San Diego council votes for a flat water rate; LA council passes ban on new oil drilling

An emergency ordinance, brought by the mayor's office after an executive order, that pauses citywide for 45 days the acceptance, processing and approval of permits for new, expanded or intensified data centers, plus a resolution finding it exempt from CEQA. Staff said the city's code doesn't define data centers and currently permits them under rules for telecom switching stations. They cited the facilities' demands on electricity, water and land and the risk of higher utility bills. The pause has exemptions, including small accessory server rooms, public safety and emergency communications facilities, telecom carrier and utility facilities, and minor repairs that don't add floor area, power or water demand. It doesn't apply to federal land, including the Navy's NAVWAR campus near Old Town, where news reports described a proposed 400-megawatt data center. The agenda says the ordinance needed 8 votes under state law and isn't subject to the mayor's veto. The item was moved from Monday so at least eight members would be present. 00:42:48

More on San Diego's episode

• Sean Elo-Rivera (Councilmember, District 9) moved the staff recommendation (CEQA exemption resolution, plus introduction and adoption of the emergency ordinance) with added direction that isn't written into the ordinance: staff notify the council within seven days of any data center developer inquiry; a set of principles for the permanent policy; progress updates from the working group, the first within 45 days; and lobbying by the Office of Government Affairs against a large data center at NAVWAR. Kent Lee (Councilmember, District 6; President Pro Tem, City Council) seconded. Result: passed, 9-0. 02:47:59

• The mayor's office said the municipal code doesn't define data centers, which are permitted today under rules written for telecom switching stations 00:44:35
• The mayor's office explained the ordinance would set a 45-day moratorium within the city's jurisdiction while rules are written 00:44:35
• The mayor's office acknowledged the moratorium does not settle what happens on the federally owned Navy site and said the city's government affairs team would press Sacramento and Washington 00:45:36
• City staff explained the ordinance takes effect immediately with a four-fifths vote and lasts 45 days, with a possible extension after another noticed hearing 00:47:41
• City staff noted the city has no land use authority over the federal NAVWAR site but said the proposal there shows how immediate the interest in large data centers is 00:50:53
• City staff listed exemptions, starting with accessory server rooms that serve only on-site operations 00:54:04
• City staff said the mayor signed an executive order last Thursday creating a stakeholder working group, whose input will shape Land Development Code amendments returning to council next year 00:55:05
• A councilmember allowed public comment on both the moratorium and the proposal on federal land, calling the federal proposal a separate matter 00:56:55
• A councilmember reminded members the emergency action needs eight yes votes, which is why it was moved from Monday 02:20:08
• City staff explained state law allows 45 days at first, then an extension of up to 10 months and 15 days, then another of up to a year 02:21:22
• A councilmember cited a Voice of San Diego report that a developer was exploring a 400-megawatt data center at the Navy site and called on the congressional delegation to stop it 02:23:49
• A councilmember asked staff about the ordinance's statement that industry representatives were interested in standalone data centers and vacant office space 02:23:49
• City staff answered that staff was mainly citing newspaper reports on the Navy site and possible downtown sites in empty buildings 02:24:27
• The mayor's office said the working group is still being formed and would include labor, community advocates, utility, water, housing, technology, environmental and higher education representatives 02:26:47
• A councilmember objected to including SDG&E in the working group and suggested San Diego Community Power instead 02:27:19
• A councilmember moved the item with added direction, including that staff notify the council within seven days of any inquiry from a prospective data center developer 02:28:34
• A councilmember proposed principles for the permanent policy: no by-right approval, approval only if housing isn't feasible on the site, all-renewable power, no fossil fuel backup, and recycled water for cooling 02:28:34
• A councilmember also asked for working group progress updates, the first within 45 days, and for the Office of Government Affairs to lobby against a large data center at NAVWAR 02:29:35
• A councilmember asked the city attorneys to confirm the added direction wouldn't compromise the moratorium's legal requirements 02:30:26
• A councilmember said he requested legal research on regulating data centers in early August and had been preparing a policy for his committee 02:31:20
• A councilmember described the Navy site proposal as a hyperscale campus of 400 to 500 megawatts, far larger than typical data centers 02:32:22
• A councilmember argued families and small businesses should not pay for data centers' water, power and infrastructure, and cited a recent papal encyclical on concentrated technological power 02:34:36
• A councilmember warned some members might need to leave by 1 p.m. and the item needed eight yes votes 02:36:21
• A councilmember said he was confident the council would extend the moratorium for the following ten and a half months 02:38:09
• A councilmember argued the Navy site, next to the Old Town Amtrak station and transit center, should be used for housing, including for service members 02:38:09
• A councilmember called the Navy site a once-in-a-generation opportunity for housing and transit-oriented development 02:40:16
• A councilmember asked whether the city, not an applicant, decides if a project qualifies for an exemption, and staff confirmed it does 02:41:18
• A councilmember said data centers must cover their own electricity and water costs and create good jobs for local skilled workers, and that she would vote yes 02:42:04
• A councilmember said he supports making things harder for data centers, as speakers urged, but that it will take time to make the required findings 02:44:31
• A councilmember called for studying the leverage the city has through its utility franchise agreement and its role in community power 02:45:32
• A councilmember warned the NAVWAR developer that if the data center proposal is a stalking horse for another agenda, there would be a price to pay 02:45:32
• An attorney for the city clarified for the record that the amendments are part of the motion but won't be written into the ordinance 02:47:08
• City staff said staff had no concerns with the added direction but would look into some items and report back 02:47:29

The city has to replace its tiered single-family water rates with one unitary rate per unit of water for all customer classes. A lawsuit by high-volume single-family users ended with courts ruling the tiers didn't meet Proposition 218's proof requirements, and the state Supreme Court declined review. Staff said total water revenue doesn't change, and the already-adopted 14.5% increase for January 1, 2027 stays in place. What changes is who pays: staff estimated a low-volume single-family customer pays about $5.62 more a month (7.1%) and a high-volume single-family customer about $19.52 less. The city is also paying a $40 million settlement council had already approved. The public hearing closed October 6, when protests fell far short of a majority. 03:41:59

More on San Diego's episode

• Sean Elo-Rivera (Councilmember, District 9) moved the staff recommendation to approve the unitary water rate adjustments, with an added request that the Public Utilities Department work with the IBA to update and expand water customer assistance programs, identify resources including eligible non-rate revenue, and return to the Environment Committee with a framework and funding plan. Joe LaCava (Councilmember, District 1; President, City Council) seconded. Result: passed, 6-2. No: Henry Foster (Councilmember, District 4), Kent Lee (Councilmember, District 6; President Pro Tem, City Council). 04:36:03

• The city clerk reported 3,644 protests in the protest period, against the 132,968 needed for a majority protest 03:41:59
• City staff said the city disagrees with the court decision but is legally required to adopt a rate structure the court deems valid 03:43:48
• City staff pointed customers who can't afford the change to zero-interest payment options 03:44:48
• City staff explained that the plaintiffs, high-volume single-family users, argued they were subsidizing lower tiers 03:45:53
• City staff said the courts didn't reject industry-standard cost allocation, only found it didn't meet Prop 218's burden of proof 03:45:53
• City staff said the city must pay a $40 million settlement and the planned 14.5% increase for January 1, 2027 is unchanged 03:48:02
• City staff said no more capital projects need to be delayed to cover the settlement, and total revenue collected stays the same 03:48:02
• City staff estimated a low-volume single-family user's bill rises about $5.62 a month 03:50:07
• City staff estimated a high-volume single-family user's bill falls about $19.52 a month 03:51:09
• City staff said the required notice went to about 286,000 customers, and 27 legal objections are in the docket with responses 03:51:09
• The Independent Budget Analyst's office said the existing tiers rested on standard industry methods but strongly cautioned against rejecting the proposal, warning that more litigation costs would ultimately fall on ratepayers 03:54:15
• A councilmember said the ruling penalizes customers who conserved and rewards those who didn't 04:09:53
• City staff described efforts to raise non-rate revenue from leasing department property, solar and grants, and said staff would return in February with the cost of service study 04:12:04
• City staff said tiered rates could come back under a new state law, AB 2180, but not before rate increases after 2030, while a pending case tests how the law applies 04:14:34
• City staff said the state Supreme Court asked for briefing on how AB 2180 applies in a case against the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power 04:15:36
• A councilmember blamed anti-government activists and the wealthy for state rules that limit fair fee structures 04:16:41
• A councilmember moved the staff recommendation, adding a request that the utilities department and the IBA expand water customer assistance programs and return to the Environment Committee with a funding plan 04:18:58
• A councilmember seconded, noting other water agencies statewide use the same method the city was faulted for 04:19:46
• A councilmember asked about state efforts to create low-income relief for water like the one that exists for electricity 04:20:47
• City staff said staff supports legislative efforts for a statewide water subsidy program 04:21:29
• Jennifer Campbell (Councilmember, District 2) explained the case's history for the public, saying it began in 2015, and said the city must comply or face fines 04:22:34
• City staff said not complying would bring back the full $120 million judgment the city settled for $40 million, plus interest and penalties 04:27:54
• City staff estimated that the extra liability would equal layoffs of at least about 800 staff 04:28:29
• City staff said the next court hearing is around December 11 and the city agreed with the court to set rates effective January 1 04:30:37
• City staff said the water system's outstanding debt of $1 billion to $2 billion could be called if bond covenants are violated 04:31:37
• A councilmember noted a dissenting appellate judge found the city's work sufficient and the majority did not rule tiered rates improper in themselves 04:32:44
• A councilmember said he voted against the 2025 rate increase and would oppose this too, since it shifts costs to low users and smaller households 04:33:44
• A councilmember urged assistance for low-income households and seniors, noting the city just did so for trash fees 04:34:53
• A councilmember asked the mayor's office to confirm that a public commenter who had left was offered help 04:36:12
• The mayor's office said he walked the commenter out and offered to be a resource 04:36:45

An ordinance requiring online listings and leases for residential rental units to clearly disclose the total estimated monthly cost, including rent and any required fees and charges. Tenants who did not get adequate disclosure may end their leases early without penalty, and landlords are restricted from evicting or charging late penalties over fees that were not adequately disclosed. Final vote. 00:08:43

More on San Francisco's episode

• Finally pass item 24. Result: passed, same house, same call (11-0). 00:09:22

An Administrative Code ordinance providing that a landlord may not evict a residential tenant for unpaid rent that totals less than the local fair market rent for an equivalent-sized unit, as set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Final vote. 00:09:49

More on San Francisco's episode

• Finally pass item 26. Result: passed, same house, same call (11-0). 00:10:13

Renaming of the 3.4-acre downtown park, which had carried its namesake's name since 1993. The council's Rules Committee directed the renaming in March after revelations about the namesake. The council chose a new name for the city's central civic plaza, home to events like Christmas in the Park and Jazz Fest, after a community survey with more than 10,000 responses. It also waived the policy criteria that normally keep long-standing names unless there is a sponsorship or contribution. 01:46:50

More on San Jose's episode

• Anthony Tordillos (Councilmember, District 3) moved the staff recommendation: waive the sponsorship and contribution renaming criteria and rename the park Plaza de San José. Result: passed, unanimous. 02:20:46

• City staff said staff were responding to Rules Committee direction given in March after troubling details about the park's namesake came to light 01:47:20
• City staff recounted that the former Plaza Park was renamed in 1993 to honor the farmworker leader after his death 01:49:24
• City staff said the ranked-choice survey drew exactly 10,506 respondents 01:52:37
• City staff said 86 percent of responses came from San Jose ZIP codes and 96 percent from within Santa Clara County 01:53:40
• City staff said 432 of the first survey's 610 suggestions met policy criteria and were consolidated into 88 eligible names, the top five going to a ranked survey 01:53:40
• City staff said staff recommend Plaza de San José based on the engagement surveys 01:55:44
• City staff said staff will issue a request for qualifications for a conservancy at year's end and seek a contract in spring 2027 01:55:44
• City staff said the Parks and Recreation Commission unanimously recommended Plaza del Pueblo de San José on October 7, which staff agreed also conforms 01:56:47
• The mayor said he co-authored the memo starting the renaming process with four councilmembers 02:15:09
• The mayor said the survey turnout shows how much the plaza means to the community 02:17:27
• A councilmember said the council should not dictate the name and the community should lead 02:17:58
• A councilmember said Plaza de San José was the most suggested name by more than two to one 02:19:01
• A councilmember said it drew more first-choice votes than the second- and third-place names combined, then moved the staff recommendation 02:19:01

Neighbors appealed the Regional Planning Commission's approval of a project at 5034 Clydebank Avenue, in the unincorporated Covina area of the East San Gabriel Valley. The developer, RC Homes, plans 104 detached condominiums on an 8.5-acre former elementary school site owned by the Azusa Unified School District. Sixteen homes would be set aside as affordable for-sale units at the lower income level. Per the agenda, the project also includes more than 100,000 cubic yards of grading and the removal of two non-heritage oak trees. Neighbors who conditionally supported the project said its two street exits are already congested and demanded traffic and emergency-access fixes. County staff said the state Housing Accountability Act bars the Board from denying or shrinking the project without specific, quantifiable public health or safety impacts. The Board's vote decided whether the homes can be built. 03:01:59

More on LA County's episode

• Hilda Solis (Supervisor, First District; Chair) moved, Kathryn Barger (Supervisor, Fifth District) seconded, to close the hearing, uphold the CEQA statutory exemption, deny the appeal, affirm the Commission's approval with its findings and conditions, and request a written report in two years from Regional Planning with Fire, Public Works, LACDA and the Department of Economic Opportunity. Result: passed. 03:37:53

• A supervisor chose to hear from the appellant's and the applicant's representatives before asking questions 03:03:05
• County staff said the Board cannot legally deny or downsize the project unless it finds specific, unavoidable, quantifiable harm to public health or safety 03:17:50
• County staff said the school district owns the land and is selling it to RC Homes, with no county role in the sale 03:19:43
• County staff said the project is consistent with the East San Gabriel Valley area plan and that no evidence of disqualifying impacts exists 03:20:42
• County staff confirmed that 16 of the 104 homes are affordable for-sale units that count toward the county's housing element goals 03:21:55
• County staff said the developer included the affordable units from the start in order to get density bonus units 03:22:19
• County staff said the project's added trips fell below the vehicle-miles-traveled threshold, so no further traffic study could be required 03:23:10
• County staff said Public Works will make short- and long-term changes, including signal timing and new neighborhood access points 03:24:20
• County staff said phase one of the separate Lark Ellen Avenue median project should be finished by year's end, weather permitting 03:25:00
• County staff said phase two, which could add community access points, is scheduled to start construction in summer 2029 03:26:14
• County staff said the site is not in any high fire hazard severity zone 03:27:07
• County staff said the project's street and driveway widths meet all fire and life-safety codes, and Fire has no issues with it 03:27:47
• A supervisor said her staff attended two applicant-hosted community meetings with close to 100 attendees at each 03:28:18
• A supervisor noted the project adds more than 6,000 square feet of publicly accessible open space 03:30:31
• A supervisor said she expects the developer to market the affordable units early to surrounding communities, within fair housing law 03:30:31
• A supervisor said she expects the developer to work with the Department of Economic Opportunity on local hiring for construction jobs 03:31:33
• A supervisor noted the Planning Commission approved the project 4-1, with her own commissioner dissenting over the lack of a traffic study 03:33:29
• County staff said the project was screened out of further traffic review because its new trips fell under the county's limit 03:34:21
• County staff confirmed that Fire must sign off on any project that meets all applicable codes and laws 03:35:29
• County staff said the Housing Accountability Act does not override the county's oak tree rules, so the applicant still needs a permit and mitigation 03:36:01

On September 22, 2026, the Board of Police Commissioners approved a memorandum of understanding between the city and Axon Enterprise, Inc. for the 'Lightpost Test Pilot Program'. The Public Safety Committee recommended that the council veto that approval under Charter Section 245, and October 27 was the last day for council action (agenda). The clerk said 10 ayes were needed to approve the veto. In debate, members discussed the pilot as automated license plate reader (ALPR) technology. One member said it is a three-month pilot that would allow about 10 cameras in that member's district. The veto got 9 votes, twice, short of the 10 required, so the council did not overturn the board's approval. Public comment ran for more than two hours and was dominated by opposition to the contract, citing immigration enforcement, privacy and misuse of the data. 02:45:01

More on Los Angeles's episode

• Approve the Public Safety Committee recommendation to veto, under Charter Section 245, the Board of Police Commissioners' September 22, 2026 approval of the Axon MOU (10 ayes required). Result: failed, 9-6. No: Bob Blumenfield (Councilmember, Third District; President Pro Tempore), Marqueece Harris-Dawson (Councilmember, Eighth District; President, City Council), John Lee (Councilmember, Twelfth District; Assistant President Pro Tempore), Adrin Nazarian (Councilmember, Second District), Traci Park (Councilmember, Eleventh District), Monica Rodriguez (Councilmember, Seventh District). 03:43:20
• Reconsider the vote on item 33, moved by Marqueece Harris-Dawson (Councilmember, Eighth District; President, City Council), presiding, as one of the six on the prevailing side, seconded by Ysabel Jurado (Councilmember, Fourteenth District) and Heather Hutt (Councilmember, Tenth District); the Journal records the motion as Harris-Dawson–Hutt. Result: passed, 13-2. No: John Lee (Councilmember, Twelfth District; Assistant President Pro Tempore), Imelda Padilla (Councilmember, Sixth District). 03:44:45
• Approve the veto of the Board of Police Commissioners' approval of the Axon MOU, on reconsideration (10 ayes required). Result: failed, 9-6. No: Bob Blumenfield (Councilmember, Third District; President Pro Tempore), Marqueece Harris-Dawson (Councilmember, Eighth District; President, City Council), John Lee (Councilmember, Twelfth District; Assistant President Pro Tempore), Adrin Nazarian (Councilmember, Second District), Traci Park (Councilmember, Eleventh District), Monica Rodriguez (Councilmember, Seventh District). 03:45:07

• John Lee (Councilmember, Twelfth District; Assistant President Pro Tempore) asked to pull item 33 for comments and a separate vote 00:30:17
• A councilmember cited a news analysis finding federal homeland security agencies ran over a million searches in Washington state despite its law against immigration-related searches 02:46:29
• A councilmember said an inspector general audit of a two-month period found the cameras captured over 200 million scans 02:47:40
• A councilmember said LAPD has never done a comprehensive audit of officer use, and that more than 4,000 officers and civilians can search the network 02:49:59
• A councilmember named three conditions to meet before adopting the pilot: an independent third-party audit, board oversight of any external data sharing, and stricter role-based limits on who has access 02:51:02
• A councilmember said the mayor told them she supports these protections and is working to put them in place 02:51:02
• A councilmember urged a veto that would send the contract back to the Board of Police Commissioners 02:52:09
• John Lee (Councilmember, Twelfth District; Assistant President Pro Tempore) said the department had spent the past two weeks responding to council members' concerns 02:53:06
• John Lee (Councilmember, Twelfth District; Assistant President Pro Tempore) argued the technology helps investigators develop leads and solve cases 02:54:08
• John Lee (Councilmember, Twelfth District; Assistant President Pro Tempore) made a formal request that the Board of Police Commissioners require an independent third-party audit of the pilot 02:55:08
• John Lee (Councilmember, Twelfth District; Assistant President Pro Tempore) also asked for an enforceable role-based formula for which officers can access the data, with all searches logged and reviewed 02:55:08
• John Lee (Councilmember, Twelfth District; Assistant President Pro Tempore) asked that the board check safeguards against the audit findings before any expansion, and asked for a no vote 02:56:12
• A speaker argued the vote was an expansion without the protections being discussed 02:56:48
• A speaker warned that authoritarian governments can use surveillance systems that local governments build 02:57:54
• A speaker said the federal government can reach the data whether or not the city shares it 02:57:54
• A speaker said over 1,200 cameras have operated for five years with a dozen police departments having access 03:00:00
• Curren Price (Councilmember, Ninth District) said residents in their district are uncertain how the new technology will work 03:01:23
• Curren Price (Councilmember, Ninth District) said they were not comfortable authorizing what they called unchecked AI on city infrastructure, and backed the committee recommendation 03:02:24
• A councilmember said cameras in CD 11 helped intercept a homicide suspect and locate a missing child 03:03:04
• A councilmember said LAPD does not share the data with DHS or ICE or use it for immigration enforcement 03:04:06
• A councilmember said the cameras use no AI or facial recognition and only photograph license plates and the rear of cars 03:05:07
• A speaker said Charter Section 245 lets the council only veto or not veto, not add conditions 03:06:10
• A speaker said they have backed ALPRs before and might back this one later, but not today 03:06:10
• A speaker argued that approving now would give up the leverage to make sure the contract comes back improved 03:07:10
• Ysabel Jurado (Councilmember, Fourteenth District) said the council had rejected efforts in charter reform to strengthen its oversight of LAPD 03:08:34
• Ysabel Jurado (Councilmember, Fourteenth District) described the veto as the council's only point of leverage 03:08:34
• A speaker acknowledged it is a pilot in one region but said more work is needed first 03:12:33
• A speaker faulted the council for not applying the same scrutiny to similar technology used by other departments 03:14:23
• A speaker asked how quickly the contract could come back with the added protections 03:17:27
• A speaker said at that point that they were prepared to support the veto 03:18:37
• The presiding officer said cameras in their district have led to at least 120 rescues of minors involved in trafficking 03:20:29
• The presiding officer said the federal government can commandeer city equipment or put up its own 03:21:30
• The presiding officer backed the protections requested by John Lee (Councilmember, Twelfth District; Assistant President Pro Tempore) and called for them to be adopted by the police commission or by mayoral executive directive, whichever is faster 03:21:30
• A speaker said they would support the veto on condition that the added protections are put into the contract quickly 03:22:56
• A speaker said the dispute had brought Flock back to the table to negotiate 03:22:56
• A speaker argued the three-month pilot is not the point of leverage, and that the leverage comes at the decision on expansion 03:24:38
• A speaker said the council voted more than a year ago to approve their discretionary money for cameras, because neighboring districts already have them 03:25:40
• A speaker said the money covered over 60 cameras but the pilot would allow only about 10 03:28:54
• A speaker argued the federal government can surveil residents regardless of what the city does 03:30:10
• A speaker drew on family experience of fleeing Iran to argue that police can protect minority communities 03:31:11
• A speaker said they would vote against the veto, even if in the minority 03:33:14
• The city clerk explained that an aye vote approves the veto, a no vote disapproves it, and 10 ayes are required 03:34:40
• A speaker said they would now support the member pushing the pilot, while expecting equal scrutiny of other camera programs 03:35:13
• A speaker said the Transportation Committee spent months building data protections for the Department of Transportation's speed cameras 03:36:04
• A speaker said LAPD needs a subpoena to get Department of Transportation camera data 03:38:12
• A councilmember said their office had reviewed and supported the Department of Transportation's camera programs 03:39:36
• A councilmember argued that letting the pilot proceed is the real inconsistency, and asked for a yes vote 03:40:37
• A speaker dismissed the consistency argument, noted that buses also take many pictures, and called the question 03:41:30
• A councilmember said the LADOT camera contract has no search-justification requirement and no misuse-discipline provisions 03:41:52
• A speaker asked who had moved reconsideration and which side had prevailed, noting reconsideration must come from the prevailing side 03:43:50
• The city clerk said only a member of the six-vote prevailing side could move to reconsider 03:44:15

Seventeen litigation items (CF numbers on agenda) considered by the Budget and Finance Committee on October 20. The clerk read the recommendations: settle Items 16 through 31 for up to these amounts (transcript only; the agenda lists no amounts): Item 16, a dispute with Angels Landing Partners over an exclusive negotiating agreement for two acres downtown, $7,863,000; Item 17, sidewalk trip and fall, $115,000; Item 18, trip and fall in San Pedro, $165,000; Item 19, trip and fall on Ivar Street, $190,000; Item 20, trip and fall in North Hills, $200,000; Item 21, sidewalk trip and fall on Sunset Boulevard, $225,000; Item 22, e-scooter fall at 4th Street near Figueroa Street, $362,500; Item 23, traffic collision, $127,500; Item 24, accident on the 134 Freeway, $490,000; Item 25, collision on the 110 Freeway, $700,000; Item 26, injury alleged at a June 14, 2025 ICE protest downtown, $550,000; Item 27, collision on the 91 Freeway, $4,100,000; Item 28, auto-versus-motorcycle crash in Granada Hills, $17,500,000; Item 29, sidewalk trip and fall on Melrose Avenue, $1,000,000; Item 30, vehicle-versus-pedestrian incident, $9,000,000; Item 31, police tort litigation against LAPD, $10,000,000. Item 32, a federal lawsuit by Nasco Petroleum LLC challenging the city's earlier ordinance banning new oil and gas extraction (Ordinance No. 187,709), carried a recommendation to reject the settlement. All were adopted in one vote. 02:44:36

More on Los Angeles's episode

• Adopt the Budget and Finance Committee recommendations on Items 16 through 32 (settle Items 16-31 at the amounts read; reject settlement in Item 32). Result: passed. 02:47:47

• Katy Yaroslavsky (Councilmember, Fifth District) said the Budget and Finance Committee considered Items 16 through 32 on October 20 and recommended approval 00:49:33
• The city clerk read the recommendation to pay up to $7,863,000 in the Angels Landing Partners cases 02:44:46
• The city clerk read the recommendation to pay up to $550,000 in the case arising from the ICE protest 02:45:47
• The city clerk read the recommendation to pay up to $17,500,000 in the Item 28 motorcycle-crash case 02:46:51
• The city clerk read the recommendation to pay up to $10,000,000 in the Item 31 police tort case 02:46:51
• The city clerk corrected the record later in the meeting to say Item 32 is the Nasco Petroleum case and the recommendation to reject the settlement stands 03:31:44

At a special meeting, the council took up the ordinance (CF 17-0447-S2) amending the zoning code to prohibit new oil and gas extraction and make existing extraction a nonconforming use in all zones, along with a Mitigated Negative Declaration, a substitute noise mitigation measure, revised land use and environmental findings, and credibility findings dated October 23, 2026, per the October 27 PLUM recommendations (special agenda). The city's earlier ordinance on the same subject is the target of a federal lawsuit by Nasco Petroleum (closed-session Item 32, where the council voted to reject a settlement). Speakers described health harms near drill sites; several urged the council to also act against specific sites and shorten what they called a twenty-year phase-out. The ordinance was adopted with 13 ayes and sent forthwith to Karen Bass (Mayor). 02:53:17

More on Los Angeles's episode

• Adopt special agenda Items 1 and 2 (PLUM recommendations, including the oil and gas ordinance). Result: passed, 13 ayes. 03:30:50
• Send the item forthwith to Karen Bass (Mayor), as requested by Katy Yaroslavsky (Councilmember, Fifth District). Result: passed, without objection. 03:30:50

• Ysabel Jurado (Councilmember, Fourteenth District) said land use decisions have long let polluting uses sit next to homes, schools and parks in working-class communities of color 03:22:53
• A councilmember said Council District 11 hosts much of the city's fossil fuel infrastructure, including refineries 03:24:34
• A councilmember said the city has already committed to a 100% clean energy platform by 2035, so stopping new drilling and phasing out existing operations makes sense 03:25:35
• Tim McOsker (Councilmember, Fifteenth District) thanked Wilmington residents and the coalition for their perseverance and urged a yes vote 03:26:27
• A speaker warned that further fights and attempts to undo the work are still ahead and urged supporters to stay vigilant 03:26:56
• Katy Yaroslavsky (Councilmember, Fifth District) said the City Attorney completed a review of the ordinance as to form and legality since the council last heard it 03:28:04
• Katy Yaroslavsky (Councilmember, Fifth District) said the city expects to be sued and the strengthened environmental record shows the work was done 03:28:04
• Katy Yaroslavsky (Councilmember, Fifth District) pointed to the credibility findings in Appendix E as rebutting industry challenges line by line 03:29:07
• Katy Yaroslavsky (Councilmember, Fifth District) noted Culver City passed its own phase-out six years earlier and asked that the ordinance go forthwith 03:30:09