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Dan O'Brien Newsletter — August 24, 2026
Dan O'Brien | Culver City Council Update | August 24, 2026
Hello, neighbors!
Some weeks, the numbers tell the story better than I can: $11.3 million in new state housing funds headed our way, a 30 percent drop in our unsheltered neighbor count, more than 20 film festival acceptances for Culver City High students, and 75 years of Fiesta La Ballona, which returns to Veterans Memorial Park this Friday. Add in Thursday night's final Summer Sunset concert Downtown, with Tatiana Tate's trumpet closing out the season, and it was quite a week to call this city home. Let's get into it.
🏡 Housing & Homelessness: The State Took Notice
🔹 Culver City lands on the Governor's Prohousing list, with $11.3 million in shared funding. On August 20, the Governor's office named Culver City one of just ten cities statewide, and the only one in Los Angeles County, to earn new funding through round four of the state's Prohousing Incentive Program. The money is dedicated to creating affordable housing for residents at all income levels.
→ ⚡ Why this matters: Housing policy is slow, unglamorous work, and recognition like this tells us the hard choices are adding up. I want these dollars turned into homes, not headlines, and I'll keep pushing to make sure that happens.
🔹 Our 2026 Homeless Count shows a 30 percent reduction. The January Point-in-Time Count found 74 unsheltered individuals in Culver City, down from 105 in 2025. Behind each of those numbers is a person, and this progress reflects years of sustained outreach, investment, and coordinated services. We are not done, and I won't pretend otherwise, but the trend is real. The Advisory Committee on Housing & Homelessness holds a special meeting this Tuesday, August 25, at 7 PM if you want to engage directly.
👉 See the 2026 Homeless Count data
🎉 Fiesta La Ballona Turns 75 This Weekend
🔹 The Party at the Park is back, August 28 to 30 at Veterans Memorial Park. Fiesta runs Friday from 4:30 to 10 PM, Saturday from noon to 10 PM, and Sunday from noon to 8 PM at 4117 Overland Ave. Entry is free, and for the first time ever there will be two entertainment stages, plus 45 food vendors and rows of community and nonprofit booths. The Main Stage lineup ranges from Mar Vista Folklorico on opening night to the Angel City Chorale at Saturday noon and Los Calicubanos closing Sunday. Veterans Memorial Park has always held a special place in my heart, and celebrating 75 years of this tradition there feels exactly right. Ride wristbands are on sale now.
💼 Economic Development: Quieter Streets, New Jobs
🔹 Amazon chose Culver City as its first West Coast e-bike delivery hub. After a preview event on August 18, electric cargo bikes officially hit our streets August 19, replacing gas-powered vans for local deliveries. Each bike can carry about 240 packages per shift, travels at 12 miles per hour in bike lanes, and comes with rear cameras, automatic emergency braking, and required safety training for riders. Local partner BHC Express is looking to hire at least 50 delivery riders to start.
→ 💭 My take: Fewer vans means less traffic, less noise, and cleaner air, and I like that new jobs come with it. I'll be watching closely to make sure the rollout works for everyone who shares our streets and sidewalks.
🛠️ Infrastructure: Back to Basics, Right on Schedule
🔹 Sidewalk repairs are rolling out this month. Residents told us loud and clear during Community Conversations that streets and sidewalks matter, and this year's budget answers: $4.65 million for street pavement and concrete rehabilitation, $1.15 million for curb, gutter, and sidewalk replacement, $300,000 for ADA sidewalk improvements, and $250,000 for citywide alley reconstruction. This is the foundational, unflashy work that shapes daily life, and I'm glad to see it moving.
🔹 Bill Botts Fields renovation is underway. Excavation has started on Field 1, with work on Fields 2, 3, and 4 expected to begin in the coming weeks. All four fields will be renovated, one of roughly 70 capital projects planned this fiscal year. Our kids and leagues have waited long enough for fields they can be proud of.
👉 Read the City Manager's August update
🎬 Schools: A Record-Breaking Year for Young Filmmakers
🔹 Culver City High's AVPA/CTE Film program just wrapped the best year in its 30-year history. Students earned more than 20 film festival acceptances nationwide, including multiple selections to the All American High School Film Festival in New York. Jake Bossin's comedy Rock Out and Lauren Davidson's drama Reset both made the cut, Davidson took Best Director at the Rochester Teen Film Festival, and Una Finn had three films selected across two categories. After 25-plus years of cutting film for a living, I can tell you this level of storytelling from high schoolers is genuinely rare. Congratulations to these students, their teachers, and the supporters at Sony Pictures Entertainment and the Culver City Education Foundation who make it possible.
👉 Read about the students' festival wins
🔹 Backpacks for Kids launched the school year for more than 250 students. The Kick-Off to School event provided backpacks, school supplies, clothing, shoes, books, and produce boxes, powered entirely by volunteers and donors including a $10,000 gift from the CC Rotary Club and $2,500 in food from the CC Exchange Club. Westside Food Bank also offers free weekly produce boxes at the Farragut parking lot, Thursdays from 3 to 4 PM. This is Culver City at its best: neighbors making sure every kid starts the year ready.
👉 Learn how to support Backpacks for Kids
🗳️ Your Voice in the Budget: Civic Assembly Report Delivered
🔹 60 residents. 1,500 hours. 42 recommendations. On August 14, the City received the report from our first-ever Civic Assembly, where residents chosen by civic lottery spent months learning how the City budget works and developing ideas for boosting public participation in it. The City has committed to a public response at the September 28 Council meeting. I've believed my whole life that anybody can be empowered to make a difference in their community, and this process proves it. If you've ever felt like City Hall is a black box, this work is for you.
👉 Read about the Civic Assembly
🎭 Arts & Culture: Grants and a Night at the Wende
🔹 Performing Arts Grant applications are open for 2027 performances. The program funds theatre, dance, and music events that keep the arts accessible here, with support from the Cultural Trust Fund, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and the Culver City Arts Foundation. Workshops run Tuesday, August 25 at 11 AM (virtual) and Wednesday, August 26 at 2 PM, and first-time applicants are required to attend one.
🔹 CURRENTS: Composers in Motion comes to the Wende Museum this Thursday, August 27. Emersion Music brings award-winning film and TV composers' original works to life with a live chamber ensemble and movement artists. Doors open at 6 PM with a garden reception before the 7:30 PM performance. The Wende keeps proving what a treasure it is for our community.
👉 RSVP for CURRENTS at the Wende
📅 This Week in Culver City
🔹 Tuesday, August 25, 6 PM: Sustainability Subcommittee meeting, Dan Patacchia Meeting Room, City Hall
🔹 Tuesday, August 25, 7 PM: Advisory Committee on Housing & Homelessness special meeting
🔹 Wednesday, August 26: Planning Commission regular meeting is canceled
🔹 Thursday, August 27, 6 PM: CURRENTS at the Wende Museum
🔹 Friday to Sunday, August 28 to 30: Fiesta La Ballona 75th Anniversary, Veterans Memorial Park
🥕 Weekly Markets
Every Tuesday, 2-7 PM: Downtown Farmers Market on Main Street. Grab produce, support local growers, and say hello to neighbors.
👉 Visit the Farmers Market page
🏛️ How to Watch & Participate in Meetings
Agendas post Wednesdays before Monday meetings. You can attend in person or virtually.
🙏 Before You Go
Seventy-five years of Fiesta La Ballona only happens because generations of volunteers, organizers, and neighbors decided showing up matters. Thank you to everyone who makes this community what it is, week after week. If something in this update sparked a question or an idea, reply and tell me. I read every message, and your input genuinely shapes where I focus. Hope to see you at the park this weekend.
