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LA County

· 11 min

LA County's final $54.2 billion budget, homeless families, and quake readiness

The Board of Supervisors adopted the county's final 2026-27 budget of $54.2 billion, passed a motion on how homeless families are placed and moved between motel rooms, and heard a report on how ready the county is for a major earthquake.

  1. 00:00 Headlines
  2. 00:22 Cold open
  3. 01:26 Top story: The county's final budget
  4. 04:29 Top story: Homeless families and motel check-outs
  5. 06:31 Top story: Ready for the big one?
  6. 08:28 Quick hits
  7. 10:05 Coming up
  8. 10:49 Sign-off

Download the MP3 · 10.8 MB

This episode was produced with AI from the public recording of the meeting. Links to the source are in the show notes.

What happened

Board of Supervisors Tuesday, September 29

The recording · Agenda · Supplemental

Moment of silence for victims of the Chatsworth Metro bus and NBC 4 helicopter crashes

The Board opened with a moment of silence, arranged by Lindsey Horvath (Supervisor, Third District), for the five people killed in the Chatsworth Metro bus crash and the news helicopter crash that followed in mid-September 2026. The meeting was later adjourned in their memory. at 00:00:04

  • Lindsey Horvath (Supervisor, Third District) asked the room to remember the five people killed in Chatsworth, two in the bus crash and three in the helicopter crash at 00:00:45
  • Hilda Solis (Supervisor, First District; Chair) noted that the whole board sits on the Metro board and had to face the tragedy the previous week at 00:01:32

Scroll for Medical Examiner regaining national accreditation

A ceremonial presentation, arranged by Hilda Solis (Supervisor, First District; Chair), honoring the Department of Medical Examiner for regaining full accreditation from the National Association of Medical Examiners, which it lost in 2016. Accreditation standards include how quickly examinations are done and cases closed after a death. at 00:16:38

  • A supervisor said the department lost full accreditation in 2016 and has worked for about ten years to regain it at 00:18:20
  • A supervisor explained the standards include examining 90 percent of cases within 72 hours and closing 90 percent within 90 days at 00:18:20
  • A supervisor recalled that the board voted unanimously in January 2025 to permanently eliminate body transportation and storage fees at 00:19:22
  • County staff said caseloads rose 35 percent during the pandemic, driven largely by fentanyl deaths and homicides at 00:21:08

Agenda reading, continuances, and consent calendar

The executive officer read the agenda changes, and the Board approved continuances and then the consent calendar in one vote. Consent items included a 120-day countywide review of homeless count trends (item 14), ratifying a local emergency for the 2026-27 El Niño (item 17), funding and hiring rules for leadership of the Environmental Justice Center at Esperanza Hills Regional Park (item 18), the Veterans Directed Care program (item 19), labor contracts for several bargaining units (item 22), and a closed-captioning ordinance for TVs in public places in unincorporated areas (items 31 and 84). Item 25 (a $6.4 million South Pasadena property purchase, agenda) was continued to November 10, 2026, item 37 (ending the fire-related local health emergency) to October 27, 2026, and closed session items CS-1 and CS-3 to October 6, 2026. at 00:25:53

  • Lindsey Horvath (Supervisor, Third District) moved, Holly Mitchell (Supervisor, Second District; Chair Pro Tem) seconded, approval of the agenda items as read, including the requested continuances (items 25 and 37, and closed session items CS-1 and CS-3). Result: continued. at 00:29:27
  • Janice Hahn (Supervisor, Fourth District) moved, Kathryn Barger (Supervisor, Fifth District) seconded, approval of the consent calendar: items 1-6, 7 and 8 as revised, 9-14, 16-18, 19 as revised, 20-23, 26-36, 38-77, 78-A as revised, 81-84, and 1-D and 2-D. Result: passed, 5-0. at 00:48:49
  • The clerk announced that item 15 would be held at the request of Janice Hahn (Supervisor, Fourth District) and item 24 held for a report at 00:25:53
  • The clerk announced that the CEO asked to continue item 25 to November 10, 2026, and Kathryn Barger (Supervisor, Fifth District) asked to continue item 37 to October 27, 2026 at 00:25:53

Community Facilities District No. 2021-1 bonds Item 85

Acting as the legislative body of Community Facilities District No. 2021-1, the Board authorized issuing up to $40,000,000 in special tax bonds to pay for public improvements benefiting property in the district. It also adopted a reimbursement resolution and annexed parcels into a related services district with the owners' unanimous consent. at 00:48:49

  • Holly Mitchell (Supervisor, Second District; Chair Pro Tem) moved, Lindsey Horvath (Supervisor, Third District) seconded, approval of item 85. Result: passed, 5-0. at 00:49:59

Rehiring a retired County Counsel employee Item 86

The Board approved rehiring a retired County Counsel employee. at 00:50:21

  • Kathryn Barger (Supervisor, Fifth District) moved, Janice Hahn (Supervisor, Fourth District) seconded, approval of item 86. Result: passed, 5-0. at 00:50:45

Rehiring a retired Department of Children and Family Services employee Item 87

The Board approved rehiring a retired employee of the Department of Children and Family Services. at 00:50:45

  • Holly Mitchell (Supervisor, Second District; Chair Pro Tem) moved, Kathryn Barger (Supervisor, Fifth District) seconded, approval of item 87. Result: passed, 5-0. at 00:51:03

Rehiring a retired Public Defender employee Item 88

The Board approved rehiring a retired employee of the Public Defender. at 00:51:19

  • Lindsey Horvath (Supervisor, Third District) moved, Janice Hahn (Supervisor, Fourth District) seconded, approval of item 88. Result: passed, 5-0. at 00:51:37

Final 2026-27 county budget (supplemental changes) Item 89-95

The last step of the annual budget: the Board adopted supplemental changes that make the county's 2026-27 budget final. The CEO put the total at $54.2 billion, $3.9 billion more than the June budget, mostly from one-time money. The budget funds the county's second annual $1.2 billion payment on childhood sexual assault settlements under AB 218, reallocates $391.1 million from lower-priority accounts, and cuts budgeted positions by a net 250 (to 115,433), including a net 195 vacant Public Health positions. Item 94 also reaffirms the hiring freeze and authorizes funding agreements. Item 89 received a homeless services department report on the Affordable Housing Programs budget unit. Items 90 and 93 are year-end and fund-balance adjustments from the auditor-controller. Item 91 covers Health Services' year-end adjustments; the CEO said Health Services had about $1.44 billion in fund balance at the end of 2025-26. Item 92 closes out Public Health's books. Item 95 confirms the final budget. at 00:51:37

  • Receive and file item 89, the homeless services department's report on the Affordable Housing Programs budget unit, without objection. Result: passed. at 03:38:28
  • Holly Mitchell (Supervisor, Second District; Chair Pro Tem) moved, Lindsey Horvath (Supervisor, Third District) seconded, approval of item 90, the auditor-controller's final 2025-26 budget adjustment. Result: passed, 5-0. at 03:39:24
  • Janice Hahn (Supervisor, Fourth District) moved, Kathryn Barger (Supervisor, Fifth District) seconded, approval of item 91, Health Services year-end 2025-26 adjustments. Result: passed, 5-0. at 03:40:51
  • Lindsey Horvath (Supervisor, Third District) moved, Janice Hahn (Supervisor, Fourth District) seconded, approval of item 92, Public Health year-end 2025-26 adjustments. Result: passed, 5-0. at 03:41:55
  • Holly Mitchell (Supervisor, Second District; Chair Pro Tem) moved, Lindsey Horvath (Supervisor, Third District) seconded, approval of item 93, the resolution supplementing the 2026-27 budget. Result: passed, 5-0. at 03:42:51
  • Hilda Solis (Supervisor, First District; Chair) moved, Janice Hahn (Supervisor, Fourth District) seconded, approval of item 94, the CEO's supplemental budget changes, hiring freeze reaffirmation, and funding agreements. Result: passed, 5-0. at 03:44:22
  • Hilda Solis (Supervisor, First District; Chair) moved, Lindsey Horvath (Supervisor, Third District) seconded, approval of item 95, the final budget resolution confirming supplemental changes. Result: passed, 5-0. at 03:45:08
  • Joseph Nicchitta (Chief Executive Officer) said the total budget is $54.2 billion, a $3.9 billion increase from the June budget at 00:53:24
  • Joseph Nicchitta (Chief Executive Officer) said budgeted positions fall by a net 250 to 115,433 at 00:54:26
  • Joseph Nicchitta (Chief Executive Officer) said Public Health has the biggest reduction, a net 195 positions, all of them vacant at 00:54:26
  • Joseph Nicchitta (Chief Executive Officer) said the budget stabilization process found $391.1 million to reallocate to higher priorities at 00:55:27
  • Joseph Nicchitta (Chief Executive Officer) said no public services or programs were affected by the reallocations at 00:56:29
  • Joseph Nicchitta (Chief Executive Officer) said the budget fully funds the second annual $1.2 billion AB 218 settlement payment for childhood sexual assault claims at 00:56:29
  • Joseph Nicchitta (Chief Executive Officer) said roughly 6,000 new claims remain unsettled at 00:57:36
  • Joseph Nicchitta (Chief Executive Officer) stressed that only $45.2 million of the new spending is ongoing local money the board can use freely at 00:58:42
  • Joseph Nicchitta (Chief Executive Officer) said the county has received no federal money for community recovery 19 months after the January 2025 fires at 01:00:48
  • Joseph Nicchitta (Chief Executive Officer) recommended a $20 million startup loan for the new disaster recovery rebuild authority, to be repaid from federal or other revenue at 01:00:48
  • Joseph Nicchitta (Chief Executive Officer) said $15.5 million is set aside for closing Men's Central Jail, with another $11 million recommended by the CFCI committee coming next month at 01:01:50
  • Joseph Nicchitta (Chief Executive Officer) highlighted $24.2 million to expand the Office of Emergency Management at 01:02:51
  • Joseph Nicchitta (Chief Executive Officer) listed $32.4 million in one-time funding for the election system at 01:04:59
  • Joseph Nicchitta (Chief Executive Officer) recommended continuing the hiring freeze, with existing exemptions including one for the homeless services department at 01:06:05
  • Joseph Nicchitta (Chief Executive Officer) said the homeless services department reported 119 vacancies out of 573 budgeted positions at 01:07:06
  • Kathryn Barger (Supervisor, Fifth District) said more than $2 billion in public infrastructure was damaged or destroyed in the Eaton fire alone at 01:13:38
  • Kathryn Barger (Supervisor, Fifth District) urged funding to design a septic-to-sewer project serving 671 residents in unincorporated Altadena at 01:14:41
  • Kathryn Barger (Supervisor, Fifth District) warned of an estimated decline of more than $660 million in federal revenue to the public hospital system under HR 1 at 01:16:49
  • Kathryn Barger (Supervisor, Fifth District) asked how long Health Services' reserves can absorb its $297.4 million operating deficit at 01:19:55
  • Joseph Nicchitta (Chief Executive Officer) answered that Health Services has about $1.44 billion in fund balance and projects running out during fiscal year 2028-29 at 01:20:46
  • A supervisor complained that encampment cleanups in high fire zones happen one encampment at a time and asked about ongoing funding at 01:22:42
  • A speaker said this year's money is one-time and talks continue on folding the work into the homeless department's ongoing budget at 01:23:42
  • Holly Mitchell (Supervisor, Second District; Chair Pro Tem) noted this is the fourth straight year of slowing growth in locally generated revenue at 01:25:35
  • Holly Mitchell (Supervisor, Second District; Chair Pro Tem) said the board itself must show discipline, including in motions that cost money at 01:26:36
  • A speaker confirmed the reallocations cut only internal costs, not programs facing the public at 01:27:26
  • Holly Mitchell (Supervisor, Second District; Chair Pro Tem) said nearly 380,000 county residents have already lost Medi-Cal at 01:31:37
  • Holly Mitchell (Supervisor, Second District; Chair Pro Tem) cited a Health Services projection that new HR 1 mandates will push more than 700,000 residents off Medi-Cal at 01:31:37
  • Holly Mitchell (Supervisor, Second District; Chair Pro Tem) questioned whether the District Attorney's office should lead restorative justice programs that received more funding at 01:33:43
  • Lindsey Horvath (Supervisor, Third District) asked the CEO what is being done to make the Sheriff's Department more efficient at 01:39:42
  • A speaker said the Sheriff's year-end deficit is $106 million, citing delayed federal reimbursement, overtime, workers' compensation, and lawsuits at 01:40:47
  • A speaker said sheriff academy classes were expanded from four to eight because more recruits are interested at 01:43:01
  • A speaker said the Sheriff is ending many contracted security assignments to move sworn staff back to core duties and cut overtime at 01:44:06
  • Lindsey Horvath (Supervisor, Third District) asked whether money is set aside for a replacement facility for Men's Central Jail at 01:45:04
  • A speaker said the budget includes an ongoing $1.5 million line item for jail-closure facility needs and that planning starts from population needs at 01:46:50
  • Lindsey Horvath (Supervisor, Third District) totaled emergency preparedness and response investments in this phase at $77 million at 01:51:11
  • Lindsey Horvath (Supervisor, Third District) listed prevention funding, including $11.5 million for Stay Housed LA and $10 million for emergency rental assistance at 01:52:12
  • A speaker broke down $162.9 million in one-time homeless funding, led by $90.7 million for supportive and interim housing tied to the Alliance lawsuit at 01:54:14
  • Lindsey Horvath (Supervisor, Third District) said the budget approves nearly $10 million and 17 positions to set up the Ethics Commission and Office of Ethics Compliance under Measure G at 01:54:56
  • Janice Hahn (Supervisor, Fourth District) asked when the $12 million set aside for public defense will reach the public defender and alternate public defender at 02:01:56
  • A speaker said the money should be allocated at mid-year, following the RAND workload study rather than a set split between offices at 02:03:36
  • A speaker said deleting more vacant probation positions could free some money, but less than people expect, since many positions bring in revenue at 02:06:39
  • A speaker said $8.3 million in juvenile justice realignment grant money goes to the Department of Youth Development for 14 new positions at 02:09:27
  • A speaker laid out phased transfer of juvenile programming from probation to Youth Development starting at Campus Kilpatrick in November at 02:09:27
  • Janice Hahn (Supervisor, Fourth District) asked how the county will protect prevention funding, which is often cut first in tight years at 02:10:55
  • A speaker said prevention programs were maintained in this budget at 02:13:01
  • Janice Hahn (Supervisor, Fourth District) said she remains worried the elderly nutrition waitlist could grow without more money at 02:13:34
  • Hilda Solis (Supervisor, First District; Chair) noted this is her last budget on the board at 02:14:43
  • Hilda Solis (Supervisor, First District; Chair) pointed to a $1.8 million request for Represent LA immigrant legal representation at 02:20:59
  • Hilda Solis (Supervisor, First District; Chair) welcomed $1.1 million for County Counsel's affirmative litigation effort at 02:22:04
  • Hilda Solis (Supervisor, First District; Chair) urged the sheriff and CEO to expand the Sheriff's homeless outreach team at 02:24:13
  • Hilda Solis (Supervisor, First District; Chair) cited money for encampments in very high fire hazard zones as $4.6 million at 02:26:17

Earthquake preparedness report Item 24

A verbal report requested by Kathryn Barger (Supervisor, Fifth District) on how ready the county is for a major earthquake. It came from the Office of Emergency Management, Public Works, Fire, the Sheriff, Countywide Communications, Health Services, and Caltech seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones. Presenters said a big quake would overwhelm first responders and disrupt power, water, communications, and roads across several counties. They described retrofit work and a new address-search Know Your Risk website (ready.lacounty.gov/earthquake), and urged households and neighborhoods to prepare. The Board received and filed the report, and Kathryn Barger (Supervisor, Fifth District) read in a motion for next week. at 03:45:34

  • Receive and file the earthquake preparedness report. Result: passed. at 05:32:40
  • Kathryn Barger (Supervisor, Fifth District) said a simulator at Grand Park that morning replicated a magnitude 7.0 earthquake at 03:46:50
  • A guest presenter said Los Angeles County alone accounts for about a quarter of the nation's expected earthquake losses at 03:49:58
  • A guest presenter said modeling found fires after a big quake would double losses at 03:52:04
  • A guest presenter said the modeled post-quake fires would burn ten times as many buildings as the Palisades and Eaton fires combined at 03:52:04
  • A guest presenter said a FEMA ranking put Los Angeles County at the top of all U.S. counties for hazards at 03:53:07
  • A guest presenter said each dollar spent on retrofitting returns about six dollars over time at 03:55:12
  • County staff said the emergency management office will develop earthquake-specific annexes to the county's emergency plans at 04:00:02
  • County staff warned there are not enough first responders to reach everyone, so neighbor-to-neighbor help is key at 04:02:14
  • A speaker said all county dams have been retrofitted to modern earthquake standards over the last ten years at 04:05:27
  • A speaker said eight concrete high-rises under a new retrofit ordinance were identified, five county-owned and three private at 04:07:43
  • A speaker said about 1,700 soft-story wood-frame buildings in unincorporated areas were identified and he expects to recommend a retrofit ordinance at 04:08:46
  • County staff said Fire will run its ShakeOut drill around October 15, testing a new search-and-rescue mapping platform at 04:12:56
  • County staff said the department ran 35 community emergency response classes last year and plans the same this year at 04:16:02
  • A speaker identified a gap in personnel and resources during the first response to a regional quake at 04:19:45
  • A speaker named a second gap: delays in mutual aid because neighboring agencies would be hit too at 04:28:06
  • County staff described a video on assembling an emergency kit for under $25 at 04:32:22
  • A guest presenter said the long gap since the last San Andreas quake does not change the odds of one now at 04:39:27
  • A guest presenter said the region used to see a magnitude 6 every three to five years and the recent quiet is not representative at 04:39:27
  • Holly Mitchell (Supervisor, Second District; Chair Pro Tem) asked whether Fire tracks community emergency response training to find under-prepared communities for targeted outreach at 04:44:10
  • County staff said classes are spread across the county and he would need to check for gaps at 04:44:35
  • A guest presenter proposed training a network of community-based organizations, including faith groups at 04:45:12
  • A speaker said her own kit following the county video cost $35 without water, a barrier for many households at 04:47:17
  • County staff advised that texting will work better than phone calls in the first day after a quake at 04:53:41
  • Janice Hahn (Supervisor, Fourth District) urged the county to prepare employees to work from home if they cannot reach worksites at 04:58:15
  • A guest presenter said a landslide off Catalina about 8,000 years ago is estimated to have sent a 50-foot tsunami toward today's harbors, a low-probability risk at 05:00:10
  • County staff advised coastal residents to leave tsunami zones immediately after strong shaking, without waiting for an alert at 05:00:58
  • A speaker cited the $1.8 billion Harbor-UCLA rebuild, including a seismically compliant inpatient tower opening within a year at 05:03:24
  • A speaker asked for state support for hospitals not yet seismically compliant, such as Catalina's at 05:06:04
  • A speaker noted federal cuts to the Hospital Preparedness Program that funds disaster resource centers at 05:07:10
  • A guest presenter said earthquakes cannot be predicted before they start, though early warning works once shaking begins at 05:08:33
  • Lindsey Horvath (Supervisor, Third District) asked how the county coordinates with cities so residents do not get mixed messages at 05:09:14
  • A speaker said the Sheriff recently hosted a call with over 250 participants from contract cities on El Niño preparation at 05:11:50
  • Lindsey Horvath (Supervisor, Third District) called for more detailed, proactive coordination with each city and unincorporated community at 05:13:17
  • A speaker said building codes after Northridge moved from prescriptive to performance-based standards at 05:15:09
  • Lindsey Horvath (Supervisor, Third District) asked what it means for a catastrophe if the federal government pulls back from disaster support at 05:19:59
  • County staff said it could slow mutual aid and help such as debris removal, though local preparation continues at 05:20:34
  • Hilda Solis (Supervisor, First District; Chair) asked for an inventory of what cities are doing on preparedness at 05:24:53
  • A supervisor read in a motion asking the Sheriff, with Fire and emergency management, to find sustainable funding to expand community emergency response teams at 05:30:35
  • A supervisor also proposed an annual full-scale earthquake exercise separate from the ShakeOut, plus a report on partnering with Caltech's proposed disaster resilience alliance at 05:31:35

Families experiencing homelessness: access, housing matching, and motel check-out practices Item 15

A motion by Janice Hahn (Supervisor, Fourth District) and Holly Mitchell (Supervisor, Second District; Chair Pro Tem) asking the homeless services department and partners to review how families get referred to and qualify for help. That covers doubled-up, unsheltered, and multigenerational families, and parents whose children stay with relatives. It also asks whether small families can be matched to available smaller units to cut time in interim housing. As revised, County Counsel will give a confidential legal analysis of motel voucher practices that force families to check out, move rooms, or re-register to avoid establishing tenancy rights. The department must report within 60 days on changes to reduce needless displacement (supplemental agenda). Solis had left the dais, and Holly Mitchell (Supervisor, Second District; Chair Pro Tem) chaired. at 05:36:23

  • Janice Hahn (Supervisor, Fourth District) moved, Holly Mitchell (Supervisor, Second District; Chair Pro Tem) seconded, approval of item 15 as revised. Result: passed, 4-0. at 06:09:19
  • Janice Hahn (Supervisor, Fourth District) described meeting a homeless family of six on a bus who had to keep moving between hotels because of tenancy rules at 05:38:20
  • Janice Hahn (Supervisor, Fourth District) asked County Counsel to review practices that make people check out after 28 days and then return at 05:39:27
  • Janice Hahn (Supervisor, Fourth District) said small families should be matched to available one-bedroom units when that is legal, rather than waiting longer at 05:40:28
  • Holly Mitchell (Supervisor, Second District; Chair Pro Tem) said her office gets calls every week from families and providers seeking better pathways for families at 05:43:29
  • Holly Mitchell (Supervisor, Second District; Chair Pro Tem) recalled a shelter policy that separated a mother from her son once he turned 13 as an example of outdated rules at 05:44:36
  • A supervisor asked whether the forced move-outs are a county requirement at 05:46:01
  • A speaker said a state law passed a few years ago keeps third-party-paid motel stays from creating tenancy, and motel owners, providers, and police need education on it at 05:46:52
  • A speaker said the department can adopt county policy and contract terms reinforcing the state law at 05:48:19
  • Kathryn Barger (Supervisor, Fifth District) raised concern that unhoused people are offered beds far from their home communities at 05:50:27
  • A speaker said a data system limitation hides people's locations for bed matching, with a fix expected within weeks at 05:50:44
  • Lindsey Horvath (Supervisor, Third District) said the case shows the gap between passing a policy and implementing it at 05:52:15
  • A speaker said she would ask the Sheriff to help make law enforcement aware of the state law at 05:54:03

Adjournments in memory Item 97

Board members adjourned in memory of the five people killed in the Chatsworth bus and helicopter crashes, two longtime San Pedro residents, and, on behalf of Hilda Solis (Supervisor, First District; Chair), a Navy and Marine Corps veteran who helped veterans find jobs at Bob Hope Patriotic Hall and was once president of United Teachers Los Angeles. at 06:19:18

  • Adjournment motions taken as seconded. Result: passed, unanimous. at 06:29:56

Closed session items CS-2 and CS-4 continued Item CS-2

At the CEO's request, the Board continued closed session items CS-2 and CS-4 to October 6, 2026. at 06:30:56

  • Janice Hahn (Supervisor, Fourth District) moved, Lindsey Horvath (Supervisor, Third District) seconded, to continue CS-2 and CS-4 one week to October 6, 2026. Result: continued, 3-0. at 06:31:23

Public comment

  • On consent items, about nine speakers. A veterans' group leader backed the Veterans Directed Care program (item 19). One speaker backed the homeless count review (item 14) and urged it to include human trafficking data; another used item 14 to promote his own permanent housing proposal. A county disability commissioner backed the closed-captioning ordinance. A deaf county employee, speaking for the Deaf and disability community, backed a motion she didn't clearly identify. One speaker raised a dispute with Santa Monica city leadership under item 8, and another asked about accessible affordable housing. One caller criticized the proclamations and several other items.
  • On the budget, about 60 speakers in a 60-minute window. The biggest bloc, about a dozen worker-center representatives, asked the board to direct the CEO to find bridge funding so the Public Health Councils program continues past November without a gap.
  • About eight budget speakers, many garment workers speaking through an interpreter, asked for a guaranteed basic income pilot for elderly undocumented immigrants ($3.8 million by most speakers' figure, $8.3 million by another). Several also asked to make the Emergency Rent Relief Program permanent.
  • Four or five budget speakers asked the board to fully fund Represent LA immigrant legal defense, citing $8.5 million or $9 million, or 'the second half' of its funding.
  • About ten budget speakers, many from youth justice groups and some formerly incarcerated youth, opposed growing probation's budget. They cited $91.8 million in reported unspent probation funds and opposed a proposed $1.7 million for isolation trailers for girls and gender-expansive youth.
  • Several budget speakers urged closing Men's Central Jail and opposed building a replacement jail. Others criticized sheriff spending, and one asked to keep 203 Public Health positions funded from a sheriff reserve.
  • About five speakers from trans community groups asked for housing and mental health funding for transgender people. Two American Heart Association speakers asked for $3 million in Measure ER funds for Market Match. One speaker asked for $26 million for LGBTQ transition-age youth services.
  • On earthquake preparedness (item 24), four or five speakers. One blamed a supervisor for not helping after a disaster damaged his property, one said people with disabilities were left out after past quakes, and others were off-topic.
  • On item 15, about nine callers supported the motion, including family homeless service providers, a domestic violence coalition, and youth providers. Two in-person speakers were off-topic or hostile.
  • In general public comment, about nine speakers. A justice coalition thanked the board for funding year one of jail closure but criticized its record. A caller cited 31 in-custody deaths this year. Others raised an AI pilot proposal, complaints about the Registrar-Recorder's handling of candidate signatures, and complaints about restraining orders. One speaker used a racial slur.

What's next

  • Item 25 (South Pasadena property purchase) continued to November 10, 2026
  • Item 37 (ending the January 2025 fire local health emergency) continued to October 27, 2026
  • Closed session items CS-1, CS-2, CS-3, and CS-4 continued to October 6, 2026, the next regular meeting
  • Kathryn Barger (Supervisor, Fifth District)'s earthquake motion goes through the cluster process and is to be introduced next week. It asks for a 90-day report on funding to expand community emergency response teams, an annual full-scale earthquake exercise, and a 90-day report on partnering with academic, state, and federal entities such as Caltech's proposed Alliance for Disaster Resilience
  • Item 15: County Counsel to give a confidential legal analysis of motel voucher check-out practices; the homeless services department to report in writing within 60 days (supplemental agenda) and in the next report back on the 2025 pregnant and parenting homelessness motion
  • Item 14: Homeless count trends report due in writing within 120 days (agenda)
  • CFCI committee recommendation of an additional $11 million for jail closure to come to the board next month, per the CEO
  • The $12 million for public defense is expected to be allocated at mid-year, per the CEO
  • Probation-to-Youth Development transfer: interdepartmental agreement expected next month; transfers begin in November at Campus Kilpatrick, then Los Padrinos in January and remaining facilities in March or April; next report due in October
  • Hiring freeze to be reevaluated using department budget reports beginning in November, and again in April and May
  • CEO work groups on fees, central billing, and civil service reform to start briefing board offices, then the board
  • Public Works soft-story building report to come to the board; the director expects to recommend a retrofit ordinance for about 1,700 unincorporated buildings
  • Great ShakeOut drill on October 15
  • HMIS fix to show people's locations for bed matching expected within weeks, per the homeless services director
  • Further Medi-Cal eligibility changes under HR 1 take effect October 1; work requirements and six-month redeterminations begin January 1, 2027
  • Item 23: Gas Company Tower lease bids to be accepted December 1, 2026; item 18: center leadership interviews to begin no sooner than November 1, 2026 (agenda)

Regional Planning Commission Wednesday, September 30

The recording · Agenda

Approval of the agenda Item 5

Routine vote to adopt the day's agenda. at 00:03:20

  • Motion to approve the agenda (mover and seconder not identified). Result: passed, 4-0. at 00:03:20

Minutes of September 2, 2026 Item 6

Routine approval of the minutes of the commission's September 2, 2026 meeting. at 00:03:20

  • Motion to approve the September 2 minutes (mover and seconder not identified). Result: passed, 4-0. at 00:03:41

County Counsel on public comment time limits and meeting rules of conduct Item 7

County Counsel followed up on a commission request about how it can manage public comment when many people sign up to speak, as happened at the previous week's meeting, and read the rules of conduct for the meeting. The guidance concerns how the commission can adjust speaking time when many people sign up. at 00:03:54

  • A speaker explained that under the commission's rules of procedure the time allotted to each speaker is at the commission's discretion and can be changed before or during a meeting at 00:03:54
  • A speaker said that at the previous week's meeting the commission could have cut speaking time from two minutes to one, or announced a cutoff for oral comment at 00:03:54
  • A speaker advised that if oral comment is capped, the secretary or chair should announce how remaining online speakers can submit comments by email or in writing at 00:04:58
  • Elvin Moon (Commissioner; Chair) asked whether changing the procedure requires a vote at 00:05:44
  • A speaker answered that it takes a motion and a majority vote, though not necessarily a roll-call vote at 00:05:53
  • Elvin Moon (Commissioner; Chair) read the rules of conduct, saying disruptive speakers can lose the right to speak and online participants can have microphones disabled or be disconnected at 00:06:14
  • A commissioner said on arriving late that she had listened to the hearing on the way and did not need to be briefed on County Counsel's remarks at 00:30:45

Topanga ridgeline home variance appeal continued again Item 11

An appeal by the Las Virgenes Homeowners Federation of a Hearing Officer's June 24, 2025 approval of a variance to build a new 4,000-square-foot single-family home on a mapped significant ridgeline at 2354 Topanga Canyon Boulevard in the Santa Monica Mountains Planning Area (agenda). The item has been continued repeatedly without the hearing being opened. Staff recommended another continuance at the applicant's request, and the commission continued it to January 13, 2027. at 00:10:40

  • A commissioner moved to follow the staff recommendation to continue the item; seconded (seconder not identified). Result: continued, 4-0. at 00:11:21
  • County staff said staff recommended a continuance at the applicant's request at 00:10:52

Altadena McDonald's rebuild after the Eaton Fire approved Item 12

McDonald's Corporation asked for a conditional use permit to rebuild its drive-through restaurant at 1306 North Altadena Drive in unincorporated Altadena, at the corner of Washington Boulevard. The old 2,277-square-foot building was damaged in the Eaton Fire and demolished. The plan replaces it with a 4,142-square-foot building and expands the drive-through from one lane to two. A minor parking deviation cuts required parking from 24 spaces to 17. The commission had continued the item from its June 24, 2026 hearing and told the applicant to redesign the freestanding sign so no variance was needed, and to keep working with staff on the facade and on adding a mural or other art. The approval allows parking between the building and the sidewalk, which staff called not pedestrian-friendly. It also lets the restaurant keep opening at 5 a.m., earlier than the 6 a.m. limit in the Altadena Community Standards District. Staff will negotiate the final design of the art panels and mural after the vote. at 00:11:33

  • A commissioner moved to close the public hearing and find the project exempt under state and local CEQA guidelines; seconded (seconder not identified). Result: passed, 5-0. at 00:31:08
  • A commissioner moved to approve Conditional Use Permit No. RPPL2023004561 and Minor Parking Deviation No. RPPL2023004570, subject to the attached findings and conditions; seconded (seconder not identified). Result: passed, 5-0. at 00:31:36
  • County staff described the request, including a minor parking deviation reducing required parking by 30 percent, from 24 spaces to 17 at 00:11:46
  • County staff said the previous 2,277-square-foot building was damaged in the Eaton Fire and demolished, and the site is now vacant at 00:12:50
  • County staff said the plan is a single-story 4,142-square-foot restaurant with two drive-through lanes at 00:12:50
  • County staff said the applicant redesigned the freestanding sign to five feet tall and 30 square feet, within the Altadena standards, so no variance is needed at 00:13:54
  • County staff said the applicant voluntarily redesigned the facade, adding artistic perforated metal panels on parts of the west and east walls and a mural on a three-foot screening fence facing Altadena Drive at 00:13:54
  • County staff said the permit includes four modifications to the West San Gabriel Valley Planning Area Standards District and the Altadena CSD, one allowing parking between the building and the sidewalk at 00:16:07
  • County staff said the Altadena CSD bars drive-through hours before 6 a.m., but the restaurant historically ran from 5 a.m. to midnight and asked to keep those hours at 00:18:10
  • County staff said the Altadena Town Council recommended approval as long as the historical hours stay the same and do not expand at 00:18:10
  • County staff said fire flow testing showed the existing hydrant meets standards, so the fire department dropped its condition requiring a new public hydrant and issued a revised letter that morning at 00:19:13
  • A commissioner asked staff to confirm the town council supports keeping the historical hours at 00:20:23
  • The applicant's representative said the business burned in the Eaton Fire, McDonald's accepts the revised conditions, and it wants to start construction as soon as possible at 00:21:02
  • Michael Hastings (Commissioner) said he supports the project but was bothered that the applicant was not there in person, and that he did not understand the metal panel design at 00:21:59
  • The applicant's architect said the design team chose perforated metal panels for added detail and to get the building design staff wanted at 00:24:23
  • The applicant's representative said the panels cover most of the west side but less than half of the drive-through east side, and argued a mural on the building would have worked against its design at 00:25:09
  • A commissioner raised concerns, from past projects, that perforated metal panels cause problems with upkeep, graffiti, cleaning and birds, and asked staff to make sure they won't become an eyesore at 00:26:37
  • County staff said the panel plans are only a placeholder and the final design will be negotiated after the vote, given the urgency of disaster recovery at 00:27:14
  • County staff said new condition 27 requires a revised exhibit covering things like materials and maintenance, and staff may ask for changes to the Golden Arches sign on the east wall, or its removal at 00:28:16
  • County staff said the conditions require graffiti removal within 48 hours and replacement of damaged panels within 30 days of notice, and invited the commission's input on adding to them at 00:28:16
  • A commissioner repeated his support and asked staff to look at problems from a past project with bird nesting, filth and graffiti so the same doesn't happen in Altadena at 00:29:39

Public comment

  • One member of the public spoke during general public comment on topics not on the agenda. He described coordinating with a USC student government on workforce and economic development workshops for an incentive zone in City of Los Angeles council districts 8, 11 and 15, mentioned meeting a Port of Los Angeles real estate coordinator, and called for reviewing Cold War-era surveillance infrastructure in the Pacific.
  • No members of the public spoke on item 12 (the Altadena McDonald's).

What's next

  • Item 11 (Topanga Canyon ridgeline home variance appeal) is continued to January 13, 2027.
  • The last day to file an appeal of the Altadena McDonald's approval (item 12) is October 14, 2026.
  • Under new condition 27, the final design of the Altadena McDonald's perforated metal panels must be reviewed and approved by the director of LA County Planning; condition 28 covers the mural. Staff said it may also ask for changes to the Golden Arches sign on the east wall, or its removal.
  • County Counsel was asked to brief the commissioner who arrived late on the public comment guidance after the meeting. She later said she had heard it while traveling and did not need a briefing.
  • The commission adjourned to Wednesday, October 7, 2026 at 9:00 a.m.

Coming up

  • Board of Supervisors, Tuesday, October 6: Agenda

Transcript

Maya On this week's episode: the Board of Supervisors makes the county's budget final, a push to stop homeless families from being shuffled between motel rooms, and a look at how ready the county is for a major earthquake.

Maya Five supervisors, nearly ten million people. Here's your weekly debrief.

Maya Tuesday's Board meeting opened with a moment of silence for the five people killed in Chatsworth last month. Two died in the Metro bus crash, and three in the news helicopter crash that followed. At the end of the day the Board adjourned in their memory.

Theo Later that morning the Board honored the Medical Examiner's department for getting its full national accreditation back. It lost that accreditation in 2016.

Maya A supervisor said the department had worked for about ten years to regain it. The standards include examining ninety percent of cases within seventy-two hours, and closing ninety percent within ninety days.

Theo Tuesday was also the last step of a three-step process. The county's budget starts as a recommended budget in April and becomes the adopted budget in June. Then there's a supplemental budget in the fall, and that's the final one.

Maya And that's where we'll start.

Maya This episode was produced with AI from the public recording of the meeting. Links to the source are in the show notes.

Maya Our top story: the county's final budget. On Tuesday the Board of Supervisors adopted the last round of changes that make the budget for twenty twenty-six, twenty-seven final. Each budget item that came to a roll call passed five to nothing.

Theo So how big is it?

Maya Chief Executive Officer Joseph Nicchitta put it at fifty-four point two billion dollars. That's three point nine billion more than the June budget, and most of the increase is one-time money. The Board also heard that only forty-five point two million dollars of the new spending is ongoing local money it can use freely.

Theo Where does the money go?

Maya It fully pays the county's second yearly payment of one point two billion dollars on settlements of childhood sexual assault claims, under the state law known as A B two eighteen. The Board heard that roughly six thousand new claims are still unsettled. The budget also moves three hundred ninety-one point one million dollars out of lower-priority accounts. The Board was told those shifts cut internal costs, not programs the public uses.

Theo What about county jobs?

Maya Budgeted positions fall by a net two hundred fifty, to one hundred fifteen thousand, four hundred thirty-three. The CEO said the biggest reduction was in Public Health, a net one hundred ninety-five positions, all of them vacant. The hiring freeze continues, and it comes up for another look starting in November.

Theo Was there anything on the fires, or on the jails?

Maya The Board heard that nineteen months after the January twenty twenty-five fires, the county still hasn't received any federal money for community recovery. A twenty million dollar startup loan was recommended for the new disaster recovery rebuild authority. The budget sets aside fifteen and a half million dollars for closing Men's Central Jail. A county committee has recommended another eleven million, which the CEO said will reach the Board in October.

Theo Were there warnings about the years ahead?

Maya A supervisor warned that the public hospital system could lose an estimated six hundred sixty million dollars or more in federal revenue under the federal law known as H R one. Health Services is running an operating deficit of two hundred ninety-seven point four million dollars, and when a supervisor asked how long its reserves could cover that, the Board was told the department expects to run out during fiscal year twenty twenty-eight, twenty-nine. Lindsey Horvath, the Third District supervisor, asked what's being done to make the Sheriff's Department more efficient. The Board heard that the department ended the year a hundred and six million dollars short.

Theo And what did the public say?

Maya More than sixty people signed up, and the Board heard about an hour of public comment. The largest group, about a dozen people from worker centers, asked for bridge funding so the Public Health Councils program can continue past November without a gap. About ten speakers, many from youth justice groups, opposed growing the probation budget. Others asked for a guaranteed basic income pilot for elderly undocumented immigrants, and for full funding of Represent L A, the immigrant legal defense program.

Maya Next, families experiencing homelessness, and the motel rooms they're placed in.

Theo What's the problem?

Maya Families on motel vouchers have been made to check out, change rooms, or register again, so that they don't establish tenancy rights. During the discussion, a speaker described meeting a family of six on a bus who kept having to move between hotels because of those rules.

Theo Is that something the county requires?

Maya A supervisor asked that same question. The Board heard that a state law passed a few years ago keeps motel stays paid for by someone else from creating tenancy, and that motel owners, service providers, and police need to be told about it. The county's homeless services department can also put that rule into county policy and its contracts.

Theo So what does the motion do?

Maya It comes from Janice Hahn, the Fourth District supervisor, and Holly Mitchell, the Second District supervisor. It asks the department and its partners to review how families are referred for help and how they qualify. That covers families who are doubled up with others, unsheltered, or living with several generations together, and parents whose children are staying with relatives. It also asks whether small families can be matched to available smaller units, so they spend less time in interim housing. Under the revised version, County Counsel will give the Board a confidential legal analysis of the motel practices, and the department has sixty days to report back.

Theo Did anything else come up?

Maya A supervisor raised concerns about people being offered beds far from their home communities. The homeless services director said a limit in the data system keeps people's locations hidden when beds are matched, and expects a fix within weeks. Horvath said the motel problem shows the gap between passing a policy and putting it into practice. About ten speakers, most of them callers, spoke in support. The motion passed four to nothing. Board Chair Hilda Solis, the First District supervisor, had left the dais.

Maya Our third story is earthquakes. Kathryn Barger, the Fifth District supervisor, asked for a report on how ready the county is for a major one.

Theo Who gave the report?

Maya County emergency management, Public Works, Fire, the Sheriff, Health Services, and the county's communications office, along with Dr. Lucy Jones, who directs a new disaster resilience center at Caltech. The presenters said a big quake would overwhelm first responders and knock out power, water, communications, and roads across several counties. A guest presenter said Los Angeles County alone accounts for about a quarter of the country's expected earthquake losses, and that fires after a big quake would double those losses.

Theo What's the county doing about it?

Maya The Board heard that every county dam has been retrofitted to modern earthquake standards over the last ten years. Public Works said about seventeen hundred soft-story wood-frame buildings in unincorporated areas have been identified, and Public Works expects to recommend a retrofit ordinance for them.

Theo And what about the rest of us?

Maya County staff said there aren't enough first responders to reach everyone, so neighbors helping neighbors will be key. In the first day after a quake, texting will work better than phone calls. If you live on the coast, leave the tsunami zone right after strong shaking, and don't wait for an alert. There's a new Know Your Risk website where you can search by address, at ready dot lacounty dot gov slash earthquake. The Great ShakeOut drill is October fifteenth.

Theo What comes next?

Maya The Board received and filed the report. Barger read in a motion, and said she'd introduce it for next week, after it goes through the cluster process. It asks for a report on steady funding to expand community emergency response teams, a full-scale or functional earthquake exercise every year, separate from the ShakeOut, and a report on partnering with Caltech's proposed disaster resilience alliance.

Maya Now a few shorter items from around the county.

Theo On Wednesday, the Regional Planning Commission approved a McDonald's rebuild at North Altadena Drive and Washington Boulevard, in unincorporated Altadena. The old restaurant was damaged in the Eaton Fire and torn down. The new building is four thousand, one hundred forty-two square feet, with two drive-through lanes and seventeen parking spaces instead of twenty-four. It can keep opening at five a.m., an hour earlier than the community's limit. The Altadena Town Council supported that, as long as the hours don't expand. The vote was five to nothing, and the deadline to appeal is October fourteenth.

Maya One commissioner worried that the perforated metal panels planned for the building could attract graffiti and birds. Staff said the final design will be worked out after the vote.

Theo On the Board's consent calendar, supervisors ratified a local emergency for this year's El Niño. They introduced an ordinance requiring closed captioning on TVs in public places in unincorporated areas, and asked for a report within a hundred and twenty days on homeless count trends. A vote on ending the local health emergency from the fires was pushed back to October twenty-seventh.

Maya The planning commission also continued again, this time at the applicant's request, an appeal over a home proposed on a mapped ridgeline on Topanga Canyon Boulevard. It's now set for January thirteenth. And County Counsel told commissioners that when a hearing is crowded, they can shorten speaking time or cap oral comment, with a majority vote.

Theo Before we go, here's what's ahead.

Maya The Board of Supervisors meets next Tuesday, October sixth. Hilda Solis has a motion asking planners to draft zoning changes that would ban large-scale data centers in all zones. Janice Hahn and Holly Mitchell propose ending the rule that contact visits in juvenile facilities need the Chief Probation Officer's approval first. The agenda also includes a proposed county policy on artificial intelligence, the purchase of thirty-two fire engines and pumpers for about forty point three million dollars, and final adoption of the closed-captioning ordinance. Mitchell has asked to continue the Governance Reform Task Force's recommendations on the new elected County Executive to October twentieth.

Theo That's the week. If you hear something we got wrong, there's a link on this episode's page to report it, and we read corrections on air.

Maya That's the news from the county. See you next Thursday.