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Dan O'Brien Newsletter — September 14, 2026
Dan O'Brien | Culver City Council Update | September 14, 2026
Hello, Culver City,
A week ago, Beverly and I stood watching our daughter Hayden marry a wonderful man named Garrett, and I don't think my smile has faded yet. Every dad dreams of launching his kids into the world knowing they'll be happy, safe, and surrounded by love. Watching the new Mr. and Mrs. Ripsam dance that night, I felt that dream come true. The drive home didn't hurt either: Multnomah Falls and the Columbia Gorge, the redwoods, Glass Beach, and a sunrise over Mendocino that I'll be thinking about for a long time.
Now we're home, the suitcases are (mostly) unpacked, and it's a big week for our city. Council is back at the dais tonight. Here's what you should know.
🇺🇸 25 Years Later: Remembering September 11
On Friday morning, our Police and Fire Departments marked 25 years since the September 11 attacks with a remembrance ceremony at Fire Station 1 on Culver Boulevard. Crews assembled before the flag at 6:55 AM, observed a minute of complete silence at 7:00 AM, and lowered the flag to half-staff as a bugle played.
→ ⚡ Why this matters: A quarter century on, the men, women, children, and first responders we lost deserve more than a moment on the calendar. They deserve our memory and our gratitude. I'm thankful to the CCPD and CCFD members who carry this tradition forward each year, and to every neighbor who paused with them.
👉 Read about the remembrance ceremony
🏛️ Council Is Back Tonight
City Council returns from summer recess tonight, Monday, September 14, at 7 PM in the Mike Balkman Council Chambers, and the agenda is a full one. A few items I want on your radar:
🔹 Autonomous vehicle rules get their public hearing (PH-1): We'll hold a public hearing on an urgency ordinance creating a new use classification and standards for Autonomous Vehicle Fleet Services. The proposed framework would keep these facilities out of residential zones and Downtown, away from fire and police stations, and would set rules on queuing, idling, noise, lighting, and late-night operations.
→ 💬 My take: Innovation is part of Culver City's DNA, but new technology has to work for the people who actually live next to it. Strong guardrails first, then growth. Your voice matters here, so please weigh in.
👉 Read the AV proposal and share feedback
🔹 Relief for afterschool families (C-8): A resolution would roll the Culver City Afterschool Recreation Program fee back to $51 per participant per week, undoing the increase adopted in May. Anything that eases the squeeze on family budgets while keeping kids active after the bell is a win in my book.
🔹 Sidewalks and curbs (C-3): A $613,242 construction contract for annual sidewalk, curb, and concrete repairs. Not glamorous, but smooth, safe sidewalks are the quiet backbone of a walkable city.
🔹 Celebrations at the dais (R-1): Council will issue a proclamation recognizing National Hispanic Heritage Month, and we'll honor this year's Sustainable Business Certification recipients. You're invited to join us for both.
🏠 Housing Momentum Worth Celebrating
🔹 Culver City earns the state's Prohousing Designation: Last month, the Governor named Culver City one of just 13 California communities to receive this designation, which comes with $11.3 million in new state funding for affordable housing and unlocks eligibility for even more. Our staff earned this recognition, and I'm proud of the direction we're heading: more homes, for more incomes, in the community we love.
🔹 A regional housing tool (C-5): Tonight we'll also consider joining the Westside Cities Affordable Housing Trust, a joint powers authority that lets neighboring cities pool resources to build affordable homes. Housing pressure doesn't stop at city limits, and neither should our solutions.
🏗️ The Hayden Tract's Next Chapter
The Draft Hayden Tract Specific Plan is now out for public review, and the 30-day comment window closes Sunday, September 27. The plan builds on General Plan 2045 to guide new housing, creative businesses, public spaces, and better connections to the two nearby Metro E Line stations and the Ballona Creek Bike Path. And yes, after a week spent celebrating our Hayden, spending this month on the Hayden Tract feels right on brand for this family.
→ 📖 What this means: This is the blueprint for one of our most distinctive neighborhoods for decades to come. If you work, create, or commute through the Tract, now is the moment to shape it.
👉 Review the draft plan and submit comments
👉 Explore the virtual open house
🚨 Ready, Set, Prepared
September is National Preparedness Month, and Culver City is practicing what it preaches. On Thursday, September 24, from 7 to 9 PM, our Police and Fire Departments will lead CERT and CCARES volunteers in a Communitywide Disaster Drill focused on evacuation operations at El Marino Park and the surrounding neighborhood. You may hear the Hi-Lo warning sirens that evening. It's only a drill, and CulverAlerts messages will go out at the start and finish so no one is caught off guard.
I spent years as a scoutmaster teaching kids that preparedness isn't about fear, it's about confidence. The same goes for our whole city. If you haven't yet, take five minutes and sign up for emergency alerts.
👉 Learn about the disaster drill
🌊 Roll Up Your Sleeves for Ballona Creek
The Annual Ballona Creek Cleanup Day is this Saturday, September 19, from 9 AM to 12 PM, with in-person registration starting at 9 AM at each site. Volunteers can pitch in at five locations: Sepulveda Boulevard, Overland Avenue, Duquesne Avenue, Syd Kronenthal Park, and the Baldwin Hills Overlook. As many as 200 neighbors turn out each year as part of California Coastal Cleanup Day, one of the largest volunteer events on the planet.
Few things make me prouder than watching this community show up for its public spaces. Every bag of litter pulled from the creek is pollution that never reaches our beaches. Bring the kids, bring a friend, and wear shoes you don't mind getting dirty.
👉 See cleanup sites and details
🏆 A Round of Applause for Our City Team
The 2026 Finance Advisory Committee Innovation Awards recognized City employees whose ideas are making local government work better: near-instant residential solar permitting, a Teen Mental Health Expo for Culver City youth, the enhanced transit program that moved World Cup crowds smoothly to SoFi Stadium, and street resurfacing with recycled rubberized asphalt that lasts 50% longer. People love to say government can't innovate. Our team keeps proving otherwise, and I couldn't be happier about it.
🗓️ Dates & Community Events
🔹 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
🔹 Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee: Thursday, September 17, at 6 PM. If you care about how we bike and walk around town, this is your room.
🔹 Hispanic Heritage Celebration: Saturday, September 26, 12 to 3 PM at Tellefson Park, with crafts, food, local vendors, live entertainment, and a muralist at work. A perfect way to celebrate the culture that helps make Culver City, Culver City.
📺 How to Watch and Participate in Meetings
Agendas post Wednesdays before Monday meetings. You can attend in person or virtually.
💛 Before You Go
Thank you for letting me share a little family joy alongside the city business this week. Both matter. If something on tonight's agenda speaks to you, reply to this newsletter or come make your voice heard at the podium. That's how this is supposed to work, and I never take it for granted.
See you around town,
Dan
