At the Helms Design Center on Feb. 20, 2025, the annual Westside Mayors Forum saw West Hollywood’s Mayor Chelsea Byers, Santa Monica Mayor Lana Negrete, Beverly Hills Mayor Lester Friedman and our own Culver City Mayor Dan O’Brien talking about wildfire response, housing issues and the upcoming Olympics at a panel presented by Westside Urban Forum.
The popular breakfast meeting for urban planning and architecture invites the mayors once a year to speak on the issues affecting the region, and Byers noted the essential thread, saying “We all know that our cities don’t really end at the borders, and what affects one will affect the whole region.”
Starting out discussing the recent fires, each one of the communities was not directly affected, but Negrete was able to offer that Santa Monica had been able to find space for displaced grades schools from the Palisades. “We had some [commercial] office space that was not being used, and being able to utilize that for some children to be able to get back to school – I wish you could see these kids – was a fast way to offer help that was really needed.”
Again, while none of the cities on the panel were directly affected by the fires, the whole region was put on notice in regard to how to be prepared. Friedman spoke about attention to “palms trees and power lines, and making sure that we are maintaining these landscapes in ways that address safety.”
The challenge of dealing with homelessness focused a lot of what Culver City and Santa Monica are doing in regard to supporting the unhoused. “No city in California is doing as much as we have, per our size, to remedy this situation. We have reduced our numbers [of unhoused] from over three hundred down to almost one hundred. The wraparound services we offer – these folks get three meals a day, counseling support – cost the city millions. But this is an issue that improves the situation for everyone.”
Negrete spoke about the 72 hour hold that was being supported by Santa Monica’s public services, and while they did not have the ability to require people to accept help, she hoped that “getting that time to clear your head, to take a step back, some people have been willing to accept more care.”
It was noted that the County-wide homeless count was scheduled to take place on Feb. 20th, after having been postponed due to the wildfire crisis.
The need for “missing middle” housing was also discussed. O’Brien stated that “We are not getting the help we need from the county or the state, to support affordable housing. We have a shovel-ready project that is approved at every level, and we still need more funding to pay for it.”
When the 2028 Olympics came up, Negrete candidly confessed that while “having Beach Volleyball in Santa Monica,” was still being discussed, there was not yet an agreement for that to happen. Byers said that West Hollywood was committed to an “LGBTQ – plus House, so that international athletes who are out have a place to gather and share community while they are here for the games.”
The aspect of transit will be adding in more bus only-lanes throughout the region, and Friedman noted that “two more subway stations will be open [in Beverly Hills] by then.”
O’Brien reminded people that “World Cup/ FIFA is coming next year, and that will give us all a moment to think about hospitality for an international crowd.”
Photo – L to R – West Hollywood Mayor Chelsea Byers, Santa Monica Mayhor Lana Negrete, Beverly Hills Mayor Lester Friedman, and Culver City Mayor Dan O’Brien
Judith Martin-Straw