City Council Meeting Summary, May 13, 2024

Published on May 16, 2024

City Council Discusses Parking Meter Rates, Introduces Gender Neutral Public Restrooms in New Buildings

City Council Agrees to Revisit Establishing New Parking Meter Rates

On Monday, the City Council unanimously approved revisiting new parking rates. After listening to staff’s proposal of increasing certain parking meters from 25 cents per hour to $1 per hour, City Council requested that staff do additional stakeholder outreach on the issue, and return to City Council in three months with more information.

Monday’s proposal included changing rates for nearly 740 meters in industrial areas of the City, increasing them by 75 cents. There are currently more than 1,900 smart meters throughout Culver City that accept credit and debit cards. On average, those meters generate an average of $82,000 per month. The rate increase is estimated to generate an additional amount of approximately $100,000 per month.

Parking in the Downtown District was proposed to remain at a cost of $1.50 per hour. Parking outside of downtown and around parks was also proposed to remain at $1 per hour.

The use of parking pricing is an effective way to assist in the reduction of on-street traffic congestion, encourage shifts to more sustainable transportation modes, and facilitate efficient use of limited parking resources. Public Works still has more than 550 single-space parking meters it will install. You can view the map of existing and future parking meters on the City’s website.

Separately, City staff will continue investigate reducing 10-hour parking spaces to 2-hours to increase turnover. While that is not included in this ordinance, City staff will work with businesses on how that could be implemented in the future.

Meanwhile, the City recently introduced a pay-by-app pilot program with more than 30 meters in Downtown Culver City. Over the next few months, staff will continue to gather data and explore how to move forward before returning to City Council.

City Council Listens to Public Hearing on Gender Neutral Public Restrooms for New Construction Projects

Newly constructed buildings will soon be required to include gender neutral public restrooms in Culver City. Existing buildings will not be required to retrofit current layouts but may voluntarily do so. The City Council unanimously approved the introduction of the ordinance. It needs two readings at City Council meetings prior to going into effect.

The proposed ordinance requires single-user and multi-user public toilet facilities to use signage indicating that the facilities are accessible to all users, and not restricted to persons of a specific sex or gender identity.  There are 11 design elements for security, privacy, light, ventilation, and signage, which are key concerns for all users of public restroom facilities. Staff also noted the new ordinance would likely cutdown on square footage needed for restrooms in new buildings.

You can read the design requirements on the City’s website.

Culver City Declares Five Proclamations

The City Council began Monday’s meeting by proclaiming May 2024 as Jewish American Heritage Month. In the proclamation, it stated Culver City shares an obligation to condemn and combat antisemitism wherever it exists, to include Jewish Americans in all facets of civic life, and to stand with the Jewish American community against hatred or bigotry in our city and country. The City Council calls upon all residents to celebrate the rich and diverse heritage of the Jewish American community, including those who live, work, and play in Culver City, playing a vital role in contributing to all aspects of life in Culver and honors the generations of residents and immigrants who have enriched our nations’ narrative.

During the month of May, Culver City celebrates Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month and pays tribute to the contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders who have enriched our history and been an integral part of our community. The theme for AANHPI Heritage Month in 2024 is “Advancing Leaders Through Innovation” which celebrates lasting contributions of persons of AANHPI descent, from technological advancements to social/political changes, while navigating significant cultural and systemic barriers. Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders lend their rich heritage to enhance our community, playing a vital role and contributing to all aspects of life in Culver City. The City Council celebrates the diaspora and honors the generations of residents and immigrants who have enriched our nations’ narrative.

May is also Historic Preservation Month. This year Preservation Month focuses on “People Saving Places” which recognizes everyone doing great work of saving places – in ways big and small – and inspiring others to do the same. The Culver City Historical Society, established in 1980, continues its mission of collecting, preserving and exhibiting the history of Culver City and its environs through new partnerships to expand and diversity audiences and incorporate future generations into their work. The City Council encourages all residents and visitors to discover or re-discover, honor, and share the unique history of Culver City.

The City Council also proclaimed May 2024 as National Cities, Towns, and Villages Month in celebration of America’s local governments and the National League of Cities’ historic centennial anniversary. Over the years, it has has successfully championed federal legislative solutions that support municipalities and has worked closely with Congress and the Executive Branch to educate policymakers on the realities of local implementation. The City of Culver City is a proud member of the National League of Cities, and has benefited from the organization’s research, technical expertise, federal advocacy and opportunities to learn from other local governments.

In its final proclamation of the evening, City Council recognized National Bike Month. Culver City has participated in this important effort by implementing the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, hosting events like CicLAvia, sponsoring the Culver City Walk & Rollers program, and installing and maintaining a growing network of bike lanes and paths. You can view the map on the Culver CityBus website. Culver City, community organizations, and partners throughout Los Angeles County have worked together to promote greater public awareness of bicycling throughout the month of May. The City Council encourages all community members and students to reap the benefits of bicycling as a form of transportation and exercise.

Additional Council Decisions 

Additional items approved by the City Council include:

• Approval of cash disbursements from April 20^th through May 3^rd, 2024.
• Approval of minutes of the City Council Meeting held on April 29th, 2024.
• Adopted resolution amending a section of its 2022 California Building Standards Code. The updated landed makes express findings that modifications to state codes are reasonably necessary because of local climatic, geological or topographical conditions. You can read the tracked changes in the Code on the City’s website.
• Approved final specifications and authorization to publish a notice inviting bids for Sidewalk Uplift Repair and Replacement Project. The project scope includes replacing uplifted sidewalk at the following locations and surrounding neighborhoods; 5000 & 5100 blocks of Fairbanks Way, 5300 block of Kinston Avenue, 4300 block of Vinton Avenue, 6000 Canterbury Drive. The sidewalk lift is mainly attributed to parkway tree root intrusion. The total estimated project cost is $162,000. The City Arborist will be consulted for the project.
• Approved a five-year lease and Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Culver City and the Culver City Historical Society for the use of the Overflow Room in the Veterans Memorial Building, its current location.
• Approved request by the Downtown Business Association (DBA) to install additional decorative lighting in City trees in Downtown Culver City. It also approved an amended and Restated License Agreement for use of City property for installation and maintenance of decorative lights. The DBA will pay for all fees, installation, and maintenance costs of the twinkle lights. It is estimated that the annual cost for the electricity will be approximately $2,000.
• Approved amendment to the existing agreement with West Coast Arborists, Inc. for citywide tree maintenance services to increase the annual amount by $175,000. The total amount will now be $1,315,695. The extra costs will come from the unassigned General Fund. Due to the higher-than-average rain fall and other unanticipated weather events the City experienced during this fiscal year, additional tree maintenance services are needed to maintain the City’s urban forest.
• Received the City Manager’s/Executive Director’s Proposed Budget for Fiscal Year 2024-2025. A public hearing on the proposed budget will be at the City Council meeting on June 10^th.

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 meetings are Departmental Budget Presentations scheduled for Monday, May 20^th and Tuesday, May 21^st, starting at 3 PM each day. The following City Council will be held on Tuesday, May 28^th, as City Hall will be closed for Memorial Day on Monday, May 27^th.