWAY FROM THE VALLEY GENERATING STATION. I'M ILLUSTRATING THAT THIS PROPOSAL IMPLICATES AND PUTS THE WHOLE LOS ANGELESBASIN AT-RISK. HYDROGEN IS A MATERIAL THAT IS NOT USED IN THE SYSTEM. AND RECENTLY THERE WAS A ACCIDENT IN COLTON, THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE SCATTER GOOD PROPOSAL EXIST IN ALL OF L.A. IT DESERVES PROPER ANALYSIS THAT FULLY CONSIDERS HEALTH IN THE ENVIRONMENT. I'M ASKING YOU THAT YOU GRANT THE APPEAL AND PUT THIS BACK ON THE AGENDA. THANK YOU. >> City Attorney: THANK YOU, NEXT SPEAKER. GOOD MORNING. >> Speaker: GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT PLEASE. >> City Attorney: OKAY, YOU HAVE WIN MINUTE, GO AHEAD. >> Speaker: I'M ALEX AND I'M HERE ON PHYSICIANS FOR SPOESH RESPONSIBILITY LOS ANGELES AND DWP RATEPAYER. I'M HERE TO DISCUSS MY OPPOSITION OF HYDROGEN PROPOSAL. IT'S IN A FREE FALL RIGHT NOW WITH NUMBER SUS PROJECTS BEING CANCELED AND OTHERS FAILING TO RECEIVE NECESSARY APPROVALS. THE HYDROGEN HAS ALREADY LOST $100 MILLION WORTH OF FEDERAL FUNDING AND JUST THIS WEEK, THE LINK PIPELINE WHICH WOULD BRING THE HYDROGEN FAILED TO GET APPROVAL TO RECOOPERATE THEIR PIPELINE COST. THAT IS MORE LIKELY THAT THE PIPELINE WILL MATERIALIZE ALTOGETHER. IF THAT HAPPENS, WE'LL BE LEFT WITH A BILLION DOLLARS TURBINE. PLEASE DON'T WALK INTO THE TRAP NA SO. CAL. IS SETTING FOR YOU. INSTEAD, I WANT TO DO DO A PROPOSAL. VOTING FOR THIS PROJECT WILL LOCK US INTO A GAS FUEL FUTURE AND IT WILL BE ON YOUR HEALTHY SAFETY RECORDS. PLEASE REJECT. >> City Attorney: NEXT SPEAKER. >> Speaker: HELLO, GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT, PLEASE. >> City Attorney: YOU HAVE A MINUTE. >> Speaker: I'M JULIA DO WELL AND I'M HERE WITH SIERRA CLUB TO DISCUSS THE SCATTER GOOD PROJECT. THE PROJECT IS IS NOT LEGALLY SOUND AND DOES NOT COMPLY WITH CEQA, PLAIN AND SIMPLE. EVEN THOUGH THIS IS CLAIM TO BE A HYDROGEN AND METHANE PROJECT. MORE OVER GIVEN A DECISION, IT IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY UNLIKELY THAT THE PROJECT WILL HAPPEN. THIS PROJECT IS REALISTICALLY A VERY EXPENSIVE GAS PLAN THAT WILL PAY OVER A BILLION DOLLARS FOR A NEW GAS PLANT. THAT IS NOT A CLIMATE SOLUTION. I WOULD LIKE TO ASK ALL THE COUNCILMEMBERS TO MEET WITH OUR COALITION TO DISCUSS THE CEQA AND FEASIBILITY CONCERNS WITH THIS PROJECT. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO URGE COUNCIL TO REAGENDIZE OUR APPEAL. PLEASE ACCEPT OUR APPEAL AND SHOW THAT YOUS L.A. IS ACTUALLY COMMITTED TO REAL CLIMATE SOLUTIONS. THANK YOU. >> City Attorney: GOOD MORNING, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO? >> Speaker: GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT. ?AOUF A MINUTE. >> Speaker: MY NAME IS BENJAMIN HARRIS I'M WITH LOS ANGELES KEEPER. AND HE URGE YOU TO GRANT OUR APPEAL. WE OPPOSE THE MODERNIZATION PROJECT BECAUSE IT IS NOTHING MORE THAN A NATURAL GAS REPOWERING, DISGUISED AS A GREEN HYDROGEN PROJECT. IT'S AN ISSUE FOR THE WATER SYSTEM HERE IN LAST. RIGHT NOW OUR SNACK PACKED LEVELS WITH 27 PERCENT OF WHAT THEY SHOULD BE AT THIS TIME OF YEAR. IF WE COMMIT TO A MASSIVE UTILITY SCALE PROJECT, WE'LL BE SUCKING UP EVEN MORE WATER RESOURCE TO SEE PRODUCE HYDROGEN, WHETHER THAT'S COMING FROM ELSEWHERE IN THE STATE OR IN THE COLORADO BASIN. THERE IS NO BASIS FOR US TO PUSH FORWARD WITH A POORLY CONCEIVED PROJECT. IT'S A NICE TO HAVE NOT MUST-HAVE. PLEASE MEET WITH OUR COALITION TO HEAR OUR CONCERNS AND GRANT THE APPEAL AND MAKE LAWDP GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD. THANK YOU. >> City Attorney: GOOD MORNING, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO? >> Speaker: GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT. ?AOUF A MINUTE, GO AHEAD. >> Speaker: I'M GALE AND I'M A DOWNTOWN RESIDENT AND ONCE AGAIN, I HAVE WALKED HERE. I AM SO SICK OF TALKING ABOUT SCATTER GOOD, I HAVE BEEN TESTIFYING AGAINST IT SINCE 2013 BUT I WILL COME BACK WHEN YOU REAGENDIZE IT. PLEASE DON'T PUT LAX IN JEOPARDY WITH A HYDROGEN PROJECT, NO MATTER WHAT COLOR, EVEN IF IT'S STRIPED OR PURPLE, IT'S STILL HIGHLY COMBUSTIBLE, A FIRE IS A STILL A FIRE AND EXPLOSION. THANK YOU. >> City Attorney: GOOD MORNING, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO? >> Speaker: THE SCATTER GOOD HYDROGEN UPGRADE. >> City Attorney: SO YOU HAVE A MINUTE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, GO AHEAD. >> Speaker: COUNCILMEMBERS, ALL AROUND THE WORLD, PEOPLE ARE WORKING ON THE ISSUE OF STORAGE OF SURPLUS ENERGY. STORAGE OF SURPLUS ENERGY ALLOWS THAT ENERGY TO APPLY WHEN A SITUATION OCCURS WHERE THERE IS PEEK DEMAND. INSTEAD, WHAT THE SCATTER GOOD PROJECT IS GIVING US IS A CHANCE TO BURN METHANE WHICH IS A GAS, WHICH IS 10 TIMES HEAT TRAPPING EVEN AS CO2. THIS IS THE WAYS THAT WE'VE GOTTEN INTO THE CLIMATE EMERGENCY THAT WE ARE IN RIGHT NOW. I BEG YOU AS A GRANDFATHER AND AS A NEIGHBOR, PLEASE THINK AND DO NOT APPROVE THIS! >> City Attorney: SPEAKER, YOUR TIME IS EXPIRED. GOOD MORNING, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO? >> Speaker: [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> City Attorney: SO YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE, GO AHEAD. >> Speaker: [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> Interpreter: HELLO MY NAME IS FLOW RINDA AND I WORK AT FLYING FOOD LOS ANGELES. >> Speaker: [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> Interpreter: I'M HERE TO EXPRESS THE URGENCY TO APPROVE THE FAST FOOD FAIR WORK ORDINANCE. >> Speaker: [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> Interpreter: THE KNOW YOUR RIGHTS WORKSHOPS THAT I'VE PARTICIPATED IN HAVE ALLOWED ME TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH WORKING IN VERY HIGH TEMPERATURES AND IT HAS ALSO LET US KNOW THAT WE'RE ALLOWED TO TAKE EXTRA BREAKS. >> Speaker: [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> Interpreter: NOW THAT I KNOW MY RIGHTS, I FIGHT FOR JUSTICE NOT ONLY FOR ME BUT FOR MY CO-WORKERS WHO DON'T KNOW THEIR RIGHTS. >> Speaker: [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> Interpreter: THAT'S WHY WE NEED YOU TO APPROVE THE FAST FOOD FAIR WORK ORDINANCE. >> Speaker: [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> Interpreter: WE DESERVE TO WORK WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT. >> Speaker: [SPEAKING SPANISH] >> Interpreter: WE NEED TRAINING FROM OUTSIDE OF EXTERNAL SOURCES ONCE THAT ARE TRUST WORTHY NOT FROM OUR BOSSES WHO JUST TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR SITUATION. THANK YOU. >> Clerk: COUNCIL PRESIDENT, ALL THE NAMES HAVE BEEN CALLED FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. >> Council President: ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYBODY WHO CAME TO SHARE WITH US THIS MORNING. MR. CLERK, WHAT ITEMS ARE BEFORE US AT THIS TIME? >> Clerk: THE COUNCIL MAY NOW VOTE ON ITEMS 2, 3, 45, AND 47 THROUGH 69. >> Council President: ALL RIGHT, LET'S OPEN THE ROLL ON THOSE ITEMS, CLOSE THE ROLL, TABULATE THE VOTE. >> Clerk: 14 AYES. >> Council President: ALL RIGHT, WHAT'S NEXT? >> Clerk: IF THE COUNCIL WOULD LIKE, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO VOTE ON THE CLOSE SESSION ITEMS 70 AND 71. >> Council President: YES, IF YOU CAN READ THE DETAILS AND CALL THE ROLL. >> Clerk: THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. FOR ITEM NUMBER 70 IN THE CASE CITY OF LOS ANGELES VERSUS FARMA LP ET AL, APPROVE RECOMMENDATION IN THE CONFIDENTIAL REPORT. FOR ITEM NUMBER 71 IN THE CASE NUMBERED CD11, COALITION OF HUMAN RIGHTS, THERE IS A RECOMMENDATION AT THAT COUNCIL VACATE THE EARLIER--AND REPORT BACK ON IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AS SETFORTH IN COUNCIL FILE 25-1257. >> Council President: ALL RIGHT. LET'S OPEN THE ROLL, CLOSE THE ROLL, TABULATE THE VOTE JAO. 14 AYES. >> Council President: ALL RIGHT, WHAT'S NEXT? >> Clerk: IF THE COUNCIL WOULD LIKE, WE CAN GO TO NUMBER 1, CALLED SPECIAL BY COUNCILMEMBER NAZARIAN. >> Council President: COUNCILMEMBER NAZARIAN. >> A. Nazarian: THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT, TODAY WE'RE ORDERING THE BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS TO PROCEED WITH NUISANCE ABATEMENT FOR THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 7779 VARNA AVENUE. THIS PROPERTY HAS BEEN A CHRONIC ISSUE FOR THE NORTH HOLLYWOOD WEST COMMUNITY FOR WELL OVER THE PAST DECADE. AND TODAY'S ACTION IS A STEP TOWARD FINALLY FIXING THIS LONGSTANDING PROBLEM. SINCE, THE BEGINNING OF JUST TO PUT THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE, SINCE THE BEGINNING OF 2023, THERE IS BEEN 18 CALLS JUST FOR THIS RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY. FOR SERVICE INITIALED BY RESIDENTS, INCLUDING SERIOUS INCIDENTS LIKE ASSAULT AND REPORTS OF PERSON'S WITH FIREARMS, ALONG WITH ADDITIONAL TEN INITIALED CALLS BY LAPD. THIS REFLECTS AN ON GOING PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERN AND THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN CONSISTENCY REACHING OUT TO OUR OFFICE WITH THEIR CONCERNS MAKING CLEAR THAT THIS PROPERTY CONTINUES TO IMPACT THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE. THEY'VE DONE THEIR PART IN SOUNDING THE ALARM. THE RECOMMENDATION BEFORE US IS BOTH STRAIGHTFORWARD AND NECESSARY WHICH IS TO SECURE THE PROPERTY AND PREVENT FURTHER HARM. FOLKS, I DON'T NEED TO BE LABOR THIS POINT. YOU HEARD FROM TWO RESIDENTS WHO HAVE TAKEN THEIR TIME TO COME AND SPEAK. NOT ORGANIZED, NO FORMAL COMMENTS, NO PASSED OUT EMAILS. NOTHING LIKE THAT. NOT EVEN PAID TO BE HERE. THEY CAME HERE ON THEIR OWN VALITION ON THEIR OWN TIME TO SPEAK AND EXPRESS THEIR FRUSTRATION. IT MAY BE RAW BUT THAT'S WHAT MOST OF OUR RESIDENTS DEAL WITH, RAW, REAL EMOTION AND FRUSTRATION. SO THANK YOU, FOR TAKERING THE TIME TO COME OUT. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. I RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR AN AYE-VOTE AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, L.A. SANITATION AND OFFICE OF MAYOR FOR HELPING US TO GET TO THIS PLACE. MOVING FORWARD WITH ABATEMENT IS A RESPONSIBLE WAY TO DELIVER THIS LONG OVERDUE MESS AND I RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR AN AYE-VOTE. THANK YOU. >> Council President: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. NAZARIAN, LET'S OPEN THE ROLL ON THIS ITEM, CLOSE THE ROLL, TABULATE THE VOTE. >> Clerk: 14 AYES. >> Council President: ALL RIGHT, CAN THIS ITEM GO FORTHWITH, WITHOUT OBJECTION. >> A. Nazarian: NOTED MR. PRESIDENT. >> Council President: WHAT'S NEXT? >> Clerk: 6 AND 7 CALLED SPECIAL BY CALLED MART NECESSARIER FOR A SEPARATE VOTE. >> Council President: OPEN THE ROLL, CLOSE THE ROLL, TABULATE THE VOTE JAO. 13 AYES, 1 NO. >> Council President: ALL RIGHT, WHAT'S NEXT? >> Clerk: THE COUNCIL MAY MOVE ON TO ITEM 9 CALLED SPECIAL BY COUNCILMEMBER RODRIGUEZ. >> Council President: COUNCILMEMBER RODRIGUEZ. WE ALL RIGHT OVER HERE? >> M. Rodriguez: THANK YOU. COLLEAGUES, ITEM 9 ON TODAY'S AGENDA IS ABOUT HELPING TO SHOW UP FOR WHAT WE KNOW IS HAPPENING IN REALTIME. SMALL BUSINESS RIGHT SIDE NOT JUST, IT'S NOT JUST A COMMENT TO SAY THAT SMALL BUSINESSES ARE THE BACKBONE OF THE LOCAL ECONOMY AND THE REALITY IS, THEY ARE. AND RESULT OF ICE RAIDS, YOU'VE SEEN TESTIMONY FROM SMALL BUSINESSES THAT CONTINUE TO SHARE THEIR STRUGGLES IN MAKING ENDS MEET. THIS ITEM IS ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE SHOW UP TO THE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT ARE BEING IMPACTED BY THE SMALL ICE RAIDS. AND WE KNOW THAT JUST IN THE THREE-MONTH PERIOD WHEN THE ICE RAIDS COMMENCED, BUSINESSES REPORTED OVER 3.7 MILLION DOLLARS OF LOSSES, 82 PERCENT NEGATIVE I AM PAKTSZ, --IMPACTS LOSING HALF OF THEIR ANTICIPATED REVENUE. EXCUSE ME, 253 BILLION IN ECONOMIC OUTPUT. THIS IS A MOMENT IN TIME WHERE WE HAVE TO SHOW UP AS A LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO RESPOND TO THE NEEDS OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND SMALL BUSINESSES IN PARTICULAR THAT ARE SO OFTEN PROVIDING THE CRITICAL SERVICES AND THE SUPPORT FOR OUR BOTTOM LINE AS A CITY, CREATING AN IMPORTANT TAX BASE WITH WHICH WE CAN EXPAND CITY SERVICES. THIS IS AN EFFORT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SHOW UP FOR THESE BUSINESSES THAT HAS A TREMENDOUS RETURN ON THAT INVESTMENT. SO WITH THIS MOTION, WE'RE WORK TO GO HELP SHOW UP FOR THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES IN A MEANINGFUL WAY AND I ASK FOR YOUR AYE-VOTE. >> Council President: COUNCILMEMBER JURADO? >> Y. Jurado: THANK YOU, SO MUCH PRESIDENT. I WANT TO THANK MY COLLEAGUE COUNCILMEMBER RODRIGUEZ FOR RECOGNIZING THE AFFECT OF ICE TARGETING OUR GATHERING PLACES, CAUSING HARM TO RIPPLE THROUGH OUR ENTIRE SECTORS AND FOR BRINGING THIS MOTION BEFORE US. YOU KNOW, WHEN FEAR ENTERS OUR COMMUNITIES, IT DOES NOT JUST IMPACT FAMILIES, IT IMPACTS ENTIRE LOCAL COMMUNITIES. AND JUST LAST NIGHT, I WAS AT OLVERA STREET, SPEAK TO GO BUSINESS OWNERS, STRUGGLING TO STAY AFLOAT. THESE ARE GENERATIONS OF ANGELINOS AND COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONS THAT DEFINE OUR CITY, AND YOU KNOW, IN CD14 AND THIS MONTH I'M PROUD THAT WE'VE INVITED THE AFFECTED SMALL BUSINESSES TO APPLY FOR A MICRO ENTERPRISE GRANT, THAT PROVIDES UP TO 3000 DOLLARS FOR BUSINESSES WITH FEWER THAN FIVE EMPLOYEES, IT CAN BE USED FOR RENT INVENTORY, WE KNOW IT'S NOT A LOT BUT IT'S WHAT WE CAN GIVE RIGHT NOW. SO COLLEAGUES, IT'S UP TO US TO PRESENT EVERY AVAILABLE OPTION FROM EVERY AVAILABLE SOURCE SO WE CAN PROTECT THE BUSINESSES THAT KEEP OUR COMMUNITIES GROWING AND CONNECTED AND ALIVE. SO THANK YOU. >> Council President: THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER JURADO. COUNCILMEMBER HERNANDEZ? NO? ALL RIGHT. LET'S OPEN THE ROLL ON THIS ITEM. CLOSE THE ROLL, TABULATE THE VOTE. >> Clerk: 14 AYES. >> Council President: ALL RIGHT, WHAT'S NEXT? >> Clerk: THE COUNCIL MAY MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER 20 CALLED SPECIAL BY COUNCILMEMBER RODRIGUEZ. >> Council President: ALL RIGHT, COUNCILMEMBER RODRIGUEZ, A COMMENT OR JUST THE STRIKE. ALL RIGHT. LET'S OPEN THE ROLL ON THIS ITEM AS A MEANEDED. CLOSE THE ROLL, TABULATE THE VOTE. >> Clerk: 14 AYES. >> Council President: ALL RIGHT, WHAT'S NEXT? >> Clerk: THE COUNCIL MAY MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER 10 CALLED SPECIAL BY SOTO-MARTINEZ. >> Council President: THAT ITEM IS AMENDED, OPEN THE ROLL, CLOSE THE ROLL, TABULATE THE VOTE. >> Clerk: 14 AYES. >> Council President: ALL RIGHT, WHAT'S NEXT? >> Clerk: THE COUNCIL MAY MOVE TO ITEM NUMBER 12 CALLED SPECIAL BY COUNCILMEMBER HERNANDEZ. >> Council President: COUNCILMEMBER HERNANDEZ. >> E. Hernandez: THANK YOU FOR 6 AND 7 FOR THE CDBG FUNDS. YES, I WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE MY VOTE ON ITEMS 6 AND 7, PLEASE. BUT I ALSO WANT TO SPEAK ON THE CDBG DOLLARS. >> Council President: YOU'RE AWARE THAT 6 AND 7 ARE IN COUNCIL DISTRICT 8? >> E. Hernandez: SORRY. >> Y. Jurado: I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO BE NOTED AS A NO-VOTE. >> Council President: BEFORE YOU COUNT ON, WE HAVE COUNCILMEMBER JURADO AND HERNANDEZ WHO WANT TO BE NO VOTES. >> Clerk: FOR 6 AND 7. >> Council President: FOR 6 AND 7. >> Clerk: THEY HAVE BEEN RECORDED AND IT DOES NOT AFFECT THE OUTCOME. >> Council President: OKAY, NOW ITEM NUMBER 12, COUNCILMEMBER HERNANDEZ? >> E. Hernandez: I'M OKAY, THANK YOU. >> Council President: SO NO COMMENTS ON 12? >> E. Hernandez: NO, THANK YOU, SIR. APOLOGIES. >> Council President: OKAY, OPEN THE ROLL, CLOSE THE ROLL, TABULATE THE VOTE. >> Clerk: 14 AYES. >> Council President: ALL RIGHT, WHAT'S NEXT? >> Clerk: THE COUNCIL MAY MOVE ON TO NUMBER 44 MOTION TO ADOPT THE--(INAUDIBLE) DATED-- >> Council President: OPEN THE ROLL ON THAT ITEM. OH COUNCILMEMBER RODRIGUEZ. >> M. Rodriguez: BEFORE US IS A ORDINANCE CHANGE, BUT NOT JUST A ORDINANCE CHANGE IT'S A PUBLIC ABOUT WHO WE ARE. ITEM 44 IS AN ORDINANCE WHICH ENSHRINES INTO STOW POLICY THAT PROHIBITS OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT FOR ALL CITY EMPLOYEES WHETHER THEY'RE SWORN OR CIVILIAN FROM ENGAGING WITH OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES ANYTHING ASSOCIATED WITH DHS OR ICE. AND THIS IS IMPORTANT, BECAUSE WE NEED THE PUBLIC, TO ENTRUST THEIR CITY EMPLOYEES THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE COMPROMISED OR THAT PEOPLE HAVE TWO MASTERS. THIS IS ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT CITY EMPLOYEES WHEN WORKING FOR THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES CAN HELP ENSURE THE PUBLIC'S TRUST THAT THEY ARE NOT GOING TO BE COMPROMISED WHEN COMING TO SEEK SERVICES FROM THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES. AND I'M REALLY PROUD THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE LEADING ON HERE IN THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES THROUGH THE ADOPTION OF THIS ORDINANCE AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW, CITY REQUIRES ARE REQUIRED TO SEEK PERMISSION FOR OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT FROM THEIR SUPERVISORS BUT THIS MAKES CLEAR THAT WHAT WILL NOT BE PERMITTED IS OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT THAT SUPPORTS THE WORK OF WHAT DHS AND ICE ARE CONDUCTING ACROSS OUR CITY, ACROSS THIS COUNTY. --COUNTRY. SOY WANT TO THANK THE CITY ATTORNEY FOR HER SUPPORT IN MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN GET THE ORDINANCE THROUGH AND GETTING ALL THE CHALLENES AS ORDINANCES ARE AND GETTING THEM THEM TO THIS MOMENT. AND AGAIN, TO SAY THAT THIS IS ACTUALLY AN IMPORTANT SHIFT OF WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IN THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES. I KNOW THERE ARE COPY CAT EFFORTS THAT ARE NOW BEING DEPLOYED, THAT ARE ONLY SINGULARLY IDENTIFYING, SPECIFIC GROUPS. THE REALITY IS, THAT ALL OF OUR CITY EMPLOYEES, NEED TO REFLECT, THE VALUES OF PROTECTING, THE INTEGRITY OF THE SERVICE THAT'S WE'RE OFFERING TO MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT ARE IN DESPERATE NEED OF HELP AND FEELING LIKE THEY CAN'T TRUST THEIR GOVERNMENT. THIS IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN CERTAINLY TRUST THE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE HERE IN THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES, THAT THEY WON'T BE COMPROMISING THEIR TRUSTOR MAKING SURE THAT WE SHOW UP FOR THEIR NEEDS. I WANT TO THANK YOU COLLEAGUES AGAIN MY THANKS TO THE CITY ATTORNEY FOR HER SUPPORT. AS HERB USED TO SAY, THE WINDS BLOW FROM THE EAST TO THE WEST, THEY'RE STARTING HERE IN LOS ANGELES AND UP NORTH TO SACRAMENTO AND I HOPE THAT THIS WILL CONTINUE TO CATCH IN IMPLEMENTATION IN OTHER MUNICIPALITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND I ASK FOR YOUR AYE-VOTE. >> Council President: THANK YOU SO MANY, COUNCILMEMBER RODRIGUEZ. LET'S OPEN THE ROLL, CLOSE THE ROLL, TABULATE THE VOTE. >> Clerk: 14 AYES. >> Council President: ALL RIGHT CONGRATULATIONS. FORTHWITH? >> M. Rodriguez: URGENT FORTHWITH. >> Clerk: WE'LL JUST NEED A VOTE ON THAT. >> Council President: ALL RIGHT, LET'S OPEN THE ROLL ON URGENT FORTHWITH. CLOSE THE ROLL, TABULATE THE VOTE. >> Clerk: 14 AYES. >> Council President: ALL RIGHT, WHAT'S NEXT? >> Clerk: THE COUNCIL MAY MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER 19 CALLED SPECIAL BY COUNCILMEMBER YAROSLAVSKY? >> Council President: I KNOW THERE IS AN AMENDMENT. ALL RIGHT, COUNCILMEMBER YAROSLAVSKY. >> K. Yaroslavsky: COLLEAGUES THIS HAS TO DO WITH SIGNAGE, MY FAVORITE TOPIC. I'M REALLY EXCITE BESIDE MOVING THIS FORWARD. THIS IS AN EFFORT, THIS EFFORT IS NOT A GLOBAL EFFORT TO THE CITY SIGN ORDINANCE. WITH THIS MOTION WE WILL INCREASE FINES AND PENALTIES AGAINST VIOLATORS AND TIGHTEN LANGUAGE ON POLICY THAT BAD ACTORS FREQUENTLY IGNORE OR UTILIZE IN BAD FAITH. THIS IS NOT A NEW ISSUE, THE CITY HAS BEEN FIGHTING BAD SIGNAGE FOR DECADES, IN 2021 THIS COUNCIL PASSED AN ORDINANCE TO CLARIFY THE RULES AROUND CONSTRUCTION SIGNS. THIS WAS A GOOD FAITH EFFORT TO BRING MORE SYSTEM, AND WHAT BUT I'M SEEING, AND MANY ARE SEEING, THE PROBLEM IS CONTINUING TO GET WORSE. I THINK THE ISSUE IS ECONOMICS HAVE OUT PACED ENFORCEMENT. HERE'S WHAT CHANGED, DIGITAL FORM AS INCREASED THE VALUE. WHAT USED TO GENERATE MODEST NOW TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS EVERY FEW WEEKS IF NOT MORE. AT THE SAME TIME OUR ENFORCEMENT CAPACITY HAS NOT KEPT UP SO WHEN A REVENUE OF A SIGN IS HIGH AND ENFORCEMENT IS LOW AND THE PENALTY IS LOW, THE MATH BECOMES SIMPLE, YOU IGNORE THE CITATION AND YOU KEEP GOING. IN MY DISTRICT, WE HAVE SEEN TICKETS FROM 50 TO 1500 FROM ADVERTISING. I'M NOT MAKE THATING UP, THAT'S 1.2 MILLION A YEAR FOR TEMPORARY CONSTRUCTION SIGNS ON WALLS IN MY DISTRICT. I SAW A RATE CAR THE OTHER DAY AND IT MADE MY EYES JUMP OUT OF MY HEAD. AND THAT'S WHAT THIS MOTION IS TRYING TO FIX. THERE ARE CONSTRUCTION ADVERTISING SITES THAT ARE TIED TO REAL DEVELOPMENT THAT MEET THEIR OBLIGATION S AND OPERATE IN GOOD FAITH. THAT'S NOT THE REAL PROBLEM. AND THAT BRINGS ME TO THE CONSTRUCTION WALL SIGN PROGRAM, THIS PROGRAM WAS CREATED WITH A REAL PUBLIC PURPOSE IN EXCHANGE FOR TEMPORARY ADVERTISING, OPERATORS WERE REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN THE SITE AND ABATE GRAFFITI, THAT WAS GREAT, THAT WAS MARKETABLE. BUT WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS TEMPORARY FENCES ON PROPERTIES WITH LITTLE NO NO ACTIVE ACTIVITIES. AT THE SAME TIME THE GRAFFITI REQUIREMENT ARE NOT CONSISTENTLY TO TRACK AND ENFORCE. IN PRACTICE DRIFT AGO WAY FROM THAT PURPOSE AND IN SOME CASES WORKING AGAINST OUR GOALS BY INCENTIVIZING PROPERTY OWNERS TO KEEP THEIR PROPERTY VACANT LONGER AND THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. I WANT TO SPEAK DIRECTLY TO THE REVENUE QUESTIONS, SOME COLLEAGUES HAVE ASKED ABOUT THAT. THE CITY IS ALREADY IN THE ADVERTISING BUSINESS, WE ALLOW PRIVATE COMPANIES TO GENERATE REVENUE AND THE CITY RECEIVES A SHARE OF THAT REVENUE AND THAT IS A WELL ESTABLISHED MODEL. AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE THIS PARALLEL SYSTEM WHERE THEY'RE GENERATING SIGNIFICANT REVENUE FROM HIGH VISION--WITHOUT THE SAME STRUCTURE AND ACCOUNTABILITY AND WITHOUT A FINANCIAL RETURN TO THE CITY. SO THE QUESTION BEFORE US IS SIMPLE, IF ADVERTISING IS GOING TO OCCUR LEGALLY, SHOULD THE PUBLIC SEE A BENEFIT AND WHEN WE'RE LOOKING FOR A BASE SO WE CAN PAY FOR SERVICES LIKE FUNDING OCB AND MORE SANIZATION AND STREETLIGHTS, MAYBE NOT STREETLIGHT THAT'S A DIFFERENT FUND. HERE'S A EXAMPLE HOW WE CAN DO THAT H.THIS MOTION DOES NOT ANSWER THE QUESTION TODAY OF HOW MUCH MONEY IT MAY BRING IT IN, IT ASKED TO ATTORNEY TO REPORT ON. IT ALSO ASKED FOR STAFF ANALYSIS. SO THIS MOTION COLLEAGUES DOES THREE THINGS. FIRST IT STRENGTHENS ENFORCEMENT AGAINST ILLEGAL SIGNAGE, AND INCREASES PENALTIES CLOSER TO WHAT NEW YORK DOES. SECOND, IT REAND THIRD, ASKED WHETHER WE'RE ADVERTISING IS PERM PITTING, WE SHOULD ALIGN WITH THE SAME PRINCIPAL THAT WE APPLY TO CITY ADVERTISING PROGRAMS SO WE MAKE MONEY TO IMPROVE DELIVERY OF SERVICES. THE OLYMPICS ARE COMING AND THE CITY IS ABOUT TO BE ON A GLOBAL GAUGE. IF WE ASK WE ONLY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE A SYSTEM THAT IS ENFORCEABLE AND FAIR TO GENERATE NEW MONIES. COLLEAGUES I ASK FOR YOUR AYE-VOTE. THANK YOU. >> Council President: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER YAROSLAVSKY AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS ITEM. LET'S OPEN THE ROLL ON 19, CLOSE THE ROLL, TABULATE THE VOTE. >> Clerk: 14 AYES. >> Council President: ALL RIGHT, WHAT'S NEXT? >> Clerk: THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. >> K. Yaroslavsky: I'M SORRY, WE HAVE A VERY LATE VERBAL AMENDMENT, SO I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO RECONSIDER. >> Council President: ALL RIGHT, LET'S MAKE A MOTION FOR RECONSIDERATION. >> Clerk: IS THERE A SECOND FOR RECONSIDERATION. >> Council President: SORRY WE HAVE KNEE A SECOND. >> K. Yaroslavsky: YEP. >> Council President: OPEN THE ROLL, CLOSE THE ROLL. >> Clerk: 14 AYES. >> K. Yaroslavsky: THANK YOU FOR ITEM 19, I MOVE THAT WE STRIKE ITEM 5. >> Council President: SECOND. >> K. Yaroslavsky: OKAY. GREAT. >> Council President: ALL RIGHT. LET'S VOTE ON THIS ITEM AS AMENDED. VERBALLY, >> K. Yaroslavsky: THAT HAD, IT TOOK OFF A REQUEST FOR A REPORT BACK THAT WE WERE HOPING TO BIFURCATE AND NOT BE PART OF THE BROADER MOTION. WE WANT TO MOVE THIS AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE, WE THINK THERE IS A LOT OF MONEY THAT WE CAN BE MAKING. >> Council President: GOT IT, LET'S OPEN THE ROLL ON THIS ITEM AS RECENTLY AMENDED. CLOSE THE ROLL, TABULATE THE VOTE. >> Clerk: 14 AYES. >> Council President: ALL RIGHT, WHAT'S NEXT? >> Clerk: THE COUNCIL MAY MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER 46. >> Council President: ALL RIGHT, COUNCILMEMBER YAROSLAVSKY, YOU'RE UP AGAIN. 46? >> K. Yaroslavsky: YEAH, THIS IS THE FSR COLLEAGUES. ASKED FOR A BRIEF PRESENTATION BY THE CAO AND FOUR TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS THAT I THINK ARE CIRCULATING NOW. >> Clerk: THANK YOU MR. PRESIDENT. FOR THIS ITEM THERE IS GOING TO BE A COUPLE OF VOTES. WOULD YOU LIKE TO VOTE ON APPROVING AMENDMENTS 46, ED, C, AND A TOGETHER OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO THEM STRAIGHTLY? --SEPARATELY. >> K. Yaroslavsky: I THINK WE SHOULD DO THE PREPTATION FIRST. UNLESS ANYBODY HAS A PROBLEM, I'M OKAY WITH VOTING ON ALL FOUR. >> Council President: WE'LL HEAR FROM CAO AND THEN BRING THE ITEMS UP FOR A VOTE. MR. SZABO. >> THANK YOU, VERY MUCH MR. PRESIDENT. MATT SZABO CITY ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER. MEMBERS I WANTED TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE AS BRIEF AS POSSIBLE A PRESENTATION, ON THE FINANCIAL STATUS REPORT, THE MID-YEAR FINANCIAL STATUS REPORT. LARGELY, TO TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE YOU A PREVIEW OF WHAT WE SHOULD EXPECT AND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT NEXT FISCAL YEAR. I'LL REVIEW WHERE WE ARE THIS FISCAL YEAR AND GIVE A SNAP SHOT OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR NEXT YEAR AND ALSO PROVIDE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS ON A IMMEDIATE TERM AND LONG TERM STEPS TO TAKE TO ADDRESS THE CITY'S FINANCIAL CONTINUE. SO VERY BRIEFLY, AS IT RELATES TO OUR FINANCIAL STATUS REPORT, THE REPORT THAT IS BEFORE THIS COUNCIL, THE ADOPTED GENERAL FUND REVENUE BUDGET IS 8.8 BILLION ACTUAL REVENUE THROUGH JANUARY IS 141.6 MILLION ABOVE THE ADAPTED PLAN. TO DATE OUR RECEIPTS ARE HALF 48.2 PERCENT OF OUR BUDGET OF OUR PROJECT THED REVENUE. WE'RE ALSO REPORTING CURRENTLY 209 MILLION DOLLARS OF OVER SPENDING OR SPEND ISING ABOVE PLAN THAT OVER SPENDING IS LARGELY DUE TO OVER SPENDING AT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, GENERAL SERVICES, AND CITY ATTORNEY. AGAIN, IT IS CERTAINLY A BETTER TO BE AHEAD OF PLAN THAN BEHIND PLAN. AND AT THE TIME OF THE PUBLICATION OF THE REPORT, WE HAVE REPORTED THAT THE LIKELIHOOD OF THE RECESSION IS LOW IN JANUARY. 27 PERCENT OF THE ECONOMIST IN THE WALL STREET JOURNAL SURVEY, INDICATED THAT THERE WOULD, THERE COULD BE A RECESSION OR AT LEAST A 27 PERCENT CHANCE THAT THERE WOULD BE A RECESSION. THERE ARE CONTINUE TO BE UNCERTAINITIES IN THE ECONOMY PARTICULARLY AS IT RELATES TO THE AGGRESSIVE IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT AND REDUCED LABOR SUPPLY ASSOCIATED WITH THAT ENFORCEMENT. I WILL NOTE THAT THE ESTIMATES IN OUR REPORT, WERE MADE PRIOR TO THE CORRESPONDING IMPACT ON OIL PRICES DUE TO THE ACTIONS IN IRAN. THE REPORT RECOMMENDS SOLUTIONS OF 112.7 MILLION DOLLARS AND IDENTIFIES POTENTIAL ACTIONS THAT WILL REMAIN THE OVER SPEND AT 37.8 MILLION. AS IT RELATES TO OUR RESERVE FUND, RESERVE STANDS AT 5.29 PERCENT. IF WE WERE TO OR JUST SAY, OUR RESERVE FUND IS AT 5.29 PERCENT, IT WOULD DIP SLIGHTLY BELOW 5 PERCENT SHOULD WE NOT FIND OTHER SOLUTIONS FOR THAT 37 MILLION DOLLARS. SO I WANT TO MOVE ON TO OUR 26-27 BUDGET. AS YOU KNOW, WE ARE IN DEEP IN THE BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE. DEVELOPING FINALIZING OUR REVENUE ESTIMATES, AND PROPOSALS THAT THIS BODY WILL CONSIDER IN LESS THAN A MONTH. STARTING WITH REVENUE, THE CONTROLLER DID ISSUE HIS REVENUE REPORT HIS MARCH FIRST REPORT, HIS ESTIMATED ACTUAL REVENUE INCREASE FOR FISCAL 26-27 IS LOW, JUST ABOUT 1 PERCENT OR 107 MILLION OVER CURRENT YEAR REVENUES. I WILL SAY THAT THESE ESTIMATES, THE CONTROLLER'S ESTIMATE RIGHT SIDE 117 MILLION BELOW THE ESTIMATES IN OUR FOUR-YEAR FORECAST. AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT WHAT THAT MEANS IN A MOMENT. SO LOOKING AT OUR FOUR-YEAR FORECAST. SO HERE'S THE SNAP SHOT THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON IN THE COMING YEARS. WE ARE CURRENTLY PROJECTING A 91 MILLION DOLLARS GAFFE BETWEEN EXPENDITURES AND GAP, HEADING INTO 26-27 WE'RE THEN PROJECTING IN OUR CURRENT OUTLOOK, STRUCTURAL BALANCE IN 27-28 AND THEN SURPLUSES IN THE OUT YEARS IN 28-29 AND 29-30. THE SURPLUSES DEPEND ON A NUMBER OF ASSUMPTIONS, PRINCIPALLY, WE HAVE OUR STANDARD 2 PERCENT INCREASE FOR PAYROLL BECAUSE IN 28 AND 29 AND 29 AND 30, THE CURRENT MOUs THAT DICTATE OUR WAGE INCREASES EX TIRE. SO IS THE LAPPL CONTRACT EXPIRES AND LATE IN 27 AND THE REMAINING CIVILIANS AND UFLAC EXPIRE IN 28. SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT, WHAT IS IS THE GAP TO CLOSE IN FISCAL 26-27. SO WE START WITH THE 9 MILLION DOLLARS GAP. WE THEN AS WE KNOW A DEBATE IN THIS BODY APPROPRIATED FUNDS FOR ADDITIONAL LAPD HIRING THAT WILL HAVE AN IMPACT OF 25 MILLION ADDITIONAL ON GOING COSTS FOR FISCAL 26-27. WE ALSO APPROVED FEE WAIVER STRUCTURE FOR PALISADES RECOVERY THAT WILL HAVE AN IMPACT OF 30 MILLION DOLLARS. FURTHERMORE AS I STATED, USING THE CONTROLLER'S REVENUE ESTIMATES AND THE ESTIMATES OUR FINAL ESTIMATES, RATHER THE MAYOR'S PROPOSED REVENUE ESTIMATES WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET. BUT USING THE CONTROLLERS ESTIMATES, 117 MILLION DOLLARS REDUCTION IN THE REVENUE THAT IS ASSUMED IN THE OUTLOOK, THAT IS THE REVENUE ASSUMED IN THE INITIAL 91 MILLION DOLLARS DEFICIT. SO IF YOU, SO BEFORE WE EVEN BEGIN TO CONSIDER A SINGLE NEW PROPOSAL FOR FISCAL 26-27, WE'RE LOOKING AT A LEAST 263 MILLION DOLLARS GAP TO FILL. SO IT'S WITHIN THIS CONTEXT THAT WE NEED TO TALK FOR A FEW MINUTES ABOUT OUR BOND RATINGS. OUR BOND RATINGS ARE CREDIT RATINGS ARE MORE CRITICAL THAN EVER AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME, THEY'RE ALWAYS CRITICAL BUT WE ARE SET TO ISSUE MORE THAN 1.8 BILLION DOLLARS IN DEBT FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER THIS OCTOBER. SO THESE RATINGS WILL HAVE AN IMPACT IN THE RATE WE ULTIMATELY GET AND THE DEBT SERVICE WE ULTIMATELY PAY OVER 30 YEARS. WHEN I REPORTED TO THE BUDGET COMMITTEE ON THIS REPORT, IN THE FSR WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE TWO OF THE MAIN BOND AGENCIES WHO HAD PLACED THE CITY ON NEGATIVE OUTLOOK. SINCE THEN, MOODIES AND FITCH RATINGS HAVE UPDATED THE CITY'S CREDIT RATINGS. MOODY'S IN PART DOWN GRADED THE RATING AND GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND FROM TO A A 3 FROM A A 2 AND REVISED OUR OUTLOOK FROM NEGATIVE TO STABLE. FITCH IN PART, SUSTAINED OUR ISSUE RATE AT AA PLUS AND OUR GENERATE AND BUT MAINTAINED OUR NEGATIVE OUTLOOK, MEANING THAT UNLESS THERE ARE CHANGES, THEY COULD DOWN GRADE US IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE. SOME OF THE KEY CHALLENGES THAT WERE SITED INCLUDED OUR SIGNIFICANT DRAWS IN OUR FISCAL 24-25 SOFTENING REVENUE TRENDS AND OUR BUDGET GROWTH TIED TO PERSONNEL COSTS, THE RAISES ASSOCIATED WITH THE MOUs AND INCREASED LITIGATION RISK THAT STEMS FROM THE PALISADES FIRE AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND POLICE USE. THEY IDENTIFIED FACTOR THAT COULD LEAD TO UPGRADE. THE FACTORS INCLUDE A MORE RAPID AND STRONGER RETURN TO POSITIVE OPERATIONS, THE CITY'S FUNDS, BASICALL RETURN TO STRUCTURAL BALANCE, THEY SIDED OUTCOMES IF THERE WERE POSITIVE OUTCOME WITH THE PALISADES FIRE AND IF WE'RE ABLE TO DECREASE OUR LIABILITY PAY OUTS BY 20 PERCENT AND SUSTAIN THAT, THOSE ARE FACTOR THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE. CONVERSELY, THEY IDENTIFIED FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO A DOWN GRADE THAT COULD INCLUDE LIABILITY, IF THERE IS A FINDING OF LIABILITY RELATED TO THE PALISADES FIRE. AND THAT WOULD INCLUDE BY THE WAY, DWP OR THE CITY, BECAUSE THEY SEE DWP AS THE CITY WHICH IT IS. WEAKENING OF OUR OPERATIONS, FAILURE TO MANAGE BUDGET AND RESERVE LEVELS AND SUSTAINED RELIANCE ON NON RECURRING REVENUES, THAT MEANS USING ONE-TIME SOLUTION TO SEE FUND OUR OPERATIONS. SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR OUR UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR AND THE BUDGET THAT YOU'LL BE CONSIDERING IN JUST UNDER A MONTH NOW? SO NUMBER ONE, I'M IDENTIFYING THESE AS REQUIRED ACTIONS, AND I DO NEED TO SET THE EXPECTATIONS FOR WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE SEEING IN 26-27. NUMBER 1, AS GREAT AS THE NEEDS MIGHT BE AND THEY ARE, THIS IS NOT THE YEAR TO EXPECT RESTORATIONS OR EXPANSIONS OF SERVICES. AND I NEED TO STRESS THIS POINT, BECAUSE YOU WILL HEAR FROM OUR DEPARTMENTS INCREDIBLY COMPELLING ARGUMENTS FOR STAFF AND RESTORATIONS AND THOSE ARGUMENTS WILL BE JUSTIFIED. SOME OF OUR DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN DIMINISHED TO A POINT WHERE THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO DELIVER THE BASICS EFFECTIVELY AND THERE ARE OTHER SERIOUS RISKS EMERGING AND THEY WILL LAY THAT OUT AND THEY WILL NOT BE WRONG. BUT THEY WILL ALSO BE ASKING FOR FUNDING THAT WE DO NOT HAVE AT THIS POINT. NUMBER 2, AS PAINFUL AS THIS MAY BE, WE MUST BUILD UP A RESERVE FUND. 10 PERCENT RESERVE AS OUR TARGET LEVELS. WE WILL NOT GET THERE, THIS UPCOMING YEAR, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE PROGRESS TOWARDS IT, EVEN IF IT MEANS MAKING ANOTHER APPROPRIATION TO THE PRESERVE WHICH SHOULD IS NOT BE A STANDARD PRACTICE. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT ALL THE RATING AGENCIES ARE LOOKING AT VERY CAREFULLY. IF WE SUBSTANTIAL RESERVES EVEN FLUCTUATIONS IN REVENUE, THOSE ARE LOOKED AT MUCH DIFFERENTLY IF WE HAVE SUBSTANTIAL RESERVES, IF WE'RE SITTING AT OUR 5 PERCENT MINIMUM OR EVEN BELOW, THOSE BECOME MUCH GREATER CREDIT NEGATIVES. NUMBER 3, WE, WE HAVE TO ENGAGE THIS BUDGET WITH AN INTENTION TO ADOPT ON GOING SOLUTIONS. IT IS TEMPTING AND IT WILL BE TEMPTING TO USE ONE-TIME SOLUTION TO SEE FUND OPERATIONS BUT IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT WE IMPLEMENT ON GOING REDUCTIONS. IF WE ONE TIME SOLUTIONS WILL SIMPLY KICK THE CAN AND DIFFER THE DEFICIT TO THE FOLLOWING YEAR, THUS DELAYING THE ABILITY TO RESTORE ON GOING SERVICES. AND AGAIN THIS IS THE POINT THAT THE AGENCY SITED MULTIPLE TIMES. AND LASTLY, NUMBER 4, CAREFUL BUDGET CONTROLS TO LIMIT DEVIATIONS FROM APPROVED EXPENDITURES, WHAT DO I MEAN BY THIS? IT MEANS SIMPLY TO ADOPT A BUDGET AND STICK TO IT. THERE ARE OFTEN DISCUSSION SXZ THERE HAVE BEEN THIS YEAR ABOUT FINDING MONEY. AND WHILE THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF ACCOUNTS WHERE THERE COULD BE BALANCES WHERE WE CAN FIND MONEY WHEN WE'RE INSTRUCTED TO DO SO, FINDING MONEY THAT ISN'T BUDGETED ULTIMATELY, WILL HAVE A RESERVE FUND IMPACT. WHETHER OR NOT THE FOUND MONEY OR SAVINGS COMES DIRECTLY FROM THE RESERVES. IT'S ESSENTIAL THAT THE LEVELS OF SERVICE THAT ARE APPROVED ARE MAINTAINED AND I EXPECT THAT WE'LL HAVE CONVERSATIONS IN THE BUDGET COMMITTEE ABOUT WAYS THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT THOSE LEVELS ARE MAINTAINED. AND THEN, THE LAST, THE LAST SET OF ISSUES THAT I WANT TO LEAVE YOU WITH IS, OUR ON GOING CHALLENGES AND MEASURES TO ADDRESS THOSE. I WILL SAY THERE IS LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL, IF WE ARE COMMITTED TO A DISCIPLINED APPROACH TO RECOVERY. SO IF YOU LOOK AGAIN, AT FISCAL 28 AND 29, THAT'S THE BLUE AREA WHERE WE'RE SHOWING SURPLUSES, SO THAT IS THE MARGIN OF OUR ABILITY TO ADDRESS OUR DIFFERED INVESTMENT AND CITY SERVICES AND CITY INFRASTRUCTURE. AND THERE IS A PATH TO GET THERE, BUT THAT PATH REQUIRES SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURE AND PROCESS REFORMS MANY OF WHICH ARE UNDER WAY AND WILL MAKE THIS TO THIS BODY SOMETIME VERY VERY SOON. THREE CRITICAL STRUCTURE AND REFORMS. NUMBER ONE, THERE IS BEEN A SIGNIFICANT DISCUSSION OF TRANSITION TO MULTI-YEAR BUDGETING. WE HAVE TO ADDRESS OUR LIABILITIES AND THAT IS GOING, THAT WILL REQUIRE PROCESS CHANGES THAT WILL REQUIRE POLICIES CHANGES THAT WILL BE DIFFICULT THAT WILL NOT BE EASY AND WILL BE UNCOMFORTABLE. AND LASTLY, AND I'M GOING TO GET TO MORE DETAIL ON SOME OF THESE, WE NEED GREATER FISCAL TRANSPARENCY AS IT RELATES TO OUR CONTRACTS. AND WE'RE HAVING DISCUSSIONS AROUND TRANSPARENCY AS PART OF OUR BARGAINING PROCESS AT EERC AND ULTIMATELY WE'LL BRING THAT TO THIS BODY WHEN IT'S APPROPRIATE. WHEN I'M TALKING ABOUT MULTI-YEAR BUDGETING. SO JUST AS A SNAP SHOT OF WHERE WE ARE, THE CHARTER COMMISSION HAS BEEN DISCUSSING THIS AT LENGTH. I ISSUED A DE TAILED REPORT ON RECOMMENDATIONS TO TRANSITION TO MULTI-YEAR BUDGETING THAT WAS HEARD THIS WEEK AT BUDGET AND FINANCE COMMITTEE AND WAS APPROVED. ESSENTIALLY MOST--ALL THE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE APPROVED BY BUDGET AND FINANCE WITH THE ADDITION OF MOVING THE DATE WHERE THE COUNCIL WOULD RECEIVE THE BUDGET TO APRIL 1st. SO THAT IS MOVING FORWARD. IT WILL REQUIRE A NUMBER OF CHARTER CHANGES, THOSE CHANGES ARE DETAILED IN THE REPORT. BUT, I DO NEED TO STRESS, THERE IS NO MAGIC BULLET TO MULTI-YEAR BUDGETING, UNLESS IT IS ACCOMPANIED BY THE DEVELOPMENT AND INHERITANCE TO LONG TERM AND CAPITAL AND FINANCIAL PLANS. SO AS WE ARE CONSIDERING MOVING TO MULTI BUDGETING, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT WE'RE ALSO BUILDING UPON FOUNDATIONAL PILLARS THAT CAN ENSURE FISCAL DISCIPLINE, POLICY ALIGNMENT, AND MITIGATE RISKS THAT WE WILL HAVE WHEN WE'RE COMMITTING RESOURCES OVER MULTIPLE-YEARS. AND THAT INCLUDES A REQUIRED FOUR-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN THAT WOULD BE PROPOSED BY THE MAYOR AND ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL, A MULTI CAPITAL PLAN AND FINANCIAL PLAN. SECONDLY, AS IT RELATION TO LIABILITY MITIGATION, WE'LL BE ISSUING A REPORT TODAY TOGETHER WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY THAT OUR, THAT MAKE A NUMBER OF RECOMMENDATION TO SEE BETTER MANAGE AND CONTROL OUR LIABILITIES. THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDE STABILIZING OUR PAY OUTS BY EXPLORING THE USE OF INSURANCE IN PARTICULAR AREAS WHERE WE HAVE PREDICTABLE AND ON GOING LIABILITY. WE ALSO NEED TO HAVE A SERIOUS CONVERSATION ABOUT DEPARTMENTAL ACCOUNTABILITY. THIS IS CONCEPT THAT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED FOR SOMETIME, BUT IT IS TIME TO CONSIDER HOW WE CAN MOVE FORWARD. MUCH OF OUR LIABILITY CAN BE SOURCED TO A HANDFUL OF DEPARTMENTS AND THE MANAGEMENT OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS NEED TO SHARE IN THE RESPONSIBILITY. AND THEN LASTLY, WE DO NEED TO HAVE A FUNCTION IN THE CITY TO CENTRALIZE THE LIABILITY MANAGEMENT. WE SIMPLY DON'T HAVE THAT. WE CURRENTLY DON'T HAVE A UNIT THAT IS STAFFED TO LIMIT AND STAFF OR TO HOLD DEPARTMENTS ACCOUNTABLE. LASTLY, THE NUMBERS CAN AND I WILL CLOSE. AS IT RELATES TO FISCAL PROTOCOLS, WE CANNOT ATTEMPT TO GAIN BETTER CONTROL OF OUR FINANCES WITHOUT ADDRESSING 80 PERCENT OF OUR SPEND WHICH IS WAGES AND BENEFITS, ACCOUNTS FOR 80 PERCENT OF CITY SPENDING. I INTRODUCED THIS LAST APRIL IN THE BUDGET AND FINANCE COMMITTEE AND WE'RE NOW DISCUSSING IT IN EERC AND WITH LABOR CITIES. IN SHORT, THE POLICY WOULD REQUIRE PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF MANAGEMENT AND LABOR PROPOSALS WITH MULTI COST IMPACTS. IT WOULD PROVIDE EARLY AND ON GOING ACCESS INFORMATION RATHER THAN HAVING COMPLETED CONTRACTS, DUMPED IN YOUR LAP WITH ONLY ONE OPTION BEING, YOU VOTE YES OR NO. IT WOULD ALSO MAXIMIZE THE ABILITY TO THE PUBLIC. I DO WANT TO STRESS THAT THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE PROCESS, WE'RE INTRODUCING IT NOW, PRECISELY WE'RE NOT IN ACTIVE BARGAINING. WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH LABOR AND EERC BEFORE IMPLEMENTATION BUT MOVING FOR PROCESS INCLUDING DISCLOSURE OF POTENTIAL AND ACTUAL COSTS RELATIVE TO MOU PRO CONVICTIONS, I BELIEVE IS A MANDATORY COMPONENT OF MY IF IF FIDUCIARY DUTY. I APPRECIATE THE TIME AND OPEN FOR QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. >> Council President: THANK YOU. I HAVE AT LEAST ONE MEMBER ON THE QUEUE. >> K. Yaroslavsky: I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT EVERYONE HERE HAD A SNAP SHOT OF WHERE WE ARE AND WE'RE HOPEFULLY HEADED. AND I ACTUALLY, HAVE A AS LONG AS I'M ON THE QUEUE, I HAVE A TECHNICAL AMENDMENT TO 46B. >> Council President: OKAY. >> K. Yaroslavsky: THAT I WOULD LIKE TO READ IN. SO ON NUMBER 3, AUTHORIZE THE CAO TO MAKE ANY CORRECTIONS CLARIFICATIONS OR REVISIONS, RIGHT NOW IT SAYS THE AUTHORIZE THE OFFICE OF FINANCE AND REPLACE IT WITH CAO AND STRIKE OFFICE OF FINANCE. >> Clerk: 46B. >> K. Yaroslavsky: B. NUMBER 3. >> Clerk: THANK YOU AND IS THERE A SECOND? >> Council President: SECOND. COUNCILMEMBER JURADO? >> Y. Jurado: YES, THANK YOU. THANK YOU CAO, CAN YOU GO BACK ONE SLIDE PLEASE. NUMBER 4, FOR THIS REQUIRED ACTION. CAREFUL BUDGET CONTROL TO LIMIT DEVIATIONS FROM APPROVING EXPENDITURES. YOU'RE SAYING, DON'T GO BEYOND OUR BUDGET, RIGHT? >> YEAH, I'M SAYING, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE GO THROUGH A BUDGET PROCESS. THERE IS GOING TO BE APPROVED APPROPRIATIONS. THAT THOSE ARE THE APPROVED APPROPRIATIONS, THERE SHOULD NOT BE AN EXPECTATION THAT ALL RIGHT, EVEN THOUGH WE KNOW WE CANNOT ROW STORE WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO RESTORE IN THIS BUDGET THAT THERE BE SOME KIND OF EXPECTATION DURING THE COURSE OF THE YEAR, WE'LL JUST ADD BACK THINGS BY ASKING THE CAO TO FIND MONEY. THE POINT HERE IS ANYTHING BEYOND WHAT IS APPROPRIATED IN THE BUDGET WILL HAVE A RESERVE IMPACT AND WE'RE NOT A AUTHORIZED TO USE OUR RESERVE. >> Y. Jurado: MATT, YOU'RE SO GREAT, SPEAK ENGLISH. SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, WHEN WE DO YOUR BUDGET, WE HAVE TO STICK TO IT AND NOT ASK FOR MORE OUTSIDE WHAT IS IN OUR RESERVE FUND AND SAYING, WE SET THIS AMOUNT, WE'LL STICK TO IT. I MYSELF I'M WORKING ON IMPROVING MY CREDIT SCORE BUT I SEE THE CITY'S CREDIT SCORE GOING DOWN. AND AS WE'RE ASKING ANGELINOS TO DO MORE WITH LESS AND THEY FEEL LIKE THEY'RE GETTING LESS CITY SERVICES EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE GOING TO PAY MORE FOR TRASH FOR LIGHTING AND EVERYTHING. WE BETTER DO OUR PART AND BE RESPONSIBLE PEOPLE AND GOVERNORS OF THIS BOARD TO SET THE BUDGET AND STICK TO IT. BECAUSE FROM WHAT YOU'VE, WHAT HAPPENS TO OUR RATING, IF WE DON'T STICK TO IT? >> YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE OF THE MORE DAMAGING ACTIONS THAT WE CAN TAKE BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS IS, AT THE END OF THE BUDGET PROCESS, WE SELL OUR TRAN, OUR TAX REVENUE ANTICIPATION NOTES. I MAKE REPRESENTATIONS TO RATING AGENCIES AND INVESTORS. WE HAVE DETAILED PUBLIC DISCLOSURE ABOUT WHAT IS IN OUR BUDGET, WHAT THE FINANCIAL PLAN IS FOR THE CITY AND TO MAKE THOSE REPRESENTATIONS, AND THEN TO DEVIATE FROM THAT, VERY QUICKLY, IT PUTS US IN A IN A BAD POSITION. I MEAN JUST TO SAY IT PLAINLY, THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO DO. WE CANNOT DO THAT AGAIN THIS YEAR. >> Y. Jurado: SORRY, WHAT DID YOU SAY? >> I SAID WE CANNOT DO THAT AGAIN THIS YEAR. WE'RE ON NEGATIVE OUTLOOK. THE REPRESENTATIONS WE MAKE, AS IT RELATES TO OUR ADOPTED BUDGET, THOSE NEED TO HOLD. OBVIOUSLY, THERE ARE FLUCTUATATIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE FOUR FINANCIAL REPORTS WHICH BY THE WAY ARE SEEN BY THE RATING AGENCIES AS VERY POSITVE. THEY LIKE THE FACT THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS AS NECESSARY THAT IS DIFFERENT FROM DEVIATING FROM THE ADOPTED APPROPRIATIONS. >> Y. Jurado: RIGHT SO EVERY TIME WE DEVIATE FROM THE BUDGET THAT WE AGREED UPON AND SPEND MORE THAN WOO WE BLAND FOR, THE BUDGET, THE BOND REVIEWERS OR WHO ARE RATING US, LOOK AT IT UNFAVORABLY BECAUSE WE'RE NOT STICK TO GO WHAT WE SAID AND WE'RE SPENDING MORE THAN WHAT WE SAID. >> THAT'S CORRECT. >> Y. Jurado: AND IF WE SEE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE OVER SPENDING BEYOND WHAT HAS BEEN BUDGETED, WHAT DOT BOND ISSUERS THINK ABOUT THAT? >> THEY WOULD EXPECT US TO USE THE CONTROLS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE TO REIGN THAT SPENDING IN AND THAT IS, THAT IS AGAIN, THAT WILL BE THE FULL LINE RECOMMENDATION. WHAT WE APPROPRIATE, WE NEED TO HOLD DEPARTMENTS ACCOUNTABLE FOR MEETING THEIR BUDGET. >> Y. Jurado: BECAUSE IF WE DON'T, IF DEPARTMENTS OVER SPEND AND WE CAN'T HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE AND WE AUTHORIZE THAT EXPENDITURE, IT INDICATES THAT WE'RE NOT GOOD MANAGERS AND WE'RE NOT ABLE TO BUDGET SO THEY DON'T TRUST WITH US OUR MONEY AND OUR BOND RATING WILL CONTINUE TO BE LOWER? >> CORRECT AND THAT WILL THEN LEAD TO HIGHER COSTS PARTICULARLY AS WE'RE ABOUT TO ISSUE 1.8 BILLION IN DEBT FOR 30 YEARS. >> Y. Jurado: I GUESS FOR ME AS I WORK ON MY OWN CREDIT AND KNOWING THE FACTOR, IF YOU CONTINUALLY MISS PAYMENT ON YOUR CREDIT CARD, YOU'RE GOING TO GET DINGED. IF YOU CONTINUALLY EXCEED THE CREDIT LIMIT, YOU'RE GOING TO GET A DING. THAT MAY BE A NAGULOUS. I APPRECIATE THAT AND I GUESS, BASED ON YOUR DIRECTION, OR ADVISE, FOR THIS BODY, THAT WE SHOULD KNOW FOR THE REST OF THE FISCAL YEAR, WE SHOULD NOT GO BEYOND WHAT WE PLAN FOR IN OUR BUDGET. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. >> Council President: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER NAZARIAN? >> A. Nazarian: THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT. THANK YOU, CAO FOR BEING HERE. I THINK IT'S SLIDE PAGE 15, THE ONE MAYBE AFTER THIS. THANK YOU. SO, MAYBE I MISSED IT, I DIDN'T HEAR WHY WE ASSUMED THAT OUR COSTS ARE GOING TO GO DOWN BELOW OUR PROJECTED REVENUES? THE ONLY THING I HEARD IS THAT SOME OF OUR MOUs ARE GOING TO BE COMING UP AND SO, BY 27, BUT THAT ASSUMES THAT THEN IT'S, IT STAYS AT A STEADY RATE, WHAT IS THE ASSUMPTION MADE? >> SURE. THE--WHAT THE OUTLOOK PROJECTS IS ALL OF OUR ASSUMED ON GOING REVENUES AND OUR ASSUMED ON GOING COSTS, SO BASICALLY TAKES US A SNAP SHOT FOR WHAT WE APPROPRIATED IN THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR AND PROJECTS IT OUT OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS. SO IT DOESN'T ASSUME, UNLESS THERE IS A PLAN TO EXPAND, IT ASSUMES EVERYTHING THAT THE CITY HAS ADOPTED AND OUR KNOWN COSTS FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS. AND THOSE COSTS INCLUDE ALL OF THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH EMPLOYEE MUOs. WHEN WE DON'T HAVE AN MOU, WHEN THE OUTLOOK IS BEYOND THE MOU, WE BUILD IN A 2 PERCENT ASSUMPTION. SO WHAT THIS IS SHOWING YOU, IS AT THE EXPIRATION OF THE PPL CONTRACT HEADING INTO FISCAL 28-29 AND EXPIRATION OF THE AA AND COALITION CONTRACTS, AND THE UFLAC CONTRACTS, WE'VE REPLACED THE VERY HIGH RATES THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN OUR MOUs OF ANNUAL INCREASES AND JUST THAT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE RATES THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN OUR MUOs AND OUR ASSUMPTION OF 2 PERCENT, YIELDS SURPLUSES OF 238 MILLION AND 553 MILLION RESPECTFULLY. >> A. Nazarian: OKAY. MEANING. ARE THESE GOING TO CATCH ANYONE OFF GUARD? >> I'M SORRY? >> A. Nazarian: ARE THEY GOING TO CATCH ANYONE OFF GUARD OR ANTICIPATION FOR POTENTIAL ABSORPTION. >> SO ONE OF THE DRIVING FORCES BEHIND ITEM 3, ON THE LONG TERM PROCESS REFORMS AROUND TRANSPARENCY, IS EXACTLY SO THAT WE DON'T CATCH ANYBODY OFF GUARD SO THERE IS A FULL OPEN DISCUSSION ABOUT IMPACTS OF THOSE COSTS. AS IT RELATES TO, AS IT RELATES TO THIS MODEL, THIS IS A STANDARD MODEL THAT I USE, I USE IN BARGAINING CONSISTENTLY WHEN PROPOSALS ARE DISCUSSED, WE RUN MODELS AGAINST OUR FOUR-YEAR OUTLOOK TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN AFFORD WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED EITHER BY MANAGEMENT OR BY LABOR. THAT'S NOT THAT I SURPRISE, THIS WOULD NOT BE A SURPRISE TO LABOR. >> A. Nazarian: OKAY, COUNCIL PRESIDENT, I HAVE TWO MORE QUICK QUESTIONS. REGARDING THE LIABILITY, YOU SAID, OF THE CERTAIN POTS OF GROWING LIABILITY, WE'RE LOOKING AT INSURING OURSELVES? WHICH INSURER WOULD WANT TO RISK TAKE A RISK ON US AT THIS POINT? >> SO, COUNCILMAN, THAT'S A DISCUSSION THAT THE RECOMMENDATION IN THE REPORT IS TO EXPLORE THAT TO TRY TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION EXACTLY, OTHER JURISDICTIONS DO USE DO HAVE INSURANCE FOR A PORTION OF THEIR LIABILITIES, WE WOULD NEED TO EXPLORE THAT. I THINK WHAT IS HAPPENED, IS, AS THIS, AS THIS QUESTION HAS ARISEN IN THE PAST AND THERE IS BEEN ASSUMPTION THAT BECAUSE OF THE SIZE OF THE CITY, AND SIZE OF THE POTENTIAL EXPOSURE, THAT THE COST OF THE COVERAGE WOULD EXCEED THE, IT WOULD CERTAINLY NOT PROVIDE ANY SAVINGS THAT IT WOULD EXCEED OUR POTENTIAL LIABIITY FOR REASONS YOU JUST STATED. WHAT WE NEED TO LOOK IS A MUCH MORE TARGETED APPROACH, WHAT AREAS OF OUR LIABILITY. FOR EXAMPLE, VEHICLE INSURANCE, WE'RE SELF INSURED BUT WE COULD LOOK AT INSURING OUR VEHICLES. THE REPORT IS OUT, IT WILL BE OUT IN THE NEXT HOUR OR TWO, THAT WE LOOK AT OPTIONS FOR SPECIFIC TYPES OF LIABILITY THAT COULD BE STABLELIZED AND I USE THE WORD STABLELIZED VERSUS REDUCED BY PRO DID --PROCURING. WE WOULD WANT TO COME TO YOU WITH THE OPTIONS. >> A. Nazarian: AND THE LAST QUESTION, DID YOU SAY YOU WANT TO INCREASE THE RESERVE TO 10 PERCENT? >> OUR FINANCIAL POLICIES, DETAIL OF THAT, THE CITY'S GOAL SHOULD BE TO HAVE 10 PERCENT CUMULATIVE AND THAT WOULD INCLUDE THE RESERVE FUND ITSELF, THE STABILIZATION FUND AND THEN THE RESERVES THAT WOULD BE INCLUDED IN OUR UNAPPROPRIATED BALANCE FOR MID-YEAR ACCOUNT. THOSE THREE COMBINED SHOULD BE AT 10 PERCENT. WE'RE NOT CLOSE TO THAT NOW. WE HAD BEEN BEFORE, IT'S NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE BUT IT REQUIRES A RESERVE FUND OF OF AROUND 7, TO 7 AND A HALF PERCENT. AND AS WE STATED, WE'RE JUST FLOATING BARELY ABOVE 5 PERCENT CURRENTLY. >> A. Nazarian: SO IN THE CASE THAT WE CAN, I DON'T ANTICIPATE BUT, MAYBE I HAVE A NEGATIVE LOOK ON THIS, BUT IN THE CASE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO ACHIEVE 10 PERCENT, HOW MUCH DOES THAT DECREASE OUR--BY LOWERING INTEREST? ASSUMING THAT THE BOND RATINGS WILL THEN IMPROVE. HOW MUCH WILL THAT IMPROVEMENT SAVE US? >> SO WITH CREDIT RATINGS AND DEBT, IS, WE GET THIS QUESTION A LOT AND I CAN'T EVER GIVE YOU A SPECIFIC QUESTION THAT IF WE HAVE A RESERVE FUND OF 7 AND A HALF PERCENT, THAT WE'RE GOING TO SAVE X AMOUNT, IT DEPENDS ON A NUMBER OF FACTORS. MANY OF THE FACTORS ARE OUT OF OUR CONTROL, THE CONDITION OF OUR ECONOMY, THE PALISADES LAWSUITS, FOR EXAMPLE. THE RESERVE FUND IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS THAT IS SQUARELY WITHIN THE CITY'S CONTROL. SO IF WE THINK ABOUT IT, IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE DRIVING, YOU KNOW, AND YOU WANT TO, DRIVE SAFELY, YOU THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE CLEARLY WITHIN YOUR CONTROL, WHETHER YOU'RE SPEEDING OR NOT OR PAYING ATTENTION TO THE ROAD OR NOT, WHETHER YOUR LIGHTS ARE WORKING, WHAT OTHER DRIVERS ARE DOING WHETHER IT'S RAINING ET CETERA, OUR JOB IS TO CONTROL TO THE VERY BEST THAT WE POSSIBLY CAN, THOSE THINGS THAT ARE WITHIN OUR CONTROL. AND THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT MEASURES AS IT RELATES TO OUR CREDIT RATINGS ARE NUMBER ONE, RESERVE FUND BECAUSE THAT, BECAUSE THAT, A STUB STABLER RESERVE FUND WILL BE SEEN AS, A COUNTER WAIT ANY FLUCTUATATIONS AND NUMBER TWO, STRUCTURAL BALANCE THAT WE'RE GOING COVERING OUR ON GOING COSTS WITH REVENUE NOT JUST THIS YEAR BUT INTO THE FUTURE. >> A. Nazarian: OKAY, THANK YOU. >> Council President: COUNCILMEMBER RAMAN? >> N. Raman: I JUST HAD A CLARIFYING QUESTION ABOUT TWO DIFFERENT NUMBERS THAT YOU PROVIDED ABOUT A POTENTIAL DEFICIT. YOU HAVE 91 MILLION DOLLARS HERE AND THEN ON ANOTHER SLIDE YOU HAD 265 MILLION DOLLARS. : >> YES. >> N. Raman: AND I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT CAUSE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO NUMBERS? IS IT BASED ON CONDITIONS THAT YOU KNOW ARE GOING TO HAPPEN? OR CONDITIONS THAT YOU BELIEVE MAY HAPPEN? >> SO, WHAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE IS THE, THE KNOWN KNOWNS, THE INFORMATION, THE NEW INFORMATION AFTER THE ADOPTION OF OUR CURRENT FISCAL YEAR'S BUDGET THAT HAS CHANGED. THE 91 MILLION DOLLARS DEFICIT THAT WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE 4-YEAR OUTLOOK, ONCE THE CURRENT YEAR'S BUDGET WAS ADOPTED. WE THEN, MADE TWO MAJOR POLICY DECISIONS, THAT AFFECTED THE 26-27 EXPENDITURES THE PALISADES AND LAPD HIRING AT 25 MILLION. SO THAT ADDED TO THE DEFINITE SIGNIFICANCE AND CONTROLLER'S ESTIMATES THAT'S A CHANGE FROM WHAT IS THE ASSUMED REVENUE IN THAT, THE ASSUMED REVENUE LINE, WOULD HAVE DROPPED BY 117 MILLION IF THE CONTROLLER'S ESTIMATES ARE ACCURATE. THE BUDGET THAT YOU WILL RCEIVE IN APRIL, WILL HAVE THE BENEFIT OF MORE EXPERIENCED ON OUR BUSINESS TAX PRINCIPALLY, SO THEY MAY BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN THE CONTROLLER'S NUMBER, NOT THAT OUR METHODOLOGY IS DIFFERENT, WE'LL JUST HAVE A BENEFIT OF A A MONTH AND A HALF OF RECEIPTS. >> N. Raman: SO THIS--DO YOU AGREE WITH THIS REVENUE ESTIMATE? >> I THINK, WE'RE VERY CLOSELY WITH THE CONTROLLER. I THINK THAT HIS ESTIMATES ARE WE THINK THAT THEY'RE SUBSTANTIAL. THEY MAY CHANGE, I'M NOT SAYING, OUR ESTIMATES ARE GOING TO BE EXACTLY WHAT HE PROPOSED, THERE WILL BE SOME DIFFERENCES, BUT WE'RE VERY VERY CLOSE SO YES. >> N. Raman: SO THERE MAY BE A REDUCTION? YOU'RE SEEING A REDUCTION. >> I EXPECT OUR FINAL REVENUE PROJECTION WILL BE UNDER THE OUTLOOK PROJECTED. YES. >> N. Raman: SO WHATEVER DEFICIT WILL BE CLOSER THE 263 AND NOT THE EXPECTED 91 MILLION FROM LAST YEAR. >> YES, WHAT THIS REPRESENTS IS THE WORK THAT IS REQUIRED JUST TO GET BACK TO ZERO BEFORE THERE IS ANY CONSIDERATION OF RESTORATION OR EXPANSION. THAT ASSUMES THAT ALL THE POSITION ELIMINATION RIGHT SIDE MAINTAINED AND NOT A SINGLE POSITION IS ADDED BACK. >> >> N. Raman: AND THEN ON TOP WE HAVE TO HAVE TO FIND ANOTHER 263 MILLION DOLLARS IN SAVINGS TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR. >> CORRECT. >> N. Raman: THANK YOU. >> Council President: COUNCILMEMBER PARK. >> T. Park: THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT. I WANTED TO TOGGLE BACK A LITTLE BIT TO MITIGATING THE LIABILITIES AND COUNCILMEMBER NAZARIAN, THANK YOU FOR RAISING THE ISSUE OF INSUREABILITY AND I NO YOU'RE STILL WORKING ON IT. JUST THE TRIP AND FALLS GIVEN THE STATUS OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND I CAN'T REMEMBER HOW MANY BILLIONS IT WOULD BE JUST TO ADDRESS THE CURRENT BACKLOG OF BROKEN SIDEWALKS AND POTHOLES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT I WONDER IF, I MEAN, I THINK REALLY THE ONLY WAY TO MITIGATE THE LIABILITY THERE IS TO FIX THE DAM SIDEWALKS AND SO I KNOW THAT REQUIRES A VERY STRATEGIC PLAN AND INVESTMENT STRATEGY. BUT I'M WONDER IF THE EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES LIABILITY, YOU MAY BE ABLE TO MITIGATE SOME OF THE LIABILITY THERE THROUGH EPL INSURANCE AND IF THERE WERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING IN SOME STRATEGIC ADVISORS ON HOW TO IMPLEMENT LEGALLY COMPLIANCE BEST PRACTICES UNDER, YOU KNOW, FEDERAL AND STATE LAW GOVERNING THE WORKPLACE, IT MIGHT REALLY HELP. AND JUST AN OBSERVATION, THERE DOES NOT SEEM TO BE AWARENESS OF HOW TO RESPOND TO CERTAIN TYPES OF PERSONNEL ACTIONS, THERE IS A LOT OF INCONSISTENCY AMONG PRACTICES, I THINK A LOT COULD BE CLEANED UP WITH ADEQUATE SUPERVISOR TRAINING. I WONDER IF WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A POOL TO JOIN, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT ANY POOL WOULD LET THE CITY OF L.A. IN OR AN INSURANCE, ONE THAT BRINGS THAT AS A BENEFIT, MAYBE EVEN A REQUIREMENT OF PARTICIPATING IN THE PLAN WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA. >> THANK YOU, FOR THAT. AND THAT'S, ABSOLUTELY SOMETHING THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST THAT PART OF THE STRATEGY COULD BE BRINGING IN THAT ADDITIONAL TRAINING BUT THEN ALSO, LOOKING AT EMPLOYMENT LIABILITY AS ONE OF THE FIRST CATEGORIES OF LIABILITY THAT WE CAN PUSH TO THE DEPARTMENTS BECAUSE, THAT IS, THAT IS ONE AREA OF LIABILITY WHERE MANAGEMENT CAN HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT ON THE OUTCOME AND MANAGERS SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THAT. >> T. Park: IT'S GOING TO COME OUT OF THE BUDGET ONE WAY OR THE OTHER RIGHT? I HEAR YOU. >> YEAH. >> T. Park: BUT I DO THINK THAT FUNDAMENTAL TRAINING, SOMEBODY WHO IS A WHISTLEBLOWER AND DIFFERENT APPROACHES, I'VE SEEN WILDLY INCONSISTENT UNDERSTANDING AND APPROACHES AROUND THAT. BUT I DO THINK THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY. WITH RESPECT THOUGH, TO THE, THE STAFFING ISSUES AROUND IT, WE GET FRUSTRATED THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY'S HAVE TO GO FOR OUTSIDE COUNSEL BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE CASE LOAD, 85 TO 100 CASES EACH, IT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE. WE COMPLAIN ABOUT FIRE AND POLICE OVER BUT THEY'RE CONSTANTLY BEING CALLED ON. REINVESTING INTO THE CORE SERVICES SEEMS LIKE ONE BASIC FUNDAMENTAL TENANT OF HOW TO MITIGATE OUR LIABILITY AND INVEST IN THE SUSTAINABLE APPROACH ON THE BUDGET. JUST A THOUGHT ON IT. THANKS MATT. >> THANK YOU. >> Council President: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER PARK. I HAVE BEEN PUZZLED BY THIS QUESTION DURING MY TIME IN COUNCIL, WE WOULD GO OVER THE SETTLEMENT AND I WOULD ALWAYS ASK, THE EMPLOYEE SETTLEMENT AND I WOULD ALWAYS ASK WHAT TRAINING DID THE SUPERVISOR WHO WAS AT THE CENTER GET? AND THE ANSWER WAS ALMOST NONE. IT SEEMS LIKE WE COULD, IF AS ONE OF THE STRATEGIES, I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE WERE FORCED TO DO IT BY AN INSURANCE COMPANY, BUT EVEN IF WE'RE NOT, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S A WAY THAT WE CAN ACHIEVE A QUANTIFIABLE DIFFERENCE IN OUR LIABILITY. CAUSE SOME OF THIS STUFF IS JUST BASIC, YOU KNOW, THE PERSON RUNNING AN ICE CREAM SHOP DOWN THE STREET KNOWS THE LEVEL OF EMPLOYMENT LAW THAT WE FIND OURSELVES GET OURSELVES SUED FOR. MR. McOSKER IS NEXT. >> T. McOsker: THANK YOU, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MATT. FOR THE 2026-27 REQUIRED ACTIONS, WE HAVE NUMBER ONE, NO GROWTH AND NO RESTORATIONS, WHICH I AGREE. BUT IT FOLLOWS LAST YEAR'S EFFORTS TO REDUCE OUR POSITIONS, FRANKLY AND WE WERE ALL FACED WITH 1600 POSITION LAYOFFS, WE EFFECTIVELY REDUCED THAT TO 600, WE PUT FOLKS ON SUBSTITUTE AUTHORITIES AND THEN OPEN THE TRANSFER PORT AND TRIED TO GET EVERYTHING GOING. WHAT I'M LEADING INTO, THIS NO GROWTH NO RESTORATION WILL BE A FALSE REALITY IF WE DON'T GET THAT DOWN TO ZERO, WHERE ARE WE IN THE POSITION ELIMINATION? >> SO I THINK, AS OF NOW, WE ARE AND, LET ME SEE IF WE HAVE IS THE RIGHT NUMBERS, WE'RE JUST OVER 100. WE DO PROJECT THAT, LAPD? WE'RE PROJECTING THAT THE LAPD WHICH HAS THE VAS MAJORITY, SO WE'RE CURRENTLY AT 131 REMAINING IN SUBSTITUTE AUTHORITY OF THAT 131, 102 ARE AT LAPD. WE'RE IN GOOD SHAPE IN MOST ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS, ITA STILL HAS NINE ON SUBSTITUTE AUTHORITY. LAPD HAS 102, BASED ON SOME OF THE ACTIONS THAT THEY WILL TAKE TO TRANSFER TO FUNDED POSITION APPROXIMATES, THEY'LL --POSITIONS, THEY WILL GET TO ABOUT 50. THAT WILL BE SOMETHING THAT WE'LL NEED TO ADDRESS, EITHER THERE IS A PLAN TO TRANSFER THE 50 OR, WE WOULD THEN PROCEED WITH THE LAYOFFS OF THOSE IN THE NEW FISCAL YEAR. >> T. McOsker: BECAUSE THE STRUCTURAL CORRECTION WHICH IS IS THE NICE TERM FOR REDUCING OUR SIZE, WE DON'T FULLY GET THE BENEFIT UNTIL WE GET THE NUMBER DOWN TO ZERO. >> CORRECT. >> T. McOsker: AND LAYOFFS ARE THE LAST ALTERNATIVE BUT IT'S A REALITY ALTERNATIVE. AND I HOPE WE'RE NOT JUST PLAYING A GAME OF CHICKEN. >> CORRECT. THE AUTHORITY. >> T. McOsker: THAT WOULD GO AGAINST NO GROWTH NO RESTORATION. >> IT WOULD GO AGAINST THE NUMBER ONE IMPERATIVE OF THE 26-27 BUDGET. >> T. McOsker: AS TERRIBLE AS IT SOUNDS, WE MADE A COMMITMENT AND IT HAS TO BE A MULTI-YEAR COMMITMENT WHERE RATING AGENCIES ARE LOOKING AT US AND SAYING WE'RE CAPABLE OF FUNDING THE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE FUNDING. WHICH LEADS ME TO THE QUESTION OF BUDGETING, MULTI-YEAR BUDGETING. WHAT IS THE MAGIC? WHERE IS THE CHICKEN AND THE EGG? WE HAVE A BUDGET COMING OUT IN MID-APRIL, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY WHETHER IT'S A ONE YEAR OR TWO YEAR? >> SO, THE ONLY, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF CHANGES THAT COULD BE REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT A TRUE-TWO-YEAR BUDGET. THERE IS NOTHING THAT WOULD PREVENT MOVING FORWARDS A TWO-YEAR BUDGET SOONER THAN THAT. IT WOULD JUST REQUIRE, THE MAYOR IS STILL REQUIRED TO ISSUE A BUDGET EVERY YEAR. SO IT COULD BE A TWO-YEAR PLAN BUT IT STILL WOULD BE ADOPTED EVERY YEAR. WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING IS A TRUE TWO-YEAR BUDGET WHERE WE WOULD GO THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS OF, OF THE MAYOR PROPOSE ING THE COUNCIL ADOPTING A BUDGET PLAN, IT WOULD BE A TWO-YEAR PLAN TO COVER TWO FISCAL YEARS. AGAIN, THE TERM, THE MAGIC, THERE ISN'T ANY MAGIC IN MULTI-YEAR BUDGETING, UNLESS THAT MULTI-YEAR BUDGETING IS ADHERING TO AND APPROPRIATINGLY FUNDING WELL, ESTABLISHED CAPITAL PLANS, STRATEGIC PLANS THAT, THAT WE JUST DON'T HAVE. WE'RE DOING IN IN YEAR BY YEAR SILOS, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING TO GO TO A PLACE, OKAY, IF WE WANT TO GET TO A PLACE WHERE WE'RE REDUCING OUR TREE TRIMMING AND DOING HLA, HERE'S WHERE THE RESOURCES NEED TO GO FIRST AND THE BUDGET ITSELF, WILL BECOME MUCH LESS OF A POLICY DOCUMENT AND MORE OF A DOCUMENT THAT FUNDS AND IMPLEMENTS THE POLICIES THAT YOU'VE ALREADY ESTANED. --ESTABLISHED. >> T. McOsker: RIGHT. AND I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT THERE IS A SUGGESTION, WHAT IS THE BIG BANG MOMENT? WOULDN'T THIS WINDOW OF TIME WHERE WE HAVE PRETTY SOLID KNOWABILITY IN OUR LARGEST EMPLOYEE CONTRACTS OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS AND WE'RE A DRESSING ALL THE ISSUES OF RIGHT-SIZING AND NO ADS. THIS PRESENTATION ALL LEADS TO, THIS IS THE PERFECT TIME TO START TWO-YEAR BUDGETING. >> I AGREE WITH THAT TO THE EXTENT THAT IF WE CAN IN THIS BUDGET CYCLE, WHILE STICKING TO THE REALITY THAT OUR FINANCIAL CONDITION DICTATES, IDENTIFY THE NEEDS AND THE SERVICES THAT SHOULD BE RESTORED AND THE STAFFING THAT SHOULD BE RESTORED. IF WE GET TO A PLACE WHERE WE HAVE ADDITIONAL REVENUE AND WE CAN BEND OUR EXPENDITURE CURVE A LITTLE BIT ON THE CONTRACTS, AGAIN I'M NOT SAYING THAT EVERYONE NEEDS TO GET PAY CUTS OR TAKE AWAYS, IF WE HAVE MODEST INCREASE THAT'S KEEP UP WITH OUR REVENUE, WE'LL BE ABLE TO INVEST WHERE WE NEED TO INVEST. ESTABLISHING THOSE NOW, I THINK WOULD BE A INCREDIBLE BENEFIT. WE WILL LIKELY NEED TO DO THAT FOR EXAMPLE, WITHIN THE ONE AREA OF THE CITY WHERE THERE IS POTENTIAL SIGNIFICANT NEW REVENUE THAT WE COULD REALIZE IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR AND THAT'S THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. WE WON'T AND MY OFFICE WILL NOT BE RECOMMENDING EXPANSION OF RESTORATION OF FIRE DEPARTMENT IN ANY SIGNIFICANT WAY. THIS YEAR, BUT WE SHOULD SPEND TIME DETERMINING WHAT THE RESTORATIONS AND EXPANSIONS SHOULD BE, SHOULD WE RECEIVE A NEW REVENUE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WOULD BE A GOOD TEST RUN WITH HOW WE START THE NULT' YEAR BUDGETING PROCESS. >> T. McOsker: OKAY. AND THEN AN OBJECT SERVATION IN THE FISCAL YEAR TRANSPARENCY, TRANSPARENCY, IMPORTANT, FISCAL CRITICALLY IMPORTANT. BUT I WOULD JUST, WOULD I JUST URGE US COLLECTIVELY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT CREATING AN INTENDED CONSEQUENCES BY DOING OUR BARGAINING SO OPEN AND SO PUBLIC THAT WE'RE CREATING NEW POLITICAL ENTREE CAMPAIGNS, I NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE THREAD THE NEEDLE OF FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND TRANSPARENT AND RESPONSIBILITY TO OWN THE DECISIONS THAT WE MAKE HERE. >> THANK YOU. >> Council President: COUNCILMEMBER PRICE? >> C. Price: THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. THANK YOU, FOR THE PRESENTATION. THIS IS VERY EXCITING PREVIEW, I GUESS, OF WHAT'S TO COME. YOU MENTIONED, THE LIABILITY, BETTER MANAGING OUR LIABILITY SOMETHING WE'RE ALL CONCERNED ABOUT. AND DID I HEAR YOU SUGGEST THAT THERE MAY BE A WAY TO HOLD DEPARTMENT HEADS ACCOUNTABLE TO SOME DEGREE? IF SO, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE AND WHAT WOULD THAT MEAN? >> ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN OUR FOURTH COMING REPORT, WILL ASK, WILL ASK US TO LOOK AT HOW WE CAN HOLD DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE I'M USING THE WORD RESPONSIBLE BROADLY, FOR SIGNIFICANT PORTIONS OF OUR LIABILITY ACCOUNTABLE. THERE ARE MANY OF OUR LIABILITY OFTEN TIMES OUR LIABILITY IS NOT THE DIRECT FAULT OF, OF MANAGER OR GENERAL MANAGER BUT THEY HAVE TO HAVE SOME SKIN IN THE GAME. CURRENTLY OUR STRUCTURE IS, WHATEVER THE LIABILITY ENDS UP BEING, IT'S GOING PAID OUT OF A LIABILITY ACCOUNT. IT IS THE DEPARTMENT DOES NOT NEED TO WORRY ABOUT IT. YES, THEY HAVE SOME REQUIREMENT TO TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION PERHAPS FOR THAT ONE THING THAT CAUSED THE LIABILITY BUT IN TERMS OF HAVING SKIN IN THE GAME, UNDERSTANDING THAT IN ORDER TO DO WHAT THEY WANT TO DO AS A MANAGER, THEY NEED TO INVEST, TIME AND RESOURCES AND TRAINING ET CETERA INTO LIABILITY MITIGATION AND THEN HAVE A STRUCTURE THAT HOLDS THE DEPARTMENTS ACCOUNTABLE IS WHAT IS MISSING. AND I THINK WE NEED TO EXPLORE SERIOUSLY. >> C. Price: I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT WAY THAT WE PROCEED, EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE A SKIN IN THE GAME, I THINK THIS IS A WAY OF BEING FAIR MAKE SURE IT'S BALANCED. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. >> Council President: COUNCILMEMBER HERNANDEZ. >> E. Hernandez: NO MORE. >> Council President: COUNCILMEMBER PADILLA. >> I. Padilla: I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M HEARING YOU CORRECTLY. ARE YOU SUGGESTING THAT BETTER TACTIC FOR MULTI-YEAR BUDGETING WOULD REQUIRE US TO HAVE A STRATEGIC PLAN? >> YES. THE. >> I. Padilla: AND THAT'S DEPARTMENT BY DEPARTMENT OR AS A CITY? >> SO THE BASIS OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE MULTI-YEAR BUDGET IS THAT THERE BE A LENGTHY PROCESS, SO WE'RE ACTUALLY RECOMMENDING NOT JUST A BUDGET THAT COVERS MULTIPLE-YEARS BUT A PROCESS THAT COVERS MUCH GREATER PERIOD OF TIME THAN THE 3 AND A HALF WEEKS THAT THE COUNCIL HAS TO CONSIDER, THE MAYOR'S PROPOSAL. A PREREQUISITE TO A MULTI-YEAR BUDGET IS WHAT ARE THE SET OF SERVICES THAT WE'RE GOING TO FUND OVER THAT OVER THOSE MULTIPLE-YEARS. SO OUR RECOMMENDATION IS THAT THE MAYOR BE REQUIRED TO PRESENT A COUNCIL A FOUR-YEAR PLAN OF WHAT LEVELS WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE SERVICES, WHAT STAFFING WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, ET CETERA. THAT THE COUNCIL WOULD ALSO CONSIDER AND ADOPT. SO YOU'LL BE TAKING, USING YOUR POLICY MAKING AUTHORITY WELL IN ADVANCE OF THE BUDGET SO THAT THE BUDGET ITSELF SHOULDN'T BE A SURPRISE. IT WILL BE, AN APPROPRIATE MULTI-YEAR BUDGET WOULD FUND THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF A PLAN THAT YOU ADOPTED AND SPENT MONTHS CONSIDERING, ET CETERA, ET CETERA. AND THEN THE BUDGET WOULD FUND WITHIN OUR, OUR FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS OF COURSE, THE OBJECTIVES THAT OUTLINED IN THAT STRATEGIC PLAN. THAT STRATEGIC PLAN WOULD INCLUDE CAPITAL PLAN. MY OFFICE WOULD THEN PROVIDE A FINANCIAL PLAN AND THEN THE BUDGET ITSELF WOULD BE A CULMINATION OF THOSE THREE. AND WE RECOMMEND THAT BE STARTED MUCH MUCH EARLIER IN THE YEAR, IN THE SUMMER BEFORE THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. >> Y. Jurado: MIND YOU, YOU ALSO BROUGHT THIS UP, I WANT TO MAKE SURE I HEARD YOU RIGHT, LIKE A HYPOTHETICAL OR ASSUMPTION AND I APPRECIATE THAT YOU'RE AT MINIMUM BRINGING THIS UP TO THIS CHARTER REFORM COMMISSION, SO LOOKS LIKE IT'S ON THEIR PLATE. BUT, THAT HAS TO BE DECIDED BY THE VOTERS SO THAT IS NOT SET IN STONE AND WE STILL HAVE TO DISCUSS WHAT WE DO AND DON'T PUT AS A PROSE AL PROPOSAL ON THE BALLOT. BASED ON WHAT I'M SEEING, NOT VERY IMPRESSED BY A LOT OF STUFF COMING OUT. AND I'M NOT SURE IF WE'RE GOING TO GO ITEM BY THAT ITEM OR WHAT THAT PROCESS IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, WITH THAT BEING SAID WHAT IS YOUR RECOMMENDATION IF SOMETHING LIKE THIS DOES NOT PUT ON THE BALLOT AND THEN, SOLIDIFIED AND MADE OFFICIAL BY THE VOTERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN STILL MOVE IN THIS DIRECTION? ARE YOU PROPOSING THAT WE GET, WOULD IT BE A CONSULTANT? WOULD IT BE YOU AND CLA? COMING TOGETHER AND TELLING US HOW WE WOULD GO ABOUT AS A CITY TO PUT TOGETHER A STRATEGIC PLAN. I KNOW A LOT OF CITIES AND A LOT OF COUNTIES HAVE 30-20-YEAR PLANS BUT WE DON'T HAVE ONE THAT WE'RE CONSISTENTLY WORKING OFF OF. HOW DO WE GET THAT GOING IN ORDER TO MOVE IN THIS DIRECTION? >> SO JUST IN THE PROCESS, THIS ISSUE, WAS ADDRESSED IN A UNIQUE WAY BY THE CHARTER REFORM COMMISSION. I WAS ASKED TO BY THE COUNCIL, TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL ON MULTI-YEAR BUDGETING. I DID THAT IN A LENGTHY REPORT. CHARTER REFORM COMMISSION JUST TOOK UP MY REPORT AND ADOPTED ITS RECOMMENDATIONS. SO WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO RECEIVE FROM THE, WITH SOME MINOR MODIFICATIONS, WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO RECEIVE FROM THE CHARTER COMMISSION, WILL BE A VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL TO WHAT THE BUDGET COMMITTEE HEARD ON MONDAY AND APPROVED. SO, IT'S THE REPORT THAT YOU SHOULD LOOK AT IN TERMS OF WHAT THE DETAILS ARE. THE CHARTER COMMISSION PROPOSAL IS ESSENTIALLY, THEY AGENDIZE AND ADOPTED THE CAO REPORT. AS IT RELATES IF COUNCIL DECIDES NOT TO MOVE IT FORWARD OR THE VOTERS DON'T APPROVE IT, THERE IS NOTHING TO PROHIBIT WITH US MOVING FORWARD WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND COMPONENTS OF WHAT IS IN OUR REPORT WHICH WE CAN PROCEED WITH. WE WOULD JUST BE, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD BE BURDENED WITH THAT. >> Y. Jurado: IT SOUNDS TO ME THAT IT FALLS ON THE MAYOR TO HAVE A FOUR-YEAR PLAN. CAN YOU SUMMARIZE WHAT ELSE WE WOULD HAVE TO DO? >> WE PROPOSE A STRUCTURE THAT THE MAYOR WOULD PROPOSE THE PLAN TO YOU AND THEN YOU WOULD AMEND, YOU KNOW, HAVE HEARINGS ON AND ULTIMATELY ADOPT THE PLAN. THE SAME STRUCTURE AS PROPOSED BUDGET. OUR POSITION IS THAT, THE STRATEGIC PLAN IS A DOCUMENT THAT SHOULD BE EVERY BIT AS IMPORTANT AS THE BUDGET ITSELF. RIGHT NOW THE BUDGET IS A FINANCIAL DOCUMENT AND POLICY DOCUMENT. AND ALL OF THAT IS DECIDED BY THE COUNCIL, IS KIND OF FORCED UPON THE COUNCIL IN THIS THREE AND A HALF PERIOD. IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THAT BUT REAL ISTICALLY, LIKE THAT. MUCH GREATER OPPORTUNITY FOR POLICY COMMITTEES TO WEIGH IN ON WHAT WOULD, WHAT IS THE LONG TERM PLAN FOR EACH OF THESE AREAS. AND THEN, YOU WOULD THEN BE ABLE TO HOLD THE MAYOR ACCOUNTABLE FOR FUNDING THAT PLAN IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET. >> Y. Jurado: OKAY, NO FURTHER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. >> Council President: ALL RIGHT, THAT CONCLUDES OUR SPEAKERS ON THIS ITEM. THANK YOU SO MUCH MR. SZABO. MR. CLERK, CAN YOU ADVISE US WHAT IS BEFORE THE COUNCIL AT THIS TIME? >> Clerk: THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. IF THE COUNCIL WOULD LIKE, WE CAN VOTE ON APPROVING THE AMENDMENTS, 46, ABC D AND E TOGETHER. >> Council President: ALL RIGHT. LET'S OPEN THE ROLL, ON THOSE AMENDMENTS, CLOSE THE ROLL, TABULATE THE VOTE. >> Clerk: 13 AYES. >> Council President: ALL RIGHT, WHAT'S NEXT? >> Clerk: NEXT THE COUNCIL MAY VOTE ON COUNCILMEMBER NAZARIAN REQUESTS FOR BIFURCATION IF I CAN VERIFY FOR THE COUNCIL. >> Council President: MR. NAZARIAN. >> A. Nazarian: THANK YOU. SO I WOULD LIKE TO BIFURCATION RECOMMENDATION 4 IN THE CAO REPORT DATED FEBRUARY 27, ATTACHMENT 6 PAGE 1, ITEM 3, THAT READS FROM THE UB RESERVE FOR MID-YEAR ADJUSTMENTS 2.2 MILLION FOR CITY ATTORNEY OUTSIDE COUNCIL. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A SEPARATE VOTE FOR THAT. >> Clerk: SO WE'LL NEED TO VOTE FOR BIFURCATION. >> Council President: ALL RIGHT, LET'S OPEN THE ROLL ON BIFURCATION REQUESTED BY MR. NAZARIAN. CLOSE THE VOTE, TABULATE THE VOTE. >> Clerk: 13 AYES. >> Council President: ALL RIGHT. >> Clerk: NOW COUNCIL MAY VOTE ON BIFURCATED RECOMMENDATION. >> Council President: ALL RIGHT, LET'S OPEN THE ROLL, CLOSE THE ROLL, TABULATE THE VOTE. >> Clerk: 8 AYES, 5 NOES. >> Clerk: THIS PASSES. >> Council President: ALL RIGHT, WHAT'S NEXT? >> A. Nazarian: THANK YOU. >> Clerk: AND THE COUNCIL, WE CAN VOTE ON REMAINER OF ITEM NUMBER 46 AS AMENDED. >> Council President: ALL RIGHT, LET'S OPEN THE ROLL, CLOSE THE ROLL, TABULATE THE VOTE. >> Clerk: 10 AYES, 3 NOES. >> Council President: ALL RIGHT, WHAT'S NEXT? >> Clerk: COUNCIL HAS MOTIONED FOR POSTING AND REFERRAL. >> Council President: THEY ARE POSTED AND REFERRED. ANNOUNCEMENTS MEMBERS? MR. INTO SAYERIANS. --MR. NAZARIANS. >> A. Nazarian: CAN I HAVE ITEMS, FORTHWITH PLEASE. >> Council President: WITHOUT OBJECTION, THAT WILL BE THE ORDER. THEY WILL GO FORTHWITH. ANY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS. >> Y. Jurado: I WANT TO STATE THAT WE HAD GENUINE PUBLIC COMMENT WITHOUT DISTRACTIONS, IT FELT GREAT. ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL. >> Council President: I'M GLAD YOU CAUGHT THAT. THANK YOU. MR. MARTINEZ. >> H. Soto-Martinez: I RISE TODAY TO RECOGNIZE THE 115th ANNIVERSARY OF THE TRIANGLE WASTE FIRE, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE REMEMBER OUR LABOR HISTORY. IT'S A STRATEGY THAT TOOK THE LIVES OF 146 GARMENT WORKERS IN 1911, THE TRIANGLE SHIRT WAYS FIRE, EMPLOYED MOSTLY YOUNG WOMEN AND GIRLS SOME AS YOUNG AS 14 YEARS OLE. THEY WORKED FOR 80 HOURS A WEEK FOR LESS THAN 10 DOLLARS A WEEK. THEY ENDURED CRAMP AND ROUTINE ABUSE. THEY WERE TREATED AS DISPOSABLE AND WHEN A FIRE BROKE OUT, THEY WERE TRAPPED. THE DOORS WERE LOCKED, STAIRS WERE SEALED SHUT, FIRE ESCAPES WERE BLOCKED. SO WITH THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WATCHING FROM THE STREET BELOW, YOUNG WOMEN JUMPED FROM THE WINDOW ONE AFTER ANOTHER, BECAUSE THEIR ONLY CHOICE TO BE BURNED ALIVE. 146 PEOPLE WERE KILLED THAT DAY BY CORPORATE GREED AND BY A SYSTEM THAT FAILED TO VALUE WORKERS LIVES. THAT DAY WORKED AS A WAKE UP CALL TO THE ENTIRE COUNTRY, COMMUNITIES DEMANDED CHANGE, LABOR UNION INCLUDING THE GARMENT UNION THAT WERE PART OF THE UNION HERE, PLAYED A CENTRAL ROLE IN WINNING MANY OF THE LAWS THAT WE NOW TAKE FOR GRANTED. SAFE WORKING CONDITIONS AND. THOSE WERE RIGHTS WERE NOT GIVEN, THEY WERE WON THROUGH ORGANIZING, THROUGH PRESSURE AND COURAGE. BUT THIS IS NOT JUST HISTORY. TOO MANY PEOPLE ARE STILL BEING ASKED TO SACRIFICE THEIR SAFETY, DIGNITY AND THEIR WELL BEING JUST TO EARN A LIVING. JUST TODAY WE HEARD FROM WORKERS HERE IN LOS ANGELES WHO ARE STILL FACING ABUSE IN THEIR WORKPLACES. SO AS WE REMEMBER THE 146 LIVES LOST AT THE TRIANGLE SHIRT WASTE FIRE, WE MUST RECOMMIT OURSELVES TO THE WORK THAT REMAINS TO SERVE A CITY WHERE NOBODY HAS TO RISK THEIR LIVES FOR A PAYCHECK AND WHERE WE WILL NEVER ALLOW PROFIT TO COME BEFORE HUMAN LIFE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> Council President: THANK YOU SO MUCH MR. SOTO-MARTINEZ. COUNCILMEMBER HUTT? >> H. Hutt: THANK YOU, THANK YOU MR. SOTO-MARTINEZ FOR THAT. TODAY, I RISE BECAUSE IT'S MARCH, IT'S SPRING CLEANING AND ON MARCH 28th AT 3800 CRENSHAW, I'LL BE DOING A COMMUNITY RECYCLING AND CLEAN UP. THAT'S RIGHT, CLEAN 9:00 AM AND 3:00 P.M., YOU CAN BRING YOUR TIRES, OR SHREDING. COME THROUGH FOR CLEAN UP. >> Council President: THANK YOU. ANY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS, MEMBERS? ALL RIGHT, I'LL ASK EVERYONE IN THE CHAMBER TO RISE FOR ADJOURNING MOTIONS. >> Clerk: MR. PRESIDENT, BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO ADJOURNING MOTIONS, WOULD YOU LIKE THE 46 TO MOVE URGENT FORTHWITH. >> Council President: YES, WITHOUT OBJECTION. THAT WILL BE THE ORDER. >> Clerk: AND WE'LL NEED TO TAKE A VOTE. >> Council President: OPEN THE ROLL, CLOSE THE ROLL, TABULATE THE VOTE. >> Clerk: THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. >> Council President: THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ADJOURNING MOTIONS, MEMBERS? TO MY LEFT? TO MY RIGHT? ALL RIGHT, SEEING NONE, WE'RE ADJOURNED. SEE YOU ON FRIDAY, EVERYBODY. Of her artwork and Wonder Woman. I love Wonder Woman. I knew that I wanted to educate. I knew that I wanted to be a positive influence and absolutely motivate every single youth that just came through those doors to be the best version of themselves that they could be. I've always been interested in public safety and emergency management. Going back to my days as a girl Scout, and so when the opportunity came up to transfer to a division that gave me the experience, I jumped at it and a generating station. People don't see the work that we do in order to make the lights turn on every day, the cars charge and your cell phones , and I get to be a part of that magic in the background that makes it, that makes it possible to operate on a day to day basis. My perspective as a woman inspires everything that I do in City Council, from children have a place to play and seniors have a place to enjoy their retirement. For other women out there that maybe want to make a difference, I would say take a chance. You never know what's out there and what might become of taking that chance. Ask questions. Be curious and you never know what you'll find. We're all powerhouses and it's a month of celebration to just absolutely everything we've achieved. We are thrilled to be celebrating women's History Month and so many women across Los Angeles County who are making history right in our own communities. My fabulous sisters across LA County. Give yourselves a round of applause. We are celebrating recognizing some remarkable women who have dedicated most of their careers to helping and advancing the well-being of women in Los Angeles County. Our job as commissioners is to recognize, to identify who these women in L.A. County are that are doing great work for our community, that are doing great work for women. The nominations come from the community members themselves. We then go through a selection process. There are so many remarkable women, but of course we can only identify a limited number. It's quite an honor for me. It's hard for scientists to remember sometimes how much our information can matter to the larger public. And so this is a good reminder that spending the time sharing the science is as important as doing it. I think what this means is that generations to come, you know, we've got so many leaders that are up and coming and we're paving the way for young women, young girls like my granddaughter Luna to also excel and make a difference in the communities that we serve. We're also commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Los Angeles Commission for women. The Commission has been in existence for 50 years, and the supervisors, the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors, just declared their commitment to support another 50 years leadership is about making sure that we use our tools to make a difference in the lives of others. Remember that what we do for our community is what matters, right? We have a system that says, oh, go, you know, get that award, get whatever. But what really matters is, is how you help other people, women who brought their own chair to the table, stand up women who showed up without an invitation, stand up women overlooked, silenced and undervalued. Stand up. We know right now that there's been a focus on eliminating events like this and eliminating recognition of women in particular. But in Los Angeles County, we will continue to elevate the experience. The leadership and the value of women throughout the county. After the rise of automobiles and air travel in the 1950s and 1960s, passenger rail declined and traffic through Union Station slowed dramatically. But rather than fading into obscurity, the station was preserved as a historical landmark and carefully restored its architecture and atmosphere helped secure its place as one of the most beautiful train stations in the United States, and just as Union Station brings people together from across the region, my LA 311 brings together key city departments connecting Angelenos with the services and support they need with a simple request. Through my LA 311, Angelenos can report issues, request services, and stay connected to their neighborhoods, helping keep the city responsive and running smoothly. How are you doing? Good, good. How are you? Very good. Oh, thank you, thank you. 311 day is a celebration of connecting government with the most important group of people, its residents. You got it. Oh, you're very welcome, Delilah. And thank you for calling. I hope you have a great day. Take care. Today is 311 day and it celebrates the agents. How far? 311 has come and what it means to the city. Hi, this is Alex from the city of Los Angeles. Everyone with me today at National three one. One day we want to celebrate what they do. Is it one pothole or multiple potholes? They strive to have the pothole filled within three businesses. I consider each and every three one, one operator, one of those unspoken heroes. Hello, good afternoon. My name is Kevin, 311 represents that day where we can get the word out about how 311 can be beneficial to the residents of Los Angeles. 311 is always improving. Over 3 million requests come through. 311. That's a ton of data to show us where we're working and where we need to make improvements. It will help us triage better before it goes out. Yeah. So I think that'll be helpful. The mile 301 app has several new features for residents. First of all, you could just drop a pin everywhere. You don't have to have a perfect address. That's something that many users said they wanted in the new system. So we added it. Secondly, it gives you the ability to follow a ticket so if you're submitting a ticket and you see someone else already did it, you could just follow it. You don't have to submit the ticket yourself. Third, you get real time updates. So if you submit a pothole, someone in the field sees it. They take a photo, you get a real time update that shows you that pothole filled in fact, over the last year, we've implemented over 1200 enhancements, some of which you'll see, some of which you may not necessarily see. The mile 301 system is available in over 224 languages. El Sistema mile 311 Ofrece aproximadamente doscientos cuatro idiomas. People don't know how lucky they are to have this service. The app should be on everyone's phone. That is a big piece. No. 311 week is really important because it celebrates the city. All the different services that we offer. It's all about making the city a better place to live , work, a place that you're proud to live in. We live in a beautiful city and that's why we're here. To keep it beautiful. I love today, thank you for calling 311. Have a nice day. The Port of Los Angeles recently broke ground on a $152 million project in Wilmington. The Avalon Pedestrian Bridge and promenade Gateway project will convert 12 acres into an entry plaza with seating. The project will include pedestrian pathways , community gathering spaces, public restrooms, and two parking lots. The Signature Bridge connects to the Promenade , creating a safe crossing point. The port consult the residents and stakeholders for input on this project. For more information, go to Port of Los Angeles. Org. LA sanitation has started its 2026 Food drive. Nonperishable items are accepted through May eighth. Items can include unopened, unexpired canned foods, dry goods, and shelf stable beverages. Donations can be made Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at six city locations. The food goes to community organizations that distribute it to those in need. Learn more at Sanitation L.A. city, gov. L.A. County homeless deaths dropped in 2024, marking the first decline in a decade. Homeless deaths declined 10% in 2024, while 2208 total fatalities compared to the previous year. Expanded overdose prevention and treatment led to a 21% reduction in drug related deaths. The report tracks homeless deaths using data from the L.A. County Medical Examiner and U.S. census. For more information, go to public-health. L.A. County.gov. Today Union Station 14, heavy rail and four light rail tracks serve more than 500 trains each day, linking Los Angeles to destinations across California and beyond. From the early days of steam locomotives to diesel engines and now cleaner, more sustainable transit systems, the station continues to bridge the gap between tradition and modern mobility. Just a few miles away, the California Science Center also brings the past and the future together from fascinating historical displays like its ancient mummy exhibits to interactive technology and science experiences, the museum offers something for visitors of all ages. And whether you're a lifelong Angeleno or visiting for the first time, a stop at the California Science Center is a must see destination for discovery and inspiration. The Science Center provides an opportunity for children and visitors of all ages to participate in science, and not just read about it. So this is where you can do science. This is where you can do engineering . This is where you can explore phenomena. My name is Gretchen Bozzella. I'm the deputy director here at the California Science Center, and I'm so excited to invite you down to the science center. We have so many different zones where visitors can experience different environments, different ecosystems, and they can learn how those ecosystems are interconnected. We have desert zone, we have the polar zone. We have the kelp zone. We have the intertidal zone. We have 188,000 gallon saltwater tank where we have fish and kelp forests. Just as it is off the coast of California. Here And so it allows visitors to have that perspective of being in the water, with the fish being in the water with the kelp. In addition, they can go up to the top of the tank. They can look down from the top of the tank and see what it's like from that perspective. And finally, they can also go to a touch tank where they can actually get up close and personal with some of these animals and be able to touch and learn more about them. So we hope that visitors take away the interconnectedness of all ecosystems and how changing one part of an ecosystem can affect another part of an ecosystem. We also hope that they take away the beauty and the inspiration behind these ecosystems. What it's like to experience them, what it's like to visit them, and what it's like to want to protect them and want to learn more about them. A lot of people think of mummies primarily as Egyptian, but this is the mummies of the world. In mummies of the world, we have on display intentionally mummified and naturally mummified animals and people from South America, from Europe, and from ancient Egypt, including we have a selection of mummies that have never before been seen in Los Angeles and we have CT scans of the full body mummies that let you look beneath the surface. Mummies of the world is being shown in a science center, not in a cultural history center. So we tend to look at this through the lens of science and through the lens of science. We're able to study more about the history of human health. We're able to study the process of mummification and learn that mummification preserves biological and cultural evidence that let us know much more about our human history. So we balance fun and learning by using hands on inquiry based science. So that is really the inspiration behind the whole science center. And here at the game on exhibit, our visitors are actually able to participate in sports and experience the sport. So the visitors are encouraged to play, to kick, to throw, to bat. And this is really an opportunity to not just be reading about science or reading about physics, but to be doing science and doing physics . So we'll be here through the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics. So I think it's an incredible opportunity as we prepare for the Olympics to visit Los Angeles for children and visitors of all ages, to come down and get an experience of science behind sport. So the general admission to the science center is always free. So we're very proud of that. And we invite all of our Angelenos and all of our visitors across California and the U.S. to come down, not just to game on, but to the science center. We have hands on exhibits throughout where you can participate in your own learning, have active investigations, opportunities to see live animals, opportunities to see space. And I just would encourage all Angelenos to come down and check us out and spend some time here. This is a special occasion. It takes place every year. The Commission on the Status of Women with the city Council members, along with the mayor's office, honors and recognizes the achievements of women of Los Angeles. Would the Council like to move into presentations? Yes. Exciting morning of presentations. I am Tracy Gray. I'm the president of the Commission for the Status of Women. Thank you for welcoming us today. This year we celebrate a momentous, monumental milestone. The 50th anniversary of the CSU. Vanessa. We celebrate you. And on behalf of the City of Los Angeles and Council District 14, thank you for leading with your heart. Thank you for showing us what it's like to uplift your community every step of the way . Learning that I got this award, it was very emotional for me. Um after five years of working in the community and supporting street vendors, it was very beautiful to see that our work and the community work that I've been doing has been acknowledged and recognized. Um, it makes me very proud. And it also, um, makes me want to keep going too, and keep fighting more for my community and just being an example to brown little girls in the community from El Sereno, that anything is possible with hard work and determination. We know that women hold up half the sky and in our neighborhoods, they're holding it down at home and the workplace on the streets, keeping our neighbors safe. And this is a moment where we get to reshape history and make sure it includes the powerful women and mujeres who are part of our communities to make sure that they are seen and heard. I'm proud to introduce everyone to Council District 12 Women of Impact to Trifunovic. I'm just really blessed and I feel honored. I'm. I feel humbled that someone saw all the hard work that I've done in the community. I'm from an immigrant family. I'm really appreciative for all the leaders in the past that paved the way, and I just wanted to give back to the community. And I feel like that was just my way of giving back. But I didn't think that I that people saw my hard work. And to be recognized is just I feel very grateful. Especially for women of color, for black women, for Latino women, for indigenous women. It's really important for us not to be erased as we're seeing so many of our histories and struggles be erased. So we really need to lean into our power and not work from a place of fear, but from a place of power. She is someone who believes in the mission of the boys and Girls Club and just channels that passion to grow that mission and to grow that organization and frankly, you know, as as the council member in the area and seeing youth from beginning until now, it has been inspiring. I think the biggest meaning to be part of this is the responsibility that comes with it. It's what happens after today. It's not what's happened in the past, but it's what gets to happen in the future. Um I stand on the shoulders of women who came before and hopefully I'll be able to continue to build bridges where other women can continue to stand on and work through and have an impact. Union station has been transformed into the heart of southern California's transit network. National rail service through Amtrak operates alongside commuter trains from Metrolink and multiple lines of the Los Angeles Metro Rail. Millions of passengers pass through the station each year, making it the busiest rail hub in the western United States and just down the way from the historic archways of Union Station is the El Pueblo Historical Monument, which is home to Olvera Street's Mercado Night, a time and place for Angelenos to gather for shopping games and community fun all brought together by the steadfast spirit of the merchants who anchor this historic plaza. Well, first of all, I want to welcome everyone to El Pueblo de Los Angeles. Tonight is our first night. We are doing Mercado Night. We want to do this once a month on Friday evenings. We want to build on it. So we hope people come out and support the merchants here and support El Pueblo. We're having the shops stay open a little bit later. We also have some music on the street, so we would love for you to come and join us on our Mercado Nights. All of our merchants here have different merchandise from all over Mexico and Latin America, and we offer it to all of our public. The shopping is so fun. It's so great. I got such great treasures tonight, but also the food is fantastic. You're not going to get food like this anywhere else. Tonight we're going to feature Loteria, the game Loteria. That's very common amongst Mexican households. Loteria brought me tonight to other is the Loteria game. The way it was called, it was fantastic. I loved how they showed us the cards and said the words in Spanish and in English. It was so fun. They can enjoy with family and friends. A little game and be able to take home some prizes. This was such a great opportunity to socialize with the people and the culture. It was top notch. I highly recommend coming out at least one time. We want to build on this event. Do this once a month on Friday evenings from 5:00 to 8:00. Come enjoy the atmosphere this is a family friendly place. We enjoy and love being able to share our stories with the public, our traditional events, with the public, our blessing of the animals is coming up soon. So all of those things we love to be able to enjoy and have the public participate with us. So we want you to be part of this family. Join LA Cities Department on Disability at the Abilities Expo from Friday, March 27th to Sunday, March 29th. This year's expo takes place at the Long Beach Convention Center, where everyone is invited to up your game with cutting edge disability products, tech and resources. Conquer the accessible climbing wall. Dive into adaptive sports, dance with the rollettes, attend info packed workshops and more. It's an epic day out and free, so register today! Make your world more accessible at the Abilities Expo Los Angeles. Taking place from Friday, March 27th through Sunday, March 29th, find the full schedule and more information online at abilities.com. Slash Los Angeles . If you'd love to support Los Angeles Street vendors, then this next event is a must vendor fest. Night market gathers more than 40 street vendors at Gloria molina Grand Park for an evening celebrating the people that bring the street to life and make our city unique. There will be food and artisan vendors, along with one of a kind artistic tributes to LA Street vendor culture. Learn more at Grand Park. Org. Bring the whole family together for a day of fun and unforgettable memories at the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. Spring Carnival. Enjoy exciting rides, snacks and treats and soak in the festive vibes. Come early for a classic carnival day where rides and snacks will be available to purchase, head to Linkin Park Recreation Center on Valley Boulevard for Spring Carnival from Friday, March 27th through Sunday, March 29th, with various hours each day. Learn more at Lincoln Park Rec on Instagram. And that's a look at some things to do for over 80 years. Union Station in Los Angeles has been the stage for countless reunions , departures, and discoveries, and today it serves as a central hub for regional and national rail travel, connecting passengers through Los Angeles Metro Rail, Amtrak and Metrolink . And like the city, it serves Los Angeles Union Station continues to evolve, embracing new, sustainable transit solutions while welcoming vibrant public art that reflects the spirit, diversity and culture of the region. Thank you for joining us and you can watch these stories and much more on channel 35 or at LA City Dot gov forward slash TV. And don't forget to follow us at L.A. City on Instagram, Facebook X and YouTube. Until next time, get out there and explore all that Los Angeles has to offer . Your honor, thank you, commissioners Chief Jim McDonnell, executive director doctor, Mr. Jango Sibley, madam secretary, inspector General Matthew Barragan, Mr. city attorney Carlos de la Guerra, and members of the Public Good morning. Today is Tuesday, March 24th, 2026. It is 9:30 a.m. This is a regular meeting of the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners. Madam Secretary, please call the roll. Good morning. Please let the record reflect. Commissioners Sanchez, Gordon shields, Garcia and Scoggin are present. And we have a quorum. Madam president, thank you. We welcome everyone attending today. All public comment will be heard during item number four on the agenda. We will dedicate a total of 60 minutes to public comment. Members of the public will have one minute per agenda item for a maximum of two minutes total. At the request of the speaker, the speakers will be given one additional minute for general public comment for a maximum of three minutes. Total Members of the public. If you choose to participate in the public comment portion of the agenda, you can. You can participate in this meeting in a number of ways outlined in the agenda. Members of the public who participate in public comment are reminded that they can speak to any item on the agenda or a matter within the jurisdiction of the Board of Police Commissioners. Public comment is your opportunity to address the board so you are free to express your opinion on matters before the board and to generally express when you disagree with other opinions expressed. However during your comments to other individuals you have spoken or attacked others who have expressed their opinions shall be deemed off topic and your public comment period will be concluded. Message for those attending in person. These meetings are regular meetings between the board, the department and key stakeholders. Meetings of the board of the police commissioners are open to the public. The state's Ralph and Brown Act offers affords the public the opportunity to be present at the meetings, hear the presentations and dialog in real time, and provide feedback via public comment period. During these meetings, there is a need for the board to carry out the public business expeditiously without delays or disruptions. Members of the audience shall not engage in any conduct which causes an actual disruption of the meeting. Those attending in person are reminded that disruptive behavior will be cause for removal. If you disrupt this meeting, you will be provided with only one warning to seize disruptive behavior. If you fail to cease such behavior, you will be removed from the meeting. All attendees must be seated. Failure to follow this rule will result in a warning and or removal from the meeting. With that, we will begin with item one. The report of the Chief of Police, Chief McDonald. You may proceed. Thank you. Good morning, President Sanchez. Gordon Commissioners Inspector general Barragan, city attorney Della Guerra and executive director Sibley. Today's report will cover the prior two week period due to the technical difficulties experienced at last week's scheduled meeting. I will highlight key events, share our current crime statistics, and provide an update on our current staffing levels. Two weeks ago, I provided a brief overview of an officer involved shooting and Wilshire Division that occurred in the early morning hours before the commission meeting. Today, I'd like to provide a few additional details regarding the incident. On March 10th, 2026, at approximately 6:50 a.m, Wilshire Patrol Division uniformed officers responded to a call of an assault with a deadly weapon with the suspect possibly still at the location. At 1826 Alsace Avenue. The person reporting stated that the suspect later identified as Jamil Bashir, pulled a gun on him after he asked Bashir to turn his music down. Officers met with the person reporting who directed them to Bashir's residence. After requesting additional resources, officers attempted to make contact with Bashir during this contact, Bashir produced a handgun, prompting officers to redeploy to the street while issuing verbal commands for him to surrender. Bashir suddenly exited the front door of the residence and ran directly toward officers while armed with a handgun in his left hand and a knife in his right hand. The handgun was pointed at the officers, resulting in an officer involved shooting. Bashir was struck once and fell to the ground, dropping both the handgun and the knife. He then stood up and ran back into his residence. A short time later, Bashir complied with officers commands to surrender and was taken into custody without further incident. Personnel from the Los Angeles Fire Department transported Bashir to a local hospital, where he was treated for a gunshot wound to the jaw. He is currently listed in stable condition. Officers recovered a handgun and a six inch black folding knife at the scene. The handgun was determined to be a Glock 19 style BB gun loaded with two 177 caliber rounds and a charged CO2 cartridge. No officers or other community members were injured during the incident, and force investigation Division investigators responded to the scene and are investigating the incident. On March 19th, 2026, about 430 in the morning, Central Patrol Division uniformed police officers responded to a radio call for an assault with a deadly weapon. Suspect at East seventh and Series Avenue. Upon arrival, the officers encountered a suspect. Later identified as Ray McCullen, inside of a motorhome parked on a public street. The officers observed McCullen holding a handgun. The officers repositioned themselves away from the motorhome while calling for additional resources. The officers established a tactical team and communicated with McCullen for approximately 20 minutes. However he did not comply with the officer's commands, and shortly thereafter, McCullen exited the motorhome armed with a handgun pointed it at the officers and an officer involved shooting occurred. McCullen was struck by gunfire, collapsed onto the ground, and was taken into custody without further incident. The officers rendered medical aid until the arrival of the Los Angeles Fire Department . Paramedics lAFD personnel arrived at the scene and transported McCullen to a local hospital for medical treatment. A pellet gun was recovered at the scene and booked as evidence . No community members or officers were injured during the incident and force investigation Division personnel responded to the scene and assumed investigative responsibility. Year to date. We're at four officer involved shootings, compared to eight at this same point last year. You had requested updates on various protests in the city between March 8th, 2026 and March 15th, the Department managed one protest event on March 15th, approximately 1500 demonstrators gathered in Topanga division near Ventura Boulevard and Pennfield Avenue for a protest titled solidarity for Iran. The demonstration remained peaceful and there were no incidents to report between March 16th and March 22nd, the department managed one additional protest event. On March 21st, approximately ten demonstrators gathered on the sidewalk in front of city Hall for an event titled Rally to Impeach Trump. An additional ten individuals erected tents adjacent to grant Park, resulting in an obstruction of pedestrian traffic and a call for service. A supervisor responded and directed the individuals to clear the pathway, which they did without incident. There were no arrests and no officers or community members were injured. On March 15, 2026, the department assisted in managing security for the Academy Awards. More than 300 personnel were deployed to support the event, ensure the safety of attendees and the public during the event , a small group of protesters attempt to block limousines from driving northbound on Highland Avenue. Officers safely moved the protesters to the sidewalk to maintain access. One arrest was made after an individual sat in the roadway and refused to comply with orders to leave the street. The individual was taken into custody without incident and booked for 647 c PC obstruction of a public place. There were no other arrests, no uses of force and no injuries reported. I'd like to provide an overview of a recent serial arson investigation involving Los Angeles police Department in close coordination with Los Angeles Fire Department and our federal partners. On March fourth, 2026, LAPD Major Crimes Division detectives, alongside lAFD arson investigators, responded to an arson at a house of worship in Sherman Oaks. The incident was classified as an arson and a hate crime. During the initial investigation, surveillance footage captured a suspect and a distinctive vehicle, which became a key investigative lead and ultimately connected a series of related incidents across the city through coordinated investigative efforts, detectives identified multiple arsons and attempted arsons occurring between March second and March 8th at locations in Central Los Angeles and Canoga Park. These incidents included repeated fires set to an electrical vault in the Fashion District, and a fire at a business in Canoga Park in one instance, the suspect directly stated he intended to burn the business prior to fleeing the scene. Investigators were able to link the incidents through surveillance footage, vehicle identification and investigative follow up, ultimately connecting the suspect to multiple fires. In total, the suspect was linked to four arsons and two attempted arsons, demonstrating a concerning pattern of escalating behavior due to the targeting of a house of worship. The Bureau of Alcohol, tobacco, Firearms and Explosives joined the investigation and is assumed investigative responsibility for that incident with federal charges under consideration on March 17th. Coordinated surveillance operations led to the suspect being taken into custody by LAPD personnel. Detectives working alongside lAFD arson investigators and ATF agents executed a search warrant at the suspect's residence and recovered evidence further linking the individual to the crimes. On March 18th, the case was presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. The Da has since filed three felony charges, including arson of property and arson of a structure on March 9th, 2026, 5:35 p.m. Hollenbeck Division officers responded to a silent alarm at a T-Mobile store located at 2708 East first Street when officers arrived, the suspects had already fled the location. Officers learned that three suspects had entered the store, threatened employees and demanded access to the back room and safe. The suspects removed merchandise valued at over $20,000 before fleeing among the stolen property was a decoy phone equipped with a tracking device using the tracking information, officers monitored the movement of the device, which led investigators to the area of Rosecrans Avenue and Elva Avenue in the city of Compton. Surveillance footage from a nearby 7-Eleven captured the suspects, arriving in a gray Infiniti G37. Detectives and officers conducted follow up surveillance at the location where the device continued to ping. Officers observed several individuals matching the suspects description and later tracked the gray Infiniti as it left the area. Officers conducted a traffic stop and detained four suspects without incident. During the stop, officers observed the suspects attempting to conceal additional jewelry and other property inside the vehicle. The items are believed to possibly be connected to other robberies and that investigation remains ongoing. Evidence related to the robbery, including cell phones and other property, were recovered from the vehicle. Detectives also obtained a search warrant for the residence where the suspects had been observed entering, and leaving. In total, four suspects were arrested, three suspects, including one juvenile, were arrested for robbery. A fourth suspect was arrested for receiving stolen property. One of the suspects also found to be out on bail for a previous robbery arrest in Orange County . A burglary arrest during the week of March 2nd. Metropolitan Division B platoon was contacted by Devonshire Division detectives to assist with the Commercial burglary investigation, in which currency had been taken. Officers used various investigative techniques and reviewed surveillance footage from the area, which led to the identification of a possible suspect vehicle through follow up investigation, officers determined the suspects were committing crimes during the early morning hours. During the early morning hours of March 9th, the suspect vehicle was observed casing an area in Van Nuys Division. Plainclothes officers located the vehicle near Ventura Boulevard and began conducting surveillance while monitoring the vehicle, officers heard glass breaking and then observed the vehicle leaving the area. Officers confirmed that a window smash burglary had just occurred at a nearby business. Officers located the vehicle shortly thereafter and conducted a stop, taking both the driver and passenger into custody without incident. Both suspects have extensive criminal histories and were booked for burglary. The vehicle was impounded and held for evidence and multiple cash drawers were recovered from inside the vehicle. Detectives are currently working to link the suspect to several additional commercial burglary cases. Regarding our street racing task Force. On March 22nd, units from the Street Racing Task Force and coordination with Olympic Operations Central Bureau of Surge Operations, South Bureau Surge undercover personnel and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department trap unit conducted a coordinated enforcement operation targeting street takeovers as a result of this operation, personnel disrupted or prevented over 31 street takeovers across multiple locations within the city of Los Angeles and surrounding sheriff's jurisdiction. Enforcement efforts resulted in two misdemeanor arrests, one for reckless driving and one for driving on a suspended license with possession of nitrous oxide tanks. Additionally, five vehicles were impounded and 18 citations were issued. Due to the proactive deployment of task force personnel actively monitoring street racing activity. Units also responded to a potential looting and smash and grab incident at Felix Chevrolet, located at 3330 South Figueroa Street, approximately 15 to 20 individuals attempted to force entry into the showroom and merchandise store. However, the suspects fled on foot when observing responding officers. No entry was made and no property was taken. Uh crime. For the week ending March 21st, all analysis based on offense count except for homicide and victim shot through March 21st, 2026, compared to year to date 2025 combined persons and property crimes are down 16.5, which is 4200 less crimes. Person crimes are down 4.2% and property crimes down 19.6. Homicides are down 17% or nine less lives lost year to date. Victims shot are down 30.4. Aggravated assaults are up year to date by just under 1, with 24 or more crimes reported. Domestic violence and homeless related crimes are the biggest driving factors, and we're continuing to assess and address those areas of concern. There are no patterns or trends. Robberies are down 10.1. Burglaries are down 34.2, residential burglaries down 36.1, and nonresidential burglaries declined 30.9. Motor vehicle thefts are also down at 29.9. Our personnel strength, our sworn personnel as of March 23rd is 8652 civilian personnel staffing is at 2456. We have 347 reserve officers, and as an update, which we will do from now on, a report on injured on duty and temporary restriction update for sworn personnel. A total of 743 sworn employees,