County moves on the Hug Act; LA City Council takes up LAPD camera pilot

A motion by Kathryn Barger (Supervisor, Fifth District) and Lindsey Horvath (Supervisor, Third District) directs County Counsel, working with the Fire Department, the Office of Emergency Management, the CEO, the Sheriff's Department and Public Works, to analyze the UL Research Institutes' Fire Safety Research Institute report on the Southern California fires. The analysis is to show where the report overlaps with the McChrystal Group after-action reports and the Citygate investigation, which recommendations are new, and what near-term actions can be taken. As posted, the report was due in seven days. After Eaton fire survivors objected that seven days was too short, Kathryn Barger (Supervisor, Fifth District) said from the dais that she would change it to 30 days and that departments could ask for extensions. The item then passed on consent. 00:40:48

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• Approved as part of the consent calendar (Lindsey Horvath (Supervisor, Third District) moved, Kathryn Barger (Supervisor, Fifth District) seconded), with the report-back deadline changed from seven days to 30 days as Kathryn Barger (Supervisor, Fifth District) stated from the dais. Result: passed, 4-0. 00:44:03

• Kathryn Barger (Supervisor, Fifth District) said the seven-day deadline was set on purpose to signal urgency, but that thoroughness matters. 00:40:48
• Kathryn Barger (Supervisor, Fifth District) said departments that need more time for a full analysis would get an extension. 00:40:48
• Kathryn Barger (Supervisor, Fifth District) said County Counsel is not the only evaluator and is only coordinating the departments involved in the earlier reviews. 00:40:48
• Kathryn Barger (Supervisor, Fifth District) said county staff were interviewed for the report but the county did not see it until it was released the week before. 00:41:51
• Kathryn Barger (Supervisor, Fifth District) said she and Lindsey Horvath (Supervisor, Third District) had already directed the CEO to name a point person to track implementation of all after-action recommendations and report regularly, including to the community. 00:41:51
• Kathryn Barger (Supervisor, Fifth District) offered to change the seven-day deadline to 30 days, with departments allowed to ask for extensions. 00:42:51

AB 1646, the Hug Act, is a new state law that takes effect January 1, 2027. It gives incarcerated youth a right to physical contact with visitors. Under the law as described on the dais, contact cannot be restricted as discipline, and any restriction for a specific and significant safety concern must be documented. The motion by Janice Hahn (Supervisor, Fourth District) and Holly Mitchell (Supervisor, Second District; Chair Pro Tem), continued from September 15, directs Probation to drop its requirement that contact visits get prior department-head approval, publish materials telling youth and parents their rights, increase contact visits through the rest of 2026, report back in 60 days with a compliance plan, and file reports by July 1, 2027 and January 1, 2028 on participation, family feedback and every restriction. Speakers said youth at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall helped write the bill. 00:44:38

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• Janice Hahn (Supervisor, Fourth District) moved, seconded by Lindsey Horvath (Supervisor, Third District), to approve the motion by Janice Hahn (Supervisor, Fourth District) and Holly Mitchell (Supervisor, Second District; Chair Pro Tem). Result: passed, 4-0. 01:40:38

• A supervisor said she has had dinner monthly for two years with incarcerated youth at Los Padrinos who pushed for the right to hug their families. 00:45:11
• A supervisor said Probation does not currently let all youth at every facility hug their visitors on every visiting day. 00:45:11
• A supervisor said she raised the issue with Probation first and met resistance, so the effort went to state legislation instead. 00:46:14
• A supervisor said the bill was signed a little over a week earlier and takes effect January 1, 2027. 00:46:14
• A supervisor said Probation sometimes uses visitation as a reward or punishment. 00:47:15
• A supervisor said the law bars restricting contact visits as discipline and requires every restriction to be documented, and that she expects the report back to spell this out. 00:48:17
• A supervisor said the motion has Probation allow more contact visits for the rest of this year, before the law takes effect. 00:48:17
• A speaker recounted that youth at Los Padrinos told him during a visit that they wished they could hug their mothers, and that this led to the bill. 00:52:08
• A speaker said the law makes California the first state to give incarcerated youth a right to physical contact with loved ones. 00:53:11
• A speaker noted that the county has already started a pilot allowing contact, and said it can do better. 00:53:11
• County staff said Probation already allows hugs on designated holidays, with prior approval from the head of the department. 00:58:34
• County staff said the revised visitation policy will drop the prior-approval requirement and make contact visits a regular form of visitation by January 1, 2027. 00:58:34
• County staff said most remaining visits in 2026 will be allowed as contact visits, as part of a gradual expansion. 01:00:36
• County staff said contact visits will not be restricted or denied as discipline. 01:00:36
• County staff said youth may decline contact at any point without affecting their future visits. 01:00:36
• Janice Hahn (Supervisor, Fourth District) praised the Probation presentation, saying she had never heard the department talk this way in her time as a supervisor. 01:03:50
• Lindsey Horvath (Supervisor, Third District) called the law an example of policy built around the people most affected. 01:04:33
• A supervisor noted that the board had earlier made the bill one of its legislative priorities. 01:06:23
• Hilda Solis (Supervisor, First District; Chair) recalled visiting a juvenile facility early in her tenure where girls lacked basic toiletries and properly fitting clothing, and said such reforms take too long. 01:08:09
• Kathryn Barger (Supervisor, Fifth District) said these youth will be released, and that family contact, especially with mothers, gives them stability. 01:10:18

A contract with Kimley-Horn and Associates to develop a multimodal connectivity plan for the Rose Bowl area and Brookside Park, funded by a Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant plus a local match, not to exceed $500,000: a $442,620 base contract and $57,380 contingency (agenda). Pulled from consent after public comment; the debate centered on spending on consultants and plans versus building safety improvements now, including the 35 mph speed limit around the Rose Bowl loop. 00:38:36

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• Approve the staff recommendation for the Kimley-Horn contract (mover and seconder not identified). Result: passed, 5-2. No: Rick Cole (Councilmember, District 2), Tyron Hampton (Councilmember, District 1). 01:06:42

• A councilmember questioned paying another $500,000 for a plan when the area already has multiple multimodal plans 00:45:42
• A councilmember argued lowering speed limits, including the 35 mph limit around the Rose Bowl, is an easy step 00:46:42
• A councilmember said one positive was that the contract goes to what was described as a local firm 00:46:42
• A councilmember asked for an item on speeding at the Municipal Services Committee or the full council 00:47:43
• A speaker said an item on speeding citywide is planned for the Municipal Services Committee 00:48:14
• Rick Cole (Councilmember, District 2) noted the city already has safe-streets capital projects on the books 00:48:33
• Rick Cole (Councilmember, District 2) objected to hiring outside consultants for community outreach, arguing the city should build that capacity internally or with a nonprofit partner 00:48:33
• Rick Cole (Councilmember, District 2) said the outreach subconsultant also worked on the Union Street cycle track, which did not turn out as hoped 00:49:33
• Rick Cole (Councilmember, District 2) said they would vote no because of continued spending on consultants, not because they oppose Olympics safety preparations 00:49:33
• A speaker asked staff to explain that the city does not control speed limits everywhere and much is set by the state 00:50:58
• City staff said speed limits follow state rules but staff is bringing a plan to reduce limits on safety corridors to the Municipal Services Committee 00:51:23
• City staff said the department has over 20 outreach meetings this month alone and would need far more staff to do it all in-house 00:51:23
• City staff said the Rose Bowl area is unique because stakeholders include the Rose Bowl Operating Company, the Aquatic Center and Kidspace, so consensus-building is required 00:52:31
• City staff said a completed plan is needed to pursue grants for capital projects, citing $186 million in the capital improvement program 00:53:34
• City staff said he would need to follow up on how many contracts the city has with the outreach firm 00:54:29
• A speaker asked for an analysis of whether bringing outreach and communications in-house would be more efficient than outside contracts 00:54:48
• The meeting chair suggested the in-house outreach question be taken up in budget discussions at the Finance Committee 00:55:58
• A councilmember urged removable speed humps or tables on Rosemont, where there are no homes 00:56:18
• City staff said the city can post any speed sign but cannot enforce it without meeting state requirements 00:58:03
• Rick Cole (Councilmember, District 2) warned against waiting until someone is hurt, citing money spent on safety after a golf-ball injury 00:58:50
• Rick Cole (Councilmember, District 2) argued the city keeps relitigating safety project by project instead of carrying out the 1992 general plan goal of getting around without cars 00:59:51
• The meeting chair said speed bumps in the Rose Bowl recreation area could endanger walkers and cyclists, and state warrants limit city action 01:01:39
• The meeting chair said past reviews found a blend of in-house and consultant outreach most cost-effective, but agreed to revisit it at Finance 01:03:41

First reading of an uncodified ordinance exempting qualifying Eaton Fire repairs from the city's construction tax (agenda title). It was taken up out of order with no discussion. 01:06:56

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• Tyron Hampton (Councilmember, District 1) offered the ordinance for first reading. Result: passed, unanimous. 01:07:07

A motion by Hugo Soto-Martínez (Councilmember, Thirteenth District) and Marqueece Harris-Dawson (Councilmember, Eighth District; President, City Council) (agenda) to assert council jurisdiction under Charter Section 245 over the Board of Police Commissioners' September 22 approval of a memorandum of understanding with Axon Enterprise for the Lightpost Test Pilot Program, and send it to committee. LAPD staff described the MOU as a three-month pilot of automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras. Taking jurisdiction puts the commission's approval under council review; the deadline to act was October 7 (agenda). Supporters wanted written data-sharing, access and audit policies in place before cameras go up; opponents said the delay holds up cameras communities have asked and paid for. 02:15:24

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• Assert jurisdiction under Charter Section 245 over the Police Commission's September 22 approval of the Axon Lightpost MOU and refer it to committee (motion of Hugo Soto-Martínez (Councilmember, Thirteenth District) and Marqueece Harris-Dawson (Councilmember, Eighth District; President, City Council)). Result: passed, 10-4. No: Bob Blumenfield (Councilmember, Third District; President Pro Tempore), John Lee (Councilmember, Twelfth District; Assistant President Pro Tempore), Traci Park (Councilmember, Eleventh District), Monica Rodriguez (Councilmember, Seventh District). 02:53:07
• Send item 20 forthwith. Result: passed. 02:59:54

• A councilmember asked to pull the item for a separate vote and to bring LAPD up for questions 02:06:04
• Bob Blumenfield (Councilmember, Third District; President Pro Tempore) said his motion over a year ago, with funding the council approved, was meant to get cameras up in his district 02:15:29
• Bob Blumenfield (Councilmember, Third District; President Pro Tempore) stressed that what is before the council is a three-month MOU to test the cameras, not the privacy policy 02:16:35
• Bob Blumenfield (Councilmember, Third District; President Pro Tempore) offered to support a separate motion to examine the policy in committee instead of slowing the pilot 02:16:35
• Bob Blumenfield (Councilmember, Third District; President Pro Tempore) said the commission did what the council asked by dropping the Flock contract over privacy concerns 02:17:41
• City staff said the plate readers capture vehicle images and plate data but no facial recognition, biometrics or audio 02:18:38
• City staff described the three-month pilot as a test of whether the technology meets the department's and communities' needs 02:19:39
• City staff said the MOU sets minimum standards any vendor would have to meet to do business with the city 02:20:42
• A councilmember argued the MOU and the department's policy go hand in hand and can't be separated 02:22:19
• City staff said only a limited, trained pool of officers has access, and the proposed policy would limit searches to ninety days, up to twelve months with command approval 02:23:01
• A councilmember noted the Inspector General recommended this summer that LAPD suspend new ALPR cameras and contracts pending public input 02:24:46
• City staff said the policy changes would be put in place during the pilot and presented to the commission for final approval at its end 02:25:46
• A speaker said the vendor is reworking its back end so LAPD can run inspections and audits, which requires the pilot to proceed 02:27:53
• A councilmember argued the policy should come first and the vendor should then be told what to do 02:28:40
• City staff said the Inspector General recently completed a full audit and that the last internal audit was roughly a year and a half to two years ago 02:29:03
• City staff said LAPD shares with about 15 agencies and proposes limiting access to adjacent counties within a set radius 02:29:33
• A speaker read a list of outside agencies with access, including Torrance, Huntington Park, Hayward, Signal Hill and Madera County 02:31:42
• A speaker said LAPD runs monthly inspections of system use and analyzed 23,000 data points for September 02:32:22
• A councilmember said LAPD staffing has fallen to about 8,500 officers and the chief has asked for technology to make up for it 02:33:43
• A councilmember said the city has spent millions, including $15 million in state funding, on license plate readers 02:34:46
• A councilmember argued any 245 action should have come in July and noted Axon has been a city vendor since 2016 02:35:46
• Eunisses Hernandez (Councilmember, First District) cited more than 200 documented cases of officers and deputies using plate-reader data to stalk people 02:37:17
• Eunisses Hernandez (Councilmember, First District) warned that LAPD pilots have become permanent programs without returning to council, citing the robot dog 02:38:28
• A councilmember objected that the MOU moves forward without new internal safeguards or an independent third-party audit 02:41:28
• A councilmember asked colleagues to bring the issue to the Public Safety Committee for a fuller public discussion 02:41:28
• Bob Blumenfield (Councilmember, Third District; President Pro Tempore) said LAPD spent a year and a half and produced a 98-page report with strict limits 02:42:48
• Bob Blumenfield (Councilmember, Third District; President Pro Tempore) argued the policy debate would take at least three months anyway, so the pilot should run in the meantime 02:43:50
• City staff said agencies outside the local counties would lose access entirely under the new policy 02:44:38
• Eunisses Hernandez (Councilmember, First District) called it irresponsible to start the pilot before there is a policy on auditing outside agencies 02:44:58
• The presiding councilmember said cameras on part of Figueroa helped rescue 125 trafficking victims this year but admitted he doesn't know what else the cameras do 02:45:44
• The presiding councilmember committed to bring the matter back to council by October 23 if the 245 passed, and said he would support it 02:47:48
• Bob Blumenfield (Councilmember, Third District; President Pro Tempore) said the Figueroa cameras were probably taken down as Flock cameras and can't go back up until the MOU passes 02:48:29
• Eunisses Hernandez (Councilmember, First District) pointed to the speed-camera program, where strong data protections were set first, as the model 02:48:49
• Monica Rodriguez (Councilmember, Seventh District) called for a universal citywide data and privacy policy for all departments' technology instead of singling out LAPD 02:49:33
• A councilmember said she was conflicted, noted her own motion that day on data sharing and street furniture, and challenged the Rules Committee to lead on a citywide approach 02:51:22

A neighborhood group, Concerned Citizens of Stanley Hills Drive, appealed the environmental (CEQA) clearance for a new two-story single-family home of about 2,338 square feet, with an attached two-car garage, pool, spa, rooftop deck, and two retaining walls up to 10 feet tall, at 2166 North Stanley Hills Drive and 2172 Stanley Hills Drive in Council District 4 (agenda). The Planning and Land Use Management Committee recommended granting the appeal. That overturns the clearance and sends the project back to the Central Los Angeles Area Planning Commission, with the Department of City Planning told to get a study of whether the project complies with state and local fire regulations, which the commission then weighs in reviewing the clearance again. The council approved it with no discussion, in a group vote on items 1 through 5. In public comment the applicant asked the council to deny the appeal. He argued that a 75-day deadline ran out on September 14 without his consent, so the council no longer had jurisdiction, and said the Fire Department had since approved the plan. The appellants' representative and several residents thanked the council. They cited narrow canyon streets, how hard it is to evacuate, and roughly 1,500 residents who could be trapped in a fire. 00:48:09

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• Adopt the committee recommendation to grant the appeal, overturn the CEQA clearance, and remand to the Central Los Angeles Area Planning Commission with a fire-regulation compliance study (voted as a group with items 1, 2, 4, and 5). Result: passed, 10 ayes. 00:48:09

The ordinance adds Section 56.34 to the Municipal Code and bars tobacco and cannabis retailers from selling or distributing nitrous oxide. It was up for first consideration and is subject to the Mayor's approval (agenda). Tim McOsker (Councilmember, Fifteenth District) called the item special for Imelda Padilla (Councilmember, Sixth District), and an amending motion, 6A (Imelda Padilla (Councilmember, Sixth District)–Tim McOsker (Councilmember, Fifteenth District)), asks the City Attorney to prepare a further ordinance covering all retailers that sell or distribute nitrous oxide without a legitimate use, using new state authority. About ten in-person speakers, most of them high school students, urged the council to pass it. Several described finding discarded tanks near schools. 02:01:54

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• Present and adopt the ordinance adding LAMC Section 56.34, barring nitrous oxide sales and distribution by tobacco and cannabis retailers. Result: passed. 02:07:08
• Amending motion 6A (Imelda Padilla (Councilmember, Sixth District)–Tim McOsker (Councilmember, Fifteenth District)) asking the City Attorney to prepare an additional ordinance extending the prohibition to all retailers selling or distributing nitrous oxide without a legitimate use. Result: passed. 02:07:08

• A councilmember said she had spent two years working with community partners, students, and the City Attorney to move the policy through council 02:02:04
• A councilmember said a new state law bars smoke shops, tobacco retailers, and convenience stores from selling nitrous oxide altogether 02:02:04
• A councilmember said the new state laws also let cities adopt stronger local restrictions 02:03:05
• A councilmember explained that her amendment asks the City Attorney to widen the ordinance to all retailers selling nitrous oxide without a legitimate use 02:03:05
• A councilmember told smoke shops selling the product to stop and warned that violators would be held accountable 02:04:07
• A councilmember asked residents who see the tanks for sale to report them to the City Attorney's office 02:04:07
• A speaker thanked the lead councilmember and the student advocates and urged a yes vote 02:05:18
• The chair said it was a shame that children must ask government to keep poison away from their schools 02:05:42
• The chair called that situation an indictment of society and the economic system 02:05:42