Public commenters press council on short‑term‑rental revenue, trans services and calls to remove LAPD chief

The meeting’s public‑comment period featured dozens of speakers addressing varied topics but with strong clusters of concern. Several commentators urged the council not to ban short‑term rentals and instead to regulate them so the city can collect revenue for housing, youth and family programs. Candida (Save or Services) and other speakers argued permitting short‑term rentals would create tax revenue that could fund homelessness services.

Business‑oriented speakers (a chamber representative) and neighborhood advocates argued short‑term rentals bring visitors and local spending. Jesse de la Cruz and others said revenues from short‑term rentals are needed to fund essential city services during major events such as the Olympics and World Cup.

Several public speakers criticized Los Angeles Police Department leadership. One speaker called for removal of Chief Jeff McDonald, alleging aggressive policing of peaceful protesters and citing recent incidents reported in local media. The speaker explicitly urged the council to pursue a two‑thirds vote to remove the chief. The claim was an assertion from public comment and was not resolved during the meeting.

Other public comments urged funding for trans and TGI services and noted that trans Latinas face disproportionate homelessness and barriers to services; advocates asked for city investment and training for shelters.

What happened next: Public comment was closed and the council moved on to subsequent agenda items. The claims and funding requests raised in public comment were recorded but no binding action (revenue allocation, chief removal process or appropriation) was taken at this meeting.