Residents press council on airport noise, DEI changes and worker recall during lengthy public comment

Public comment dominated much of the evening. Airport neighbors and Venice residents described sharp recent increases in prop-plane touch-and-go operations at Santa Monica Airport, citing noise and quality-of-life impacts; speakers asked the council to pursue operational changes and stronger advocacy with regional aviation authorities. Several speakers referenced the airport's 2025 noise and operations report and urged immediate action to limit flight-school touch-and-go activity.

Multiple speakers asked for clarification and assurance about the future of the city's DEI work. Public commenters and neighborhood organizations said a DEI staff reduction and the apparent dissolution of a reparations/land-back task force had created confusion. The city manager responded in chamber: no DEI department had been dismantled; staff said the city intends to embed and expand restorative-justice and DEI functions through a commission and an allocated $5.5 million implementation budget.

Many former Rusty's employees, labor organizers and community advocates urged full application of the worker recall and retention ordinance for the Pier site, asking that offers (not only interviews) be guaranteed under any new lease. Workers described job loss hardships and asked council to ensure rehiring rights are enforced when the new operator opens.

Councilors heard both sides: neighbors and labor asked the city to guard against displacement and to preserve neighborhood quality of life; proponents of the Roadhouse emphasized the operator's record and the venue's potential to bring live music and jobs back to the Pier.