Elected Official? Create newsletters in minutes, not hours.
Transparent, authentic, comprehensive newsletters to maximize constituent representation and civic engagement.
Councilmember Dan O'Brien Newsletter — March 1, 2026
📬 Councilmember Dan O'Brien — Culver City — March 2, 2026
Hello friends and neighbors,
I'm grateful today. Yesterday morning I ran the 10th Annual Screenland 5K — my first race in over a year after meniscus repair surgery on both knees. I didn't place in the top ten. But crossing that finish line on a beautiful, sunny first day of March, surrounded by costumes, live bands, and neighbors of every age, reminded me how easy it is to take good health for granted and how good it feels to earn it back.
March arrived strong. And there's a lot to cover from this past week: a fast-moving arson investigation, the results of a Council meeting many of you watched closely, our Chamber building connections across the Westside, and some important dates ahead. Let's get into it.
🚨 Public Safety
🔹 Two juvenile suspects have been identified and arrested in connection with the Target arson at Westfield Culver City. On February 19, officers responded to an active fire inside the Target at 6000 Sepulveda Boulevard around 7:30 PM. The blaze started in the paper products aisle, forcing evacuation of the entire shopping center. No injuries were reported, and fire crews extinguished it quickly. Detectives used surveillance footage and our Automated License Plate Reader system to identify both the suspects and the vehicle they left in. On February 24, patrol officers spotted that vehicle near the mall and conducted a traffic stop. Both juveniles were cited for arson of an inhabited structure and released to their parents. Estimated damage: approximately $1.5 million.
→ 🎯 My take: Last week I told you I'd be monitoring this arson investigation. Five days from fire to arrest — that's responsive, technology-assisted police work making a real difference. Our ALPR system and detective team delivered when our community needed them to. I'm relieved nobody was hurt, and I'm glad to see accountability this quickly.
🔹 The Westfield shooting investigation remains active. The February 13 incident — Culver City's first homicide since 2023 — resulted in the death of 25-year-old Angel Torres and the arrest of Kelsi Ann Taplette. Detectives believe additional robbery victims have not yet come forward. If you have any information, please contact Investigations Lieutenant Ryan Thompson at (310) 253-6302 or email ryan.thompson@culvercity.org. Anonymous tips: tips@culvercity.org.
🏛️ Council Recap — February 23
🔹 The Council voted 4-0 to keep the Olympics and FIFA World Cup Preparation Subcommittee as currently constituted — and I remain on it. The Fair Political Practices Commission had already confirmed no conflict of interest, and after hearing from community members Monday night, the Council affirmed that direction with one abstention. I appreciate everyone who weighed in — by attending, emailing, or calling. The question was fair. The process worked. Now it's time to focus on positioning Culver City for the global spotlight ahead.
🔹 Food truck regulations were sent back to staff for refinement. The discussion around vendors near parks and schools generated thoughtful conversation. Nobody wants to lose a neighborhood favorite, and I don't want an ordinance that inadvertently hurts vendors who've become part of our park experience. Staff will return with updated language that aims to be fair to vendors, brick-and-mortar businesses, and the families who enjoy our public spaces.
🔹 The Earth Day open-streets activation on Elenda Street was approved for Wednesday, April 22. Council greenlighted the street closure along Elenda between Culver Boulevard and Farragut Drive for the second annual event tied to International Walk to School Day. Last year's activation was a hit — students biking and rolling to school on a car-free street, community groups and families filling the sidewalks. As someone who raised two kids in Culver City schools, I know how much these mornings stick with a family.
🏪 Economic Development
🔹 This past weekend, I joined more than 100 business owners and professionals at a joint Chamber mixer with the Venice and LAX Coastal chambers at Firestone Walker in Marina del Rey. Cross-regional connections like these matter. Small businesses don't stop at city borders, and the more our entrepreneurs build relationships across the Westside, the stronger everyone's network becomes. That's the kind of bridge-building I'm committed to in my role leading the Chamber.
🔹 Mark your calendars: the 10th Annual Women in Business Leadership Awards Luncheon is Friday, March 13, from 11 AM to 2 PM at The Shay Hotel (8801 Washington Blvd). Five exceptional women will be honored: Dr. Michelle Catanzarite (Achievable Health), Sharon Angel (A North Production), Wendy Hamill (Culver City Education Foundation), Leilani Terris (Lei'd Cookies), and Denise Ambrosi (These Hands Maker's Collective). ABC7's Michelle Fisher will emcee. Tickets are $120 for members and non-members.
→ 🎯 My take: In ten years, this event has become one of the Chamber's signature moments. These women represent the innovation, service, and grit that define our business community. I hope you'll join us.
👉 Register for the Women in Business Luncheon
🚦 Transportation & Schools
🔹 The Culver Bike Bus launches tomorrow, Tuesday, March 3. This is a supervised group ride for students biking to school together — safety in numbers, building healthy habits, and taking cars off the road around our campuses. If your kids ride or want to start, this is a great way to build confidence on two wheels with other families.
🔹 Sepulveda Connects Design Workshop #3 is Tuesday, March 17 at 6 PM at the Veterans Memorial Building (Rotunda Room, 4117 Overland Ave). The corridor redesign is entering a critical stretch, and the choices made now will affect businesses, commuters, and pedestrians for years. I've been clear about where I stand: we need safety improvements that don't come at the expense of the small businesses that depend on parking and lane access along Sepulveda. If you use that corridor in any way — driving, walking, biking, transit — show up and make sure the design reflects your reality.
👉 Learn about Sepulveda Connects
🌍 Regional Collaboration
🔹 I attended another productive weekend seminar with the Independent Cities Association, joining council members, mayors, and staff from our 42 member cities. Topics ranged from raising revenue without raising taxes to managing short-term rentals, cybersecurity best practices, and the role of the Coastal Commission. What I value most about these convenings is the reminder that cities our size are tackling the same puzzles — housing, infrastructure, balancing growth — and that sharing what works makes all of us sharper when we come home and sit at the dais.
🌸 Kaizuka Water Wheel
🔹 A quick update on the handcrafted water wheel from our sister city Kaizuka, Japan. The wheel completed its ocean crossing from Osaka and arrived at the Port of Los Angeles in mid-February. It's now awaiting transport to Culver City for installation in the Kaizuka Meditation Garden at the Julian Dixon Library. Six decades of friendship between our two cities, and this gift is the latest reminder that investing in relationships across borders pays dividends you can actually see and touch. I'll share the installation timeline as it comes together.
🏗️ Looking Ahead — March 9 Council Meeting
🔹 The next City Council meeting is Monday, March 9 at 7 PM. One item to watch: the Council will consider the proposed siting plan for Culver City's interactive digital kiosk program. Fifteen kiosks are planned for Phase I, providing information on meetings, events, transit, local businesses, and emergency resources. The Ad Hoc Digital Signage Subcommittee has reviewed the proposed locations. Agendas will post the Wednesday or Thursday before — I encourage you to take a look.
🌱 Environment
🔹 The Compost Hub at Syd Kronenthal Park returns Wednesday, March 11, from 10 AM to noon. Every 2nd and 4th Wednesday, in partnership with LA Compost. Bring your food scraps, divert waste from landfills, and support healthy local soils. It takes about ten minutes. One of the simplest environmental actions you can take.
🎉 Screenland 5K Recap
🔹 The 10th Annual Screenland 5K delivered everything you'd want from a decade of this event. Costumes, live entertainment along the route, a theme celebrating Culver City's motion picture heritage, and a perfect sunny morning in the Heart of Screenland. This event has grown into one of our signature community moments — thousands of neighbors sharing a start line, a finish line, and everything in between. Thank you to the organizers, the volunteers, and everyone who came out. Here's to ten more.
📅 Dates & Community Events
🔹 International Women's Day is Sunday, March 8. A day to celebrate the achievements of women in our community and beyond — and a fitting lead-in to the Chamber's Women in Business Awards the following Friday.
🔹 Planning Commission meets Wednesday, March 11 at 7 PM.
🔹 Every Tuesday, 2-7 PM — Downtown Farmers Market. Main Street. Grab produce, support local growers, and say hello to neighbors.
👉 Visit the Farmers Market page
🔹 How to watch and participate in meetings. Agendas post Wednesdays before Monday meetings. You can attend in person or virtually.
🙏 Closing Thought
I want to close this week by spotlighting the five women being honored at the Chamber's Women in Business Awards on March 13 — Dr. Michelle Catanzarite, Sharon Angel, Wendy Hamill, Leilani Terris, and Denise Ambrosi. From healthcare to education, from cookies to craftsmanship, they represent the breadth and heart of what Culver City's business community looks like when it's firing on all cylinders. If you can make it to The Shay that afternoon, I hope you will.
March has a full calendar ahead: a digital kiosk program to evaluate, a critical Sepulveda workshop where your voice is needed, and the continued work on projects that will shape our neighborhoods for years. I'm heading into this month feeling grateful — for two functioning knees, for a community that shows up every time, and for the chance to keep doing this alongside you.
As always, hit reply if something's on your mind. A question, a concern, a good idea — that's how this works best.
