City Council approves 15 mph school safety zones, expands unarmed crisis workforce training and asks port to report on tariffs

The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday approved multiple motions aimed at public safety, workforce development and economic oversight, including a directive to Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) to implement 15-mile-per-hour speed limits in newly designated school safety zones and a motion to expand workforce pathways for the city's unarmed crisis response pilot.

The votes were taken during the council's regularly scheduled meeting; most contested items passed with recorded tallies. Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, who sponsored the school-safety motion, argued the change was “an urgent and necessary step” and cited crash statistics for children. The council recorded 15 ayes on the school-safety item.

Why it matters: The school-safety vote directs LADOT to move toward a lower speed limit near newly designated school safety zones — a low-cost, speed-calming measure the sponsor said can be implemented faster than some traffic-calming capital projects. The unarmed crisis workforce motion seeks to build the pipeline of trained social workers and mental health professionals to sustain the city's alternative response models.

Key actions and outcomes - Item 34 — School safety zones: Councilmember Hernandez moved and the council approved directing LADOT to implement 15 mph speed limits in newly designated school safety zones. Vote: 15 ayes. Hernandez noted that “traffic collisions are the leading cause of death for youth ages 2 to 14” and that the proposal uses a matrix to prioritize schools for the designation.

- Item 18 — Unarmed mobile crisis response education: A motion directing the Civil and Human Rights & Equity (HRE) Department and the Youth Development Department to report back on strategies to cosponsor workshops and develop career pathways into unarmed crisis response passed unanimously (15 ayes). Hernandez, co-chair of the ad hoc committee on unarmed crisis prevention and intervention, said the pilot’s first year shows “leading with care works.”

- Item 27 — Port tariffs: A motion calling for the Port of Los Angeles general manager to report on the local and broader economic effects of recently imposed tariffs passed 15–0. Councilmember Mike McCosker (motion sponsor) warned of a decline in sailings and early impacts on local jobs and supply chains and said the port report would help inform both the council and the public.

- Item 22 — Wildfire hazard map/ordinance instruction: Councilmember Mark Lee asked the Fire Department and city attorney to draft an ordinance to adopt updates based on the state’s Cal Fire maps; the council amended the recommendation and adopted the amendment (15 ayes). The Los Angeles Fire Department reported the state had adopted the map on March 24 and that the city has an ordinance-adoption window (the LAFD said it needed to adopt within 120 days after state approval).

- Item 32 — Separate vote recorded: Item 32 was called for a separate vote; the roll showed 12 ayes and 3 no votes.

- Items 1–4 and 6–15 — Building Safety liens: The council adopted the Los Angeles Department of Building Safety’s recommendation to confirm liens on several properties (items 1, 2, 6–15) and to receive-and-file for items 3 and 4; vote recorded as 15 ayes.

- Recusals and continuances: Councilmember Curren Price recused himself from items 20 and 24 on the advice of the city attorney; the tally on those items was recorded without him present (14 ayes where noted). Councilmember Kevin de León (Padilla in the transcript) asked to continue item 5 to June 6, 2025, and held item 36 for an amendment to be circulated; the clerk announced the 30-day continuation date for item 5.

Votes at a glance (selected) - Item 18 (UMCR workforce workshops): approved, 15 ayes. Mover: Councilmember Hernandez; second: Council President Harris-Dawson. Notes: report back to HRE and Youth Development Department on training/workforce pathways. - Item 27 (Port tariffs report): approved, 15 ayes. Mover: Councilmember McCosker; second: Councilmember Raman. Notes: request port general manager to brief council on tariff effects. - Item 34 (15 mph school safety zones): approved, 15 ayes. Mover: Councilmember Hernandez; second: Chair Hutt (Transportation Committee). Notes: LADOT instructed to implement new school safety zone speed limits. - Item 22 (wildfire ordinance instruction): approved as amended, 15 ayes. Mover: Councilmember Lee; second: unnamed. Notes: City attorney to draft ordinance to adopt Cal Fire map updates into municipal code. - Item 32: recorded 12 ayes, 3 no's (item called special by Councilmember Hernandez). - Items 1–4, 6–15 (DBS liens): adopted as recommended, 15 ayes.

What the motions did not do - None of the approvals in this session enacted final state law changes; several items direct departments to prepare ordinances or reports, which require subsequent drafting, committee review or later votes. - Where the meeting record shows a continuation or a hold for amendment (for example, item 36 and item 5), the council did not take final action on those matters at this session.

Speakers (selected) - Eunisses Hernandez — Councilmember, sponsor of the school-safety and UMCR workforce motions (government). - Marquise Harris-Dawson — Council President (government). - Nithya Raman — Councilmember (government). - Heather Hutt — Councilmember, Transportation Committee chair (government). - Mike McCosker — Councilmember, sponsor of the tariffs motion (government). - Mark Lee — Councilmember, sponsor of the wildfire ordinance amendment (government).

Authorities referenced - Cal Fire wildfire hazard maps — referenced by the Los Angeles Fire Department and by Councilmember Lee as the basis for ordinance drafting.

Clarifying details - Item 5 continued to Friday, 2025-06-06 (30 days). - For items where a department was asked to report back (e.g., Port general manager, LADOT, HRE), the council recorded instructions but did not adopt final implementing ordinances in the same vote.

Provenance (transcript excerpts) - Item 18 (topicintro): block_2685 evidence_excerpt: "Today is International Harm Reduction Day ... This motion directs the civil and human rights depart..." - Item 18 (topfinish): block_2772 evidence_excerpt: "15 ayes." - Item 34 (topicintro): block_2816 evidence_excerpt: "This motion would authorize the Los Angeles Department of Transportation to implement 15 mile per hour speed limits in newly designated school safety zones." - Item 34 (topfinish): block_2922 evidence_excerpt: "15 ayes." - Item 27 (topicintro): block_2933 evidence_excerpt: "It is about the tariffs ... 40% of all the goods that come into The United States come through the San Pedro Bay complex..." - Item 27 (topfinish): block_3216 evidence_excerpt: "15 ayes." - Item 22 (topicintro): block_3236 evidence_excerpt: "Captain Do you mind joining us at the table? ... does state law mandate that the city expand its zones to be compliant with CAL FIRE's wildfire, hazard maps?" - Item 22 (topfinish): block_3368 evidence_excerpt: "15 ayes." - Item 32 (topicintro): block_2796 evidence_excerpt: "the council may now vote on items 32 and 34 called special by council member Hernandez for separate vote." - Item 32 (topfinish): block_2810 evidence_excerpt: "12 ayes 3 no's"

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