City Council Meeting Summary, October 14, 2024

Published on October 17, 2024

City Council Proclamation for Filipino American History Month

City Council Appoints Hope Parrish as Honorary City Historian, Hears Crime Update

Honorary City Historian Appointed

The City Council voted to appoint Hope Parrish as the honorary City Historian. Parrish is a retired property master who worked in the entertainment industry for many years. When she retired in 2017, she became President of the Culver City Historical Society (CCHS). Parrish loves history, research and her hometown, Culver City. Her work has been to continue to grow the CCHS and carry-on the work of those that came before her in the organization. She hopes that the CCHS will continue to be a place where Culver City can deposit items that tell the City’s story and history, and that history’s lessons continue to educate the city.

Culver City Police Department Provides Mid-Year Update & Military Equipment Annual Report

In a public hearing, Captain Andrew Bellante of the Culver City Police Department (CCPD) provided the City Council with an analysis on data of crime, calls for service, and strategies being implemented by CCPD to enhance public safety.

Over the past several years, Culver City has seen substantial expansion and growth. In the first six months of 2024, CCPD handled a total of 23,431 calls for service. The areas generating the highest call volume were the Downtown area, Fox Hills, Sepulveda and Jefferson North, as well as the area between the 3800 and 4500 block of Sepulveda Boulevard. From January 1st through June 30thof this year, there were:

  • 1,144 property crimes, down 9.1% over the prior year
  • 104 incidents of motor vehicle thefts, down 19.4%
  • 129 incidents of burglary, which includes commercial, residential, and vehicular
  • 248 reported violent crimes, down 6.8%, which include simple assault, aggravated assault, and robbery
  • No homicides
  • CCPD also shared that its case clearance rate for property crime is 28% (compared to the national average of 17%), and the case clearance rate for violent crime is 70% (compared to the national average is 45%)
  • Finally, CCPD recovered 40
  • illegally possessed guns during the period

The CCPD reported it has a five-district patrol plan. According to Captain Bellante, CCPD achieves one of the fastest response times out of all police agencies in Los Angeles County. CCPD’s average emergency response time is 3 minutes and 40 seconds. The average non-emergency response time is 9 minutes and 56 seconds. Seventeen police officer vacancies have been filled since June 2023.

Bellante also reported on the use of automated license plate readers. The technology has resulted in over 100 arrests of suspects driving stolen vehicles, the arrest of 25 suspects wanted for serious violent crimes, and identification of more than 20 suspects responsible for crimes committed in Culver City.

CCPD has placed emphasis on building strong relationships with the community, noting 80% of arrests are made from calls for service. Police have enhanced the number of community events they attend.

Later in the meeting, the City Council listened to CCPD’s AB 481 Military Equipment Annual Report. The Report includes an inventory detailing each type of military equipment possessed by CCPD, its quantity, authorized use, fiscal impact, and training requirements. It also details the number of instances where military equipment was utilized by CCPD personnel. CCPD reported that it does not participate in any program to receive used U.S. military equipment. Rather, all equipment was purchased from vendors. The City Council approved the report. Vice Mayor Dan O’Brien, and Council Members Goran Eriksson, Albert Vera Jr., and Freddy Puza voted in favor. Mayor Yasmine-Imani McMorrin abstained.

City Council Rejects New City Outreach to Religious Groups

The City Council rejected a proposal to begin outreach to religious, agnostic, and atheist groups. The “Culver City Area Interfaith Alliance Cooperation Circle” (“Alliance”) , which is currently inactive, was a community-based cooperation circle that, before the pandemic, worked to foster understanding, cooperation, and unity among diverse religious traditions, activities, events and organizations in Culver City and the local area. The Alliance was led by and comprised of faith-based community leaders and members from various faith communities and was independent of the City. Council Members discussed whether to support in some way the reformation of the Alliance or another group through which local religious, agnostic, and atheist groups could share information with the City.

Ultimately, Mayor McMorrin and Council Member Freddy Puza voted in favor of a motion to direct the City Manager to hold a meeting with religious, agnostic, and atheist groups to build community and bring back to City Council what is learned. Vice Mayor O’Brien and Council Member Vera Jr. voted against the measure and Council Member Eriksson abstained.

Sustainable Insurance Presentation

The City Council listened to a presentation from the California Department of Insurance’s Brenda Caloca. She highlighted the insurance markets continue to experience unprecedented financial stress from inflation. Increased costs of rebuilding, supplies, material, auto parts, along with labor shortages are affecting insurance markets. As risks grow, insurance markets are contracting to protect solvency, meet financial obligations and regulatory mandates, Caloca said in her presentation. She noted that 12 companies insure 85% of the state’s homeowners market. Since 2022, seven of the top 12 insurance companies have paused or restricted new business despite rate increases approved or pending with the Department of Insurance.

The California FAIR Plan, which was established so that all California property owners have access to basic fire insurance when access to coverage in the traditional market is not available through no fault of the property owner, began offering insurance discounts this summer. The Plan is offering $20 million coverage per location for commercial policies, including Homeowners Associations. Wildfire Risk Score regulations allow consumers to request and appeal property risk score.

Caloca shared the California Sustainable Insurance Strategy. It includes requiring insurance companies to write policies for no less than 85% of homes and businesses in distressed areas identified by the Insurance Commissioner, protecting consumers from paying for other global catastrophes, introducing new models to recognize mitigation to price rates and discount benefits, returning the FAIR Plan policyholders to market and modernizing the FAIR Plan by expanding commercial coverage limits. If you have questions or are in need of assistance, you can receive more information on the California Insurance website or contact the consumer hotline at (800) 927-4357.

City Council Proclamations, Commendations & Recognitions

The City Council meeting began with several proclamations, commendations, and recognitions on Monday night.

With a proclamation, the City designated October as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. During National Breast Cancer Awareness month, we honor all those who lost their lives to breast cancer, and stand in unity with breast cancer survivors, those currently battling the disease, friends and family of a diagnosed patient, and applaud the efforts and advancements made in the search for a cure. An estimated 300,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States in 2024, and although, both women and men can have breast cancer, women are at higher risk; women with a family history of breast cancer, women older than fifty, or those who are not physically active, are at higher risk. We recognize organizations and health care providers working toward a cure, honor cancer survivors, and memorialize those who lost their lives to breast cancer, for their strength, grace, and perseverance.

City Council also designated October as Disability Awareness Month. Each year Disability Awareness Month promotes the appreciation and acceptance of the intrinsic value and uniqueness of our community members with disabilities. The City of Culver City recognizes that individuals with disabilities have the same inherent right to live independently, enjoy self-determination, and contribute to society as does all humanity. Individuals with disabilities have made profound contributions to America throughout history. They are an important, vital part of our community as valued workers, civic leaders, business owners, veterans, family members and friends. The City of Culver City acknowledges that equitable experiences and full inclusion are a matter of social justice, and that creating equitable inclusive environments is a shared responsibility of everyone. The City Council-appointed Disability Advisory Committee continually strives to identify, report and address issues and challenges related to individuals with disabilities in our community. The Culver City Parks, Recreation & Community Services Department provides monthly events and programming for adults with disabilities, and maintains safe spaces for diverse populations to gather, connect, and enjoy activities together. We remain committed to improving the quality of life of all citizens in our community.

No Limits for Deaf Children and Families received a commendation for its contributions to Culver City community members with disabilities and their families. No Limits for Deaf Children and Families’ mission is to provide programming and resources that cultivate an environment where deaf children and families have a voice to communicate, connect, and contribute to the world all at no cost. It provides inclusive and comprehensive services by offering programming in areas such as individual therapy, literacy, academics, parent education, theater arts, teen programs and more. The City commends its tremendous comprehensive approach towards providing programming and resources for deaf children and their families in Culver City.

Another commendation was given to Donna Iarocci. She has demonstrated exceptional dedication and expertise in her role as a job coach for teachers-in-training at Jazz Hands for Autism. Iarocci’s innovative approach and unwavering commitment to supporting individuals on the autism spectrum has significantly enhanced the quality of education and employment opportunities for adults with disabilities. The City of Culver City commended Donna Iarocci for her outstanding service to community members with disabilities by providing them with high-quality music education in the City of Culver City.

The City Council proclaimed October 14, 2024 as “Indigenous People’s Day,” encouraging our community to honor the historic sacrifices of indigenous peoples and their contributions to our City. The City of Culver City recognizes that the Indigenous Peoples of the lands that would later become known as the Americas have occupied these lands since time immemorial, and celebrates the contributions, knowledge, traditions, diverse culture, and vibrant languages of Indigenous people. In an effort to provide a more accurate record of United States history, representatives from 120 indigenous nations at the First Continental Conference on 500 years of Indian Resistance unanimously passed a resolution to transform Columbus Day into an occasion to recognize the contributions and plight of Indigenous Americans.

In its final recognition, the City Council proclaimed October 2024 as Filipino American History Month. The earliest evidence of Filipinos in the continental United States occurred on October 18, 1587, when the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza arrived on Chumash land in what is now Morro Bay, California. Filipino Americans are the third-largest Asian American group in the nation and the Los Angeles metropolitan area is home to the largest group of Filipino descendants outside of the Philippines; and in 2023, Culver City Kapwa was created for Filipino Americans and their families who work, live, and play in the city to connect and build community. The City Council calls upon the community to celebrate the great diversity of our people.

Additional Council Decisions 

Additional items approved by the City Council include:

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, October 28th.

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