Meeting Summary
What Happened
Eleven council members were present at the start of the meeting, rising to thirteen later in the session. Council Member Katy Yaroslavsky led an extended presentation on the impact of federal immigration enforcement on faith communities, organized with the interfaith organizing network 1LA IAF. Speakers included Father Joey Evangelista of Precious Blood and St. Kevin Catholic Churches, Rabbi Darra Frimmer of Temple Isaiah, and Sheila Thomas of Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church, who described mass attendance drops of 30-40% and baptism attendance drops of over 50% since ICE raids began in June, parishioners detained at workplaces and Home Depots, families self-deporting out of fear, and a network of "Freedom Schools" — modeled on 1964 civil-rights-era programs — that 1LA has run at more than 25 locations since a July 4 launch to train residents on constitutional rights and family preparedness plans.
Council adopted a bloc of items with limited discussion, including an escheatment of unclaimed funds seized incidental to arrest to the General Fund (Item 2, CF 25-1106); a Civil Rights, Equity, Immigration, Aging and Disability Committee report establishing a "Know Your Rights" public awareness campaign using Bureau of Sanitation trash trucks (Item 5, CF 25-0927) and an intake system to collect testimony from people impacted by federal immigration enforcement (Item 6, CF 25-1035); an ordinance prohibiting youth-targeted cannabis marketing not otherwise addressed by state or local law (Item 8, CF 25-1100); a ground lease with the Venice Community Housing Corporation for transitional housing at 650 Westminster Avenue (Item 9, CF 23-0831); an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement with AEG and the Plenary Group for the Los Angeles Convention Center expansion and modernization (Item 12, CF 15-1207-S2); and eight Rent Escrow Account Program property removals (Items 15-22). Item 13, a Housing and Homelessness Committee report on developing simplified landlord-notice templates and assigning Housing Department staff to help small housing providers navigate city processes, was amended on the floor by Council Member Adrin Nazarian and Council Member Katy Yaroslavsky to shorten a reporting deadline from 90 to 30 days before passing 13-0. The Council also approved four closed-session settlements totaling roughly $2.5 million, including up to $1,789,448.10 plus accrued interest in the case of Vincent Albano v. City of Los Angeles (Item 26).
Public Comment
Public comment was dominated by tenant organizers with Inner City Struggle and the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACE), including renters, small landlords, and door-knocking volunteers, who repeatedly urged Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson to schedule a full Council vote on Rent Stabilization Ordinance reform capping annual increases at 3% as soon as it clears the Housing and Homelessness Committee, citing an approaching year-end recess and a February rent-increase cycle for many tenants whose pandemic-era protections have expired. Several speakers also urged continued funding for the StayHoused LA eviction-defense and rental-assistance program described at prior meetings.