What Happened
Attendance: 14 council members were present throughout the meeting. No absences were noted.
The council approved several routine items without significant discussion, including personnel exemptions, ceremonial signs, a small business seminar authorization, and various committee reports on public safety matters including the 2026 Fire Code and a hit-and-run reward payment.
Measure ULA Reform Sent to Committee
The most significant action of the meeting involved Council File 26-0088, a motion by Council Members Raman and Harris-Dawson to place amendments to Measure ULA (the voter-approved real estate transfer tax) on the June 2026 ballot. Council Member Raman sought to bypass the committee process using Rule 16, which requires 10 votes for consideration. Council President Harris-Dawson initially announced the item would be referred to committee, prompting Raman to object.
Council Member Raman delivered an extended statement defending her proposal, which included a one-time tax exemption for Palisades fire victims, technical fixes to expedite fund distribution, and a 15-year exemption for multifamily and commercial buildings after construction. She argued ULA has slowed apartment construction by at least 2,000 units annually, citing multiple studies showing steeper permit declines in LA compared to surrounding jurisdictions. She acknowledged the proposal emerged from months of private stakeholder conversations that failed to reach consensus, leading her to bring the matter public.
Council Member McOsker clarified the procedural situation: without 10 votes to consider the Rule 16, the item would either go to committee or "go into the ether." Raman withdrew her objection, and the item was referred to both the Housing and Homeless Committee and Budget and Finance Committee.
Council Member Rodriguez sharply criticized Raman's approach, calling it a "false narrative" and noting that concerns about ULA's impact on housing construction had been raised for over a year. Rodriguez also criticized Raman for not scheduling a motion on homeless spending that has been pending in her committee for 280 days.
41.18 Enforcement Zones Expanded in Council District 5
The council approved a substitute resolution (CF 26-4118-S1) designating locations in Council District 5 for enforcement against encampments under LAMC Section 41.18. Council Member Yaroslavsky introduced a substitute resolution removing two locations and adding one from the original proposal. The substitute passed 11-4, with Council Members Hernandez, Raman, Soto-Martinez, and Jurado voting no. Council Member Hernandez requested her vote be recorded as "no" after the initial tally showed 10-4.
Oversize Vehicle Parking Restrictions in Harbor Gateway
Council File 25-0008-S10, amending oversize vehicle parking restrictions along Torrance Boulevard, Normandie Avenue, and Vermont Avenue in the Harbor Gateway area, passed 11-3. Council Members Hernandez, Raman, and Jurado voted no.
Charter Reform Commission Disclosure Requirements
The council unanimously approved (14-0) an ordinance (CF 25-0866) requiring Charter Reform Commission members to disclose ex parte communications with elected officials and their staff. Council Member Rodriguez, who sponsored the motion, noted it was "already about five months, six months late" and that the commission would soon transmit recommendations. She argued the charter reform process, originally intended to increase transparency, had been "manipulated and controlled by conversations that are not being transmitted to the public."
Council Member Blumenfield expressed a different perspective, noting that unlike the redistricting commission where council members had personal interests in boundary decisions, elected officials have an "institutional interest" in governance structure. He emphasized that commissioners "need to learn a lot more about how this city really works" and that engagement from elected officials should be encouraged, not discouraged.
Council Member Padilla supported the motion, noting the commission's work "will shape how our city governs itself for years to come" and that the public deserves confidence in how decisions are formed.
Council President Harris-Dawson thanked the city attorney for including language barring criminal prosecution for incorrectly filling out disclosure forms, stating it was inappropriate to create "a criminal hazard" for unpaid volunteers.
Council Member Blumenfield initially voted no to make a point but then moved to reconsider, and the final vote was unanimous. The ordinance was held over one week to February 3, 2026.
Revenue Measures for June Ballot
The council took action on several potential ballot measures for the June 2026 election (CF 25-0029):
Cannabis Business Tax on Unlicensed Operators: The council voted 13-1 to direct the city attorney to draft ballot language closing a loophole that currently exempts unlicensed cannabis businesses from paying business taxes. Council Member Yaroslavsky explained that illegal cannabis shops are the only unlicensed businesses exempt from taxation, and closing this loophole would provide both revenue and an additional enforcement tool. The CAO estimated potential revenue of up to $70 million, though collection challenges were acknowledged. Council Member Padilla's amendment requesting additional reporting on enforcement mechanisms was included.
Council Member Rodriguez expressed skepticism about the proposal's effectiveness, noting the city's poor track record enforcing against illegal cannabis operations. She described successful utility shutoff enforcement in her district and argued the city should focus on existing enforcement tools rather than creating new tax obligations for operators who already "thumb their nose at us."
Transient Occupancy Tax (Hotel Tax): The council voted 11-3 to direct the city attorney to draft two competing ballot measures: one increasing the TOT by 4% through the Olympics then dropping to 2% permanently, and another (per Council Member McOsker's amendment) increasing by 2% then dropping to 1%. Both would include closure of a loophole allowing online travel platforms to pay TOT on wholesale rather than retail room prices. A standalone measure closing only the platform loophole (estimated at $5-6 million in revenue) was also approved.
Council Member Rodriguez's amendment to apply TOT increases only to short-term rentals (not hotels) failed 3-11.
Parking Occupancy Tax: Referred back to Budget and Finance Committee at Council Member Hernandez's request.
Vacation Rental Ordinance: Referred to Planning and Land Use Management Committee at Council Member Soto-Martinez's request, with Council Member Blumenfield noting the need to examine housing impacts alongside revenue considerations.
The CAO provided context for the revenue discussions, noting a projected $91 million budget gap for next year, plus an additional $55 million from recently approved Palisades fire fee waivers ($30 million) and LAPD hiring authorization ($25 million). He outlined over $4 billion in unfunded infrastructure needs including sidewalk repairs ($1 billion), access ramps ($1.5 billion), bridge repairs ($1 billion), and a 17-year tree trimming backlog.
Public Comment
Public comment was limited to one hour due to over 50 speakers signed up. The majority of speakers opposed any amendments to Measure ULA, with representatives from labor unions (including the LA County Federation of Labor, UTLA, and Unite Here Local 11), housing advocacy organizations (ACT LA, Sage, Liberty Hill Foundation, Greater LA Coalition on Homelessness), and tenant groups urging the council to protect the voter-approved measure. Speakers argued ULA has raised over $1 billion, prevented 10,000 people from falling into homelessness, and funded nearly 800 affordable homes.
Multiple speakers also urged removal of Section 5 from the budget report (the vacation rental ordinance provision), arguing it would reduce housing supply and undermine existing short-term rental enforcement.
Several speakers representing the Trans Latina Coalition and allied organizations called for funding the TGI (Transgender, Gender Expansive, and Intersex) Wellness and Equity Initiative, a proposed $4 million investment in community organizations serving TGI Angelenos. Speakers emphasized the urgency given federal attacks on transgender rights and services.
A smaller number of speakers supported short-term rental expansion as a revenue source and ULA reform to address housing production concerns.