Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Beverly Hills public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
12 issues with low priority
Tennis and pickleball ball recycling
More than a dozen students and the founder of Habits of Waste asked Beverly Hills to become the first city to require tennis and pickleball ball recycling at clubs and parks — hundreds of millions of balls end up in landfills and take centuries to decompose. The council agreed to agendize it, likely through the Recreation and Parks Commission work plan.
Parking Garage Cleaning Accountability
The city spends nearly half a million dollars on power washing its garages and lots. Councilmember Nazarian pulled the contract to ask how the city holds vendors accountable — staff explained city supervisors inspect the overnight work each morning.
Golden Globes Golden Week 2027 partnership
Penske Media's expanded week of events — restaurant week, a fashion museum pop-up, and luxury dinners — gets support through the CVB's existing $25,000 plus about $11,000 for banners and City Hall lighting, but not the extra $25,000 from city tourism funds.
2026 Rodeo Drive Holiday Lighting Celebration
A $566,959.20 spend on oversized gemstones, double-sided wreaths, and overhead garlands designed to distract from Rodeo Drive construction. The council prioritized seven weeks of décor over the one-night lighting ceremony.
Dissolution of fine art covenant at 8942 Wilshire
The new owner of 8942 Wilshire Boulevard (the ALO clothing brand building) paid $283,000 in lieu of replacing a 1991 art installation, dissolving the 1982-era fine art covenant. A speaker questioned whether that serves the public.
Trailer parking ban
Final adoption of the ordinance banning hitched or unhitched trailer parking citywide except with a city permit or for active work — now the law.
Park Bench Donation Program Expansion
The existing bench donation program (currently $5,000 for ten years, only at Beverly Gardens and Roxbury parks) would expand to all city parks, with better promotion at city events and the farmers market, plus a lower-cost recognition option for smaller donors.
Truesdale solid-fence code dispute
A homeowner and his architect asked the city to study a citywide fix — rather than forcing one owner to pay $50,000 for a text amendment — for roughly 50 Truesdale homes with solid upper fence panels added for security after burglaries.
Senior Services Coordination
Councilmembers suggested consolidating senior services — housing support, transportation, and meal programs — into a coordinated in-house effort for efficiency, and asked staff to explore kosher meal options and better outreach to Beverly Hills seniors.
Special Events Costs and Major Event Planning
Councilmembers flagged the rising cost of events like Festival Beverly Hills ($25,000 requested, part of a ~$92,000 total) and the $400,000-plus Next Beverly Hills event. They also discussed planning and funding for FIFA, the Super Bowl, and the Olympics, with no Olympics activation money in this budget.
Summer 2026 Soccer Poster Contest winners
The council selected public art that will appear on A-frames and digital promotions all summer during the region's World Cup moment — and debated whether it should look more like Beverly Hills.
Police recruitment and city workforce vacancies
At the state-mandated AB 2561 hearing, HR reported the city's vacancy rate is 9.5% and falling, helped by $45,000 lateral and $35,000 entry police bonuses — the richest in the region.