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CC - ACTION ITEM: (1) Receive a Presentation from the Center for New Democratic Processes on the Culver City Civic Assembly on Increasing Public Participation in the Budget Process; and (2) Direction to the City Manager as Deemed Appropriate.
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CC - ACTION ITEM: (1) Receive a Presentation from the Center for New Democratic Processes on the Culver City Civic Assembly on Increasing Public Participation in the Budget Process; and (2) Direction to the City Manager as Deemed Appropriate.
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Meeting Date: August 10, 2026
Contact/Dept.: Alexandra Kuntzman/City Manager's Office
Phone Number: (310) 253-6024
Fiscal Impact: Yes [ ] No [ X ] General Fund: Yes [ ] No [ X ]
Attachments: Yes [ X ] No [ ]
Public Notification: E-Mail: Meetings and Agendas - City Council (08/05/2026)
Department Approval: Lea Eriksen, Sr. Assistant City Manager (08/05/2026)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council (1) receive a final presentation from the Center for New Democratic Processes (CNDP) on the final outcomes of the Culver City Civic Assembly on increasing public participation in the budget process; and (2) provide direction to the City Manager as deemed appropriate.
BACKGROUND
The City of Culver City's first Civic Assembly was initiated following City Council direction in October 2025. At that meeting, the City Council authorized conducting a civic assembly, placed a budget cap of $250,000 (inclusive of all City costs), and directed staff to solicit proposals from organizations to develop and conduct the assembly.
Following a competitive process, the City Council selected the Center for New Democratic Processes (CNDP) to develop and conduct the Civic Assembly. On March 16, 2026, the City Council approved the remit question for the Assembly: "How might the City of Culver City increase public participation in the budget process?"
The first Assembly session was held over three days - May 14, 15, and 16, 2026 - bringing together 30 Culver City residents selected via a demographically representative lottery process.
An interim update was presented to the City Council on June 22, 2026 by Kyle Bozentko and Sarah Atwood of CNDP, along with Assembly participants. Key findings from that presentation included:
* Participant profile: Only 3 of the 30 participants had previously served on a City committee or commission, and only 5 had attended a City budget meeting prior to the Assembly.
* Community representation: Participants had lived in Culver City for an average of 16 years.
* Participant satisfaction: Seventy-nine percent reported they initially volunteered to support the City, and 100% said they would participate in a Civic Assembly or similar process again.
* Idea generation: Participants identified more than 100 potential actions to increase public participation in the budget process.
Emerging themes: Participants emphasized meeting residents where they are (such as neighborhood events, PTAs, and local coffee shops), presenting budget information in more accessible ways, and reducing barriers to participation.
DISCUSSION
The second and final Assembly session occurred July 16-18, 2026, during which participants refined and prioritized the 100+ potential actions identified in May. Following that session, CNDP prepared a final report with Assembly recommendations (attached).
In the presentation to Council, CNDP and Assembly participants will share more information on the Assembly process and an overview of the Assembly's prioritized recommendations on how the City of Culver City can increase public participation in the budget process.
Staff has conducted an initial review of the prioritized recommendations and plans to incorporate them where possible into the upcoming budget process subject to timing and existing resources. If there are items that require additional resources that are not currently budgeted, staff will return to City Council for direction and implementation options as appropriate. Staff seeks any additional direction from City Council as deemed appropriate related to the prioritized recommendations.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
Receipt of this presentation has no fiscal impact. Should the City Council direct staff to pursue implementation of any Assembly recommendations that have costs that are not currently budgeted, funding options would be evaluated and presented to the City Council for future consideration.
ATTACHMENTS
1. 2026-08-10_ATT1_Civic Assembly Final Presentation Slides
2. 2026-08-10_ATT2_Civic Assembly Final Report
recommended action
MOTION(S)
That the City Council:
1. Receive a presentation on the completed Civic Assembly from CNDP and Assembly participants; and
2. Provide direction to City Manager as deemed appropriate.