Personal delivery robots and autonomous vehicles were considered at the city council meeting on the evening of Monday, August 10.
Action Item 4 called for, “ (1) Discussion and Approval of City Council Mobility Subcommittee’s Recommendation for a One-Year Pilot Program for Robotic Personal Delivery Devices in Culver City; and (2) Authorization to Finalize Implementation Documents, including Service Operator User Agreement and Administrative Operating Regulations and Procedures.”
Staff recommended that the council “(1) discuss and approve a one-year pilot program for robotic personal delivery devices (“PDDs”) in Culver City, as recommended by the City Council’s Standing Mobility Subcommittee (Mayor Puza and Vice Mayor Fish) (“Subcommittee”); and (2) authorize Public Works staff and the City Attorney’s Office to finalize implementation documents for the program, including a Service Operator User Agreement and Administrative Operating Regulations and Procedures.”
With Council Members Albert Vera and Dan O’Brien recusing themselves over an “abundance of caution” due to their own business interests, that item passed unanimously 3-0.
There was far more discussion over Action Item 5: “(1) Discussion of Autonomous Vehicle Fleet Services and Potentially Establishing Use Classification, Standards, and Approval Procedures, Including Definitions, Permitted Locations, Siting, Staging and Dispatch, Performance Standards, and Related Operations; (2) FOUR-FIFTHS VOTE REQUIREMENT: If Desired, Adoption of an Interim Urgency Ordinance Establishing a 45-Day Moratorium on the Issuance of Building Permits or Entitlements for Autonomous Vehicle Fleet Services; and/or (3) If Desired, Direction to Prepare a Regular Ordinance for Direct Consideration by City Council, or for Consideration by the Planning Commission for Recommendation to City Council; and/or (4) Direction to the City Manager as Deemed Appropriate.”
A motion for a 45 day moratorium while staff prepared an urgency ordinance didn’t pass. The vote was 2-1, with Vice Mayor Bubba Fish and Council Member Yasmine-Imani McMorrin the two yes votes, Council Member Albert Vera the one no vote, and Mayor Freddy Puza abstaining. O’Brien was again recused.
“I just want to share with the public that if, as a result of this vote, an AV facility ends up in your backyard, I’m very sorry that we were not able to stop that from happening,” said Fish.
A second motion for staff outreach passed unanimously 4-0, with O’Brien recused.
Item A1 called for the council to, “Receive a Presentation from the Center for New Democratic Processes on the Culver City Civic Assembly on Increasing Public Participation in the Budget Process.”
After some speakers who had been involved in the process stood to have their say about the experience, the presentation was received and filed.
Action Item 2 (A2) was split into two: “Adoption of a Resolution Approving the Arguments in Favor of Questions Relating to One Tax Measure and One Proposed Charter Amendment to be Considered by the Voters at the General Municipal Election of November 3, 2026.”
According to the staff note, “At the City Council meeting of June 22, 2026, the City Council considered and approved a proposal to place before the voters a ballot measure which, if approved by a majority of the voters, would amend the City Charter to lower the voting age to 16 for municipal and Culver City Unified School District Board elections.”
The motion for the ballot measure passed 3-2, with Vera and O’Brien the two no votes.
For the second part, concerning the Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT), O’Brien was recused and Vera abstained, resulting in a 3-0 vote.
Action Item 3 (A3) called for, “(1) Approval of a Subsidy Program for the Culver City Afterschool Recreation Program (CCARP); and (2) Direction to the City Manager Regarding the Proposed Eligibility Criteria, Subsidy Structure, and Program Implementation, as deemed Appropriate.”
That item passed unanimously, as did A7: “Discussion of a Potential Residential Construction Minimum Wage Program and Direction to the City Manager as Deemed Appropriate.”
The evening ended with A6: “(1) Designation of the City’s Voting Delegate and up to Two Alternate-Delegates for the 2026 League of California Cities Annual Conference; and (2) (If Desired) Provide Guidance to the Voting Delegate Regarding Taking a Position on a Resolution to be Considered at the Conference’s General Assembly.”
Mayor Puza remains the delegate, with Fish as the alternate. That item passed unanimously.