LA council adopts homelessness motion; County Executive recommendations wait to January

Measure G changes county government by creating an elected County Executive, who discussion indicated takes office in December 2028, and by separating executive and legislative functions. The Governance Reform Task Force brought its first recommendations. Some were to be received and filed: the executive's management role, intergovernmental affairs, constituent services, which CEO functions move to a new Director of Budget and Management, and an independent County Legislative Analyst (CLA). Others needed action: dropping the "Mayor" title for the Board Chair, a public education campaign, County Code changes giving the executive the evaluation of department heads, several CEO transition reports within 90 to 120 days, and a CLA office operational no later than October 1, 2027, with a national search for its leader (agenda). Board members raised concerns about costs, constituent services, unincorporated areas, the CLA timeline, the executive's pay, and a legal demand letter. The Board added an amendment by Hilda Solis (Supervisor, First District; Chair) on unincorporated area services, then continued the whole item to January 26, 2027 so the incoming First District supervisor can weigh in. 01:23:35

More on LA County's episode

• Amendment by Hilda Solis (Supervisor, First District; Chair), seconded by Kathryn Barger (Supervisor, Fifth District), directing the CEO to deliver a public transition report within 120 days on the Office of Unincorporated Area Services and on past and current approaches to constituent services, including how the executive office and Board will coordinate so departments stay responsive to residents' needs identified by Board offices. Result: passed, 5-0. 04:33:17
• Janice Hahn (Supervisor, Fourth District) moved, seconded by Kathryn Barger (Supervisor, Fifth District), to continue item 18 as amended to Tuesday, January 26, 2027. Result: continued, 4-0-1. Abstained: Lindsey Horvath (Supervisor, Third District). 04:34:15

• A task force member described the recommendations as foundational, setting an initial governance framework so detailed transition work can follow. 01:25:25
• A task force member said the current Chief Executive Office will not exist in the new structure, and its functions must be realigned among new offices. 01:29:22
• A task force member recommended an independent, nonpartisan County Legislative Analyst serving the Board, set up in phases before the elected executive takes office. 01:34:44
• Janice Hahn (Supervisor, Fourth District) supported moving department head evaluations to the County Executive, saying five bosses can mean no boss. 01:39:04
• Janice Hahn (Supervisor, Fourth District) worried that executive-run constituent services could leave out the supervisor who represents the resident. 01:40:14
• Janice Hahn (Supervisor, Fourth District) opposed a national search for the CLA office, preferring to hire from within county staff. 01:41:15
• Janice Hahn (Supervisor, Fourth District) asked to delay a vote on the CLA until the CEO reports on its scope, size and budget. 01:42:16
• Janice Hahn (Supervisor, Fourth District) proposed holding off on votes until the incoming First District supervisor is seated, weeks away. 01:43:23
• County Counsel explained that receiving and filing means the Board hears the information without adopting or acting on it. 01:44:55
• The Chief Executive Officer said there is no cost estimate yet for the executive's office and gave as a comparison a roughly $720,000 transition stipend for an incoming supervisor's office. 01:47:43
• A task force member said the CLA would analyze Board-approved motions moving toward implementation, and some requests could be shared with the executive office. 01:54:37
• A task force member cited the state Legislative Analyst's office, which she recalled has about 50 staff, as a reference point. 01:57:11
• The Chief Executive Officer said it is unclear how many staff could move to a CLA without their current jobs needing to be backfilled. 02:02:56
• Hilda Solis (Supervisor, First District; Chair) said the recommendations say little about unincorporated areas, noting her district has about 350,000 unincorporated residents. 02:03:45
• Holly Mitchell (Supervisor, Second District; Chair Pro Tem) urged the task force to let getting details right, not candidates or election timing, drive its timeline. 02:16:36
• Holly Mitchell (Supervisor, Second District; Chair Pro Tem) argued that the new structure will add costs despite Measure G's promise of no new taxes, and asked where the money will come from. 02:18:48
• A task force member said the Board would keep setting state and federal legislative policy, and the executive would advocate the Board's positions. 02:20:37
• The Chief Executive Officer suggested the Board codify its budget policies in ordinance now, such as a rainy day fund requirement, to guard fiscal stability under an elected executive. 02:23:32
• A task force member said a continuance to January would force the task force to rework its 2027 plans and likely put the October 2027 CLA date out of reach. 03:01:12
• A task force member said the task force added two months of special meetings to meet its deadline, and a pause would be a challenge. 03:04:30
• The Chief Executive Officer listed the reports his office would owe: a 90-day CLA staffing inventory and 120-day reports on legislative affairs, unincorporated constituent services, the executive and budget office split, and the CLA. 03:09:41
• Lindsey Horvath (Supervisor, Third District) asked that some of the report-back work be allowed to begin during the continuance, saying the incoming supervisor would benefit from it. 03:11:24
• County Counsel said continuing the whole item also continues the report directives, unless the Board splits the item. 03:11:47
• A supervisor confirmed that she intended to continue the entire item, including the report backs. 03:14:26
• Joseph Nicchitta (Chief Executive Officer) said items for the next fiscal year's recommended budget must be in by year's end, but a delay is not fatal because money can be set aside. 03:19:23
• County Counsel said the county must still meet the deadlines written into Measure G. 03:21:29
• Kathryn Barger (Supervisor, Fifth District) asked about task force consultant spending, saying she was told $1.1 million has been spent and a $2.9 million work order remains open. 03:29:01
• The clerk said the open work order is budgeted for consultants and other services and supplies, and agreed to provide a breakdown. 03:29:25
• Kathryn Barger (Supervisor, Fifth District) warned against rushing changes to meet an arbitrary deadline, citing problems she attributed to how Measure G was drafted. 03:29:46
• Kathryn Barger (Supervisor, Fifth District) argued that the elected executive structure will reduce supervisors' ability to solve local problems, especially in unincorporated areas. 03:31:54
• Joseph Nicchitta (Chief Executive Officer) agreed the CLA needs some capacity before December 2028, but objected to moving CEO and County Counsel staff out by October 1, 2027. 03:38:24
• Kathryn Barger (Supervisor, Fifth District) questioned why state and federal legislative advocacy would move to the executive rather than stay with the legislative body. 03:43:50
• A task force member said the task force placed advocacy with the executive for accountability, after the Board sets the county's legislative agenda. 03:44:59
• Kathryn Barger (Supervisor, Fifth District) noted that the elected executive must be paid at least $1 more than any other county elected officer. 03:47:34
• The Chief Executive Officer said the District Attorney is the highest-paid county elected officer, at $443,540 plus a 19% MegaFlex benefit. 03:48:28
• Joseph Nicchitta (Chief Executive Officer) said the Board will set the executive's salary under the charter, with a floor of $1 above the highest-paid countywide elected official. 03:49:42
• A supervisor compared the governor's salary, about $245,000, with her projection that total pay for the executive could reach about $558,000 by 2028. 03:50:28
• A supervisor raised a demand letter received the night before that questions the legality of parts of the county executive provisions. 03:52:31
• Dawyn Harrison (County Counsel) said the letter's authors do not demand that the county stop work on the recommendations, so it alone does not require a continuance. 03:54:19
• Dawyn Harrison (County Counsel) said her office reviewed the legality of an elected County Executive and its powers before the measure went to the voters and, at a board office's request, consulted outside counsel again after it passed; it still holds that courts would likely uphold them, though she never called it a slam dunk. 03:55:04
• Kathryn Barger (Supervisor, Fifth District) asked County Counsel and the new ethics commission to opine on conflicts of interest for supervisors who might run for the executive office. 03:57:36
• Kathryn Barger (Supervisor, Fifth District) pledged not to run for County Executive and asked colleagues to make the same pledge. 03:58:37
• Holly Mitchell (Supervisor, Second District; Chair Pro Tem) estimated roughly $12 million in projected three-year costs for the task force and ethics commission, and said she would describe costs as within existing budget rather than budget neutral. 04:16:05
• Holly Mitchell (Supervisor, Second District; Chair Pro Tem) said she has never been clear why the elected executive had to start in 2028. 04:18:07
• Hilda Solis (Supervisor, First District; Chair) stated for the record that she is not interested in running for the County Executive post. 04:24:47

Measure G requires Board agendas to be posted at least 120 hours before meetings. The task force unanimously recommended its Option Two. The regular agenda would post by 4 p.m. eleven days before each meeting (the second Friday before), and the supplemental agenda by 4 p.m. six days before (the Wednesday before). Internal deadlines would move up about a week, late additions would be limited to urgent ones, and agenda entries would be about 20 words when feasible, with full text linked. The Board instead adopted an amendment by Kathryn Barger (Supervisor, Fifth District) and Janice Hahn (Supervisor, Fourth District) choosing Option Three, which keeps the current regular agenda schedule and allows only revisions on the supplemental agenda. The amendment also continued the 20-word clarity and accessibility standards for 90 days pending a County Counsel and executive office report, and required monitoring with a status report within a year. 02:25:09

More on LA County's episode

• Amendment by Kathryn Barger (Supervisor, Fifth District), seconded by Janice Hahn (Supervisor, Fourth District): adopt Option Three; continue the agenda clarity and accessibility standards for 90 days with a written County Counsel and executive office report; direct the executive officer to implement Option Three and return with any Board rule amendments; and require ongoing monitoring with a status report within one year of implementation. Item 19 approved as amended. Result: passed, 5-0. 04:34:49

• A task force member described the task force's outreach, including a survey of 311 responses across 162 zip codes and a review of 11 other California counties. 02:28:10
• A task force member stressed that the task force unanimously recommended Option Two. 02:30:20
• A task force member laid out the Option Two schedule, with the regular agenda posted eleven days before the meeting. 02:36:03
• A task force member recommended agenda entries of about 20 words when feasible, with full documents linked. 02:38:25
• A task force consultant cited other counties that post agendas well ahead, including Yuba County at 127 hours and San Diego County at eight days. 02:46:18
• Holly Mitchell (Supervisor, Second District; Chair Pro Tem) worried that having two live agendas posted at once could confuse the public about which meeting an item is on. 02:48:02
• The clerk confirmed that the executive office would monitor the changes and report on whether they work. 02:50:00
• Lindsey Horvath (Supervisor, Third District) suggested giving the two agendas distinct names to tell them apart. 02:53:42
• A supervisor said business groups had complained that items posted late Friday left no time to mobilize members, and backed the task force's plan. 02:59:27
• Kathryn Barger (Supervisor, Fifth District) argued that shortening agenda entries would cause misinformation and make the agenda less accessible. 03:59:41
• A task force member said agendas running past 100 pages are hard to navigate, and shorter, clearer entries would help the public. 04:02:48
• A supervisor said the initial recommendations lacked department feedback, even though department items fill most of each agenda. 04:05:39
• A task force member countered that the task force engaged 27 of 39 county departments, plus Board offices and the CEO. 04:07:33
• A supervisor introduced an amendment with Janice Hahn (Supervisor, Fourth District) to adopt Option Three instead of Option Two. 04:08:30
• Janice Hahn (Supervisor, Fourth District) said this item could not wait for the new supervisor because of a December deadline for the posting requirement. 04:10:29
• A task force member said Option Three poses a compliance risk because its Friday supplemental agenda does not meet 120 hours. 04:10:49
• Dawyn Harrison (County Counsel) said she believes all three options comply with Measure G, because Option Three's supplemental agenda carries revisions only. 04:12:24
• Janice Hahn (Supervisor, Fourth District) argued that Options Two and Three both leave read-in motions as the route for late items. 04:12:42
• County Counsel said Brown Act urgency and emergency additions remain available under any option. 04:14:27
• Hilda Solis (Supervisor, First District; Chair) doubted that 20-word entries would help residents without internet access or who don't use QR codes, and opposed the 20-word limit. 04:18:29
• A supervisor noted she is due to chair the Board next year and expects many read-in motions. 04:23:36

The county proposes amending Title 22, its planning and zoning code, to allow commercial cannabis businesses in certain zones of unincorporated Los Angeles County. This is one of two parts of a Commercial Cannabis License Program; the other part, amendments to Title 8 (licensing and operating rules), goes to the Board of Supervisors separately. The commission also considered a Program Environmental Impact Report with findings, a statement of overriding considerations and a mitigation monitoring program (agenda). The item was continued from August 26, 2026 without the hearing being opened. The commission only makes a recommendation; the Board of Supervisors decides. As presented by staff, the rules would decide where cannabis storefronts, delivery businesses, cultivation, manufacturing, distribution and testing labs could locate: only in some commercial, commercial-only mixed-use and industrial zones, in existing buildings, and indoors, with a 600-foot buffer from schools, parks, libraries, day cares, licensed arcades and drug treatment facilities, and 500 feet between storefronts. Staff said there would be 90 licenses in total, 25 of them storefronts. Much of the debate was about unlicensed shops already operating in unincorporated communities and who enforces against them. 00:06:34

More on LA County's episode

• A commissioner moved to close the public hearing and recommend that the Board certify the final Program Environmental Impact Report and adopt the findings of fact, statement of overriding considerations and mitigation monitoring and reporting program for the commercial cannabis license program and zoning ordinance, subject to the Board finding the final Title 8 amendments consistent with the project description and the EIR. Seconder not clearly identified. Result: passed. 01:26:18
• A commissioner moved to adopt the resolution recommending that the Board of Supervisors approve the commercial cannabis zoning ordinance (Project No. PRJ2024-000811, Advance Planning Case No. RPPL2024001191) with staff's recommended revisions and two added conditions: that churches and places of worship be added to the sensitive uses covered by the buffer, and that a letter from Robert Luna (Sheriff) on the cost of enforcement to shut down illegal businesses be attached. At county counsel staff's prompting, the motion also added a letter from the commission urging the Board to deal with enforcement against illegal shops immediately. Seconder not clearly identified. Result: passed, 5-0. 01:28:20

• County staff said the Office of Cannabis Management sought the commission's recommendation to the Board on certifying the final environmental impact report and adopting the zoning amendments 00:07:54
• County staff said the Title 8 licensing ordinance would go to the Board of Supervisors at a possible future hearing, not to this commission 00:08:54
• County staff said the August hearing was continued after public feedback so people had more time to review the wider framework, including Title 8 00:09:57
• County staff said the cap on non-retail cannabis businesses in a single planning area was cut from five to three per license type, after concerns from North County communities about their large amount of industrial zoning 00:11:52
• County staff said staff planned to put the planning-area limits into program regulations authorized under Title 8 00:11:52
• County staff said businesses would need hookups to existing water and sewer systems, that wells, septic systems and hauled water would not count, and that generators would be allowed only for emergencies 00:12:54
• County staff said that in Altadena, after last year's fire, cannabis businesses could not locate within 600 feet of damaged or destroyed schools, day cares and other youth sites for five years after the program is adopted 00:14:03
• County staff said cannabis businesses would not be allowed in residential or agricultural zones or in significant ecological areas 00:14:03
• County staff said planning staff would approve sites through a ministerial site plan review against objective standards, and that businesses would be limited to buildings that already exist 00:15:09
• County staff said all operations must be indoors in a fully enclosed building, and that outdoor and mixed-light cultivation would not be allowed 00:15:09
• County staff described a 600-foot buffer from K-12 schools, parks, libraries, licensed day cares, licensed arcades, and drug treatment and recovery facilities 00:16:14
• County staff said storefronts would have to be at least 500 feet from each other, including storefronts in neighboring cities 00:16:14
• County staff said the program would cap storefronts and delivery-only businesses at five each per supervisorial district, alongside the planning-area limits 00:18:22
• County staff said the environmental review found transportation was the only significant and unavoidable impact, mainly because of customer trips and trips between businesses 00:21:28
• The chair asked whether buffers around fast-food restaurants were considered, saying he had seen cannabis shops opening close to them 00:23:50
• County staff said staff found no other jurisdiction or state rule that requires buffers around fast-food locations 00:24:39
• County staff said adding buffers around all fast-food restaurants would further limit room for a legal market, so staff gave priority to youth-oriented uses 00:26:08
• A commissioner said all current storefront sellers in unincorporated areas are illegal, and that there are at least 15 within a four-block radius on one boulevard in her community 00:33:59
• County staff said law enforcement would keep handling illegal operators, with the County Counsel's office filing civil suits, while the Office of Cannabis Management would oversee licensed businesses 00:29:16
• County staff described escalating tools for licensed businesses: notices to correct, administrative fines, suspension, revocation, and not renewing the one-year licenses 00:30:22
• County staff said the program is limited to 90 licenses in total, and that having a regulatory program would make the county eligible for state enforcement funds 00:31:25
• County staff said 25 of the licenses would be storefronts, split among the five districts, and that half would go first to eligible social equity applicants in a phased, slow start 00:32:26
• County staff said more resources are needed to deal with the illicit market, which is a matter for the Board of Supervisors 00:36:40
• County staff said staff believe the illicit market could be dealt with in a couple of years if given the resources 00:37:47
• County staff said the office would work with public health to promote the emblem program, which marks licensed retailers for consumers 00:39:05
• A commissioner proposed clearing out illicit shops as legal ones open, for example closing three illicit shops for every licensed one 00:41:12
• County staff suggested the commission might condition its recommendation on resources to address existing illegal shops 00:41:36
• County counsel staff cautioned that such a condition is technically outside the commission's authority 00:42:46
• A commissioner noted that a 2017 ordinance already made sales illegal and said sheriff's enforcement since then has been spotty, and nonexistent in some communities 00:43:27
• County staff confirmed that the office enforces only the licensed market, and that the unlicensed market falls to the sheriff, county counsel and other partners 00:44:34
• A commissioner suggested the commission might not support the program until existing illegal shops are cleaned up, warning the public would be confused 00:45:17
• A commissioner asked whether people could still open dispensaries if the program did not go forward 00:48:25
• County staff said the Board directed staff to move ahead, that demand for the product exists, and that the program offers consumers legal access 00:48:48
• A commissioner raised concerns about cannabis odor drifting over open space and farms in District 5, citing problems on the Central Coast 00:50:04
• County staff said existing county Title 11 code, enforced by the public health environmental health division, already requires that odors not be detectable outside the building 00:51:45
• County staff said measures such as charcoal scrubbers and ventilation filtering could be required to reduce odors 00:53:10
• A commissioner said she wanted the ordinance more than anyone and did not want to curtail it, but wanted the problems in dense urban areas like her community addressed 00:54:00
• County counsel staff advised after the break that the commission cannot condition its recommendation on shutting down illegal businesses, because enforcement is outside its jurisdiction 01:02:47
• County counsel staff added that the program's environmental impact report did not consider closing illegal businesses as a precondition 01:02:47
• County counsel staff recommended recording the commission's enforcement concerns in the statement of proceedings for the Board, as was done on an earlier area plan 01:03:50
• County staff said he leads the department that houses the cannabis office, and that he would include the commission's recommendations in the department's letters to the Board on Title 22 and Title 8, which already recommend more investment in enforcement 01:05:19
• County staff said the department has asked for $5 million on an ongoing basis for law enforcement partners to support enforcement 01:07:29
• A commissioner suggested hearing from Robert Luna (Sheriff) on how enforcement could work 01:14:54
• A commissioner asked whether planning could take part in enforcement through something like the county's earlier ordinance that brought noncompliant liquor stores into compliance 01:15:56
• County staff said illegal cannabis shops were never legally established, so there is no land-use tool beyond shutting them down, which is the sheriff's department's job 01:18:01
• County staff invited the commission to send a memo or letter that the department would attach to its letter to the Board 01:19:58
• County counsel staff confirmed that a commission recommendation asking the Board to address enforcement is appropriate, though making approval depend on it is not 01:20:25
• County staff said churches and places of worship are not in the proposed buffers, because buffers from very common uses would amount to a de facto ban in many unincorporated areas 01:21:03
• A commissioner said he wanted churches and places of worship added as a condition, saying he views them like preschools and child care 01:23:08
• County staff clarified that a church with a school or day care center would already be subject to the buffers 01:24:02
• A commissioner urged getting the sheriff on record with a cost estimate for enforcement, so the Board understands the size of the problem 01:24:33
• A commissioner praised staff's documents for showing a last-updated date on each page and for clear graphics 01:27:50

An information-only report. The Pasadena Police Department plans to acquire a surplus military armored personnel carrier, a 2008 International MaxxPro of the MRAP type, at no purchase cost through the federal Law Enforcement Support Office (LESO, or 1033) program. State law AB 481 requires the department to report military equipment acquisitions. The chief estimated painting and radio installation at about $15,000 to $20,000, paid from existing fleet funds. Staff said the council did not have to act: unless the council directed otherwise, the department would go ahead with the acquisition. No motion was made, so the acquisition proceeds. 00:15:27

More on Pasadena's episode

• No motion was made. Rick Cole (Councilmember, District 2) offered to second a motion if one was made, but none was, so under staff's explanation the acquisition proceeds without council action. Result: no action. 01:06:10

• City staff presented the department's plan to acquire an armored personnel carrier through the LESO surplus program 00:17:20
• City staff said the department had posted its notice of intent to acquire such a vehicle on its military equipment web page since May 2024 00:18:25
• City staff said the department learned on October 7, 2026 that a Northern California agency had the vehicle available, after the annual military equipment report was already done 00:19:27
• City staff said waiting for the police oversight commission's next meeting in December could delay the transfer and put the acquisition at risk 00:21:37
• City staff estimated upfitting at about $15,000 to $20,000 for paint and a police radio, with no new funding requested 00:22:41
• City staff said the department has one armored vehicle now and borrows from other agencies when it needs more, and cited upcoming major events including LA28 00:23:42
• City staff explained that the council is not required to act on the item but that staff is required to bring it forward 00:26:19
• A councilmember argued the vehicle is purely military and would damage the department's community reputation, noting the city already has a Bearcat 00:27:41
• A councilmember stated opposition to acquiring the vehicle even at no cost 00:28:41
• A councilmember asked about the $20,000 upfit cost despite the vehicle being described as no cost 00:29:02
• City staff said annual registration would also come from the existing budget, and that the vehicle would be stored out of sight, as the Bearcat is 00:29:26
• Rick Cole (Councilmember, District 2) shared concerns about the militarization of policing and asked what the 11 incidents involving a borrowed vehicle were 00:30:16
• City staff described uses such as multi-agency warrant service on armed suspects, evacuations and armed-robbery responses, and said the department is moving to a full-time SWAT team 00:31:14
• Rick Cole (Councilmember, District 2) said they were not persuaded the city can't keep borrowing a second vehicle when needed, and leaned toward opposing 00:33:02
• City staff warned that 2028 will bring three of the highest-security events within 360 days, and that federal help will focus on logistics rather than equipment 00:33:37
• A councilmember questioned the process, saying the item felt like a decision rather than information and could go to the Public Safety Committee 00:35:11
• City staff explained that the council could direct staff to abandon the acquisition or send it to committee, and that without action the department would proceed 00:35:58
• City staff said the police oversight commission has approved the department's policy covering armored vehicles 00:36:58
• A councilmember referred to a recent school shooting in Oregon and said such tools might be needed in situations like that 00:37:07
• City staff said buying a comparable vehicle would otherwise cost the general fund $250,000 to $350,000 00:39:06
• The mayor explained that Pasadena hosts a SEAR-1 event, the federal government's highest event-safety category, every year 00:40:54
• The mayor called the acquisition regrettable but necessary to protect officers, other first responders and the public 00:41:58
• The mayor said they could not recall any misuse of the Bearcat, which the department has had since 2011, and praised the department's conduct at recent demonstrations 00:42:50
• City staff said the goal is to show preparedness, not might, and that armored vehicles are kept hidden until needed 00:44:25
• A councilmember called the Bearcat's incident-free record the most compelling argument for the vehicle 00:47:43
• A councilmember said use at demonstrations causes them the most anxiety, and asked how the vehicle has been deployed at protests 00:47:43
• City staff said that at recent demonstrations, including No Kings, the armored vehicle was staged out of sight in an underground garage at the convention center 00:48:12
• A councilmember noted that the military equipment policy has been reviewed every year without becoming a point of contention 00:49:51
• The mayor said officers are asked to run toward danger and should be able to do so as safely as possible 01:02:00
• Rick Cole (Councilmember, District 2) expressed trust in the police department but worried about a slippery slope toward ever-bigger equipment 01:02:50
• Rick Cole (Councilmember, District 2) said a line should be drawn at some point and that reasonable people can disagree where 01:04:53
• A councilmember asked that the record show their opposition, while acknowledging it was an informational item 01:05:11

Rose Bowl Riders, an equestrian club that speakers said has operated for about 80 years, has been on a month-to-month lease at the city's Hahamongna Watershed Park since its tenth amendment expired. Either party can end that lease with 30 days' notice, without cause. The staff recommendation had three parts: a CEQA exemption finding; rescinding the September 21, 2026 termination notice in response to an apparent demand to cure or correct it; and authorizing the city manager to issue a new notice of at least 30 days, with a deadline to vacate by January 31, 2027. Staff cited little or no public benefit in 2025 and 2026 and missing insurance documents. Two earlier requests for proposals (RFPs) failed. Staff plans a new RFP for the site around February 1, 2027, and may bring in an interim operator for boarded horses. The stalls and other improvements belong to the tenant. 01:24:05

More on Pasadena's episode

• Tyron Hampton (Councilmember, District 1) proposed a motion to issue a new RFP on February 1, open for 30 days and widely cast. Result: no action. Recused: Jason Lyon (Councilmember, District 7). 02:19:49
• Rick Cole (Councilmember, District 2) moved the staff recommendation: CEQA exemption finding, rescinding the September 21, 2026 termination notice, and authorizing a new notice of at least 30 days with a deadline to vacate by January 31, 2027. The second was not identified. Result: passed, 7-0. Recused: Jason Lyon (Councilmember, District 7). 02:31:23

• A councilmember recused because their firm represents one of the parties in unrelated matters 01:24:16
• City staff reviewed the history: the city bought the watershed park in 2005, and the lease has gone month-to-month after its amendments expired 01:24:53
• City staff said that in 2024 the city manager found insufficient public benefit, and that two RFP processes since then were unsuccessful 01:25:58
• City staff explained that the month-to-month lease requires only 30 days' notice to terminate, without cause 01:27:03
• City staff said they met with Rose Bowl Riders on site about four times over two years 01:55:11
• City staff said those meetings covered stable conditions, arena flooding and a tree that needed trimming, and that the issues were addressed 01:55:38
• City staff said they recused personally from the RFP process and left the evaluation to a staff committee 01:56:20
• City staff presented slides showing community benefit before 2024 and none in 2025 and 2026 01:59:20
• City staff said that because the required insurance wasn't in place, the city used another operator, Ride On, for summer camp lessons in 2025 and 2026 01:59:56
• A councilmember said the public's account and staff's account are far apart, and that the city did not communicate well 02:00:37
• City staff said staff is redrafting an RFP for equestrian use, drawing on the City of Los Angeles's process 02:02:33
• City staff said staff would seek an interim operator to care for boarded horses until a new operator is chosen 02:03:12
• City staff said an earlier lease amendment, made when Metropolitan Water owned the land, transferred the improvements to the tenant 02:03:45
• City staff said that if the tenant removes the railings, the city would rebuild about 25 stalls, and cited bids for the railing costs 02:04:21
• A councilmember proposed a motion to have a new RFP go out February 1, open for 30 days and drawn as widely as needed 02:05:47
• A councilmember criticized that the matter did not go through any of the city's committees or commissions, such as Parks and Recreation, or the Hahamongna advisory group 02:05:47
• A councilmember called four meetings in two years on matters not related to the use of the site unacceptable 02:06:50
• The mayor said the decision was not arbitrary and asked staff to walk through the public-benefit record 02:08:20
• City staff said that in 2022 the lease required lessons for five teens from the city's teen center, who received 68 free lessons 02:09:17
• City staff said 45 day-camp children got two lessons each in 2023 and 2024, fall and spring lessons were not provided, and 2025–26 lessons lapsed over sexual-abuse liability insurance 02:09:17
• City staff said the problem was not a lack of insurance but a failure to provide satisfactory proof and required endorsements, such as naming the city as an additional insured 02:10:29
• City staff said Myrtle Hill Farms, which gave the lessons, was also short on required insurance documentation 02:11:31
• The mayor pointed to the many insurance deficiencies on the slide as largely why the matter was before the council 02:14:13
• A councilmember learned that no claims were tendered to the city, though the city was exposed 02:15:08
• A councilmember criticized layering amendment on amendment, and asked staff whether the city's contracts administrator had been involved 02:15:08
• Rick Cole (Councilmember, District 2) said near-daily litigation threats limit what the council can say, and that the threats assume the club has a right to occupy the land 02:16:49
• Rick Cole (Councilmember, District 2) said the benefit people get from the site doesn't create a right to occupy public land indefinitely, and backed the staff recommendation 02:18:52
• A councilmember asked what amount of public benefit would be acceptable 02:19:59
• City staff said the city still paid $3,150 for lessons in 2023, and similar amounts in 2024 and to Ride On later 02:21:49
• City staff said the 45 children came from roughly 600 to 700 day-camp participants 02:22:38
• The mayor recalled the council choosing equestrian use over soccer fields at the site in the 2000s 02:24:35
• A councilmember objected that the motion did not set a date for the RFP 02:25:41
• City staff said staff would strive to release the RFP by February 1 if so directed 02:26:21
• City staff committed to issuing the RFP as close to or before February 1 as possible, and to telling the council if the date slips 02:27:34
• A councilmember raised concern about a gap with no operator after January 31, and noted that either party can end the lease on written notice 02:28:49
• City staff said staff could ask other users in the area to help with boarding and could seek an emergency operator 02:29:23
• A councilmember noted that the club's original agreement did not come from an RFP 02:29:54

Two appeals of the vesting tentative tract map (VTT No. 84453) for a mixed-use development at 12501-12665 West Ventura Boulevard in Council District 4: 814 residential units and 75,968 square feet of restaurant uses, plus a haul route. One appeal was filed on behalf of the Studio City Residents Association and Save LA River Open Space, the other by an individual. The council denied both appeals and upheld the City Planning Commission's approval, with conditions added by the PLUM Committee: a new 10-foot sidewalk with landscaped parkway on Valleyheart Drive, proof of compliance with state fire-safe regulations before the final map is recorded, and conditions in a Council District 4 letter dated Oct. 13, 2026. The project is exempt from CEQA under Public Resources Code Section 21080.66 (agenda). The last day for council action was Oct. 23. There was no council debate; most public commenters supported the project, and one opposed it over fire safety and evacuation. 00:33:14

More on Los Angeles's episode

• Adopt the PLUM Committee report, denying the appeals and sustaining the Planning Commission's approval (group vote with items 3-6, 8, 10-12 and 22). Result: passed, 11-0. 00:33:34

• City staff told a caller that the Riverwalk item was not open for agenda public comment but could be addressed during general comment. 01:10:54

The companion appeal for the same Riverwalk development at 12501-12665 West Ventura Boulevard, carried over from the Oct. 20 meeting. Filed on behalf of the Studio City Residents Association and Save LA River Open Space, it challenged the project review and specific-plan compliance approvals. The council denied it, upholding approval of a seven-story (84-foot), 744,906-square-foot development: 814 residential units, 46 of them reserved for Very Low Income households, and 75,968 square feet of restaurant space. It also includes 1,040 residential and 766 commercial parking spaces, removal of 240 non-protected trees on site and three street trees, and export of up to 521,000 cubic yards of earth (continuation agenda). Conditions added by PLUM require compliance with state fire-safe regulations and the Council District 4 conditions. The clerk said the item needed 10 votes and had a last day for action of Oct. 23. 00:33:14

More on Los Angeles's episode

• Adopt the PLUM Committee report, denying the appeal and sustaining the Planning Commission's approval (group vote with items 3-6, 8, 10-12 and 14). Result: passed, 11-0. 00:33:34

• The city clerk noted a journal correction for item 22, said its last day for council action was Oct. 23, and said it needed 10 votes for consideration. 00:29:02

A motion by Traci Park (Councilmember, Eleventh District) and Imelda Padilla (Councilmember, Sixth District) (Council File 26-1330). It instructs the Fire Department, working with the City Administrative Officer's and Chief Legislative Analyst's offices and the Personnel Department, to report before November 3, 2026, with initial recommendations for a Measure FD implementation and Fire Department expansion plan. The motion asks the plan to cover hiring, apparatus, stations, wildfire and air operations, technology, and a separate accounting of Measure FD money with a public dashboard, quarterly reports and audits. It also asks for an updated plan within 60 days of the measure passing and annual updates after that (agenda). Measure FD goes to voters on November 3. In the meeting it was described as a sales tax whose revenue would go only to the Fire Department. Department leadership presented the report, councilmembers asked questions, and the council voted to note and file. Seven firefighters spoke for the measure in public comment. 03:16:56

More on Los Angeles's episode

• Traci Park (Councilmember, Eleventh District) moved to note and file item 9; the presiding member said he planned to second. Result: passed, 11 ayes. 04:22:16

• A speaker argued the department is half the size it should be, with many stations falling apart and dozens more needed 03:17:18
• A speaker said that if voters are asked to put hundreds of millions of dollars into the department, City Hall owes them a concrete plan for spending it 03:18:21
• The fire chief said the department has about as many firefighters as in the 1960s, with six fewer stations and roughly ten times the emergency call volume 03:19:52
• The fire chief said the department wants to enlarge its next two recruit classes from 120 recruits in total to 180 03:21:56
• The fire chief said the preliminary estimate to repair the supply and maintenance facility is more than $9 million 03:23:00
• The fire chief said the academy's single drill tower limits how much classes can grow 03:25:17
• The fire chief said a first engine or ambulance can reach about 49.2 percent of city roads within the recommended four minutes, less than half 03:27:26
• The fire chief said 56 of the department's 106 stations are between 50 and 85 years old 03:27:26
• The fire chief cited a prior study finding the city needs 32 more peak-hour ambulance companies 03:28:29
• The fire chief said six of the 22 hoists at the Lincoln Heights maintenance yard are out of service and the first phase would replace three failed ones 03:31:32
• The fire chief listed technology plans: a drone program, better command software, video 911 calls and finishing the Workday integration 03:31:32
• The fire chief said Measure FD money is meant to add to the department's general fund support, not replace it 03:33:34
• The fire chief committed to quarterly reports to the council and a public dashboard, and said a citizens oversight committee would review spending 03:34:37
• The fire chief said that if the measure fails, improvements would be delayed, scaled back or not happen unless future budgets prioritize them 03:37:08
• Monica Rodriguez (Councilmember, Seventh District) asked how the department would decide which services cut over the last twenty years, such as engine companies, get restored first 03:39:40
• The fire chief said Sylmar has a single fire station serving an area the size of Burbank, which has six stations 03:41:28
• Monica Rodriguez (Councilmember, Seventh District) stressed prevention and grant-seeking, noting she secured $2.5 million from Prop 4 for fire breaks in Foothills communities in her district 03:42:46
• Monica Rodriguez (Councilmember, Seventh District) warned the department and the whole city will be closely watched on what the money delivers, and called for guardrails 03:43:47
• A speaker asked the department to confirm the measure adds to its current budget rather than replacing it 03:48:56
• The fire chief said the measure keeps general fund support at about 16 percent, based on the past ten years, with measure money added on top 03:49:26
• The fire chief said an unusual number of firefighter paramedics are leaving for other agencies amid a national shortage and heavy workloads 03:50:13
• The fire chief said the oversight committee would include the public safety committee chair, a mayor's office representative, the controller, the city administrative officer and the fire chief 03:52:56
• The fire chief said the measure keeps its money out of the city's general fund and away from other uses 03:54:07
• The fire chief said a new fire engine takes about three years to get, and called for fast response vehicles in every battalion 03:56:01
• The fire chief said the goal is a fully staffed hazmat unit and a fully staffed urban search and rescue unit in each of the four bureaus 03:58:03
• The fire chief said a mayoral executive directive had the department review low-acuity calls, and changes would roll out in the near future 03:59:31
• A speaker asked whether Measure FD has any connection to pensions or pension spiking 04:01:36
• The fire chief said no Measure FD money would go to pensions or bonuses, and that it would cut overtime 04:02:16
• A speaker raised the criticism that the measure is a regressive tax 04:03:04
• The fire chief described the measure as a half-cent sales tax and said it would benefit everyone, not hurt any one group 04:03:41
• Eunisses Hernandez (Councilmember, First District) asked how the hiring plan would use a state program for certifying and hiring formerly incarcerated firefighters 04:06:07
• The fire chief said the plan does not yet include that program but he is willing to look at it 04:07:23
• The fire chief said the department started a concierge program to support pregnant firefighters, part of recruiting more women 04:11:42
• The fire chief said a second, parallel dispatch center is a priority, with a goal of having it before the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics 04:16:11
• City staff said the dispatch center often gets 3,000 calls a day and needs more staff 04:17:19
• Eunisses Hernandez (Councilmember, First District) asked that the report have a section on local hiring, on how council districts can help, and on hiring formerly incarcerated firefighters 04:18:25
• The council president urged that communities paying for their own safety, including South LA, get a clear path to fire department jobs 04:20:07

A motion by Marqueece Harris-Dawson (Councilmember, Eighth District; President, City Council) and Tim McOsker (Councilmember, Fifteenth District) (Council File 26-1485), continued from October 21. It asks the City Attorney for a report on possible litigation over the Los Angeles Continuum of Care bidding process. It also instructs the City Administrative Officer's and Chief Legislative Analyst's offices and the Los Angeles Housing Department to report on negotiations with the county for City leadership and a fair share of resources, and on steps to form a city-only Continuum of Care (agenda). The council adopted it with amending motion 10A, presented by Ysabel Jurado (Councilmember, Fourteenth District). Staff presented a term sheet reached with county staff covering two federally required programs now run by LAHSA, whose new lead agency is being chosen. Under the homeless data system (HMIS), the city would get access to data on everyone experiencing homelessness with any link to the city, and proportional representation on reporting bodies. Under coordinated entry (CES), the county would contract with the city to match people to housing in all city-funded projects, and the two would jointly recommend a local preference for city residents experiencing homelessness. Staff said binding agreements would come back to the council and to the Board of Supervisors. 04:22:18

More on Los Angeles's episode

• Adopt item 10 as amended by amending motion 10A (Ysabel Jurado (Councilmember, Fourteenth District), with Marqueece Harris-Dawson (Councilmember, Eighth District; President, City Council), as the council president said it). Result: passed, 10 ayes. 05:16:26

• A speaker said the city had already agreed the county should be the collaborative applicant and run the point-in-time count, leaving data and matching as the open issues 04:23:47
• A speaker said the agreement does not rule out continuing to research a city-only Continuum of Care 04:24:54
• The city administrative officer said the Continuum of Care board had already given the county the lead roles for the collaborative applicant and the point-in-time count 04:26:23
• The city administrative officer said the general membership is set to vote on Monday on the HMIS and coordinated entry roles 04:27:26
• The city administrative officer said city and county staff agreed on the terms as joint recommendations, and the county CEO will present them to the Board of Supervisors 04:28:26
• The city administrative officer said the terms set out markers, with binding agreements to be negotiated in more detail and brought back to the council 04:29:26
• The city administrative officer said the city would get access to all data on people experiencing homelessness who have any documented link to the city 04:29:26
• The city administrative officer said the meaning of proportional representation is still to be set in the data use agreement or MOU 04:31:31
• The city administrative officer said the county would contract with the city to handle housing matching for all city-funded resources in the city 04:33:31
• The city administrative officer said that within 60 days of the county taking the coordinated entry lead, the two would jointly recommend priority for city residents experiencing homelessness 04:34:36
• The city administrative officer said the county would recommend dedicated city seats on the CES Policy Council for the housing authority, the housing department, the CAO and the community investment department 04:35:39
• Katy Yaroslavsky (Councilmember, Fifth District) asked whether the agreement is enforceable and what happens if the county does not comply 04:37:34
• Katy Yaroslavsky (Councilmember, Fifth District) asked to add input on agendas and work plans to the HMIS system-improvements terms 04:39:36
• Imelda Padilla (Councilmember, Sixth District) argued the county is not giving the city its fair share of Measure A money, given the city's much larger housing portfolio 04:41:57
• Imelda Padilla (Councilmember, Sixth District) stressed that service providers, who start the placement process, need access to data across both jurisdictions 04:44:41
• City staff said frontline service providers face no limits on the HMIS data they can see 04:46:09
• The city administrative officer said the agreement covers only data and matching, not funding for service providers, which belongs in a broader conversation about the system's future 04:50:32
• Bob Blumenfield (Councilmember, Third District; President Pro Tempore) credited the negotiators, saying the city had been heading toward the county running coordinated entry with none of these terms 04:51:39
• Bob Blumenfield (Councilmember, Third District; President Pro Tempore) noted proportional representation could be based on share of population, share of the homeless population or other formulas, with very different results 04:56:08
• Bob Blumenfield (Councilmember, Third District; President Pro Tempore) flagged that new supportive housing built without city money, such as an ED1 project in his district, would stay outside city matching 04:59:44
• Bob Blumenfield (Councilmember, Third District; President Pro Tempore) said he would not hold up the deal over that concern, and asked about access to county mental health (DMH) data 05:00:49
• City staff said the city does not have direct access to the county mental health systems, but talks on access will continue 05:01:24
• Tim McOsker (Councilmember, Fifteenth District) said he was more skeptical, noting the city was effectively negotiating settlement-like terms in open session amid existing and threatened litigation 05:02:34
• Tim McOsker (Councilmember, Fifteenth District) argued proportional representation should not reward parts of the county that push homeless people into the city without providing alternatives 05:03:39
• Tim McOsker (Councilmember, Fifteenth District) pointed out that on charter changes the county only commits to recommending them to an independent Continuum of Care body 05:04:47
• The city administrative officer said a recommendation was the most the county could commit to, since the Continuum of Care general membership decides charter changes 05:05:44
• Tim McOsker (Councilmember, Fifteenth District) asked why city matching shouldn't cover all housing resources in the city regardless of who funded them 05:06:23
• Tim McOsker (Councilmember, Fifteenth District) asked what impasse procedure would keep the county from stonewalling on the commitments still to be worked out 05:08:25
• The city administrative officer said the city subsidizes about 94 percent of the subsidized supportive housing beds, and currently manages matching for none of them 05:10:07
• Eunisses Hernandez (Councilmember, First District) called the change from current conditions night and day 05:12:48
• The council president asked that the city attorney's representations in an upcoming court hearing reflect the council's discussion, and recommended forgoing the day's special meeting 05:13:49
• A speaker said the agreement gives the city the raw HMIS data for its own reports and dashboards, plus matching for city-funded housing, and urged a yes vote on amendment 10A 05:14:56