Residents urge restored call‑in access, better minutes and enforcement of permits during public comment

Several members of the public used the meeting's public‑comment period to press the council on access, transparency and enforcement.

Andrew Graebner (registered with staff at the start of the period) urged the council to restore call‑in public comment at all meetings so residents who cannot come in person can participate. He said the restoration would make it easier for people to provide input and suggested the council had previously removed remote comment access to limit participation. Graebner also expressed concern that surveillance related to item 5 could be shared with federal immigration authorities.

A speaker identifying with Audit LA said meeting minutes and archival records are insufficient and urged Public Works to improve minutes so community remarks are preserved. The speaker then alleged permit violations by a Scientology event, saying the event lacked a required 20‑foot fire lane and blocked pedestrian access; the speaker said LAFD and police did not enforce permit requirements and asked the city to enforce its own rules.

Maria Ponce said Los Angeles' cannabis permitting process is unfair and alleged that some actors have "ripped off" the permitting process. She referenced the Brown Act repeatedly, said she was submitting documents for the record, and invoked "42 U.S.C. § 1983" in arguing for civil‑rights remedies; much of Ponce's comment included strong profanity.

Daisy Jong said she and her partner James requested to purchase a narrow, paved shared driveway in order to combine it with an adjacent lot and bring two nonconforming lots into conformance. Jong said the city owns a 50% undivided interest in the parcel through a tax default from the 1960s and that the parcel has no development potential beyond shared driveway use.

The Chair closed public comment before the committee moved several items to the consent calendar and proceeded with committee business.