Letter to support changes to City Council meeting format

Jan 27,2026

Dear Mayor Torosis and Councilmembers,

NOMA SUPPORTS (Agenda Item 16 – H) adjusting the City Council schedule and agenda management to increase BOTH efficiency AND community engagement. We thank Councilmember Negrete for bringing it forward. We ask that the Council takes the time to discuss and support Councilmember Negrete’s important call for a review of the current process.

The goal should be to ask staff to develop recommendations that cultivate and support a strong and engaged community/Council relationship.

We hope that you will direct staff to consider all options, including implementation of the following two meeting protocol / logistical adjustments, as we feel these will increase engagement from residents of NOMA and other Santa Monica neighborhoods:

1. Provide a Minimum Amount of Public Comment Time For Speakers

• Two-minutes of Guaranteed Minimum Speaking Time – Ensure that no member of the public receives less than two minutes to speak on any agenda item or during general public comment, regardless of the number of speakers.

• Separate Time for Separate Items – Confirm that speakers are afforded the full two-minute minimum speaking time for each distinct agenda item they wish to address.

2. Meeting Structure & Scheduling Reforms

• Reorder Agenda for Closed Session – Reorder Council agendas such that Closed Session takes place either at 3pm or at the end of Council meetings, rather than mid-agenda.

• Consider Closed Session on 1st & 3rd Tuesday – Concurrently, please also consider and analyze the feasibility of holding closed sessions on the first or third Tuesday of each month, separate from regular City Council meeting evenings.

Respectfully,
The Board of NOMA

CC: City Manager Chi