I'm going to begin with the land acknowledgement before we begin the meeting. The West
Tully with City Council acknowledges that the land on which we gather, and that is currently known as the City of West Hollywood, is the occupied, unseated, seized territory of the Gabriele Lennio Tongva and Gabriele Lennio Keesh people.
I'm officially calling this meeting of the February 3rd, 2025 City Council meeting to order at 6 o'clock.
Sure. We'll my colleagues and our guests please join me in the pledge of allegiance. We'll have the kids back.
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.
My nation under our indivisible with liberty and justice for all.
Thank you. City Clerk, may we please have a roll call.
Yes, Mayor, thank you. Council member, hang.
Yes.
Council member, myster.
Here.
Myster.
Here.
We have a quorum.
Thank you.
City attorney, will you please provide us with a report of the closed session?
Yes, good evening.
The City Council can be in the closed session this evening at a special time at 5 p.m. this evening.
There were no members of the public here to provide public comment.
The council discussed the one item of existing litigation listed on the posted agenda and took no reportable action.
And the closed session concluded at 5 p.m.
That concludes my report.
Thank you very much.
City Clerk, are there any changes from staff or tonight's agenda?
There are no changes from staff, Mayor.
Do my colleagues have any proposed changes to the agenda?
I do.
No.
Great. Council member, please get started.
Thank you.
I would like to see if we could move a few things.
First of all, I'm going to start with item D1.
The removal of permit requirement for self-hauling of solid waste recyclables and organic waste.
Great.
I see everyone nodding, so I'll just.
Additionally, I was wondering if we could do E2, the final east side community's priorities plan implementation update.
All right.
Are we moving that to consent?
No.
Mr. E5, amendment to the number four agreement for services with air calient enterprises.
The, I'm going to do E6 review of the ad hoc subcommittee recommendations and confirmation of the plan.
Great.
Okay.
I see if we were on that ad hoc committee.
Okay.
The E6, the Plumber Park subcommittee recommendations.
Yes.
Okay.
I'll make comments under.
Sounds good.
F1, award of agreement for professional services to RW bid construction management.
F1.
Add in your councilmember comments.
Okay.
Let's see.
Sorry.
Resolution in support of lunar new year.
F5, sorry.
F6, exploration of childcare needs and potential support.
Okay.
I'm going to try one more.
Eight.
I'm going to buy lottery ticket later.
F7, avian influenza, H5, bird flu education preparedness.
I have a feeling why new one of my colleagues would agree on that one.
Okay.
Wonderful.
Thank you.
Those are all the ones.
Mayor.
Thank you.
The community development block grant to consent.
Yep.
And how about item F4.
Okay.
Anything else?
Okay.
E3.
E3 is.
Well, I think I need to.
E4, they're asking for some direction.
On E3, I have comments that I like to keep it on the agenda.
Okay.
We'll like we've moved everything we can to consent then.
Okay.
We have a motion.
Do we have a second?
We have an approved agenda, thank you all.
Before we proceed, can we just scan the agenda and see that if any of my colleagues have any
leave being active closures for tonight's meeting?
None for me.
No.
Okay.
Tell them we're hanging on.
Okay.
Thank you very much.
Do any of my colleagues have any adjournment motions this evening?
No.
Okay.
I have two.
I'm going to begin tonight.
Tonight we adjourn in memory of the lives lost in the tragic plane crashes that took place in Washington,
D.C. and Northeast Philadelphia.
The crash in Washington, D.C. claimed the lives of 67 individuals, making it the
the deadliest US air disaster since 2001.
In Northeast Philadelphia, at least seven people have been killed with more than 22 others
injured as of today.
These heartbreaking events have left families, friends, and entire communities grieving
in their wake.
We extend our deepest condolences to those whose lost loved ones and send our thoughts to the survivors
and first responders.
And one more adjournment.
This one's close to home.
David Richard Thompson was born in Bay Route, Lebanon, and raised in Morocco, Jordan, and
Washington, D.C.
The son of a military diplomat, father, and a talented artist mother.
His life was filled with creativity, adventure, and deep connections.
His journeys took him through Ohio, Paris, and New York before he made West Hollywood
his home.
He lived in WeHo for 30 years and built a career in acting, singing, composing, and writing.
All while traveling the world and forming friendships wherever he went.
As an actor, he starred in projects alongside Jenna Elfman, Perry Gilpin, Gina Davis, and Eric
Stoltz.
He was a founding member of Unprotected Six, a Los Angeles-based sketch comedy group, and
sang in an all volunteer Christmas choir, National Enquirer.
His talent, warmth, and generosity extended into many fields, including his love of cooking.
Some of his culinary clients included Elizabeth Taylor, Herbrits, Tom Ford, and
Michael Jackson.
As a teacher, David empowered young people.
Many of them, ex-gang members, and recovering drug addicts, through the Young Filmmakers Academy
and the Story Project.
In 2009, he co-founded the World Free Running Part Quar Federation, and in 2014, the
Non-profit International Part Quar Federation, with his longtime friend and partner, Victor
Bavine.
Together, they produced MTV's Ultimate Part Quar Challenge, and launched Peace Through Part
Four, a global initiative supporting young people in conflict, conflict zones, war-affected
areas, and developing nations.
He actively raised funds and gathered donations for refugee families in need.
David was also a board member of St. Diego-based Second Families, a nonprofit dedicated to helping
families displaced by the Syrian Civil War, who were recently granted asylum in the US.
Just before passing, David wrote and published a children's book, Complete With Songs,
which he composed and sang, parkour of power talks.
It uses the sport of parkour to teach kindness and courtesy to children, an extension of his life-long
belief in lifting up others.
David is survived by his sisters, Amy, Lynn, Karen, and Gale, and his constant friend and business
partner, Victor.
Dozens of nieces and nephews, his chosen sisters, Diana, and Ness, and Christine Downs, as well as
many of his dear friends whose life he touched with kindness, humor, and unwavering spirit.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and all those he knew and loved.
And now, we have two presentations to also start the evening with.
Councilmember Hang, I'll start with you.
Thank you, Mayor.
I'm good evening, everyone.
At this time, I would like to present a Proclamation for Lunar New Year,
whereas the Lunar New Year, as a vibrant and wildly celebrated holiday,
observed in many parts of Asia and Asian countries across the globe,
marking a start of a new year based on the traditional Chinese Lunar-Solar calendar,
and whereas the Lunar New Year begins on the second new moon following the winter solstice,
occurring annually between January 21st and February 19th, with the year the snake in 2025,
which began on January 29th, and whereas this holiday holds deep cultural and historical significance
with tradition that emphasizes family gatherings, community celebrations,
and the honoring of ancestors, while also recognizing those who dedicate their lives to service and protection.
And whereas California is the home to one of the largest Asian-American populations in the United States,
and the celebration of Lunar New Year provides a vital opportunity to acknowledge and uplift the diverse traditions,
achievements and invaluable contributions of these communities to our state, region and city.
And whereas in the spirit of the Lunar New Year, the city of West Hollywood honors the Asian and Pacific Islander Firefighters,
serving in the Los Angeles County Fire Department for their unwavering dedication, their bravery, and sacrifice in protecting lives and property,
particularly during the recent wildfires, which devastated the greater Los Angeles region.
Now, therefore, be it resolved that the city council of the city of West Hollywood,
hereby recognizes Lunar New Year in West Hollywood and expresses its deepest appreciation for the service and sacrifice of the Asian and Pacific Islander Firefighters,
protecting the Los Angeles region.
At this time, I would like to invite Deputy Fire Chief Albert Yanagisawa,
an acting assistant fire chief Koi Dow, along in attendance from the Los Angeles County Fire Department,
along with my colleagues on the dias, up to the diaspora photo,
and to accept the proclamation and certificates we prepared to honor you for your service on this important holiday of Lunar New Year.
Thank you.
Good evening, Mayor Buyers, honorable city council members, the residents of West Hollywood in distinguished
kits, as the Deputy Chief of the Community Risk Reduction Bureau for the County Los Angeles Fire Department,
I want to thank you for the honor and the privilege, just a little history real quick.
In 2022, my friend and colleague here and I decided that we need to represent the Asian Pacific Islander members in our department.
Not only represent them, but recruit new members to the fire department so that our department represents the community that we serve.
It has been a tireless effort. We do it out of a passion and love for the department and the members of the Asian Pacific Islander community.
Thank you for your support.
Just to reiterate what Chief Yankees Aller said, we truly appreciate this recognition and I want to acknowledge the heroes, the true heroes.
Well, Chief Yankees Aller and I were part of the mitigation efforts, so the fire fighting efforts.
We were managers directing traffic. The true heroes are actually the men and women that are at the end of the fire holes working tirelessly for hours on the end days on the end.
I can attest to that because I was on the fire for 48-hour straight without any rest.
Secondary to that, I like to acknowledge their family because without their family they cannot do what they do.
Stain at the firehouse, working 24 hours a day, some of these firefighters are at either at work or in a uniform sometimes two weeks at a time without even coming home to see their family.
So I want to acknowledge those true heroes. Thank you so much for your time. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.
And truly, on behalf of this council and the entire city of West Hollywood, we thank you.
We thank the men and women you serve alongside.
And as you said, the families who support your ability to do this work, thank you so much for coming out tonight and allowing us to honor you for your work.
Thank you. Thank you. Councilmember Hank.
All right, one more presentation. This one is special and I think this council for supporting this effort this year and bringing began you,
to the city of West Hollywood for the first.
Time, and I think the volunteers, which is what we're here to do tonight,
covering this effort. It's no surprise I'm not a vegan myself.
I've been working along that way, but this effort of began you where it goes deeply
on alignment with the climate goals that the city has and has been a really
meaningful way for new folks to work on trying new things and to get in front of new ways of
learning and trying new foods. So it was important for us to honor and recognize
the volunteer effort that has helped fuel this movement. So tonight we'll recognize
veganewary as a global nonprofit organization that encourages individuals to
try vegan in January and beyond, as a way of protecting the environment,
preventing animal suffering and improving the health of millions of people. And since
its inception in 2014, veganewary has inspired millions of people worldwide to explore
plant-based eating and thousands of businesses to add more vegan products and menu options.
Whereas research shows that animal agriculture is a leading contributor of climate,
changing gases, and a key driver of deforestation and species loss. According
to the United Nations, plant-based foods generally use less energy, land, and water, and have
lower greenhouse gas intensities than animal-based foods. And whereas a global shift
towards plant-based plant-forward eating is critical to mitigate the worst impacts of climate
change according to a recent intergovernmental panel on climate change report. And whereas, this
January, the city of West Hollywood proudly participated in the veganewary challenge following the
adoption of a resolution and support of this initiative, encouraging participation from community
members, local businesses, and city staff. This effort aligns with the city's history of adopting
policies, supporting plant-based initiatives, including the adoption of a resolution in 2018
to establish green Monday, encouraging restaurants to serve plant-based foods on Mondays. A resolution
adopted in June of 2024, mandating sustainable and climate-friendly food choices for all city-sponsored
staff, or sorry for all city-sponsored events, and a resolution adopted in October of 2024
to sign the Plant-Based Treaty to put food systems at the forefront of combating climate crisis
to halt the widespread degradation of critical ecosystems caused by animal agriculture and to promote
a shift towards healthier, sustainable plant-based diets. And whereas, the animal-ware fellow, I, sorry,
the animal-ware-fair alliance, plant-futures at UCLA, lives without knives, and ruins opposing speciesism,
launched the first university beganuary challenge in the U.S., securing nearly 100 student
sign-ups, and hosting the Plant-Powered Revolution, a week-long series of events, including a
bedfest, with over 800 attendees. Their efforts led to the creation of a university beganuary
challenge guide to help expand the January to campus's nationwide in 2025. And whereas, the city
commends organizations such as beganuary, plant-based treaty, animal-ware-fair alliance, plant futures
at UCLA, and other UCLA organizations for advancing food system transformation through education
and advocacy. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the city council in the city-west Hollywood,
hereby recognizes beganuary, plant-based treaty, animal-ware-fair alliance, and plant futures at UCLA,
and advancing plant-based advocacy. The city encourages residents and community members to explore
the benefits of plant-based diets for personal health, environmental sustainability, and ethical
well-being. At this time, I would like to invite our UCLA student representatives and representatives
from the Plant-based treaty and attendance tonight up to the day as for a photo with my colleagues and
to accept these proclamations. Thank you all so much.
Good evening, council, mayor, and vice mayor. My name is Sergei Thosange and I am a third-year
undergraduate public health student at UCLA and volunteer with beganuary, a global nonprofit
inspiring people and businesses to try to be began for January and beyond. Last year,
I brought beganuary to the UCLA campus because I believe that college campuses are uniquely
positioned to inspire the next generation of professionals, leaders, community members, and parents
to adopt a lifestyle that benefits animals, the planets, and themselves. We nearly 100 signups,
the campaign's success reinforced the intention and methodology behind beganuary,
which rewards approaching this multifaceted issue through a welcoming, forgiving, and accessible
environment. I'm deeply honored to accept this proclamation, recognizing beganuary in West Hollywood.
This proclamation, along with their comprehensive beganuary campaign, reflects the city's
unwavering commitment to sustainability, health, and animal welfare. The beganuary team is thrilled that West
Hollywood signed the Plant-based treaty and is the first city to implement such an extensive beganuary
program. Thank you for promoting Plant-based initiatives in your city and leading the way for
residents and businesses not only in your city but throughout the country. On behalf of the whole
beganuary team, we are grateful to your dedication, especially to Mayor Chelsea Buyers for campaigning
this initiative. Thank you for celebrating the beganuary for animals, the planet, everyone's health,
have a good night, everyone. Thank you. Thank you again so much. I just like to echo those words
amazing and thank you from West Hollywood. Thank you Mayor Buyers and everyone for being so
progressive and just really on the forefront because now is the time we need more than ever. So it's
really exciting to see everything organically growing so fast and quickly. So thank you so much. We
appreciate you so much and thank you so much. Hello, thank you so much Mayor Chelsea Buyers and everyone
on the City Council for being so supportive of our Plant-based initiatives. We can't wait until we do
LA Climate Week events with you guys and thank you again. We really appreciate all the efforts
are doing. Thank you. Thank you so much. Okay, we are going to move into public comment. The City Council
values your comments, however, pursuant to the Brown Act. The Council cannot take action on items not
listed on the posted agenda. The public comment period is limited to 20 minutes with two minutes
allotted for each speaker. This public comment period is to address the City Council on consent calendar
items. Other agenda items, if the member of the public cannot be present at the time that that item is
considered or items of general interest within the jurisdiction of the City Council. Another period is also
reserved for general comment later in the meeting for those that could not be heard at the beginning
of the meeting at this time. Public hearings testimony will only be taken at the time of the hearing.
If you signed up to speak on both consent calendar items and general public comment as well as an
item that was moved to the consent calendar, you may take this public comment period to sign or to speak
on the consent calendar items. You may also sign up to speak during the second public comment period
for your general public comment. Lastly, speakers should not bring any items to the podium other
than a prepared written statement or writing materials. Madam Speaker, how many speakers do we have?
Have 11 individuals signed up to speak and chambers enable we have currently no one in Zoom.
Okay. I'm going to read the public commenters and I'll just read the first three so people can be
ready to jump up and we'll see how many we can move through. Great. Bob Cluster,
followed by Stephanie Harker and Kathy Blavis.
Hi kids. I'm going to primarily address what comments Councilman Hang who was not here last year
to fill you in on what you missed. At one point Council had a plan to drastically
we configure the heart dog park, which West Hollywood leases on Los Angeles, including the installation
of artificial turf. The regular uses of the park were unanimously opposed to this.
We mounted a campaign which included many months of lobbying, emails, petitions, etc. We presented
Council with mountains of irrefutable evidence from a wide range of academic and scientific sources
all in absolute agreement that this stuff is terrible for the environment for the water table,
for the users, and for the community. It would raise the air temperature of the park significantly.
It would smell bad and worst of all would be carcinogenic. We proved that the safety claims made by the
manufacturers of these products are dishonest, deceptive, and totally self-serving. Many communities
are banning entirely with more jumping on all the time. This is a time in which people are striving
to have less plastic in their environments, not more, and with very good reason. Eventually Council
agreed to direct the contractor not to use artificial turf on our park. We were all very relieved by this
and trusted Council will keep its word and that we won't have to worry about that. Then Mayor
Ericson specifically thanked me on the record for educating Council on this topic. So imagine my surprise
to see that in the work order for the dog run being installed at Plumber Park, artificial turf has
reared its toxic head once again in its part of that plan. How is it possible that what would be
toxic at Hark Park would be safe for Plumber Park on my own behalf of the way. There are many options for
dog park surfaces that are organic and safe. We love the wood chips currently in our park,
where they've called zero problems in 25 years. We urge Council to reconsider the use of toxic
artificial surfaces in their dog parks and virtually everywhere else as well. Thank you.
Thank you, Stephanie Harker, followed by Kathy Blavis, and then we're going to move to Zoom and then back to
you everywhere. Good evening, Stephanie Harker City West County City of West Council. There you go.
It's up near East Japan. First of all, Stephanie Harker City of West Hollywood,
Good evening, Council members, members of the Public Members of the staff. I want to send out special
thanks to staff members, Helen Collins, Danny Revis and Joe Torres, and Vito for being so responsive
to comments from the public, me in particular, and when called upon, they're there in a flash. They even
responded on a weekend. So thank you very much to them. I was going to speak on E6, which is
Plumber Park, which of course I'm sure you probably put my name on speaker list before you even got that,
but we're very happy that it's moving forward. I want to especially thank Council member John Erickson
and Lauren Meister for being on the ad hoc committee and shepherding this through, and we look for
the new improvements. Some glad there's going to be so much public input this time around.
Thank you to Rick Abramson, and on B14, I have had occasion to speak with some of the firefighters who
work at Station 8 and they said they can't say anything, but maybe I could and it's probably
goes to the county and I spoke to Danny Revis about this before the meeting that they need to have a remote
control for that red light that flashes outside of the Santa Monica Boulevard. Right now it's
a button on the wall and they literally have moments to that they have to get off the truck, push the button,
wait for the light to change and then then take off. So if we could help them push that through and have
a remote so that they can do it from the truck. I think that's all. Have a wonderful evening. Thank you.
Thank you. Kathy Blavis and then we'll turn it over to Zoom. Good evening. Kathy Blavis City of West
Hollywood. I could just make it really brief and say what she said. With regard to E6,
Plumber Park, yes, thank you very much to the ad hoc committee, Lauren Meister and council member,
John Erickson, yes public input and all the plans for phase one phase two were greatly looking
forward to. So thank you all very much for that. With regard to the the new San Vicente street scape,
I personally am very excited about that. It really shows the creative part of the creative city
from the renderings. It looks fantastic and I'm greatly looking forward to seeing that come to fruition.
Again, echoing what Stephanie said with regard to the traffic signal, it's what the firemen have
mentioned to us when we've chatted with them. So I hope that that can be pushed through.
That's it from my public comment. Thank you very much. Thank you. We'll go over to Zoom
and then we'll come back to chambers starting with Sam Burrelli.
Thank you. We are next speaker on Zoom is Andrew Solomon. Andrew, you'll have two minutes. Please press
star six to unmute.
Hi, this is Andrew, can you hear me?
Yes, go ahead.
I want to speak on item F6, the child care needs report, that's also silver in the background.
But I just want to thank you, thank you, council, thank you, may your buyers for bringing this issue forward.
I don't think that's really getting brought up enough from the diet and as a parent of a young kid,
kind of finally feel seen on the issue.
We actually toward private preschools just this morning for silver, because there's not any public program that's available to help us with Hollywood
and to cost for the private preschools around $1500 to $2000 a month.
And as a city in what Hollywood, we've had, sorry, as far behind our peers,
and Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Culver City, all of them offer more services and not just through their school districts.
It's actually through their public city government.
So I am thankful that this is being brought forward.
I look forward to participating in the town hall whenever it does get scheduled.
And I look forward to making the most of it.
Thank you, Mayor Buyers. Thank you.
Thank you, Mayor Buyers.
Done with Zoom back here.
Okay, great. Sam Burley, you're up.
And then Michael Rosnell, great.
And then Marquita Thomas after that.
Good evening. Mayor Buyers, council.
My name's Sam Burley. I'm here representing the Human Services Commission.
The council meetings to share vital information with the community about supportive services available at no cost.
Right now we are focusing on mental health, mental health.
The world can be a heavy place.
The wildfires have been devastating. We're all still on high alert.
There are many reasons why mental health does not get self prioritized.
Time, too many competing priorities, families, kids, work, shame.
We should outlaw shame when it comes to our overall health.
Access and the cost of services should never be a barrier, including your own mental health.
There are many things you can do to improve your mental health, including recognizing when you need help.
If you or someone you know is struggling with a mental health crisis, please call or text 988.
That's 988 if you're having a mental health crisis.
The West Hollywood care team operated by Sikomore supports 988 by providing stabilization,
safety planning, and connection to resources for those experiencing a health crisis.
For ongoing support from a mental health professional, the city partners with several non-profit agencies to provide life-sustaining services.
Maple counseling and APLA health provide individual and group therapy.
The LA LGBT Center offers culturally competent therapy, support groups, and substance-use recovery programs.
Being alive offers counseling, art therapy, and social support for people living with HIVAIDS.
And health care and action step up provides street-based care for unhoused community members.
Please, let us help.
Visit weho.org slash human services or call the great staff of human services at 323-8486502.
Thank you.
Michael Russnell followed by Marquita Thomas.
Jeff McMull and after.
Hi, I had a rent reduction hearing receiving decision in my favor, but hearing examiner low-balled me for painting,
carpeting, and linoleum.
Guidelines are low to high, pinching from $41 to $123, carpeting 62-166, linoleum 18-51.
Hearing examiner asks my rent, which, as a long-time rent, tenant is lower than the market rate.
Clearly, he based determination on rent, awarding lowest amount,
startling only $121, but didn't pay attention to other factors he must consider.
They are, extend our reduction effects tenant relative to quality of life, impact on habitability,
prevailing value of service, and extend to which tenants were led to rely services would be provided.
What was the main point of cityhood if not rent control?
Mandated services don't work, painting for four years, at four years, carpeting and linoleum at seven.
Tenants are penalized because rent raises work, but not living standards because landlords have an out.
City guidelines don't distinguish between studios and four bedroom apartments,
plus guidelines are ridiculous, assigning refrigerators $81 to $218 larger than the combined amounts for carpeting and linoleum.
A refrigerator costs $600, but thousands for flooring.
So landlords have incentives denying services when rent lost is poultry compared to renovations.
Doesn't that size set the law with tenants living in lesser standards,
stained, worn carpeting, linoleum with holes and faded walls?
Aren't those reductions in quality of life?
Doesn't it impact habitability and extend tenants' relied services would be provided?
Does rent control protect tenants only from the outside environment?
What good are small reductions benefiting landlords who wait till tenants can't stand living there and move?
And with my nine seconds thanks to everyone, I want to compliment Cameron, Kessinger, and Eric Fountain in particular,
because they're both particularly helpful and answering all of my questions quickly.
And I look forward to my hearing in April.
Thank you.
Good evening, Mayor Buyers and members of Council.
My name is Marquita Thomas and I'm a long-term renter here in the city of West Hollywood
and I come before you today to make two recommendations on updates to the West Hollywood Municipal Code.
The first being section 1606010B under maintenance standards.
There's a requirement for landlords to maintain provided appliances in good working order.
The section calls for repairs, but it does not currently include a time frame.
And I was just currently in a situation where I did not have a working refrigerator for 34 days.
We have elders and families in the city who need to refrigerate medication, milk, vegetables,
just everything.
So I would like to see that section to have a time frame of three to five days.
And I'd like to acknowledge Council Member Erickson for his help while I was dealing with my landlord and this refrigeration situation.
You continue to be a staunch advocate for renters and we appreciate that.
The other section I would like to make a recommendation on is section 1706010A.
Still under maintenance standards.
We currently have a provision in the municipal code that states that our inclusionary housing has to be on par with the market rate,
but we don't have a provision that older rent stabilized units need to be on par with vacancy,
decontrolled units.
So when a tenant moves out the newer tenants get hardwood floors and all these wonderful amenities,
but tenant who have been in their units for many years do not get the same updates
and their units continue to go into disrepair.
So I'd like to see if we can consider these two updates to the municipal code
in doing so we will bring greater equity to renters in the city.
Thank you so much for your time and have a wonderful meeting.
Thank you.
Jeff McMillan followed by Wendy Goldman and Steve Martin right up for that.
Good evening Mayor Buyers, Vice Mayor Helman.
Our council members, myster, Erksson and Hang,
greeting city manager Wilson, city attorney,
city attorney, leader, city clerk Krouter,
and city of West Hollywood staff.
I'm Jeff McMillan, a grateful resident of city of West Hollywood,
veteran of the United States Navy, jurist doctor,
multifamily asset manager, and proud queer American.
I'm here this evening to discuss the California Democratic Party,
Assembly District delegate elections, which are currently underway.
Given that you're a well informed politicians and professional public servants,
you are no doubt aware of the simply district elections.
Thus, if you would allow me, I would like to address the public directly.
Mayor Buyers, Mayor.
I've got to keep all your comments here but they'll hear you.
Okay, certainly. Thank you.
Thank you.
Good evening, my fellow Americans, members of the Democratic Party.
Citizens of California, registered voters of California's 51st Assembly District,
and West Hollywood neighbors.
I am Jeff McMillan.
I'm a candidate for the California Democratic Party 51st Assembly District delegation.
The Democratic Party is America's largest political party with 50 million party members.
The California Democratic Party is this largest constituency with 10 plus million registered democratic voters.
The leadership of the Democratic Party consists of three groups of party members,
one professional political organizers who work for the California Democratic Party.
Public officials who have been elected, and assembly members,
assembly district delegates is which I'm running for.
If you'd like to learn more about this election, please visit CaliforniaADM.org.
And if you'd like to learn about my campaign, please join me tomorrow night at six to eight at the abbey.
Thank you.
Wendy Goldman followed by Steve Martin and Mike Nuddle right after that.
Good evening.
Wendy Goldman, West Hollywood.
Good evening, Mayor Buyers, Council Member, staff, and distinguished guests.
I would like to address a question that has come up around my neighbors and myself,
the last few months regarding billboards and the public benefit.
There is a question of what qualifies as a billboard.
What qualifies as a public benefit.
89.50 sunset has had a movie add installed in the last few days that is over 15 feet tall.
I do not recall any public notice about this add.
I don't remember it being discussed by any other proper commissions or council.
So I'd like to know what qualifies as a public benefit, as well as what qualifies as a billboard.
Thank you.
Steve Martin followed by Mike Nuddle.
And just for my colleagues, we have four more commenters after that.
Steve Martin West Hollywood.
And, um, belated happy new year, happy lunar new year.
Congratulations, Mayor.
Buyers on your elevation to mayor and congratulations, Danny, on your election to the city council.
And also thank you for moving everything regarding the east side to consent calendars.
So I guess I can go home.
I do want to say that members of the east side neighborhood watch really look forward to working with you guys on the plans for Plumber Park.
And that does look forward to being a really exciting time for the city.
I also want to congratulate Mayor Buyers on breaking tradition.
We've had a long dynasty of dog mayors.
And now we are going to overthrow the canine tyranny and have apparently co-cat mayors.
I just think that the timing for West Hollywood is really good on this.
Because in spirit, I mean, I own two cats.
Both of them are rescue.
But even though we may not all own cats, we are really defined as cat ladies.
At least certainly by Vice President Advance.
And cat ladies are people who care about animals, but also, and generally don't have children, but care about progressive issues and care about making their communities better.
So it's exciting to me that we're going to have a break and have cat co-mayors.
And maybe that will, we can invite Vice President Advance to install them.
And I look forward to working with John Heilman getting him a cat so he can carry on the tradition.
So thank you very much.
Thanks Steve.
Mike.
Knottle.
Followed by Joshua Marin.
Good luck.
Hello, City Council.
Once again, I just wanted to come in and say thank you for all the hard work you do.
It's amazing work and we appreciate it.
Just a few items.
The ice skating ring that you had.
I thought was amazing.
My friends that used it loved it.
So kudos to you for that.
David Wilson.
I just want to say your staff has been amazing at City Hall.
Every time I've won in, they've been responsive.
Amazing.
And the app that they have for reporting problems has been phenomenal.
So thank you for that.
Councilman.
Hang.
Congratulations on your.
Attention to City Council.
You're going to do amazing things.
And then last time when we're here.
Council member.
Comment.
I don't know you very well, but I just wanted to say thank you for your long jeopardy and service on City Council.
I don't think it's easy to be in the city spotlight.
And you've been here for a long time, so.
And the institutional not institutional knowledge that you bring.
I think is amazing.
Thank you.
And very similar.
Council member, myster.
I think you bring a lot to the table.
And I don't know you very well either.
But I just think the long jeopardy you've been on for City Council.
I know it's not easy.
I was on my HOA board and it's not easy.
So I just thank you for everything you've done.
And last but not least.
I just want to say if I think.
In the world spotlight right now.
The trans community has been under attack over and over and over again.
And I know you're all very supportive and care about all of us.
But I just think we should give special notice and do everything we can to help that community because they are under attack.
Thank you.
We have Joshua Marin Mora from the Assemblymember's Burz office.
We have a speaker in Zoom and one more in chambers.
Thank you.
Okay.
Good evening.
May I buy yours?
Here are how men, council members, city manager Wilson, city attorney Langer. My name is Joshua
Marin Mora. I'm the west Hollywood field representative for assembly member, Rick Chavez-Aber. The assembly
member is still working on his legislative package for this legislative session, but I did want
to inform you that the special session which had convened in letter to the new administration did a
adjourn today. Assembly member, as a member, was proud to join his democratic colleagues to support
two critical funding bills. The first illegal defense fund that would allocate $25 million to the
California Department of Justice to protect California taxpayers and the state's economy from hostile action
in Washington, including the now-backed track directive that threatened a lot of critical services
here in California. And the second bill allocated $25 million for immigration legal aid and services
organizations, which is veterans, students, renters, families, victims of domestic violence, and law
abiding immigrants who pay more than $130 billion annually in state and federal taxes.
And if I may all end with some other remarks that the assembly member gave today on the floor.
It's unfortunate that some of the minority seek to portray this funding as partisan or political.
There is nothing partisan about ensuring hungry kids have food to eat, protecting families from being ripped apart
and churches, standing up for brave service members risking their lives, ensuring emergency assistance for wildfire victims
makes it to those in need. Last week, the president tried to illegally stop payments for programs that all Californians
depend on. California was locked out of our Medicaid payment system. The administration, Washington,
has forced our hands. The president may betray his oath to uphold and defend the constitution against all enemies
for an end domestic, but we cannot. Thank you for your time.
Thank you.
We have one more speaker in chambers. Rances, September, and then we'll go over to Zoom for our final public comment.
Thank you, everyone, for the extension in time.
Last council meeting, decrepit vice mayor Harman said that the library isn't homeless shelter.
Will police tell us where is the homeless shelter located in West Hollywood?
Why are you complaining about the lack of infrastructure when you're the government?
Go build. Don't you have a master's degree in real estate development?
So, cough up the homeless shelter for us then.
So, second tired of your flaking really discriminative language about the homeless.
You weaponize the police and call them on the homeless for a merely existing.
When I call the sheriff, many times they tell me it's not an emergency, and the dispatcher refuses to send anyone.
But when I'm sitting in the bus stop, the sheriff just show up to shoot me away.
Your Hispanic security ambassador, Angel told me to go to Skid Row, and that this city has nothing to do with anything to do with being gay.
Your white and Hispanic deputies from the sheriff's department tell me to go find another city to go to.
Your black female Iván Quarker refuses to let me join the community garden.
Your white male gay residents tell me to leave Democrats are just diverse in your oppression.
Homelessness is a gay issue because gay people are more likely to be homeless.
You can afford me human rights, gay rights, or any rights at all.
I'm a citizen of this country, yet I've got less rights in an illegal alien.
I've got less rights than a criminal in prison.
At least they get three meals a day.
I have to eat out of the dumpster.
You talk about this stigma of HIV-AIDS, but this stigma of being homeless is greater.
Today I'm homeless, but tomorrow I'm going back to my penthouse under Sharia Law.
I'll trade my freedom for housing, but I'll work with the right wing to destroy the two-faced Democratic Party.
You Democrats denied me rights, and I'll return the favor.
In our final public comment in Zoom?
Yes, thank you, Mayor Meyer, the buyers, and Vice Mayor Heilman and City Council.
Game of Thrones is Wendell, a resident of West College of 14 years.
I just wanted to say, and make a public comment about pedestrian safety that's happened.
That's really important to address because being on foot in the line of public transportation,
I live just south of Flint at Boulevard.
In Fountain Avenue, we're having her meet at the intersection correct lights that have been five major accidents.
If someone's on foot with those areas on and a pedestrian, we would have been greatly injured.
That's why I don't like to walk on Fountain as I do on Sunset Boulevard.
Being a non senior disabled person, there are invisible disabilities.
And I want the city to at least acknowledge and recognize that people have to lie on buses.
And I want to focus on what occurred four weeks ago.
The city that I laid did not coordinate with the city was Hollywood.
There were about 1,000 plus cars that descended upon Havenhurst, not going west or east on Sunset Boulevard, but a corridor, but south.
What if they were disabled residents and there are that resides in the building that I live in?
And the street who could not get out or we didn't have evacuation orders.
But why with R Street inundated?
I have to wonder because LAPD, the city of Offendless, do not want to answer or respond to phone calls or request.
But I like the city of West Hollywood to at least get answered on RB5.
To know why R Street had to be inundated, why there were 1,000 plus cars that came down one residential corridor.
It's always failing first. We're not protected because we're on the city border.
So please understand what we have to go through and hopefully that could be mitigated because it was horrendous what happened four weeks ago.
I know there were evacuation orders and emergency.
However, if there was any coordination and any interaction with the city was Hollywood.
I don't see how that got accomplished because we were inundated with people coming down our street.
Thank you so much for your time.
Thank you. That concludes the public comment period.
And I just want to make a note before we turn it over to City Manager Wilson for his report.
There are still two items related to the east side for the public commenter who made that item E2 and item F4.
So I just wanted to make sure that that was noted and there was no confusion.
Okay, over to you City Manager, do the Boston for your report.
Thank you, Mayor. Good evening Mayor Vice Mayor and City Council members.
The February is Black History Month in a climate where historical and present day troops are under attack celebrating Black History Month becomes an act of resistance and a powerful affirmation of the importance of history community resilience and hope.
We will have an update on the city's diversity equity and inclusion efforts at the next city council meeting.
And also the winter sounds.
Our city's free indoor concert series will take place this Saturday, February 8th at 7 p.m. at the sun rose and will feature jazz and R&B sounds.
Tars VP please visit weho.org slash winter sounds.
And finally we have a new version of the city's we hope pages guide to share with the community.
This yellow page is now resource let's you know who at the city to call for services and help copies are available in the lobby at city hall in the Aquatics and Recreation Center at Plumber Park and online at weho.org slash we hope pages and that concludes my comments.
Thank you very much.
City Clerk can we get the fiscal impact on tonight's consent calendar.
Yes, thank you, Marin.
After I do the fiscal impact I will be reading the title of the ordinance for D1 into the record and then we will take the vote on tonight's consent calendar.
The fiscal impact on tonight's consent calendar with the addition of items D1 E5 E6 F1 F2 F5 F6 and F7
is $2,10444 and expenditures, $226,239 in revenue and zero dollars in waived fees.
Also for item D1 we are introducing on first reading an ordinance of the city council of the city of West Hollywood, California.
Amending sections 15.16.030 15.28.010 15.36.030 15.36.040 15.36.080 15.40.
15.40.030 and 15.40.040 of title 15 of the West Hollywood municipal code to remove the permit requirement for the self-hauling of solid waste and clarify terminology applicable to residents for solid waste services.
And with that we have a motion and a second to approve tonight's consent calendar.
I would like to note my no vote on B5 and on B12.
Okay.
Noting the no vote of council member Hileman on B5 and B12.
And tonight's consent calendar is approved 50.
Thank you. We will now move on to item C1, our public hearing request to permit a new two-faced static billboard and site improvements in front of the building on the property located at 9200 Sunset Boulevard.
The public hearing is now open.
City clerk, how is this meeting noticed?
Required by law mayor.
I just want to share for those in chambers and at home that we will be doing this through zoom this evening.
Because we have staff outside who are participating in this so it just makes it simpler overall.
So we will now go to zoom.
Thank you.
And if you're ready will the staff representative please introduce yourself and present a report tonight.
Thank you.
Good evening mayor and city council.
It's Brian Lake with the property development division.
I have Nick let them introduce themselves when they're ready.
Good evening mayor and council. Nick Marisage committee.
Development director.
And Jennifer Alkeyes.
And director.
Community involvement.
We're also joined on zoom by contracting your planner Jennifer Davis.
It seems we do a different zoom set up every time I'm here.
Mayor and city council.
Tonight for your consideration we have a request for around one design excellence award for single
side at billboard with two faces located at 9200 Sunset Boulevard.
In addition to the billboard the project includes a number of site improvements which will go over
to the public and representative can go into more detail.
The billboard which is known as the legacy loop comprises of two east facing static billboards totaling
1500 square feet.
The sign faces are vinyl application and feature a single advertising campaign which will be coordinated.
The site improvements associated with the billboard include new plazas with seating landscaping
and kiosks depicting the sunset strips rich billboard history.
As part of the the plaza.
They're proposing educational experience with information on the historic signage and with a bench seating component.
The billboard culture along the Sunset strip by walking along the story of how the billboards and the
billboard advertising methods have evolved through time and have played a critical role establishing the
vibe on the strip.
At the base of the billboard the plaza will have an interactive sign plaques mounted vertically on the face of
the walls paying homage to the strip's rich history.
A seating area will mark the edges and the larger plazas and faces towards the building
and the billboard educational plaques.
Here's a view of the westbound view of the billboard, the legacy loop going west.
I'm just going to go briefly over the public benefits.
This is a static board and we've been requiring 20% of the fair market revenues
as a static board for the public benefit.
That's for her year is $146,000, which would be about 7 million over 30 years.
The total public benefit payments also includes a public realm enhancement payment to the city of
for $150,000, which would be paid over first few years.
It includes a public art component, which is part of the static billboard requirement, which is
approximately 1% valuation of the billboard, and that will be over the 30 year period of $350,000.
That's the end of my presentation and would like to take questions or have the applicant
to represent or have come up.
Do my colleagues have questions for staff or would you prefer to hear from the applicant and then ask questions?
I can hear from the applicant.
Okay, so the applicant then will have five minutes present.
Thank you, Mayor Bioders.
Members of City Council, my name is Jeff Seymour.
I'm with Seymour Consulting Group.
Reside in West Lake Village.
I am going to be blessedly brief.
I know we only have a few minutes.
Mr. Ben Anderson is going to provide a presentation.
I'll spend some time here to respond to any questions in regard to the DA.
I do want to let you know that we want to thank staff, especially Mr. League and Ms. Davis, or assisting us through this process.
Good evening.
Staffs on a great job of introducing the project and speaking to some of the specifics.
So I'll try to speak maybe a little bit more to the design inspiration and offer up ourselves for any questions.
What makes this particular location unique is that it is the gateway to West Hollywood for incoming traffic from Beverly Hills and sort of really the last thing that you see as you're leaving the city.
I wanted to find a way to recognize the iconic and sort of long history of outdoor advertising, outdoor creative advertising along the Sunset strip.
But it's also inspired by the shape and the energy of Sunset.
We came up with this idea and the round one design award reflected this that it was sort of a loop that in producing these movements or motions created surfaces that could become signage.
This is the kind of main hero view if you will as your westbound out of the city of West Hollywood.
This particular location sits in an area where we were able to provide structure into the basement support the pole, but also extend the read with the distance at which you're able to see the sign.
So there's additional value for the city in this.
And really what we're trying to do is and I think a major goal of the program is to create signage that is not standard.
So in this case, we're really using that inspiration of the legacy loop and the geometry of a loop.
We're able to create very unique and iconic sign surfaces.
The sign is located as staff mentioned next to a pedestrian plaza and we don't know if I have time to go through all of the site improvements but happy to answer questions.
I just want to point out that at 100 feet.
This is one of the taller billboards but in context with the existing building, which is almost 200 feet.
It felt appropriate.
Additionally, we worked very closely with staff and the designer resubcommittee as well as planning commission to kind of optimize the rear of the sign.
Because it's one sided, we are proposing to clad the back to hide all of the associated catwalks and things that typically are not as desired.
And one of the things that came out of the last hearing was the addition of a mature California native tree.
So the residents or visitors coming into the city of West Hollywood from Beverly Hills are not staring at the back of the sign.
They're looking at a large mature tree.
So these views do reflect that addition and adoption of comments.
So they always see this as a very dynamic thing.
What shouldn't be lost on this is that most of the eyes on the strip are in cars and if you're moving in a car, we wanted to sign to be as dynamic as possible.
So the idea that from each of these vantage points, when you're in the car or if you're a pedestrian, it's still a very unique sculptural and iconic sign.
With that, I'll leave it to questions and thank you for your time.
Thank you.
Do my colleagues want to get started over here?
Well, I think, do we have other speakers?
I don't know.
That we do.
Do we have one individual to speak under public testimony for this?
We have no other applicant members to speak.
You want to ask questions first and then we can go to public comment.
Okay.
That's right.
That's the one individual.
But we can do questions first and then allow public comment and then come back.
Thank you.
So can we do questions first?
Or would you prefer public comment?
Go first.
I had questions.
Okay.
We're going to come for questions first.
Thank you.
Okay.
Hello.
So I have some questions about.
When you got the awarded this opportunity, we'll call it an opportunity.
The billboard was not located where it's located now.
So why was it moved?
It was originally on the east side of the property, right?
That's correct.
Above the bow of restaurant.
So why was it moved?
It was moved.
Post award.
The applicant team and the previous design team reviewed how to support a poll.
And a number of options where we're considered one would be directly to the building facade
and not going down through the restaurant and into the basement.
And another one was to push the structure down through the existing restaurant and into the basement.
And those locations were deemed invisible.
The current location does sit on top of parking or the parking structure.
But the primary poll is aligned with the column grids and we're able to support the poll.
Additionally, just as a, you know, another development is it does lengthen the read of the billboard itself.
The original award was really only visible from that stop sign or the stop light and intersection.
So if I'm moving it to the west side of the property, you're able to see the billboard more.
And you have a longer read.
There's light trespass to like 11.
Well, I'm not sure how many units, but it's 11 floors of CR towers.
Was that light trespass?
Did that exist with the, with the project being on the east side of the property?
We did not study that.
I'm sorry.
We did not study that.
You didn't study that, okay.
Did you, were you aware when you moved it that the city may have a gateway project that would be just beyond that billboard?
We are aware and the city has shared those designs.
Okay.
And was anything offered to the CR towers those units to try to mitigate the light trespass?
We did.
I think maybe Brian staff could speak to this in terms of the outreach and conversations.
The design team applicant team did provide exhibits and studies that,
the president's comments at least those that had contacted the city with comments or concerns.
So, so what was the mitigation you don't know?
We simply demonstrated the impact or what could be seen.
And maybe staff can speak to the specifics, but there was no further concern from those residents.
Okay.
Well, there appears to be concern in emails.
The tree that you that you present is a western sicker more.
That's a deciduous tree.
I don't usually get into the tree thing, but apparently the tree is there to block the back of the of the billboard.
So, what happens the other six months when the tree has has no leads?
That's a great question.
So, would the applicant consider changing the tree to an evergreen tree so that there is no loss of leads?
Certainly.
I think the landscape team we have been working with was focused more on the soil depth that's allowed there.
It does sit directly on top of the parking structure.
So, there's a limit of not a soil, but we're happy to revisit that with that concern.
Okay. Thank you. Those are my questions for the applicant.
Are there any questions? Nope. Okay. We'll go ahead and move on to public comment then.
And we'll come back for deliberation.
I do see Sam a Coon for public comment.
And if there's anybody else who'd like to speak, please do come and sign up with the speak clerk.
I just want to speak out as a resident of West Hollywood for.
Over 25 years, I currently live on Cory Avenue.
That's the street right across the street.
It's a sort of the last bit of a residential neighborhood including my own family.
There are two other families. One that has six children.
The light pollution that infects our street already is extreme.
And we do the best we can, but I just want to emphasize that.
That we are a residential neighborhood on that side and we're the last street.
And there are children starting at the age of six would be the youngest child.
We're bombarded by the TMZ trucks and other things that go on.
So even the idea, there's very little pedestrian traffic by the way.
Around that building on sunset, everybody enters from the other side.
So just to the idea of even creating another pedestrian instructive situation with parking in that whole area.
What it is, it's a bit of a nightmare for us.
And I just want to speak out as a family and as a resident of that street.
It would be more light pollution and more everything that we sort of welcome as a neighborhood.
That's all. Thank you.
Thank you.
And then Louise Krakauer.
I'd like to also live on the street court just south of sunset.
Louise, can you speak into the mic just we can hear you.
Thank you.
I'd like to live on Cory across the street from the 92 hundred building.
And a unit complex that's been there since 1941, beautiful, beautiful spot.
That whole street has houses.
So just Carol drive.
And of course, here are showers across sunset.
You know, we've never.
We've lived with all the building of the 92 hundred building and ball came in.
We've had, you know, various issues.
We've really not complained.
But this kind of thing, it makes, first of all,
I know the building well.
Nobody even uses a coffee shop.
Little little applause.
So I think that's just some sort of here say.
The question is what, what's West Hollywood get from this?
Is this the building wanting to do it because they get income?
Because there are better ways, I think, for the city to earn money than to put this.
Truly, I think, an attractive sign at the beginning where the alley is Beverly Hills.
To the first street of sunset, which is a beautiful street with elegant little old-fashioned areas.
It just seems, you know, what are you advertising?
It just doesn't make any sense to me.
And light pollution is pretty awful for us too.
So it's just, I just don't understand why the city unless it's gaining enormous amount of money.
I want to static, huge thing.
Next to the most beautiful 90s, 100 building, which was mid-century, I think,
or built in the 60s or 70s, that Elvis lived in the penthouse.
Anyway, there you go.
Just wanted to voice my ****.
Thank you.
City clerk, do we have any more public comments?
Not.
Okay, so I believe at this time, we can allow the applicant for a two-minute rebuttal.
Just to respond to the comments.
The neighbors that we've been hearing from are on Cory.
And there is no impact, lighting impact from this sign on Cory.
In addition, I'm sorry I didn't come up in the presentation.
And we're more than happy to present the public realm project, which is part of that sign,
that would include additional seating, and we think it's an interesting and exciting exhibit.
So that's what we wanted to mention to you.
Thank you very much.
So I believe at this time, I can now close the public testimony portion of the public hearing.
The City Council can still ask questions of staff, but we are officially moving on to deliberations.
Is there one of my colleagues who'd like to begin?
Vice Mayor, jump in and you've already asked questions.
I have some questions too.
I want to jump in.
Go ahead.
Well, I just wanted to clarify what Mr. Seymour said.
I know Cory pretty well, and it's a beautiful residential street on one side.
And those neighbors have been impacted in a great deal of way, based on parking,
and people going to Soho House and Uber and Lyft drivers waiting on that.
I think that's a separate issue that we as a city need to address.
And I hope our city manager is listening to this and we'll follow up with appropriate staff.
But in terms of the light impact on Cory, as I look at this,
this sign is at the west side of the building, and it's completely blocked by the building.
So it shouldn't have any impact at all on Cory in terms of light intrusion.
Is that correct?
That's correct.
I know there's another proposal at the corner of Cory and sunset that obviously would have an impact on the neighbors.
And so I understand that, but I don't think this particular sign does.
Correct.
All right, I guess my questions are more from the city standpoint and whether this is the best deal for us.
I think this is a location that has no impact on any residents. No residents can see it.
I don't believe anyone from Sierra Towers. I was there recently. I don't think anyone from Sierra Towers can actually see the location of the sign.
There's no light impact. So why are we approving a static sign instead of the more lucrative sign from the city standpoint, which is a motion sign?
And why would we approve this location with one side it rather than two side it?
Yes, we get revenue from this, about 7.8 million over a 30 year period. But as I recall with the other signs, we've looked at that our digitalized and two side it, the revenue is more in the range of 30 or 40 million dollars over that period.
So I guess my question is why were we approving it like this rather than what would be a far better deal for the city?
I can address that. The applicant requested a static sign and that was what they were awarded through the design excellence process and that was what we went through the environmental review for.
I mean, the council is the ability to approve a full motion sign. Of course. And we know the values there would be ten times greater, but that wasn't the project that was in front of us to analyze and bring through the process.
We could bring a project back that we've already done the economic analysts of that. So we're familiar with what the differences would be.
And in terms of the study, did you study light impact from this sign? I mean, you must have because this is a lit sign. We studied the light impact for a static sign.
So you'd have to restart the light impact for a digital sign.
It would be an addendum to the negative declaration. Yes. How long would that take?
I think about six months is that what six months? Six months.
Six months.
We'd have to do the study bring it back to the planning commission for.
Why does it have to go back to the planning commission?
This is the development agreement is within the city council's authority.
Maybe we can go directly to council. I don't know. Okay. Anyway, I mean, thank you for. I'm not following you. I know the applicant applied for a static sign.
And I know that's what a war was awarded, but I don't think that's the right sign for this location. I don't think it's the right sign for the city in terms of the revenue that we should be extracting from this location.
Just for we did an analysis of an eight second flip for, you know, a static image for every eight seconds and we did a full motion.
Did you just a value that those numbers would be in both of them were about ten times greater than the value of the static sign?
That to me is really significant in terms of the revenue that the city would generate from this location.
I mean, there are other locations where I have much more concern about the impact on residents and other buildings.
But this is a location where I just as I read it, I didn't understand why we weren't approving to side it and full digital.
Those are really all my questions for now.
Thank you, Vice Mayor. Councilwoman, are you ready?
Thank you. So my question. Well, first of all, first of all, just so you know, in the DA 3.4.6 on the second line, it says sunset Avenue, not sunset Boulevard. So we probably should correct that.
This question is for the city attorney.
In the DA 6.1.1, the right to assign.
It says this, so this language allows the owner to sell transfer convey mortgage or assign the property in whole or in part.
So it says in part. So hypothetically, the owner could sell the billboard and the property that it's on because it's not attached to the building.
And if that's the case, how do you enforce the 50% ground floor occupancy if there are two different owners?
Well, a couple things. I mean, it's always been our position that the sign cannot be sold separately from the building the property because all the rights are sort of intertwined.
The enforcement mechanisms, the payment, it's all sort of intertwined and I believe the definition of property.
But a lot of the things that we've approved or council has approved have been attached to the building.
This is not attached to the building and it very specifically says that they can assign the property in whole or in part.
Meaning that there might be some subdivision of the property at some point. And if you want to clarify, we certainly can because I think the city's intention has always been that the sign cannot be sold off
as a separate entity separate from the business activity that building what is activated on the site. Those two things should go together.
So can we put that in the development agreement for conditions or however you.
Yeah, I think it's supposed to be captured in the definition of property, but you're right that the billboard in this case is slightly next to the building.
So I think expressing the city council's intent is the most important part of this process. So yes, we should clarify exactly what the council's intent is.
Okay, thank you and then the language about protecting the city from a lawsuit.
There's a possibility that if the city moves forward with the gateway project that there will be potential.
Blockage or. I mean, maybe not because the backside, it's actually the backside of the sign, but.
You know, how do we make sure that the applicant will not sue us if we approve.
You know, anything else, you know, in that, I mean, it doesn't really, it's sort of wishy washing that paragraph. How do we say you got this, but you have to know that if another sign is approved.
You can't sue us.
I mean, what's offered here is that they can walk away.
That's, that's what's contemplated here that if they don't like what the city ultimately approves there, they can terminate ownership of the right to terminate this group within 30 days.
And then nothing prevents the owner from participating in the public comment process and participating in your decision of how that will be approved.
It's a little difficult if there's no specific project that to articulate exactly what's going to come down the line.
So this was the attempt at articulating what could be blocking their sign in the future.
But can't the language say you wave the right to sue the city.
We've never recommended putting that language in, I think it's a difficult thing when we don't know what the project description is exactly what that is.
So it's just hard to say what if she's will come up and so it's always been written in a different way that they're allowed to participate in a public process, but you're not promising an unstructured sign.
That's the way the contracts have always been set out for future development that we don't exactly know about yet.
Okay, but but we don't protect views.
That's sure.
It says that it says that in the agreement.
They're not, you an unobstructed view is not promised.
So in a legal contract you can't say you wave the right to sue.
I'm not saying to negotiate or talk to the city or all of those other things.
But why not have you you wave the right you are agreeing to this contract and you wave the right to sue the city.
Just don't see how we could ask anyone to wave the right to sue the city over a project that's not before us that hasn't been considered by the city council and we don't know whether anything will ultimately be approved.
That's like saying that we would all wave our right to sue somebody over something that we don't even know yet.
I mean that just doesn't seem to make sense to me.
Well, if we're saying that we don't is that we that they there is no view.
View shed put there's no protection of the view right that it may be blocked then we then why can't we say you can't sue about it.
You're waving the right you are signing agreement with us they don't have to sign the agreement.
I mean I don't want to interrupt your questioning but I think that's you know what if the construction at that site causes damage to their building they should certainly should be allowed to sue regarding that.
I'm just talking about the view about somewhat there's another project that's that is.
Approved by the city council that blocks the view from the from the street that's what I'm asking.
Well, I think the agreement says that there is no view protection so I think that's providing us the kind of protection you're asking.
I think that's what it did to just.
Well, the number one rule you learned when you become a planning commissioner and you were planning commissioners views aren't protected.
I mean that's unless you're in Malibu which we don't it started site line but you know.
I just don't understand this line of questioning views are not protected period and a story and anyone that would agree to that litigation probably doesn't have a good lawyer advising them.
Did you have other questions to continue?
No council where I extended you want to.
No, I'm prepared to move the project.
I think it's actually very beautiful looking forward to seeing that construction over there.
The questions that the members of the public were answered by what vice mayor Heinleman was able to do.
And I'm ready to move the item.
Council member hang, did you have questions?
Comments?
Deliberation.
Yeah.
Thank you, Mayor.
I have a question for staff.
Just in terms of how does a development agreement provide financial stability for this city, even during economic downturns or fluctuations?
In terms of this development agreement and in the billboard, we establish a fair market value at the initiation of the process.
And the development agreement includes language that escalates each year at 3% and no matter what happens to the economy.
So it's a more conservative approach but it guarantees the city of revenue stream over the life the 30 year life of the development agreement.
As opposed to reassessing the revenue on a yearly basis, so it's predictable.
So it sounds like no matter what the city is still going to get $250,000 each year for 30 years.
But escalates at 3% per year.
At 3% per year.
So since this is a static billboard, if it was a digital billboard, because I echo the sentiment of my colleague, the vice mayor,
that the city's revenue would exponentially increase from $7.4 million.
That's correct.
I mean, the digital boards, the full motion boards, we found the values of them are exponentially more.
So that would be a correct statement.
So if it were a digital, the exponentially increase in revenue would go into our city's general fund to pay for street,
paving, trimming our trees, pays for a public safety.
Is that what that revenue was earmarked towards the general fund?
I know it goes to the general fund and I think that's up to the council to then allocate.
And then it might pay for social services, et cetera.
May I ask the applicant a question, Mayor?
Nice to see you.
Council member, aye.
Good evening, sir.
So a lot of projects, you know, they're granted the economic agreement, and then it takes years and years for construction to start.
And where does the owner of this project stand with that?
I mean, as with there be a commitment that it would be, you know, a one-tape six years.
You mean in relation to to construction of the sign or construction of a public sort of construction of the sign overall?
Well, we don't believe it's going to take that long.
I mean, there's this client, my client has committed to moving as expeditiously as we possibly can to move it along.
And I think it wouldn't make any sense to do it any other way.
So if we were going to get approvals, we would go through building and safety process and move this as quickly as we possibly could.
That's a wonderful here because then the city will be able to get.
Revenue generated in a more expeditious manner. The time, the public, I'm using the term park area by the sign will be available for the public to use.
Thank you.
Chair, further questions?
No, Mayor.
Councilmember Meister?
No, I just wanted to mention that Councilmember Erickson wanted to make a motion, and I just wanted to ensure
that the language in 6.1.1 would be clarified, and that the deciduous tree would be replaced with a,
an evergreen tree.
I do see a request to motion from Vice Mayor Halman on the table.
I don't think there was a second to.
I was saying I was prepared to.
We wanted to get through the, the, the, I agree with whatever we move forward with, I think that the,
what Councilmember Meister just said, however, I was, I was ready to, but I wanted to, I, I didn't want to stop the conversation.
So, Vice Mayor, please have at it.
Well, I don't know that the mayor has waited in, but I did hear, I think, three council members who are supportive of a sign at that location,
and whether it's the digital, whether it's the static one in front of us or a digital one.
I think, I don't know whether there's support for that, but I think we should direct our staff to keep the public hearing open and look at renegotiating the development agreements,
so that there's at least a fully digital sign at the location that a lighting study is conducted regarding that,
and that the possibility of a second side is permitted as part of that.
All jump in since I also haven't had a second to comment and I too believe that this would be a missed opportunity,
if we didn't look at the fullest revenue opportunity possible.
In this space, I really appreciate the way you articulated what is possible at this 9200 block.
And 10 times the revenue of a digital sign is just a egregious missed opportunity for us as a council, a lot to think of.
So, I would second the motion of Vice Mayor Heilman as written, and I think it would mean that some of the recommendations from Councilmember Meister are required at this point,
but I do want to make sure that the best trees possible would come in if that's possible down the road.
Yeah, and I see the city attorney asking a question, but yeah, if it were too excited, then it likely wouldn't need a tree there, but I do agree with the other language request.
I think the changes to the sign would require some analysis from staff.
I don't know if we could say exactly at this moment what that process would look like because of the secret document because of what planning commission reviewed because of the negotiation of the DA.
It would require quite a bit of changes, so I don't know if we should specify exactly in the motion keeping this hearing open because it's going to be a little bit different.
But if you want to direct staff to go back and look at a different sign with different components, I think, and negotiate that I think staff can work on that.
Can we have some timeline for when this will come back as I know.
And it's just an event in the planning team.
So right now we don't know what we're looking at yet, so we'd have to renegotiate what that looks like and we would have to carry out the sequence analysis before we come back as you may be aware, you know, our secret team is also working on a lot of things for this program, so we'd have to go back to them and see what that means in terms of timeline.
So I think Brian mentioned six months previously that could be realistic.
If we can tighten that up we would, but I would hate to sit here and promise we could do it faster than that when we don't really know we're looking at right now.
Okay, well I think you know if that's the best we can do that's the best we can do, but I think the goal, at least from my standpoint, is to maximize the city's revenue from this location.
And to me that's at least digital and likely a two-sided sign, rather than a one-sided sign.
And obviously we need to study that and look at it through the sequel process, but.
And I do support as I said the language change about that council member, my sir raised earlier.
Council member, my sir raised on the speaking list. Nope, okay. Council member Eric's new jump 10.
Thank you.
So that's my motion and that direction to our staff, is that, do you have a clear enough a sense, Melissa?
So the item before us would be.
We're improving the development agreement, which we're not going to do.
So not improving any elements of the recommendations that ever before the council this evening.
It would be directing staff to go back and work with the applicant on a digital billboard.
Do the sequel analysis on the lighting study address six point one one in the development agreement.
And if a tree is still part of this project to ensure that it's an evergreen tree,
which may not be needed, because not we'll have a double-sided billboard.
So the motion would be to not a pervany of the things with that direction to staff.
And the public hearing tonight did not notice a digital billboard, so you would have to.
Right.
This public hearing would be closed and it would be a new one because this was a static billboard.
Yes.
My question then is for the city attorney council vice mayor.
Highman mentioned not having to maybe go back to planning commission.
What is the flexibility there?
I ask for two reasons.
One, the council is giving, well, the majority whoever votes for this is giving a very clear direction to the planning commission.
This is what we want.
Right.
So they're going back for whatever reason.
Second, it's another step in the process.
It's another cog in the wheel.
And I, I will say, I support the motion and I intend to vote for it.
However, I am concerned that we're going to see this on February 3rd, 2025 and in 2028,
it will come back and it will be, I hope not.
But, you know, for other people's sake, I just don't have, I'm sorry, like confidence in the efficiency of it.
And if has to go back to planning commission, I want it to be very clear to the planning commission about what's before them versus what's not before them.
Okay, let me say two things.
One, the city council is having a study session with the planning commission.
Later this month to talk about development agreements generally.
So we could talk about that part of it at that meeting.
I think this does have to go back to planning commission.
I think the state law says for the development agreements.
And there's a zone map, remember, that things that are substantially different.
That weren't considered by the planning commission.
Should go back.
And this is going to have a different revenue component, a different lighting component, a different sequel analysis.
Understood.
So that would be my recommendation to go back.
Understood.
So I want a verbal acknowledgement from the applicant that you are fully tonight accepting on the record that this right now could cause you to wait.
Ex amount of time for it to happen because I don't want an email in a year saying this is not happening when.
I just want to for the public record that that's on the agenda right now because I'm not going to answer your email if you're called me and complain in a year.
That's just how it's going to go.
We accept council.
Okay.
I have a question for the applicant.
Have you did we even ask you if this is what you wanted?
Well, I mean, it's it's a dream.
I mean, the reality of it is we I think would very much want it.
So you know, we we came in here with one, but I think I think the council has been very helpful and supportive of our moving towards.
What we're looking at now.
So then you're willing to accept the fact that it has to go back to planning commission and if it'll take whatever time it takes for them to get the studies done.
If the council in the city attorney are saying that it has to go back due to whatever statutory requirements there is I don't think we have much of a choice.
Can I ask another question as long as you're still here.
What how come you didn't ask for this to begin with?
So let me answer that because that's extremely important when we started this process.
There were two applications.
One application was for a digital sign at the 9200 building, a 9200 building.
And there was going to be another sign that was going to be non-digital at the 9200 building.
We lost the digital sign at 92001 and we rewarded the sign at 9200.
And that is why we're here today.
And it looks like there's a comment from it.
Thank you Mayor.
If I could just ask for a point of clarification about the.
The sign that was presented to you tonight is it has two sign faces the lower face and the upper face.
And so I just wanted to make sure there was.
That we were clear on what when it came to.
We were able to do a two face or a double face sign if it meant double face on both signs or integrating it into a single face and one direction single and the other.
This was looking for some clarity on that.
Well, I think my intention was that it would be a two face sign.
And I don't want to try to help redesign it tonight, but that's really my intention because I think that maximizes the revenue.
But I as I said, I don't want us to try to.
Create the actual image of the sign.
I do want to add something to the motion and that is that the council.
At least in concept approved the award of signage at this location.
So I think that was clear that there was a majority on the part of the council for.
Digital sign at this location.
Does the vice mayor's motion have a second.
Oh, I'm sorry, councilmember hang.
Thank you, mayor.
Yeah, I'm in agreement with the majority of my colleagues.
I think this will be great for the city. It's it's an art sculpture piece.
And if we can digitize it, we can maximize revenue for city to pay for essential services for residents for community members.
Thank you.
Thank you. So we have a motion and a second on the floor.
And almost all votes in.
Okay.
And the motion passes for the one noting the no vote.
Councilmember.
See you in a few years.
Thank you.
We'll move on to item.
Thank you so much.
We'll move on to item C2, the zone text amendment to the accessory dwelling unit regulations and compliance with state law and implementation of the city's housing element program number 13.
Yeah.
Do we have any public speakers on this?
Oh, we have one individual in zoom.
Maybe we could take that.
I don't need a staff report.
I don't know if anyone else does.
Okay. So we.
Yeah. We'll go to.
Jamie Francis in zoom.
Who will have two minutes to speak on item C2.
Jamie, please press our six to unmute yourself.
Thank you so much.
I'm glad because.
I'm sorry that.
And I didn't know how many people are on zoom or in person.
I'm going to say that I'm not a fan of 80 years when it comes to.
The affordable housing contingency being an affordable housing resident.
I can speak based on proof of my experiences of individual homeowners who find the way.
Do basically enrich themselves when it comes to adding.
To their property values and play in a simple.
They don't care about affordable housing.
They don't care about inclusion and inclusionary housing.
They do not care.
It takes the city council to implement housing ordinances.
Now with the disaster that has been a problem.
Often we see that they're going to be.
Speculators.
Probably prospectors.
People trying to get by out.
And then there is no protection.
Even in Beverly Hills.
There's nothing in the ordinance.
That says that they're required.
Or people after one year.
They would be promising guaranteed stable housing.
With rent control.
A lot of these properties.
They're not even in the ordinance in that respect of what I looked at.
And properties only built since 1979.
So anything that was built after or an ADU.
That was built with all the amenities.
What would that be protected?
And what ordinance.
And what regards that the city would protect the resident or the tenant.
So you have to understand that.
This is something that I don't think going to increase.
The amount of housing that we have.
When it comes to protection or affordable or inclusionary housing.
That is just my opinion.
I don't know what change can be made.
But with the emergency ordinance that was implemented.
Last company.
It's going to be that much worse for people who already reside in this city.
Thank you very much for your time.
Thank you.
So it sounds like my colleagues don't need a full staff report.
And it looks like we're prepared to move the item.
So I hope you got comfortable.
My motion includes closing the public hearing.
Thank you very much. So we have a motion in a second.
We should probably open the public hearing. It was noticed as required by a law. Thank you.
Aside from the one public speaker, we have no one else. We have not asked for a staff report.
And so this item would introduce on first reading and ordinance of the city of Wastahaliwood,
amending chapter 19.36 of the city of Wastahaliwood Municipal Code, regulating accessory dwelling units,
and junior accessory dwelling units, and finding the action to be satutorily exempt from seek law under public resources code.
Two one zero eight zero point one seven and section one five zero six one B three of the state SQL guidelines.
And with that, we have a motion in a second.
And the motion passes five zero.
Very fast public hearing.
We can move on to item E one, the housing element implementation and overview of the zoning improvement program for housing.
Just great role in the right seat.
Can I imagine we would like a staff report on this item?
I don't think so.
The three one would be helpful.
Good evening. Mayor and council.
Like mayor of such community on the director joined by our assistant director Jennifer Alkire,
Long range planning manager of Francesco Contreras.
And associate planner Michelle Montenegro, who will be giving this presentation.
Thank you.
One moment, I think we're bringing the presentation.
Over via to do we have.
Okay.
It's on the desk top.
Okay.
The work.
Right.
What do you say to me?
Yes I do.
Okay.
Right.
I just double spoke with me.
I'm so mad.
I'll make it.
I do.
I have.
But anyone like a group here flow.
Oh, I miss that.
Everyone.
They're very good.
They're hard to make the program.
They're so good.
They're great.
Anyone want some time to show or something?
Yeah.
What is it?
It's like a group here.
Yeah.
You're right.
That's not something.
Just the power of the Lord.
You're very good.
All right.
They're so good.
Sorry about that.
Thank you for your patience.
As I mentioned, I'm a Shaman Tanaker associate planner with the community development department.
Thank you for having us.
I will be covering the zoning improvement program for housing.
Also known as zip.
The presentation should take no more than five minutes.
This is previously known as a citywide development standards and incentives.
Visibility study.
So becoming a show overview of the housing element for the city cycle.
Read a progress of the city has made program overview of zip and the outreach.
Strategy and timeline.
So this is a visual demonstration of visit cycle housing element that was adopted and certified in early of 2023.
So you can see most programs are attributed to social service.
This program specifically zip.
We'll touch on a number of objectives relating from development standards to incentives to housing types.
It will cover about 18 objectives, which is about 15% of the entire housing element work plan.
It primarily focuses on three programs.
Advocates sites for arena monitoring know that last work force housing diverse housing and residential standards and process.
We call that one objective that required the city to look at the progress that arena has been made for all income categories in the past year.
And if it was not meant to be on track, then we would look at additional strategies.
The tools of the tools in front of you represent the progress that the city has made towards the housing element.
We have a performance measures dashboard for arena progress.
And we also have a dashboard for policies and programs that we've advanced so far.
So looking at arena progress.
This is also presented on the dashboard.
We can see that the purple line represents our renewables, which is also one of the regional housing needs assessment.
So that's the allocated number that the city receives for this cycle housing element.
We are planning to build three or I'm sorry, permit 3,933 units.
The purple line represents what the city has permitted thus far.
In 2024, this number is 484.
If we were to literally forecast out this line to 29, we would be looking at slightly over a thousand units, which is about 3,000 short of what we need to be in terms of arena.
If we break down by affordability level, we are also behind and all affordability categories and market rate.
So covering over the zip overview.
So again, zoning improvement program for housing.
Also known as zip will have three primary objectives.
One is to reduce zoning barriers to housing.
We'll be looking at base and bonus zoning programs.
So making sure that we're calibrating to have a line with the local incentive housing ordinance.
As well state density bonus law.
We'll also be creating a transit oriented development program.
All these objectives are derived directly from the language of the adopted city cycle housing element.
The words and purple represent our guiding principles that were also derived and distilled from the community outreach process of the housing element.
And represents what the out desired outcomes are for this specific program.
We'll be utilizing this as the groundwork for the community outreach process that will be introducing and starting in March.
There are primarily three other concurrent planning studies that are happening that would also influence and be incorporated into this work.
The first is inclusionary study was state density bonus law.
The second is the mixed use policy study in the third is objective development standards.
We'll be looking at guidelines within the code today, the municipal code as well as standards that can be updated to ensure that they are not barriers to housing,
but yet still make other goals of the city such as sustainability.
The program has three specific stages.
One is baseline analysis, two is alternative analysis and third is recommendations which we anticipate ending in Q1 of 2026.
Among these three stages we have two inputs for engagement.
So the first phase of engagement will focus on listening in the needs of the community and the second stage will be responding to alternatives presented after the analysis.
We are completing right now the baseline analysis phase.
So these are examples of a work that we're doing to capture existing conditions within the housing landscape of the city.
This demonstrates how the housing landscape looks like in terms of residential density.
We're also looking at market trends for the last 10 years to see what are the unit mixes where our projects being built into what number and what affordability levels are these broken down into.
Next we'll be moving to alternatives analysis where we're looking at site specific diagram and feasibility for financial feasibility.
This is some examples of site level analysis that we will be conducting for all the neighborhoods within the city.
Next we'll cover outreach strategy so we have a number of diverse outreach events both in person and online and we'll be focusing targeted outreach from marginalized and underrepresented communities of people.
Specifically this program is partially funded by a metro grant that requires us to really target unrepresented people who have barriers to facing the public process so we'll be having focus groups advisory groups and pop up events throughout the city.
And this larger timeline represents the project at cough all the way to the planet approval stage for the outreach and planet approval mechanisms are required for this program.
This is where in my presentation and we're happy to answer any questions. Thank you.
Thank you so much Michelle.
Which of my colleagues are ready do you have any remember this is a receiving file but if there's any questions or comments we want to ask.
I think we have one public speaker.
All right.
Everyone in Zoom yes.
One public commenter.
Okay.
Jamie you'll have two minutes go ahead.
Thank you.
I just wanted to say that it was a year ago exactly that we spoke about this and it normally happened around the timeline and I'm glad with the staff for a month.
And so I took around the phone and she was very thoughtful and considerate.
And I made some bell at points.
I just wanted to specify with the housing element that always implemented every year.
There are stipulation to catch by state requirements and every time.
And what's held has actually been better than other cities for always following behind the amount of housing that's viable and available.
As of 2014 years, I've been on the 50 affordable housing wait list for 12 years going on 13 years this summer.
And it really is frustrating because you wonder, is it indefinite?
Are you going to have to wait?
Are there ways that we, as residents, can more or less have our options available instead of having to be stuck in the same place indefinitely?
One thing is that because of my condition, my medical conditions, I can't be exposed to success this and lead and a lot of these older buildings
Do have those chemicals and they are signed as saying, please be aware you're exposed to these chemicals.
But yeah, if I live in a new building, then it's a small amount that's increased every year and then there's no rent control.
So there is a caveat, there is a next situation when it comes to something like me, and I can be able to afford this come five years from now.
So I just want there to be options with Section 8, affordable housing with maybe rent caps or amount, where those are on fixed income or existing residents.
That's taken to consideration because otherwise we have to stay put and remain in our units indefinitely.
And I just want there to be better options than alternative, if we want to remain in our neighborhood or we'll be in other parts of the town, instead of being saved off from the same unit on the east side or bordering Hollywood all the time.
Everything boring Hollywood or city jurisdictions, and it's just ridiculous. So I hopefully those things can happen with community outreach and local residents who have options and preferences.
Thank you so much, your consideration.
Thank you, Jamie. I see Councilman Remister.
So this is just a receiving file, right? Okay, but I do want to I want to talk about expectations because.
You show, you know, the 4,000 units that we, you know, we have to build, which fine, but at the rate we're going in terms of the proportions of affordable versus market rate.
We're never going to make it because you would have to you would have to approve or we would have to approve 7 over 17,000 units in order to get the 2600 affordable units that are required by rena.
And and 2600 is about 65% of the our numbers.
I don't think we're going to get there like this. It's not necessarily about increasing density.
It's more about coming up with creative ways to build affordable housing versus just housing that gets 15% affordable because the way it's been working out is that it's about 15% because the the 20% is based on the base.
Number of units and not the total units, right, the the bonus units are not included in that. So when you look at the numbers you're really talking about somewhere between 15 and 17% affordable out of a project that you're sitting that we're all saying is 20% but it's not really plus that doesn't even.
Consider that there are also people being displaced every time an older building gets gets you know demolished people get evicted and then and they are just and sorry, Ellis now and then they are displaced.
So I would I would ask or direct that we try to come up with creative ways of.
Being able to build affordable housing by looking at you know economic incentives.
But not necessarily focus on o density is the answer because again density doesn't mean 4,000 units it means 17,000 units and that's that's just not realistic.
And it's not it's you can do as many focus groups as you want that's that's not going to be a very happy place here when you basically you know increase increase our our housing stock by that much and it's impossible.
Because you would have to be tearing down you know buildings all over the place the other thing I was going to say is while I'm I am definitely one for community outreach.
I would say let's look also at the community outreach that was already conducted doing the housing element because we spent years doing community outreach to put together the housing element.
Let's you know let's look at that and then and then just supplement it with really what you need like with the metro grant.
That is great, but we also have a lot of good information that we've already gathered from all those years of doing the housing element.
So I would say I would try to think about what we could do in terms of economic development, because all we're doing now is increasing the disparity,
because we know that the market rate houses apartments are not affordable.
They're just, I mean, they're not affordable.
They're not affordable.
You know, I $3,500 a month for one bedroom.
That's not affordable for someone with a moderate income.
So that's what I would say.
Let's look at ways that we can parallel the rena requirements in proportion of the rena requirements.
How do we, how could we possibly accomplish that?
You know, rather than saying, let's build 17,000 units and hope we get, you know, 15% affordable.
Thank you.
Councilmember Heng.
Thank you, Mayor.
You know, I just want to say thank you for the very in-depth report.
I learned a lot.
I think it's a good first step.
We do need to build more housing.
So thank you.
I know that a lot of work went into that report.
I just had a question for you.
How is the city going to ensure that these new housing are fairly distributed to all neighborhoods in the city?
So one of the main components of the scope when we went out to bid was to ensure that we have anti-displacement strategies.
And we're looking at equity measures to identify higher opportunity areas throughout the city.
So we're looking at patterns of exclusivity in terms of housing typologies.
We're looking out where transit or high quality transit is located and looking at commercial amenities.
There's quite a few equity measures that are tools to staff.
For example, the HCD opportunity map.
There's a neighborhood change map.
We're going to do our own equity analysis.
So every time that we introduce a bonus or incentive program, we are introducing some displacement approaches.
That is just yet to be seen.
We have ideas, but we of course have to do community outreach to make sure that that's in line with the community goals.
Great, thank you.
And again, thank you for the very detailed presentation.
Oh, you're a customer action.
Thank you very much.
And my question is, and looking at this report and getting implementation on the progress.
I do share the same concerns that Council Member Meister is outlining specifically peeling the orange in the way that.
Do you as staff feel like we will actually hit our renegals in your professional opinion?
Because I'll tell you my answer, but I'll let you tell me your answer first.
I would say that based on where we are right now, it does not look like it now.
Great.
So then what are because I want to make sure the public is aware of this?
What are some of the issues that we would have to deal with as a local city?
I know this won't be unique to just us.
I know this will be a large regional issue.
And I know that the teeth that come about it could change with updates to state law.
However, where are we at then if we get to 2030?
Is Francesco correct me if I'm wrong?
When would we start the next rena process?
What do we do in 2020?
7, just to make sure we get it done in time or in 2028.
And we won't be hiring rural on a contaminant again.
I hope.
Several questions in one.
So we're signing planning for the new 7th cycle.
We'll start in a couple of years.
We have to start ramping up for that effort.
Some of the challenges if we do fall sort of out of compliance with our housing element.
Potentially if we don't reach our rena numbers.
It's a conversation that we have with HCD.
Because we're sort of a good actor.
We're a pro housing designated city.
Hopefully they'll give us some leniency.
But it could be anywhere from, you know, fines from the state.
They could take away some review authority for certain permits for certain programs.
It could be the introduction of oversight.
Somebody taking over the planning review for the city and the city doing it.
So it's a sort of a variety of steps that HCD can take.
But it really, like I said, it depends.
They do give you some time to correct if they think that there's something that you could be doing better.
Again, it's sort of not like a switch turns on and off.
It's a conversation with HCD.
But there's a variety of enforcement efforts that are available to them.
Just an existing law.
And I would just add that there's also under current law.
There's state mandated streamlining under SB 35.
And it was a subsequent bill that amended that law further.
And so if sufficient progress isn't being reached during the current rena cycle,
then those provisions of state law will apply to the city.
So that's that's also under current law.
You know, at a certain point, would you come into play if we're not making progress?
Thank you.
And in addition to regional looks.
Do we know how our west side cities are fairing as well or in comparison to us?
And you don't have to have an answer for that because I did not ask you that beforehand.
So I'm not going to hold you to it.
But maybe if you could give us a very much like how Laura shadow to Laura, wherever she is.
Does the market out reach a vacancy rates for commercial and residential for businesses?
Is there any way that we could get kind of a selection of seeing how west side regional cities are doing?
I know the city of LA is in their own little I kick up around us.
But it would be great to know regionally where we all are at because I say this in projecting the way that we all know that Beverly Hills,
Santa Monica, Culver City, LA surrounding us, right?
If we're all in that same boat, which, you know, we want to continue to build and build affordable housing and build housing, right?
We want to be the leader in that pack.
But how can we set that pace in a different way?
And so it is nice to know where we're looking at.
If you could maybe send a memo to the council on a future date, that would be really helpful.
And if I can add council member Eric, we are starting to assemble the annual progress report for the for this year's arena and the housing element update.
So we can bring sort of some of that information along in that report.
And so I'll be sort of the latest most up to date.
So will reach out to somewhere in neighboring cities to see if we can get that information as well.
Thank you.
Thank you to all my colleagues and to staff of the report as I mentioned when we met and discuss this item as somebody who was on the housing element task force.
When all of this cycle got started to see this piece of the very many programs and objectives start to come forward is very exciting.
Zoning is merely the envelope in which a building fits into.
So it's a great opportunity.
We have to think about creating a larger envelope for more buildings to fit into in the city.
But as council member Mister mentioned, it is certainly not the only way we have to pursue this.
So just appreciate you sharing that slide.
That named the 31 programs and 116 objectives that are outlined in that housing element.
We know we have a lot of work to do and that linear line shows that if we stay on this course we're not going to accomplish our goals.
So we have work to do to steer course in the right direction and I appreciate your leadership and getting us there.
If there are no other comments.
Oh, vice mayor.
I just had one other comment and again, thank you for all of the work on this and the update.
I think the real problem though is the way the green and numbers are calculated and how we as an already existing density are allocated far more than we should be allocated and you take a city like.
I'm picking on Rancho Palace Verities because they have 13 square miles whereas we have less than two and their rena number is less than 700.
For that entire 13 square miles whereas we with less than two square miles which we're already built out are settled with how many 4000 plus units.
It just doesn't seem fair the way the units are allocated through the process.
So I think part of what we need to be doing is advocating for state legislation that changes the way that the rena numbers are allocated because it is not fair to those cities that have.
I think there are a lot of things that we need to be able to build housing and are already extremely dense that we're now being asked to add additional density to our city where there really isn't.
There aren't many places where it will fit.
And I'll just say from being on scag.
I know that scag has tried to push back but they only went to a certain point and I think that they will be lobbying for a change in the way that the numbers are calculated in the future.
But they probably should have pushed back a little more so.
We don't need a motion on this item to receive a file.
I think that concludes our comments.
Thank you all so much.
Are we good to move forward?
Good.
We'll move on to item E2.
The final east side community priorities plan implementation update.
Not done with the yet.
We're just getting set up here.
I'm like mayor since the community government director.
My colleagues here, assistant director Jennifer Alkhair,
Long Range planning manager Francisco Contrace.
And we're joined by senior plan art David Fenn is presenting this item.
Good evening mayor.
Vice mayor on council members.
My name is David Fenn.
Senior plan in the language planning division.
We don't have formal slides for this but I can give you a brief oral update on if you like.
So the item before you tonight is the 2024 implementation update on the east side communities plan.
The plan was adopted in 2017 and made a series of recommendations to enhance the physical, social and economic character of the
city's east side, which the plan defines as from the east.
Since then, the vast majority of plan recommendations are either in progress,
completed, incorporated into other more recent city work plans and initiatives.
For example, we hope for these strategic plan, the citywide, economic study and the community safety and well-being strategy.
There's even another item on this agenda to explore strategies for marketing east side businesses,
which was a significant focus of the plan.
Recommendation that have not been implemented have typically been preempted by larger citywide actions on related topics, evolving, state law,
or changing council priority use or best practices related to those items.
Because the plan is nearing completion, staff are recommending ending on going tracking of the plan to focus staff resources on the implementation of
newer, often related city initiatives, many of which will advance several of the same themes.
Attachment aid of the staff report breaks down updates on each of the plans 58 major recommendations.
And that's the end of my brief intro on this and we're available for any questions.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
I know there was one council member who had comments.
Oh, there you go.
There you are.
Go ahead councilmember.
My question.
Well, okay.
So you have a completed slash transfer.
Is it actually completed or was it just transferred?
It depends on the item.
In in some cases, we've marked things completed where we're no longer able to work on them because of changes to state law.
For example, in some cases, you know, for example things that are now being carried out as part of the small business initiative.
Those are marked as completed slash transfer because they're being processed through a more recent city initiative.
So for me, I would have I think I would have rather seen, you know, transferred to this department or or can't do because of state law or because they're not really completed.
I mean, I get it that it's sort of off your plate because of because of state law, whatever, but, you know, we all go to the east side and we know that things have not changed that much since this, since this, you know, plan went into practice.
And so to, you know, to have in the report that it's 96% near completion rate, it's not really, you know, it's not really all 96% completed, you know, some of it is just gone, it's gone somewhere else or it's gone because of other reasons.
So that's, that's one of the questions of concerns that I had and then the other is that, you know, marketing was and was part of the was part of this east side priorities and economic development.
And I guess the reason I was thinking about all this is because there's an item on the agenda tonight, and I wish we could have done them together.
And so it doesn't, to me, it sort of doesn't make sense to bring in a new item when we already had the item, but then the item got transferred.
Although I don't know if it's complete or not, you know, it's just, it's just all.
I don't know where anything really is. I just know that if you go over to the east side, we still have a lot of work to do.
So I don't really know that there's anything specific that you can do about this, but I guess I would prefer to see the categories be more specific and not say completed if it hasn't been done.
For whatever reason, right? That's kind of where I'm at. And I guess I don't, I guess I could ask, but I guess I can ask later when we get to council member Ericsson item, what's different about his item than from the marketing economic development strategies that the community had come up with for this plan.
Do you, do you all know, can you answer that or, or we'll all have to put council member Ericsson on the.
You always put me on a hot seat with a hot seat, whatever, it's late.
So there, there were a few related items in the plan. I don't think any of them are as kind of focused as the council member Ericsson item on marketing of businesses generally.
But for example, there was an item in the plan to look at an information campaign to encourage reimbursement and commercial buildings, which is not exactly related to talking about the buildings rather than the businesses in them.
But you can see how there's a relationship there. And I think there's a few items like that. For example, there was a recommendation to create a retail referral program, which is something that our economic development colleagues do, which obviously is related in terms of, you know, get tenants into our spaces, but not necessarily promoting the tenants that are already in there and there's other items in the plan related to trying to create a sense of identity for the east side, which would obviously.
You know, benefit the businesses are there, but they're kind of coming at it from a different angle.
But I'm sure that council member has other intentions for his item that he could share with you.
Thank you.
Were there any other comments on this item?
Just one. Thank you for giving us the update.
Maybe I had a little bit of the same reaction as council member, myster that, you know, even though a lot of these items have been completed or moved.
The side still needs a fair amount of our time in our attention and I want to make sure that that focus on the east side isn't lost.
Particularly in the business community, and I know Laura is here, so she's hearing this.
There are a number of properties that appear to need assistance and there are also demographic changes that are happening there.
So I support your recommendation and appreciate what you've done, but I hope that and I see Laura shaking her head.
We're not going to lose our focus on making improvements there. So that's all. Thank you.
Thank you so much. Yes, and I won't spoil it, but you know, to get back to my item.
I think there is perfect looking at ways we can sync all those things or maybe add to more.
So I welcome more thoughts and opinions from my colleague.
I think the reason here too that we see completion versus actuality is there is a big difference the moment you go.
Well, anywhere east of Crescent Heights almost in some ways, right?
You know, there is no business organizational presence on the east side that's very well known.
Most of the businesses don't even know who the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce are.
They don't even belong to it. A lot of businesses are made up of communities of color.
None of them belong to an organized entity nor do they have the funds to do it.
They're all asking or trying to relate to different ways that they can connect with this city.
And I think the city has done a really great job of formalizing better relationships and to Laura and David and other individuals going out there to like
Dubbs coffee shop or Leifa or the barber shop at Fountain and Lebraia, which frequently finds visitors with four wheels going through their four walls.
And I think that an organized effort on a business outreach for the east side, which could include reinvigorating the east side improvement task force or business district that happened many years ago.
Looking at what potential pilot city organized with other outside entities Chamber of Commerce that focuses on communities of color.
And specifically also looking at ways we continue to outreach to our Ukrainian and Russian communities are another great way.
And I think the reason why we have to do it still is we need to finally commit to that outreach.
Also, it comes down to development. We see I think the largest development on the east side some of them happening right now.
We have the place by Golangatai finally opening up here probably this year. You'll tell me if I'm wrong.
We have the Kso place that's at the corner of Vista and Santa Monica Boulevard that's opening up businesses that were stalled as a result of COVID, but how can we streamline our work with them.
And so I think that there's ample opportunity for us to all throw things maybe into a hat which was kind of my intention of myself and the mayor's item, especially after having that report.
A couple of meetings ago, but I do agree with my colleagues that what does completion look like because as someone who sees it and walks it.
How can we dedicate those terms and I know the redevelopment agencies were a big part to a lot of those aspects of getting some different types of outputs present in the community but we need to do more.
I think a big example is how are we doing work with the LeBrea gateway, the east side gateway to our community.
It's no shocking to anyone that's gone downhill and that area with Metro and everything else is not helping our businesses on the east side.
So what does a whole approach to that look like for our businesses as well.
So I think and there's public safety and the attachment that we saw on this item as well. So you know, I think that it's a.
It's not a conversation we're going to finish tonight, but hopefully when we can help with some of the businesses that need that to design a strategy.
Councilor Hing.
Thank you, Mayor. First of all, I want to say thank you for the presentation.
And I guess I'm looking at it through a different lens. I'm I'm not really looking at it as the work is done or completed or closed.
I'm looking at it more of like the work is being folded into the overall general work of the city and in and of itself.
So that's kind of how I'm looking at it and.
A couple of questions for you. I share some of the same concerns.
You know, how has the community, the community responded to.
Changes to the plan. I mean, have you guys handy positive feedback?
So we haven't necessarily changed the plan in previous years. So we did these updates annually.
So we're looking at a couple of ways to be folded in as part of the city budget and prior to bringing those updates.
There was a process where we would.
Do some outreach and ask people of the remaining recommendations.
You know, how should we prioritize them.
And, you know, in that outreach as we did it in previous years.
You know, common themes would rise to the top that I don't think would surprise anyone up here.
You know, items related to safety and homelessness.
You know, I've seen those higher priorities and then the other issues that are kind of matched the cities agenda generally.
We didn't go through that process this year because our recommendations to close out tracking and transfer.
There are many recommendations to other more recent and higher priority work plans.
And are there any have you discovered any new or a emerging priorities.
And for the east side that we're not particularly discussed in this final report.
That's not a question that we really asked.
And that outreach since it was very focused on what from the previous plan was priorities for people.
But I think certainly with items like the council members item.
There's an opportunity to, you know, hear from people.
And part of the reason why we're recommending closing out tracking at this time is so that we can, you know, have kind of a more contemporary perspective.
But it's just going to be folded into the other plans.
The world will still continue.
Just in other aspects.
Work that's not completed or preempted by state law.
Thank you.
Any other questions from my colleagues?
Do you need a motion mayor?
I think we do need a motion.
We have recommendations on the table.
We need to accept.
Great. That happened fast.
I think the motion is as it sits.
Receive and file.
And you are finished with your tracking work.
Thank you.
Yep.
So receive and file.
The update and direct staff to conclude the ongoing tracking of the plan.
Allowing resources to focus on implementation of newer city work plans and initiatives.
We're all clear on the motion.
Great.
My buttons not working.
Council.
Thank you very much.
My colleagues.
Good to keep moving.
Great.
We can move on to item E3.
The Metro K line northern extension.
First last mile.
Early assessment plan.
I know we have one public speaker signed up for this.
Do we need a staff report?
I don't.
I think everyone was comfortable putting this on consent.
And I had a comment that I wanted to make.
So.
Yes.
Let's hear from our public speaker.
We have Jordan Beard for public comment.
Nobody else in zoom.
Just.
I am Jordan Beard with the bicycle coalition.
I like to express my support for the first last mile draft plan.
I'm really excited by the potential K line alignment through West Hollywood and all the potential
that that has and what it could bring to the small city.
I'm really hopeful that the council can move things forward as we can show as a city that we're ready to be proactive
and work with Metro as much as possible to implement and integrate more transit options in the city.
And yeah, there are some elements of the draft plan that I found particularly.
Inticing such as adding four-way scramble crosswalks to some of our major intersections.
And considering there a lot of those already have no turn on red implemented.
Now I'm curious if some of those elements that are kind of low hanging for it could be implemented or fast track before this whole project.
Thank you.
Mayor.
Thank you.
And Jordan, if you want to talk to Danny or someone from public works, you can tell you where they can tell you where the four-way crosswalks are currently.
Are currently happening or supposed to be happening.
Yeah.
Right.
Thanks, Mayor.
Yes.
And thank you for the report and thank you to our consultants who are here tonight.
Are we approving particular aspects of this because one of my pet peeves as I've just got
before is Plaza's at the stations.
And working by one of those Plaza's at Wilshire and Vermont, it is a disaster.
We don't want that in our city.
Being by the Wilshire and Western Plaza, also a disaster.
And as I looked at the plan, I saw those kind of Plaza's sort of.
schematically.
I know just for purposes of the plan at San Vicente and Santa Monica as well as Fairfax.
And I think that would destroy those intersections if we do what has been done in the past.
There's really, you know, taking transit in other cities.
I really know need for that large open space, which becomes a gathering place for unhoused individuals.
It becomes a place where people with mega phones are telling us that we need to find Jesus and shouting other things at us.
And then it becomes a location for people selling, you know, balloon animals.
It's really having worked near this.
It is a nightmare that I don't know why we would even think about trying to replicate that in our city.
And I know you're going to tell me, but we would do it differently and we would have merchants.
But they have merchants at those locations.
It doesn't work and no one wants to go to those stores because of the activity that is.
So, generate it by those bosses.
So, tell me that we're not approving bosses in this plan.
So, first of all, thank you for the question.
The final design of the the area around the station portal itself is much more in Metro's control than it is in ours.
Our plan the plan that's before you also is a high level early assessment with the concept behind that is that the recommendations are identified things that we might want to look at further in the future with Metro and in future city.
And Metro planning processes to get really finalized. You alluded to this a little bit already, but the recommendations
around that from our plan, the way you saw in those conceptual renderings are intended to actually
kind of minimize the amount of just open plosus face. Those conceptual renderings include suggestions
of joint development, of residual property around the stations that Metro would have to acquire.
There are, for the construction, things like station oriented retail, basically things to use
up some of that space that you're describing that interests historically built or on other stations.
So our suggestions in the plan are that we would try to do other things to activate that space and minimize
it and use it for things that are productive. But certainly we're hearing you tonight and we can have
those conversations with Metro to, you know, reduce it even further. In a planning process,
it's certainly not over with this item. This is very much the beginning.
When you take transit in DC, for instance, there are process at certain locations, but many of the stations,
you're coming up and coming out of a building, essentially, you're coming into a building when you
go into the station or you're going down a large area and there's no large blaza around for people to
congregate. Just having taken the Metro line and taken buses to the Metro line, every time I take it,
I am shocked by the poor planning, I think, that went around those stations and those locations and those
plazas. I don't want to see our historic rainbow district destroyed with that kind of activity that is really,
you know, I know we want to provide amenities to the public, but believe me, it's just not an amenity. It is a, you know,
for one of a better term, a cesspool and it is not attractive. So I hope that as we're looking at this, we're looking at how to
design and work with Metro to make sure that those stations actually are stations and not what I just described a cesspool. Thank you.
Nice, Mayor. We hear you loud and clear and we can definitely incorporate. I wasn't subtle.
What's that? I'm going with Metro. Thank you.
Are there any comments or questions from my colleagues? I think you, I also agree with Councilor
Rahalman. If people are stopping in the city of West Hollywood, off of a Metro stop, I'd rather have them stop off and then go to
our rainbow district than creating a whole new avenue of cesspool of availability. I'll say it one more time. I got some questions from members of the public
regarding the staff report. Specifically, and I just wanted to clarify for the record that you list or mention,
and I can't find it now in my, well, all that once again, about Beverly Boulevard. So we gave direction last year,
regarding Beverly Boulevard will be class four by claims not class two, but I believe in here you mentioned that
they're class two. Can you just clarify or make sure that the class four is what's being occurred?
Because we give that policy change. I understand the policy change was class four by claims unless certain things can occur
because of street design and everything that we talked about, but in here, it still says class two. So I just want to make sure that that is clarified,
moving forward because we did halt that process on Beverly to do that to have that protected lane before that would occur.
So I think there are two other slides or maps where we want to know in which we show the previously planned facility is in another
in which we're showing what is recommended as part of this plan, and the second one which is really what the plan is calling for us to explore further in the future
through that continuing planning process is an alignment with the motion that you're describing, the direction from council to explore the more protective
facility. Great. That's all I need. Thank you so much.
Any other questions or comments?
I'm prepared to move the item for the comments we've made.
No, no, it's good. I did my screen was off. Great.
Passes five zero. Great. We can move on to item E4, the bicycle giveaway pilot program E valuation.
And I know we have one public comment to be a full staff report for this item.
Do you want to let our public comment speak?
We have Jordan Beard for public comment.
Hi there. Just a quick comment on this. I'd like to voice my support for transitioning this program into more of a voucher type of program.
Expanding access to bikes is another important step. The city can take to reduce our dependency on cars and improve traffic congestion.
The high economic cost of car ownership weighs heavily on many of our residents and by supporting making biking more accessible.
West Hollywood can make it easier for residents to live here without the financial burdens associated with car ownership.
Every car that is replaced by walking biking or transit is a small but important step towards supporting our climate goals.
Improving our air quality and ever moves a car from our beloved traffic jams.
I encourage council to direct staff to further explore how the city could use vouchers and other creative measures to increase access to bicycles and e-bikes as well as e-trikes for people with various abilities.
I also am interested in seeing this program implemented in a way that can target those who could most benefit from these initiatives.
Thank you. I understand we also have one public comment in zoom.
We do. Andrew Solomon, go ahead.
Joe, please press star six to unmute yourself.
It's his first time giving public.
I think Andrew Solomon with Hollywood. I just want to thank staff and the prior council for the work on creating this bicycle giveaway program.
I personally began biking kind of late last year in the first bike I wrote for several weeks with my neighbors.
Free giveaway, when the bigot from the city of West Hollywood.
Now, me, I write every day. I own a cargo e-bike.
I write students from work. I go to the park on the weekend.
Thank you for the previous council. I think it's especially John Demico for instituting this program.
It is made a huge difference in my life.
And also doing my part in lowering the mission and lowering the M.C.
We have major bike lanes and infrastructure upgrades coming to West Hollywood soon.
Hallelujah.
So now it's the time to ensure as many residents as possible to get on two wheels instead of four.
So that reason I urge the council to remove any barriers to a future program.
One, do a future program. Two, don't limit it to income eligibility restrictions.
Any, the goal is to get as many people on bikes as possible regardless of their income.
I noticed that that report direct people to the state cow bike incentive program.
That program went live in December and the portal sold out their incentive in less than three minutes.
It's easier to get a Taylor Swift ticket than it is to get a state revike to get a state rebate for your bike.
So let's do a broad, broad, local program and let's make it as easy as possible for everyone in what Hollywood to choose a bike over a car.
Thank you.
Who among my colleagues would like to begin?
Oh, councilamor Ericsson.
Thank you so much to staff.
This was also my item, Mr. Solomon.
The way that I was with Councilmember Domeco.
I think the intent to the item was much more than the dream that it could have been.
I think that we are first working knowledge that.
I agree with what staff is recommending here.
I would love to see more ways and we've already wrote written letters to Metrod for the Metro bike share program that we would like to get onto.
I don't really support doing another we hope pedals.
It was at the final name of it. We hope pedals.
Event.
But however we could utilize Metro or maybe get on earlier with that.
I specifically see that happening with sickle vial.
People are utilizing Metro e Metro bikes.
I agree with the incentives for the e-bike programs that come out through the state.
If there was any way that we could do that.
Bike storage is obviously an issue that is highlighted here quite lengthy.
In the heat staff reports, however we could identify ways to create some type of.
How do you call it.
Fix assets or plus equipment donation program or how we can give them away.
I support as well.
I think that this was a great item with the intent.
I think people did like it.
Luckily, I want to thank page and other members of the staff who.
When someone's bike was stolen worked with them to get them another bike because they were actually using it every day in this way.
And so I just want to thank staff for kind of going above and beyond specifically with this program.
So I'm in support of the general direction.
I'm open to other ideas as well.
And how we can continue to utilize these bikes in a positive way.
Vice Mayor Helen.
Yes, I support the recommendation.
I do think that once we give away a bike.
It is an our responsibility to maintain it or to store it.
I also think that if we're giving people vouchers to purchase a bike.
I think there should be an income based restriction.
Why would we give away vouchers to people who can easily afford to buy a bike themselves?
Yes, biking is great.
It takes people off the roads out of cars.
All of that is good.
And there are a lot of other good things in the city.
But a lot of our programs are income based.
And I support what the staff is recommending.
Councilmember.
Yeah, I just did a really I support the recommendations.
And I also think that anything that we do in terms of incentives or vouchers should be income.
Thank you.
I can't remember hang to any comments, Dad.
Thank you, Mayor.
I am also in support of the recommendation.
I understand the spirit of the original ordinance.
It did it some good too.
Although it was very taxing on a staff and when I read.
7,500 miles, bike.
Between 20, 23 and 24.
4,700 or 84 miles of automobile trips eliminated.
So the program was successful, although taxing.
So I do support eliminating the program.
And I'm excited for what's going to come for us with e-bikes.
I just have one question apologies.
Biking lending library.
Thank you.
That's the actual verbiage I would like to use.
Why?
To comment on something the vice versa.
Why did we think the bike back?
Like if someone had a flat tire.
Why did we set up a bike shop at the city of West Hollywood for them to like refill their tires?
Like how how did that come about?
I don't remember that being in the initial direction.
It seems like the repair and the return and all that stuff that you talk about in the item.
Where did that own is come from?
Sorry.
Council member.
Regarding the city not repairing the bikes?
No.
Okay.
As repairing the bikes.
I'm not.
Or allowing people to return the bike because something was broken.
Yeah.
It says in your staff report, do you want me to point out?
No.
We were concerned with the, I believe it's the gifting of public funds.
So we just weren't certain at the time whether or not like you know they could just keep the bike or just do whatever they wanted with a bike.
If we didn't have you know direction from council that was okay for us to do that.
So that was sort of like just a you know we wanted to just be super conservative with with that aspect of it.
But I think we're very confident with the recommendation as a stance.
So it was really designed that we were kind of lending them the bike for a period of time.
And then if they dropped out of the program they were required to return.
Okay.
All right.
Thank you.
Looks like there's a motion on the table.
I do just want to lift up one recommendation that is in the report that came from the Transportation Commission that I liked.
And you sort of mentioned it was this bicycle lending library.
I don't know that I got the full breath on this council.
I don't think it did.
Do you trying to say something?
No.
Yeah.
I'm just going to say something.
I wanted to just say that I would love to see what it could look like for us to have a small supply of
e-bikes available at the city that is in the format of a lending library.
And this could be something that looks like a partnership with LA County Library.
I know other cities do a rental program through their libraries.
So it's as part of coming back with a incentive program or sorry about your program for e-bikes.
What would our own city lending library look like?
Yeah, that would be not for long-term use, but truly so that people could test out what it looks like.
And if it's not possible that our city does that, what it looks like to be in partnership with other places that do it.
And I say that because part of the big barrier for people and getting on to e-bikes.
Bikes in the first place is not having an understanding of what it really looks like or feels like to ride them. So if we can give people that opportunity, did you want to add anything to that?
Yeah. Thank you, Mayor, for bringing that up because that is, I think, something that the Transportation Commission, when I spoke to my commissioner, was really highlighting.
And specifically working with the LA County Library Pro, LA County Library is a great suggestion if that is feasible, but adding, I took away my motion so we could maybe add that potentially that language to it.
But also, would it be possible for us to work with because of the income restriction comments that we had the West Hollywood housing corporation or other low income affordable housing programs to allow them to have X amount of bikes for residents that need them to check out in any way shape reform is that a gift of public funds in any way shape reform.
I think we would have to look at that so give direction for what's to have to look at, we can assess what would be an appropriate program.
Can we approve the recommendation and give direction to staff to follow up on seeing whether a bike lending program through the library is feasible and whether it's feasible to look at providing bikes to.
A limited number of bikes at some of the low income housing projects, maybe do a pilot project at one of the buildings.
Thank you. Do we all got that.
So we have a motion on table in a second.
So you clerk, you have that. Great.
And I will, oh sorry.
Okay.
The motion passes by zero with the additional direction. Great.
We're out of the old business section.
Point to reconvene the meeting. If you can please.
Let's go back to your seats.
I think we're picking right back up at item f3.
The proposed organizational changes to support the administration of the city's bill board program.
This is a council member item.
So vice mayor, helmet over to you.
Thank you mayor.
And although this is a council initiated item.
It is an item that we've worked on with staff and with the city manager.
It really directs the city manager to create a division within the community development department.
That will focus on billboards.
As we've seen, this is taken up a substantial amount of time of our staff and the planning commission in the city council.
And it's likely that this program will grow.
If billboards are used to support the development of housing on Santa Monica and other corridors.
The idea behind this is currently we are staffed with people from different divisions and two of the people who are primarily responsible for billboards are working remotely.
And this was really the plan was for them to transition out of the city's employment.
And as that occurs.
The city manager is outlined a structure that is going to work for him as well as for the community development department.
So that's really the direction that's being given here.
And I don't know if David wants to add anything, but I think he's asking for approval of various positions that would then be funded essentially in the upcoming budget year.
And this would give him the authority to begin recruiting for those positions.
We would come back at the next meeting with the midyear budget to actually if you approve tonight the positions will come back with the job specs and all of the normal things that we do for new positions with the midyear budget.
And then we could begin recruiting knowing that that's going to take several months but by the next budget cycle by the July 1st we'd have these positions filled.
The only other thing I would add and this is not to diminish in any way the high quality work that we have gotten from the people who've been working in the program and the people who've been working remotely as well.
So there's a great deal of expertise that's been developed and a great deal of work that's been accomplished, but this would essentially focus that work in one portion of city hall.
Terrific.
Did you want to jump in council breaks in?
Yes, thank you so much to my colleagues on this item, so I'm supportive of it.
I think adding more staff is always helpful and I think that's where my comments come into.
So we are throwing staff at the billboard not throwing staff.
We are providing staff sorry for billboard assistance which has both.
Financial applicability to the city and long term development in that way.
However, I don't see us prioritizing the same type of staff.
Our organization for infrastructure improvements mainly our streets or sidewalks and other areas that are drastically outdated.
I look at the timeline for the Willoughby streetscape program and it's nowhere near any of us.
I look at the fountain avenue redesign program it's nowhere near any of us.
If we are providing additional staffing to do really important items like billboards that bring in money,
we all should be providing additional staffing to the areas that need it and that does include our major infrastructure in our streets.
And I hope my colleagues would agree that the more staff that we have to provide community updates to provide updated plans,
not to rely and consult in so much helps everyone because you have to, in order to see the billboards, you have to drive past them.
And so or walk, thank you very much Mayor for highlighting that.
But I think that I do intend on voting on this item, I am supportive of it.
But I also would like for us to look at then giving additional direction for much needed departments that need additional staffing on infrastructure improvements.
That's it.
Councilmember Mister.
Thank you Mayor.
So I'm supportive of this item.
The reason that I ask that it not go on consent is because if we're going to be bringing in, you know, additional staff.
I think it's really important for us to make sure that there is transparency in terms of these billboards on website and reports to us.
I mean, when I look at the links that, you know, for some of these reports, I was the one who asked these questions.
I mean, you would never find them in your wildest dreams.
So I think we should have a page on our planning departments page a link that specifically, very clearly about billboards.
You know, here it says in 2019 city prepared an inventory of existing billboards.
Does this mean the ones that were done since 2019 or not on the not on the inventory.
They're not on the website right now, but we'll be adding those.
Okay, but it's but but they were done since 2019 maybe some of them were 2021, 2022.
So, you know, it's taken a long time. So that's my point. My point is that by having additional staff.
Things like that should be, you know, tracked and kept up to date.
We should get reviews on on all of these items.
For example, the maps revenue tracked revenue that's coming in, who monitors the occupancy.
I mean, if it's, if it's one year that we monitor is that how long they're allowed to have the 50% or more occupancy.
I don't think it's a year.
I mean, maybe it is that's why I asked staff that they could be prepared to answer that question.
Is it less than a year, more than a year, that they're allowed to have, you know, less than 50% occupancy?
It's specific to a couple of development agreements. It hasn't been standard and we're trying to standardize that language.
Okay, so, but what would be, what would, what is staff hoping for?
If, if they're under occupancy, we would like them to be at occupancy within a year within a year.
Okay, so, you know, all right, then fine, then that's fine, but I think I think it's very important for for the public,
especially because these are, you know, bringing in so much of our revenue and it apparently keeps growing,
because we keep approving billboards and I think that the residents, our community wants to know, you know,
what money is coming in and just a better tracking of the system and a very transparent tracking,
not a link that no one would ever find, you know, and even if they, you know, googled all night, they wouldn't find it.
So, you know, all of the items that, you know, when the questions that apply, I would like for staff, you know,
if we're going to be staffing up, that this should be an important, you know, this should be also included as their responsibility,
the tracking of all of those things and, and in a way that's extremely transparent.
Yeah, and absolutely well, and that, and the link is on the community development webpage.
It's a click, I know that it's a long link as it's filled out here, because that's what's shown in the bar, but it's just a click on the page.
You need a page for it, you know what I mean?
It's, again, it's, it's a big part of our revenue now, it's over 10%, right?
I mean, that's one industry that's over 10% of our revenue.
Yeah, yeah, and I'll certainly as we develop the new staff and team that will work on it.
We'll come back with a plan for regular updates to the council, similar to what we do with the major projects and the capital improvement projects.
Great.
Thank you, Mayor.
You know, first I want to say thank you to the Vice Mayor, the City Manager for allowing me to join on this item and allowing me to provide some of my input.
It's a great item and, you know, billboards are a large part of our revenue for our city and it's very important.
And, Brian, may I ask you a question?
And, you know, thank you to staff, for all the hard work, you know, you all do in bringing this huge chunk of revenue to our city as council member.
I just said 10% maybe a little bit more, and that's super important, and all these creative billboards that I've gone through the process on sunset.
That's what sets what's Hollywood apart.
When did the program begin?
2020, 2020.
Okay.
So roughly 2020 and since 2020 how many projects have actually been approved and are operational on the street?
We've approved 12.
And how many are fully operational?
There's three full motion and there's one or two, I think five fully operational.
So it's five fully operational since 2020 and there's quite a few that are pending and then are there any that are almost complete?
The now, which is 84.97 should be up and running within months, the world, 83.
Well, that one should be another month or two, and whiskey, rainbow, and rocks, it should be by the end of the year.
Got it.
So since 2020, we have a boat load of applications.
There's five currently complete and fully operational, bringing in the revenue for our city.
It's two that are almost complete.
And then there's, I believe, three that are approved and most likely will be completed at the end of the year.
So this is all revenue.
So there's quite a few pending applications that are still in the process somewhere along the way.
And when those get complete, then, you know, we're just going to be able to generate more revenues to council member, Erickson's thoughts earlier that we're going to be able to.
Fix our infrastructure and hire more staff.
And I think this is a great item.
It'll complement the amazing work that staff has already done to bring this to West Hollywood, our billboard program.
And I'm fully in support of this item.
And, you know, making a specialized unit will, in my hopes, make the process go a little bit faster.
And, you know, what was covered in the staff report was the word milestone.
Right?
So I'm very hopeful that staff will be able to come back to the council with some sort of milestone.
Some sort of optimal milestone.
So that way applicants can get an idea of where they are in the problem.
And they're not kind of just waiting in limbo for whatever reason. Plans get change, et cetera, so that there's set some sort of standard of expectations.
And I firmly believe that creating a new unit with specialized staff that will focus only on this, can definitely make that happen.
And I just want to know that it's the applicants that we're often waiting on.
I mean, the staff has been prepared to move on many of these signs, and it takes us months and months to get information from the applicants.
And I just wanted to make that a put that on the record.
And I understand. And I know that there are some staff that will request certain changes as well.
So it goes both ways, sort of speak.
Correct.
Thank you.
And I would just add that we had an initial basically three rounds, round 1, 1.5, and then round 2.
But we had like 20 applications approved at one time.
And so though it's been since 2020 we had 20 applications that were working on it once.
So now you're seeing a couple of billboards come every month or at least one a month or two.
So you're going to see a lot of them happening sooner, even without this, but I think this will make it faster.
But I just don't want to compare this to from day one because at day one we had like 20 applications going through the start of the process.
Thank you for the clarification.
We have a motion on the table.
Can someone hang? Do you want to give it the second?
Oh, sorry.
Sorry. Go ahead.
And the motion is to approve the recommendation, but also with the suggestion that we have a dedicated page on the website and that we asked the new unit to create some expected timeframes for applicants.
Thank you both for the item.
And with that clarification, we have a motion in a second.
Oops, sorry. I have to actually push start voting.
Moving through.
Motion passes 50.
Terrific.
When we've on the item F4, the east side economic development and marketing over to you, Council Member Ericsson.
Thank you so much.
We've kind of previewed this.
This item was very business focused, so not kind of the other things.
I would really like us to look at creating a re or re establishing an east side improvement business district that the city can help get off.
The ground.
I would also like us to look at how we engage our by-pock businesses and different owners in that area.
Specifically, I know our business task force is forthcoming.
We have a lot of money in regards to this item taking some of the recommendations that we did see that were outlined in a way.
But how do we create actual long term standing systems or organizations for the east side?
They just aren't there and I think that's because a lot of the different types have price points associated with them.
How could we as a city directly invest in some of these?
So that was the intent of this item.
Mayer, did you want to add anything else that I might not have described?
No, I think you covered it.
I mean, I had a concern when I was signing onto this that it was duplicative and sort of the folding down of the last item and the standing up of this one.
I just feel like it's creating a really specific conversation that we can stick with around what's possible in terms of marketing those specific area.
I think some of the recommendations that were in the economic study are really some of the solutions.
And so I'm just grateful that you're trying to seize the moment and get this conversation stayed on track.
And I know councilmember Mister, you wanted to jump in.
No, I think that we'd sort of discuss with the other item.
It's covered.
I'm supportive.
Great.
I'll make a motion.
Terrific.
Are there comments or questions from the colleague? Okay, great.
I'm moving through it.
So the motion is as written.
Thank you.
Councilmember Erickson.
Great.
And.
Sorry.
All right.
Another.
Now we are moving on to locating our final item.
Yeah.
F8 appointment of city council members as delegates and alternate to various organizations committees conferences and city council subcommittees.
I'm going to hand this one over to our fantastic city clerk to steer this process.
I'm one second.
Yeah, one second.
And for my colleagues.
I know our city clerk is going to run this process.
We'll let her steer the show.
All right.
Whenever she's right.
Sorry.
All right.
Thank you.
Mayor and vice mayor and council members.
The item before you is to make appointments to outside organizations as well as the cities subcommittees.
The first item.
And I'm going to just go through very clearly on the recommendations is to appoint an alternate to the sanitation district.
So the mayor is designated as the delegate to the sanitation district.
And so we need an alternate to the sanitation district.
Do we have any takers for the sanitation district?
Now that we know the meetings can be virtual.
I will happily stay on as the alternate and miss all the meetings so the mayor can have them.
They're virtual.
So we can have this.
So you don't have to drive to Whittier as long as the city clerk always notices city hall.
I think those meetings can continue.
Yeah.
Quite a few of them now are allowing participation teleconferencing as long as we post the notice.
So clean power alliance allows that as well.
So something to keep in mind as we move along.
The next one is for contract cities association for our voting delegate and alternate.
I would like to stay on as the voting delegate.
I think I was the alternate and I'm happy to be removed if somebody else would like to do that now.
Can't let's more hang.
You might be on try it.
Great.
All right.
He's a good.
Be careful.
What do you sign up for?
Yes.
Clean power alliance.
I would like to stay as the delegate.
I think I'm the alternate.
Yeah.
It currently is.
And that is one of the ones that is via telecomference if we notice it correctly.
I'm county city selection committee, which is currently council member Erickson and vice mayor.
I cannot make the meetings because they happen in the middle of the day.
So I'm not available.
So I won't be able to stay on.
Okay.
I thought the mayor was automatically the.
For city selection.
Yes.
It is the mayor.
You're correct.
And then an alternate, which was.
You.
I'll stay alternate.
So she'll see you get to be.
Do we have to keep it as the mayor?
I think that the direction from city selection is that the mayor is.
The requirement.
Okay.
And our next.
I need.
JPI.
JPI which currently is.
I believe councilmember.
Myster.
And do you want to stay on?
Yeah.
That's JPI.
I'm sorry.
JPI.
Oh.
I actually.
I don't.
I can't believe I say this because of me being on the.
the liability, trust fund, an oversight board.
I'm happy to do it if you don't want to,
because I know, but it's, but it's once a year
and you have to be there in person.
And where is it?
It's a middle of nowhere, La Palma.
Where is the pipe?
I don't know.
What's La Palma?
Yeah.
It's a foul.
Sorry for people in La Palma.
Yes, we love La Palma.
We just don't know where.
North of sunset.
No, that's not.
South of Malvros?
That's great.
It's screwed.
It's near Serritos.
I will discover what Serritos is as well.
Thank you so much.
Serritos has a great library.
I will go straight to the public.
I'm going to shut up now.
I already said the effort already on record to the public.
I was aware you're welcome.
But staff can be.
Yes.
So, and then it's myself and our senior risk person.
I'm happy to do it.
And I just got the invite.
So I will be sharing that with you tomorrow.
Really looking forward to it.
Okay.
I'm National League of Cities.
I'm happy to stay on or if Councilmember Hang would like to do National League of Cities
because I know there might be doing some more with some subcommittees in National League of
Cities.
Do you want to do it?
Okay.
We can all go.
So the mayor will be the voting member.
Councilmember Hang will be the alternate?
Yes.
Santa Monica Bay Watershed Council.
Didn't you just did all those warms for them?
Yes.
I will be staying on because I did that.
I'll try to bring in.
Over Christmas and I that took a piece of my soul.
Yes.
Because I did do it five times because I kept failing.
Thank you.
Good.
Attorney General's office.
It was horrible.
Yes.
Would do we have an alternate for this watershed?
Can we designate a staff person to be the alternate here?
I think we can.
Because I want to say at one time it was Robin East.
Yeah.
Hang on one second.
Yeah.
Because I also have to be approved by the cops.
Yeah.
Because I'm hopefully going to be doing it.
The mayor just reminded me to be at the cock on the west side.
I for now we can hold off on the alternate.
And I will confirm with them that it can be a staff person.
I believe it can be a staff person.
But I want to make sure.
Can we make a new identify a staff person?
Can we make you on the staff person?
I'm sorry.
Let's see her hanging up back there.
And it's not a conflict of peace.
The city wreck and the west side call grab.
No.
Okay.
Thank you for that.
So in the past if it was.
I believe it was a long range.
Planning person.
Because it was.
Was it Robin East?
And you have to see my memory isn't failing me as much as I thought it was.
So I think at the time she was the long range planning managers.
So if we want to designate that position or if we want to.
Sure.
Since that person's doing clean power anyways.
Aren't they the alternate and clean power?
If that caught up with the call, you know.
Who is it?
Is it?
LRP.
It would be Francis.
Yes.
I would like to make Francis.
The alternate.
He's not here anymore.
That's what happens.
You lose.
You get a point in.
Now one go to the bathroom.
Because you're much to get a lot of credit.
That's happened to.
So now we'll do sky.
Tell us whatever.
Myster.
Yeah.
I'm going to be the alternate again.
Yeah.
Do you want to be the alternate.
Because you're on some subcommittees.
Okay.
So it's myster and buyers.
What size did he call?
I'd like to do it.
I was.
It's the alternate.
But they needed a time when I'm teaching.
So I'm fine with the mayor.
I blocked my calendar for the year for it.
Okay.
So mayor buyers is the delegate.
I'll be the alternate.
He's the alternate.
Yeah.
Okay.
And vice mayor.
I owe man.
Okay.
So just for the record.
Finance and budget subcommittee has always been the mayor and the vice mayor.
One of the things that I wanted this council to affirm or change is for the last two years.
It was decided that the mayor and vice mayor would be the Pride subcommittee appointees.
I want just wanted the council to affirm that or to decide not to do that.
And if we affirm it tonight, that is the way that subcommittee will stay moving forward.
Yeah.
I think that.
Does that work?
Okay.
The mayor committee.
It will be.
Mayor buyers.
Yeah.
We're all good.
Yeah.
Okay.
And vice mayor helmet.
And so now homelessness subcommittee, which is currently.
Mayor buyers.
And vice mayor.
I believe both of you want to stay on that subject committee.
Because there's some good work to get done there.
So now.
Plumber Park.
Projects.
Okay.
I don't need to be a part of that.
I'm happy to stay on with councilmember chair.
Okay.
So that will remain.
Council members.
Myster and Ericson.
Heart Park face to visioning subcommittee.
Heart Park face to.
With I originally a part of that, we just haven't got anything started.
So for heart.
Heart.
We currently.
We feel it.
Oh, it was new.
And we haven't done anything with it.
Okay.
So.
It was.
Myster.
And.
Where's Rick?
I signed up because it was sunset.
Was it set me when?
It was.
Yeah.
It's a new subcommittee.
There's no.
It's okay.
Okay.
I recommend.
I nominate councilmember hang.
Sorry.
I'm just going to.
I'll just make him feel.
Anyone.
You want to be.
Councilmember.
Yeah.
Laurel House.
Who's currently doing that?
Councilmember.
Laurel House.
Is.
Was.
Councilmember.
Shine.
And myster.
So we have an opening.
Um.
Laurel House.
The mayor.
Councilmember.
Council.
I nominate.
Councilmember.
Okay.
San Vicente Street.
Thank you.
It's currently myself in Council Member Erickson and we just had our first meeting, so I think it's stick to it, yeah, okay. So, that will be Council Member Erickson and Mayor Fires.
And we are done.
Do we do the playhouse?
And I think we skipped League of California.
Playhouse was done.
Done playhouses.
I agree.
Yeah, that work was completed.
And any future ones that are created would just be done throughout the year.
If we did California contract cities, but I don't know that we did League of California cities.
So we don't typically, I bring an item when the league conference happens and then don't like it,
so it shows no for that one.
Okay, perfect.
Because it's just one second.
Is it happening in March?
April?
That's what I meant.
Thank you, Mayor.
League?
National League.
It's around September.
It's in the fall.
Yeah.
And so, usually whoever goes, it's going to the company.
Is the league elegant for Friday?
The same thing is true with the National League of Cities, even though we designated tonight.
If somebody's not going, we can always change.
Yeah.
Thank you very much.
And I will send an updated list to everyone so that they have it.
It's also published on the website if members of the public are interested.
Thank you.
Perfect.
Well, my friends, we've made it to the end of our agenda.
There's no items that have been moved to the excluded consent.
Terrific.
Do we have any final public commenters?
So, Ramus has requested to speak again under public comment.
I said I would leave it to the presiding officer to decide.
Yeah.
I think we can hear one more public comment.
Ramus, come on up.
Let me just add your vote.
Guys.
Thank you.
Okay.
Go ahead.
Last week, my atheist friend, Salawamu Mika, was murdered in Sweden for burning the Quran.
Adding insult to injury today.
He was positively sentenced for an assignment of an ethnic group.
Atheists are one of the only groups in the Middle East that are fighting for LGBT rights.
Because religion is the roof of all homophobia, especially in Islam.
If we burn the Quran because it oppresses us, Muslims feel inclined to kill us.
We are atheists, not masquist Christians.
If you hit us on the right cheek, we strike back nuclearly.
This is why we declare January 28th as burned the Quran day.
Burn it, tear it apart, et cetera.
Islam is not just a religion.
It is a political system enveloped in interrelision.
It's the mafia wearing a turban and you pay the tribute.
As per chapter 9 verse 29, there are zero churches in Saudi Arabia because Islam is so tolerant.
Muslims cry in Islamophobia, just as the Nazi would cry in Nazi will be able to.
No, your ideology is just hateful in tolerance.
Hitler commended Islam as a political ideology for a reason.
Muslims claim that Israel is an occupier and that Jews are colonialists.
Arab Muslims invaded and call us by force more than 20 countries, including my own.
From Spain to India and killed over 150 million people of estimate.
Who occupied who?
Calling Jews occupiers is like calling Native Americans trying to get their land back occupiers.
I don't know how you can all be Zionists and Democrats simultaneously because the Democratic party is the party of the Hamal sympathizers.
So, down with Islam and the religion of hate and terrorism,
Bumnaz bit katli said,
Qunah salawana mika ashan har al-Qur'anhan kat al-Qur'an.
Ashan t'arafi al-Maslimin al-Mahirin Mishm-Shain,
Mzqain al-Drabun al-Qad al-Ayman al-Drabjinn al-Makum bin Nawi.
Qunah salawani al-Qur'an.
Qunah salawani al-Qur'an al-Qur'an.
Qunah salawani al-Qur'an.
It is called the issue of the spread of the possible Arab Islamic people,
We will move on to Councilmember comments and meeting attendance reports, which of my colleagues would like to begin.
All right, Councilmember Hang.
Thank you, Mayor.
For my meetings and attendance, I recently attended the Cal City's Conference in Orange County.
And I just wanted to wish everybody a happy black history one.
And a happy lunar new year. Thank you.
Thank you so much, Mayor and congratulations on your second meeting.
I know we were all eager to get out of here after the last one.
I just in terms of meetings I attended, I attended the mellow maniacs event here in the chambers.
I attended the ice skating ring can agree with the public.
It was fun. I only, I did not fall. So there you go.
But it was great. And there was one individual spinning and doing jumps like crazy.
And it was the most amazing thing to see as someone disassembled on their behind.
It was, it was pretty great.
So thank you to staff and I want to thank everyone that was involved in that.
I know nothing went according to plan on that entire event.
But you know, good things will come when it comes back in the future.
It will be okay and we will have drag queens on ice.
We have promised drag queens on ice.
So we will do it.
Ten to the San Luisente streetscape planning meeting.
The Cal City's Policy Committee meeting.
The Winter Wonderland event.
Thank you to the Parks and Rec staff.
It was such a great time to see all of it.
I attended two events of the wild.
First, the Purely Wild event, which promoted the sober bar nightlife program,
which they were trying to start, which was really lovely.
In the last dance, honoring thumb, a Houston for thumb, a Houston day.
In the city of West Hollywood.
And they attended the book's book launch of Monster Squad.
That came out that I talked about the last time.
And in terms of only comments, I was just wondering,
in this goes with something I said earlier, on the Billboard item,
if we can get a recruitment update on the senior transportation planner.
Because that's taking so long.
I would like to just know that doesn't have to be now.
But whenever that's coming back.
Thank you very much, Mayor.
Thank you, council member.
I extend councilmember maister.
I just want to mention the city of West Hollywood is proud to host events
in support of Black History Month.
Wednesday, February 26th from 6.30 to 8pm.
For the WeHo reads 2025, Literary Series, Opener, entitled Power,
and Progress during Black History Month.
The event will feature four dynamic writers whose work
delves into untold histories, urgent social issues,
and enduring legacies of resilience during Black History Month.
Additionally, as part of our continued commitment to service and community engagement,
we invite you to participate in the Martin Luther King Junior Day of Service,
a day of giving back in honor of Dr. King's legacy.
Volunteers will assist with landscaping, clean up,
painting, and other beautification projects at West Hollywood Elementary School.
The event will take place on Saturday, February 22nd from 9am to 1pm at West Hollywood Elementary School.
And for more information on those events, you can visit the city's calendar page.
I don't have anything crucial to report in attendance,
and I did not go to the ice skating ring.
I wanted to be able to walk.
Thank you, Councilmember Mister, Vice Mayor.
I did go, and I am able to walk still, and I did not fall.
I came close.
Thank you, Mayor.
I wanted to report that I went to the city's recreation open house.
I also helped introduce and kick off our winter sound series at the Pendry.
I want to wish everyone a happy, black history month as well as a happy lunar new year.
I wanted to follow up on a couple of items that we moved to consent.
The child care item, a fully supportive of, and I want to thank the mayor for bringing it forward.
I do want to report that we did something similar many years ago.
I might still have the report to see if it can be updated.
But I'm hoping that the staff working on that can gather some of the past information.
Much of it may be out of date, but it had some good resources available.
I also wanted to make a comment about the Plumber Park Master Plan.
I know that we're moving forward in a new direction.
I will say that the previous plan did go through a great deal of public input and public comment numerous times to various commissions and boards.
So the notion that there wasn't public outreach and public comment about that is not true.
I understand that there were people who had different opinions about it.
I think that as we go forward, we're going to see that there are likely going to be differences of opinions as we move forward with a new plan.
And I hope that whatever we do, we will actually invest a lot of time and money to get to the right project and that once it's adopted, we will stick with it.
I do want to follow up on the comment regarding the fire department and having a remote clicker for the light.
I did that's the first I've heard of it.
I don't know if they've outreach directly to the city or whether they're just telling constituents on the street that this is what they need.
But I'm hoping the city manager will follow up and our public safety staff will follow up with them to see if that can be addressed.
Marquita Thomas brought some suggestions for amendments to the RSD.
That's obviously not within our purview that needs to go through the rent stabilization staff and the RSD commission.
Some of the suggestions might be meritorious.
I don't know but I see Kristoff here and I'm hoping that he can follow up and look at that.
And then two other points I just wanted to respond to a couple of comments that my colleagues have made during tonight's discussion.
Councilmember Myster talked about $3,500 rent and not being affordable to median income or moderate income.
I actually looked up the county median income.
It's almost $100,000 annual income.
So a $3,500 a month rent would be approximately 42% of that income, which is higher than we would normally expect.
But it's not that far out of the range of what most people are paying in terms of the amount of their income that's going towards rent.
So I agree we want to focus on low income and moderate income.
But I think we also have to recognize that the income, the moderate income levels have increased significantly in LA County.
And I also wanted to respond to something that Councilmember Ericsson said about our infrastructure in 40 years.
Yes, there's certainly things that we can do better and improve.
But I disagree strongly with the notion that we've ignored our infrastructure for 40 years.
We took over Santa Monica Boulevard.
We redid Santa Monica Boulevard.
We've repaved it several times.
We widen the sidewalks.
We adopted a master plan for all of our streets.
That is a master plan to pave the streets.
We have been paving and repaving them on a regular basis.
Our sidewalks and curbs.
We do an annual allocation for making improvements and correcting things on those.
So the notion I know that you're coming from a place of implementing bike lanes and implementing other types of improvements.
But the notion that we've ignored our infrastructure for 40 years is just not accurate.
And I think we can go back and we can look at all of the expenditures and all of the programs that have actually been implemented in the city over the 40 year period.
And I think we would likely if we were compared to other cities, particularly the city of LA.
We have done an extraordinary job in our staff have in addressing our infrastructure and maintaining it over that period of time.
Councillor.
Thank you.
I totally hear what you were saying.
But the last time we updated out an avenue, the Malrow stuff that we were getting through.
That's taken quite some time.
We pay our streets.
We improve our sidewalks.
We cut our trees.
But we don't invest in the future of what a transportation infrastructure project looks like throughout the city was Hollywood.
We talk about Santa Monica Boulevard just great.
But as someone who's lived unfounded avenue for the last 14 years, I don't think I've ever seen that street improved.
And that's just not the only street.
Will it be Beverly Melrose?
I think the more we all do together to come together on these projects is important.
We do do more than other cities.
But we need to prioritize people over parking.
People over cars.
And people on bikes are walking.
Instead of providing people more thoroughfares to speed along our streets.
And I think these improvements to help our streets, whether it be a bike lane, a better sidewalk and expanded sidewalk,
are ways that we can do it.
And I just don't think we've holistically looked at places that don't involve cars.
That was kind of more of the common for clarification.
Thank you.
Thank you to all my colleagues to staff and to the public.
Public for a terrific and expedient meeting tonight. My meeting attendance report includes the clean power alliance, energy, committee meeting, and the lobby day in Sacramento, which was a really terrific excursion with that group. I'm really grateful for the chance to participate. The Cal City's Transportation Committee, so a couple times in Sacramento last month. The Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency, tenant protection committee meeting, and the local city coordination meeting.
Committee meeting, so two different committee meetings for La Cossa as well. I also just want to give a shout out to the West Hollywood Elementary, they're incredible. And again, participated in the great kind of challenge. So I had the opportunity to welcome the kids to school on that Monday and do the very difficult job of judging the doors that are decorated for kindness week alongside the LA Sheriff's Department. So thank you to you all for being a part of that as well. It was a really fun and difficult morning to make those decisions.
But we are so lucky to have West Hollywood Elementary in our community and I'm looking forward to having the kids back here to leave the pledge as we move forward because I won't keep standing up and doing it that way.
I want to also just recognize that last night screaming awards were a really big celebration of queer joy.
And I think there's nothing more important in this time than protecting supporting and celebrating the queer community and importantly the trans community.
We spent a lot of time here tonight talking about billboards and housing. And I think we all know up here, but what maybe get lost on the community and the public is when we talk about billboards.
We're talking about the revenue and the resources generated through those billboards, the spaces that they create in the resources they bring back to the city that allow us to fuel great programs like our social service initiatives.
When we talk about housing we're talking about making space for people in our community a community that is safe and supportive for all people and inclusive.
So tonight while it was less about the queer community and supporting trans people.
I hope it's not lost on the public what we're doing to make space and provide support for all the different marginalized communities who desperately need support more than ever in this time against this administration.
I want to recognize and just wish everyone a meaningful black history month and then on a personal note share as we conclude this meeting.
I had the chance to see the eagles in Vegas just on their very last night of closing and it was a really remarkable moment of stepping into a space in Las Vegas in this amazing venue of the sphere and the backdrop at the sphere was us.
It was parts of the sunset strip, it was parts of Santa Monica Boulevard, the Roxy, the Rainbow, the Troopador sunset Boulevard itself.
There were other parts of Los Angeles, you could see that each out there too, but it was us Hollywood and that the eagles in their final tour in the grand Vegas space of the sphere chose to use our billboards, our venues to tell their story.
I think really sends a message to the world about what the cultural power of this small space is.
The things that we're creating that give others the opportunity to tell their stories and what a really remarkable opportunity we have here to keep doing that work.
So I was deeply inspired as much as I was trying to get out of West Hollywood for just one night and then found myself right back in it.
It was a really special reminder of just how special this city is all the people who've done such incredible work to make it the case.
I have plenty of videos and photos, I'm happy to share any time you want, but that'll conclude my report for now.
And I just will say that the city council meeting is officially now adjourned at 942.
Can you believe it?
To its next regular meeting, which is Tuesday, February 18, 2025 at 6 p.m. right back here, West Hollywood Park Public Meeting Room.