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Council Meeting Recap: Jan. 12, 2021

All council members were present for the Tuesday, January 12 City Council meeting. Open session started at 5:20 p.m. and ended at 8:14 p.m. Here are the highlights:


First elected Female African American Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes along with Councilmembers Hilton and Hicks sworn into office. The city of Carson celebrated history being made as Lula Davis-Holmes was sworn in as the first female African American elected as Mayor. A video of the swearing in ceremony for Mayor Davis-Holmes, and Councilmembers Jawane Hilton and Cedric Hicks which took place over the weekend was presented to the public while the council meeting went into recess. Throughout the ceremony there was an emphasis to celebrate the rising number of women elected into office. Besides the usual praises coming from colleagues, friends and family, Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes was congratulated by a number of female politicians including Congresswoman Nanette Barragán, Supervisors Holly Mitchell and Janice Hahn. In her speech, Mayor Davis-Holmes pointed out that ever since she started working as a city employee, she would be the first woman to hold a number of city positions including Carson’s first female Recreations Director and later the first female Recreations Superintendent. She hopes that her victory will encourage the girls of America to follow their dreams.


First Special Council Meeting called for January 14. Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes wasted no time and called for a special city council meeting to take place this Thursday, January 14 at 10 a.m. Mayor Davis-Holmes scheduled the meeting to discuss aiding the L.A. County Sheriff's Dep. regarding nominations for the next Captain of the Carson Station and to appoint or remove members to city commissions, committees, and boards. The meeting’s agenda can be viewed here.


Councilmember Vacancy to be declared at next regular council Meeting. The next immediate action the council will have to decide on is how to fill the vacant councilmember seat left by Lula Davis-Holmes for winning the Mayor’s race. As per charter law, an agenda item will be added to the regular city council meeting on Jan. 26 declaring the seat vacant. City Attorney Sunny Soltani explained that the city council has 60 days to appoint someone or else will have to hold a special election to fill the vacancy. Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes announced that she plans to create a committee to help her draft guidelines for councilmember nominations adding that she would like candidates to have lived in Carson for at least 5 years. City staff will look into whether a special election can be held prior to November 2nd 2021.


Council discusses District Changes. Releases RFQ for demographer. City staff will release an RFQ to attain a demographer as the city’s councilmember districts may need to be redrawn. City Clerk Donesia Gause-Aldana pointed out that after ever federal Census count every county and jurisdiction will need to adopt new districts that are all substantially equal in population. She added that a new map must be adopted not later than 150 days before the regular city election in March 2022 but no earlier than August 2021. The city’s current district boundaries took over 2 years to create and as of today have been adopted for less than 6 months. Since all municipalities will be in demand for a demographer, city staff was directed to start finding a good demographer early and come back with a timetable to inform the public.


Assemblyman Mike Gipson To Host COVID-19 Townhall for Spanish Speakers via Facebook: This Friday, January 15, from 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.





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