In the final item of the City Council meeting on the evening of Monday, January 22, Action Item 5 saw the council decide against employing interns.
The item was listed on the agenda as, “Discussion regarding the use of administrative interns to support city council efforts; and direction to the city manager as deemed appropriate.”
The idea of the council bringing in administrative interns was floated at a previous meeting, but with the benefit of a staff report, the council generally decided that the amount of work required to train interns and give students valuable employment experience would be too much.
In closing, Mayor Yasmine-Imani McMorrin said that she hoped the opportunity to bring young people in and offer them city council experience would remain in the conversation.
Earlier, there was come controversy over Consent Calendar item C-10, relating to change to Move Culver City.
“Award of construction contract to sterndahl enterprises llc, as the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, in the amount of $1,465,075.00 for the modified move culver city – downtown corridor pilot project western segment, ps01,” read the agenda. “Authorization to the public works director to approve change orders to the contract in an amount not-to-exceed $219,761.25 to cover contingency costs (15%).”
The changes to Move Culver City have been complicated by ongoing legal action against the city, though some of the members were quick to remind their colleagues and the public that it was intended to be a pilot program. The item passed.
Action Item A2, “Adoption of a resolution establishing the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration committee and approving the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration committee bylaws,” passed unanimously.
In Action Item A1, Vikram Thakur was appointed to the Finance Advisory Committee, while Lila Bragard took the student position on the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee.
The Council were in general agreement that Thakur was well qualified, though both Mayor McMorrin and Council Member Freddy Puza mentioned that they would like to see more female representation on that committee.