City Council Meeting Summary, September 8, 2025

Published on September 16, 2025

City Council Confirms Results of Measure CL, Funds to CCUSD, Single Stairway Amendment, Discusses 2028 LA Olympics Agreement with New Zealand

Confirms Passage of Measure CL

The City Council certified the results of the All-Mailed Ballot Special Municipal Election on August 26^th for Measure CL. The measure, which will go into effect on January 1, 2026, will establish a general sales tax at the rate of 1/4-cent per dollar. More than two-thirds of voters said yes.

Measure CL will provide funding for general City services including: maintaining three fully staffed fire stations/ 911 emergency response times; retaining firefighters, paramedics, police officers; homeless reduction services/ encampment prevention; improving parks/ fields; repairing potholes/ streets/ storm drains; senior/ youth services and other General Fund uses, by enacting a ¼ cent sales tax, providing approximately $5,600,000 annually until ended by voters. This also requires all funds are locally controlled with audits and public spending disclosures.

Approves Donation to Culver City Unified School District

The City Council approved a donation agreement with the Culver City Unified School District (CCUSD) for a one-time donation of $2.5 million, with established conditions.

City Council adjusted several of the previous conditions for the funding, based on suggestions from CCUSD Superintendent Dr. Alfonso Jimenez. The letter with “partnership guidance” recommendations is available for review on the City's website.(PDF, 107KB)

Those conditions, including a discussion of potential CCUSD property revenues, were approved on a 3 to 2 vote. Vice Mayor Freddy Puza, Council Member Yasmine-Imani McMorrin and Council Member Bubba Fish voted in favor of the terms of an agreement. Mayor Dan O’Brien and Council Member Albert Vera, Jr. voted against.

In a follow-up vote, the City Council unanimously voted in favor on the $2.5 million donation. After the donation is complete, staff will continue to work with CCUSD representatives on the implementation of the donation agreement conditions.

To fund the $2.5 million donation to CCUSD, the City will defund a total of $2,508,246 in General Fund CIP projects. To minimize the impacts of the donation to the City’s Capital Improvements Plan, the City will appropriate $1,082,902 from the new Mobility Improvement Fund to fund eligible bicycle and pedestrian improvement projects approved in previous fiscal years with General Fund dollars.

Discusses LA 2028 New Zealand Team Hospitality Zone

The City Council discussed a request from the New Zealand Olympic Committee for use of Town Plaza during the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics for a New Zealand Hospitality House and public Fan Zone. The City Council agreed with the terms presented by New Zealand, but asked staff to return with additional information about revenue-generating and cost-cutting scenarios. The City Council will continue the discussion regarding an agreement with New Zealand at the September 29th City Council Meeting.

Amendment Allowing Single Exit Stairway in Residential Buildings Approved

The City Council unanimously agreed to prepare an ordinance that would allow a single exit stairway in residential buildings up to six stories in height. Residential buildings could include mixed-use buildings that are predominately residential in use. The ordinance will be similar to the one used in the City of Seattle. If the State Fire Marshall provides more stringent recommendations in the future, the City Council agreed to review those as well.

Single exit stairway residential building standards potentially expand the opportunity for more housing on small, narrow lots and mid-rise residential opportunities, in addition to construction cost savings, and more flexible residential design options that improve affordability.

Approves Commitment Letter for Jubilo Village Project Loan

The City Council approved a Commitment Letter for a $21 million construction and permanent loan to 4464 Sepulveda, LP and Community Corporation of Santa Monica for the Jubilo Village affordable housing project.

Jubilo Village is a proposed 100% affordable housing development at 4464 Sepulveda Boulevard that will provide 93 affordable one, two and three-bedroom apartments to at-risk and low-income households.

The new loan commitment letter will supplement the 2024 loan commitment letter for a $4 million loan and $1 million pass-through grant to reflect the increase in funding and additional terms. The draft loan commitment letter will increase the City’s loan commitment to a total of $21 million, which consists of $14 million in City funds, the $1 million grant from the state (which will be distributed as a loan from the City), and $6 million in Housing Authority funds.

The letter includes additional policy direction. Among those include the project be leased-up according to the local preference policy of the City of Culver City, prioritizing persons and families who reside in Culver City, people who work full or part time in Culver City, and children and their families attending K-12 school in Culver City.

Vice Mayor Puza, Council Member McMorrin, and Council Member Fish voted in favor. Mayor O’Brien voted against. Council Member Vera, Jr. was not present for the vote.

Additional Council Decisions

Additional items approved by the City Council include:

Approved cash disbursements from August 2 to August 15, 2025, and for August 16 to August 29, 2025.
Approved minutes of the Regular City Council Meeting held on August 11, 2025.
Received and filed the Biannual Written Reports of Commissions, Boards, and Committees (CBCs).
Awarded a construction contract to AC Pros, Inc. in the amount of $326,385 for the Fire Station Number 1 HVAC Replacement Project as the lowest responsive and responsible bidder; and authorized the Public Works Director to approve change orders (25% of total bid) in an amount not-to-exceed $81,596.
Approved a second amendment to the existing general services agreement with Elevators Etc., Inc. in an additional amount not-to-exceed $321,269 for two elevator modernizations at City Hall, for a total agreement amount not-to-exceed $1,628,634.
Accepted grant funds for the Hayden Tract Specific Plan project from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Transit Oriented Communities Technical Assistance Program; and approved a related budget amendment to appropriate the grant funds.
Approved multiple cooperative purchase agreements with the State of California for Dell product hardware (desktops, laptops, monitors, and enterprise technology) in an aggregate amount not-to-exceed $250,000.
Adopted a resolution appointing Mayor O’Brien as Delegate and Council Member Vera as Alternate Delegate as part of the General Membership of the Independent Cities Association (ICA) and rescinding Resolution No. 2025-R014.
Approved an amendment for a task order with RTI Consulting, Inc. in an additional amount not-to-exceed $28,591 for an aggregate Task Order amount not-to-exceed $77,441, for construction management and inspection services for the construction of the Transfer Station West Push Wall.
Adopted an Ordinance to amend the Culver City Municipal Code (CCMC) to add a new Chapter 3.12 regarding Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies for Challenges to Fees, Charges, and Assessments on Real Property.
Authorized a Task Order for traffic engineering services for the West Washington Signal Fiber Upgrades Project in an amount not-to-exceed $119,600 pursuant to the terms of the City’s On-Call Professional Services Agreement with Kimley-Horn and Associates.
Awarded a construction contract with Southland Roofing Inc. as the lowest responsive and responsible bidder in the amount of $280,440 for the Ivy Substation Roof Replacement Project; and authorized the Public Works Director/City Engineer to approve up to $70,000 in change orders to cover contingency costs.
Approved a five-year general services agreement with We R Builders, Inc. to perform on-call fence and wall repairs at 28 City-owned facilities in an amount not-to-exceed $100,000 annually, for a total amount not-to-exceed $500,000 over the five-year term.
Authorized the acceptance of grant funds in the amount of $565,707 from the Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Program to develop Complete Streets Implementation Procedures and update the City’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan; and approved a related budget amendment to allocate the $565,707 in grant funds and appropriate local matching funds totaling $73,293 from the Mobility Improvement Fund (Fund 437) to CIP Project PS039.
Ratified General Fund expenditures to Technology Artists for the 2024 Summer Concert Series and the 2024 Culver City Jazz Festival in an amount not-to-exceed $19,378.98; and approved a general services agreement with Technology Artists in an amount not-to-exceed $49,980 for the 2025 Summer Concert Series.
Approve a general services agreement with Western Office, Inc. to provide workstation furniture and installation services in an amount not-to-exceed $108,000 for the Human Resources and Finance Departments.
Approved an amendment to the City’s agreement with First Data Merchant Services LLC. for credit card payment processing to extend the term through June 1, 2027, and increase the not-to-exceed amount by $600,000 for a total amount not-to-exceed $1.2 million.
Approved an amendment to an agreement with RCS Trucking for Solid Waste, Recyclables, Organics and Demolition Waste Transport Services extending the term of the agreement through December 31, 2025, at an estimated cost of $300,000 based on the current schedule of fees.
Ratified acceptance of a Local Solutions Fund grant from the Westside Cities Council of Governments in the amount of $1,012,171; approved a related budget amendment appropriating the $65,000 in remaining grant funds in Fiscal Year 2025-2026; and approved a professional services agreement with Jennifer Cree Swan & Associates to update Culver City’s 2018 Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness by re-evaluating existing short-term and long-term strategies to address homelessness in Culver City in an amount not-to-exceed $60,000.

Additional Information and Next City 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, September 29^th. Childcare is available for the meeting for families wanting to attend in person.