A compilation of public comments delivered during the Aug. 5, 2024, West Hollywood City Council meeting:

SUPERVISOR LINDSEY HORVATH

Good evening, everyone. It’s an honor and a pleasure to be here. Lindsey Horvath, City of West Hollywood. I want to thank you for starting your evening just a little bit early and joining me over at the iconic Log Cabin, where we were able to make a special presentation. At tomorrow’s board meeting, we will have on our agenda to make it official. The county will be investing $3 million in the capital improvement of the Log Cabin. In addition to the financial investment, which we know is critically important to the capital project itself, we’re also going to be co-locating services from our Department of Public Health. Substance use prevention services will be co-located there, so when people are ready to access services, they will be able to get it right here in their own community. We appreciate the partnership and the leadership that West Hollywood has shown not only in this area but in so many areas. We know that West Hollywood is unique in terms of your investment in social services and your commitment to people’s wellbeing. The investment that the city is making, I know, in partnership with the West Hollywood Recovery Center, to not only preserve the Log Cabin but make sure that it continues to operate as a wonderful and trusted community resource is so critically important. Actually, a member of my team shared with us last week at our agenda briefing that she met her husband at the recovery center at the Log Cabin while she was attending meetings there. I know that it is an incredibly special space for so many people and has been for so many generations. I’m proud because of your visionary leadership, it will continue to serve generations to come. Thank you very much for your partnership. We’re proud to invest.

KEVIN BURTON

Good evening, Council members. I’m with the West Hollywood Bicycle Coalition. We want to thank the Council and City staff for once again hosting a CicLAvia Meet the Hollywoods in collaboration with the City of Los Angeles. That’s coming up on Sunday, August 18th, where most of the day Santa Monica Boulevard will be closed to vehicular traffic and other motorized conveyances for the middle of the day, from San Vicente Boulevard past Fairfax Avenue up to Hollywood and points much further east. So we invite the entire community to get on your bikes, your scooters, your running shoes, skateboards, rollerblades, whatever, and join a group of several thousand people who participate in this event. We do want to especially thank staff for securing a grant from Metro’s Open Streets Program to partially support this event and, again, working with the City of Los Angeles and also using some of the local funds for walking and biking from the Measure M sales tax to support this event. So we invite the entire community and all of you up on the dais, if you aren’t usually here on Sundays, come on Sunday and join the fun. We hope everybody will, including our County Supervisor who I know has been to the two previous events and will be here again. Have a lot of fun at that event. 

BRAD KEISTLER

Hi, I just wanted to commend the city also for having CicLAvia coming up. It is a great event, and I do want to see all of you up there. Get your bike, or buy one, get an electric one like me if you want to cheat, but all you guys too, and women. Okay, it is a great event, and I’m really glad to see the city supporting this. I did see something about $25,000; I mean, a lot of the funds are going to be reimbursed. I understand we’re getting money back, and there are funds available through other means, but I did see something about $25,000 for postcards and letters just to notify the community that the streets are going to be closed. Is that what that’s for? I’m not sure, but that seems like a lot just for that. Anyway, I’m a cheapskate, but as long as I can just say a few more words about only 1.2% of commuters commuting by bicycle. That’s such a shame; it really is. One day, I’d like to see all of Santa Monica Boulevard, or maybe all of Route 66, have a bike lane. It dead-ends now when you get to Fairfax if you’re going east, and you’re just left to take over the street. That’s still scary for people. Maybe we could at least do a few things like in the city — paint our bike lanes green like they do in Beverly Hills along the Santa Monica strip there. That’s really great; I feel so much safer when I’m biking on the green. That doesn’t seem like an expensive thing to do. Also, there’s a couple of grooves at Crescent Heights and Willoughby, and Crescent Heights and Fountain. Grooves were put there, I guess, in the past, but they need to be filled in because they could trap a bike. 

ANDY SHORT

Good evening, Council. My name is Andy Short. I’m the senior regional manager of The Phoenix. The Phoenix is a sober active community. We create sober events; we try to make recovery fun and inviting for people. I’m here in gratitude and appreciation for you all. This was our first year working with the city on a co-sponsorship agreement to lead the Sizzle Sober Space at Pride this year. Very happy to report we created a space with 10 partners sharing their resources. We had games, we had swag, it was a lot of fun. We had 17,000 people pass by our space, and that includes Lizzo, which we think is a pretty big win. We had 600 people participate in our Sizzle Passport, which led to prizes and other events. That was 6,000 impressions for organizations working hard for the sober community in West Hollywood. I’m really excited about that. I just want to read one quote from a participant; this kind of sums it all up. This person said, “I’m a longtime resident and employee of many of West Hollywood’s bars and restaurants who is now sober. Seeing so many tents that were dedicated to the recovery community allowed me to really feel part of the celebration of Pride.” I think that’s really what the Council has been about, and we really appreciate working with you all again. Finally, on this event, I want to specifically shout out Mayor Erickson and the Council for your co-sponsorship in this matter. I also want to thank the hardworking City staff, especially Bethany Smith, who worked with us on a tight timeline to make it all happen and for driving this as a priority, and lastly, Jimmy Palmieri, who has been an advocate for this community. We look forward to continuing to work with you all and very excited to get you these laminated reports spiral-bound. So, enjoy. 

RICK WATTS

So, July was Disabilities Pride Month, and it also marked the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act being signed into law in 1990. We will soon be marking the Paralympics, which demonstrate the skills, efforts, and trials of athletes with disabilities who will be performing in Paris. All these things taken together demonstrate that persons with disabilities are capable and deserving of the ability to participate in society — in our social affairs, business affairs, economy, and government. To that end, I would like to read a brief excerpt from Attorney General Opinion Number 23-102. The following opinion is now available on the Attorney General’s website. Question: Under the Ralph M. Brown Act, local agency legislative bodies must generally conduct meetings in person with applications available to the public. Does the Americans with Disabilities Act nevertheless require that a local agency legislative body allow remote participation for a member with a qualifying disability that precludes their in-person attendance at meetings of the body? Conclusion: Yes. The Americans with Disabilities Act generally requires a local agency legislative body to allow remote participation as a reasonable accommodation for a member with a qualifying disability that precludes their in-person attendance at meetings of this body. This duty as a reasonable accommodation is subject, however, to the Brown Act’s requirement that remote participation must be conducted in a manner that simulates in-person attendance at meetings held in person with a location for the public. 

STEVE MARTIN

It was great seeing Supervisor Horvath here, and I just want to thank the Council and recognize the county for being such a great ally in regard to the Log Cabin. The Log Cabin has been such a part of the fabric of West Hollywood, and we’ve had such a long journey with the Log Cabin. It’s just great to see; it’s not just an improvement; in some ways, it’s a reinvention. But, you know, communities need to change over time but in many ways still remain the same. On a higher note, tomorrow night is National Night Out. We look forward to seeing everybody. We really appreciate the city’s financial commitment this year. East Side Neighborhood Watch has been sponsored by The Woods, Pleasure Med, and a number of other businesses. But I have to say, the grant that the city gives really makes these events happen. I understand that we on the east side get more money than most, but you guys might want to consider giving a little bit more money for some of the people who are just getting started. It’s really hard to get money, and I think you guys have been very responsive on that. Lastly, I’m going to cheat. I know that item 2-M has been pulled from the calendar. I do want to say I was delighted that Mayor Erickson made the suggestion. I just think that Andrew Kotyuk was a delightful human being and did so much for West Hollywood. I do think if we wait the two years, he’s still going to be the top of my list, and you can always remind me to come out and speak. But, you know, we may want to stick with the process, but I have to say it’s a wonderful suggestion and I think community support is strong.