CITY COUNCIL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS: February 17, 2026

Lions Club Names John Hollaway Citizen of the Year

Carson Accountability and Transparency's (CAT) board member John Hollaway has been selected as Lions Club International Citizen of the Year. The Lions Club, which operates in 240 countries, selected Hollaway from among all Carson residents for the recognition. Councilman Jim Dear announced Hollaway’s recognition during the City Council meeting.

City Receives National Budget Award

The City of Carson received its first Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association for the 2025-26 budget year. The recognition places Carson among four cities in the South Bay and 24 cities in Los Angeles County that currently hold the award. Finance Director William Jefferson stated that Carson's budget document met national standards for transparency and comprehensive financial reporting.

The city's general fund balance currently stands at $252 million. This includes a $31 million reserve (20% set aside for emergencies), a $10 million self-insurance fund, and a $91 million surplus.

Council Approves Pipeline Franchise Ordinance

The Council unanimously approved the second reading of a comprehensive update to the City’s pipeline franchise rules and regulations. The new law modernizes regulations and sets new requirements for private companies operating pipelines to get and keep permits from the city, including how to apply, safety standards, reporting requirements, and fees. The franchise fee increases are expected to generate approximately $1.4 million in annual revenue. The staff report provides a breakdown of the changes including updates to insurance, bonding, abandonment, mapping requirements, enforcement authority, and recovery of application and compliance costs:

Item	Current Ordinance	Proposed Ordinance
Franchise Fee	$4.13 per cubic foot (applicable present value rate for majority of franchisees)	$4.62 per lineal foot
Application Deposits / Fees	Fees for Public Noticing Only (~$6,300)	$5,000 to $20,000 Deposit
Compliance Deposit	Not Applicable	Tiered System; $2,500 + $2 per foot (Minimum) $100,000 (Maximum)
Performance Bond	$100,000 per franchise	$100,000 or annual franchise fee, whichever is greater Letter of Credit now accepted
Term	25 Years for older franchises / 10 Years for newer franchises entered after City's Charter adoption	10 Years (per City Charter)
Ability to Increase Rate During Term	Mutual Consent	City may increase unilaterally 3 times up to 5% with written notice
Abandonment Fees	$15 to $28 per lineal foot, depending on diameter	$32 to $60 per lineal foot, depending on diameter
Health & Safety (Integrity testing, Emergency Planning, etc.)	Basic requirements	Added requirements on emergency response, integrity testing, and other inspection reports
Annual Certification of Compliance	None.	Yes.
Certificate of Necessity (for public utilities)	None.	Required Annually.
Program Staffing Level / Funding Source	General Fund	Fully Offset by Deposits
Insurance Coverage	$10 million (General)	$15 million (General Liability)$25 million (Professional) $10 to $25 million (Pollution)
Mapping / GIS	Basic Mapping (no GIS)	Adds GIS and more detailed mapping requirements

The Council added a change requested by the Western States Petroleum Association that allows the city to accept the State Fire Marshal's pipeline compliance letter as an alternative to requiring new inspections and testing for franchise renewals. Economic Development Director Nathan Freeman agreed that this change addresses potential legal conflicts while keeping safety oversight through state authority.

Employee Receives Public Works Award

Freddy Loza, a 22-year city employee, received the 2025 American Public Works Association Southern California Chapter Top Leader Award. The APWA, which represents over 1,600 public works professionals in LA County, recognized Loza for his service at the Public Works Institute and mentorship of young professionals. Loza was recently appointed to the APWA Executive Board.

Sheriff's Station Reports Crime Drop; Council Wants More Code Enforcement

Captain Norman reported a 70% decline in street racing calls for service and a 12.3% decrease in Part 1 crimes. The Sheriff's Station will launch a Civilian Academy on February 23rd, offering a 10-week course for community members. The Leadership Carson group recently toured the station.

During budget discussions later in the meeting, council members raised concerns about city code enforcement staffing levels. Mayor Davis-Holmes stated that homeless individuals are setting up encampments after 6:00 PM and on weekends when fewer officers are on duty, saying "we need boots on the ground" working seven days a week rather than additional supervisors. Public Safety Director Garcia stated the city currently has seven code enforcement officers: four public safety engagement officers (split between weekday and weekend shifts with only one day of overlap) and six parking enforcement officers. Garcia further clarified that in an ideal scenario, the city would have 16 code enforcement officers—two per zone—to provide adequate coverage. The council directed staff to return with recommendations on deployment strategies and potential staffing increases.

Council Receives Easy-to-Read Financial Report

The City Council received the Popular Annual Financial Report for 2024-25, a citizen-friendly summary of the city's finances and major activities. Finance Director William Jefferson explained that this report gives a simple overview unlike the detailed Annual Comprehensive Financial Report. It is designed for residents, businesses, and anyone interested without needing a background in public finance. The report covers general fund income and spending, major building projects, debt, and economic trends. Find the report with a simple overview of the City’s finances by clicking here.

Council Approves Mid-Year Budget Report and Amendments

The City Council approved the mid-year financial report showing the city collected 35% in general fund revenue ($54.4 million of the $155.2 million budgeted) through 2025, while only spending 45% of its budgeted expenditures. Finance Director William Jefferson reported several income sources doing better than expected: oil business tax reached $6.7 million (79% of what was projected), property leases and investment earnings generated $5.4 million, fines and fees totaled $3.6 million from code enforcement, and other income reached $5.7 million mostly from a one-time recovery claim. Jefferson also reported 29 vacant positions representing a 7% vacancy rate.

Finance staff requested approximately $1.5 million amendments for the general fund; consisting of $959,225 pulled from general fund reserves, plus $533,370 moved within existing department budgets. Major additions include: $200,000 for election costs, $110,000 for housing agreements, $100,000 for ballot research for June 2026, $80,000 for communication planning, $77,300 for pipeline audits, $75,000 for the Gilbert Smith statue, $75,000 for a Section 8 study, $50,000 for community services maintenance, $33,000 for leadership training, $30,000 for council travel, and smaller amounts for legislative advocacy and Olympics planning. Money moved within departments includes $500,000 for building facade improvements for the 2028 Olympics and $20,000 for job reclassifications. As per the staff report, the approval of the resolution with included changes reduces the general fund surplus from $91.4 million to $86.1 million.

The council also approved $256,900 in special revenue fund requests, including $200,000 from gas tax funds for street and sewer work and $56,900 for bleachers at Veterans Sports Complex. 

During the meeting, the council added three more changes to the mid-year budget: $100,000 for July 4th fireworks (after LA Galaxy's Dignity Health Sports Park announced it will not host due to FIFA scheduling), $200,000 for the Phoenix citation system (now bringing in $3.6 million annually, a 26% increase), and $350,000 for urgent Community Center fixes including carpet replacement and odor remediation.

$9.73 Million Reallocated in Capital Budget

The Council approved moving $9.73 million between capital improvement projects, bringing the total CIP budget to $200.5 million. Major changes include: $6.7 million for the Streetscape Master Plan (Avalon Boulevard and Carson Street first section), $1.4 million for intrusion detection alarm systems, $1.3 million for park security cameras, $350,000 for Community Center improvements, and $221,000 for new street name signs.

The Community Center allocation will address the deteriorating carpet in the west wing hallway and an odor issue in room 107. The project includes carpet removal, non-slip tile installation, and remediation work. City staff is directed to complete the work within 30-45 days.

Carson Women's Club Granted Fee Waiver

The Carson Women's Club received a three-year fee waiver for use of the Carson Event Center, through December 30, 2028. The waiver covers three special events per year, approximately ten monthly meetings, and four board meetings annually. Club representatives stated they previously utilized the Event Center for their gatherings but had to suspend in-person meetings during the pandemic. Councilman Dear made the motion stating the club operates as volunteers and serves as official city hostesses. Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes seconded the motion and council unanimously approved it.

Council Approves Federal Funding Agreement for Bike Lane Project

The Council approved an agreement to secure $1.567 million in federal Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funds for bike lane installation on Figueroa Street, Main Street, Victoria Street, and Carson Street. According to the staff report, city staff was directed in 2021 to eliminate "sharrows" – shared lanes used by both bikes and cars - and create safer, more clearly defined bike lanes. To do so, the City will need to narrow medians along certain street segments to create additional roadway width. This design change significantly increased project costs, prompting the city to secure an additional $10.64 million in Metro Measure M funding.

Since federal HSIP funding (which prohibits Project Labor Agreements) and Metro funding (which allows PLAs) requires different rules, staff restructured the work into two separate projects. Project 1451 now includes only striping and signage work funded by federal HSIP grants, while Project 1452 covers all median modifications on University Drive, Avalon Boulevard, Central Avenue, Del Amo Boulevard, and 223rd Street funded entirely by Metro Measure M grants.

The timeline requires Project 1452 (median modifications) to be completed before Project 1451 (striping) to avoid duplicative work and construction conflicts. According to city staff, Project 1452 is scheduled to begin construction in August 2026 with a 180-day duration, completing in May 2027. Project 1451 would then begin around June 2027 with a 120-day duration, finishing by December 2027.

During the meeting, Council members raised concerns about current median conditions with Mayor Davis-Holmes requesting a review of work done by existing maintenance contracts. Mayor Pro Tem Hicks stressed finishing before the 2028 Olympics, noting that world-class cyclists will arrive early to train. Finally, the council specified that no traffic lanes be eliminated to accommodate bike lanes.

Bus Transportation Contract Extended

The Council approved extending the charter bus contract with American Transportation Systems for two years through June 30, 2028, adding $350,000 for a total contract of $725,000. Community Services Director Michael Whittiker stated the city schedules approximately 12-14 excursion trips, 60-70 summer youth program trips, 10-12 sister city trips, and 5-7 other departmental trips annually.

After Mayor Davis-Holmes questioned whether the June end date will conflict with the Olympics scheduling, City staff confirmed developing a comprehensive Olympics transportation plan and will return with potential amendments once details are finalized.

Council Members Announce District Events

District 1: Councilman Dr. Jawane Hilton scheduled a District 1 Town Hall for Thursday, March 12 at 6:30 PM at Stevenson Park, to address community concerns. He also announced being selected as Assembly District 65 Unsung Hero Honoree by Assemblymember Mike Gipson. “I will be heading to Sacramento on Monday to receive this honor on the assembly floor from Assembly Member Mike Gibson and I look forward to representing Carson and the mighty district 1” said Hilton.

District 3: Mayor Pro Tem. Cedric Hicks thanked the Public Works department for the completion of the Del Amo fence line, Santa Fe sidewalks, and Del Amo street lights from Avalon to Wilmington. He requested status updates on the Carson and Santa Fe strip mall facade improvement program, Mills Park, and camera installation at major intersections.

District 4: Councilwoman Arleen Bocatija Rojas reported meeting with the Philippine Consulate of Los Angeles and Philippine LA28 Olympic Committee regarding collaboration opportunities. She scheduled a District 4 Town Hall for Wednesday, February 25 at 6:30 PM at Foisia Park.

City Manager Receives National Award

City Manager David Roberts Jr. announced he was selected as City Manager of the Year by Government Business Review, with an award presentation scheduled for April. Roberts also reported that his daughter Eden performed in both the Super Bowl halftime show and NBA All-Star Game.

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Upcoming City Events:

BLACK HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION

Friday, February 27, 6 p.m.

Carson Events Center

801 East Carson Street, Carson, 90745