City Council Meeting Summary, January 26, 2026

Published on February 05, 2026

City Council Commendation - Malik Books.jpg

City Council Approves Better Overland Plan, Lunar New Year Event, Explore Culver City Branding, and Former Gun Store Redevelopment

Selects Design for Better Overland Project

The City Council unanimously selected Alternative B for the Better Overland Project. The Better Overland Project is an active transportation improvement project along Overland Avenue from Venice Boulevard to the Fox Hills neighborhood, including the Culver City Transit Center.

Planned improvements include more than 2.5 miles of protected bike lanes, new and enhanced sidewalks and pedestrian crossings, sidewalk-facing streetlighting, new traffic signals at Kelmore Avenue/Ranch Road and at Sawtelle Boulevard, and other multimodal enhancements. Together, these investments will transform Overland Avenue into an Active Transportation Corridor consistent with the City’s General Plan, creating a connected corridor that encourages walking and biking as practical and enjoyable ways to travel within the City.

Alternative B retains the center two-way left-turn lane but removes parking on the west side of the street. Parking on the east side will remain. Staff will pursue grant opportunities to support implementation.

Approves Redevelopment Plan for Former Gun Store 

The City Council unanimously approved a redevelopment proposal of the City-owned property at 11029 Washington Boulevard, formerly the Martin B. Retting gun store.

That proposal, submitted by West Hollywood Community Housing Corporation, includes a seven-story, 67-unit all-affordable housing development, with a mix of one- and two-bedroom units, all of which would be affordable to households  between 30% and 80% of the area median income  , with a preference for teachers. It would contain resident services, artist lofts, and a community art center on the ground floor.

It was one of six proposals  reviewed by the Planning Commission and City staff. West Hollywood Community Housing Corporation scored the highest with a 93 out of 100 possible points.

Staff will now draft an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement with WHCHC to negotiate the lease of the property before the project can  begin construction.

Approves Creation of Lunar New Year Celebration Event

Culver City will host a Lunar New Year Celebration in February after unanimous approval by the City Council. The Economic Development division will create and produce the new annual event. The celebration will take place on Sunday, February 22 from 3 PM to 6 PM in Downtown Culver City in Town Plaza.

Lunar New Year is a major holiday in East and Southeast Asia, marking the start of the lunisolar calendar, and is celebrated with family reunions, feasts, and traditions honoring ancestors. Different cultures call it Spring Festival (China), Tết (Vietnam), or Seollal (Korea). It falls between late January and mid-February and is a deeply important cultural event for many Asian communities, emphasizing family, renewal, and hope.

This free family-friendly event will be in coordination with Purple Magpie Mandarin, a local Mandarin immersion school.

Approves City Reorganization

The City Council unanimously approved the reorganization of the City Manager’s Office to align the executive leadership structure with the City Manager’s Fiscal Year 2026-2027 strategic priorities.

Over the past several years, the City’s work has continued to grow in both scale and complexity particularly in areas such as housing and homelessness, infrastructure investment, fiscal stewardship, and community-facing service delivery. These evolving demands have increased expectations on our organization and highlighted the importance of investing in leadership capacity, workforce capability, and long-term talent retention to sustain high-quality public service.

In response, City Manager Odis Jones evaluated the City’s executive structure, classifications, and leadership framework with the goal of better aligning our organization with City Council priorities, public-sector best practices, and the needs of our workforce. The approved changes are designed to strengthen enterprise-wide leadership capacity, reinforce accountability and coordination, and represent a deliberate investment in our people supporting talent development, retention, and succession readiness across the organization.

Key elements of the reorganization include:

  • Establishes a Senior Assistant City Manager role to serve as principal deputy and support coordinated execution across major service areas
  • Clarifies executive focus areas by creating new Assistant City Manager roles to align with Fiscal, Sustainability & Transparency and Economic Development, Vitality & Equity functional areas.
  • Elevates the Human Resources function to a Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) role to reflect expanded, enterprise-wide workforce and talent responsibilities
  • Creates a dedicated Performance Management function within the City Manager’s Office to ensure City Council priorities are translated into measurable outcomes and tracked consistently
  • Strengthens executive coordination and City Council support through a Senior Executive Assistant to the City Manager

The reorganization includes the planned development of aa formal executive performance management and pay-for-performance framework aligned with International City/County Management Association best practices. This framework will emphasize clear goals, measurable outcomes, accountability, and continuous development, reinforcing a culture of learning, improvement, and professional growth at all levels of the organization.

The Adopted Budget for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 will support these changes without additional appropriation due to salary savings from existing vacant positions and the time needed to recruit for new positions. The costs for Fiscal Year 2026-2027 will be included in the upcoming budget and will be balanced by reductions in other areas. Likewise, any costs for the performance management and the pay-for-performance framework will be included in next fiscal year’s budget.

Directs Staff to Create Ordinance Restricting ICE Using City-Owned Land/Facilities

The City Council unanimously agreed to direct staff to create a resolution  to restrict U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from using city-owned or city-controlled land and facilities for civil immigration enforcement.

City Council directed staff to build a resolution based on the City of Pinole’s ordinance, which limits the use of city-owned or city-controlled property for federal civil immigration enforcement, while including exceptions when cooperation is required by a valid judicial warrant or court order, when federal officers access areas open to the general public, and when activities are related to criminal enforcement. City departments, employees, officials, contractors, and agents may not knowingly allow city property to be used for civil immigration enforcement activities such as staging operations, processing or detaining individuals, surveillance, or serving as coordination or logistics hubs.

Staff will return with a resolution for consideration at a future meeting.

Moves Forward with “Explore Culver City” Initiative 

The City Council discussed and agreed to a Culver City tourism brand logo and tagline. “Explore Culver City” focuses on attracting visitors, increasing tourism and positioning the City in the region in anticipation of upcoming national and international sporting events.

City Council Members agreed to go with MMGY’s second brand logo, deemed “elegant yet vintage” with a typography reflects an understated elegance and refined vintage approach using the City’s architectural elements as its inspiration. The Logo incorporates an arched “Culver” reflected in a clean, prominent font coupled with an underlying classic script. The tagline development was also selected. “SoCulver” highlights Culver City’s ability to offer the best of the SoCal lifestyle with creative culture, art and dining, but reflects the community’s grounded and authentic appeal. This tagline is considered to possess "category-defining originality” with an originality score of 92.

A style guide will be created for the City to provide standards and recommendations for future use and positioning with an anticipated launch for Explore Culver City by the summer.

Presentations to the City Council

The City Council heard two presentations at the meeting. In the first, Throne Labs provided a presentation on restroom solutions for public spaces, outlining its mission to address public anxiety related to restroom availability and access. A representative of Throne Labs discussed nationwide deployments, partnerships throughout the Los Angeles region, and successful implementations of self-contained restroom units that do not require permanent infrastructure. The presentation included information on cleanliness standards, ADA compliance, service expectations, timelines for delivery and activation, and the all-inclusive service model.

Usage data, public feedback, and performance metrics were shared, including information from the Throne unit operating in Culver City since April 2025 through a partnership with LA Metro. The presentation also addressed operational considerations such as misuse, overstays, loitering prevention, restricted access, repeat offenses, graffiti mitigation, and technology used to monitor usage and communicate directly with Throne Labs.

Discussion ensued between a representative of Throne Labs, staff, and Council Members regarding service plans by location, including deployments near mass transit, potential sites such as the Fox Hills Transit Center, and integration into public spaces. Additional discussion covered cleaning frequency informed by usage data, limitations of self-cleaning systems, monthly flat fees based on service tiers, customization options, and confirmation that there is no cost to the public to use a Throne and no upfront cost to deploy a unit. Following discussion, unanimous consensus was reached to consider development of a sole-source pilot agreement with Throne Labs.

In the second presentation, the Afro Village Consortium provided a proposed collaboration tied to the LA2028 Olympic Games, highlighting a temporary activation designed to elevate Culver City on a global stage. Representatives shared background on the organization, the Afro Village concept, and the intent to create a culturally focused, community-centered presence in Culver City during the Olympics.

The presentation outlined a vision centered on cultural exchange, sports diplomacy, and global engagement, including plans for an African Cultural Pavilion and hospitality-style activations showcasing African nations’ culture, cuisine, innovation, and creative industries. Proposed elements included curated programming, free daytime community events, athlete and family support, and the establishment of the Bahati House Sports Lab to merge athletics and international cultural diplomacy.

Additional discussion addressed potential locations such as Media Park and Ivy Station, security and operational considerations, governance and accountability, economic and tourism impacts, and coordination and timing related to LA2028. The Afro Village Consortium emphasized that the proposal would not require a financial commitment from the City, as funding would be raised independently.

City Council unanimously agreed to direct staff to move forward with working with the Afro Village Consortium.

Commendations & Awards

The Equity and Human Relations Awards, created by the Equity and Human Relations Advisory Committee, were presented five community members, recognizing their service and contributions to Equity and Human Relations in Culver City.

  • Kalia Lowitz – Student Awardee
  • Jo Tavares – Individual Awardee
  • Jane Borochoff – Executive Director of a Non Profit Awardee (Westside Regional Center)
  • Fawaz Istwani and Nicholas Connor – Business Owner Awardees (Jackson Market)

The City Council also commended Malik Books for 20 years in the community. Malik Books is a Black-owned independent bookstore with a longstanding history and a deep commitment to promoting African American culture, education, literacy, and community engagement. The bookstore specializes in African American literature, calendars, and culturally affirming gifts that celebrate diversity, heritage, and pride, while providing an important platform for voices that are often underrepresented in mainstream retail spaces.

With a strong belief that “children are 100 percent of our future,” Malik Books places a significant emphasis on education by offering a wide selection of diverse children’s books. For more than three decades, the bookstore has served as a cultural hub, hosting author talks and book signings with nationally recognized artists, writers, and thought leaders across literature, entertainment, and journalism.

From 2023 to 2025, Malik Books served as the Official Special Seller for the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, the largest book festival in the United States. Founded in 1990, Malik Books continues to serve the Los Angeles community through its physical locations at Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza and Westfield Culver City Mall, as well as its online platform, expanding access to books and cultural resources locally and beyond.

Through extensive outreach efforts in 2023 and 2024, Malik Books distributed more than 16,000 free books to underserved students throughout Los Angeles County, established impactful corporate and nonprofit partnerships, and raised more than $40,000 in sponsorship support. In addition, Malik’s Bookmobile has expanded access to literacy by bringing books, culture, and educational opportunities directly into neighborhoods and schools across the region.

The City of Culver City recognizes and commends Malik Books for its outstanding contributions to literacy, cultural representation, education, and community empowerment, and expresses appreciation for more than 30 years of service to the residents of Los Angeles County and beyond.

Additional Council Decisions 

Additional items approved by the City Council include:

Additional Information

Additional information about each of the topics heard at the City Council meeting can be found in the staff reports and backup attachments for the items, which are posted along with the agenda to the City’s website. The video of the City Council meeting is available on the City’s website for viewing.

The City Council will meet for a special session on Monday, February 9th. Childcare is available for the meeting for families wanting to attend in person by emailing PRCS at prcs.department@culvercity.gov.

 

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