City Council Meeting Summary, September 29, 2025

Published on October 08, 2025

Pedestrian Safety Month Proclamation.jpg

City Council Approves 2028 LA Olympics Agreement with New Zealand, Adopts Single Stair Ordinance, Listens to Update from CCPD on License Plate Readers and Mutual Aid

Approves LA 2028 New Zealand Team Hospitality Zone Agreement

The City Council unanimously approved an agreement with the New Zealand Olympic Committee for exclusive use of Town Plaza during the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics for a New Zealand Hospitality House and public Fan Zone, designating it as a City-Sponsored event.

The City will establish an $800,000 budget for the event. In effect, the $800,000 would serve as a spending cap for the event. Should the City’s projected costs for this event exceed $800,000, the City would work with New Zealand to adjust the event to reduce costs.

The planned funding strategy includes:

  • $250,000 – City General Fund Contribution in FY2028/2029
  • $250,000 – Fundraising Goal, with planned assistance from the Culver Arts Foundation
  • $225,000 – Additional General Fund Contribution, backfilled by estimated increase in City revenues due to hosting New Zealand Hospitality House and Fan Zone (sales tax and TOT increases) in FY2028/2029
  • $75,000 – Reallocation of Special Event Funding in FY2028/2029

The hospitality house and fan zone are estimated to generate $2.28 million in additional revenue at local businesses from spending by visitors during the 19-day event. The list of anticipated community benefits can be found in the staff report on the City’s website.

Ordinance Allowing Single Exit Stairway in Residential Buildings Approved

The City Council unanimously agreed on an ordinance that would allow a single exit stairway in residential buildings up to six stories in height, modeled after the City of Seattle’s single exit stair ordinance, as adapted by the City of Los Angeles. The ordinance was amended to include the requirement of an elevator for buildings that are five or six stories in height. All stories must be served by the elevator.

At the state level, the six-year local building code amendment freezes in Assembly Bill 130 (AB 130) took effect on October 1, 2025. If the State Fire Marshall provides more stringent recommendations in the future, the City Council agreed to review those as well.

It is estimated that a six-story small lot residential building with a second stair and an internal corridor increases total project costs up to 13 percent. The approved ordinance creates a new pathway for much needed housing by enabling small lot, flexible layout and energy-efficient single exit stairway residential projects, that were otherwise likely to be cost-prohibitive.

Directs Staff to Develop Rent Assistance for People Impacted by Immigration Enforcement Activity

The City Council unanimously approved directing City staff to develop a rental assistance program to assist undocumented persons impacted by immigration enforcement activity. The program would be funded with $50,000, with a maximum of $1,000 per adult for up to six months once the program begins.

Staff will also investigate funding sources for the program.

This issue will come back to the City Council at its October 27th meeting.

Culver City Police Department (CCPD) Provide Update on Automated License Plate Readers and Mutual Aid Requests

The Culver City Police Department presented an update on its use of Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) and mutual requests. At the July 9th meeting, City Council directed CCPD to provide updates every two months on ALPR usage including reasons for searches, as well as stop sharing ALPR data with outside agencies and increase transparency measures with the ALPR program. CCPD policy and state law strictly prohibits the use of ALPR cameras for immigration enforcement. An audit of the department shows full compliance. As of July 10th, no outside law enforcement agencies can access CCPD’s ALPR data.

In an effort to increase transparency, Culver City Police Department (CCPD) has added a map on its website of the 52 ALPR cameras at 27 locations throughout the City. Monthly audit reports can also be found on the CCPD website. From July 1st to September 15th, CCPD conducted 3,850 searches of ALPR data in connection with 286 criminal investigations that occurred in Culver City. In the report, CCPD noted during that time, the cameras contributed to the identification and apprehension of 19 suspects involved in felony crimes in Culver City, as well as 16 vehicles that were reported stolen where an arrest was made and the vehicle was returned to its rightful owner.

CCPD has added transparency measures for the public to better understand its mutual aid responses. A webpage articulating mutual aid policy can be found on CCPD’s website. The latest mutual aid report, beginning January 2025, is available for review online.

Fox Hills Specific Plan Discussed 

The City Council listened to and provided feedback on the Fox Hills Specific Plan update presented by the Culver City Planning Department.

The Fox Hills neighborhood is identified as a special study area in the General Plan 2045. To help shape the new density in the neighborhood and provide amenities for existing and future residents, the City has initiated the Fox Hills Specific Plan project.

The specific plan is to study the neighborhood in greater detail and is intended to provide regulations for development in the public and private realm, roadway standards, and guidance for parks and other public amenities. Throughout 2025, the project team has continued its engagement with the local community to receive feedback on their experiences and perceptions of the neighborhood. A series of stakeholder meetings have been held and remain in progress to hear from residents, architects and developers, local community organizations, schools, and businesses in the area.

Approximately 60 attendees of the open house and 227 respondents to Community Survey #1 strongly supported increasing the amount of parks and open space in the neighborhood. There was also strong interest in improving road safety for pedestrians and improving the overall pedestrian experience with sidewalk repairs, landscape buffers, and better transit access. Attendees and respondents were also interested in increasing the number of restaurants and neighborhood-serving retail outlets, as well as a grocery store.

Survey respondents were asked if they would like to see any changes to the proposed densities of 65 to 100 dwelling units per acre in the General Plan. The responses were mixed, with more residents suggesting lowered densities along Uplander Way, Buckingham Parkway and Hannum Avenue, but some supporting the proposed high-density in certain areas (along the edge of Fox Hills Drive, Sepulveda and Bristol Parkway), particularly for affordable housing.

Among open house attendees, concerns were raised about overdevelopment and the impact of density increases. Concerns were related to overcrowding, excessive building height and mass obstructing views and ventilation, traffic and parking implications, and change to the community character.  The Fox Hills Specific Plan webpage can be accessed on the City’s website.

Vice Mayor Freddy Puza and Council Member Yasmine-Imani McMorrin recused themselves from the discussion due to a Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) recommendation.

Discussed Creation of Lobbyist Registration Program

The City Council considered the creation of a lobbyist registration program and ordinance. In the interest of transparency and accountability, many municipalities in California have implemented lobbyist registration programs, since lobbying activities at the local government level have the potential to influence public policy decisions.

Lobbyist registration programs are designed to track individuals and organizations engaged in lobbying efforts, while also providing the public and elected officials with clear information about who is attempting to influence local government decisions and how. Currently, Culver City does not have a formal system in place to monitor or register lobbyists. Neighboring cities that have implemented a lobbyist registration program include Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and West Hollywood.

City staff will return the item at a future meeting, along with more information.

Proclamations & Awards

The City Council made six proclamations on Monday including:

  • National Arts and Humanities Month
  • Pedestrian & Traffic Safety Month 2025
  • National Hispanic Heritage Month 2025
  • October 2025 as “Walktober”
  • October 1st as “Clean Air Day”
  • September 29th to October 5th as “Week Without Driving 2025”

Additional Council Decisions 

Additional items approved by the City Council include:

Additional Information and Next Council Meeting

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 next regular meeting of the City Council will be on Monday, October 13th. Childcare is available for the meeting for families wanting to attend in person.

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