City Council Approves Budget, Appoints New CBC Members, Approves Potential of Digital Kiosks on Public Property

City Council Approves $382.2M Budget for Fiscal Year 2024-25

On Monday, the City Council approved the City of Culver City’s annual budget for $382.2 million for Fiscal Year 2024-2025, which begins July 1st. The City’s budget anticipates $330.9 million in revenue.

The City’s General Fund revenues are expected to increase in this upcoming fiscal year, to an estimated amount of $170.2 million, driven primarily by increased business license tax receipts. Ongoing General Fund expenditures total $175.9 million exceeding projected revenue by $5.7 million. The use of unassigned reserve fund balance makes up the difference. One-time budget enhancements and capital improvement projects totaling $12.3 million bring the General Fund Budget to $188.2 million. The City’s 10-year financial forecast shows that to maintain current programs and services, the City will need to continue to rely on its healthy reserves.

The City’s efforts in addressing homelessness in the last two years, while resulting in immense progress, has required more funding in the budget. The City is expected to spend approximately $15 million from the General Fund on homeless initiatives that include Project Homekey, Wellness Village (Safe Sleep), Mobile Crisis Team, and Motel Master Leasing. While the City has continued to seek additional financial support to offset the cost of these services, funding from the State of California and Los Angeles County has remained extremely limited.

City employee salary schedules were also approved. Police and Fire Departments employees will receive 3.25% and 1.625% increases, respectively, based on Culver City’s voter approved Salary Initiative Ordinance. The budget also includes a 5% increase for other City employees. City Council also agreed to Culver City Unified School District’s request to provide full funding for crossing guards at 17 intersections, while also adding another intersection at Overland and Virginia. That total cost will be $514,664.

Accounting for all adopted revenues and expenditures, the estimated ending General Fund balance is $118.6 million which is approximately $1.0 million more than what was projected in the first version of the proposed budget. Staff identified 22 Capital Improvement Projects that were successfully completed under-budget in prior fiscal years resulting in a total of $1.86 million in unspent funds that can be released back to the General Fund reserve.

A copy of the Proposed Budget for Fiscal Year 2024-2025 is available on the City’s website. As part of the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 budget development process, the City has launched a new online Capital Improvement Projects Portal to provide additional information on each of the new capital improvement projects for Fiscal Year 2024-2025. The community is encouraged to visit our new online portal and learn more about the City’s proposed projects. 

New Members Appointed to Culver City Commissions, Boards, and Committees

The City Council made dozens of appointments across 12 Commissions, Boards, and Committees. In total, 105 applications were received. At the beginning of June, the City Council held a Special Meeting to conduct interviews of all CBC applicants. The following people were appointed:

• Civil Service Commission – Chi Ming Gong
• Cultural Affairs Commission – Damon Willick
• Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Commission – Marci Baun
• Planning Commission – Jackson Brissette
• Advisory Committee on Housing and Homelessness – Patrick Godinez, Khin Khin Gyi, Dana Sayles, Amberly Washington
• Disability Advisory Committee – Marie Albertson, Jessica Burnett, Robin Langman, Shellena Leftridge, Yu-ngok Lo
• Equity and Human Relations Advisory Committee – Samia Bano, Benicio Mora-Fattorini, Rebecca Rona-Tuttle, Carlos Valverde
• Finance Advisory Committee – Leigh Austin, Marc Bauer, Keith Jones, Vikram Thakur
• Landlord Tenant Mediation Board – Alexander Brody, Justin Lescoulie, Velma Harrison
• MLK Jr. Celebration and Juneteenth Celebration Advisory Committee – Karena Bibbins-Mceever, David Duval, Lisa Gordon Cain, Christian Green, Latoya Hearns, Amber Kearney, Curtis Raynor, Carissa Joy Smith, Andrew Weiss
• LAX Area Advisory Committee – Beth Hyatt, Adam Moore, Luciano Nocera

A mandatory AB 1234 Ethics and Brown Act training for new members (and current CBC members who have not attended the required biannual training) has been scheduled for appointees on Thursday, June 27^th.

Zoning Code Change Approved to Pave Way for Digital Kiosks

Digital wayfinding kiosks could come to Culver City in the future. The City Council, in a 3-2 vote, approved a zoning code amendment that could allow for interactive digital kiosk to be installed on public property. Vice Mayor Dan O’Brien and Council Members Albert Vera Jr. and Goran Eriksson voted in favor of the ordinance. Mayor Yasmine-Imani McMorrin and Council Member Freddy Puza voted against.

The kiosks would be permitted to provide public information and other messaging selected by the City, and may include commercial advertising. City Council included language that would limit the size of the screen on a kiosk to 15 square feet. Staff will submit a request for information from kiosk companies prior to gathering proposals.

City Council Opposes Referendum Challenging Prohibition of New Oil & Gas Wells

The City Council made it clear that it opposes an upcoming referendum challenging new oil and gas wells that will appear on the November ballot. The California Oil and Gas Well Regulations Referendum will challenge the 2022 law prohibiting new oil and gas wells near homes, schools, and hospitals. City Council unanimously approved its position in support to “keep the law” of Senate Bill 1137. SB 1137, passed during the 2022 legislative session, introduces several new regulations for the oil and gas industry in California. These include compliance requirements for facilities within a health protection zone (defined as areas within 3,200 feet of sensitive receptors like residences, schools, and healthcare facilities). Operators would need to develop leak detection systems and detailed response plans for certain chemicals.

Wende Museum Site to Include Future Affordable Housing & Improvements

City Council approved a second amendment to the Memorandum of Understanding and Lease Agreement with Wende Museum of the Cold War, Inc. to include affordable housing. Wende, in collaboration with the Artistic Freedom Initiative (AFI) or a similar organization, plans to create affordable housing for low-income political asylum-seeking, refugee artists, and local artists. This project aims to enhance cultural resources and provide community benefits through collaborative programs linked to a new Creative Community Center.

Wende will construct the affordable housing within four years, with possible extensions. The housing will include three affordable units and one manager’s unit and will become City property. Wende will handle the entitlement, construction, and maintenance costs. Half of the affordable units will be allocated to low-income asylum-seeking artists and refugees identified by AFI, who will not pay rent. The remaining units will house low-income local artists.

A temporary tiny house will be installed on-site during the permitting process for public viewing and occasional use by visiting artists. The permanent affordable housing will be managed and maintained by Wende, which will also oversee a private garden adjacent to the housing. The City will approve agreements, contribute $600,000 towards construction, and waive fees totaling about $140,000. The City's contribution represents about one-eighth of the total project cost.

The overall improvements are estimated at $4.8 million, including housing units, shared studio space, and landscaping. Ongoing operational costs are estimated at $250,000 per year, supported by AFI and Wende's fundraising efforts.

City Council Announces Three Proclamations

On Monday, the City Council began its meeting with three proclamations. In the first proclamation, the City Council celebrated Juneteenth 2024, commemorating the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States June 19, 1865. The City of Culver City is proud to commemorate “Juneteenth – Emancipation Day” and invites the community to a free Juneteenth celebration and resource fair on Saturday, June 22, 2024, from 1PM to 4PM at Town Plaza @ The Culver Steps, 9300 Culver Boulevard, Culver City. Juneteenth 2024 pays tribute to the indomitable spirit of African Americans and the City Council calls upon the community to eliminate prejudice and celebrate the great diversity our people.

In the second proclamation, the City Council honored Pride Month. The earliest known use of the word "pride" as applied to gay rights comes from the Los Angeles PRIDE organization, founded in 1966, and California has been a leader in advancing the civil rights of its LGBTQIA+ citizens. The 4th Annual City-Sponsored PRIDE Bike Ride and Rally will take place on Sunday, June 29, 2024, beginning with the PRIDE Ride at 4PM in Syd Kronenthal Park and continuing at 6:00PM with a PRIDE Rally event on Main Street. With the Progress Flag proudly raised above City Hall, Culver City stands with the LGBTQIA+ community to work towards a better, more inclusive future for all.

In the final proclamation of the evening, the City Council highlighted June 2024 as Men’s Health Month and June 10-16 as Men’s Health Week, which helps to raise awareness of the diseases and illnesses that affect America’s men. Despite advances in medical technology and research, men continue to live an average of five years less than women with Native American and African American men having the lowest life expectancy. The Men’s Health Month website has been established and features resources and information about awareness events and activities, including Wear Blue for Men’s Health. The City Council encourages all our citizens to pursue preventative health practices and early detection efforts throughout the year.

Additional Council Decisions 

Additional items approved by the City Council include:

• Approved of cash disbursements from May 18^th to May 31^st, 2024.
• Approved of minutes of the City Council Meeting held on May 20^th, May 21^st, and May 28^th, 2024.
• Approved Town Plaza Monument Sign Leasing Program, as well as the agreement for the donation of the fabrication and installation of the signs. Businesses that are not visible on Culver and Washington Boulevards would be able to lease panels on the two monument signs. Due to the donation, there is no cost to the City for the creation and installation.
• Awarded Special Event Grants in the aggregate amount of $147,075 for Fiscal Year 2024/2025 and designation of such events as City sponsored, as recommended by the Special Events Grant Program City Council Ad Hoc Subcommittee. The City Council also authorized $8,925 in contingency for special event liability insurance and off-cycle event support. Twenty events are included in the next fiscal year.
• Approved a three-year general services agreement with Becnel Uniforms, Inc. for Transit employee uniform services for $440,000.
• Approved a purchase order with Econolite Control Products for three traffic signal battery backup systems in an amount not-to-exceed $45,048. The Culver City Public Works Department Maintenance Operations Division maintains 115 traffic signals.
• Adopted an Ordinance amending certain sections of the Culver City Municipal Code relating to decorum, meeting procedures, and public participation. At its May 28, 2024 meeting, the City Council introduced the proposed Ordinance by a unanimous vote. You can read details of those changes on the City’s website.
• Approved a Soft Story Retrofit Program Sub Application for $465,000 in grant funds for through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). A strategy for a competitive sub-application is to focus on a pilot program providing funding for the 21 buildings located within hazardous and socially vulnerable zones, and expand the program if more funding opportunities become available. Grants from the City to each eligible pilot program building owner in the amount of $15,000, plus administrative costs, result in a pilot program cost of $465,000. There is a mandatory local match in the amount of 25% of the grant funds so the City’s pilot program General Fund contribution amount would be $116,250, and the potential FEMA contribution amount would be $348,750. There are approximately 400 soft story buildings in the City.
• Adopted a resolution confirming and levying the assessment for the Higuera Street Landscape and Lighting Assessment District. The total proposed Fiscal Year 2024/2025 assessment levy for the District is $19,402.24. The charge per linear frontage footage per parcel is $4.35.
• Adopted a resolution confirming and levying the assessment for Landscape Maintenance Assessment District No.1. The rates are not increased as current revenues are sufficient to cover the maintenance cost of the District. The assessment levy per parcel is proposed to continue to be $252.13 for a total amount of $45,383.40 (180 parcels) for Fiscal Year 2024-2025.
• Adopted a resolution confirming the assessment and ordering the levy for the Sewer User’s Service Charge. The rates will increase 3.4% based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics February Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for the Los Angeles area. The total sewer user’s service charge revenue is projected to be $9.48 million.
• Adopted a resolution approving the annual assessment levy for Benefit Assessment District West Washington No. 1. The proposed total assessment for Fiscal Year 2024-2025 is $18,689.96.
• Adopted a resolution approving the annual assessment levy for Benefit Assessment District West Washington No. 2. The proposed total assessment for Fiscal Year 2024-2025 is $8,320.57.
• Adopted a resolution approving the annual assessment levy for Benefit Assessment District West Washington No. 3. The project to construct seven medians located between Beethoven Street and Glencoe Avenue is slated to be bid in Fall 2024.
• Did not take action assigning one seat of the MLK Jr. Celebration and Juneteenth Celebration Advisory Committee to a City employee. The Committee has nine members and meets year-round after it had been expanded to include Juneteenth.
• Awarded an in-kind, off-cycle special event grant for $1,000 in City staff time to the Institute for Public Strategies for the S.W.I.F.T. Youth Summit (Substance-prevention & Wellness Initiatives for Future Transformation) and Live Well Resource Fair. It is designated as a City-sponsored event. The S.W.I.F.T. Youth Summit is designed to provide high-school aged students from Culver City High, Santa Monica High and Venice High School, with the tools and knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their health and well-being. This summit will feature interactive workshops, motivational speakers, and informative sessions focusing on substance use prevention, mental health, and overall wellness. The goal is to inspire future leaders by equipping them with the skills necessary for a healthy and successful life. It will take place on June 23rd, 2024, from 1AM to 5PM at Virginia Ave Park, 2200 Virginia Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90405.
• Did not take action on formation of an Ad Hoc City Council Subcommittee on the Woman and Girls Committee.

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 will be made available on the City’s website for viewing.

The City Council’s next meeting is scheduled for Monday, June 24^th.

About Culver City

Culver City is a five-square-mile, urban community of 40,779 residents surrounded mostly by the City of Los Angeles but also shares a border with unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. It is centrally located on the Westside near Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, and Los Angeles International Airport.  Culver City is particularly known for its well-run public school system, "small town" charm, growing high-tech and creative economies, and a dynamic downtown that is regionally known as a destination for restaurants, live theater, and art galleries. 

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On Monday, the City Council proclaimed June 2024 as Pride Month in the City of Culver City.