Meeting Summary
What Happened
Council President Harris-Dawson presided over the meeting with 10 members present initially, later growing to 14 members. Council Member Jurado was absent from the start but arrived later in the meeting.
The council unanimously approved several routine items including minutes, commemoratory resolutions, and most agenda items without debate. Items 6-7 and 9-11 passed with 12 yes votes, covering ordinances for property sales in Bishop, Inyo County, quitclaiming utility easements, and Business Improvement District reconfirmations for Wilshire Center and Los Feliz Village. Items 1, 3, and 13-71 passed with 14 yes votes, including numerous REAP (Rent Escrow Account Program) property removals, various funding motions for district projects, and committee reports on public safety matters.
Cannabis Tax Ballot Measure (Items 4-5) Council Members Rodriguez and Jurado called for separate votes on the cannabis business tax ballot measure (CF 26-1100-S1) and transient occupancy tax measure (CF 26-1100-S3). Both items passed 12-2, with Council Members Lee and one other member initially voting no before Lee changed his vote to yes, resulting in final tallies of 12-2.
Maximum Indoor Temperature Ordinance (Item 12) The most significant debate centered on CF 25-1036, establishing maximum indoor temperature thresholds for rental housing. Council Member Blumenfield, who co-authored the motion with Council Member Hernandez, called the item special for comments and amendments. The ordinance would adopt Los Angeles County's 82-degree maximum indoor temperature standard for rental units.
Blumenfield emphasized that extreme heat is deadly, noting his district reached 121 degrees last year. He argued the policy builds on existing LA100 planning that already models increased electrical load from air conditioning. LADWP Manager Hike Moesian confirmed the utility has conducted extensive load growth modeling through LA100 studies and can accommodate the additional demand.
Council Member Hernandez strongly supported the measure, stating that inaction on extreme heat "is not neutral, it is dangerous." She noted that during heat waves, LA County hospitals see over 1,500 excess emergency room visits, with seniors 2.5 times more likely to die from heat exposure.
Two amendments were adopted. Amendment 12B by Blumenfield-Hernandez (14-0) directed additional grid analysis and stakeholder engagement while requesting reports on building code jurisdiction under AB 130. Amendment 12A by Lee-Rodriguez (11-3) instructed LAHD to study including cooling apparatus in the RSO capital improvement program. The main motion passed 14-0.
Fire Hazard Encampment Clearing (Item 46) Council Member Rodriguez introduced CF 25-1511 with an amendment allowing the city to clear encampments in Very High Fire Severity Zones without property owner permission when they pose fire hazards. Rodriguez argued this addresses "imminent public safety threats" in hillside communities with limited access during red flag conditions.
Council Member Soto-Martinez opposed the amendment, preferring the original committee recommendation for a report defining fire hazards before proceeding. Council Member Jurado also opposed, wanting research completed before amending municipal code. The amendment passed 11-3, and the item as amended passed 11-3.
LAPD Crowd Control Report (Item 40) Council Member Rodriguez called CF 26-0175 special for comments, requesting a report on LAPD crowd control tactics during recent demonstrations. Rodriguez emphasized that "transparency is not a criticism and oversight is not an attack," citing increased interactions between law enforcement and protesters, particularly involving young people. The item passed 14-0.
Public Comment Multiple speakers addressed the maximum indoor temperature ordinance, with representatives from SAGE, Sierra Club, Inner City Law Center, and other organizations urging support. Several Starbucks workers spoke about the need for fast food worker protections. Cannabis dispensary operators called for tax reform, citing a 10% tax rate that is "100 times the tax rate" for other retail businesses.
Contested Votes
Tallies and member votes are the official record (LA City Clerk CVVS). Descriptions are drawn from the meeting transcript.
Item (4) — CF 26-1100-S1 (Adopted): Second consideration ordinance for ballot measure on cannabis business taxes
| Vote | Members |
|---|---|
| Yes (10) | Bob Blumenfield, Eunisses Hernandez, Heather Hutt, Hugo Soto-Martinez, Katy Yaroslavsky, Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Nithya Raman, Tim Mcosker, Traci Park, Ysabel Jurado |
| No (2) | John Lee, Monica Rodriguez |
| Absent (3) | Adrin Nazarian, Curren D. Price, Imelda Padilla |
Item (5) — CF 26-1100-S3 (Adopted): Second consideration ordinance for ballot measure on TOT rate increases
| Vote | Members |
|---|---|
| Yes (10) | Bob Blumenfield, Eunisses Hernandez, Heather Hutt, Hugo Soto-Martinez, Katy Yaroslavsky, Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Nithya Raman, Tim Mcosker, Traci Park, Ysabel Jurado |
| No (2) | John Lee, Monica Rodriguez |
| Absent (3) | Adrin Nazarian, Curren D. Price, Imelda Padilla |
Item (12) — CF 25-1036 (Adopted): Amendment to study cooling apparatus in RSO capital improvement program LA Left Tracker Key Vote
| Vote | Members |
|---|---|
| Yes (11) | Adrin Nazarian, Bob Blumenfield, Heather Hutt, Imelda Padilla, John Lee, Katy Yaroslavsky, Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Monica Rodriguez, Nithya Raman, Tim Mcosker, Traci Park |
| No (3) | Eunisses Hernandez, Hugo Soto-Martinez, Ysabel Jurado |
| Absent (1) | Curren D. Price |
Item (46) — CF 25-1511 (Adopted): Amendment allowing encampment clearing in fire zones without property owner permission LA Left Tracker Key Vote
| Vote | Members |
|---|---|
| Yes (11) | Adrin Nazarian, Bob Blumenfield, Heather Hutt, Imelda Padilla, John Lee, Katy Yaroslavsky, Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Monica Rodriguez, Nithya Raman, Tim Mcosker, Traci Park |
| No (3) | Eunisses Hernandez, Hugo Soto-Martinez, Ysabel Jurado |
| Absent (1) | Curren D. Price |
Item (46) — CF 25-1511 (Adopted): Report on clearing encampments in fire hazard zones with amendment
| Vote | Members |
|---|---|
| Yes (11) | Adrin Nazarian, Bob Blumenfield, Heather Hutt, Imelda Padilla, John Lee, Katy Yaroslavsky, Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Monica Rodriguez, Nithya Raman, Tim Mcosker, Traci Park |
| No (3) | Eunisses Hernandez, Hugo Soto-Martinez, Ysabel Jurado |
| Absent (1) | Curren D. Price |
Item (58) — CF 22-0057 (Adopted): No-cost extension for FY21 crisis response training grant
| Vote | Members |
|---|---|
| Yes (12) | Adrin Nazarian, Bob Blumenfield, Heather Hutt, Hugo Soto-Martinez, Imelda Padilla, John Lee, Katy Yaroslavsky, Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Monica Rodriguez, Nithya Raman, Tim Mcosker, Traci Park |
| No (2) | Eunisses Hernandez, Ysabel Jurado |
| Absent (1) | Curren D. Price |
CF 25-1036: Maximum Indoor Temperature Amendment 12B Amendment directing grid analysis and building code jurisdiction study
| Vote | Members |
|---|---|
| Yes (14) | Harris-Dawson, Hernandez, Nazarian, Blumenfield, Raman, Yaroslavsky, Padilla, Rodriguez, Price, Hutt, Park, Lee, Soto-Martinez, Jurado, McOsker |
| No (0) | None |
CF 25-1036: Maximum Indoor Temperature Ordinance (Main Motion) Establishing 82-degree maximum indoor temperature for rental housing
| Vote | Members |
|---|---|
| Yes (14) | Harris-Dawson, Hernandez, Nazarian, Blumenfield, Raman, Yaroslavsky, Padilla, Rodriguez, Price, Hutt, Park, Lee, Soto-Martinez, Jurado, McOsker |
| No (0) | None |
CF 26-0175: LAPD Crowd Control Report Report on LAPD crowd control tactics during demonstrations
| Vote | Members |
|---|---|
| Yes (14) | Harris-Dawson, Hernandez, Nazarian, Blumenfield, Raman, Yaroslavsky, Padilla, Rodriguez, Price, Hutt, Park, Lee, Soto-Martinez, Jurado, McOsker |
| No (0) | None |
Items without recorded votes: CF 21-1108-S4 (continued to March 24), CF 26-0015 (continued to March 10)